New Michael Dunlop theatre play coming to Playhouse in Londonderry for one night only

Written by Nick Snow – the owner of a London-based production company – ‘The Safety Catch’ is based on an imagined scenario between Dunlop and fellow Ballymoney man Liam Beckett – who was a mechanic and mentor for Michael’s legendary racing father, Robert.

The crux of the theatre drama is a debate between the pair on whether Dunlop should continue racing in the wake of his brother William’s tragic death at the Skerries 100 in 2018.

Michael is played by Coleraine man Andrew McCracken while Belfast’s Fra Gunn takes on the role of Beckett.

The play ran at The New Theatre in Dublin from November 1-11 and will now show at the Playhouse in Londonderry on Friday, November 25 (8pm) for one night only.

Writer Snow, who was a co-writer and co-producer of the critically acclaimed Prisoners of the Moon – a docudrama starring Jim Norton of Father Ted fame which examined the crimes and cover-up behind the first moon landing, hopes the play will go on tour in 2023.

He said his idea for the play came to him when he was on the set of Prisoners of the Moon in Sligo, only a few weeks after William’s fatal accident in July four years ago.

“In 2018 I was on the set of Prisoners of the Moon in Sligo – this this was a few weeks after the death of William – and I was chatting to Jim Norton about Shakespearean tragedies,” he told the News Letter in an interview last summer.

“It occurred to us that the Dunlop saga was a dramatic tragedy by any measure. The idea struck and I have written a stage play, The Safety Catch, a two-hander that imagines a moment in time when Michael and Liam are debating whether Michael should go on racing.

“Basically, it is about the dilemma we’ve all come to contemplate in the pandemic: the safe option doesn’t come without a cost, especially if it removes much that makes your life worth living.

“I’m a big road racing fan and a biker, so I also wanted to bring that incredible world to the stage,” he added.

“There’s probably not much of a correlation between road racing fans and theatre-goers, but on the other hand if you have theatre-goers who get introduced to this incredible world then that’s great, and if you get road racers who are introduced to theatre for the first time, then that’s also great.”

Dunlop is the last surviving member of his legendary motorcycling family still competing in the sport today. The 33-year-old is the third most successful rider ever at the TT behind his uncle Joey, who has 26 victories, and John McGuinness, who has 23.

He set a new lap record in the Supersport class this year at 129.475mph on his way to victory in race one, shattering his previous record from 2018.

The play is presented by the Glens Centre, Manorhamilton in association with Bandit Films and Co-Motion Media.

Tickets (£15/£12) are available from the Playhouse Box Office (028 71 268027) or at www.derryplayhouse.co.uk