Hopes for a lyrical future

There's no other way of putting it. The last year has been an annus horribilis for the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. It has been more than mere carelessness which has precipitated the loss, in as many months, of three senior staff members, among them executive producer John Sheehan, who parted company with the theatre less than halfway through his three-year contract.

Since last September, under Sheehan's guardianship, a string of commercial and artistic disappointments contributed in no small way to a rapidly worsening financial situation, and the Lyric now finds itself leaderless and with no in-house productions scheduled between the end of May and September.

Add to that, the fact that the theatre is about to celebrate its 50th birthday season, and one begins to understand why, whenever the subject comes up in conversation among interested parties, the tone turns distinctly gloomy and downbeat.

A large part of the reason for this shared sense of doom and despondency is the enormously affectionate place the Lyric holds in the cultural life of Belfast. From its earliest beginnings, when innovative productions were staged in a small building in the garden of Pearse and Mary O'Malley's house on the leafy south side of the city, this self-styled poets' theatre attracted the massed talents of some of the North's most gifted artists. In those halcyon days, prior to the onset of the Troubles, the O'Malley home was a rich breeding ground for intellectual and creative activity, and there are many past participants who still look back on those times with nostalgia, joy and celebration. It is these sentiments and spirit, which, for all the current difficulties, the Lyric is hoping can be revived through the programme of events scheduled for the anniversary season.

But, as things stand at present, none of it could have been achieved without major, radical change and the injection of new blood and new ideas.

Suddenly, that change has been wrought. Within the space of a weekend, three high-profile board members were appointed, sparking a renewed sense of energy and determination. The much-lauded trio - comprising actor-director Ian McElhinney, arts administrator and recently-appointed director of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, Chris Bailey, and BBC current affairs journalist and founding member of Tinderbox Theatre Company,Mark Carruthers - has been described by new chairman David Johnston as "the dream team". They join wise old heads such as writer Jennifer Johnston and long-serving treasurer Denis Nichol, who has been with the Lyric through the best and worst of times.

Prof David Johnston is head of the school of languages, literature and arts at Queen's University, Belfast and a highly respected writer, critic and playwright. In spite of the inherited problems, he is genuinely optimistic about the collective ability of the new board to breathe fresh life into the Lyric, and has been touched by the strength of support coming from across the length and breadth of the artistic community in the North.

"I believe that out of crisis and great difficulties can come strong resolution," he says. "If you know anything about tragedy, it is about finding new resolve from confronting a tough situation. I wasn't aware until recently of how affectionately the Lyric is regarded by a great many people here.

"We have been particularly impressed by the efforts of a group of local practitioners who have produced a document on a possible way forward for the theatre, to encourage ownership of it, both as a a civic amenity and a place where writers, actors, directors and designers can feel they have an artistic home. I have been amazed by how these people have given up their time to help the theatre.

"There is a huge reserve of goodwill out there which has not been fully utilised. I believe there has been something of a siege mentality within the board, but that is changing, and there is now a real will to begin to unbatten the hatches

Johnston is acutely aware that this board is facing a number of major challenges, not least of which are the administration and organisation of the looming anniversary season and the forging of partnership with the wider community, as Belfast bids to become the 2008 European City of Culture.

'We want to identify and build partnerships with four specific groups," he declares. "First, the practitioners - the actors, directors, writers and critics, who together form the basis of the artistic community. We want to encourage high quality criticism, for theatre needs good critics in order to grow. True debate needs to be opened up and ideas exchanged.

"Secondly, there are our audiences. We are at the start of a new millennium in exciting new times for our city. There is a real buzz in the air to which we need to respond. We must find new ways of attracting people into the Lyric, with well-chosen productions and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. We must choose our productions wisely because the cosy divisions between the types of people who go out to the theatre have disappeared, and there are so many other things on offer in Belfast these days. The competition is ferocious.

"Thirdly, we must engage with the sector itself, with the other venues in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. The Lyric is part of a network of European theatres, and our aim is to establish it as a brand name for excellence. Just because the Lyric is on the river does not mean it is an island.

"Finally, we must build partnerships with our funders and sponsors, with Belfast City Council and, crucially, with DCAL (the new Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure). The Lyric stands out as an organisation which can make a major contribution to the strategy of DCAL. As Northern Ireland's only producing theatre, we are a vital element in the bid to establish the city and the region as a centre for artistic excellence. But we can only do that if we are accorded financial backing. We are experiencing severe financial difficulties at present and, at the risk of sounding like Gordon Brown, we will have to be prudent."

Does that mean playing it safe? "There's no such thing in the theatre," he replies, with a shake of the head. And he should know. Michael Scott's disastrous production of Johnston's own version of Mario Vargas Llosa's La Chunga - The Woman of our Dreams was one of the low points of the autumn 2000 season. But, with plenty of theatrical triumphs to his name, he can afford to be philosophical and concentrate on the immediate task in hand: the search for a new artistic adviser.

"We are putting out lines. But, in the meantime, we have decided to appoint an artistic adviser who will push on the anniversary season. We will be looking back at some of the plays of the past and opening up a dialogue between past and future in what we hope will be a novel and fresh approach. The main elements of the first half of the season are more or less fixed, but we will decide on the second half when we see how we do between September and Christmas."

The new artistic adviser is Paula McFetridge, formerly Lyric's project co-ordinator. Her previous work includes developing the theatre's education strategy as well as acting, directing and working in community arts.

This businesslike new board is determined not to be rushed into appointing the next artistic director. And, when he or she is in place, the board will refrain from interfering in artistic matters. "It would be highly inappropriate," Johnston says firmly. "Once that person has taken up the post, the board will fade into the background." It was not always thus at the Lyric.

"At the moment, I have a completely open mind about who it might be. We need somebody who is hungry to make this theatre work as an artistic centre. Of course, there are a number of names that suggest themselves, but I'm not going to get into that. I would say, however, that it will not necessarily be a director. The most successful theatre in Britain currently is The Globe and it is run by an actor - Mark Rylance."

Meanwhile, the board is about to appoint an administrator, whose unenviable task will be to unravel the current tangle of affairs. Then and only then, and with appropriate financial support, can the theatre press on with Johnston's avowed intent " to re-establish the centrality of the Lyric and the complementation of others in the sector".

But firmly on his horizon is a very basic desire to get people in through the famous doors and instil in them a sense of pride and appreciation of the Lyric's rich history and potentially exciting future.

"After a great play, people don't want to go home," he muses. "They want to sit on and chat and savour the experience. So, let's put the candles back on the tables. Let's serve them their drinks by the river. Let's give them a really good night out."