Troubles Over the Bridge
Belfast, 1959: James Ellis is approached by playwright Sam Thompson, who announces “I got a play you wouldn’t touch with a bargepole!”. Ellis provides an account of the attempts to censor 'Over the Bridge', and how these were overcome, allowing for the staging of a work that became a landmark in the cultural history of Northern Ireland.
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- Description
- Book Details
Description
Description
Belfast, 1959: the young Group Theatre director James Ellis is approached by playwright Sam Thompson, who announces “I got a play you wouldn’t touch with a bargepole!”
The play was Over the Bridge, Thompson’s powerful portrayal of a sectarian dispute in the city’s shipyards. After its effective banning by the Group Theatre’s board of directors following representations from the Unionist establishment, Ellis resigned from his position as a matter of principle in order to direct the production of the play.
In this book, James Ellis provides a first-hand account of the strong and well-orchestrated attempts to censor Over the Bridge, and how these were overcome, allowing for the eventual staging of a dramatic work that would become a defining landmark in the cultural history of Northern Ireland.
Details
Details
- Format: Paperback / Softback
- Published On: 03 November 2015
- Publisher: Lagan Press
- ISBN / EAN: 9781908188557
- Page Count: 176