‘Billy the Braveheart’trotted out for Siege play

Carlo Gébler’s ‘Walking to the Ark’ will run at The Playhouse from Wednesday, May 27 to Saturday, May 30.

In his play Gébler explores the horrible choices war forces individuals to make, as well as the ingenious way Whitney and his son, Nicholas, manage to make common cause.

The award-winning Hamilton Flute Band will provide original composition for the play.

“With commanding presence that befits the captain of the Jacobite Army, we’re delighted to have a new cast member for the day, John McCauley’s beautiful horse Billy Braveheart - whose name is actually coincidental, but whose mane has been specially grown for the role,” director Kieran Griffiths said.

“A story of war, famine, siege, and a family in crisis, are all married together with an original composition supported by the Hamilton Flute Band and penned by one of Northern Ireland’s finest writers, Carlo Gébler, this a formula for a great night of exciting theatre.”

Two of the stars, Tara Breathnach, and Dermott Hickson, were present for the launch.

Tara studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music of Drama, and the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin.

Her Television and Film work includes the role of Tina in TG4’s ‘Ros na Rún’, Ann Boleyn in a BBC docu-drama series, ‘Holby City’ (BBC), ‘Fair City’ (RTE), ‘The Tudors’ (Showtime) and ‘Tracy Beaker’ (BBC).

Dermott, who trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York was recently seen in in BBC’s ‘6 Degrees’ and Colin Bateman’s TG4 and BBC show ‘Scúp’.