An award-winning play about the forced closure of Belfast’s Regina Coeli hostel for women is coming to Cushendall following overwhelming demand from venues and communities.

Not on Our Watch dramatises the actions of staff and residents to save the Regina Coeli – the only hostel for women – by holding a 12-week lock-in.

Opened in 1935 by the Catholic Church’s Legion of Mary, Regina Coeli closed in February 2022. The property remains empty and is currently on the market for £495,000. The play will tour 14 venues this October, including five in West Belfast where the building still lies empty.

The play comes to Cushendall Golf Club on October 17.

Pictured (left to right): Louise Mathews, writer of Not On Our Watch with the three cast members, Rachael MCabe, Catriona McFeely, Colette Lennon-Dougal and Kabosh Artistic Director Paula McFetridge. The play is at Cushendall Golf Club on October 17. CREDIT NEIL HAINSWORTH

placeholder image — Pictured (left to right): Louise Mathews, writer of Not On Our Watch with the three cast members, Rachael MCabe, Catriona McFeely, Colette Lennon-Dougal and Kabosh Artistic Director Paula McFetridge. The play is at Cushendall Golf Club on October 17. CREDIT NEIL HAINSWORTH

The protest action was supported by the Unite the Union, whose backing was crucial in helping the workers resist closure and highlight the wider issues of domestic violence and homelessness.

The play, commissioned by Kabosh Theatre Company and written by Louise Mathews, confronts the devastating link between domestic violence and homelessness. Its themes remain urgent and timely, according to Kabosh artistic director Paula McFetridge.

She said: “There are so many communities across the north that want to host the play. It is a joy to return to a work that proved so impactful and became a rallying cry for better facilities for homeless women.

"For us, it’s about responding to the Stormont Executive’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and encouraging people to become active and informed about what’s happening in society. Now we can unashamedly bear witness to what these brave women did.”

Since premiering in early 2023, Not on Our Watch has been recognised with the 2024 Aisling Culture and Arts Award.

Playwright Louise Mathews has written a new ending for this tour, reflecting the worsening housing crisis: “The need has only grown – it is so much worse than when I first interviewed the staff members who fought so hard to keep Regina Coeli open.

“The link between homelessness and gender violence is now firmly established. While new hostels have opened, they are a drop in the ocean. Thousands of women across the north still face homelessness because of violence and abuse.”

For booking information, visit: https://kabosh.net/production/not-on-our-watch/