Causeway Coast & Glens creatives in return of The White Handkerchief at Millennium Forum

The critically acclaimed stage production will return to the city later this month for ten exclusive performances at the Millennium Forum to coincide with the anniversary of Bloody Sunday and to kickstart the theatre’s 25th anniversary year.

Leading the cast is Ballymoney actor, Warren McCook, who is returning to The White Handkerchief as William McKinney. Warren portrayed William in the first production at the Guildhall in 2022.

Since graduating in Performing Arts at the North West Regional College in 2017, Warren has continued to work professionally in film and theatre. Most recently, Warren has appeared in several TV series including Channel 4’s In Flight and Acorn TV’s Art Detectives.

Warren has also recently completed filming for BBC’s Shakespeare & Hathaway. His recent theatre credits include GBL’s The Chronicles of Long Kesh which toured nationally before a one week run at the Grand Opera House; followed by a tour of Bruisers production of Wasted, which is also set to return this year; and most recently I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change in the Hawkswell Theatre Sligo.

Musical Director for the show is Coleraine man Ben Levy.

Ben is a highly accomplished musical director and a prolific singing coach. He has been Musical Director for We Will Rock You (Royal Caribbean), Ordinary Days (The Cockpit – winner, 2022 OffComm Award), Godspell (Ye Olde Rose and Crown – winner, 2022 Off-West End Award for Best Musical Director), The Music Of James Bond (National Tour, Germany), West End Misfits (The Other Palace), The Boys From Syracuse (Upstairs At The Gatehouse), Edges (NI Premiere) (The Playhouse, Derry), Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (Imagine Theatre), A Little Night Music, Evita, The Producers (City Academy, London), Sweet Charity (Emil Dale Academy), Pippin (SLP College).

Limavady actor, Orla Mullan, reprises her role as Peggy Deery in the Forum’s production. Orla has most recently appeared in Series 3 of BAFTA-winning BBC Primetime Drama, Blue Lights and on stage in Northern Ireland Opera’s acclaimed production of Follies at The Grand Opera House.

Other theatre credits include: Little Shop of Horrors, Hume: Beyond Belief, The White Handkerchief (Playhouse); Rapunzel (Waterfront, GBL); The Threepenny Opera (Lyric/NI Opera); Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (UK Productions, No.1 UK Tour & Malta); The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Aged 13 3/4) (Bruiser, The MAC & Irish Tour).

Former Loreto College Coleraine student Conor O’Kane is returning as Tom O’Gara. Conor’s previous theatre work includes: Polly: A 21st Century Love Story (Old Diorama, London); A Kept Man (Harrogate Theatre); In The Midst of Plenty (Irish national tour); Hume: Beyond Belief (The Guildhall, Derry); Snow White (Crossroads Live); Faust & Maggie (RADA studios, London); The White Handkerchief (The Guildhall, Derry).

The White Handkerchief performs at the Millennium Forum from Friday, January 23 until Sunday, February 1 (no performances on 26th/27th January. Tickets are now available from the Box Office. Telephone 71 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.