Not fooled by Pride

I went to see the play ‘The Pride’ on Monday last at Cultúrlann; the play by Jonathan Burgess is based on the lives of members of the ‘The Pride of the Orange and Blue Flute Band’ based in Newbuildings, a staunchly loyalist housing estate on the outskirts of Derry City.

Burgess claims the play is an attempt to “redress the balance” of negative portrayals of working class protestants in contemporary Irish theatre.

However, there are no negative stereotypes here. What is astonishing is that all the characters in this piece are good, decent, sensitive, non-violent, non-sectarian blokes. Indeed their only vice it would seem is that they like a drink and enjoy the pub after practice.

The band binds this community together and gives a sense of identity to those living under ‘siege.’

I think Burgess might have at least attempted to deal with reality in some sense and indeed with attitudes on the ground.

I know Newbuildings and had many Catholic friends who grew up there.

I asked some of them to come to the play but they wouldn’t hear of it; they didn’t want to come face to face with those who in the past tormented them.

Band members and their supporter made their lives hell by playing music outside their homes leading up to, during and after their many celebratory parades.

They played their drums outside the Chapel on Saturday nights while the Priest tried to conduct Mass inside.

They insulted and assaulted young Catholics in the estate and used such obscenities that one could not repeat them in a letter to a newspaper.

I am sure they are good and decent people in Newbuildings and perhaps even good and decent band members but to pass this work off as an accurate portrayal of members of a ‘kick the pope’ band is dishonest and does no service to those trying to move forward from a violent past, least of all the subjects of this play.

James Doherty

Waterside