Uplift to stage comedy version of Trojan tale

A Carrickfergus drama group are looking forward to a new challenge as they prepare for their first theatrical production.
Members of the Carrick-based Uplift Performing Arts group in rehearsal for the production.  INCT 41-733-CONMembers of the Carrick-based Uplift Performing Arts group in rehearsal for the production.  INCT 41-733-CON
Members of the Carrick-based Uplift Performing Arts group in rehearsal for the production. INCT 41-733-CON

Uplift Performing Arts are best known in the borough for their colourful music and dance showcases, one of the most recent being a series of ‘Dinner Theatre’ shows during the summer.

However, the team are now flexing their dramatic muscles as they prepare for what director Ryan Moffett calls their ‘first theatrical play’, a comedic retelling of the siege of Troy.

“A lot of our productions have been variety shows, music and dance medleys and things like that, but this time we’re doing a full dramatic play called The Hysterical History of the Trojan War,” Ryan told the Times.

“It’s a comedic retelling of the story of Troy, the Trojan Horse and the Spartans. A lot of people will be familiar with that story thanks to the film Troy that came out a few years ago with Brad Pitt, as well as the movie 300.”

The group, which is made up of young cast members from Carrickfergus, Whitehead and Larne, are in the middle of intensive weekly rehearsals for the production, which will be staged at the Belvoir Players’ Studio in Belfast.

“It’s definitely something different for the cast to be doing drama as they’re so used to the music and dance numbers, but they’re looking forward to the challenge,” Ryan added.

“The play was actually written by an American author, DM Larson, and we were able to buy the royalties and produce it by special arrangement with www.freedrama.net.”

The play comes at the end of a busy year for the group, who ran a series of drama workshops for young people in Carrick’s sister city of Danville, Kentucky over the summer months.

The show begins at 7pm; tickets are £9 or £7 concession.

They can be booked online at www.belvoirplayers.org or by calling 9049 1210 or 07840 453 723.

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