The Bright Umbrella group believes the 150-seat Sanctuary Theatre and aptly named Little Theatre, both under the same roof, will improve cross-community relations.
The arts centre, an old church that dates back to 1875, stands between the mainly unionist Castlereagh Street and Albertbridge Road area and the nationalist Short Strand.
It is a short distance from the peace line in Cluan Place where rioting between Protestants and Catholics was once a nightly feature and where Ian Ogle was murdered by a loyalist gang in 2019.
Trevor and his Glentoran historian co-writer Sam Robinson
Bright Umbrella aims to refurbish and future-proof the historic Mountpottinger Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, which is still used once a month by a handful of older worshippers.
The theatre company’s mission statement says: “The church sits directly on what is arguably Northern Ireland’s most notorious interface.
“Many buildings and sites in the vicinity are derelict. Levels of paramilitary influence are high. Violent incidents and murders ramp up community anxieties, but despite this there remains a strong sense of community belonging.”
Artistic director Trevor Gill said he and his colleagues had received backing from both sides of the community.
Mountpottinger Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church
He stressed the arts centre would retain important parts of the church’s history, including stained-glass windows, pews, vaulted roof timber and plaques and monuments in honour of First World War soldiers.
“Given its proximity to the Sirocco Works and the shipyards, it won’t surprise anyone that the workers from both firms worshipped in Mountpottinger,” explained Trevor.
“The original plan was to tour classical plays to other people’s theatres, but when we started to rehearse at Mountpottinger we realised it would be a wonderful performance space.
“Three months ago we signed a 50-year lease on the building. We got an architect’s report on how we might renovate the place and we’re excited about the blueprint.
“We know funding’s tight but we are quietly confident that we can get the money we need.
“We hope construction work will start in January 2025, with the opening a year later.”
The 1914 Glentoran team that travelled to Europe
In 2015 Trevor was one of six actors from the amateur Belvoir Players who had roles in a Royal Shakespeare Company production in Belfast. The establishment of Bright Umbrella followed two years later.
The company stages a monthly comedy club called East Laffs. Other projects have included productions of Shakespeare and Seamus Heaney plays, plus a range of films now online.
One deals with the story of violence between Protestants and Catholics on the church’s doorstep in the 1920s during the moves towards partition.
Their biggest crowds so far were for a play called One Saturday Before the War, which has been described as a Boy’s Own adventure story of how Glentoran Football Club travelled to Europe for a tournament in 1914, just before the outbreak of the First World War, and came home with the Vienna Cup.
The cast of One Saturday Before the War
Trevor, who wrote the play with Glentoran historian Sam Robinson, said: “It was the first European trophy won on foreign soil by a British team, though Linfield supporters tell the story slightly differently. The play sold out last year and we’ve decided to bring it back for a longer run from July 28 to August 12.”
Bright Umbrella is also hoping to stage a year-long retrospective of the theatre and radio plays of the acclaimed east Belfast writer Stewart Love.
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July 24, 2023 at 04:00PM
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New £2.6m two-theatre complex planned for 'notorious' Belfast interface - Belfast Telegraph
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