Interview with Damian Gorman, the author of a new play about John Hume…

At first glance, John Hume might seem the last politician you would make a musical about. With respect to each and all of them, a song and dance show on Ian Paisley could, of course, have a core of gospel, tree-hugging beardie Gerry Adams’ might rock go to a hippie beat and David, Lord Trimble most likely needs an Elvis soundtrack, with a touch of Wagner. But Hume was not always associated with music – apart of course from The …

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Recreating the 18th Century coffee house tradition…

Northern Ireland people are often accused of spending too much of the present in the past. But a recent experiment was deliberately designed to go back in time – with the aim of helping the future. The Enlightenment Festival in Belfast recreated the 18th Century coffee house tradition, where all sorts of radical chat was the order of the day. Folk came to drink coffee, and spilt the beans – on everything from mental health to housing, climate action and gender, faith and film. And …

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