en en en en en en id en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en fr en en en en en en en cs en en cs en en cs en en cs en en en en en en en es en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en
Derry Playhouse invited the community to send in objects and photographs of people who died during the Troubles to fill the seats left empty by social distancing regulations, ahead of a performance remembering those who lost their lives in the 1970s
Derry Playhouse is in the heart of the city and brings people from a divided community together. Closed by the pandemic, it is reopening with a new production, ‘Anything Can Happen: 1972’, telling untold stories from the worst year of the Troubles, created by poet Damian Gorman.
Due to social distancing, the 150-seat theatre is only able to seat around 30 people. In a project called ‘a sunlit absence’, the Playhouse invited the community to send items that connect them to people who died during the Troubles to be placed on the empty seats. The result is an evocative and touching memorial to those who lost their lives.
Among the objects is a teddy bear that belonged to Martin McGavigan’s sister Annette, who was 14 when she was killed when the British Army fired into the crowd of bystanders during a riot in Bogside. Cast member Susan Stanley contributed a box containing items from her brother Paddy, killed in a bombing in Belturbet on December 28, 1972.
These are lines she speaks in the production:
“Here’s the thing, here’s what I want to tell you… the physical bomb that killed Paddy in the phone box, and Geraldine O’Reilly in the chip shop, left a six foot crater in the ground. That hole was filled in; wrecked cars replaced. But that bomb killed something inside of my mammy and daddy. And there is nothing, nothing on this earth, will ever heal my brothers and sisters, nothing. They were – my family was – decimated. I have no recollection of Paddy’s death never having been a presence; ever.”
Anything Can Happen: 1972 begins tonight (16 September) and can be streamed online: derryplayhouse.co.uk/digital
Bigger Issues need bigger solutions
Big Issue Group is creating new solutions through enterprise to unlock opportunities for the 14.5 million people living in poverty to earn, learn and thrive. Big Issue Group brings together our media and investment initiatives as well as a diverse and pioneering range of new solutions, all of which aim to dismantle poverty by creating opportunity. Learn how you can change lives today.
Jeff Bridges: ‘I had cancer and Covid. I was facing my mortality’
Jeff Bridges: ‘I had cancer and Covid. I was facing my mortality’
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris review: Lesley Manville swaps drudgery for a dream dress
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris review: Lesley Manville swaps drudgery for a dream dress
‘I just want to represent real people’ – Lydia West talks Inside Man, It's A Sin and the cost-of-living crisis
‘I just want to represent real people’ – Lydia West talks Inside Man, It's A Sin and the cost-of-living crisis
Blue Note Re:imagined II goes back in time to forge future paths
Blue Note Re:imagined II goes back in time to forge future paths
How much will the Queen's funeral cost?
How much will the Queen's funeral cost?
The internet's best reactions as Kwasi Kwarteng cuts taxes and lifts the cap on bankers' bonuses
The internet's best reactions as Kwasi Kwarteng cuts taxes and lifts the cap on bankers' bonuses
From benefit claimants to bankers: Here’s what the mini-budget means for your pay packet
From benefit claimants to bankers: Here’s what the mini-budget means for your pay packet
5 ways anti-homeless architecture is used to exclude people from public spaces
5 ways anti-homeless architecture is used to exclude people from public spaces
Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get The Big Issue in your inbox today
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from The Big Issue and our partners.
Copyright © The Big Issue Limited 2021. All rights reserved.
To mark our new Arctic Monkeys exclusive interview, we’ve picked out some of our best band and musician interviews from the past, featuring Arctic Monkeys (2018), When Jarvis met Bowie, The Specials, Debbie Harry and more. Sign up to our mailing list to receive your free digital copy.