Leo and Galina. He is from Berlin, she is from Vienna. He is a violinist, she is a dancer. He is a survivor, she is not.
Jane Coyle’s play The Suitcase is set between 1930s Vienna and modern-day Belfast. It returns in February in response to popular demand, opening at the MAC in Belfast on 1 February and touring to Bangor, Coleraine, Bellaghy, Armagh, and Downpatrick. It is being revived as part of Northern Ireland’s Holocaust Memorial Day 2019 commemorations. It tells a fictional tale of two young people caught up in the dark events of 1930s Europe and illustrates the way in which the Holocaust was made up of millions of small, individual tragedies.
The play was premiered in the Belfast synagogue during the 2015 Belfast International Arts Festival and won the Belfast Telegraph Audience Award. Three members of the original production are reprising their roles: Mary Moulds and Rosie Barry will play mother and daughter Sofie and Galina Moriarty; Hannah Coyle will play the young dancer Galina Stein. Karl O’Neill will play Leo Edelmann, an elderly man struggling with painful memories.
From director Stephen Beggs and his team of stage manager Seána Green, composer Rachel Cullen (who is reworking her critically praised soundscape), choreographer Mags Byrne, and voice coach Peter Ballance.
“I am so pleased that we have been able to access funding to bring The Suitcase to a wider audience,” says Coyle.
“I’ve received many requests for a revival since its premiere in the synagogue. Its hidden family history and complex human relationships seemed to touch a nerve with audiences of all generations.
“ In a world which is increasingly consumed by prejudice, bitterness, and division, I wanted to present a story which shows how human kindness, generosity of spirit and creativity can provide light and solace, even in the darkest of days.”
In addition to evening performances, there will be three schools matinees, at the MAC and Studio 1A in Bangor. Each performance will be followed by a facilitated audience discussion focusing on issues raised by the play. Some discussions will be hosted by the Institute for Conflict Research.
Catch it around the country:
1 & 2 February: The MAC, Belfast
5 & 6 February: Studio 1A, Bangor
7 February: Riverside Theatre, Coleraine
8 February: Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy
9 February: Market Place Theatre, Armagh
10 February: Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick
