Returning to Belfast’s Lyric Theatre acclaimed Belfast playwright Marie Jones’ Fly Me To The Moon is a witty two hander expertly told by Frances (played by Katie Tumelty) and Loretta (played by Maria Connolly), two community care workers who are struggling to make ends meet.

The play is set in the home of one of their elderly charges, Davy Magee; a fan of custard creams, Frank Sinatra and putting a few pounds on the horses. When it quickly becomes apparent that while in the other room Davey has sadly passed away, the carers begin wondering about what will happen to his pension and the sizeable sum he just happened to win at the bookies…

From the outset it is almost comforting seeing the two actors interact with each other on stage, the rapport is dynamic and very realistic and from the guffaws of the audience it is clear that we all know people like Francis and Loretta – just ordinary people facing ordinary problems – trying to scrounge a few extra notes to go on a hen do, or to send their kids on a school trip. 

As they grapple with the moral and ethical challenges of whether or not Davey’s money will be missed, the broader themes of friendship, economic hardship and care for the elderly come into play. 

It’s been almost 10 years since we saw Marie Jones’ Fly Me To The Moon at the Lyric Theatre, but in this current economic climate, the talk of financial struggles and the temptation to take a few hundred quid that would otherwise be missed takes on a slightly more poignant meaning. In this production Maria Connelly does a superb job taking the mantle from both Derry Girls actor Tara Lynne O’Neill and Blue Lights actor Abigail McGibbon who have played the role of Loretta in previous productions, while Katie Tumelty was born to play the role of Frances.

Thanks to Jones’ signature humour, heart and hilarious dialogue Fly Me To The Moon is a real classic that is not to be missed. Running until 25th August 2024, if you would like to find out more information or to book tickets to this limited run of Fly Me To The Moon click here. 

 
Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.