‘A Day in Court’: c21 found guilty of bringing quality drama to The Old Antrim Courthouse in a free event celebrating the courthouse’s tricentennial

In September 2026, c21 were delighted to present A Day in Court, written by Gary Wilson, as part of European Heritage weekend, celebrating The Old Courthouse in Antrim’s tricentennial. The living history project played out real cases from the courthouse’s 300-year history, spanning back to the 1800s, allowing audiences to take on the role of the jury and decide the verdict. Do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?

A team of professional actors recreated historic local trials, from petty crimes such as the theft of a watch or bribery, through to the famous murder trial of Samuel Cushnan in the late 1920s, and finally, finishing with Dorothy Evans and the suffragette movement. The project was supported by PEACEPLUS, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and presented in association with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

Congratulations to the creative team of Stephen Kelly (Director), Gary Wilson (Writer), Faith Dawson (Costume Designer), Duncan Gordon (Set Designer), James Kennedy (Lighting Designer), Daran Harper (Lighting Operator), Christine Clark (Stage Manager) and Caidan Mullan (Assistant Stage Manager). The talented cast included Adrian Cooke, Sophie Patterson, Eoghan Lamb, Andrew Porter, Shane McCaffrey, Leah Williamson, John Travers, Caleb Dickie and Jack Dawson. Thank you also to the council staff and the team at the Old Courthouse.

Audiences found the free event guilty of bringing some great drama to the courthouse…

“The script, performances, costumes, set and the whole production was just brilliant. Loved it!”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the show from start to finish, it was great to see something like this in Antrim and I’d love to see more events like this in the future.”

“Great way to learn more about the courthouse’s history.”

“An incredible cast and crew, putting together a wonderful show, bringing old court cases back to life and letting the audience decide the outcome. Congratulations to everyone at c21 on another entertaining show.”

“Well done to the fine cast and production crew from c21 Theatre Company. Guilty as charged with bringing some quality drama back to Antrim.”