Highlights from c21’s Grand Opera House run and Schools Tour of Under the Lights October 2025

c21 Theatre Company conclude a successful run of Under the Lights in The Studio at the Grand Opera House, Belfast before embarking on a schools tour of Northern Ireland.

This powerful one-person play, written by NI playwright Maria Connolly and starring John Travers, delivers a vital and thought-provoking examination of athlete welfare, self-sacrifice, and the immense pressure young competitors face in team sport.|

Following its acclaimed world premiere and Northern Ireland tour in February 2025, the production returned to bring its crucial message to an even wider audience, through the Grand Opera House run and an NI schools tour. Under the Lights is designed to ignite essential conversations about mental and physical challenges in contact sports through the story of young rugby player, Josh Blair.

The response from audiences and critics has been nothing short of phenomenal. The widespread acclaim and audience engagement has been extraordinary, with the production connecting deeply with a diverse cross-section of attendees including youth and professional rugby players, sports coaches, teachers, sports safeguarding organisations, and drama students. The power of the writing and performance was praised by critic Simon Fallaha as “a frankly phenomenal experience”.

The production’s impact on attendees was equally significant. Audience feedback captured a universal appreciation: ‘ A powerful piece of work’ and ‘I was at a fantastic show tonight with my 13-year-old son that sparked a great chat between us on the journey home, because he too, would be the one not wanting to leave the pitch, either. I would love for all his team and the rest of his club to see this.’

The Chair of the Safeguarding Sport Strategic Group commented: ‘The themes of the play resonate with every sport. The dreams of the young person to pursue their sport, parents supporting the dream, the range of coaching styles which are not always in the best interests of the athlete. But, when injury such as in the play head concussions happens, the athlete’s desire to continue and minimise the injury. And so, they need the adults / staff / coaching people around them to take the right decisions to safeguard them.’

The sustained positive reaction solidifies c21 Theatre Company’s position at the forefront of groundbreaking Northern Irish drama. Our commitment to tackling timely, relevant issues has cemented our reputation for delivering high-quality, impactful theatre that sparks vital dialogue within the community, and we are delighted that this production has resonated so deeply.