Troubles Over the Bridge: A First Hand Account of the Over the Bridge Controversy and its Aftermath - Softcover

Ellis, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908188553 ISBN 13: 9781908188557

Publisher: Lagan Press, 2015

Synopsis

Belfast, 1959: the young Group Theatre director James Ellis is approached by playwright Sam Thompson, who announces “I got a play you wouldn’t touch with a bargepole!” The play was Over the Bridge, Thompson’s powerful portrayal of a sectarian dispute in the city’s shipyards. After its effective banning by the Group Theatre’s board of directors following representations from the Unionist establishment, Ellis resigned from his position as a matter of principle in order to direct the production of the play. In this book, James Ellis provides a first-hand account of the strong and well-orchestrated attempts to censor Over the Bridge, and how these were overcome, allowing for the eventual staging of a dramatic work that would become a defining landmark in the cultural history of Northern Ireland. James Ellis (1931-2014) was a Northern Irish writer, actor and stage director with a career stretching over sixty years. Best known for his work in television and film –mediums in which he maintained a high profile in for nearly forty years – he also starred in West End stage productions. As a stage actor he did seasons at the Barbican with the Royal Shakespeare Company, with the National Theatre and Sir Peter Hall’s company at the Old Vic. Ellis is best remembered for his role as Bert Lynch in the long-running BBC TV detective/police series Z-Cars (1962-78).

Edition details

• Publisher: Lagan Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908188553
• ISBN 13: 9781908188557
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176