About
With readings by Ruairi Conaghan and Caitriona Hinds
Belfast-based arts journalist, writer and critic Jane Coyle chronicles 40 years of theatre in Northern Ireland in her new book A Better Locksmith. Charting the evolution and development of the sector during years of conflict, social and political change and financial pressures Coyle's observations are recorded with clarity, insight and humanity. Join us as Jane recalls and pays tribute to this imaginative, resilient creative community, in discussion with theatre director and former QUB drama lecturer David Grant.
The £52.50 Book & Ticket bundle includes a paperback copy of A Better Locksmith.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A Better Locksmith (2026) is a landmark anthology by the respected, Belfast-based arts journalist and critic Jane Coyle, which represents her coverage of Northern Ireland theatre over a period of four decades.
This wide-ranging selection of previews and reviews, news features and personal profiles begins in 1984 and ends in 2025. It charts the evolution and development of the theatre sector in Northern Ireland during more than forty years of conflict, social and political change and financial pressures. Events, festivals, international partnerships and individual career paths are recorded with clarity, insight and humanity, from the viewpoint of a self-confessed 'objective observer'.
Much more than a historical record, A Better Locksmith captures, from the inside track, the lived experience of Northern Ireland's theatre sector. With a foreword by theatre director and former Queen's University Belfast drama lecturer David Grant, and edited by Hanna Nielson and Dr. Connal Parr, it stands as a vital chronicle of an imaginative, resilient and forward-looking creative community.
