A star of hit police drama Blue Lights has gone behind bars at Maghaberry jail to lend his support to a new prisoners drama society.
Neil Keery, who plays firearms officer Laurence McCloskey in the BBC series, said he was “only too happy” to provide acting tips to the prisoners.
The men are involved in the ‘Off the Cuff’ Drama Society, which has been working with Spanner in the Works Theatre Company to develop a short play highlighting the rich diversity of Belfast.
Written by the prisoners, ‘Salami on a Pizza’ tells the story of tourists visiting the Belfast Peace Wall and how the characters from a diverse range of backgrounds come together for the good of the entire community.
Following his first visit to Maghaberry, Keery said it had been “a real eye opener”.
“In many ways we only hear the bad stories coming out of prisons but what I’ve experienced today is very positive,” he said.
“People use acting to confront difficult issues and I am grateful to the governor and Patricia for the invitation to visit Maghaberry.
“It’s clear the men in the drama group have put a lot of effort into the play and I was only too happy to give them some tips from my experiences in acting.”
Maghaberry prison governor Tracy Megrath said they jail has a “long tradition of using drama to raise difficult issues and to help people in custody to express themselves in a positive yet challenging way”.
“The Drama Society has been the next step in that work. I am delighted that Neil Keery has visited today and given his support to the work.
“We have worked with Patricia Downey from Spanner in the Works over many years, but this is the first time the prisoners have written, directed and acted in their own production.”
