THEATRE audiences starved of live performances during lockdown are to be treated to a play staged in a Northern Ireland house and its gardens.
Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston has joined the cast which includes Belfast actress Kerri Quinn - the pair worked together on the BBC drama Come Home - for the five-scene piece which take places in separate rooms of the large Finaghy house.
Best known for her role as Vicky Jefferies in Coronation Street, the actress said that while scheduling was contingent on pandemic restrictions, they now had the "the venue, the cast, the script" and are "ready to go".
A maximum of 30 people will be allowed to view the one-night only October event, which is based on the works of acclaimed Belfast playwright Owen McCafferty.
On arrival, they will be offered 'theatre menus'.
"The audience won't know what they're getting until they're handed the menu and the idea is they move through different rooms - with their 'starter' and main course' scenes as well as refreshment scenes," explained Ms Quinn.
"Obviously there'll be safety measures in place with social distancing. It's a big house with two gardens so people will come through the front door and watch the monologue in the hall. Then we do a scene in a living room from the play Shoot the Crow which is about four tilers but instead we've flipped it - and made them all women. Other plays by Owen will also feature.
"Someone will guide the audience at all times. The date is October 24 but it is very loose. Christopher, who has been over for rehearsals, may have other jobs if the date changes. He also lives in London so we may have to do a pre-record. Either way, he will there on screen or in person.
"It's not a money making thing. Our industry is not in a good place and we just wanted to do something to boost morale."
A rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the north led to next week's planned re-opening of theatres being suspended.
The Belfast actress, who has an eight-year-old daughter, Libby, said her "pretty full work diary" for 2020 - including a return to the Coronation Street cobbles - was wiped out in the space of two hours on a night in March.
But she revealed she has been cast in a major new BBC drama, The Awakening, which is due to start filming in Belfast.
"Things are starting to move a bit but it's been a really terrifying time. In terms of live theatre, I don't know when that's going to happen. I'm lucky with the new drama filming at home as I wouldn't leave my daughter for the commute to Manchester. I need to be here."
Other cast members taking part in the Post Corona Theatre Menu production include Andrew Simpson, Antoinette Morelli, Siobhan Kelly, and Terence Keeley.
Producer Gerard McCabe said: "We are very keen to showcase live theatre, in a way that will be safe for the audience, and the actors, and give a live experience for the audience."
