The Millennium Forum
The Millennium Forum
Opened in August 2001 following decades of campaigning, the Millennium Forum is one of Ireland’s largest purpose-built theatres and boasts the largest stage in the country. The award winning theatre complex houses a 1020-seater theatre, a conference center and ‘break-out’ rooms that operate to the highest national and international standards, providing an excellent facility for members of the community.
Historically, the Forum is built on what is rumoured to have been the original site of the Theatre Royal, also built on the city’s Walls in 1884, and is the thirteenth theatre built in the city since the original 1774 Shipquay Theatre; in fact, the East Wall theatre is built in the same location as what was known as the city’s cultural quartier, which housed elegant lodgings known to local historians for its association with the Huguenot church organist Henry Logier, the French Perios family of musicians and a number of dancing academics.
Throughout the City’s theatre history, many world-reknowned performers have appeared and performed; from Oscar Wilde through to more contemporary contributors such as Brian Friel, whose Translations first premiered in the Guildhall (just around the corner) in September 1980.
As well as the outstanding theatre and conference amenities, the Forum also houses an award winning brasserie and two large bar areas within its piazza, where people can also avail of a high standard of service to rival the cultural events going on.
Millenium Forum
The Playhouse
The Playhouse
Founded in 1992 with a grant of just £300, The Playhouse is an intimate theatre with numerous ties to the community with an aim to make “arts accessible to all”. Recently renovated to the tune of £4.6m, the Playhouse is a perfect example of ‘sympathetic’ renovations of listed buildings, and is particularly striking at night due to the secondary use of the building as a permanent light fixture of sorts.
Built just inside the city’s Walls, the Playhouse prides itself as a multi-disclipinary community arts resource center and is home to no fewer than three theatrical companies and a contemporary art gallery.
With a comfortable theatre that seats up to 175 people (dependent of seating arrangements), the Playhouse is one of the foremost arts and resource centres and is a hub of the local theatre.
Home to the Lilliput Theatre, a company for the promotion of local theatre involving those with learning disabilites, Sole Purpose Productions that ‘uses the discourse of imagination to illuminate social and public issues’ and the Theatre of Witness, developed by founder Teya Sepinuck as a means of providing a voice for those that have been marginalised, forgotten or ‘invisible’ in society.
With an extensive education and outreach department, the Playhouse also offers workspace units for several arts groups (such as The Playhouse Writers) all funded by the European Union’s Peace II Programme and administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Investment and International Fund for Ireland.
Playhouse Derry
