Brian Friel’s acclaimed 1979 play Faith Healer is set to receive its first full Belfast staging in 30 years, running at the Lyric Theatre from October 10 to November 14, 2026, according to the Lyric Theatre Belfast.
Production Details and Creative Team
The upcoming production forms a centerpiece of the Lyric Theatre’s 75th-anniversary autumn and winter season, as reported by Ireland Me. Directed by Emma Jordan, the play stars Conleth Hill in the title role of Frank Hardy, alongside cast members Lisa Dwyer Hogg and Chris McCurry, according to Ireland Me. Preview performances run from October 10 through October 13, 2026, followed by a formal press night on October 14, 2026, with the standard run continuing through November 14, 2026. Ticket prices range from £16 to £40, and the venue has recommended the production for audiences aged 14 and up.
Historical Context and Legacy
Faith Healer was last staged in Belfast in 1996 by the Tinderbox Theatre Company at the now-closed Old Museum Arts Centre, according to Ireland Me. Since its premiere in 1979, the drama has earned widespread recognition, with The Guardian describing it as one of the greatest plays of the twentieth century. The New York Times characterized the work as a quietly devastating study of pain recollected and the transfiguring nature of memory.
Plot and Thematic Structure
The story follows Frank Hardy, a self-proclaimed faith healer who travels through remote villages in Scotland and Wales promising miracle cures to the sick and afflicted, accompanied by his wife Grace and manager Teddy. Told through a series of overlapping monologues, the three characters recount competing and contradictory versions of the same events. According to production notes from the Lyric Theatre, the play explores the complex nature of a charismatic conman whose astonishing gift remains dangerously unreliable.
Venue and Accessibility Information
Performances will take place on the Main Stage at the Lyric Theatre, located at 55 Ridgeway Street near Belfast’s Botanic Gardens and Queen’s University. Show times alternate between 2:30 pm matinees and 7:30 pm evening performances depending on the date. The Lyric Theatre provides sign language interpreted, audio-described, and captioned performances on selected dates. Tickets can be booked directly through the Lyric Theatre website or by contacting the box office.
