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Bringing CS Lewis's magic to the heart of east Belfast

BBC Two young actors in costume take to the stage for production. Dylan Breen has short brown hair and is wearing an orange short-sleeve shirt and a brown tank top. Bernadette McKeating has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a lilac dress.BBC
Dylan Breen and Bernadette McKeating star in The Magician's Nephew

The magical world that would become Narnia first began to form in CS Lewis's mind when he was growing up in east Belfast.

Now his work is being brought to life just a few miles from his childhood home with a new staging of The Magician's Nephew by the Bright Umbrella Theatre Group.

The production of the sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series is being performed at the The Sanctuary Theatre in Mountpottinger Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church in Castlereagh Street.

Patsy Montgomery-Hughes, the joint artistic director at Bright Umbrella Theatre said the works of CS Lewis were "ingrained in east Belfast".

"It's important to teach the next generation of children that the stories come from here," she said.

Patsy Montgomery-Hughes - she has shoulder-length wavy blonde hair and is wearing a black turtle-neck sweater. She is standing in front of a stage - on the stage is a prop tree.
Patsy Montgomery-Hughes feels it's important to bring C.S back to east Belfast

She said she was initially nervous about staging a CS Lewis work in east Belfast given both his connection to the area and the regard with which his work is held.

After engaging with lots of locals before embarking on the production she said she now felt the hard work had paid off.

"Local audiences have received it very well," she said.

Four trees on a stage - two in the foreground and two in the background. They have brown trunks and deciduous green leaves.
The traditional church setting has been transformed into a stage for the production

The venue is also part of east Belfast's history as one of the oldest buildings in that part of the city.

It dates back to 1875 - with extensions in 1899 and 1906 - and still has a congregation.

Bernadette McKeating, who plays Polly, said she was a fan of CS Lewis since childhood and it was important to make his work accessible to local audiences.

"Theatre is entertainment and provides them with some magic and escapism particularly at this time of year," she said.

Bright Umbrella Theatre Company Three actors perform a scene on stage in East Belfast. In the foreground is a woman dressed as as witch in a paisley-patterned skirt, purple top and purple cloak and gold crown. Behind her two children cower - a girl with dark brown hair in a purple dress and purple tights and a boy with short brown hair in yellow socks, orange trousers, a yellow shirt and brown waistcoatBright Umbrella Theatre Company
The cast of ' The Magician's Nephew' take to the stage in East Belfast

Dylan Breen, who has been cast in the role of Digory, told BBC News NI he was "buzzing" to be involved and that it was important for the area to have a community theatre in a space like the church.

The play builds on the physical tributes to the Narnia author - who died in 1963 - across east Belfast.

A short distance from the church is CS Lewis Square, which opened in 2016 and houses seven permanent sculptures based on characters from the first Narnia novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Pacemaker A bronze statue of Aslan The Lion looks out over a squarePacemaker
The statue of Aslan in C.S. Lewis Square which opened in 2016

Although he was born in Belfast, the works of CS Lewis have travelled globally and plans are afoot for a film adaptation of The Magician's Nephew directed by Greta Gerwig who had a smash hit with Barbie.

So any advice from east Belfast?

"Keep to the basis of the original storytelling - the magic is in the reality," said Ms Montgomery-Hughes.

The Magician's Nephew runs at Sanctuary Theatre until 4 January.