There’s something surreal about a musical theatre piece that doesn’t feature any comic relief. Even musicals of the most depressing subjects traditionally have a little bit of a joke to break the ice. It’s worth mentioning, before I get into this review that, Belfast is clearly a show that takes itself very seriously. The show was introduced to me as a musical, but there are only a small number of songs in it. I find that calling it a musical is somewhat limiting. Belfast is an evocative, powerful play about imperialism, class, conflict, and propaganda.
The show features a mixture of song, physical theatre, film, photography, and monologue. Through these mediums, Belfast explores the daily lives of a number of ship-builders for the Harland and Wolff shipyard, famous for building the RMS Titanic. The story is set during the mid-twentieth century at the start of The Troubles, a period of a nationalist conflict in Ireland. With the world once again focussed in on recent nationalist conflicts in Europe, I found this setting and the themes it conjures to have a poignant relevance to today’s world. I also found the execution of the thematic content of the play to be spot on. The play centres on individual characters as they each monologue their live experiences, the scenes happening in front of them, and their political or religious values. What this does is highlight the anxieties faced by individuals in Northern Ireland at the time. As an audience member, I was particularly impressed with this.
The play features a number of songs. Some of them sound a bit like Pink Floyd, while others might sound like a spaghetti western soundtrack. Use of music, in any theatrical setting, to tell a narrative is always tricky. But I feel satisfied in saying that Belfast never had a filler song. Each song served a purpose, and each performer brought their all.
The photography and film were also a welcome touch to the performance. It brought to the audience’s attention the real history and memory of the Troubles without completely breaking the fourth wall. It was one of the most eye-catching components of the show, and there was certainly plenty to look at.
Would I recommend Belfast or say that it’s good? Well, I have no hesitation in suggesting that Belfast is an appropriate story for our times. It makes a firm grasp of the audience’s attention as it attempts to show the raw reality of Belfast in the sixties. It was a perfect, well-rounded show and I would most certainly recommend it.
4.5/5 stars.