Past Productions

The Star Catcher

November 2003 – January 2004

In the enchanting world of The Star Catcher the moon is shining brightly on the rooftops of the city and smoke whispers the name of Santa as it climbs from the chimney pots.

Something different is in the air. Who is the mysterious stranger with magic in his fingertips?
Who can light up the stars with a twinkle of the eye?
Who can make your Christmas dreams come true?

A captivating magical journey of colourful characters, illusion and intrigue set to an original score. A perfect festive family treat and introduction to theatre for the under 10’s.

The Belfast Telegraph ....BE SURE TO CATCH UP ON THIS STAR!

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket…

But not for long, or the whole world will be plunged into darkness.
The Lyric’s Christmas show for kids tells the magical tale of a man and his friends who pluck a star clean out of the sky, and then race to pin it back in the sky before the lights go out.

The story begins as a jolly scrap dealer (Seamus Allen) sets the scene for his awfully big adventure, and then we’re off on a journey filled with wonder and illusion.

Allen and his painter friend (Mike Moloney) meet at the local Bistro, where dinner’s so fresh it’s still twitching.

Café owner Sheelagh O’Kane joins the pair on a trip to the scrap yard as, outside a blizzard is blowing. Roads are closed, shops are shut, and the trio is forced to make its way to the scrap yard to seek shelter.

Stuart Marshall’s picture book set is a box of tricks where houses move slickly along the street and piles of junk transform into rockets, crates and machines that can transform humans into sheets of paper.

This is really a show about magic and director Zoë Seaton keeps the action moving around Paul Mc Eneaney’s engaging tricks. We see glowing stars lift characters clean off the stage; men sawn into quarters, a pantomime horse which loses its bottom, a rocket lifting off into space and a chicken dinner with allergy to cookers. The plot is loosely woven around these illusions, although the cast is so enthusiastic and engaging that the young audience is soon caught up in the story.

There’s little to fault here – a magic well that burps bubbles; falling snow, goodies and baddies and a happy ending. Theres a surprise at the end which will have you scraching your head and asking ‘how did they do that?’.

Some of the tricks had the young audience gasping in wonder. The characters have little to say, but their actions speak louder thatn words anyway. The star catcher shows that Christmas magic is alive and well – and you don’t need the sounds of Slade or sleigh bells to prove it.