8-9 February 2025: ‘Marjorie’s Dead’ – A play by Dark Forest Theatre
We were delighted to support Dark Forest Theatre with the presentation of their original play, ‘Marjorie’s Dead’, at the Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich | Belfast.
The play inspired by the famous tale of Marjorie McCall, whose gravestone in Shankill Graveyard reads ‘Lived Once, Buried Twice’, was well received on both nights with a great crowd on hand.
A review by Mark Doherty posed on the 10 February 2024 on the Friends of Shankill Graveyard page reads:
“We attended a performance of “Marjorie’s Dead” in this nice little theatre yesterday afternoon. This is a fictional story built around the legend of Marjorie McCall, wife of a Lurgan doctor. It is told that after her death and burial in 1695 at Shankill cemetery, Lurgan (sharing the same name as the Belfast burial ground) she came back to life when body snatchers raised her and tried to cut off her finger to take her wedding ring. This performance had a minimalist but effective stage set that was put to good use by the three actors from Dark Forest Theatre. A tale of trauma and deception developed, with moments of high drama and humour. The lead actor gave a particularly engaging performance as the dreamy Marjorie, struggling to accept her lot in life. Nathan Martin is the writer/director and plays Cian McCann, Marjorie’s brother. Matthew O’Leary played Dr. John McCall, Marjorie’s husband. Both Nathan & Matthew also double up as the gravediggers, keener on spending time in the pub than the graveyard. And last but not least, Annina Noelle Watton plays Marjorie with passionate engagement. When it returns to Belfast, maybe to a larger theatre, and ideally at Halloween, it is well worth attending.“
Image Gallery
Click on image above to view in a lightbox.