Northern Ireland was once the shipyard of the world. Harland and Wolff produced 1,700 ships and had an immeasurable impact on Belfast, employing more than 30,000. In ‘The Boat Factory’, Michael Condron and Dan Gordon (also the author), present the domineering impact of Harland and Wolff’s shipyard on the lives of Belfastians and the intrinsic links between them. It has a compelling narrative and brilliant script, and the onstage chemistry of Gordon and Condron leaves you laughing and crying, as the latter shifts through the many characters that Gordon meets. They document the shipyard’s stunning history through the friendship of two apprentices, whilst brilliantly constructing a social history of Belfast in a passionate and informed way.

Hill Street Theatre, 2-26 Aug, 6.30pm
tw rating 5/5 | [James Valentine]