Beyond the Footlights

The Belfast Empire, The Royal Hippodrome and the newly restored Grand Opera House, along with the one-variety theatres such as the Gaiety and Colosseum, are all familiar names to the citizens of Belfast, yet they are only the tip of the theatrical iceberg. Long gone and buried deep are more buildings that offered regular entertainment to the populace. This book recalls the beginnings of music hall and theatre in the early seventeenth century until its final days in the mid-twentieth century. It traces the development of both, combining celebrity visits with the buildings, and placing both against a historical backdrop, accompanied by striking period sketches and illustrations.