Help them get started
Your support makes a difference
To stage a professional staged reading of Swallow so producers will want to support it's first run across the island of Ireland.
THE PROJECT
Right now across Northern Ireland, many people feel isolated, overwhelmed, and trapped in their own lives.
Swallow by Stef Smith tells the story of three people fighting to rebuild themselves after trauma - a story that feels urgently relevant today.
I am raising funds to bring this powerful play to life in a professional staged reading that can open the door to a full production across the island of Ireland. My goal is to use this project to launch a full touring production of Swallow that can reach audiences across the island of Ireland.
Over the past few years, I have been training with some of the UK and Ireland’s leading directors, learning how to build bold, emotionally truthful theatre.
This is my first opportunity to bring these skills together into a funded professional 'work-in-progress' production. This project is a crucial step in my journey toward becoming an artistic director — without opportunities like this, it is incredibly difficult for emerging directors in Northern Ireland to move into leadership roles.
I have developed a clear, bold vision for how this powerful play could live on stage. With a team of professional designers and actors, I'll test ideas, build a shared vision, and create a vivid preview of what a full production could become.
This will then be tested in front of a live audience. This sharing will give audiences a taste of the production. Live actors, snatches of sound, moments of lighting, and snippets of design elements will bring key moments to life to demonstrate the concept of what a fuller production could be.
This project isn’t just about my development — it’s about creating opportunities for local artists, paying them fairly, and bringing a powerful story to audiences who deserve them.
I'm planning to do this stage reading in Belfast, October 2026.
ABOUT THE PLAY
I have chosen to do this with the award winning play Swallow by Stef Smith.
It is a play about three people dealing with psychological trauma, each trapped in their own world, yet desperately searching for connection. Anna hasn’t left home for years; she has stopped eating and is smashing her flat up bit by bit. Rebecca is so furious that her ex-partner has found a new love that she turns that anger on herself. Sam is taking his first steps towards becoming the man he feels himself to be; in doing so, he exposes himself not only to abuse but to the chance of genuine warmth and affection.
I chose this play because the writing is vivid and visceral, and the message of resilience and community in the face of loneliness and isolation is so important right now. With powerful topics of addiction, gender-dysphoria, panic-disorders as well as huge themes of love, friendship, hope and community, this play really packs a punch.
At a time when many people are struggling with isolation and mental health challenges, this play speaks directly to our moment reminding us that connection and empathy are still possible.
THE TEAM
This project will enable me to apply in practise the skills and knowledge that I have learned from high level directors including Katie Mitchell, Tamara Harvey, Robin Belfield and Erica Whyman. With regular mentorship from Conor Mitchell and Erica Whyman, I will be able to rely on the support of excellent directors for advice on achieving my desired artistic quality.
This year Arts Council Northern Ireland have generously granted me some funding to put my learning into practice to apply my new found methods towards developing a professional production.
THE FUNDS
The funds will enable me to employ highly skilled creatives to push my creative endeavours and achieve a high artistic quality and ensure the best performers for the roles with the help of a casting director, enabling me to reach a wider range of talent.
There are limited opportunities for theatre in Northern Ireland. My next personal career goal is to secure an associate director role in a theatre building so to build towards that I must produce a high quality piece of scripted theatre, working towards a short run, then another for a longer run, before approaching theatres. This project would be a stepping stone along that path.
I have been lucky to be granted some support by the Arts Council Northern Ireland for this project, however, theatre is an expensive business and the funding is not quite enough to enable me to work with the creatives who will really help bring this important piece of theatre to life.
Your support will give this team the time they need to do the work properly — to rehearse, experiment, and create something of real artistic quality rather than rushing through a minimal process.
Without this extra funding, the project will still happen — but at a reduced scale, with less rehearsal time and fewer opportunities to fully realise its potential.
Although this sounds like a small project, here are all the people who will be involved:
People are the most expensive part of theatre because they should be paid fairly for their time and expertise. Your support won’t just fund a rehearsal process, it will help launch a new professional production, support local artists, and bring a powerful, deeply human story to audiences who need it right now.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st July 2026 at 11:15am