AN acclaimed play based on the real-life testimonies of female relatives of the victims of Bloody Sunday is set to have its Belfast premiere next month.
4 Days in Derry, written and directed by Bernadette MacFarland, comes to St Comgall’s Ionad Eileen Howell for one night only as part of this year’s Féile an Phobail.
The hard-hitting and emotive drama, based on personal accounts of wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of the 13 men murdered by British troops on January 30th 1972 opened to great acclaim in Derry in 2024 before going on to two sell-out shows in the city's Millennium Forum in 2025.
This year, the Movers & Shakers theatre group has taken the play on tour to packed venues in South Derry, Armagh and Donegal, with the final leg set for St Comgall’s on Saturday August 8th.
Writer and director Bernadette MacFarland, who also plays Kathleen, mother of teenage victim Michael Kelly, said: "We are thrilled to be bringing 4 Days in Derry to Féile and to have the wonderful St Comgall’s as the host venue.
“The people of Belfast, who themselves have had unspeakable atrocities visited upon them by the British state, have always been enormously supportive of the campaign for justice for the victims of Bloody Sunday.
“This play explores the devastating impact on the families of the slain men. I was particularly interested in the experiences of the women affected: How did they even begin to cope with the fact their husbands, sons, fathers and husbands went out one day to march for civil rights and never came home?”
In the summer of 2023, Bernadette sat down with the women and listened to their personal accounts of the four days in and around one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles.
What they told her formed the basis of 13 powerful and poignant monologues delivered in the second half of the play.
“Those interviews were an experience I will never forget,” she said. “I laughed with them. I cried with them. They told me how they coped – and didn’t cope. I came away from each interview thinking, 'What strong women'; what strong, strong women’.
“When it was performed for the first time, I was not prepared for the reaction. I could hear people crying in the audience. The actors delivering the monologues were emotional – not just because they needed to be but because they were overwhelmed by the words they were speaking. The rage, grief, pain and loss in every word uttered was so palpable that it almost felt like the women themselves were up on that stage.
"I think the play has resonated with people because of that authenticity. It takes the audience inside the homes of ordinary, decent families and lays bare the devastating personal impact of Bloody Sunday in a way a history book never could.”
The play explores the impact of Bloody Sunday on the women most affected
St Comgall's events officer Michelle Maguire said: "We are delighted to be hosting the first ever Belfast performance of 4 Days in Derry. Having suffered similar atrocities such as the Ballymurphy and Springhill massacres, the people of West Belfast have always identified strongly with the people of Derry and Bloody Sunday.
"Because it is based on actual accounts given by the women most deeply affected by these horrific events, the audience in St Comgall's will not only be watching a powerful drama but also an important piece of social history. There has been great interest and we expect a packed house on the night."
4 Days in Derry, St Comgall’s Ionad Eileen Howell, Belfast, Saturday August 8th, 8pm.
Tickets are available online at https://www.ticketsource.com/movers-and-shakers-nw/t-xddrjpr, or Google 'Ticketsource 4 Days in Derry'.
