A SMALL theatre company is hoping to establish a professional theatre and permanent home at an interface in East Belfast.

Bright Umbrella Drama Company was founded in 2017 and is based in the 150-seat Sanctuary Theatre, located in the historic Mountpottinger Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. The church, which dates back to 1875 stands at the Castlereagh Street/Albertbridge Road junction across from the interface with Short Strand.

Trevor Gill, Artistic Director of Bright Umbrella Drama Company explained more about the origins of the group.

"We are a small theatre company which was started by myself and a few friends six years ago," he said. "We found it hard to find rehearsing space. I was put in touch with the Mountpottinger Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. It is one of the oldest buildings in East Belfast.

"The congregation is very small, only about four or five elderly parishioners who meet once a month. They agreed for us to use it to rehearse and perform.

"We run a fairly ambitious programme of events. We have a monthly Comedy Club, called 'East Laffs'. We have done a couple of Shakespeare and Seamus Heaney plays."

Now established at the church building, Bright Umbrella have ambitious plans to establish a professional theatre company in an arts and culture centre which would be the first of its kind in East Belfast.

"Earlier this year, we signed a 50 year lease on the premises," Trevor explained. "We have an architect's plans for a new building. We want to keep much of the building the same. It would retain some important parts of its history as a church such as the stained-glass windows, pews and vaulted roof timber.

"It is going to take us a few years to get the money together. You are looking at around £2.6m. We want a custom arts and culture centre for East Belfast.

"We are hoping our investment and plans can attract others to an area which is partially derelict. There remains a lot of paramilitary influence in this area. Ian Ogle was murdered very close to here a few years ago.

"It is an amazing area in many ways. Just three doors from the building is the Raven which is a Protestant Working Men's Club but across the road, all of the street signs are in Irish. We are bang on an interface.

"We get a lot of cross-community support from Short Strand and West Belfast. We are great friends with Fr Martin Magill from St John's Parish on the Falls Road. He regularly brings a Glider-load of parishioners over for our shows.

"If we can establish a professional theatre here, it would be massive for building cross-community relations in the area."