We celebrated our eighth birthday with our annual comedy night - here are four stories from the event: Malachi O’Doherty gets to grips with the Bishop; Bob Salisbury gets some funny looks in Seskinore; Helen McClements gets the goat on a Paradise holiday; Sean Mullin gets a selfie and a whiff of something from Boris Johnson. Paul is your host.
At a special collaboration with the Integrated Education Fund at the Black Box, we heard nine amazing stories of Peace: Clare Bailey MLA & the “shame” of going integrated; Michael McKnight & the jacket that irked a passing patrol; Gary Hunter & the parting of the ways with a boyhood friend; Mairi McCurdy on her unpaid debt to a supergroup. Paul is your host.
Dip your toes - or any part of your anatomy - into these four stories told in July 2019 in Belfast & Bangor: Lydia Hodgins finds a welcome in Detroit; Gareth Higgins finds he’s a better person by shedding his armour; Jim Livingstone finds some clerical friends in the waters of Donegal; Tracey Smyth finds her teenage self has a thing for St Malachy’s boys. Paul is your host.
Black Box regular (and much loved by the audience) Richard O’Leary told a story at our Pride night on 31 July 2019: it’s a tale of his friend Sheila & Sappho Woman. Apologies - there is a little distortion on the sound but it’s worth it!
From both sides of the globe, four stories - two told in Belfast, two in Adelaide: first-timer John Mooney takes on Air France; Jen Zeven takes to scary Zeus immediately; Jen Pearse takes the pet-minder at his word; Gaynor takes us to the station platform as the last train pulls away. Paul is your host.
Three fantastic stories & a mini-story on the theme Getaway told in the Black Box in Belfast on August 21: PD has a mini-story of cross-community love; first-timer Bob Salisbury meets his nemesis “The Skull”; Donna Hunter’s second home becomes indelibly connected to her first; Paul Hutchinson reveals why part of his granny will always be in Millisle.
We’ve four wonderful stories from four summer festivals: Leighann McConville has the wisdom of King Canute at Féile; Walker Ewart has an adult dilemma at EastSide Arts Festival; Sean Mullin has an epiphany in the labour ward from Fiddlers Green; Heather Fleming has a caravan in a hurricane at Soma. Paul is your host.
Three nights, four stories from July & August: David Braziel meets his first & only love; Donna Feehan weds the love of her life amid great generosity; Jesse Arthur mourns the aunt he only got to love later in life; Nuala McKeever loves the Westerns while her brother heads off for adventure & there’s a message full of love from Australia. Paul is your host.
To mark our evening with EastSide Arts Festival on August 4th, here is a bonus pod featuring Gaynor Kane & her story of the paradise wedding that could have been hell!
On a beautiful summer evening, the Black Box was filled to capacity for our annual tenx9 in conjunction with Belfast Pride. Always a great evening, here are four amazing stories: Maureen Boyle with a tale of shared interests & intimacy in the USA; Tony Doyle on how he got through those difficult straight teenage years; Kirsty Mulholland who found support where she had feared rejection; Fidelma Carolan who realised God isn’t just for the “straights”. Paul is your host.
