Spacebucket Rides Again

Spacebucket Rides Again opens at the Lyric Theatre on Tuesday 24 November, running through Sunday 29 November in the Naughton Studio. It's the sequel to Guy Mitchell's Dog's Dead, Pass It On, which the company describes as a sell-out show, and it returns to the same world.

Written by Sam Robinson and directed by Trevor Gill, the play is set in 1979 on the Ballybeen Estate, which it describes as the biggest housing estate in western Europe. It follows Sammy, Marty, Wee Jim and Spacebucket roaming across it. The production is part of the Lyric's 75th anniversary Autumn/Winter season, a programme of 24 offerings running over seven months from June to January 2027. The Lyric is Northern Ireland's only full-time producing theatre and the first arts venue to receive a 5 Star accreditation from Tourism NI; after an extensive capital build it's nearly three times the size of the old theatre, with a 389-seat Mainstage, the Naughton Studio and a rehearsal room the size of the main auditorium stage.

There's a content warning to keep in mind: strong or offensive language and references to sex. The play runs for two hours.

Tickets are £16 to £22, with community, artist and student discounts bringing it down to £16 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and matinees. Performances are Tuesday to Friday at 20:00, Saturday 28 November at 15:00 and 20:00, and Sunday 29 November at 15:00.