Legendary Waterboys fiddler joins award-winning playwright in Bellaghy

Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy will host a unique collaboration between award-winning playwright Deirdre Kinahan and legendary fiddle player Steve Wickham, best known for his work with The Waterboys and U2, on Saturday, September 6 at 7.30pm.

The event, titled Songs and Souls, fuses theatre, music and memory in a moving celebration of storytelling and song. Audiences can expect a lively evening where Kinahan brings to life some of her most memorable characters, accompanied by Wickham’s distinctive fiddle and guitar.

Kinahan is regarded as one of Ireland’s leading playwrights, with works including The Saviour (Landmark Theatre), The Unmanageable Sisters (Abbey Theatre), and Tempesta (Glassmask Theatre). A member of Aosdána, she has more than two decades of experience in theatre and is the founder of Tall Tales Theatre Company, which has produced numerous award-winning productions. Her work has been staged across Ireland and internationally, including The Old Vic in London and Studio Theatre in Washington DC.

Wickham has been a defining figure in Irish music since the 1980s, performing with artists such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Sharon Shannon, Sinead O’Connor, and famously contributing violin to U2’s classic track “Sunday Bloody Sunday” from their album, War. As a long-standing member of The Waterboys, he helped shape their seminal albums This Is the Sea and Fisherman’s Blues. He continues to compose for theatre and film while performing with his world music group NoCrows.

Although the pair have collaborated on stage productions in the past, Songs and Souls marks a rare opportunity for audiences to experience their creative partnership live at Seamus Heaney HomePlace. This one-of-a-kind evening invites audiences to revel in music, rhythm and character, as theatre and music dance their way into the heart.

Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling the box office on 028 7938 7444 or online at Seamus Heaney HomePlace