Two Sore Legs Kicks Off

Belfast playwright Brenda Murphy's Two Sore Legs launches its two-week tour of Northern Ireland theatres and arts venues tonight, following rave reviews at last month's Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Set in 1950s and '60s Belfast, the one-woman show starring Maria Connolly tells the true story of the playwright's mother Bridget, a young Butlin’s Redcoat from West Belfast who had six children by a married man.

The play explores the scandal, pain, joy and fall-out from this extraordinary family arrangement and what it meant for Murphy, her siblings and of course her mother. From the rowdy and fractious relationship between Bridget and her own father to the comical visits of the local parish priest wanting to take her young children from her, this play exudes the most explicit of family emotions and experiences.

Described by BBC Radio Ulster as a 'tour de force', Connolly's dynamic performance, in which she plays all parts, drew regular standing ovations in prestgious venues such as thr Assembly and George Square throughout August.

'We were overwhelmed by the audience response at Edinburgh,' says director Martin Lynch. 'We got a raft of four star reviews with both the script by Brenda Murphy and the outstanding performance by Maria Connolly being singled out for special praise.

'This production has it all, an outstanding one woman performance, witty comedy and an intriguing, almost unbelievable storyline that will keep you wondering about this woman’s life.'

'I am delighted with the success in Edinburgh and really looking forward to see how local audiences respond on the Northern Ireland tour' adds Murphy. 'It’s a very personal story, my most personal play to date, which may be why it generates both tears and laughter'.

Two Sore Legs sets off on its NI tour tonight at the Burnavon Theatre, Cookstown, before moving on to venues across the country and finishing with five nights at Belfast's Lyric Theatre from September 29. See the full list of shows below.

Fri 11th Sept - Burnavon Cookstown – 028 8676 9949

Sat 12th Sept – Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick – 028 4461 0747

Sun 13th Sept – Cushendall Golf Club, Cushendall - 028 2177 1318

Tues 15th Sept - The Braid, Ballymena – 028 2563 5077

Wed 16th Sept - Strule arts Centre, Omagh –028 8224 7831

Thurs 17th Sept - Theatre At The Mill – 028 9034 0202

Fri 18th Sept - The Old Courthouse, Antrim – 028 9446 3113

Sat 19th Sept - Ardowen Theatre, Enniskilllen

Tues 22nd Sept - Sean Hollywood, Newry – 028 3031 3180

Wed 23rd Sept - The Iveagh, Banbridge 

Thurs 24th Sept - McNeill Theatre, Larne

Fri 25th Sept - The Garage Theatre, Monaghan

Sat 26th Sept - The Alley Arts Centre

Tues 29th Sept – Sat 3rd Oct - The Lyric Theatre, Belfast