The 1981 Hunger Strike, in which ten men gave their lives in the struggle for political status, irreversibly shaped the political developments for decades to come. In this unique piece of theatre, we are given a deep insight into the lives of each of the ten men as to who they really were.
Through music, song, visuals and performance, this one person show takes us on an extraordinary journey, of how ten very ordinary men shook the world from their prison cells. An ultimately uplifting piece of theatre through tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, ‘1981’ is the story behind the legacy of the hungerstrike. The equality that we all enjoy today… the laughter of our children.
About Tony Devlin:
Tony Devlin was born and raised in West Belfast. He attended St.Paul’s primary school and St. Mary’s C.B.G.S. Performing in many school productions it was clear from ayoung age that acting was to be the path he would pursue. He attended Mountview Theatre school in London graduating with a BA Hons in acting in 1999. Since then he has landed roles alongside Bruce Willis and Colin Farell in Hart’s war. He has also worked with Stephen Speilberg and Tom Hanks in Band of Brothers and Irish movies such as Breakfast on Pluto and H3. He is a huge Irish language enthusiast and plays a leading role in TG4’s Seacht and Marú. Tony is also artistic director of West Belfast theatre company ‘Brassneck’, in which he has performed in three productions and directed two, including the award winning A Night With George which won Best Play at the 1st Irish theatre festival in New York City in September 2011. Tony graduated from Mountview Theatre Academy in 1999 with a BA Hons in Acting.
Film credits include: Hart’s War, Breakfast on Pluto, Cupcake, The Patrol, H3, Titanic Town. TV credits include: Band of Brothers (HBO), Seacht (TG4), Home from home (BBC1), In Deep (BBC1), Marú (TG4), Harp Lager (ITV), The ten Commandments (BBC), Paddy Don Patricio (RTE). Theatre credits include: Henry V (National, Olivier), 1981 (Irish Tour), Brothers in Arms (Waterfront), The Resistable Rise Of Arturo Ui (Waterfront), Stones in His Pockets, Danny & the deep blue sea (Grand Opera House), The Interrogation of Ambrose Fogarty (Grand Opera House), Diary of a Hunger strike, An Béal Bocht, Shadow of the Glen, An Aisling, Lá Fhéíle Mhíchíl, An Triail, Amédeé, Anraith Neantóige, (An Chultúrlann), The Duke of Hope (QFT), The Flags (Roddy’s), Observe the Sons of Ulster (Pleasance), Marathon (Gate), The Wrong Man (Edinburgh), God is a DJ (Latchmere), A Skull in Connemara (Bolton Octagon), Pericles (Ludlow), The Session, Aladdin & The Pied Piper (Dubbeljoint), and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Beautiful Game (Cambridge).
Tony is also Artistic Director of Brassneck Theatre Company. Directorial credits include: A Night with George (Times Sq Arts Centre NYC, Grand Opera House, Waterfront), Fishers of men (Irish tour). Love Matters Lyric)
