Lockdown DLA

Team

Writer: Stephen G Large

2016 saw the emergence of Stephen G Large as one of Northern Ireland’s hottest new comedy writers.  

He’s the founder of, and sole contributor to, the satirical news source Dundonald Liberation Army which has amassed nearly 80,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter.  

Stephen is known for his work with BBC Comedy, including the sketch show Late Licence, their Brexit-themed sitcom, Soft Border Patrol and their online sketch series Tight Shorts which have so far amassed 95 million views.

He became a Kindle chart-topping author with the release of his self-published title Dundonald Liberation Army (2016). His second title A Dog DLA Afternoon peaked at No 6 in the Kindle Comedy/Parody Charts during the first month of its release (2017). His third title Carol’s Christmas reached No 20 in (2017). 

Stephen’s stage comedies Carol’s Christmas (2016), Three’s A Shroud (2017-2018), and A Dog DLA Afternoon (2019), have been sell-out successes in venues including the Grand Opera House and Waterfront Hall.

He’s been a writer on Radio Ulster’s award-winning A Perforated Ulster for the past six series, while his sitcom pilot Meet the McMelters debuted on the same station in October 2021.

Stephen’s debut screenplay Normal Lives (2018-2020), about the dance scene and life in post-Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland is in development with the Northern Ireland Film Board.

Director: Gerard McCabe

Gerard trained at The Lir National Academy Dramatic Arts, Dublin, and Rainbow Factory School of Performing Arts, Belfast.  

Credits include: The Threepenny Opera, What The Reindeer Saw, Smiley, Pride and Prejudice and The Jungle Book (Lyric Theatre); The Blue Boy Glenmore (Brassneck/Lyric Theatre); Jacque Brel is Alive and Well  (Lyric Theatre/Blunt Fringe); Lally the Scut, Fireworks, and Swing State Cabaret (Tinderbox); Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged, 25th Annual Spelling Bee, Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Midsummer Night's Dream, and Blue Remembered Hills (Bruiser); iSpy (Big Telly); Short Strand Rising and Henry and Harriot (Kabosh); Tosca (NI Opera); The New Kid and Sinking (Replay); The Comedy of Errors (Belfast Th. Co); Herons, Pvt. Wars (Pintsized Productions).   

Film credits include: Ups and Downs (BBC); U Looking At Me (Channel 4); Betrayal of trust and Father Father (BBC NI).   

TV credits include: Give My Head Peace (BBC NI) and Touched by an Angel (CBS), William of Orangefield (Blap, Channel 4)  

Gerard has also worked as a presenter for CBBC on Ukool for 5 years and also worked as guest presenter on Fully Booked. Gerard has numerous panto and small screen credits and he is the founder of Pintsized Productions and Artistic Producer at Sodabread Theatre.

His most recent production as director was the 25th Anniversary production of A Night In November which played at Chiswick Theatre London, Minack Theatre Cornwall, The Lyric Theatre Belfast, and the MAC, Belfast.

He is currently in rehearsals for his role as Gerard Conlon in Stones In His Pockets which opens at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast in June.   

Notable short films include: Water with Food Colouring (Best Actor at New York Film Festival) and most recently BBC’s Fright Shorts The Grandmummy and Derek vs Killer Pigeons.

Cast

Matthew McElhinney as Davy ‘The Venezuelan’ Taylor

Matthew McElhinney is an actor and director from Northern Ireland. His directorial career began when he assisted on the award-winning Crimea Square which picked up the Audience Choice Award at the Belfast Festival. From there he has gone from strength to strength securing a top-five spot in 2017 Edinburgh Fringe and a five-star review in The British Theatre Guide with his work on Frank Carson; Rebel without a Pause. He has directed large scale outdoor family events, Footsteps in the Forest, and Waking the Giant for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council; the commemorative events of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching towards the Somme for Orangefest; and Letters from the front for Remembrance Day. All met with much acclaim.

He took the helm as community director on We’ll Walk Hand in Hand, a large community outreach project and stage play exploring Civil Rights in Northern Ireland. His recent production of Betrothed appeared at Belfast’s Grand Opera House to a completely sold-out run. He is also working on bringing to stage the story of the world-famous Dead Rabbit bar in New York.

Matthew recently directed the 25th-anniversary production of A Night in November, before the pandemic, where it was received glowingly from audiences and critics alike before setting out on an Irish tour. It was set to transfer to New York. However, as Covid-19 struck he put together a digital online performance for the IAC in New York pioneering the new medium of immersive live performance in a digital Covid world. It returned for an English tour in 2021 to the Chiswick Theatre, London and the MINACK, Cornwall, before showing at the MAC.

Matthew also directed his mother’s play, Stones in His Pockets, with the exciting and dynamic creative team at The Barn Theatre in 2022.

Matthew Forsythe as John ‘Horse’ McCracken

Matthew Forsythe is a versatile actor, singer and voiceover artist. Early credits include performing at the opening of the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre, Stratford and Chekhov Vaudevilles, Brockley Jack theatre. In his first West End role, he shared the stage with Matthew Lewis (Neville, Harry Potter Films) and Laurence Fox (Lewis) in Our Boys, Duchess Theatre. Matthew has played notable lead roles in The MAC including ‘Cliff Bradshaw’ in Bruiser Theatre Company’s Cabaret and ‘David’ in the controversial Jack Thorne play, Mydidae, which received outstanding reviews across the UK and Ireland. He went on to play ‘Rob’ in Keep Telling Me Lies which required strong singing skills, resulting in many positive reviews.

In 2019, Matthew took on the iconic role of Kenneth Norman McAllister in the 25^th anniversary production of Marie Jones’ A Night in November to rave reviews. This achieved a sell-out run in the Lyric Theatre and a highly successful UK and Ireland tour in venues such as The Minack, Cornwall and Chiswick Playhouse, London. The production won a Standing Ovation award and received several OFFIES nominations. As the planned tour to New York’s Irish Arts Center was cancelled due to Covid, Matthew and Director Matthew McElhinney created a special ‘at home’ digital production which was streamed live across the globe to critical acclaim.

Other notable roles include ‘John Crazy Horse’ in Dog DLA Afternoon and ‘Dave’ in David Hull’s production of Dirty Dusting, both at Grand Opera House Belfast and Three Sisters at the Lyric Theatre.

Matthew has also had success in television, with appearances in BBC’s The Fall, Come Home, My Mother and Other Strangers, The Woman in White, Line of Duty and recently the BBC’s new crime drama, Blue Lights. He was also cast as a lead in a special film version of The Pardoners Tale.

Matthew also sings with the 1950s Rock ‘n’ Roll band, The Soda Popz.