Last Updated on January 9, 2026
Glitz, Ghosts and Grand Opera House: Northern Ireland Opera Brings Follies to Belfast for the First Time
This autumn, the Grand Opera House will shimmer with sequins and sorrow as Northern Ireland Opera stages Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. This landmark production marks the first time the musical has ever been performed in Northern Ireland. Running from 13 to 20 September, it is set to be one of the most ambitious projects the company has ever undertaken, combining a 32-strong cast with a 35-piece orchestra in a show famed for its scale, spectacle, and emotional depth.
Directed by Artistic Director Cameron Menzies, Follies is the company’s second foray into Sondheim after the award-winning Into the Woods in 2022, which earned the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Production. For Menzies, Follies is more than another feather in the company’s cap – it’s a chance to bring Northern Irish audiences a piece of musical theatre history.
“This production of Follies is spectacular in every way,” he says. “It speaks to the heart of human experience – memory, regret, love, and the choices that define us. The fact that we can stage it here, with this extraordinary mix of local and international talent, is history-making.”
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A Musical About Memory
Premiering on Broadway in 1971, Follies is widely regarded as one of Sondheim’s masterpieces. Set in a crumbling theatre on the eve of its demolition, it reunites former showgirls who once graced its stage. As they gather, their younger selves appear beside them, blurring the line between past and present. What begins as a nostalgic reunion becomes a bittersweet confrontation with ageing, disappointment, and the glamour of youth long gone.
It is a show as famous for its emotional punch as for its glittering score, which includes “Broadway Baby,” “I’m Still Here,” and the devastating “Losing My Mind.” Yet despite its brilliance, Follies is rarely staged: its huge cast, demanding score, and technical complexity make it a daunting undertaking for any company.
A Cast of Legends and Locals
For Belfast, the production brings together a remarkable ensemble. Leading the cast are West End stars Anna-Jane Casey (Chicago, Cabaret, Cats) as Sally Durant Plummer and Annette McLaughlin (Matilda, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) as Phyllis Rogers Stone, two women whose intertwined lives form the heart of the story.
They are joined by Belfast’s own Mark Dugdale (Come From Away, Jersey Boys) as Buddy Plummer, alongside seasoned West End performer Alasdair Harvey (Les Misérables, We Will Rock You) as Benjamin Stone. The cast also boasts music theatre royalty: soprano Lesley Garrett CBE, whose international career has spanned opera houses, concert halls, and television, takes on the role of Heidi Schiller, while Jacqueline Dankworth MBE, celebrated jazz vocalist and actress, appears as Carlotta Campion.
Importantly, Follies also showcases Northern Irish talent. Rising performers Brigid Shine, Anna Violet, Chris Kane, and Reece McGowan play the younger versions of the four leads – a clever doubling that mirrors the show’s themes of memory and reflection. For Violet and Kane, it marks their professional debuts.
Elsewhere, Allison Harding steps into the role of Hattie Walker, the wisecracking showgirl who belts out the iconic “Broadway Baby,” while Rachel Stanley, Pippa Winslow, Christina Nelson, Richard Croxford, Darren Franklin, and Marty Maguire flesh out the vibrant supporting roles. Twelve ensemble singers, all based in Northern Ireland, complete the cast.
The Spectacle Behind the Scenes
The production is equally ambitious offstage. Musical Director Greg Arrowsmith, fresh from conducting his 21st West End show, will lead the orchestra. Choreographer Jennifer Rooney, whose credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, brings the Follies girls’ routines to life. At the same time, award-nominated set designer Niall McKeever returns after his acclaimed work on Into the Woods.
The design team – including Gillian Lennox (costumes), Jake Wiltshire (lighting), Andy Graham (sound), and Nuala Campbell (hair and make-up) – will transform the Grand Opera House stage into a dreamscape of faded glamour and glittering memory.
A Company in Its Prime
Northern Ireland Opera’s expansion into musical theatre has been deliberate, and Follies shows just how far it has come in under a decade. Its productions of Tosca, La Traviata, and Eugene Onegin have won critical acclaim. At the same time, its Into the Woods proved that local audiences had an appetite for musicals presented with operatic scale and ambition.
By staging Follies – a piece as complex as it is celebrated – the company is both affirming its international calibre and investing in Northern Irish artists. For audiences, it’s a rare chance to see a large-scale production of a musical that even London and Broadway hesitate to stage frequently.
As the company prepares to fill the Grand Opera House with Sondheim’s lush orchestrations and a cast that bridges generations, Belfast will witness a theatrical event that is both a glittering spectacle and a meditation on time itself.
Follies runs at the Grand Opera House, Belfast, from 13–20 September 2025. Tickets start at £17.50 and are available at goh.co.uk.
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