The wry, raw, dysfunctional family saga is set in the eighth generation Kingdom of Mourne Distillery in Newcastle Co. Down, now run by an Ulster brethren woman, Tam Tully.
Written and performed by Joyce Greenaway, the show was originally developed during lockdown and showcased at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 to much critical acclaim.
It is the latest production to travel to the Belgian capital as part of the Brussels Platform, a joint initiative by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, with funding from the National Lottery, and the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels. Launched in 2011, the Brussels Platform has previously hosted writers, musicians, theatre practitioners and dancers, providing opportunities for NI based artists to showcase their work to international audiences, including MEPs and EU representatives in the European capital.
Commenting on international opportunity, Whisk(e)y Wars Creator Joyce Greenaway said:
“I’m beyond excited to be able to bring this story to such a prestigious European cultural centre and hopefully beyond. Tam Tully is such a force of nature, her Ulster brethren family is so dysfunctional yet it’s ultimately a story of love and the hope of redemption as she fights to save her distillery from ruin by crafting the Holy Grail of whiskey, that perfect single malt.”
Siobhán Molloy, Arts Development Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:
“It’s a pleasure to be working with the NI Executive Office in Brussels to bring Joyce’s play to the Bozar Theatre. Whisk(e)y Wars may be a story grounded here in Northern Ireland, but at its core it is a human story, a family drama, that will resonate with international audiences. The invitation to stage creative work in the headquarters of the European Union is a testament to the talent and excellence of Northern Ireland artists.”
About Joyce Greenaway
Joyce Greenaway was one of the seven major NI artists supported to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 by Theatre and Dance NI, Arts Council NI, British Council NI & Belfast International Festival. She has worked at The Royal Court and major regional theatres with Debbie Tucker Green (Truth and Reconciliation), Sandi Toksvig (QI), Georgia Pritchett (Succession) and Alice Birch (Normal People) and gamers might recognise hers as Abrasive Genius, the only NI voice in Ubisoft’s WATCH DOGS: LEGION. Whisk(e)y Wars was recently placed in the top 10% of the BBC Writersroom Open Call 2023.