Sometimes history is stranger than fiction...

Following a difficult few months due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Riverside has adapted by offering a series of online Halloween lectures and socially distanced experiences.

The Riverside has partnered with three Ulster University academics who will be presenting lectures that explore fascinating topics such as witches, exorcisms, vampires, murderous Irish women and demonic possession; it offers a thrilling look into the dark side of our past and will be taking place

from Wednesday-Friday, October 28-30 online.

Dr Leanne McCormick, senior lecturer in modern Irish history and Dr Elaine Farrell from Queen’s University Belfast will both present their lecture ‘Bad Bridget – Criminal Irish Women in History’ exploring deviant, criminal and murderous women who emigrated to America and fell on the wrong side of the law, some of whom murdered their husbands, their neighbours, even their own blood relatives.

Dr Andrew Sneddon, lecturer in international history at University of Ulster will be presenting his lecture ‘A History of Demonic Possession’ examining the ‘epidemic’ of possessions that took place between 1450-1750 and the Protestant ministers, and Roman Catholic exorcists who dealt with it.

From Russian ‘shriekers’ who stripped off their clothes, convulsed and screamed, to the nine year old girl in Antrim in 1698 who incited her neighbours to murder an old woman, to the 11 year old in Paisley, Scotland, who had seven people executed for a similar crime and went onto invent the Paisley pattern. Sometimes history is stranger than fiction...

Katherine Byrne, lecturer in English at University of Ulster will present ‘Dracula in the twenty-first century’, examining a history of Dracula in film and television, and how the portrayal of the character has evolved and changed over time, touching upon the most recent BBC adaptation and themes around the character, such as disease, sterility and death.

Audiences will get the opportunity to discuss the themes after the talk in a short Q&A session with lecturers afterwards.

Roseanne Sturgeon, manager of the Riverside Theatre commented: “We have been working hard to continue to engage creatively with our communities throughout the pandemic via our digital platforms and delighted to partner with our academics for this next exciting Halloween programme of online events. It is a wonderful opportunity for our partners in the University to showcase their research to wider audiences and audiences in turn be inspired by these fascinating themes, and we hope it is the start of many wonderful collaborations to come!”

Lectures are £5 each but use promo code Halloween to get three for the price of two. Book online at https://www.riversidetheatre.org.uk/whats-on

For questions or more information please email Roisin Daley [email protected]