Get ready to enjoy a special night of show stopping music with We Do It For Love ( Fri 21 – Sat 22 Aug) at the Lyric Theatre, in partnership with Ulster Orchestra. This night of musical magic, which it not to be missed, will also celebrate major milestones for these two great cultural institutions – 75 years of the Lyric Theatre and 60 years of the Ulster Orchestra.
Filled with the magic of Broadway and the West End, We Do It For Love features a 25-piece Ulster Orchestra alongside 7 outstanding singers, Winnie Ama, Rosie Barry, Maeve Byrne, Matthew Cavan, Adam Dougal, Colette Lennon Dougal and Raymond Walsh, as well as new orchestrations by composer Conor Mitchell. The programme will span some of musical theatre’s most loved works including Sweeney Todd , Oliver!, Hello, Dolly!, A Little Night Music, Propaganda , The Fantasticks, Cabaret , Good Vibrations – to name but a few.
We Do It For Love, created in partnership with the Ulster Orchestra, celebrates the Lyric Theatre’s long-standing contribution to the arts in Northern Ireland. It also plays an important role in the Lyric’s 75th Anniversary fundraising campaign. With funds raised on the night supporting the theatre’s future work, helping to sustain its artistic programme and community outreach for years to come.
Jimmy Fay, Executive producer of the Lyric Theatre said:
“As we were working through the long history of the Lyric theatre in celebration of our 75th year, it became evident that music, particularly musical theatre, has always played a part at the heart of the theatre. From early on, the Lyric produced musicals, including a radical take on Jesus Christ Superstar in the early 1970s.
Musicals have always been able to express meaning, sometimes coded meaning, to our audiences in a unique and inspired way. I am delighted we are partnering with the superb Ulster Orchestra (also celebrating a big birthday) on this inspiring and wonderful partnership, and I know the evening will be an extraordinary celebration of how music has shaped us as a theatre and a creative society.”
Auveen Sands, Chief Executive of the Ulster Orchestra added:
“Delighted to be working with the Lyric Theatre and celebrating together our anniversaries. Such an achievement for both organisations to reach these milestones reflecting their critical and valued contribution to the culture of Northern Ireland. We Do It For Love is a worthy title for such a celebration recognising the dedication and commitment of all who collaborate with us and who work within each organisation and most importantly highlights the quality of performance which keeps audiences returning year after year.”
The Lyric Theatre is principally supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, National Lottery funding, and Belfast City Council.
For booking details visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk. Follow Lyric Theatre on Instagram and Facebook @LyricBelfast #LyricBelfast. The Ulster Orchestra’s 2026/27 Season opens on Friday 25 September at 7.45pm in the Ulster Hall. For more information about individual concerts and to book tickets, please visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/whats-on
About the Lyric
The Lyric is a creative hub for theatre-making, a safe space for nurturing talent and embodies an unwavering passion for creating meaningful connections through theatre and the arts. We’ve always done things a little differently at the Lyric. From its beginnings in 1951 in the home of our founder Mary O’Malley, to its permanent home on Ridgeway Street in 1968, this special place has been a springboard for internationally acclaimed playwrights, poets and actors. As Northern Ireland’s premiere full-time theatre to produce its own productions from page to stage, we care deeply about maintaining a high-quality, diverse and inclusive programme that captures the imaginations of our audiences, leaving them changed, charged and empowered.
OUR MISSION:
We are a shared civic space for artists and audiences alike; a creative hub for theatre-making, nurturing talent and promoting the critical role of the arts in society. Our mission is to create, entertain, and inspire.
About the Ulster Orchestra
Founded in 1966, the Ulster Orchestra has been at the forefront of musical life in Northern Ireland for 60 years. and the Orchestra’s full-time musicians form the region’s only professional symphony orchestra. In 2025, the Ulster Orchestra appointed Anna Handler as its Chief Conductor, following in the footsteps of the likes of Daniele Rustioni, Rafael Payare, JoAnn Faletta, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Bryden Thomson and Vernon Handley. The Orchestra performs around 40 concerts a year in its home, the Ulster Hall, and the Waterfront Hall, Belfast.
With a mission to enrich the lives of people living in Northern Ireland, those visiting, and those who encounter it through international touring and regular radio and TV broadcasts with both BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio 3, the Orchestra strives for excellence in all it undertakes, be it regular concert performances, learning and community engagement programmes, or creative collaborations across the arts.
The Ulster Orchestra’s recordings are gaining global critical acclaim, with a recent CD of music by Kurt Weill on SOMM records garnering praise such as “This is a warm, attractive performance … Sound quality is vividly realistic. This disc is a fine introduction to Weill’s purely instrumental music.” (Limelight) and “The Ulster Orchestra gets into every nook and cranny of this neglected piece (the brass are particularly outstanding) …” (BBC Classical Music). The Orchestra also regularly records for labels such as Hyperion (with Howard Shelley), Naxos (with former Chief Conductor JoAnn Faletta), Chandos and Toccata Classics.
An important aspect of the Ulster Orchestra’s work is its annual touring programme of concerts, which brings live orchestral music to the heart of communities across the region. The orchestra plays in as diverse a range of venues as possible, sending everything from small ensembles and chamber music concerts, right up to the full symphony orchestra, far and wide across Northern Ireland.
The Ulster Orchestra’s Learning and Community Engagement programme aims to connect the Orchestra with communities and individuals across Northern Ireland, both as audiences and participants. All the Orchestra’s musicians work on activities including Relaxed Performances for people with additional needs, mentoring and coaching for players at all stages of their musical journey and the Crescendo project, the Orchestra’s community-led residency project for children from disadvantaged areas in North and West Belfast.
