SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2026
Tea In A China Cup
Mary Moulds, Amy Molloy and Katie Tumelty in 'Tea In A China Cup'.
Production Photo: Neil Harrison
Gloomy grit and elucidating edge as a generational family story, the Lyric Theatre's new production of Christina Reid's Tea In A China Cup, directed by Dan Gordon, comes alive again on the Belfast stage like an animated patchwork quilt of immense detail. It is lively, fascinating and richly fulfilling in the way it joins together numerous fragmented elements for an unexpectedly and unprecedentedly emotional punch, with the pathways in Reid's writing reuniting for a journey so impactful, so relatable and so thoughtfully constructed that the audience stands to be staggered by its sensitive sublimity.
The "tea in a china cup" of Tea In A China Cup isn't just a hugely popular drink in a porcelain piece, but the heart of and metaphor for the whole play - comfort and warmth to be frequently consumed and enjoyed as a break from real world complexities, complexities which also exist within the distinctive designs of the cup itself. Uniquely arresting and exemplarily crafted design, the quality of which is also seen in Ciaran Bagnall's noirish set and lighting, Gillian Lennox's vivid costuming and Chris Warner's prominent sound. It's all very intricate, and all very intriguing.
As intricate and intriguing as the lives of the family and friends in this period tale, resurrected from Tea In A China Cup's initial staging at the Lyric in 1983 but this time in the form of portrayals from Amy Molloy, Mary Moulds, Louise Parker, Simon Sweeney, Katie Tumelty, Marie Jones, Matthew Forsythe, Maria Connolly and John Paul Connolly. It's a strong cast, and the exceptionally talented Molloy gives a standout central performance as Beth, a daughter and wife profoundly affected by the passage of time and the pattern of events.
Mary Moulds, Simon Sweeney, Marie Jones, Katie Tumelty and John Paul Connolly
in 'Tea In A China Cup'. Production Photo: Neil Harrison
These events all begin, and almost end, with the off-stage strains of the classic nursery rhyme There Was A Princess Long Ago, an indication and a reflection of the dormant beauty which sporadically emerges from the production's thorny and weighty ugliness. The timeline runs through war zones, from World War Two to The Troubles, where intimate spaces of refuge, calm and clarity are searched for amidst open spaces of frequently deadly occurrences and often deadening purpose – it is, in short, like looking for tea in a china cup. Where amongst the personal and professional gains and losses there is frequent longing for the "break from it all" that may sometimes appear to be unattainable.
While it could be said that aspects of the first act threaten to leave the viewer cold, that may be so because of the truth that life doesn't give you time to properly digest devastation. Separation through sectarianism and segregation is spread throughout the dialogue, with instances of classism and apathy creeping through in an increasingly demanding script given thoughtfully appropriate attention and guidance by Gordon's focused direction.
Be it humorously or seriously, Reid's writing never shies away from the difficult questions that can, do and must arise with adaptation, integration and interpretation for all ages. How much of our understanding and even our wisdom is shaped by who or what we feel almost instructed to believe in through societal stereotypes and perceptions? Is our attachment to home and our belongings defined by who or what we truly care for or a genuine fear of evolution? And what to make the chaotic and protectionist attitudes in tribalist conflict and entrenchment that continue to exist over time, only in different forms?
Yet on the flip side of those difficulties, hope grows, and Tea In A China Cup also smartly examines the aspirations which can and do emerge from the lifestyles of its characters. The significance of homes, possessions, professions and education not as an exodus from greater confusion and more widespread problems but as the genesis for human initiative and imagination. A bit like the pattern on that porcelain cup, and indeed that nursery rhyme about a sleeping princess, Tea In A China Cup is adventurous and precious as art - it's the affection in the nostalgic and the affliction of the tragic as theatre. It's great.
Simon Fallaha
Tea In A China Cup, runs at Belfast's Lyric Theatre until Saturday May 30. More information on the production, and tickets, can be found here.