Situated in 20 University Square, the Brian Friel Theatre is one of the best equipped theatres in Belfast with a 120 seat studio theatre, rehearsal room, dressing rooms, green room and workshop. It is housed in the Queen's Drama and Film Centre which also comprises of two cinema screens, a film studio and is home to the Queen's Film Theatre (QFT).

HISTORY
The Brian Friel Centre for Theatre Research was opened by Brian Friel, one of Ireland’s greatest, internationally acclaimed playwrights, in 2009. The Friel Centre was acknowledged in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for producing world-leading and internationally excellent research in Irish theatre, as well as excellence in practice-as-research. Areas of staff research expertise include: modern Irish, European, American and British drama; Shakespeare in performance; Samuel Beckett; theatre and conflict; dance and choreography practice and theory; practice as research; intercultural theatre; postdramatic theatre; theatre and cultural memory; theatre in education; theatre and social justice; applied drama; drama and medicine.

DRAMA AT QUEEN'S
Drama at Queen’s is among the largest university drama departments in Ireland, with more than a hundred at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The ethos of Drama is to combine rigorous research and critical analysis with creative practice. We have close links with the professional theatre community, and many of our staff, graduates and theatre partners are contributing to the emergence of innovative models of theatre and performance analysis, policy and practice in Ireland and internationally. Drama collaborates with leading arts organizations and theatre companies who help us to develop a vital professional practice dimension including:

• The Belfast International Arts Festival
• The Lyric Theatre
• Prime Cut Productions
• Tinderbox Theatre Company
• Kabosh
• The Linen Hall Library

There  are also a growing number of new theatre companies such as Chaos Theory and Headrush made up of recent Queen’s drama graduates.

Email enquiries for Student Shows: studentshows@qub.ac.uk

Technical and venue hire enquires for the Brian Friel Theatre please contact Ross McDade (r.mcdade@qub.ac.uk)