Laugh, cry, cheer as the award-winning Stage Beyond champion disability inclusion
This critically acclaimed production by Stage Beyond Theatre Company for adults with intellectual disabilities, opened at the Millennium Forum in June 2022.
The play is set in Europe, 1941. Pandora is at war and people are disappearing. People who are different. Dictator Heidi has a doppelganger – Brian, a decorator. When Brian’s sister Hannah goes missing, Brian discovers a terrible secret at his local hospital. In a bizarre case of mistaken identity, fate offers Brian the chance to change history.
Drawing on recent historical episodes, ‘The Great Dictator’ asks, is how we treat the vulnerable a measure of our humanity? Based on Charlie Chaplin’s film masterpiece of the same name, Stage Beyond interrogates what happens when society treats disability like a crime and people with disabilities like criminals.
Featuring a combination of pathos, screwball comedy and silent movie tropes, ‘The Great Dictator’ is a truly unique theatrical event. An unmissable performance with the company’s members from Derry, Tyrone and Donegal doing some really important work conveyed with humour and respect.
