The Stage

Northern Ireland’s smoking ban relaxed for theatres

Published Thursday 7 June 2007 at 14:05 by Michael Quinn

The ban on smoking in public places in Northern Ireland is to be relaxed for the region’s theatres just weeks after being introduced.

Earlier this month, Belfast’s Lyric Theatre was forced to ask playwright Brian Friel to re-write a pivotal scene in his award-winning play Dancing at Lughnasa in order to avoid impinging on the ban which came into effect on April 30.

Now, the newly elected Northern Ireland Assembly looks set to grant a dispensation to theatre productions and other public performances with the passing of the Health (Miscellaneous Provision) Order 2007, which will amend the legislation “to make provision for those taking part in performances, so as to permit smoking by such performers if artistic integrity so requires”.

Commenting on the strict implementation of the original ban, Michael McGimpsey, the new health minister and one-time arts minister in a previous assembly, said political correctness “could sometimes be taken a bit far”.