3,840 students supported by theatre works! grant in Northern Ireland with a visit from Bruiser Theatre Company
3,840 students experienced bold, high energy theatre with Bruiser Theatre Company, thanks to funding support from theatre works!.
Students from schools across Northern Ireland attended performances of The Boy Who Kicked Pigs, delivered directly to school stages by Bruiser’s dynamic ensemble. For many young people, this was a rare opportunity to experience live professional theatre in their own community.
A Performance That Left a Mark
From the moment the performance began, students were captivated by the physicality, pace and inventiveness of the production.
One student shared:
‘One of the best performances I've ever seen.’
Another reflected on the emotional impact:
‘It was absolutely incredible and I was scared and laughing away 10/10.’
Students consistently praised the creativity of the staging and performance style:
‘The show was amazing. The actors were incredible and showed a lot of talent. The theme was also incredibly good with the music and the jokes were also incredibly good. Loved the show please come back.’
‘I thought the storyline was great. All of the comedy, physical action and the stage setup was just amazing and totally next level.’
The use of multi role performance, physical theatre and inventive staging clearly resonated with young audiences:
‘I enjoyed the experience because of all the levels, facial expressions, body language and the lighting. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to watch this production, it was amazing.’
‘The production presented many techniques and gave me many ideas for our own devised pieces in drama GCSE.’
For many students, the experience was not just entertaining but transformative.
Inspiring Future Theatre Makers
A powerful theme throughout the feedback was inspiration. Students spoke about renewed ambition, confidence and creativity following the performance.
‘I've always wanted to work in theatre and this reaffirmed this for me. I've been really inspired to look into more opportunities.’
‘It has inspired me in my GCSE drama class to be confident and it inspired me to work harder.’
‘The show inspired me to continue with GCSE drama and to try more stuff in the class and get out of my comfort zone.’
‘I would now consider joining a drama club outside of school and I might do A level drama and music.’
Others recognised the craft behind what they were seeing:
‘As a drama student it was a great experience to watch first hand all the different things that go into creating a play from costume design to stage set up.’
The impact extended beyond drama students alone. One young person simply expressed:
‘Thank you so much for this experience, it really helped me understand theatre in a way I never did before.’
A Powerful Response from Schools and Families
Teachers described the production as a shared reference point that immediately fed back into classroom learning.
‘The show was such an almighty spectacle. What an incredible experience for the students. I loved watching their faces during the performance.’
‘The show will 100 percent enable us to try out new ideas with the shared reference of Bruiser's performance. We started today. First day back after half term.’
Educators highlighted how the performance sparked fresh creative thinking:
‘The experience has inspired me to try out new things with my class especially the idea of using an object as a character. The multi role was excellent and very beneficial for the students to see and we can refer back to.’
For many schools, access to live theatre is limited. One teacher shared:
‘The majority never see live theatre so it really was an enriching event. What a way to end the term. We loved it.’
Parents echoed this enthusiasm:
‘He really enjoyed the theatre trip and couldn’t stop talking about it when he got home. It was lovely to see how excited and inspired he was by the performance.’
‘She loved every bit of it. Would love if this could happen again.’
Breaking Down Barriers to Access
Through theatre works! funding, schools including St Colm’s High School, St Louise’s Comprehensive College, Abbey Community College, De La Salle College, North Coast Integrated College and Jordanstown Specialist School were able to access professional theatre experiences that may otherwise have been out of reach.
By supporting this tour by Bruiser Theatre Company, theatre works! has enabled thousands of young people to
• Experience professional live theatre in their own school
• Engage with bold, inventive performance styles
• Build confidence and creative ambition
• Develop practical ideas for GCSE and A level drama
• See that theatre can be dynamic, accessible and for everyone
As one student said:
‘The show was one of the best things I have experienced in a long, long time. I loved every second of it and am so thankful that we were able to experience it first hand.’
We are proud to support opportunities that bring inspiring theatre directly to young people, spark creativity in classrooms and help shape the next generation of artists and audiences.