Chronicles of Long Kesh tells the story of life in the cages during the Troubles

It is often the case that when it comes to theatre productions which focus on The Troubles, they can sometimes be subject to a "Disneyfication" process and as director Lisa May notes, "either mind-blowing or preachy and over-sentimental." When it comes to Chronicles of Long Kesh, you get to the heart of what life was like in the cages during the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Told through the eyes of a screw looking back on his time working in the prison, we meet a variety of characters from both republican and loyalist paramilitaries who bring to life their experiences inside the jail with excellent fashion.

Having originally been performed in 2009 and 2012, this production returns to the stage once more and bringing with it a host of new talent alongside two original cast members - Marty Maguire and Jo Donnelly, who met on the set back in 2009 and have been together ever since.

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As the show opens, we get a sense of what's in store as the cast march onto the stage and introduce themselves by bursting into snippets of songs which will become relevant to the story as it progresses. While there is only so much you can touch on in two hours, this play covers a lot of the prison's history from the introduction of internment, the burning of Long Kesh, the Hunger Strikes and the infamous Maze escape.

It is fair to say that this show has it all, from humour to heartache, Martin Lynch has crafted the script to keep the audience engaged this is coupled with Lisa May's signature physical theatre to make for a somewhat interesting and artistic interpretation of life in Long Kesh.

When it comes to performances, by far the standout has to be Gerard McCabe who keeps the audience entertained through his character Toot, who is clearly a few sandwiches short.

A special mention also has to go to Warren McCook who plays Hank among number of other characters in the show. This is the first time that I have seen McCook on stage and it is clear that he has a bright career ahead of him.

It is evident that a lot of research went into this production which can clearly be seen by the list of former prisoners who are thanked in the show's programme.

While at times the production can feel like a slow burner, it gives a balanced insight into life in Long Kesh from both a republican and loyalist perspective.

Chronicles of Long Kesh runs at the Grand Opera House until Sunday 8 June. Tickets are available here.

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