Troubles Over the Bridge

Sam Thompson's play 'Over the Bridge' charts the tragic course of a sectarian dispute in Belfast's shipyards. A powerful commentary on contemporary life in mid-20th century Northern Ireland, the play was effective banned by the Group Theatre's board of directors following complaints from the Unionist establishment. This book looks at the attempts made to suppress Thompson's work, and the eventual staging of the play which then became a defining landmark in the cultural history of Northern Ireland.