Bright Umbrella Theatre Company is offering an alternative festive night out this December with Baby, It’s Cold Outside—a sharp, funny and big-hearted Christmas comedy-drama with a distinctly Belfast twist. Running at The Sanctuary Theatre, East Belfast, from December 16 to January 4, the show delivers warmth, humour and plenty of seasonal spirit.
Directed by leading theatre figure Michael Quinn and written by acclaimed playwright Brenda Murphy, the production features a talented cast of rising Northern Irish actors: Mary McGurk, Brian Markey, Michelle Wiggins and Jade O’Neill. The play continues Bright Umbrella’s commitment to championing local talent and stories rooted in Northern Irish life.
Set on Belfast’s Black Mountain during a 2011 snowstorm, the story follows Joe, a Ballymurphy bricklayer who arrives at a remote cottage expecting to reunite with his pregnant ex—but instead meets her new partner and an unexpected guest. Snowed in together, the four navigate a funny, touching clash of personalities as they confront love, identity and belonging.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside runs December 16, 2025 – January 4, 2026, with matinees on December 17, 20, 27, 28 and January 3–4. Tickets: brightumbrella.co.uk or 028 90 123 456.
