Cahoots conjures up magical season of family productions
Belfast’s Cahoots theatre company has launched a truly magical Autumn/Winter programme, with four enchanting productions set to transform its venue at Cityside Retail & Leisure Park between September and December 2025. The season is the company’s largest to date, promising to fill hearts with wonder and ignite the imagination of young audiences and their families.
The spectacular lineup includes the triumphant return of two beloved shows: the internationally acclaimed ‘Secrets of Space’ and recent musical hit ‘The Musicians of Bremen – Live!’. Cahoots will also unveil two dazzling new productions. First, the world premiere of ‘Unlocking Sherlock’ will explore the mind’s mysteries. Then, just in time for the holidays, a groundbreaking, immersive Christmas Spectacular, ‘The Secret Bookshop’, will be revealed, designed in partnership with world-class fitout and design specialists, The Deluxe Group.
Paul Bosco Mc Eneaney, Artistic Director of Cahoots, comments: “We are incredibly proud to once again be bringing wonder into childhood, right in the heart of North Belfast. Each of these shows have been crafted using magic, illusion, and heartfelt storytelling to connect and inspire curiosity in our audiences. At Cahoots, we believe we’re not just putting on a show, we’re creating an escape into a world of pure imagination.
“We are thrilled to be bringing two of our popular productions to Cityside and to be part of the Belfast International Arts Festival once again. We are also particularly excited about the new worlds we’re creating. ‘Unlocking Sherlock’ is a fascinating dive into psychological illusion for slightly older audiences, and our Christmas show, ‘The Secret Bookshop,’ is set to be a true highlight. Our collaboration with the brilliant minds at Deluxe Group will allow us to build a festive production that will surprise, delight, and hopefully enchant our audiences, in a way never before seen in Belfast.”
Mark Rainey, Centre Manager at Cityside Retail & Leisure Park, added: “Cityside is delighted to again partner with Cahoots for the launch of their Autumn/Winter programme. This promises to be our most exciting collaboration yet — delivering magic and wonder for audiences right here in North Belfast.”
Richard Hill, Business Development Director at The Deluxe Group, said: “Anyone who has seen a Cahoots performance will know that their mix of storytelling, humour and illusion create a magical experience for both children and adults, so we were delighted when this collaboration came about through an Arts and Business NI initiative to be part of this fantastic new show.
With so much of our work in creating immersive interiors in hospitality, themed entertainment and cruise ships having to be kept a secret it’s great to have an opportunity to work with Cahoots to create an immersive experience for audiences locally. With the creative industries such a growing sector here we hope that The Secret Bookshop will spark the imagination of a future generation of young creative talent from Northern Ireland.”
Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added: “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to be the principal public investor in Cahoots. Cahoots is one of Northern Ireland’s most outstanding theatre companies and well on the way to becoming one of our best international success stories. These are the experiences that shape young lives.”
Tickets for the Autumn/Winter programme are available via the Cahoots Box Office. Visit www.cahootsni.com, email: info@cahootsni.com or telephone 07434 661671.
