‘It’s great time to tell his story’

Director Des Kennedy, (35) from west Belfast, now lives in London with his partner Michael. He says:

W When Jimmy Fay (executive producer at The Lyric) first approached me about directing a stage version of Good Vibrations I thought it was a terrible idea following on from such a brilliant movie. I didn’t want to be the person who messed it up.

Having agreed to do it, we spent two years in workshops with writers producing it for theatre. The difference in a play is that it is about live music. There is a live band on the stage and you have to leave the house to experience it.

The writers Glenn Patterson and Colin Carberry adapted the script for the performance and we’re delighted to be telling Terri’s story in this way.

There is lots of live music and the show will feel like cross between a gig and a biography of an actual revolutionary. There’s no better time to be telling this story.

Poverty in Northern Ireland is endemic, there are no opportunities for young people and the people in power are more than happy for us to be divided and stick to our ‘side’ rather than come together to address these issues.

Punk was young peoples’ way of saying ‘that’s not good enough’.

I’m not going to accept the society you are offering me so I’m going to rip my clothes, paint my jacket and desecrate your national anthems.

Terri harnessed this energy, showed there was an alternative way of living, and showed the value of bringing people together through music.

These ideas were radical at the time and are as important now as they ever were.”