Having been born exactly seven months before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, I have little experience of the conflict and subsequent peace process other than faint memories, what we are taught in the history books and from anecdotes.
To mark 25 years of the signing of the Agreement, a new production by the Lyric Theatre takes audiences inside the negotiations and what went on away from the public eye.
Written by Owen McCafferty (Mojo Mickeybo, Death of a Comedian) and directed by Charlotte Westenra (Bloody Sunday), Agreement features a stellar cast portraying the main political actors in the days leading up to 10th April 1997.
Read more: Drama of the Good Friday Agreement discussions to take centre stage in new play
With Richard Croxford (Bloodlands, Dungeons and Dragons) as George Mitchell, Andrea Irvine (Line of Duty, Blue Lights) as Mo Mowlam, Dan Gordon (Give My Head Peace, Frank Carson: A Rebel Without a Pause) as John Hume, Ronan Leahy (Batman Begins) as Bertie Ahern, Packy Lee ( Peaky Blinders, Derry Girls) as Gerry Adams, Patrick O'Kane ( The Last Jedi, Doctor Who) as David Trimble and Rufus Wright (Shetland, The Thick of It) Casting Director Clare Gault has pulled out all the stops to make this a production to remember.
Set and Costume Designer, Conor Murphy has presented us with a minimalistic stage consisting of moving desks on a raised round platform with a projection screen suspended above which gives the perception that the action is taking place within the confines of a goldfish bowl with the world's media glaring in on the action.
As the play opens in the days leading up to the Agreement we are introduced to Senator George Mitchell, tasked to Northern Ireland by President Clinton who breaks the fourth wall to address the audience directly on how 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed'.
As the various other political actors are introduced, the dynamics of the negotiations become apparent as Gerry Adams pushes for the release of prisoners and David Trimble refuses to negotiate with him.
By far, the stand out performance of this production comes from Andrea Irvine who has Mo Mowlam's mannerisms and character down to a tee.
Throughout the performance, we see both Mo's strength and fragility as she battles cancer but is determined to see the negotiations through while having to deal with Mr Trimble who felt that she was too close to Gerry Adams and chose to bypass her to deal with Prime Minister Tony Blair directly.
When it comes to Mr Blair, Rufus Wright brings Tony's infamous narcissistic charisma to light as he arrives with Bertie Ahern in the final days of the negotiations and sidelines Mo Mowlam despite having only a basic knowledge of the complexities of the negotiations.
As the negotiations intensify, the physical exhaustion of the characters becomes apparent and as a deal is reached, a white tablecloth signifies the incoming peace.
As the actors come together in a final tableau which is reminiscent of Di Vinci's Last Supper, the deal is done.
McCafferty has taken a subject which could have been incredibly grey and littered it with humour which would delight both political anoraks and those who avoid the topic alike.
Performed in one act over 1 hour and 45 minutes, this production is a rollercoaster of emotion. I will admit, as the final scene played out, I couldn't help but feel slightly emotional as I reflected on the lives which were needlessly lost in the conflict and the fragility of our hard fought peace becomes apparent.
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