Member's statement: Dramability: Christmas Show
Member's statement by Mr Colin McGrath on .
- MLA
- Mr Colin McGrath
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 10 December 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Dramability: Christmas Show
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4715317
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise to congratulate the Downpatrick Dramability group, which is a mixed-ability group that puts on various performances throughout the year and has a pantomime at Christmastime, which I attended on Saturday past. MLAs get the opportunity to do lots of things during their tenure, but I wonder whether I can top it all, because, at the weekend, I got to save Christmas. As the show progressed, it became apparent that one person in the audience did not truly believe in Christmas. In fact, that one person in the audience, who was unknown at the time, was referred to as a Grinch. This caused Santa Claus to be locked in a dungeon and not able to do his duties. As the show progressed, it became apparent that the Grinch was me, and I was brought onstage to take part in the performance. In so doing, I was able to unlock the present that was on the stage, which enabled me to become an elf and, therefore, believe in Christmas. That meant that Santa Claus got out of jail, so he will be able to perform all his activities on Christmas Eve. I thank the group for its performance. As I said, it is a mixed-ability group. Under the guidance of Bette Liddell, it has been working for years. It practises every week for its performances. It puts its heart and soul into its performances. The members have an opportunity to come together to socialise, to learn from each other and, especially, to grow in confidence and be very welcomed, loved and cherished members of our community. I absolutely love the shows. They are enjoyed by the hundreds who attend them each year. At the end of each show, the members take great relish in telling the audience that we were "absolutely average". I was proud to be part of their "average" pantomime at the weekend to assist them in saving Christmas. I am absolutely delighted, through the work of the Downpatrick Dramability group, that I believe, and that I can be that elf this Christmas.
345 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.02 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.97 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.02 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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