How to Get to Heaven From the QFT

By Grace Allen

Full Circle
World-renowned playwright and screenwriter Lisa McGee has held the premiere of her brand new Netflix show ‘How to Get to Heaven From Belfast’ in Queen’s University Belfast’s very own film theatre – the QFT. This is exceptionally significant for Queen’s students and, more importantly, Belfast as a whole, as McGee is a Northern Irish creator whose work is widely travelled with the global success of the very well-known series ‘Derry Girls’. Bringing a Netflix premiere to Belfast is such a full-circle moment and is a monumental form of cultural homecoming. This is a big moment for Belfast’s creative identity [1].

Our Stories, Our Terms
Lisa McGee isn’t just well-known; she is important. Specifically, she’s a Northern Irish writer who focuses on telling local stories openly and honestly, leaving in the good, the bad and the ugly of our wee country. She doesn’t smooth accents, over-explain context or write for outsiders – her humour comes from lived-in experience rather than pure fiction. Her initial work in ‘Derry Girls’ changed how Northern Ireland was shown on screen, shifting away from conflict-led narratives to focus on everyday life – friendship, adolescence and family. In doing so, the show normalised strong accents, wild humour and tangible experiences that had rarely been centred before. By being so precise and rooted in place, her writing became universal, allowing audiences worldwide to recognise themselves in stories set far from home. This kind of honesty is why audiences worldwide connected with her work in the first place. Lisa McGee matters because she made Northern Irish stories feel normal, funny, and worth telling on a global stage.

What Is ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’?
‘How to Get to Heaven From Belfast’ is McGee’s newest showstopper, an 8-part comedythriller series to be released on February 12th 2026. Its plot follows three women: chaotic writer Saoirse, overstretched (and a tad overanxious) mother-of-three Robyn, and carer Dara, who are brought together in the wake of their estranged childhood friend’s unexpected death. While the series marks a tonal shift from the teenage chaos of ‘Derry Girls’, it feels like a natural evolution rather than a departure. As expected, the humour remains sharp and character-driven, but the focus has matured, exploring grief, adulthood and fractured relationships. McGee’s signature voice is still unmistakable: grounded in place, unapologetically Northern Irish, and rooted in the emotional messiness of ordinary lives [2].

The Significance of the QFT
The QFT is not a huge commercial cinema; it is closely linked to supporting Queen’s students and local creatives. Hosting a premiere of this significance makes the industry feel far more within reach. A global platform choosing a small, local venue brings success closer to those still learning and creating. Rather than a classic Hollywood moment, it felt like one that belonged to Belfast’s creative community.

Pushing Boundaries
This premiere shows growing confidence in Northern Irish storytelling, where representation behind the camera matters just as much as the narratives shown on screen. Seeing the success of this scale return home builds belief for students and writers, reinforcing that local stories do not need to leave Northern Ireland to be taken seriously. Lisa McGee’s success shows young people from here that their stories are not defined by place, but by their confidence to tell them.

References:
[1] – https://ulstertatler.com/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast/
[2] – https://www.instagram.com/p/DUYl-aqDDVL/

Images:
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/mar/14/ill-never-grow-up-derry-girls-lisamcgee-on-comedy-class-and-her-new-show-skint
https://www.britannica.com/art/BAFTA
https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/20/11979948/netflix-new-icon-logo
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/derry-girls
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31709373/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Film_Theatre