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RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Theatremaker Irene Kelleher on doing the double at Cork Midsummer
'Am I mad? Probably, but don't we have to be do what we do?' As part of this year's Cork Midsummer Festival, actor and playwright Irene Kelleher has written and will perform in a pair of solo shows - Footnote and Stitch. On one three-show day, she'll perform both of them! Below, Eileen explores the 'physical and mental challenge' of her two-show marathon... I often get asked who my hero is and people expect me to say someone like Judi Dench, Fiona Shaw or Cate Blanchett. All of these people are incredible and I admire their talent greatly, but honestly, my hero is Ayrton Senna. Yes, yes, you read that right. F1 legend and not multi-Oscar winning actor. He had this drive, this passion and if he had something in his mind, that was it. He wasn't going to let anyone stop him. Rehearsing, preparing, and eventually performing both shows at the same time, is both a physical and mental challenge. I'm doing the obvious things to prepare my body, and trying to get as much sleep as I can. If I go into a full day of rehearsal with bad night's sleep I'm not fully present, my concentration is off, I'm not taking everything in. Sleep is number one. Of course the inevitable 'play dreams' are already happening. Since rehearsals have started, I'm waking up in the night having dreamt about the play. Then I can't get back to sleep because my brain is too active thinking I've made some breakthrough. In the morning I never think it's as much of a genius idea that I did at 3am in the morning! After sleep, the main thing is just to make sure I eat well and by well I mean make sure I've a good big breakfast and pack snacks. I eat way more during rehearsals because I burn off so much energy. I need to stay strong. I find the mental preparation more essential. It's about having things between moving from rehearsals- little palate cleansers. Simple things like music. I've a playlist created for both Stitch and Footnote. Music is always a way for me to dream about characters, and a play, so I often listen to these on way to rehearsals. It's about having a break "as Irene" between each too, having time where I am completely switched off from work. I need this time to be able to give work my 100% attention when I'm in the rehearsal room. Rehearsing, preparing, and eventually performing both shows at the same time, is both a physical and mental challenge. The last thing sounds cheesy, but I honestly think it's probably the most important. I have to be confident and know I can do this. I've achieved marathon sessions of plays before, performing in Edinburgh and know I have the stamina. I'm (extremely lucky) to be in a strong enough place physically and mentally. Lorraine Maye in the Midsummer asked me to do both plays, and I trust her. She's a very intelligent, capable, person who wouldn't ask me if she didn't think I was able. If she believes I can do it then I can. Lastly, I always have my audience in mind. We are asking people to give up their time and money and sit in the dark with me for an hour, phones off. That's a big ask in this era, to switch off for an hour and trust someone to transport you to another world, to get lost in it. I'm doing both shows for my audience, I want to give them the best show possible. Am I afraid? Yes, but fear excites me. Am I mad? Probably, but don't we have to be do what we do? Madness, yes, but there's a method to it. I'm going to enjoy it too. To quote my hero, Aryton Senna 'in a split second it's gone.'"
Belfast Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Irene Kelleher: ‘When I took my one-woman show to the Edinburgh Fringe, I had to live on one pack of Jammie Dodgers'
She performed her play A Safe Passage, co-starring Seamus O'Rourke, at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin last weekend. Kelleher, whose screen credits include Game of Thrones, will be performing in two productions, 'Stitch' and 'Footnote', at the Cork Midsummer Festival in July. For more information, go to How did your upbringing influence your relationship with money? My upbringing and family money habits aren't an excuse for my own terrible money management. My family didn't have much money. My dad came from a family of eight on Blarney Street, on Cork's northside. His father died young. My dad was only 17 – and as the eldest boy he had to take responsibility. He worked extremely hard and saved so he could put himself through college as a mature student and pay for our college fees. Both my parents were extremely careful with money and taught us the importance of saving. My sister and brother learned from this – but from a young age, anytime I had money I got too excited and couldn't wait to spend it. Have you ever felt broke? More times than I can count. When I was bringing my first show to the Edinburgh Fringe, I'd spent the first week's money sending a big present home to mam because I was missing her birthday. I lived on one packet of Jammie Dodgers over two days – one for breakfast, one for lunch, one before the show. Grim. (But I still eat them.) What has your acting career taught you about money? That I should know better. And that I will make it my life's work to encourage my two daughters to become credit controllers. I've gotten a bit better in the past few years: becoming a mother has meant I've no choice but to be more responsible with money. With acting and writing, you could get a great gig that pays well – like a good voiceover, film work or a writing commission, but then you might be months waiting for the next one to come along. What's the most expensive place you've ever been to? Iceland, for our honeymoon. We knew it was going to be expensive – but it was the most special holiday we'd ever go on, so we didn't mind splashing out. What was your biggest ever extravagance? My wedding dress. I got it made by a wonderful designer, Samantha Kennedy. I'm just under five foot so all the dresses I tried on in the shops made me look like I was making my Communion. I promised myself I'd wear it to other events, as it doesn't look like an obvious wedding dress. I haven't worn it since – but every now and then I take it out of its box, stroke it lovingly, and think: 'Ahhh, lovely.' Would you buy Irish property now? We'll have to soon. Ever since having our second daughter, our house has gotten smaller. Sometimes my husband and I feel like Charlie Bucket and his grandparents all in the one bed. What was your worst ever job? A job that was billed to me as a play. It was not a play. It was a 'Halloween experience' in a very fancy hotel. The pay wasn't great but I was told that I could stay on the property and all meals would be provided. It turned out to be the tiniest caravan I'd ever seen (think the holiday episode in Fr Ted) and my 'room' had an infestation of bees. The 'meals' were bread and cheese. They never took my costume measurements so the dress was three sizes too big – I had to be cable-tied into it and cut out of it when I needed the bathroom.
