AboutFACE Theatre Company have premiered many plays at The Civic over the years. Following a hiatus (of over a decade!!) they are returning to The Civic this August with the world premiere of ‘The Gods of the Ozarks’ a fast-moving and highly theatrical black comedy. We had a chat with some of the cast and crew in advance of the show. Paul plays the role of Jonah in the play.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and where you grew up?
I’m Paul, I’m Co-Artistic Director of AboutFACE and I grew up very close to The Civic, in Ballinteer.
What is your background in performing?
I first got interested in performing playing Johnny Boyle in a production of “Juno and the Paycock” in 6th year of school at De La Salle in Churchtown. I got to limp, have only one arm, scream at a ghost and have a great death scene – what a part! After that I went to drama school full-time at the Gaiety School of Acting, and have been a professional actor for over 15 years since then, including 10 years in New York.
What’s has been your career highlight to date?
I’ve been lucky enough to do shows in America, the UK, Ireland and Italy, so it’s a tough choice! Maybe when I was in “The Field” off-Broadway, and Gabriel Byrne came up afterwards to say how much he enjoyed the performance, or getting to spend a day on “The Blacklist” shooting with James Spader, which was a masterclass in screen acting.
Tell us about the role you have in The Gods of The Ozarks?
I play Jonah. He’s the only doctor in the town of Ozark, or for 300 miles around, but despite his best intentions, he’s not very good. At the time, religion banned the cutting of dead bodies, so medical students couldn’t learn from the insides of the body. But Jonah finds the courage (or maybe the madness!) to do something about that. I like Jonah a lot – he’s caring, good-tempered and quick-thinking, and has to handle some pretty big moral quandries.
What can Tallaght audiences expect from the show?
An engrossing story. A brilliant cast, taking you to a new world. Big ideas you’ll want to talk about afterwards. And a lot of fun.
________________________________________________________________________________________
The Gods of the Ozarks
20 – 24 August
Studio Theatre
CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW
