If you’re an Irish theatre fan, you may be familiar with the fierce and fabulous 52 week podcast experiment by Ireland’s Rise Productions three years ago. All of a sudden, out of nowhere starting in November of 2011 and continuing every Thursday for 52 weeks in a row, Artistic Director Aonghus Óg McAnally started airing unforgettable conversations with Irish theatre makers of note.
The series (you can also get it in iTunes) has since become legendary, and it’s a great example of how an ambitious actor can create opportunities out of thin air. After being a little under utilized on stage in recent years, McAnally decided to do the podcast and generate some interest. And not long after he suddenly found himself on the Abbey stage in the world premiere of THE HOUSE by Tom Murphy. Coincidence? Probably not. At any rate, if you want to hear world class drama, piss-taking and sheer craic as good as it gets, tune in.
What remains from the year is an archive of fascinating talks with a (partial) who’s who of Irish theatre. I just listened to almost all of them on a 2,500 mile holiday road trip.
But if there is just one you need to listen to, it is the talk with actor and man from Cavan Aaron Monaghan. After seeing the young, blazing talent of Irish theatre live on stage in Abbey and Druid shows, there is no way I could have gained a higher appreciation for his art. But what comes through in this talk is the utterly authentic power of who he is as a person. The conversation is massively inspirational. In this mere hour of talk with the surprisingly gentle man, everything about what makes great art and what it means to people comes through.
Give yourself a late holiday gift and listen in. You’ll enjoy it as much as any play.
And then go see Monaghan on stage as soon as you can.
