GREAT things have sprung from Hampstead Theatre, where Edward Hall (son of opera great Peter, brother to actress Rebecca) is artistic director. This is where Hall produced his ‘Chariots of Fire’ and ‘The Judas Kiss’ which each transferred on to the West End. Its recent run with Hall’s own Propeller Theatre Company was another sell out.
Propeller is fuelling two Shakespearean plays, ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ in which Limerick’s own Liam O’Brien features in the all male cast. The company has returned to Britain after a 10 month international tour and “I feel I have reestablished myself now in the UK as a presence. The reviews have been great for the plays and for myself”.
Well he deserves the measure of success now, Edward Hall’s sure record with Propeller having booked the shows from Paris to Madrid to Germany, even getting a six week sell-out run in Minneapolis’ Guthrie Centre. This 1000 seater venue is run by Irish man Joe Dowling who read in advance what would please the theatre avid scene in that wintry city.
“The tour will close finally in Verona where ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is set over three nights, this July 25, 26 and 27 in an amphitheatre. It’s very exciting and a lovely way to bookend the end of the 10 months”.
The ex-‘Emmerdale’ Liam tells Arts page with some satisfaction that “the Shakespearean play with most songs in it is ‘Twelfth Night’, with five or six of them and I get to sing all of them”. His character Feste plays guitar and bodhrán so this gifted singer/ musician’s skillset is honed almost nightly.
Having done ‘The Shrew’ way back in 2001 with Island Theatre Company under Terry Devlin, his character under Edward Hall’s direction is Tranio: “Tranio is instrumental in the love story in wooing the girl on behalf of his master. I am a lowly Irish character who has to take on the qualities of an English gentleman”.
Still, for all the leaps and bounds in bringing Shakepeare around the world thanks to Propeller’s 16 year history, the real gold for this Ennis Road man is placement in the hot-ticket theatre at Hampstead and exposure via Hall’s prestigious network in luvvie land.
“A well earned break back home” is the most Liam is prepared to hazard about the release from contract. Yet it can only be onwards and forwards to the unguessable next job: “an actor’s lot” as he states himself.
