Final bow for Everyman stalwart Denis

Prior to joining the board around 20 years ago, he also acted in Everyman productions.

Denis recalls recently deceased U.S actress, Angela Lansbury launching “the brave new venture of Everyman at Fr Matthew Hall”. Some of “the greats of Cork theatre were there” including Brian Bolingbroke, Elaine Stevens, Irene Comerford and Heather Underwood.

He made his stage debut there 50 years ago this month, on November 2 1972, playing minor roles in Arms And The Man by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Harry Bogan.

“I was a Russian officer in the opening scene,” he recalls. “A few nights before, I was sent by our wardrobe mistress to a large three-storey house on the Blackrock Road, where I was met by two sweet elderly ladies who led me upstairs to what had obviously been a gentleman’s bedroom. An open wardrobe revealed the full pre-WWI dress uniform of a major in the Royal Army Medical Corps, complete with greatcoat, magnificent helmet and a Wilkinson’s dress sword. Strutting my hour on the stage on opening night, I looked and felt magnificent, for however brief a moment.”

Denis was cast in A Man for all Seasons, The Silver Tassie, A Flea in her Ear and Mr Joyce is Leaving Paris to mention a few, directed by the likes of Dan Donovan, John O’Shea and Mick McCarthy.

Brought up in Gurranabraher, he attended the North Mon, and has lived in Ballinhassig for 47 years. He wed Íde Warren, whom he met at The Loft, in 1975 and they had three sons. They took part in drama and Feiseanna growing up.

Denis (inset right) was encouraged to join the Collins Musical Society by member Brian Crowley, who said he had a good voice. Through the society, Denis met the Lehane brothers; Ger, Pat and Kevin. “They invited me to join The Loft. I played a minor role in a production of Lear at the CYMS around 1969.”

Up until the 1980s, Denis acted in Everyman productions, but his job as marketing director of Ford curtailed it.

He and Íde’s sons are Shane, a hydrologist in Perth; Rowan, a sales manager for Toyota in Melbourne; and Dublin-based Diarmuid, who co-owns the leisure brand company, Gym + Coffee. Rowan has three children and Shane has two with another on the way. Denis and Íde are heading to Australia shortly and hope to see the new arrival after Christmas.

Denis says involvement in drama is good for confidence. “I’m probably a forward kind of guy. Drama helped me in business in terms of having to stand on your hind legs in front of 400 people at a conference. You have to know you can deliver a line or an argument with a degree of conviction.”

When he was asked to join the Everyman board, he gladly accepted. “I had been so long on the stage that it was really like a ‘going home’ moment. It was lovely to see the new energy that was coming through the company and to help them with governance issues.”

When Michael White fell ill, Denis was asked to replace him as chairman of the board around five years ago. He describes the dilemma of trying to run a theatre in the pandemic as “horrific. We kept the show going. National funding was made available to the arts sector. The Everyman was maybe the only major theatre in the country that kept the lights on even when the door was closed. We did a lot of online work and rehearsed readings initially.”

Finances are now “improving substantially” at the theatre. “We survived because of government support. The theatre is now re-earning again, building audiences and providing them with first class presentations.”

Denis will miss not being directly involved with the Everyman. “It was quite exciting to be getting pre-meeting briefings.” But new chairman, Barney Whelan, promises to be an inspiring and steady hand. “He is a big player in the sphere of cultural governance,” says Denis. He is chairman of the board of Cork International Film Festival and previous posts include board member of the National Concert Hall.