My Weekend: A quiet pint with the sea right next to me is hard to beat

Tell us a little bit about yourself: I'm from Cork, I grew up on Patrick's Hill and went to school nearby. I started dancing and acting at a local stage school when I was pretty young and when I was around sixteen I moved to a performing arts boarding school in England to start training (basically Hogwarts for theatre). From there I trained at a conservatory in Pittsburgh in the US and then worked in New York, London and Brussels for about nine years before I moved back to Ireland to really commit to my own company. 

I wrote, directed and choreographed Volcano and I perform alongside Will Thompson.  Growing up my dad was an Electrical Engineer and my mom was a writer and editor. 

More than any other show I've made I feel like Volcano has this marriage of story and narrative along side a mountain of problem solving, so it feels like they're both really in there. 

So its lovely to bring the show home to Cork for Sounds from a Safe Harbour.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night? 

I travel a lot and I go to see an awful lot of theatre, dance and films both when I'm at home and on the road. But I just recently moved to Cobh and I'm finding a quiet pint with the sea right next to me hard to beat.

Lie ins or up with the lark.. which is it for you? 

When I'm in rehearsal or developing a show I'm up early, but on a day off I can lounge around with the best of them.

Does work creep into your weekend at all? 

I don't think people in theatre really have weekends in a conventional sense - your week changes depending on whether you're in performance, rehearsal, writing or pre-production. 

It's not so uncommon to work seven days a week for a month or two on a production. Intense stints followed by some downtime and recovery.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you? 

I've been really lucky to travel a lot with shows and work, I think Tokyo and Rome are both amazing places, but when I have time I go to Kilcrohane in West Cork. If money was no object I'd still go to Kilcrohane, but I'd buy a better toaster.

Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend? 

A lot of my friends are like me and also working unpredictable days and hours so its just a case of trying to catch people when you can. But my dad and my cousins have more regular schedules so I bother them all the time.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator? 

I watch Munster and I like to go climbing. Also films and shows, lots of films, lots of shows.

Entertain or be entertained? If it's the latter do you have a signature dish?

I started off as the chef in my relationship and then over lockdown my wife overtook me in a major way so these days I'm frequently relegated to sous chef - I started making a cumin lamb so maybe that can be my return to glory.

We have so many places to eat out in Cork - where are your go to spots for coffee/ lunch/ special meal? 

All northside for me. Cork Coffee Roasters on Bridge St, Cafe Myo or Boru for Coffee. There's a tapas place called Moody on Lower Glanmire Rd which is a new favourite, there's also really nice food at Paladar on Bridge St even though its more known for its drinks. 

I'm still getting to know Cobh but a place opened recently called the Arches which has a great coffee and sandwiches in the morning and really nice smaller bites in the evening.

Sunday night comes around too fast... how do you normally spend it? 

If I'm in rehearsal I'll take it easy and gear up for the week ahead, a lot of the time Sunday will be your last show of the run so then its time to celebrate.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning? 

Normally half 7

UPCOMING PERFORMANCE

The multi-award-winning Volcano by Luke Murphy / Attic Projects invites audiences into a voyeuristic journey played out across four back-to-back all-in one-day omnibus performances full of surprise and intrigue. A serialised live performance miniseries, Volcano crosses the boundaries of experimental theatre, contemporary dance and psychological sci-fi thriller. Acclaimed director and choreographer Luke Murphy blurs the lines of form and expectation, reality and fiction in live performance made for the Netflix era, part theatre, part television series, part dance.

Presented by Dance Cork Firkin Crane as part of Sounds from a Safe Harbour Festival at The Granary Theatre, Mardyke, Friday September 8 and Saturday September 9,  Full details at soundsfromasafeharbour.com