Cork star takes centre stage at Oklahoma!

Molly Lynch is flying the Rebel County flag in Dublin - at the Bord Gáis Energy production of Oklahoma!

As she takes centre stage in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic show this month, Lynch says it is proof that Irish musical theatre deserves a bigger place in the national spotlight.

“Ireland has such a rich theatrical and literary history, but we haven’t fully embraced musical theatre as much as we should,” she said.

“I’m excited to show what an incredible art form it is, with all its complexity. David Bolger’s choreography [on this show] is contemporary and exciting, and combined with an incredible orchestra and epic score, it will be really special.”

Lynch, from the Frankfield area of Douglas, has been living in London and working in the West End, and says she is proud to be part of the Bord Gáis Theatre’s second home-grown production, following their success last year with Little Shop Of Horrors.

“I’m so proud to be among such incredible Irish musical theatre talent. I’m proud of the cast and creative team we have, and it is going to be something we are all proud of.

“Having spent ten years in London, I’ve come across brilliant Irish actors across all genres, but especially in musical theatre. To be able to showcase that talent at home in Ireland is amazing.”

In Oklahoma!, Lynch plays Laurey, a spirited farm girl who becomes the centre of a love triangle when two very different men - a confident cowboy, Curly, played by Wild Youth singer David James Whelan, and a brooding hired hand, Jud Fry, played by Oliver Flitcroft - both fall for her.

Both the stage show and its film adaptation remain hugely popular, though nostalgia has sometimes softened the work’s original themes. Lynch says this production aims to return to the story’s roots and its more complex underlying ideas.

“I love Rodgers and Hammerstein, and I’m a complete nerd about their work. I feel very strongly that what often happens is that, because their shows have been produced so many times, they become a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy.

“People end up with the impression that they are simply twee, but if you go back to what Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote, it’s much darker and more complicated than that.”

Lynch explains that the female characters have much more agency than people might realise.

“There’s a huge amount of complexity in the material. The women have far more autonomy than people often give them credit for.

“The two main female characters aren’t simply being fought over by men; they have choices and agency of their own. I’m not saying it’s feminist perfection, but compared to many modern musicals, it’s far more layered.”

Lynch says she has a close professional affinity for Rodgers and Hammerstein, who inspired her own writing.

“I wrote a cabaret in London about the ‘Me Too’ movement using Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. The way they write women is so nuanced. It’s like Mozart in opera, where the female characters are often the most interesting people on stage. We tend to assume that if something is old-fashioned, it must also be inherently sexist, and while there are certainly elements that reflect their time, the original material is far richer and more complex than people expect.”

The actor says she is excited to bring Laurey to audiences and says musicals take history, complexity, and emotion and wrap them in extraordinary music.

“Laurey isn’t a passive character; she’s torn between two very different men. She’s drawn to this dark, mysterious figure who frightens and fascinates her, and to this kind, dependable cowboy.

“At the same time, the story exists within a much bigger historical context of settlement and colonisation in America, which gives it real weight.”

Lynch says music has always been part of her life thanks to her grandfathers.

“My grandad was Pat Lynch of Pat Lynch and the Airchords, one of the big showbands of the 1960s. He always encouraged us to sing, dress up, and put on little shows, so music was a big part of my childhood.

“My other grandad taught himself piano accordion and sang opera; he is also a big influence. I was an introverted, nerdy kid. I wasn’t a stage-school girl at all. I came to musical theatre later through music, acting and the more literary side of it. That’s how I found my way in.”

Lynch says Cork has a magic sauce when it comes to the acting scene. “I’ve known Donal Finn and Eanna Hardwicke since we were kids, and I’m always joking, ‘Lads, you’ll have to stop. You have set the bar too high’.

“But that’s what happens when you’re from Cork - you’re automatically brilliant. We can’t help it. It’s the Cork magic sauce. I’m so proud to be from Cork, I’m always bragging about it.”

Lynch hopes Cork people will travel up to see the show and stresses the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre may be in Dublin, but it is not just for Dubliners.

“The company really reflects the whole country. If we’re thinking about theatre as a place where people can come together to work and create, then that’s exactly what this is.

“The rehearsal room doesn’t feel Dublin-centric; the actors have come from so many counties. I’m really proud of the mix of backgrounds and experiences in the company. I think it’s brilliant and how theatre should be.”

Oklahoma! runs from June 19 to July 5, 2026, see www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie.