Cork dance teacher: ‘It’s all about storytelling’

Choreographer Therese O’Sullivan wishes that the message in the musical she is working on was no longer relevant.

9 To 5, featuring the music of the legendary Dolly Parton, deals with sexism and discrimination in the workplace.

Based on the 1980 film of the same name, the story is about three female office workers whose boss is a bit of a Neanderthal when it comes to dealing with women. But he gets his comeuppance when Doralee, Violet and Judy overthrow him, leading to a female-empowered work scenario.

Therese is choreographing the 31- strong cast in this hilarious high-energy show for the MTU Cork School of Music BA in musical theatre, which will be staged at the Everyman.

It is directed by Cork-born Killian Donnelly, now a West End star.

With hit songs like 9 to 5, Backwoods Barbie, and Shine Like The Sun, this feel-good production promises to have audiences dancing in their seats.

Therese, who grew up in Midleton, lives in Ballinacurra and has a base in London. She worked on shows with Killian when she was a child. Later, she had a small part in the Michael Collins musical at the Cork Opera House in which Killian played the Irish revolutionary.

Growing up, Therese’s abiding passion was the stage.

“I was in loads of different stage schools in Cork, learning ballet in one and acting in others. I learned so much before I went away to London that I felt I was really well-equipped. I would have dealt with most of the drama teachers in Cork.

“After the Leaving Cert, I headed to the UK and trained in Bird College in London, which does dance and musical theatre. I was on a dance and drama award for the diploma there. I converted my qualification to do the academic side of it and did the degree at the Cork School of Music (CSM).”

Describing herself as quite mature at 19 when she moved to London, Therese felt that if she didn’t pursue musical theatre, she would regret it forever.

“Even though I was a bit of a home-bird, I knew I wanted to go to London. It gave me drive and, luckily, my family was always supportive. I would fly home every so often and they’d come and visit me.

“I was a little bit homesick but nowadays, with Facetime on phones and being only a short flight away, it’s so much easier than it would have been years earlier.”

The London course was full-on with classes from 8.15am to 6.45pm. While the city is “exciting with loads of opportunities, when you’re in the thick of student life you don’t necessarily have loads of time to explore. But nevertheless, we made the most of it. I was lucky that when I moved over, three other friends from Cork were in London.”

During free time at the weekends, Therese worked in various jobs including a burger and cocktail restaurant.

“It was tough-going. I couldn’t have trained in London without my family. There were periods of time when I couldn’t work part-time. So I can’t say I was able to fund myself entirely. But I wanted to feel that I was doing something.”

Therese’s qualification is in professional dance and musical theatre. She also teaches on the musical theatre degree at MTU CSM.

“The three genres, dance, music and acting, are my true passion. I have done a dance teaching qualification. Even though I love performing, I’ve always loved teaching, which you don’t often find. My performance experience helps my teaching and my choreography.”

Focusing on dance these days, Therese says that opportunities led her to that artform.

“I’m the kind of person that, if an opportunity is handed to me, I’ll accept it and give it 100%. If I love it, that’s fantastic. It’s the way the cards have fallen for me.

“Everything that has been presented to me, I have really loved and enjoyed. If I didn’t enjoy something, I wouldn’t pursue it.”

To be a good choreographer, Therese says: “It’s all about story-telling. That is the core value of the musical theatre course at MTU CSM. Musical theatre is a form of communication with the audience and a form of storytelling. Unless the dancing is part of that story, then it’s kind of irrelevant.

“For me, choreography is about basing it on the truth within the piece, following the plot and enhancing the experience, rather than it being superfluous.”

All cast members in the musical have to dance at some stage, including the principals.

“The cast have all gone through the training. They might not necessarily have come in as dancers but they’ve now had four years of dancing along with the other genres. The standard is really high.”

Altogether, Therese,29, spent almost ten years in London. But the workload in Ireland became so great that she had to choose where to live most of the time.

“My partner and I now have our main base in Ballinacurra. We still have a base in London. I’m teaching during the day and I’m going to be choreographing Young Frankenstein for the Wexford Opera House after this. I did Phantom Of The Opera in Wexford last year. I was commuting in 2022 and 2023, teaching in Cork.

“Then, my partner, an actor and singer (Paul Wilkins), who is from England, was happy to try out Cork for a year. He loves it now. He played Prince Charming in the Cork Opera House panto at Christmas and he’s a soloist doing a concert with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in May at the Bord Gais Theatre.”

All in all, a happy couple doing what they love best.

9 To 5 is at the Everyman from February 26-March 1. See www.everymancork.com.