Actor Ian McGuirk on the comedy classic that’s coming to the Cork city theatre
You have an old acting connection to West Cork, Ian?
I have been lucky enough to do a bit of acting in West Cork. In the summer of 1998, whilst I was a second year student in UCC, I played the older brother of Colin Farrell in Deirdre Purcell’s Falling For A Dancer which was filmed entirely in Castletownbere. I have very fond memories of many a night out with Mr Farrell, even though he still owes me €20! It was pretty obvious from this early period that his star was going to rise. I have also attended the Rossmore Theatre on many an occasion to view the various All-Ireland winning productions of the Kilmeen Drama Group.
So what’s the show Present Laughter about?
Present Laughter is one of Noel Coward’s four great comedies of manners, along with Hay Fever, Private Lives and Blithe Spirit. It was first produced in London’s West End in 1942, and presents a masterly, exaggerated picture of the playwright, his household, his admirers, and his era. Patently autobiographical, the plot depicts a few days in the life of self-obsessed, light comedy actor Garry Essendine as he prepares to travel for a touring commitment in Africa. Garry has to deal with women who want to seduce him, placate both his long-suffering secretary and his wife, cope with a crazed young playwright, and overcome his impending midlife crisis.
Why bring it to the Cork stage?
We had a highly successful run in the Cork Arts Theatre in November 2022 and the audience feedback and positive acclaim left a lingering intent to produce it on a bigger scale.
As an actor, is it easy the adapt this period piece?
Coward’s plays provide the actor with a terrific platform to perform in. He wrote Present Laughter with the intention of providing himself with a ‘bravo part’, and achieved this creating the egotistical Garry Essendine who epitomises the hypocrisy and lack of moral compass that defined the upper class of English hierarchical society of the 1940s. The challenge to the actor is to evoke the signature style of dialogue synonymous with his writing which is almost melodic in rhythm and tone and must be delivered with high octane energy to maximise the comic undertones waiting to surface.
You have put together a talented cast.
The cast features a host of seasoned actors who have performed extensively with the Everyman over the years – Shirley McCarthy, Rebecca Allman, Vanessa Hyde, and Ann Dorgan; Marie O’Donovan of the hilarious Adult panto and Hysterical Histories dinner show; Jim O’Mahony famed for his Frank Sinatra one-man show; musical theatre specialist Kenneth Speight; and one of Cork’s rising film stars Oskar Smith who recently starred in Dead and Buried for the BBC and Virgin Media One.
• Present Laughter runs at the Everyman from Tuesday Sept 24th to Saturday Sept 29th. Tickets from €24 see everymancork.com
