ShinAwil, the independent TV production company and driving force behind the collaboration with Insurance Ireland “O’Casey in the Estate” TV Transformative Project, secured Roddy Doyle to deliver a workshop to the amateur cast of the play, “The Plough And The Stars”. As one of Ireland’s greatest living writers and a creator of many characters, it was a thrill and honour for all involved to learn from Roddy and get his insights on the play and how to bring the characters alive in a stage drama.

What Roddy did and said
Roddy sat around the table with the cast to talk to them about O’Casey, the project and his career. He said “I think The Plough and the Stars is one of the greatest plays ever written. It gives voice to people who aren’t often given a voice”.

The cast had prepared a number of questions for Roddy such as “do you think literature will have the same impact in 100 years because people can just look at videos of what the world was like?” and “Was “A Star Called Henry” based on “The Plough and the Stars?”. He spoke to them about the influence Sean O’Casey’s writing had on him as a writer, even though he wasn’t as aware of that influence when he was writing.

Ciara Byrne, cast member who plays Rosie Redmond in the production said “It was great to have him at one of our rehearsals because he spoke a lot about how to make a character relatable. I found that really helpful with getting to know my own character as it’s not something I have ever done before”.

Insurance Ireland is delighted that through its collaboration with ShinAwil on this Business to Arts project, doors are opening and opportunities are arising for the residents of the East Wall.

To learn more about the project and view our insurance colleague cast member, Kristen Foran’s, National Sales Director, Zurich Life, video diaries CLICK HERE.

The play is being staged on the 21st of March in the Abbey Theatre.

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