19th January 2005 Midland Tribune Colin Hughes

This year Birr Stage Guild has invited a guest director, Colin Hughes to direct their forthcoming Musical Production The Little Shop of Horrors.   

Colin is 25 and is from Tullamore. He started acting at the age of ten in St. Mary’s Youth Centre, Tullamore. In the Youth Centre he played such roles as Danny in Grease and Joseph in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. His first appearance with Tullamore. Musical Society was in 1993 when he was one of the children in Fiddler on the Roof. His first full role with T.M.S. was in 1997 playing Hank in Calamity Jane. Since then, he has performed with them every year playing roles such as Annas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Baby John in West Side Story, Benjamin in Joseph, Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl and this year Lun Tha in The King and I. Colin has also performed with Clara, Portlaoise and Athlone Musical Societies. Roles with these societies include Ali Hakim in Oklahoma!, Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar and Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors. He is also a member of Festival Productions in Dublin playing Noah Claypole in Oliver! in the National Concert Hall. In 2003, Colin received an AIMS nomination for Best Supporting Male for his portrayal of Motel in Fiddler on the Roof with Clara Musical Society.

Colin is currently studying at Bull Alley Theatre Training Co. in Dublin. With Bull Alley he has played roles such as Orestes in The Flies and Edgar in King Lear. He will also be involved in forthcoming productions of The Clandestine Marriage and Chess. Other training includes two years of summer school with the Drama League of Ireland under the directorship of Scott Marshall and Noel McDonagh and a two week course of Acting for Screen with Shane Munro.

His first introduction to directing was at the age of 16 when he directed a one act play Bar and Ger for St. Mary’s Youth Centre in a Midlands competition. The play won the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress. Colin has been the director with Cistercian College, Roscrea for the the past two years, directing Annie Get Your Gun and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. For the last two years Colin has been co-director of the Theatreworx Stage School in Tullamore. Television work includes Fair City and The Clinic for R.T.E.

Colin would like to thank Maureen de Forge, Assistant Director, Enda O’Connor Musical Director and Birr Stage Guild committee for their help and support and for providing him with the opportunity to direct what promises to be a very enjoyable show. The show opens with a Gala Evening on Sunday 27^th February and runs nightly until Saturday 5^th February. Tickets may be reserved by contacting the Box Office at Birr Theatre and Arts Centre at 0509 22911.