Liam Halligan
PHOTO: (above) LIAM HALLIGAN BY SEAN GARLAND 2018.
Liam is an established theatre director, acting tutor and lecturer based in Ireland.
He has received numerous awards from the Irish Arts Council to develop his work over the past twenty years.
Recent awards includes a Touring Grant for a national tour of Take Off Your Cornflakes (2020) and a Professional Development Award to carry out research into Stanislavski's 'Active Analysis' in 2021.
He has received numerous awards from the Irish Arts Council to develop his work over the past twenty years.
Recent awards includes a Touring Grant for a national tour of Take Off Your Cornflakes (2020) and a Professional Development Award to carry out research into Stanislavski's 'Active Analysis' in 2021.
Director
Liam initially trained as an actor at the Stanislavski Studio, Focus Theatre, Dublin with Deirdre O'Connell and
Mary Elizabeth Burke Kennedy from 1976 - 1980.
He was awarded a first class honours MA in Drama & Performance from University College Dublin in 2018.
He has worked in the UK as an actor with internationally renowned directors including Sir Hugh Hunt,
Declan Donnellan, Phyllida Lloyd, James Macdonald, Annie Castledine, John Doyle and Laurence Boswell.
Mary Elizabeth Burke Kennedy from 1976 - 1980.
He was awarded a first class honours MA in Drama & Performance from University College Dublin in 2018.
He has worked in the UK as an actor with internationally renowned directors including Sir Hugh Hunt,
Declan Donnellan, Phyllida Lloyd, James Macdonald, Annie Castledine, John Doyle and Laurence Boswell.
AWARDS
Liam was nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award as Best Director for two productions:
Speaking in Tongues by the Australian writer Andrew Bovell (Quare Hawks Theatre Company),
Rashomon based on two stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (Storytellers Theatre Company).
Winter Came Down by Michael McCuddan (Quare Hawks) nominated for a Stewart Parker Award.
Dream of a Summer Day adapted by Liam from the writings of Lafcadio Hearn (Storytellers) nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Lighting and Costume Design.
Liam was nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award as Best Director for two productions:
Speaking in Tongues by the Australian writer Andrew Bovell (Quare Hawks Theatre Company),
Rashomon based on two stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (Storytellers Theatre Company).
Winter Came Down by Michael McCuddan (Quare Hawks) nominated for a Stewart Parker Award.
Dream of a Summer Day adapted by Liam from the writings of Lafcadio Hearn (Storytellers) nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Lighting and Costume Design.
Current Productions
Photo of crew including actors Pat Nolan, Rose Henderson and Production Manager Miriam Duffy
SHIFTING SANDS
Liam has completed his first short film as Director. This project is based on the stage play Take Off Your Cornflakes. It was awarded funding from Screen Ireland and Memory House along with support from the Civic Theatre. The DOP is film maker Noel Brady with music by Denis Clohessy.
It will be released in February 2021.
Country &
Future Tense
Liam worked with Backstage Youth Theatre at the Backstage Theatre Longford over the summer and completed the work in September just in time for another Covid 19 lockdown!
Delighted to say that these devised scripts have been accepted into PLAYSHARE by YOUTH THEATRE IRELAND in 2021 and will be available to YT groups worldwide.
Future Tense
Liam worked with Backstage Youth Theatre at the Backstage Theatre Longford over the summer and completed the work in September just in time for another Covid 19 lockdown!
Delighted to say that these devised scripts have been accepted into PLAYSHARE by YOUTH THEATRE IRELAND in 2021 and will be available to YT groups worldwide.
Photo above - sound designer Denis Clohessy with BYT members recording 'Country' by Gary Duggan, August 2020.
Because of the pandemic the work had two strands -
1. We rehearsed Gary Duggan's play Country for radio which was recorded by sound designer Denis Clohessy. It was broadcast on Shannonside Radio on Halloween Night 31st Oct 2020.
1. We rehearsed Gary Duggan's play Country for radio which was recorded by sound designer Denis Clohessy. It was broadcast on Shannonside Radio on Halloween Night 31st Oct 2020.
From L to R: Josh McCormack and Kate Wallace in 'After Party'. Photo by Mairtin Kenny.
2. We devised a promenade piece, Future Tense, based on aspects of confinement. It consisted of 5 ten minute pieces written by the YT members. It was performed promenade style in various spaces on a one-way system throughout the Backstage Theatre. The sequence was performed 9 times over the last weekend of September. Each audience 'pod' was limited to 10 so that social distancing could be maintained.
2. We devised a promenade piece, Future Tense, based on aspects of confinement. It consisted of 5 ten minute pieces written by the YT members. It was performed promenade style in various spaces on a one-way system throughout the Backstage Theatre. The sequence was performed 9 times over the last weekend of September. Each audience 'pod' was limited to 10 so that social distancing could be maintained.
Recent productions
HEATHER
Thomas Ecclesshare
for Bewley's Café Theatre Dublin.
'Expertly directed'
The Sunday Times
The production opened to rave reviews in February 2019 and was revived for a second run in May.
Dates in 2020 include Belltable Arts Centre Limerick and a run at the
Civic Theatre Tallaght in March which was cancelled due to corona virus restrictions.
Thomas Ecclesshare
for Bewley's Café Theatre Dublin.
'Expertly directed'
The Sunday Times
The production opened to rave reviews in February 2019 and was revived for a second run in May.
Dates in 2020 include Belltable Arts Centre Limerick and a run at the
Civic Theatre Tallaght in March which was cancelled due to corona virus restrictions.
Dermot Magennis and Aenne Barr in 'Heather' in the Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick, February 2020. Photo by Angie Steele.
TAKE OFF YOUR CORNFLAKES
by Rose Henderson & Pat Nolan
A Show-in-a-Bag production for Fishamble Theatre Company.
by Rose Henderson & Pat Nolan
A Show-in-a-Bag production for Fishamble Theatre Company.
Photo: Pat Nolan and Rose Henderson by Toshi Sakauchi.
'THIS SHOW HAS IT ALL. PLAYED TO PERFECTION.’
Emer O'Kelly, Sunday Independent
Produced for Dublin Fringe Festival 2017 receiving excellent reviews and went on to tour nationally in 2018.
Performances in 2019 included full houses at the Pavilion Dun Laoghaire, the Market Place Armagh and St. Patrick's Hall Delvin, Co. Westmeath.
Received an Arts Council Touring Grant for Spring 2020 which we managed to almost complete before corona virus restrictions kicked in.
Emer O'Kelly, Sunday Independent
Produced for Dublin Fringe Festival 2017 receiving excellent reviews and went on to tour nationally in 2018.
Performances in 2019 included full houses at the Pavilion Dun Laoghaire, the Market Place Armagh and St. Patrick's Hall Delvin, Co. Westmeath.
Received an Arts Council Touring Grant for Spring 2020 which we managed to almost complete before corona virus restrictions kicked in.
Other Recent Productions...
Home Theatre (Ireland)
FOR DRAÍOCHT ARTS CENTRE IN COLLABORATION WITH DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL, 2018.
Under the overall artistic directorship of Veronica Coburn, Liam was one of six directors, including Conall Morrison, Annabelle Comyn and Louise Lowe, working on 30 new pieces which were performed in 30 homes throughout Dublin 15 all on the same night.
Liam worked with five actor/writers, Bryan Burroughs, Fionn Foley, Sharon Mannion, Neil Watkins and the spokenword artist Felicia Olusanya (aka Felispeaks).
The work transferred to the main stage of Draíocht and was performed over three nights during the
Dublin Theatre Festival.
Photo (below) of Fionn Foley by Killian Waters from 'Home Theatre'
Home Theatre (Ireland)
FOR DRAÍOCHT ARTS CENTRE IN COLLABORATION WITH DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL, 2018.
Under the overall artistic directorship of Veronica Coburn, Liam was one of six directors, including Conall Morrison, Annabelle Comyn and Louise Lowe, working on 30 new pieces which were performed in 30 homes throughout Dublin 15 all on the same night.
Liam worked with five actor/writers, Bryan Burroughs, Fionn Foley, Sharon Mannion, Neil Watkins and the spokenword artist Felicia Olusanya (aka Felispeaks).
The work transferred to the main stage of Draíocht and was performed over three nights during the
Dublin Theatre Festival.
Photo (below) of Fionn Foley by Killian Waters from 'Home Theatre'
‘Foley’s performance is flawless under Liam Halligan’s sharp direction. Home Theatre presents a wide-angle shot of an entire community in all its rich diversity. It is hard to imagine a more appropriate use of Arts Council funding for “public” projects and deserves its support.’
The Review Hub
The Review Hub
The Comedy of Errors
Dublin Youth Theatre.
Liam was delighted to be invited to direct the annual DYT summer show at Smock Alley Theatre in 2018.
Photo (below left): Cast of 'The Comedy of Errors' by Sarah Bragg-Bolger.
Dublin Youth Theatre.
Liam was delighted to be invited to direct the annual DYT summer show at Smock Alley Theatre in 2018.
Photo (below left): Cast of 'The Comedy of Errors' by Sarah Bragg-Bolger.
Acting Tutor and Lecturer
Photo (above): Liam iwth YT leaders at Youth Theatre Ireland Workshops 2017. Photo: Alan King.
- Since 2004 Liam has been a part-time acting tutor at the Gaiety School of Acting. He introduces the full-time acting students to Shakespeare.
- He taught for the Rose Bruford College on their Foundation Course at the MAC Belfast 2019.
- He was a core tutor on Tenderfoot at the Civic Theatre for ten years with Veronica Coburn and Gavin Kostick. Tenderfoot is an apprenticeship programme for transition year students funded by the Arts Council and the Civic.
- Liam contributes as a part-time lecturer to the MA in Drama and Theatre Practice at
University College Dublin and to the BA (Hons) in Theatre and Drama Studies for CIT at the Cork School of Music. - He has facilitated a number of workshops with Youth Theatre groups, including a 3-day Facilitator's Workshop on Shakespeare for Youth Theatre Ireland at Maynooth University in 2017.
Slideshow below of work with GSA students, Tenderfoot and Youth Theatre Groups...
Acting Work
On stage...
Liam has performed with companies as diverse as the Abbey Theatre, Lyric Belfast, Oxford Stage Company, Cheek By Jowl, Birmingham Rep, English Dance Theatre, United British Artists, Theatre Clwyd, Manchester Contact, Torifune Butoh Sha and Gay Sweatshop.
Liam has performed with companies as diverse as the Abbey Theatre, Lyric Belfast, Oxford Stage Company, Cheek By Jowl, Birmingham Rep, English Dance Theatre, United British Artists, Theatre Clwyd, Manchester Contact, Torifune Butoh Sha and Gay Sweatshop.
Slideshow below of some of his acting work...
On film...
Work includes the Irish classics Cathal Black's Pigs and Pat Murphy's Anne Devlin.
Liam played Peter Dubois in the hit Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
He has recently returned to filming in Natalya O'Flaherty's Her Sixteenth Birthday (Tenderfoot Films) and played a lead role in Banshee Blacktop by Sean Garland which is available on Amazon.
AWARDS
Work includes the Irish classics Cathal Black's Pigs and Pat Murphy's Anne Devlin.
Liam played Peter Dubois in the hit Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
He has recently returned to filming in Natalya O'Flaherty's Her Sixteenth Birthday (Tenderfoot Films) and played a lead role in Banshee Blacktop by Sean Garland which is available on Amazon.
AWARDS
- Played Ross in Cheek by Jowl's 'Macbeth' which won an Olivier Award for 'Best Production' in 1987. The production toured the UK, played at the Donmar London and was revived for the Lyric Hammersmith.
- Won 'Most Promising Young Actor' from the Evening Press Theatre Awards, Dublin in 1979. These awards were the precursors to the Irish Times Theatre Awards.
REVIEWS
A selection of Acting and Directing reviews are available on the next page.
Click on the menu symbol at the top left hand corner at the top of this page.
A selection of Acting and Directing reviews are available on the next page.
Click on the menu symbol at the top left hand corner at the top of this page.