I love The 24 Hour Plays. Obvs. It’s probably among the most exhilarating 24 hours in my year. But I gotta say the Creative Team profiles, while a new addition last year, are fast becoming a beloved part of the process for many involved. These profiles afford a chance to get to know the people behind the productions, and what brought them to this (some might say desperate) point in their careers. The perfect prelude to a play made in 24 hours.
So drumroll please for Conor Hanratty, first past the post this year with his profile. I’d say he’s regretting that admission that I crafted into a headline now, eh? You can find out more about Conor on his website, www.conorhanratty.com.
Introduce yourself please. You can even describe yourself in the style of a chat show host describing your whole complex life in two sentences if you are feeling like a life-affirming challenge.
Conor Hanratty is a theatre and opera director. His recent productions have included a performance on the Samuel Beckett Bridge, an opera about IKEA furniture, a mystery about an adopted woman’s search for her birth mother and an opera about a troubled marriage in suburbia. He listens to almost all kinds of music, is a recent Kindle convert, and is not a big fan of writing in the third person.
Have you participated in The 24 Hour Plays in aid of Dublin Youth Theatre before? If yes what is your fondest/ most nightmare causing memories? If no what are you looking forward to/ terrified of?
I haven’t. While I was at university I produced a 24-hour musical one year, and then directed one the following year. It’s exhilarating – and terrifying – but I’m up for the challenge!
When you were a teenager what was your greatest interest?
I can’t believe I’m telling you this – it was a 50-50 split between Shakespeare and Celine Dion.
If you were stuck on a boat with a tiger what play would you act out for him to keep him at bay?
Titus Andronicus. Because it full of carnage and comedy and includes the lovely line “Rome is a wilderness of tigers…” and I suppose an actual tiger might like that.
If you could time travel would you go forward or back and why?
Good question. I might go forward and check the Euro millions numbers. Or back to watch some great performances in history. Can I get a Time Travel Leap Card?
Don’t miss Conor Hanratty’s contribution to The 24 Hour Plays in aid of Dublin supported by BNP Paribas. Book your ticket now and see you on January 31 in the Abbey Theatre.
