If you’re a similar age to myself even seeing a picture of Rose Henderson will bring a smile to your face as memories of Saturday morning hysteria at her antics on Pajo’s Junkbox come flooding back. No? Well how about this: Rose Henderson played Sister Assumpta in Father Ted, and Biggest Fan in the Daniel O’Donnell ad. Got the giggles yet? There you go now!
She wrote and played Mrs. T in Ruby Tuesday, Val in Fair City, Wanda in Snow White at the Gaiety, Breda in Weighing In by Ger Gallagher, Bernie in Boom? by Isobel Mahon and Cepta in Nowhere Fast by Alison Spittle. Coming up in 2018: her Show in a Bag play Take Off Your Cornflakes with Pat Nolan will be touring. Boom? by Isobel Mahon is going to the Gaiety in March. Waiting by Fiona Looney will be on RTE Radio 1. We’re excited to have her in our cast this year!
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.
Rose has had her hand up to be an actor since age 2, and they’re finally letting her have a go. She worked in Children’s TV with Pajo’s Junkbox, Nighthawks, Father Ted, Fair City, and has written two plays Ruby Tuesday and Take Off Your Cornflakes with Pat Nolan. She is currently touring Boom by Isobel Mahon and Weighing In by Ger Gallagher.
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?
No. It’s a bit like buying a ticket for the roller coaster and looking at all the loops from the ground. “Yes. This is going to be fun,” I say firmly, not convincing myself at all.
As a teenager what was your greatest interest?
Drama, singing and skipping (yeah, All Ireland Champ)
If you could work on any film or play with anyone living or dead what production and who would it be? Why?
I’d love to have worked with Lucille Ball, a sassy slapstick comic with impeccable timing who was also the first woman to head a major Hollywood studio. I want to be in that conveyor belt chocolate scene!
If you could time travel would you go forward or back and why?
Forward for sure. This is why I support Youth Theatre. I’m excited to see what’s ahead, what barriers come crashing down, what inventions are set to change our lives, and whether we ever get to figure out that love is the answer.
You can find out more about Rose online.
See you at The 24 Hour Plays in aid of Dublin Youth Theatre supported by BNP Paribas Real Estate. Tickets available online or call Abbey Theatre Box Office on (01) 87 87 222.