LIVE at 1st Irish Festival, Act II: John Duddy & Ciaran Byrne, Northern Irish Actors
Former champion boxer John Duddy from Derry and one-time construction worker Newry’s own Ciaran Byrne share their unlikely paths to acting on stage and in film in part two of our first live podcast recording for Origin Theatre’s 1st Irish Festival.
The two friends delve into how their life experiences inform their performances, personal traumas from The Troubles, and the critical role of theater in post-conflict healing and education. Sharing compelling narratives throughout, Ciaran and John underscore the significance of their Northern Irish roots and the transformative power of storytelling, but don’t stint on the Irish craic.
Massive thanks to Origin’s Theatre’s artistic director Mick Mellamphy (who we featured in this 2023 episode) for envisioning our live podcast event and curating our stellar guest list, to the Northern Ireland Bureau for their generous support, to Bill Schultz for recording and editing the episodes, and to Jimmy and the crew at Ryan’s Daughter for their above-and-beyond hospitality.
Links
Ciaran Byrne
John Duddy
Origin Theatre
The Northern Ireland Bureau
Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 15; Total Episode Count: 118
00:00 - Introduction
02:36 - Drawing on Past Careers
05:40 - Playing James Connolly - Ciaran
07:30 - Remembering Jackie Duddy - John
09:48 - Theater and The Troubles
17:46 - Coping and Sense of Humor - Ciaran
20:10 - A Night in November - Ciaran
21:32 - Normalcy and Trauma - John
25:33 - Reading - Five Minutes of Heaven
32:20 - What's Next for John and Ciaran
34:16 - John's Recap
35:04 - Credits