Cast for ”Fun Home” at the Gate Theatre to feature Frances McNamee and Killian Donnelly

The Gate Theatre in Dublin has announced the cast for the Irish premiere of the multi-award-winning musical, Fun Home.

Adapted from Alison Bechdel’s celebrated graphic novel, the production will be directed by Róisín McBrinn, the Gate Theatre’s artistic director, and will feature music composed by Jeanine Tesori, with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron.

Leading the cast as Bruce Bechdel is Killian Donnelly (Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera). Frances McNamee, most recently seen as Elizabeth in Conor McPherson’s Girl from The North Country, will portray the adult Alison Bechdel, while Orla Scally, a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, will play college-age Alison.

Nichola Macevilly, who also appeared in Girl from The North Country and Ripper Street, will play Helen Bechdel, Alison’s mother, and Bruce’s estranged wife. Jade Kennedy (Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World) will portray Joan, Alison’s college girlfriend, and Riaín Cash, a recent graduate of the American College Dublin’s BFA in Musical Theatre, will take on the roles of Mark, Pete, Bobby Jeremy, and Roy, a friend of the Bechdel family.

The show follows Bechdel as she comes to terms with long-held family secrets following the sudden death of her father. The production features Alison at different stages of her life, from her childhood memories of playing in the family’s funeral home to her time as a college student discovering her sexuality and first love and her adult life as a successful graphic novelist.

Director Róisín McBrinn commented on the production, stating: “We are extremely proud to present the Irish premiere of Fun Home. Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron have crafted an unforgettable work that will resonate with our audiences this summer. We are equally excited to work with this exceptional cast and creative team who represent the very best in Irish and international musical theatre talent.”

The production will feature set design by Paul Wills, costume design by Lara Campbell, lighting design by Sinéad McKenna, sound design by Jody Trehy and Jason Fallon, choreography by Jennifer Rooney, and musical direction by David Hayes.

Fun Home will run at the Gate Theatre from Thursday 6July to Saturday 26 August, with previews starting from Saturday 1 July.

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