Actress Norma Sheahan from her comedy roles in the likes of Moone Boy and Bridget & Eamonn, this March she's retuning to the Gaiety Theatre as Willy Russell's iconic heroine Shirley Valentine. Below, Norma introduces the production and reminds us why we could all learn a lesson from Shirley...
I'm like a kid before Christmas now, at the thoughts of going back to the Gaiety as Shirley Valentine. When we did the initial run there in October 2021 it was one of my lifetime highs, the enormity of the role nearly blew my brain, and we pretty much sold out! This time I’m gonna relish it more though, because I know the character inside out, and I won’t be sh**ting a brick trying to perform it. Actually that makes no sense. Shouldn’t ya have the runs if you’re nervous?
Anyway, cooking a meal live on stage during act one nearly always has me corpsing. Those egg and chips turn out different every night. I’m surprised the crew haven’t got salmonella from nibbling them at the interval.
The Gaiety is probably the most stunning theatre in Ireland, I did the Cripple of Inishmaan there pre-Covid. Feckin Covid!! The theatre was run with impeccable safety measures when we did Shirley there last year, and I’m sure it’ll feel equally as safe when we return in March, but this time around we can actually prep and tech properly.
We've all been locked down, talking to the wall, for two years now, and like Shirley we need to find that spark again.
Myself and the director Michael Scott did lots of Zoom rehearsals last time, me hiding in the car for peace from the family. Complete joke, especially when your kids knock on the window and take the laptop to order jeans on Shein. Or when Tribe disco tickets need to be bought before they sell out in 9 seconds! But there was one very special Zoom, with the writer of Shirley Valentine, Willy Russell ( who also wrote Educating Rita and the script and score of 'Blood Brothers', plus loads more). He helped the director and I to localise it for an Irish audience. Plus now no one needs to listen to me squeak a Liverpool accent for 90 minutes!
Willy Russell is a genius, but I told him I effing hated him while I was trying to learn the bloody lines. You can’t cut a word out of it because it’s a piece of art. It won Tony awards ever before he made it into a film. And even though it’s set years ago it still resonates with audiences from age 9 to 90. Many coming back two and three times with their mother, daughter, partner, buddy….
We’ve all been locked down, talking to the wall, for two years now, and like Shirley we need to find that spark again. Get out and have fun! She says that some of us die long before we’re dead, and what kills us is the terrible weight of all the unused life we carry around with us. The wasted hopes and dreams. She also says that she won’t go down in history, but she’s alive in the time she’s living in. I love Shirley, even if I’m not planning on escaping to Greece just yet!
Norma Sheahan stars in Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine at the Gaiety, Dublin, from March 29th to April 2nd 2022 - find out more here.
