Limerick-born Andrew Bennett is a celebrated actor with an extensive CV across film (An Cailín Ciúin), TV (Blackshore) and theatre - this month, he returns to his role in the acclaimed Fishamble production of Eugene O'Brien's Irish Times Award-winning play Heaven, for a tour of the UK and Ireland.
We asked Andrew for his choice cultural picks...
FILM
The best film I've seen recently is Blue Road; The Edna O’Brien Story by Sinéad O’Shea. She led a very interesting, long life not without its hardships and tragedies. This documentary succeeds in showing all that but you leave feeling buoyed up.
MUSIC
I’ve just finished a book reading tour with Eleanor McEvoy. She wrote the music that she played live with me every night and it’s beautiful and drove me along whenever I was flagging. Eleanor’s last album was Gimme Some Wine.
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BOOK
The last novel I read was James by Percival Everett. It’s a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but told from Jim’s point of view. It’s a total page-turner, keep it for days when you've nothing to do.
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THEATRE
The play I’m looking forward to most this year is Lauren Moukarzel’s Konstantin. It’s what happens after Chekhov’s The Seagull. We did a week’s work on it last year and presented twenty minutes’ worth of excerpts in Project. Lauren’s writing is beautiful; gentle, humorous, Chekhovian melancholia for today’s world.
TV
I don’t have a telly but I’m looking forward to Chris O’Dowd’s Small Town Big Story because I’m in it. It’s on Sky from the 27th of February.
GIG
I don’t really go to gigs, but I went to Arthur Riordan’s Improbable Frequency in the Sugar Club before Christmas. A once-off for Rough Magic’s 40th birthday. No sets or costumes or blocking; just the actors and the text and the amazing band.
ART
My artist of the moment is Evan Dow. He stayed with me for a few weeks last year and as a thank you he painted an amazing painting of one of my chairs. The OPW recently bought one of his pieces for the Irish State Art Collection.
PODCAST
I’m not a huge podcast person but a friend recently put me on to David Sedaris. Hilarious and thought-provoking.
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APP
I don’t use apps but, weirdly, as I was writing this my genius godson who’s working as a builder’s labourer texted to say he’s going to patent an app that tells you when the skip is full. I think he was joking.
THE NEXT BIG THING...
Evan Dow. Or maybe the Skip’s Full app.
Heaven tours to theatres across Ireland this March - find a venue near you here.
