Dónal Finn

The best way to describe Dónal Finn is that he’s a man with intention. Every choice he’s made — from doing what he could to get into drama school to getting on a plane to go to America for the first time for his first job — has been decided carefully and strategically. With every new role, there’s the hope that he’ll uncover something new for his acting toolbox to bring with him to the next character and project. With his time in Hadestown ending earlier this summer and a new project on the way, Finn is in a period of change.

Finn was born and raised in Dromina in County Cork, a place that clearly shaped him to be the actor he is today — attentive, warm, meticulous, and conscientious. The minute you mention his name to anyone, people boast about his tenacity for acting and the care he has for the people around him, with some even saying “he’s one of the greatest human beings on planet Earth.” So, it makes sense that when he decided to step away from Hadestown at the end of the summer, it was a decision many of the show’s fans — who affectionately named his character Corkeus — were saddened by.

We’re sitting a few streets away from the Lyric Theatre where Dónal Finn was once Orpheus, the lead role in Hadestown, the musical was created by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. The critically acclaimed and equally beloved show made its Broadway transfer earlier this year, giving the West End a taste of the two intertwining mythological stories: the ancient Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone. In between bites of a breakfast burrito, Finn opens up about his time as Orpheus and how, even if his time on the stage has come to an end for now, why it was an experience that has embedded itself into his actor DNA.

Immediately after Hadestown ended, he undertook the role of James Moriarty, the archnemesis of Sherlock Holmes, in Amazon’s upcoming Young Sherlock series where he’ll star opposite Hero Fiennes Tiffin who is playing the titular character. Although it seems like work has been non-stop for him since rehearsals for Hadestown began a year ago, it’s obvious that, as the year comes to a close, he’s grateful that he has so much to look forward to.

Speaking with 1883’s Editor Kelsey Barnes, Dónal Finn reflects on his time in Hadestown, his earliest beginnings as an actor, and more.

Dónal, in my research, I read you have seven siblings and as someone who is one of four, I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like as a kid [laughs]. 

[Laughs] I know. Are all your siblings in Toronto?

Yeah, they are all there. Are you the oldest or in the middle? What was your childhood like?

I’m in the middle, there are five older than me. I think the best metaphor to describe it is that the central room in our house is the kitchen. As a kid, it felt like growing up in a train station because someone was coming in and they just came from this place, whether it was school or the farm or something, and you’d hear their stories for 20 minutes and then someone else would come in and from the city or the cinema. It was this crossroads of people coming and going all the time. We also have a neighbour who is essentially an uncle to us and another presence in the house. It was just this gathering point where people were coming to all the time. I grew up in the countryside — it was an hour from Cork and Limerick — so if I heard my sister was driving to Cork at four o’clock and I didn’t get home in time, I missed that lift. But then my mum might be going at seven so I could just get that ride. 

That is like a storytelling device itself, almost like playing telephone.

Multiple conversations are happening at the same time. It’s like a switchboard, where you’re plugging in and plugging out. While none would say they are actors or they would never get up and go on stage, they are all so funny and the way they use language is hilarious. There’s a town in Ireland that is basically A River Runs Through It in the sense that on one side of the river, there’s the entire town and on the other side you’re away from everything. I remember my mum saying something about fixing my brother’s shirt collar and she said, “Your jacket is all to one side like the river.” It was just a casual thing for her to say but I thought it was so genius. She would take no credit for it at all. Coming back to Ireland, even during drama school, I could, with a bit more perspective, see how animated and characterful my family are when they tell stories. I took that for granted while growing up, but when I came back, I saw how animated and colourful they were in their storytelling. I realised the influence they had on me.

You kind of needed that distance to gain that perspective. You need to almost leave home to have a new appreciation, not just for your family, but for the way they tell stories.

Yeah, exactly. 

When you look back at your childhood, is there any family tale or story that you think resonated with you and inspired you to be a storyteller?

“Aladdin” was one of the first musicals I did while I was in primary school. It was my first time getting up on stage and realising that maybe I liked doing this. I feel like I was recently reminded of something, or someone mentioned something, and I thought, “God, I forget how formative that was for me.”

Do you remember if it was a book or a movie?

I wasn’t a massive fan, but there was something about “Harry Potter”. Growing up with those books and seeing the characters develop felt like I was growing up with them. Oh, I remember now. It might have been a bit later, but it was certainly something that made me go, “Wow, there’s a whole world happening here, and I want to be part of it.” I went to see a play at the National Theatre when I was about 15 or 16. We had work experience at school, and I heard about these drama schools and training programs in London. So, I wrote to a drama school and said, “Hey, I’m 15 or 16, and I’d love to spend my work experience at your school, watching what the students do.” I got to follow around first-year students. While I was there, a teacher told me about the National Theatre’s entry pass scheme, which offers cheap tickets for young people. I decided to see a play for a fiver, not knowing what to expect. I went to see “Port” by Simon Stephens, directed by Nichol Seitner, with Kate O’Flynn in the main role.

And it blew your mind?

Oh yeah. There was this scene in it where Kate O’Flynn plays a young woman from Manchester who’s trying to start her life. She visits her grandmother in a nursing home. The grandmother is very supportive and has a lot of time for Kate’s character. Kate says, “Look, I’m just looking for a bit of money. If I just had a small bit more, I could move out and rent my own flat. That would be really good for me.” The grandmother thinks it’s a great idea but says, “I don’t have that kind of money, and it’s better for you if you do it on your own. You’ll feel better about it.”

So, the character is processing this, and while she’s thinking it over, the grandmother says, “There’s a chocolate bar in my handbag. Please go and get it.” Kate’s character goes over, gets the chocolate bar, unwraps it, and then just rams it into her grandmother’s mouth. It’s a soft cake or something like that. It was so visceral that I couldn’t believe everyone was sitting down while the scene was happening. I thought, “Is anyone going to save this actress? I think she’s going to die on stage!” It was so intense and real. I couldn’t believe people were so relaxed watching it. It felt like we were seeing someone get killed on stage. That was a very formative experience for me. I think about it often. It happened when I was in my teens.

I’m also trying to think if there was anything from my earlier childhood, like a fairy tale or a book. When I was really young, I read a lot, and all of that made me curious. I used to love Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” and that was big for me. I also got into Arthur Conan Doyle’s stuff. I spent my confirmation money on DVDs. There was a three-for-20 deal at the Xtra-vision in Malin, and I would go there once a week to buy DVDs. I watched all sorts of things, like “Goodfellas” at 12 or 13, “Saving Private Ryan,” “Donnie Brasco,” and all these other films I probably shouldn’t have been watching at that age.

The beauty of being one of eight children is that as long as he’s doing something, even if it’s watching TV, it’s fine.

Yeah, exactly. I could watch whatever I wanted.

Did you feel like you needed to go to drama school to get the foundation of acting down?

I don’t have a hard line on drama school because I’ve worked with people and I watch actors who haven’t gone to it and I think they are amazing. There’s so many examples of people who didn’t train that are just exceptional at what they do. They have this instinctual spontaneity that makes their performances captivating. I don’t want to say there’s a spontaneity that makes you think that it’s coming from a place of unpreparedness because I believe nobody is totally unprepared…

It’s like different types of play, right?

Exactly. Going to drama school was about getting into ‘play’ in the sense of wanting to be in a room with 26-28 people who were as eager to take risks and look foolish as I was. For me, being in Cork, I had a big interest in film, television, and stage. I thought I’d finish school, go to university, maybe join a drama department, and keep up my interest that way. But then I learned about these schools in London, and that seemed like the only path. I didn’t know any other way to pursue this career, so I started applying to drama schools.

I took a year out after school to work and save money for auditions. I worked in a supermarket, saving money, preparing for auditions, and researching schools. Drama school seemed like the only way for me to start my journey. Now I see there are many other ways, but at that time, it felt like the right path. Having done three years of training at a school I loved and was recognized by the industry and staff made me feel more confident. It helped demystify the process of building a character or auditioning. It gave me a foundation and a sense of belonging in the industry. 

So your first official credit was back in 2019. How would you say you’ve grown as an actor between then and now?

How have I grown as an actor? That’s a good question. Growth is hard to recognize in the moment.

Yeah, it’s not something you usually notice while it’s happening.

Exactly. If there’s been growth, I think I can attribute it to having worked with really brilliant people who have informed me more about the way that I work. They have certainly informed the way I will carry things into the next project. Sometimes it’s more about their methods and the ease with which they conduct themselves on set or stage have taught me a lot. It’s about creating a great working environment, which in turn allows everyone to do their best work.

Working with people who have a deep sense of curiosity and a willingness to take risks has been inspiring. They’re not afraid to try something new, even if it might seem foolish. Watching them has made me want to adopt a similar approach. It’s about trusting your instincts and being open to experimentation. That attitude has not only led them to do incredible work but also made the process more enjoyable and less stressful for everyone involved. It’s all about observing and learning from others and then incorporating those lessons into your own work. For instance, seeing how someone handles the pressure of a scene or the unpredictability of a live performance has taught me to stay relaxed and be more adaptable.

That makes sense. Even seeing Hadestown early in the run and then later on, you seem more confident. 

Thank you for saying that. Over time, you naturally adapt to the demands of a role. My heart rate is probably a bit lower now during performances, and I’ve become better at maintaining the tension of the imagined circumstances while staying mentally relaxed. This helps in dealing with the day-to-day variations of live theatre. When things go wrong or change unexpectedly, I’m more equipped to handle it without panicking.

Like dropping a prop on stage?

[Laughs] Exactly. When you’re more relaxed, you can handle those little mishaps more smoothly. We dropped those cups [in Hadestown] before, it was a group effort [laughs]. 

I want to talk to you about instinct — leaving Ireland to go to Boston for Sing Street was a big move, and for The Wheel of Time you hopped on a plane because they wanted to meet you. How has your own instinct pushed you out of your comfort zone? 

I think the way I look at it is I’m learning to listen to the gut response in my body, like going to Boston or Prague when they were risks. There was a decision to be made and I probably felt like I had a sufficient amount of information to go for it. Sing Street was one of the first jobs after drama school because it was being workshopped in London and I auditioned for it. I knew about the creative team behind it. I knew Rebecca Taichman’s reputation as an amazing director, and the book was written by Enda Walsh, whose work I admired deeply. Reading his play, The Walworth Farce, with its references to places in Cork I knew so well. 

Did you feel seen? Like, “Wow, this is someone who understands where I’m from”?

Massively. It felt surreal to work with someone whose work resonates so deeply with me. When I had the chance to workshop Sing Street, I thought, even if this doesn’t go anywhere, at least I got to meet a hero of mine. But then the project kept developing, and I stayed involved. It was amazing that when I finished another job, they were going to take it to Boston. I had never been to America, so it was ticking off a lot of boxes for me. But most importantly, it was about the people involved—Rebecca, Barbara, and Pat—who instilled a lot of confidence in me at an early stage in my career. Their belief in me was incredibly validating.

As for The Wheel of Time, that was a whirlwind. I was finishing a job in Morocco and had done much of the audition process over Zoom. But because the show’s core is the relationships between these characters, they needed to see us interact in person. So, I had to fly to Prague to meet the team. It was a leap, but I felt it was necessary if I wanted the role.

And for Hadestown, how did you get introduced to that role? What was the audition process like?

While I was in New York rehearsing for another project, the actor playing my brother, Adam, mentioned this amazing show called Hadestown that I had to see. I was so absorbed with New York that I didn’t go to the theatre much, so I didn’t see it then. But I remember walking around Manhattan, exploring every avenue to soak in the city. I eventually auditioned for Hadestown without having seen it, which in hindsight, was probably good because I met the material with a fresh perspective. I was familiar with Anaïs Mitchell’s music and her gorgeous concept album with Justin Vernon. Meeting the material as a blank slate, knowing her work but not the show, allowed me to connect with it in a unique way.

Was theatre work something you always wanted to do when you were growing up?

When I got to drama school, I had very little experience with film or television, mainly just stage work. I figured, “This is great, but I probably won’t do the film or TV thing,” because my experience had mostly been on stage. I was involved in productions like Oliver, where I’d play one of the pickpockets—just part of a big ensemble, you know? So, the idea of a film career didn’t seem likely for me back then. 

But, you know, over time, things shifted. It’s funny how these massive opportunities sometimes come out of nowhere, and suddenly, you’re part of a project you never expected. There’s always this balance between working in theatre and on screen, and I’ve found that I really want to be able to do both. When you’re on a film set for a long time, there are moments when you think, “I really need to be doing a play or musical.” It’s a natural urge to switch things up and feel that connection to live performance again. After working in one medium for a while, it’s almost instinctual to crave the different energy that comes from theatre.

So, you feel like you’re flexing different muscles when you’re balancing screen and stage work? Does it feel like you’re switching between two worlds?

Absolutely. Especially with something like Hadestown, there’s a whole different skill set involved—like singing. It’s not something passive. To perform in a musical eight times a week, it’s almost like living a monastic lifestyle—you have to take such good care of yourself, physically and vocally, to make sure you’re able to deliver consistently. It’s a huge commitment.

But it gives me a greater appreciation for both forms. I understand why I love theatre so much—it’s the fact that it’s always different. Every night, there’s this shared dialogue between the actors and the audience, and there’s something really special about that. You create this sense of family on stage, especially because you see the same people every day in rehearsal or performance. It feels so much more connected than a film set, where you have people coming and going at different times.

In film, you might not always see the same people every day, and the shoot may span weeks or months, so there’s this unique sense of community on stage that you just don’t get in the same way with film. And on a film set, there’s a feeling that you’re capturing a specific moment. Once it’s done, it’s over, and there’s no going back to change it. In theatre, it’s similar, but you know you have another shot the next night, and that gives it this exciting, yet scary energy. You never know how each performance will go, but that’s part of the thrill.

I don’t know if you remember this, but you did a really quick interview when you were doing Chasing Bono, and you mentioned that you were attracted to the role because Ivan was naive and a bit bold, which I feel like could also describe Orpheus. Do you think those are the kinds of roles that attract you?

Oh yeah, Chasing Bono was one of the first plays I did, so I was still figuring out how to think about characters. I’m still learning a lot about acting, but I think what attracts me to a role is less about whether the character is likeable or not, and more about how they resonate with others. It’s about how people respond to them in the world of the story, rather than focusing on the character’s likability. It’s a tricky balance, but I try not to overthink it. It’s less about the character’s traits and more about what they represent.

That makes sense. So, for you, is there something about Orpheus that you feel personally connects you to the character, aside from the obvious musical element?

Hmm, that’s an interesting question. It’s hard not to make it too personal or too meta. But in some way, I do feel like I’m learning a lot from playing Orpheus. He’s this kind of “half-god” figure, caught between the realms of the gods and humans, and I think Hadestown does a great job of showing how all the characters are human, despite their larger-than-life traits. They’re trying, they’re failing, and they’re trying again, much like anyone in life.

Orpheus’s innate desire to keep hope alive, no matter what, is something I admire. I don’t know if I personally share that same level of unshakeable hope, but I think it’s a powerful reminder of what hope can do. Throughout the show, you see characters lose everything and then try again, often without any promise of success. That resilience, that constant attempt to not let go of hope, really resonates with me. It’s a reminder of the emotional strength in simply trying again, even when things seem impossible.

Does theatre help you get used to shrugging off those moments when things don’t go as planned, like missing a high note or not feeling like you’re performing at your best? Does it allow you to make peace with those imperfections?

It’s tough. I think it’s hard to make peace with those moments because when you’re surrounded by such inspiring people, there’s a sense that you want to give it your all every time. The material you’re working with often feels so close to you that not giving everything would feel like cheating. Even on days when I’m physically tired or emotionally drained, there’s still a responsibility to the show—to not leave anything behind.

You almost feel exposed when you don’t give it your best.

Yeah, exactly. If you don’t give it your all, it feels like you’re not honouring the work. So, I always try to leave everything on the stage, even if I’m not feeling my best, even if my voice or body is tired. The material demands that of you, and it deserves everything you’ve got. When I come home, I want to feel like I didn’t leave anything unfinished. I don’t want to feel like I held back in any way. It’s about giving the performance your all, no matter what. Even if I’m running on empty, I still feel like I’m spending my energy in the best way possible, giving it all to the performance.

You mentioned balance before, so how are you managing to keep balance in your life, especially when you’re so focused on what you’re filming or working on?

Balance has probably been the hardest part, especially recently. I’ve had to learn to listen to my body more and not overpack my days. I’m someone who usually wakes up early, but lately, I’ve found myself getting up later than I would like, and it’s been a bit of an adjustment. Sometimes I’ll wake up late, and it feels odd for me. It’s just about finding what works, like not pushing myself too hard. But balance isn’t just about resting. It’s also about staying connected to other parts of my life—staying in touch with friends, family, and people I care about, and making sure I’m not neglecting other aspects of my life while I focus on the show. For me, even simple things like taking care of plants or making sure I’m present for my personal relationships help me stay grounded and balanced.

It’s all about tending to different parts of your life.

Yeah, exactly. Just making sure everything is being looked after—physically, emotionally, and personally. It helps keep me centred, especially with such a demanding job.

Your performance in Hadestown really resonated with people because of how the character grows and finds determination over the show. Someone even said they wanted to get up on stage and stand with you, which I thought was really nice. How does a comment like that make you feel?

It’s amazing to know that people have such a strong reaction to the story and the performance. It’s a bit surreal because, in the end, the relationship the audience has with the work is personal. I’m just the vessel for it, the stamp, if you will. I try to keep it in perspective—take the compliments with a pinch of salt. If you listen to the good stuff, you also have to be open to the critical stuff, and I think that can be a bit overwhelming. But, it’s great that people feel that way. It’s such a positive thing. It’s nice that people react so strongly.

Yeah, people were really moved by it. 

You see this young character who believes in something idealistic, like a utopian society built on merit or goodwill. But when life gives him a harsh lesson, it’s a shock. He realises that the world doesn’t always operate that way, and it’s an important turning point for him. That’s what’s so moving about his journey.

We talked a bit about books and music before we started this chat, what are you reading and listening to currently?

Yeah, so I’ve been all over the place with genres. Like I said, my Holy Trinity of music would probably be Lankum, The Mary Wallopers, and a lot of good Irish music. Those are my big influences. And then there’s reading—wish I had more time for it, but I keep a few books going at once. Right now, I’m reading Tim Key’s poetry. A lot of people know him from his work on Alan Partridge with Steve Coogan, but his poems are hilarious. I’m also reading Claire Keegan’s “Antarctica,” a collection of short stories, and “Four Thousand Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman which is about time management, which is honestly a little intimidating. And I’m also getting into Rick Rubin’s book “The Creative Act.” There’s a lot going on! [laughs]

Sounds like you’ve got a serious library going!

I know, right? I probably have about six books I carry around with me. It’s kind of my little library. I’ve even got a signed edition, that’s when you know it’s a good book—when it’s signed [laughs]. I just finished Rob Delaney’s book too. Just loads and loads of reading, a book for every mood. Like, some of them you can read in twenty seconds, some you need a whole hour to dive into. These short stories are perfect for just dipping in and out when I have a bit of time.

I love that you’re carrying around four books at once!

Yeah, depending on my mood, I’ll pick one up. Some are quick reads, others need more time, but it’s nice to always have something to go to. I’m just looking for whatever fits in the moment, you know?

In another interview, you mentioned allowing yourself to pursue other creative activities, like writing. Is that something that you are still looking to pursue? 

Yeah, I guess I’m pretty inspired by Tim Key’s work. He’s someone whose poetry feels accessible, even though it’s not easy—it’s just very direct and clever. His work definitely makes me think that writing is something I could dive into, especially poetry because it feels kind of bite-sized, short, and manageable.

But theatre has shown me how many creative people are around. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of creating something for the purpose of getting a result, whether it’s sharing a poem at an open mic or writing a song for others to hear. But I’ve been trying to focus more on the process itself, rather than the outcome. Like, what would it be like to just have a few hours free to read a book, or to try doing a Tim Key impression for fun, without the pressure of it being for anything specific? Just creating for the sake of it, just to be in the moment and let the creativity live in whatever form it takes.

Yeah, I think there’s something so freeing about writing for yourself, especially when you’re already giving so much of yourself to an audience every night or having late nights filming. It feels pure to just create something without worrying about where it’ll end up.

Exactly, it’s been about writing for my own pleasure and seeing how I feel while doing it. I haven’t really written with the intention of turning it into anything, I more like exploring the act of writing for the sake of the moment. I think that approach will help me avoid any pressure to make it into something until I feel more confident in it. And you know, with so many incredible Irish stories in film and literature in recent years, it’s inspiring. There’s a wealth of material out there that you can draw from. It makes me think about where I might want to start if I decide to go down that path. There’s no shortage of inspiration, like the stories from authors like Kevin Barry, who have had such an impact.

You played guitar in Hadestown, was that something you learned for the role?

I actually learned how to play guitar when I was at school, and I dabbled with the piano too. I’m left-handed, so when I went back to Cork during the lockdown, I didn’t bring my guitar, but there was one there that was right-handed. So, I had to teach myself to play on that, and now I can switch between the two. It’s really handy, especially for pub sessions and sing-alongs, because I can play guitar upside down, which not everyone can do.

I knew how to play guitar before Hadestown, but I remember when I went for the audition, I was playing more like I would in a pub session. The musical director at the time, before I got the role, asked me if I could play it in a more intricate way, like finger-picking, which I hadn’t done much of. I had to practise and get that technique down, and luckily the guitarist in the band is an amazing player. He taught me how to play the tunes, and that helped a lot.

Obviously, you had to play and act at the same time which, for anyone else, might be difficult to do both at once. Did it feel like muscle memory at one point? 

Sometimes it’s more automatic, but other times, I really had to focus on the guitar. If I start thinking too much about the performance, I can lose track of the music, and then it’s like playing a completely different song. So, it hasn’t become fully autopilot for me yet. I still have to pay attention to the guitar and the person I’m singing to, to stay present in the moment. It’s a balancing act, but it hasn’t become second nature just yet [laughs].

What do you do on a day off in Cork? What are your favourite spots?

A day off in Cork for me usually starts with an hour’s drive [laughs], but it also often involves meeting up with a friend or someone in the city. One of my favourite places is Cork Coffee Roasters, particularly the one on Bridge Street. They have a window where you can sit and watch the street go by. I also love everything around Parish Street, especially the Opera House, which is a big theatre. From there, you can see the Shandon Tower with its famous bells. It’s just beautiful and takes me back to my roots in the village I’m from, which is about an hour away down that road. I love just meeting people there and looking out at the views I’ve seen since I was 16. That’s a big part of my day off.

For eating, I’m a big fan of a place called Eco in Douglas — the people there are just really friendly, and it’s a lovely spot. There’s also a café in the centre of town which has the same kind of vibe. If I’m in Cork for the day, I tend to go from one coffee place to the next until it’s past six o’clock, and then it’s time for a pint at one of the local spots, like The Corner House, The Roundy, or the Hi-B. There’s a great atmosphere in these places.

I’ve never been to Cork. I love Ireland though. I’ve been to Dublin and Belfast, but never Cork.

You should definitely visit Cork! There’s an amazing music festival here that happens every second year. It’s incredible, the National played. Are they Canadian?

No, I wish we could claim them as our own! [Laughs]

Yeah, they are so good. People just gather in this court for the festival and it’s so amazing. 

What are you hoping to manifest for yourself this year? Maybe some sleep? [Laughs]

[Laughs] That’s a good question. Actually, probably just making more time to read those books. It sounds kind of boring, but it’s true. If I’m not reading them, then when am I going to? So it’s more about carving out the time for it.

You’ve been busy! You also ran the Hackney marathon this year, in addition to doing six months of a show which includes a million performances a week. 

Yeah, I started wearing a fitness tracker to track how much I should be sleeping and stuff, and how much rest I should be getting. The first time I wore it…

Was it shocking?

Yeah, it was like, “Hey! You just did a double show day and it’s like you were in a car crash twice!” [Laughs] It’s been a good thing to remind me to eat and rest. I did the Hackney Half. Great. I had never done an organised run before. Are you a runner?

I just started getting into it in the last six months or so. 

I got into it last year because I was working in the Czech Republic, and I had loads of time. When we were filming and I wasn’t in scenes, I would just go running. This year, I wanted to set an intention and doing the Hackney Half for charity felt right.

Yeah, to feel like you’re doing something proactive.

I wanted to feel like I was making a significant contribution to something. I’ve never done a race day and stuff, and I quite enjoyed the ludicrousness of, like, I was speaking with my friend on the Thursday before, before the run, and on the Thursday before, I said, “Are you around to go to this gig on Sunday night?” And he said, “Yeah.” And I said, “I’ll try and get two extra tickets for Lankum.” 

There are so many good artists and actors coming out of Ireland.

Yeah, the music scene at the moment is amazing, because it’s a lot of folk and storytelling. I said, “Are you around to go and see this gig on Sunday?” He said, “Yeah.” He said, “But aren’t you doing the Hackney Half on Sunday, and you’re doing the show?” I said, “Yeah.” And he was like, “The three things you want to do on Sunday — the marathon, the matinee of Hades, and a gig, are all five hours long each.” I was determined to do it. Part of getting the tickets was I had to go and meet a guy who was reselling the tickets. So I met this guy, got it through a resale, and called ’round to his place. He was Irish so I asked him why he was selling them. He says: “My partner is running this race in Hackney that day so we’re not going anymore.” And there I was in my running shorts thinking, “I’m doing that race.” [laughs] Then I’m coming back to town to do a musical, and then I’m going back out. So it was a stupid day, but it was also a brilliant day. 

It must’ve felt like the longest and quickest day of your life.

I couldn’t sleep with the adrenaline, and then I was out. And because I had good boy syndrome, I was out at Hackney Marshes so early. They say get there 90 minutes before your set off time and I was there at quarter past seven in the morning and one of the only people in the field. I asked someone to drop off my bag and he told me I had to wait until it opened [laughs]. But then doing the show, and seeing people at the stage door who donated to the charity I was running for, I felt happy knowing I was doing something for a greater cause. It just inspired me to maybe think about how you can continue to do that. The platform I have with these jobs is relatively new and small, but I want to keep funnelling that attention into something more charitable. Running that race was something I was really proud of and not because it made me feel good, but because I was doing something bigger than myself. 

Yeah, and how you can use your work to uplift other causes which is so important. I read that someone got a tattoo from a quote your character said on The Wheel of Time, which is really lovely. Is it ever difficult sometimes to navigate being the funnel for a character while also keeping a bit of a distance from the work? 

I was talking about that this morning with a friend. People had real visceral reactions to Hadestown and sometimes that’s because of the longstanding relationship with the material. There is something they’ve responded to and the complexity of the story itself is so investing. I was coming to terms with it as well. A fable is a fable, there’s a clear message and Hadestown has that. 

It’s a bit less black and white, it exists in grey.

Yeah, it’s more hazy; it shows more complexity in ourselves and the way we relate to each other. People have strong reactions to the music and the text. What I’m thinking about now is how amazing it was to be part of something like that — something that means so much to so many people — and how it just exists within the space between the person watching it and the material. 

Almost like you’re not even a factor in it.

Exactly that. There’s a sense of being a vessel for the thing to be seen and heard. And beyond that, the reaction exists between the material and the person, and what their relationship is to the story of this myth. I love it as a musical because I do feel that Anaïs has this central message that she has the story. Why do people do the things that they do, and what’s the lesson to learn from that? But Anaïs knows that art has messages in it and it has healing properties, and it’s a brave thing to go out and create it and make it and not know the effect that it can have on other people.

It’s impossible not to respond to that but it’s great to be part of something that is like a musical. It’s a place to give people the space to think about how they can contribute their talents and their gifts and their love to the world. You know, I think, like, the idea of doing musicals, particularly something I’ve had a lot of love already from an existing base, and for doing it for so long, and the singing—the actual technique of it—is intense and far-stretching. All those reasons were intimidating, but I did believe that the central kind of messages and themes of the show kept me in it and kept me invested.I think that goes for the whole cast as well. I think there’s a great sense of operating with a sense of care, and you’re reminded of that when you finish a project like this.

Nominate Dónal Finn for Best Performer in a Musical and Hadestown for Best Musical Revival for the Whats On Stage awards now.

Interview Kelsey Barnes
Photography Garry Jones
Styling Kit Swann
Grooming Chantelle Phillips