Award-winning actor, author and director, Fiona Shaw joins The Lir Academy at ‘The Lir in London’

The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin is holding its first ever fundraising event outside of Ireland in The Bloomsbury Hotel nestled in London’s West End with very special guest Fiona Shaw, 5 April 2018.

The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin is holding its first ever fundraising event outside of Ireland in The Bloomsbury Hotel nestled in London’s West End with very special guest Fiona Shaw, 5 April 2018.

Fiona Shaw (CBE) has been a long-standing supporter of The Lir Academy. Before The Lir even opened its doors Fiona was quick to demonstrate her support of a National Academy of Dramatic Art being established in Ireland for the first time. Over the years, Fiona has generously given her time and shared her expertise with acting-students in training here at The Lir.

Eight years on, it is particularly exciting to welcome Fiona Shaw as our special guest at ‘The Lir in London’ taking place in The Doyle Collection’s boutique luxury hotel, The Bloomsbury.

Known for her role as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films (2001 - 2010), Dr Eileen Cole in My Left Foot (1989), Marnie Stonebrook in HBO’s True Blood (2011); her countless theatre performances across the UK, Europe, USA and Ireland and as director in both theatre and opera in Eno/Coliseum Theatre, Glyndebourne, Met Opera NYC, Young Vic, NT and Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Awarded an honorary C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2001 for her services to drama, Shaw has also received two Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards (1990 and 1994) alongside countless other accolades.

‘The Lir in London’ is a fundraising event to establish a network and buddy-system so that support structures are available to Lir graduates, many of whom travel to London at the infancy of their careers. Our goal is to enable young Irish talent to thrive in the UK. Funds raised will go towards establishing this UK support framework as well as covering transport and accommodation costs for final-year acting and technical students to travel from Dublin to London in order to showcase their talent and potential to UK casting directors, agents and future employers.

It is a great privilege and an honour that Fiona Shaw joins us alongside our students, friends, alumni, business partners, patrons and the theatre community in London as we raise a glass to Ireland’s next generation of theatre-makers poised to hit the international stage.

The Lir in London is a free event but RSVP must be received in advance.

We would like to especially thank our sponsors John and Bernie Gallagher and The Doyle Collection for their generous support and sponsorship of this event.

For further information please contact Eimear Chaomhánach at eimear.chaomhanach@thelir.ie