Pádraig Cusack

Pádraig Cusack (Irish: [ˈpˠaːd̪ˠɾˠəɟ]; born 16 March 1962[1]) is an Irish theatre producer who has worked with the National Theatre of Great Britain, the Abbey Theatre Dublin, the NCPA Mumbai and numerous international festivals.

Pádraig Cusack
Born (1962-03-16) 16 March 1962
Alma materTrinity College, Dublin
Royal Northern College of Music
University College, Cork
OccupationTheatre producer
Years active1992–present
Children2, including Megan Cusack
Parent(s)Cyril Cusack
Maureen Kiely
RelativesSinéad Cusack (sister)
Sorcha Cusack (sister)
Niamh Cusack (sister)
Catherine Cusack (half-sister)
Richard Boyd Barrett (nephew)
Max Irons (nephew)
Calam Lynch (nephew)

Personal life

The youngest son of the Irish actor Cyril Cusack and actress Maureen Cusack, he is the brother of actresses Niamh Cusack,[2] Sinéad Cusack and Sorcha Cusack, and half-brother of Catherine Cusack. He has one brother, Paul Cusack (a television producer). He is married and has two daughters, Megan, an actress, who in 2020 joined the leading cast in the Netflix/BBC popular series Call the Midwife in the recurring role of Nurse Nancy Corrigan, and Kitty, a psychology student. Two of his nephews are also actors, Max Irons and Calam Lynch.

Education

Cusack was educated bi-lingually in Irish and English, initially at Scoil Lorcáin in Monkstown, County Dublin, and subsequently at Coláiste Eoin, Booterstown, County Dublin. Pádraig was a Taylor Exhibition music scholar at Trinity College, Dublin, before winning a scholarship to train at the Royal Northern College of Music to be a professional cellist. In 1995, he returned to education to take a post-graduate degree in Business at University College, Cork.

Career

Having begun his career as a freelance musician, playing with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and English National Opera North, an accident ended his career as a musician, resulting in him pursuing a career in arts administration. Initially he focused on the classical music sector, working at two leading concert venues in London, the Wigmore Hall and the Southbank Centre.

In 1992 he made his first move into theatre following his appointment as Administrative Director of West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, alongside Jude Kelly where he produced a number of plays including the touring production of Five Guys Named Moe for Cameron Mackintosh Limited. In 1996, he was appointed Head of Planning of the Royal National Theatre under the outgoing artistic director, Sir Richard Eyre and subsequently with Sir Trevor Nunn and Sir Nicholas Hytner. In 2009 he became the National Theatre's Associate Producer. During this period he produced numerous productions for tour both in the UK and internationally, taking the work of the National Theatre to five continents. Alongside this, he has worked as a touring consultant for the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, the Royal Court Theatre, London, Fiery Angel in London's West End, Canadian Stage in Toronto, Bangarra Dance Theatre in Sydney, TheEmergencyRoom and Corn Exchange in Dublin and Galway International Arts Festival. In June 2016, he was appointed Executive Producer of Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. In addition to this, he is Consultant Producer to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (India) in Mumbai.[3]

As well as his theatre producing work, Cusack offers representation to a number of Irish artists including the director Annie Ryan, the composer Mel Mercier and the British playwright Matt Wilkinson.

In 2023, Cusack was the recipient of the Olwen Wymark Award from the Writers' Guild of Great Britain for his championing of new writing which was presented at the 18th Annual Awards Ceremony in London.[4][5]

Selected dramatography - international touring

Productions
Year Play Director Leading Actors Notes
1995The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni adapted by Improbable TheatrePhelim McDermottToby JonesLeeds & Venice
2002The PowerBook by Jeanette WintersonDeborah WarnerFiona Shaw, Saffron BurrowsLondon, Paris, Rome
2005Primo by Primo LeviRichard WilsonAntony SherLondon, Cape Town, New York
2005–2007Happy Days by Samuel BeckettDeborah WarnerFiona ShawLondon, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Epidaurus, Washington DC & New York
2006–2008The History Boys by Alan BennettNicholas HytnerRichard Griffiths, Dominic Cooper, Frances de la TourLondon, UK Tour, Dublin, Hong Kong, Sydney, Wellington & New York
2007Waves - a work devised by Katie Mitchell and the company from the text of Virginia Woolf's novel, The WavesKatie MitchellAnastasia Hille, Kate DuchêneLondon, UK Tour, Amsterdam, Luxembourg & New York
2009Phèdre by Jean Racine in a translation by Ted HughesNicholas HytnerHelen Mirren, Ruth NeggaLondon, Epidaurus & Washington DC
2009-10The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss in an adaptation by Katie MitchellKatie MitchellAngus WrightLondon & Paris
2012–2013One Man, Two Guvnors by Carlo Goldoni adapted by Richard BeanNicholas HytnerJames Corden/Owain ArthurLondon, UK Tour, Hong Kong, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne & Auckland
2014–2015Not I, Footfalls & Rockaby by Samuel BeckettWalter AsmusLisa DwanLondon, Galway, UK Tour, Hong Kong, Perth & New York[6]
2014–2016riverun adapted by Olwen Fouéré from Finnegans Wake by James JoyceOlwen FouéréOlwen FouéréGalway, Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Adelaide, Sydney, Princeton, New York & Washington DC
2015–2016A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride adapted by Annie RyanAnnie RyanAoife DuffinDublin, Edinburgh, London, UK Tour & New York[7]
2017Tiger Bay the Musical by Daf James and Michael WilliamsMelly StillJohn Owen-Jones & Noel SullivanCardiff, Wales & Cape Town, South Africa
2018Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'NeillRichard EyreJeremy Irons & Lesley ManvilleNew York & Los Angeles
2020The Mirror Crack'd by Agatha Christie, adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff, reimagined by Ayeesha MenonMelly StillSonali Kulkarni, Shernaz Patel & Denzil SmithMumbai, India

References

  1. IMDB.com Pádraig Cusack https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1761216/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm#trivia
  2. Edworthy, Sarah (15 May 2009). "My Perfect Weekend: Niamh Cusack". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 October 2009
  3. "For the thrill of theatre".
  4. "Olwen Wymark Awards winners 2023 announced".
  5. "Olwen Wymark Awards 2023". 22 February 2023.
  6. Harvey Theater, BAM, New York, Next Wave Festival 2014 http://www.bam.org/theater/2014/not-i-footfalls-rockaby
  7. Baryshnikov Arts Centre, April 2015 http://bacnyc.org/performances/performance/the-corn-exchange
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