Coming to our show HUMANS: A Robot Musical in June?
Curious to know about the humans behind the robots in HUMANS, the new musical about robots learning about humans learning about robots learning about…? *has small lie down*
Well, wonder no more!
Come and meet the cast and creative team behind our fantastic new musical, Humans: A Robot Musical by John Mc Carthy, our latest production in partnership with the Everyman, coming to our FitzGibbon Theatre this June. Made possible by public donations from the RTE Late Late Toy Show Appeal, Humans is part of our Be Your Own Hero programme created by Graffiti for DEIS primary schools across Cork. Check out https://www.corkmidsummer.com/whats-on/humans-a-robot-musical to get your hands on the last few tickets for our only public showings as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival this year.
NAME: JOHN MC CARTHY
Your role in Humans: Writer
Favourite musical? Oliver!
Favourite robot? The Paul Street Car Park Ticket Payment machine/robot that tells us ‘Change is Possible’, most days.
Favourite line from HUMANS? Do not be alarmed, we are singing.
What is your favourite children’s book/story? At the moment it’s ‘Maybe’ by Chris Haughton
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child.
The magic of being brought to the pantomime in the Opera House at Christmas, with Billa O’Connell as the dame.
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be?
I’d like a robot that somehow maximises the amount and quality of sleep in my household.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
I think I’ve revealed everything to anyone who cares at this stage that’s any way useful.
NAME: JENNIFER BARRY
Your role in Humans: Crowbar
Favourite musical? Matilda The Musical. Hands down. I still think I’m eligible to audition for it in my head even though I surpassed the age limit like…10 years ago.
Favourite robot? Wall-E is my hero. A true king.
Favourite line from Humans? “Allow me to superheat your face to dry the liquid”.
What is your favourite children’s book/story? Guess how much I love you. Best book EVER.
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child
My favourite memory… watching the cast of a panto in the Everyman perform Revolting Children from Matilda when I was eight or nine. It was just class. I think it was then that I knew that I definitely wanted to work in the arts for the rest of my life!
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be?
Maybe some sort of machine that would help me get ready in the morning so I could sleep in and not be late for anything. A tooth brushing-hair drying-bed making-room tidying-all at the same time-thingmajig.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
Mirror-writing. I can write sentences backwards perfectly. Like, full pages. Does that count? I don’t even know if that’s a skill or just something that comes with being left-handed. Leonardo Da Vinci could do it too and he was a genius so…
NAME: BOB KELLY
Your role in Humans: I play Rowboat – the smartest, cleverest and intelligentest robot of all.
Favourite musical? I love the first half of Hamilton… and Little Shop of Horrors is pleasantly daft. I have brilliant memories of Once, even though I’ve never seen it from the outside – good friends, lots of song and movement, lots of fun. I get far more out of making theatre than I do from seeing it – when it’s good I just wish I was up there!
Favourite robot? GLADOS from Portal. She’s the meanest robot ever but she writes a catchy tune. Plus I do like cake.
Favourite line from Humans? I have farted.
What is your favourite children’s book/story?
I love anything by Maurice Sendak. Where the Wild Things Are is a great start, but then you’ve got Mickey in the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There… he really has a great respect for how wild and odd kids are, and the scale of the indefinable anxieties they have to deal with sometimes. Mervyn Peake’s Letters From a Lost Uncle is also bonkers and beautiful. It’s about an eccentric explorer who heads off to the Antarctic in search of the mythical White Lion…. With Where the Wild Things Are as a map of childhood, and Letters From a Lost Uncle as a map of adulthood, I think you’re doing pretty good.
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child.
My first memory is seeing Footsbarn do A Midsummer Night’s Dream outdoors by a river in Sligo – it was dark and they were performing around a massive bonfire. I was way, way too young for Shakespeare, but Puck made a big impression, leaping through the flames and causing mischief and chaos and laughter wherever he went. Chaos and laughter struck me as a pretty good career choice.
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be?
I am actually a pretty amazing amateur inventor and am working on several robotic devices that are just awesome. Recently I made an automatic dishwasher washer that washes dishwashers; and I also made a robot cat, which is identical to a normal cat in every way except one: it is broken.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
I can burp on command! Nobody ever commands me to burp though, and I’m not sure if I would because I don’t like being told what to do.
NAME: UNA NI BHRIAIN
Your role in Humans: Jennifer (or Glow-Rod depending on who’s asking…)
Favourite musical? Definitely Hadestown!
Favourite robot? The Daleks and The Cybermen from Doctor Who, they scared me so much when I was younger!
Favourite line from Humans? “One thing I am noticing is this tiny unmoving pig”
What is your favourite children’s book/story? I love “Elmer the Patchwork Elephant” by David McKee, “Redwall” by Brian Jaques and “The Supernaturalist” by Eoin Colfer.
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child.
My dad is a seanchaí, so I think one of my earliest memories is of Cape Clear Storytelling Festival, where I heard too many great stories to count! I still go back as often as I can.
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be?
I suppose I wouldn’t mind having a robot who could make awkward phone calls to my dentist or Revenue for me!
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
I’m an outstanding procrastinator. I’ll tell you more later.
NAME: MADI O’CARROLL
Your role in Humans: Probeshot
Favourite musical? Hadestown or Chicago
Favourite robot? Weebo from Flubber, for emotional reasons.
Favourite line from Humans? “Did your grandmother teach you how to kill flowers and place them rotting in glasses?”
What is your favourite children’s book/story? His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman; such a beautiful story of bravery and love and resistance against institutional authority. We love to instill questioning of power structures in children!
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child
I remember going to see a play in Wexford Arts Centre as a child, maybe at 6 or 7 years old. The show I can’t recall other than colourful costumes and some sort of existential metaphor going on, but what I do remember is spending the evening playing with the 3 actors in my parents’ friend’s house afterwards. I found it so exciting that these people had been onstage creating an immersive and wonderful experience for me, and now were laughing and singing and eating dinner with me.
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be?
Some sort of robotic anti-cloud system that drove away any sign of a dark, rainy cloud. Although I did hear that in Dubai the government controlled the weather somehow to make it rain during times of high COVID numbers to stop people going out and socialising. Which is terrifying.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
Sometimes I can have a fire lit for before my mam gets home.
NAME: EMILY DONOGHUE
Your role in Humans: Assistant Musical Director & Live Performer
Favourite musical? I wouldn’t be a connoisseur of musicals now but I would say Hadestown is high up on my (very short) list
Favourite robot? If a cyborg counts, then it has to be Inspector Gadget
Favourite line from Humans? “Excuse me, what condition is normal? Whatever condition you’re in”. It’s such a lovely sentiment that I wish I had heard as a kid.
What is your favourite children’s book/story?I think it would be Danny the Champion of the World.
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child
The first show I worked on as a teenager with Galway Youth Theatre. It was a Pat McCabe show called “The adventures of Shay mouse”. It was a really formative experience and opened up the whole world of theatre to me.
If you could invent one thing robot-y, what would it be?
Oh jeepers I think some sort of Robotic personal assistant to get me organised and keep my google calendar in order.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
I can do a passable impression of a trumpet (not to toot my own horn, laughter).
NAME: NIALL CLEARY
Your role in Humans: Director
Favourite musical? Avenue Q
Favourite robot? My coffee machine looks like a robot and makes me coffee in the morning, so they are my current favourite.
Favourite line from Humans? Yes, music and rhyme is vital!
What is your favourite children’s book/story? I love “Wonder”. I only read it a couple of times of year ago as an adult.
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child. Didn’t experience any theatre as a child, but I loved reading and listening to music.
If you could invent one thing robotic what would it be? Maybe a robot brain/hat, to do all the admin that my brain doesn’t want to do!
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower? I grew up and a farm, so I can (almost) talk to cows!
NAME: JENNY WHYTE
Your role in Humans: Costume Designer
Favourite musical? Billy Elliot
Favourite robot? Alexa
Favourite line from Humans? “Humans wake up to hundreds and thousands of unknown missions, happening inside your heads. This must be extremely exciting. But it is also many hundreds of thousands of opportunities to be a little wrong.”
What is your favourite children’s book/story? All the rainbow magic book series and Winnie the Witch
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child
One year, when I was a little girl, we were driving up to the gaiety pantomime to see Cinderella. On the drive I drew a picture of Twink as the fairy godmother. I thought I had left the picture in the car but my mam snuck it into the theatre and handed it to someone backstage. At the end of the performance Twink brought my drawing out on stage and thanked me. It was a magical surprise!
If you could invent one thing robotic, what would it be?
When I’m designing a show you can often find me dragging a huge suitcase full of costumes behind me. So, a Wheelie Case Carrie robot that drives itself would very much come in handy!
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
I won a hot dog eating competition once, if that counts? The trophy sits on the shelf next to all my sister’s academic achievements.
NAME: IAN BROWN
Your role in Humans: Production Manager
Favourite musical? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Favourite robot? Heuy from Silent Running
Favourite line from Humans? ‘Did your grandmother teach you how to kill flowers and leave them rotting in glasses?’
What is your favourite children’s book/story? Room on The Broom
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child.
Not being taken to the West End by my parents when they went to see James Stewart in Harvey
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be?
I thought about inventing a moving theatre light a few months before the first ones appeared
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower?
Getting away with not being found out – it’s worked so far
NAME: MICHAEL RYAN
Your role in Humans: Stage Manager
Favourite musical? Wizard of Oz. Gotta love the Wicked Witch of the West.
Favourite robot? The robot in Terminator
Favourite line from Humans? “Humans. I am not your sister! I am not your father!”
What is your favourite children’s book/story? It would have to be the Famous five books: “Julie Dick and Ann, George and Timmy the dog”
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child
Playing one of the Ugly sisters in Cinderella when I was 12 years old in our local panto in Whitechurch.
If you could invent one thing robot-y, what would it be? .
A machine that you could put dirty delph into and it would wash and dry them. It could be called a Delphwasher or a DishwashAndDryer. Washing plates down at the well.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower? I can power nap, any time anywhere…zzz.
NAME: CARL KENNEDY
Your role in Humans: Sound Designer
Favourite musical? Sweeney Todd
Favourite robot? ‘Number 5’ from Short Circuit
Favourite line from Humans? OMG. I hope I do not break apart instantly with surprise.
What is your favourite children’s book/story? Stuart Little by E.B. White
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child
Brendan Grace stopping his live show when I was in the front row of the audience, walking down of the stage to my seat and saying ‘Up ya boyo!’ and giving me a signed copy of his record. Brilliant!
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be? a robot who could clean the house by itself.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower? I can do a fantastic robot dance, while also doing a robot voice
NAME: LYNN CANHAM
Your role in Humans: Co-producer
Favourite musical? *whispers* I like so many individual songs from Musicals as I grew up in a very Sondeihm-y, Cole Porter-y house, but generally I’m not mad about actual Musicals… except this one, of course. Technically, they pay me to say that but is also happens to be true.
Favourite robot? Marvin from the Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Favourite line from Humans?
Sung: “this is a musical choice, deliberate, definite noise”
Said: “we are all the funny one”
What is your favourite children’s book/story? Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau by Andrea Beaty, or pretty much any from the Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems
Tell us a memory of theatre/arts from when you were a child
As an audience member: as a young child, being at the rehearsals for the Tops of the Town at the Opera House (which ages me to VERY specific time!) as my uncle and Grandad were involved in putting it together.
As a ‘performer’, being in a Suzuki piano concert in the concert hall at the “old” Cork School of Music, when I was 5 years old. I remember vividly how big the grand piano felt, and my feet not touching the ground as I sat on the shiny piano stool.
If you could invent one robotic thing, what would it be? Something to gently coax my kids into their school uniforms and humour their protests at the injustice of it all.
Do you have a secret skill, talent or superpower? I make a mean mixtape (yes, still)
