Morgan takes on exciting theatre project in the UK

BEFORE taking London’s West End by storm, Clontarf-born Morgan Crowley was once a student of business and language in Trinity College Dublin, a far cry from international performing.

“I don’t regret that at all, as my parents always say it was something to fall back on,” Morgan jokes about his time as a student. 

The arts have always been a passion for Morgan. At just five-years-of-age, he began playing the piano. 

He is thoroughly trained in his field, from the Academy of Music in Dublin, to foreign performing arts schools.

“I went on to study subsequently at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London, a sort of famous classic English acting school, and also at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Hollywood.”

And all of that training certainly seems to have paid off, as the Northsider has graced the stages and screens of countries far and wide since.

Morgan inhabited the streets of Walford for a time in the BBC’s Eastenders. He has also taken to the stage of the Abbey Theatre, the National Concert Hall, the National Opera House and the Belfast Grand Opera. 

His latest project is an exciting role on stage.

“It’s called the London Irish Rep Theatre Festival,” Morgan explains. “It’s the first time there’s been an Irish Rep Theatre in London. There’s a few theatres in London that specialise in Irish plays, that feature Irish repertoire but they’re not specifically dedicated to it.”

Morgan explains the concept of a ‘Rep Theatre’ and why it is such a challenging role for the actors involved.

”A Rep Theatre presents three different plays at the same time,” he says. “You go in on Monday and play one role, on Tuesday you play another role and on the Wednesday you play another.” 

The cast of 10 actors will exchange roles each night of the run as a different play is performed.

The London Irish Rep Theatre season opened on March 21 and runs at the Kingsgate Theatre until mid-April. 

This production presents the world premiere of ‘An Englishman Walks Into a Bar’, the UK premiere of ‘An Apple a Day’ and a new production of ‘Playboy of the Western World’.

Morgan describes working on the production as an honour. 

“The concept of Rep Theatre has died away somewhat over the decades and it really is a skill all of its own – basically playing different roles, scripts, accents, emotions every night, it’s a huge challenge,” he says. 

Morgan spends a lot of time travelling. In between practicing for the Rep Theatre, he worked with RTE as part of a radio broadcast that will air on Easter Sunday and Monday in tribute to the 1916 Rising. He flies to Zurich this week to perform in a jazz show.

The busy actor, singer and musician still calls Ireland home. 

“I live in Clontarf,” he adds. “I’m based here and most of my family are still based on the Northside, Malahide, Sutton, Portmarnock and Clontarf. I’m absolutely Northside through and through.”

Katie O’Neill