“The Arts Centre is going to be brilliant for Tullamore. I know people may think there are better ways to spend money, but little do people know how much this new centre will bring to the town and its people. It will be for everyone; the vision is amazing, and the plans are incredible. It’s a really exciting time, and I’m proud to be part of it.

I was raised around music and entertainment. My family has been involved in the Tullamore Musical Society for as long as I can remember. My dad was on stage for years, and my mam was front of house. The dye was cast when I joined St Mary’s Youth Club when I was ten. I played Danny in ‘Grease’ and Joseph in ‘Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, amongst other roles over the years.

After my Leaving Cert, I looked at many college courses, but nothing grabbed my imagination. I was working in Tullamore Hardware then and decided to keep working away. I joined the Musical Society and was encouraged to audition for small parts in the National Concert Hall. I decided to do a year PLC course in Bull Alley, and straight out of that, I started to get directing jobs through schools and other musical societies around the country. There’s not an abundance of work in Ireland to be employed full-time in theatre, especially acting, but I’ve managed to carve out a few different openings for myself. I’ve played the same character for eleven years at the Helix Panto. People study in London’s west end for years, which doesn’t work out for them. Success comes down to luck, and I’ve had more than my fair share! There are a million reasons you might not get the part when you audition. I’m small, for example, so ‘Buttons’ in ‘Cinderella’ is the perfect character for me.

Six years ago, I opened a stage school in Tullamore, and it’s the best thing I ever did. My number one priority is that the kids are happy. If the kids don’t come in happy and leave happy, then I may as well close the doors. Luck came my way again with the staff I have. I can always depend on them. If I were to think of one highlight in the last six years, it would be when one particular girl started with us. She was involved in class but never spoke. When it came to her turn to talk, she would shake her head. She got a distinction in her speech and drama exams two years later. I will never forget that. We needed to realise our part in that girl’s development. We now have schools in Moate and Kilbeggan and hope to open more. I’m always thinking of new ideas and started a new podcast in October. Who knows, maybe I’ll be lucky with this too? Positivity and hard work have always brought great things my way”.

Colin Hughes
Stage Stars Academy.