As Heather returns to stir things up in Carrigstown, Julie Lordan meets the actor and artist to find out what’s in store
After a two-year gap, Úna Kavanagh has returned to the role of Heather Daly, in Fair City for a short but powerful story. She chats to Julie Lordan about what the role means to her and how the creative industries have changed during lockdown
The last time that Úna Kavanagh was in Fair City, as Heather Daly, was two years ago and a lifetime away. “It is most definitely a different world. I was very moved by the work everyone is doing in Fair City to comply with regulations, keep everyone safe and still deliver three episodes. The canteen, the hub of bustle and hustle in RTÉ, is so incredibly quiet and empty. The muted silence is a strong reminder of changed times. But I’m optimistic that it will return to some normality,” says Úna.
Úna first arrived in Fair City in 2003, and was involved in some of the most controversial subjects that the soap has tackled. “The initial story of Heather finding Renee and the subsequent incest theme was just extraordinary. It shaped who Heather was to become. An outsider, a woman who walks outside the norms, who feels deeply and acts accordingly. She fell in love with Floyd and that fall-out was to have far reaching repercussions, most poignant of those regarding euthanasia and the brutal trial of her husband, Brendan, around the death/murder of Floyd,” says Úna. But the drama for her character didn’t stop there. “No,” she says. “Following that, the Munchausen by proxy story-line was such an interesting and complex one and then her tragic fall and subsequent brain injury. Heather has an extraordinary history. She arrived as a strong and brave young woman and we have travelled 18 years with her. She has struggled hard to regain her physical and mental health and I think that Fair City audiences have a huge empathy for her,” says Úna.
The mother-daughter theme figures strongly in Heather’s latter storylines. Heather is the mother of Ellie, who chose to stay with her grandparents, Renee and Bob, when Heather returned to Brazil two years ago. Heather’s own relationship with her mother Renee is not without drama either. Úna says, “The mother/daughter relationship is at the crux of Heather’s story. I love this. Heather seems to be needing and searching for Renee’s love and approval constantly. She never really feels on solid ground and when she slumps and is overwhelmed, it is the core issue she returns to, that of abandonment. On the other side of that, she adores Ellie, her daughter. Heather’s life is shaped and given meaning by these maternal relationships,” says Úna. She believes that TV drama in general can accurately reflect what is sometimes a complex relationship. “I think there is so much content being made and there are wonderful excavations and storylines reflecting that relationship. I particularly loved Sharp Objects and currently Mare of Easttown for that reason.”
As we will see in Fair City, Ellie has a change of heart and now wants to live with Heather in Brazil. Úna sees why this would make sense. “For two reasons. First of all, because Heather is getting better, growing more competent all the time. Her health is improving. She has great joy inside her and it’s infectious. Ellie sees this. Second, Ellie has grown up more and is excited by the life they lead in Brazil. She too is more confident, she misses her mam and wishes to be with her more. I think Heather returning has highlighted her absence,” she says.
Úna has worked across all areas of acting: stage, screen and TV, but she doesn’t think it is necessary to differentiate. “I see all the areas as one creative arts practice. The three have very different attributes. I feel grateful to be working across these disciplines, each one requiring different crafts and journeys. I’m particularly proud of being part of the ground-breaking ANU productions for the last decade. I love the collaboration and the interdisciplinary approach of the work,” she says.
“But during the pandemic, the arts industry was devastated. It was a cold hard shock to us all in all of the art forms. I was due to go to the island of Socotra, off the coast of Yemen, to represent Ireland in an international arts residency last March. Immediately cancelled. Then I was to take part in the Gate’s production of O’casey’s The Shadow Of a Gunman. Cancelled. This pattern continued like a domino effect, clearing its way through everything in most artists’ lives. It was sobering and also gave time for reflection,” says Úna of a year that saw artists across the spectrum struggling to keep their art relevant and alive.
Úna has not stopped planning, working, being creative, and waiting for the lockdown to end and people to feel safe again. “I was one of the actors commissioned by Screen Ireland /Bow Street Academy for their Actor as Creator initiative, to produce a creative work. This has been an extraordinary, optimistic and creative project to be part of. I am currently in post-production of my film, Constance, and working with visual effects artists and composers. It was daunting to produce, direct and perform in this work, but it’s also a wonderful journey that I am grateful for. I have also really pushed into my studio arts practice, (Úna is a sculptor and painter), working with bronze and oil on canvass. I have a new studio in an old bank vault and I even set up an Instagram page, @Únakavanaghstudio, for my artwork” she says.
Over the years as an actor in Fair City, Úna has had short, sharp and dramatic appearances as well as longer storylines that take time to develop. She is aware of how being in a soap works and is happy to go with the flow. “Yeah, I hand that over to the writers but I hold Heather very dear. As an actor, it is a privilege to play her for nearly 20 years. I’m always excited to see where they are going to bring her next.”