MY CULTURAL LIFE

Marion O’Dwyer, actor

Marion O’Dwyer is an actor who doesn’t mind being called an actress but generally refers to herself as an ‘actrine’ which seems to take the harm out of it. She has worked on stage, in film, television and radio and is currently appearing as Constance Constantia in Drama at Inish at the Abbey Theatre (abbeytheatre.ie). Addicted to the social whirl from her sofa, she can be found on Instagram as @mariondublin.

Artist: Sorolla

Quite by chance I got to see the recent Sorolla exhibition in the National Gallery of Ireland. It was like taking a sun holiday in Biarritz for the afternoon! I believe he is known as the Master of Light and I can understand why. My favourite painting was Sewing the

Sail (above). I love impressionist paintings — whenever I am lucky enough to see them in a gallery they take my breath away.

Musician: Shaun Davey

I love Shaun Davey’s music, in particular his Granuaile album with singer Rita Connolly. The music is completely theatrical and there is great storytelling in it. I was lucky enough to hear this piece live in the National Concert Hall some years ago. I was blown away. I love opera too and my first opera was Baz Luhrmann’s production of Puccini’s La Boheme in the Sydney Opera House. That’s hard to beat.

Actor: Aisling Bea

Aisling Bea’s recent series This Way Up was so funny yet romantic and heartbreaking. She wrote with such truth and created complex characters. I don’t know her personally but am so proud of her. I also loved Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag which featured another Irish actor, Andrew Scott.

Film: It’s A Wonderful Life

I am always drawn to the Frank Capra classic from 1946, It’s a Wonderful Life with James Stewart and Donna Reed. I love its philosophy that every person matters. The fantasy of an angel Clarence (Henry Travers) shows George Bailey (James Stewart) what life would have been like had he not lived. It is a sweet, funny story with lovable characters, not unlike the play I’m in at the moment,

Drama at Inish, although our show has a lot more laughs!

Book: The Game of Life and How to Play It

A book I often give to people is an oldfashioned book called The Game of Life and How to Play It by

Florence

Scovel Shinn who was an actress in the 1950s. It’s full of simple wisdom.