Philip Connaughton

I started working with ThisIsPopBaby in 2012. I was back-and-forth between Dublin and Barcelona at the time, but they got me in to be one of the cast members of Alice in Funderland at the Abbey, and it was the beginning of such an excellent and amazing experience.

One of the first things that it did was make me return to Ireland and live here permanently. I had never really considered doing that, as I had been away since I was 15 and that was quite a long time. I was really amazed by the energy; that it was fresh, exciting, bright, and that there were new things happening. We were bringing musical theatre to the Abbey, but in a way that had not been done before.

That finished and it just went on and on. I started choreographing for them as my own choreography work developed, and I felt I was part of this incredibly exciting and creative family, and that hasn’t changed. One of the things I love about Philly and Jenny and the ThisIsPopBaby team is the work ethic that exists in the room. It’s such a creative and collaborative space.

I don’t know if this all sounds like bullshit, but it’s genuinely how I feel. All of the projects I do with them, you never get tired of working with them. There’s such an energy, an infectious energy for getting in the room and making stuff happen. They put so much faith in you and really allow people to grow, it’s such a great thing. I’m very fond of them. I love them both. I’m very grateful for how they’ve inspired my work, and how they’ve let me help them.