Panto Team
Thomas O’Leary
Writer / Director
Thomas O’Leary has been involved in theatre in Wexford since a very young age; growing up in a stage school family he had little choice. He has acted in and directed many dramas and musical productions but it is in the area of comedy and particularly Pantomime that he has come to the fore.
In 2011, he was awarded by Wexford Pantomime Society for twenty years involvement with the group. Starting off in the chorus and working his way up to leading roles. At present, he is the Artistic Director for the group and has produced and directed for them since 2003, The majority of these scripts were written by Thomas and he continues to write today. Each year he produces a new script which is premiered in Wexford before going on general release.
Suzanne O’Leary
Choreograapher
Suzanne has choreographed, produced or directed over 200 shows to date. Suzanne’s dance training began at the age of three with the Wexford School of Ballet and Modern Dance; by age ten she had started RAD major training in Dublin and at fifteen had moved to England where she completed her RAD Ballet, ISTD Modern and National Dance majors. While there she gained invaluable stage and TV experience performing with many well known celebrities. Suzanne has received a RAD Ballet teaching certificate, an anatomy degree, a degree in the history of dance and an ISTD associate diploma.
Suzanne has been resident choreographer with Wexford Pantomime Society since 1989, and has received an honorary award for years dedicated to the Society. She is also an honorary and founding member of the Oyster Lane Theatre Group, with whom she has been resident choreographer since its inception.
Suzanne has also been nominated for Best Choreographer by the National AIMS Society, and won the award for her choreography on OLTG’s production of Hairspray.
Vicky Clancy
Musical Director
Vicky, a native of Wexford town, is a graduate professional clarinet and saxophone player and teacher. She made her panto debut as a member of the orchestra in the 1994 production of Cinderella and since then has played in and directed shows all over the South East.
Although classically trained, Vicky specialises in Jazz and has performed nationally both as a soloist and as part of a group. She performed with her band ‘the Swinging BlueCats’ at last years Cork Jazz festival. She has won numerous awards for her compositions, production and has received several awards for ‘Best instrumentalist’ in Wexford Singing Pubs Competition.
The wonderful and special thing about Wexford Panto, not only is it written by our very talented director, Tom O Leary, but it tends to evolve into a body of work which everyone has ownership over. While the script and songs are set from early, all ideas are listened to along the way and so, as a family of cast, crew, production and committee, we work together to bring magical fairy tales to life for the children of Wexford. Our younger cast, chorus and choir have some super role models here and judging by the standards in rehearsals, it is safe to say the future of the Arts in Wexford is in very safe hands. Wexford pantomime Society is a wonderful
organisation to be part of.
Mark Redmond
Set Design / Lighting
Marks involvement with the stage began with the stage crew of Wexford Pantomime Society where he was first coached in lighting by the late Kevin Doyle. This first interest in lighting eventually developed into an interest in the overall visual effect of the stage and lead him into set design and construction. What started as a hobby was swapped for something more serious in 1998 when he set up his business Stage It.
Both scenery and lighting has taken Mark to work with many societies and groups including Enniscorthy, New Ross, Kilkenny and Newbridge Musical Societies, and Innovation Stage School based in Gorey and Arklow, to name a few. Closer to home some of his most memorable productions were with Billy Roche’s Amphibians, and Paul O’Brien’s The Bower Wall. In recent years Mark has gained an AIMS nomination for best technical category with Enniscorthy Musical Societies’ production of Jesus Christ Superstar and several best set awards on the drama circuit with Wexford Drama Group productions of The Mai, Someone To Watch Over Me, Holy Day and the national finalist challenger The Bog of Cats.
One of his proudest achievements to date has been as set and lighting designer for Billy Roche’s Tales From Rainwater Pond including the original production at Wexford Arts Centre, on tour in Ireland and the off Broadway run as part of the 2009 1st Irish Festival in New York.