Montfort College of Performing Arts is a stage school in Cork City

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

 in the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

; it specialises in vocal technique, mime, drama and musical theatre.

History

Montforts was established in 1958 by Eileen Nolan, who had previously founded a group called the "Montfort Singers" which performed at the "Cork Opera House". Its success inspired her to found the school.

Professional Theatre

• Bill Murphy-Film,TV and Stage actor working alongside oscar winner, Kevin Spacey, Collin Farrell, Helen Baxindale, James Brolin, Dianne Weiss, Cris Maloni and has played all the major theatres in Ireland and England including the Gate Theatre
  Gate Theatre
  The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
  
  , Irish National theatre(The Abbey) and notably the Barbican Theatre in London ,home of the Royal Shakespearean Company
• Michael McCarthy – star of Les Misérables in the West End and on Broadway
• Michael Sands – Les Misérables, Fiddler On The Roof and Camelot -West End, Riverdance , Aspects Of Love, Hey Mr Producer .
• Karen Hackett – Lead in Dublin pantomime. Played part in Fair City. Singing in National Concert Hall, Dublin in Oct
• Seán Hackett – graduated from Bodyworks in July and now on tour with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, London
• Elaine and Eílish Symmons – Elaine - working in the National Theatre and appeared in many TV shows and movies. Eílish – appeared in Fair City and has appeared in many professional productions.
• Mary Sexton – going on tour with Riverdance
• Hugh Lee – on tour with Stones in his Pockets
• Frank Twomey – presenter of Bosco
  Bosco
  Bosco was an Irish children's television programme produced during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was produced by the Lambert Puppet Theatre. Designed by Jan Mitchell, Bosco was voiced by Miriam Lambert initially; in later years Paula Lambert took over the character...
  
   for many years. Now presenting Cork City and Culture on TV
• Brendan Collins – playing in opera in Cork and Dublin
• Shirley McCarthy – played the starring role in Singing in the Rain and West Side Story.
• Irene Warren – played in Les Misérables and Starlight Express on the West End
• Damian Delaney – danced in Cats and Half a Sixpence and now appearing in Billy Elliot
  Billy Elliot
  Billy Elliot is a 2000 British drama film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. Set in the fictional town of "Everington" in the real County Durham, UK, it stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, an aspiring dancer, Gary Lewis as his coal miner father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older...
  
   in Victoria Palace, London.
• Mark O Shaughnessy - originally trained with and taught for the Montfort Stage School before going on to do a degree in theatre studies at Stephens College, in Missouri, USA. After completing his studies he spent a year working for the Watergate theatre in Kilkenny before heading to London where he has worked for the past 10 years. His favourite roles have included Jack and the Wolfe in Into The Woods (USA), Claude in Hair (European Tour), Robert in An Ideal Husband (London), Lennox in Macbeth (Kilkenny), and Inspector Trotter in the touring production of The Mousetrap. Mark returned to Cork this year and has played the role of the Pied Piper in the Opera House panto as well as Mr. Sowerberry and Dr. Grimwig in Oliver for The Opera House and Helix theatres. Mark last worked with the Montforts in their production of Anything Goes, at the Everyman Palace, where he took on the role of Billy Crocker.
• Norma Sheahan

Teachers, who opened their own Drama Schools after qualifying with the Montforts include: Maura Currivan – Catherine Mahon Buckley – Geraldine Foley – Philip McTaggart Walsh – Rebecca Allman – Christopher Hennessy – Maria McCarthy – Nevin and Susan O'Driscoll (Singapore) – Elaine Carlisle (Wales) – Margo Carlisle

Production directors

• Valery Horan Nigli – Zurich Comedy Club , Switzerland
• Marion Wyath – renowned in Cork
• Deirdre O'Riordan – director of most Irish pantomimes
• Trish Long – USA

Musical directors

• Michael Casey
• Cathal Dunne
  Cathal Dunne
  Cathal Dunne is an Irish singer. He is most famous for representing Ireland in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Happy Man". He has since gained a following as Cahal Dunne, performing traditional Irish songs in the United States, where he now lives.- Background :Born in Cork,...
  
  
• Angel Claiment
• Ronnie O Shaughnessy
• Paddy Hegarty
• John Murphy
  The Country Boy
  The Country Boy: A Play in Three Acts is a play by Irish playwright, John Murphy . Himself a country boy and native of Charlestown, County Mayo) who emigrated to the United States of America, The Country Boy reflects on the social problems of emigration and rural life in the late 1950s.The Country...
  
  
• Pat Sheehan Corbett
• Christopher Hennessey
• Regina Gilley