About
Therese is an Irish director, choreographer and teacher living in Tipperary. She is a freelance director of musical theatre. As well as being the artistic director of her own performing arts school, and youth musical theatre group, she is a peripatetic music teacher.
Her passion is working with young children and teenagers and guiding them through the process of creating a show, from the on stage performances to the back stage creative and technical aspects.
In 2018 she completed her Master of Fine Arts in Performance with her lecture-recital and thesis "Somewhere: The sense of place in West Side Story", and is currently a PhD Arts (Drama and Theatre Studies) student at Mary Immaculate College studying the experiences of teenagers participating in musical theatre in 21st century rural Ireland.
Having spent many years working as a production manager in London, at the Edinburgh Festival, and across the world, she has returned to her creative roots and now uses the skills and experiences she learned to enhance her directorial work.
Director / Choreographer
The main focus of Therese's work is as a Director/Choreographer of Musical Theatre. She works with youth groups and schools across the country bringing a high standard of production and performance. Growing up as a chorus member, Therese pays particular attention in her work to the chorus, ensuring they get as much stage time as possible.
Having produced such shows are Les Miserable, Miss Saigon, West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast and Copacabana, she accredits the strength of a production to the chorus and creates work for the ensemble, from the front line to backstage. She believes that the process is the focus of the work and invokes an atmosphere of fun with learning in all her rehearsal rooms.
Therese still performs as she considers it important to be constantly learning and exposing herself to the work of others to grow in her own practice.
Dwan Academy
Performing Arts Academy
Celebrating 14 years in business, Dwan Academy offers a rounded education in drama, dance, and music for the youth of Thurles and the surrounding areas. The Academy offers several performance opportunities for the students, such as at the Thurles Hallowe'en Fest, the Cathedral Carol Service, Christmas Concerts and the end of year recitals and shows every year, as well as exams with several boards.
Managing the Academy with the support and expertise of fourteen other teachers, Therese acts as artistic director, choosing and often writing the end of year shows. She over-sees all aspects of each production, the design and creation the sets, costumes and props.
In September 2020, Therese opened the Dwan Academy Performing Arts Studios expanding the range of subjects available to students. It now offers dance education in Ballet and Hip Hop, music tuition in Piano, Flute, Drums, Guitar, Ukulele, Bass Guitar, and Voice, as well as Drama classes and Speech & Drama.
The Academy has also developed outreach programmes several school.
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Limelight Theatricals
Youth Musical Theatre Group
Therese founded Limelight Theatricals, with Emily Matthews, following her PhD production of In The Willows. She realised there was a lack of Musical Theatre performance opportunities for teenagers in Thurles.
Limelight Theatricals is a youth musical theatre group dedicated to inspiring and empowering young performers through musical theatre. It promotes creativity, self-expression, and personal growth among the next generation of artists.
Striving to create a nurturing environment that feeds imagination, Limelight cultivates artistic excellence, and encourages collaboration and teamwork. Our goal is to celebrate and encourage the creative spirit of each young performer, embracing originality, innovation, and artistic expression.
Limelight's mission is to create a safe and welcoming space for young individuals from all backgrounds and abilities, while aspiring to ignite a lifelong love for the arts, cultivating well-rounded individuals, and creating a lasting legacy of exceptional youth musical theatre experiences.
Music Teacher
With a degree in Music, Therese is an experienced teacher of piano, flute, and music theory.
Ever up-skilling Therese has attained her piano teaching qualification with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She also completed the Music Learning and Dyslexia course with the British Dyslexia Association, and the Music Ensemble Directing course with RIAM.
Therese has continued as a practicing musician, musically directing musical theatre productions as well as playing in pits across the country.
Training
Current - Phd Arts with Mary Immaculate College
2018 - MFA in Performance from American College Dublin
2017 - Music Ensemble Direction with Royal Irish Academy of Music
2016 - Music Learning and Dyslexia with British Dyslexia Association
2016 - Dip. RIAM in piano teaching from Royal Irish Academy of Music and Drama
2009 - Postgraduate Diploma in Stage Management and Technical Theatre from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff
2007 - Diploma in Event Management from Limerick School of Business
2005 - BA in Music and Geography from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Get in Touch
085 1654 854
