Secretary Katelyn Gaughan discusses all things UCD MusicalSoc
UCD Musical Society is difficult not to fall in love with once you give it a shot. Whether you come to college as a fully fledged theatre kid ready to put those stage school skills to use, or as a person who isn’t even remotely interested in musicals but lives with this girl who knows this guy who did the costumes for this one show, being introduced to this society is almost always a life sentence. There really is something in it for everyone and there are countless opportunities to get involved.
We are one of the busiest societies on campus with no shortage of events for our members to attend.
Our Events Officers, Connor Kirwan and Eva Furlong, organise a mixture of nights out and daytime events, all of which are guaranteed to be unmissable. For those of you who are interested in developing your skills, our Workshops Manager, Caoilfhinn Young, organises a wide variety of workshops to help members acquire knowledge which is applicable to cast, crew, and committee.
We offer non-auditioned performance opportunities through Vocal Group which runs on Mondays from 6pm to 8pm in the Harmony Studio. Led by Niamh Ní Fhoghlú, it is a fabulous opportunity to practise singing in a low pressure environment. It is a cross between a social group and a singing group, giving members a chance to chat to one another and make new friends while learning a few showtunes. VG’s efforts culminate to form a Winter Gala at the end of the first semester and a showcase at the end of the second. Given that this semester’s gala has already taken place, rehearsals have ended but they will resume after Christmas, and we would love to see some new members in attendance.
Somehow, we manage to find the time to produce musicals in between all this, putting on three full-scale shows every year.
This year’s Inaugural Show, Sweet Charity, took Astra Hall by storm in September and we expect our current production of Bonnie & Clyde to do the same.
Opening tomorrow night and running from the 20th to the 23rd of November, the cult classic musical follows legendary outlaws, Bonnie Parker (Aimee O’Neill) and Clyde Barrow (Robert Hogan) as they embark on a journey of infamy and love amidst the Great Depression. UCD Musical Society offers a unique take on this well-known story with the addition of two new characters. Collectively known as ‘The Idols’, The Actress (Brianna Kelly) and The Gangster (Francesco Bach) represent the desires of the titular couple through mesmerising dance and powerful acting.
Whether you are interested in directing, choreographing, vocal directing, producing, acting, singing, dancing, costuming, staging, lighting, designing or building sets, conducting or playing music, or working on hair, makeup, props, sound, front of house, photography, videography, graphic design, or any other facet of theatre, our full-scale musicals provide our members with plenty of opportunities to get involved.
The work that we do is a product of immense effort and tireless dedication, but I’ve never found a place anywhere near as full of laughter as UCD Musical Society and I’m glad to have this opportunity to share a little insight into it with you.
- Katelyn Gaughan - Secretary