My love affair with the arts began as a child in community theatre. I remember my Speech and Drama teacher Mrs Kenny mixing fun acting performances with elocution lessons in attempts to rid me of my ‘wha’ instead of ‘what’ speaking habits. She instilled great confidence in my shy demeanor and helped me conquerer my public-speaking fears, which I believe aided me in later life. A fellow student, Claire Tighe, also had stars in her eyes. Her natural dancing ability and presence onstage were endearing in capturing the audience’s attention; competing against her proved tough on many occasions.
In adulthood, Claire established her own school of performing arts called Claire Tighe TheatreWorX, specialising in dance, drama, singing and the overall nurturing of creative talent and performance based learning. “I chose that name because I was looking for something funky and cool that would interest the kids without saying it was a ‘school of theatre’ or a ‘school of performing arts’. I wanted something a little fresher and less institutionalised. TheatreWorx is my baby and has grown from something I never thought it would,” she explains.
Located in Leixlip, Co Kildare, this one-woman empire includes 300 students, ranging from ages three to 18. “I started teaching here because I was born and bred here and musical theatre was vibrant here,” she says. Drama classes include a mix of improvisation, mime, public speaking and yearly stage performances. Students also embark on performance and verse/prose-based exams graded by the London Academy of Dramatic Arts in order to achieve certification for future dramatic studies.
Dancing consists of modern hip-hop, disco and jazz ballet, and keeps with more popular trends in choreographed music — such as those of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé. Singing students are also professionally trained by voice coaches in preparation for their yearly show. “We do a lot of performance by way of shows and displays,” she remarks. “I don’t generally go into competitions as I feel it creates the wrong type of competitive environment in the school.”
This year TheatreWorX — and all 300 students — performed My Little Broadway live at the Helix at DCU in May. The show included extracts from four different musicals — Chicago, Grease, Les Miserables and Fairytale Fiasco — to allow for 45 principle parts and 290 supporting cast members. “It’s exciting when you see them getting ready and telling their parents and grandparents that they are in a show tonight,” Claire reflects.
Some TheatreWorX students have also gone on to further professional success. One of the school’s first pupils, Ella Fitzpatrick, won a place at the prestigious London Academy of Dance and recently returned home to star in Singing in the Rain at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. TheatreWorx is extremely proud of her achievements and is delighted to have provided the stepping-stones in early community theatre for her later achievements.
Claire is no stranger to success herself. She comes from a musical family. Her parents, aunts and uncles are founders of The Leixlip Musical and Variety Group, which celebrates 25 years in community entertainment this year. “I was a wee baby growing up with that, people go to the shops I go to the group. It’s never been out of my life. I have performed about four times a year since I was a child with the group.”
As a result, she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Award from the Amateur Irish Musical Society for her role as Anita in West Side Story. She also appeared in 30 performances of the June Rodgers Show at the Red Cow Hotel in 2004, as a performer/dancer/singer and her next project is establishing a child casting agency whereby production companies will include her school in their search for creative talent. “I would love the chance to get the kids into auditions because their talent continuously astounds me. I am hoping Claire Tighe TheatreWorX will become a household name like Billy Barry. I would like to open more schools around Dublin.”
No doubt community theatre is an important stepping stone for children displaying talent in performance. In a world where nothing seems impossible, it offers Irish children an opportunity to explore their imaginations, exercise, express themselves and more importantly keeps them active and off the streets.