Kate O’Toole is as passionate about acting today as she was the first time she trod the boards in Yale, nearly a quarter of a century ago.
True, she is the daughter of Peter O’ Toole and Sian Phillips and acting was always likely to be in the blood. As a child, however, it was never her amibition to follow in the footsteps of her parents. Nor did they ever push her in that direction.
Recently, O’Toole, who was born in Britain but lives in Galway, arrived in Dublin, to appear in Conal Morrison’s post-modern Hamlet, a highlight of the city’s theatre festival.
Now she is starring in the Abbey’s new production of Lennox Robinson’s Drama at Inish. After 25 years, how does she remain passionate about her craft?
“Losing one’s passion for one’s profession can be the clearest sign of ageing,” she says. “But one way I retain my interest is that I don’t believe in doing any play I don’t like.”
There are moments, particularly during the long commute home, when she wonders whether it is all worthwhile. Mostly, though, she maintains her enthusiasm.
A recent career highlight was her appearance in the Lyric Theatre, Belfast’s production of Neil La Bute’s “two-hander”, The Mercy Seat.
The drama was, she says, heavy but rewarding.
“Neil’s play was about September 11th and it’s a monster of a play to do because you’ve got the language of La Bute, which is a bit like David Mamet and has got certain rhythms and repetitions and is tricky enough.“
La Bute makes particular demands of the actor, she says. “There is a mountain of words to learn.”
The stripped down character of his plays and his relucenance to include intervals are further obstacles. “More than that, it’s a very painful play to do. Because it’s about the disintegration of a very bad relationship, set in the context of September 11th and I have friends who died in 9/11.
“So I had to put myself in that world, literally every night – coming on stage, covered in ash and then bursting up this disagreeable, horrible relationship.”
She enjoyed The Mercy Seat but is looking forward to the switch to comedy that Drama at Inish represents.
“It’s been years since I was in a comedy,” says Kate. “And Drama at Inish, in brief, is set in a small seaside village and a troupe of actors come for the summer season and their influence on the town is comic and disastrous. And I play the leading actress in this troupe, the De La Mare Repertory Company.”
The play is knowingly over the top, she explains.
“We’re really camping it up. But, sure, part of the joy is that we have an absolutely fantastic cast. We actually spent too much time during the rehearsal period laughing! Yet I would hope part of that our joy in even working together on Drama at Inish comes across in the production itself.”