Julie Kelleher: The drama of running a theatre

RUNNING a theatre can be a juggling act.

Twelve months into her role as artistic director of Cork’s Everyman, Julie Kelleher is conscious of the need to present popular events, such as concerts and comedy, as well as more serious theatre. That mix is what the Everyman is known for, says the 32-year-old who is the theatre’s youngest ever artistic director, and also an actor and director in her own right.

Kelleher is attuned to commercial realities and says keeping the doors of the theatre open is a challenge. “We have 650 seats. For an ordinary theatre show, we can probably only expect an audience of between 120 to 150 each night. That’s a struggle. We try all the time to improve this. But it’s a question of resources. There’s never a shortage of ideas here. It’s a question of trying to find the time and money to implement our ideas with a relatively small number of staff.”