A question of taste - Cork composer Irene Buckley

Cork-born composer Irene Buckley is the sound designer for the Everyman Theatre’s current production of Juno and the Paycock, running until February 20. The production sets Sean O’Casey’s classic play in Cork.

Best recent book: I really enjoyed The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It describes the creation of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where the architect Daniel H Burnham created his famous landscape of white buildings. The first Ferris Wheel was created for this fair, by the American engineer George Ferris. I’ve always had an interest in architecture so this book appealed to me, but there also is a very dark side to this particular story.

Best recent film: I absolutely loved The Revenant. It is equally beautiful as it is gruesome. The cinematography is stunning and was shot in natural light. I particularly enjoyed the soundtrack, which is something I am always aware of. It was composed by Bryce Dessner, Alvo Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto and are not normally associated with film scores. I find that composers who come from different backgrounds can often bring a fresh new element to film scores.