A question of taste - Des Keogh

Des Keogh, 81, was born in Birr, Co Offaly, and worked for Guinness for three years before becoming a fulltime actor and presenter in 1963. He’s currently touring in the The Quiet Land by Malachy McKenna, which will run at Cork Arts Theatre from Tuesday, April 11 to Thursday 13.

Best recent book you’ve read: Night School by Lee Child. Aficionados will know that this is the most recent Jack Reacher thriller. As far as I’m concerned, Reacher can do no wrong. He is the great tough-guy hero who can solve all wrongs.

Best recent film: La La Land. This is the best partly because it’s the only recent film I have seen. However, I did enjoy it greatly. It reminded me of the great Hollywood musicals I used to enjoy so much. Pity about the big mix-up (mess-up!) on Oscar night.

Best recent show or exhibition you’ve seen: A few years ago my wife Geraldine and I were in Paris and we saw an exhibition of impressionist painters which made a lasting impression (pardon the pun!) on me. My favourite was Monet who painted those amazing water-lily panels. We bought a print which we have on one of our walls at home.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old): Symphony no.5 Reformation by Mendelssohn. I heard a stunning performance of this by the Irish Chamber Orchestra a week or so ago. It is also one of the works on a new CD by the I.C.O. under the direction of Jorg Widmann. This is not one of Mendelssohn’s most popular works but its contrasting movements have all the lightness and sonority of which this genius was capable.

First ever piece of music or theatre or film that really moved you: A piece of music that will always be special to me is the ‘Overture to The Thieving Magpie’ by Rossini. This was the first piece I ever heard played by a symphony orchestra. An aunt of mine, who was a musician, brought me to the old Theatre Royal in Dublin to hear the Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. My love of orchestral music was born and thrived from then on.

Tell us about your TV viewing: I watch sports quite a lot. Rugby and tennis are my favourites. In the fiction line I love dramas about American politics, eg The West Wing and House of Cards.

Radio listening: I like Sean O’Rourke in the mornings and Mary Wilson in the afternoon.

What are your three favourite actors’ performances of all time: Alec Guinness in the film Kind Hearts and Coronets. Michael MacLiammoir in his one-man show The Importance of Being Oscar.

Peter O’Toole in Juno and the Paycock by Sean O’Casey.

You’ve met and worked with huge names over the years, what was your best encounter: I met Lauren Bacall (Betty to her friends) at a function in New York. I was overawed, having worshipped her in the old black and white films when she starred opposite Humphrey Bogart and other legends. She was charming.

You can portal back to any period of human cultural history — where, when, and why: I would like to portal back to 13th. April 1742, when Handel’s Messiah was first performed in Dublin. That must have been some exciting occasion and I would certainly have left my sword at home, as requested!

Unsung hero — individual, organisation or group you think don’t get the profile/praise they deserve: The Irish Chamber Orchestra does not get the praise, recognition or support in Ireland that it deserves. It can fill concert halls and receive rave reviews in Europe and the US but struggles to attract large audiences at home.

You are king for a day — what’s your first decree: My first decree might be that it would no longer be considered incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition.

That would be the sort of attitude which I would not put up with.