Interview: Niall Sheehy

Niall Sheehy is currently rehearsing for The Route To Happiness which runs at the Landor Theatre between 19th - 24th February. 

Last year Niall made it to the final eight on ITV’s Superstar. His theatre credits include understudying the roles of Fiyero and Doctor Dillamond in the West End production of Wicked, Spamalot (UK Tour), ANGLO: The Musical (Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin) and Snow White (Tivoli Theatre, Dublin).

Niall chats to West End Frame about starring in The Route To Happiness, life post Superstar and his hopes for the future...

Are you looking forward to starring in The Route to Happiness? 

Absolutely! Cassidy (Janson), Shona (White) and I have never worked together before and I had never met the writer, Alexander S. Bermange, either but it’s been such an enjoyable experience so far. It’s fun to be part of a small cast. I’m very nervous but also very excited to start performing the show and presenting something brand new. 

How are rehearsals going? 

Really great, it’s been a very open forum. Alexander has written a great piece but he’s also more than happy for us to suggest things and explore how different things work. The show allows us to all feed off each other and it has been lovely to rehearse with everyone. 

What can people expect from The Route to Happiness? 

The music is brilliantly written. It’s so varied and there are many different styles within the score. It tells its own story. There are some poppy musical theatre songs but there are also some beautiful songs with stunning three part harmonies. I’m certain that there will be something for everyone. The story revolves around three London based characters who come into the story from three different places in their lives. They’re all looking for different things – my character is looking for success and craves a highly paid successful job, Cassidy’s character is focused on finding fame and fortune while Shona’s character is desperate to meet the man of her dreams and settle down. While they’re all quite different, all three characters are very driven to achieve. 

What are the cast like to work with? 

It’s funny actually because all three of us have been in the West End production of Wicked but all at different times. Because there are only three of us we’ve got to know each other very quickly. The girls are great fun to work with, if I’m honest they’re both crazy... I usually feel like the weird one in the cast but they make me feel pretty sane (laughs). 

What has life been like post Superstar? 

It’s been great! I was so lucky to have such an amazing experience. I got to make a lot of great friends and work with some brilliant people. Recently I have been back in Ireland doing another new musical and then panto, so it’s so nice to come back to London and go straight into The Route To Happiness. I’ve been very busy but I’m still waiting to have an opportunity to join one of the big West End shows. I’ve got a couple of projects in the pipeline which will hopefully come together in the next couple of months... 

Are you still in touch with many of the other contestants? 

I am, although of course at the moment most of the guys are off doing their own thing all over the country. I stayed with Rory a few weeks ago for a weekend which was good fun. I also saw Ben play Brad in the Rocky Horror Show a couple of weeks ago and it was nice to have a drink and a catch up afterwards. Everyone’s always tweeting and texting each other, we’re very close as we are all in the same boat and went through the same experience together. 

What was the actual experience like? It must have been very tough performing live shows day after day? 

It was really tough for everyone. I fell a bit under the weather during the live shows which was hard. We had very long days, usually getting home around one o’clock in the morning and then we’d get up again at seven to rehearse all through the day so I think everyone started to get a bit run down. But it was an amazing experience, it’s very hard to explain because you have to have done it! 

When did you first decide that you wanted to become an actor? 

A very long time ago now! Back in Ireland I always did a lot of amateur dramatics and eventually I auditioned for a professional pantomime and got the part meaning I had to quit my job in sales. This made me decide I should give it a go and see how far I could get. I came to London and was lucky enough to get into Mountview. 

What advice would you give to any aspiring actors? 

I think the only advice anyone really needs is to just keep going! The best thing about being an actor is enjoying the job you’re doing, but the worst part is dealing will all the rejection. You always have to be realistic with yourself – like I know I’m never going to be in a ballet! 

Are there any roles you’ve got your eye on at the moment? I remember on Superstar there was a lot of talk about Marius in Les Miserables and Raoul in Phantom of the Opera... 

I would be honoured to play either of those roles but I try not to set my sights on just one part. For a start the part may not become available for some time, and even if it does there are so many people who audition. I just wait for the next thing to come along, I want to get the opportunity to play a lead role. 

Have you had the chance to see any other shows recently? 

I saw Billy Elliot the other night, my housemate Killian Donnelly is currently playing Tony and I hadn’t had the chance to see him in it yet. I hadn’t seen the show for a while and absolutely loved it, it is such a brilliant production. 

What would you like to say to everyone who has supported you throughout your career? 

I was blown away by the amount of support given throughout my time on Superstar, and even before then. I have got to say a massive thank you as I was truly humbled that people were behind me. Fingers crossed I will get the opportunity to play a role where people can come and watch me perform and I can thank everyone in person!

Interviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

andrew@westendframe.com

The Route To Happiness runs from Tuesday 19th to Sunday 24th February (Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Sunday at 2.30pm) at the Landor Theatre, 70 Landor Road, London SW9 9PH. Tickets are available by calling 020 7737 7276 or visiting www.bermange.co.uk.

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