Rosalind Scanlon

Biography Rosalind Scanlon

Rosalind Scanlon has been a professional Playwright and Theatre Director for over 25 years. She was Artistic Director of The Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith (from 1995- 2009) and Associate Director at The Waterman’s Arts Centre (from 1983–86.) She is currently ‘Artistic Director’ of Irish Repertory Theatre Co UK. She has written and directed a large number of Irish theatre productions, including the hit show ‘Dance Hall Days’, which had three sell out runs at The Riverside Studios (2003, 2004, 2006) The show featured a large cast of professional Irish actors working alongside community players and a live Irish band. Her other plays at Riverside Studios include the hit shows ‘Molly Malone The Musical’ (2003.) ‘Under My Two Bare Feet’ (1996,) ‘Up On Maiden’s Hill’(1995,) ‘Rouge, Rifles and Revolvers’ (2010.) Her play ‘Simples of The Moon,’ about the tragic life of Lucia Joyce was produced at The Chichester Festival Theatre and The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith (1993) and it was recently produced at The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith in 2018; Her one woman show ‘Sheehy-Skeffington Reminiscences of An Irish Suffragette’ was produced at London’s Tabard Theatre and Waterman’s Arts Centre and was acclaimed at The Dublin Theatre Festival (1989.) In 2016 Rosalind re-developed the the script and it returned to The Tabard Theatre for a three week run. It also had runs at The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith and at The New Theatre Dublin in 2018. Rosalind’s play with music, ‘Loving Daniel’ about the fans of Irish Crooner, Daniel O Donnell, was produced at the New Wimbledon Theatre in 2015, it featured a cast of nine older Irish Women. Rosalind wrote and directed the large scale community play ‘Wash House Stories’, a site specific show, which re-enacted a day in Fulham’s former public wash-house (2013.) The play was reproduced on the site of Fulham Wash house in 2016. Her play ‘Digging for Victory, a Tribute To The Land Girls of World War II’ was performed at The Emerald Community Space, Hammersmith and it toured community centres and venues (2010) Her community play ‘A Night At The Knitting Ring’ was performed by a cast of older Irish women at The Irish Cultural Centre in 2008. Her play ‘One Long Day’ about a day in the life of a chainstore girl was produced at The Man In The Moon Theatre (1983) and ‘Avon A Callin’ was produced at The Old Red Lion Theatre (1984) It was also performed at The Stage Door Festival in Amsterdam
She also directed the film The Road To Knock, (2008) which starred a large cast of Irish community actors; In 2018 a feature documentary ‘The Knitting Ring’ was produced, which focussed on Rosalind’s work.
Rosalind has also directed many of Ireland’s classic plays, including J.B Keane’s ‘Sive’ (Riverside 2004,) ‘Sharon’s Grave’ (Riverside 2005, ) Patricia Bourke Brogan’s ‘Eclipsed’ (Riverside 1999 & 2000) Brian Friel’s ‘Lovers’ (Irish Cultural Centre 2007) and J.M. Synge’s ‘Riders To The Sea’ (Irish Cultural Centre 2008) She was Co-Director with Adrian Dunbar on the play ‘Brendan At The Chelsea’ (Riverside 2009.)

Alongside her theatre work, Rosalind has also been a major Producer of Irish Arts Festivals and Events. She was the Director of ‘Siamsa Cois Uisce – Festival Beside The Water’, a three week long celebration of Irish arts at The Waterman’s Arts Centre (1986 and 1987.) Director of the acclaimed Festival ‘A Sense of Ireland 1988’ at The Riverside Studios. Producer of The Brian Keenan Trust Concert at The Point Depot (1990.) While in post as A.D. of The Irish Cultural Centre, she established London’s Annual Irish Book Fair and Irish Literature Festival and she was Director of The Celtic Heart Festival, (ICC and Riverside 2007 & 2008.) In 1989, Rosalind won The Irish Post Award’ for her contribution to Irish Arts in The UK. Most recently 2021 Rosalind wrote the script for ‘Hanna and Me’ a Drama – Documentary about the Ireland’s Activist and Suffragette Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, to be screened in 2021.