About Angela Newman
Angela Newman comes from a long line of theatre people on both sides of her family, her great grandmother on her mother's side was an opera singer who married Michael Casey (composer of 'Mick McGilligans ball) Their son, Michael 'Gerry' Casey , played saxophone with the 'Blarney Ceili Band', and joked in later life that he'd ' lost his sax appeal' he also worked continuously with the 'Barrack Street Band' and performed in many fundraising gigs for the construction of the New Opera House. Michael 'Gerry' Casey composed a song for Cork 800 'Cork my Home' in the early eighties which is now featured on the 'Cork Capital of Culture' 2005 CD. Angela's uncles were all musical and Michael Casey jnr, who worked at R.T.E. radio in Dublin for many years has done arrangements for 'The Vard Sisters' and 'The Celtic Tenors' to name a few. Her mother Mary took the road less traveled in her family and chose behind the scenes, costume design and creation are her field, although she has been known to put on a pair of tap shoes on occasion. When she married Angela's Father in 1977, it was the merging of two great Cork theatre families.
Her Father Jim Newman who is well known in theatre circles all over Ireland, parents were both performers with a genuine passion for the arts , like Michael 'Gerry' Casey, Billy Newman her other grandfather, was very involved in the fundraising for the Opera House, and played many small roles with 'Carl Clopet Opera company', performed in the Everyman Theatre Companies first production and helped run the Cork Film Festival for several years. Like on the Casey side most of her uncles and aunts were theatrical, but only her father took it up as a full time professional, again behind the scenes as a stage manager/set builder, he set up his set construction company in the late 90's 'Ready Set', he has worked with, 'The National Theatre Company', 'The Russian Ballet','The Royal Shakespearean Company' and hundreds more, as a stage manager. More recently he has branched out into writing and directing plays.
So is it any wonder Angela turned out the way she did.
Angela herself has been performing for over 17 years, she began her training with the 'Montfort College of Performing Arts', whom she has since taught for, and moved on to 'Cork Arts studio' in 1996. She appeared in various pantomimes such as 'Sleeping Cutie', 'Babes in the Wood' and 'Humpty Dumpty', numerous variety shows and musicals including the Irish premiere’s of 'A Chorus Line' and 'Fame'. She toured to Rennes, France, with 'Joseph and his amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' before attending 'Stella Mann college of performing arts' in London in 1998, on her return she performed in the 'Wizard of Oz' and played Sister Leo in 'Nunsense'. She then went on to do summer seasons 2000 and 2001 in NY, with 'Montauk Theatre Productions' were she had the time of her life, meeting musical theatre legends such as Luigi and Liza Minelli and playing the lead roles in 'Indian Fields', 'The Gospel According to Broadway' and 'The Show of the Century'.
Angela then spent 2 years singing and playing multiple parts at 'Bunratty' and 'Dunguaire' Castles. She landed the role of Nash in the all female 'Reservoir Dogs' in Brisbane, Australia. Her father Jim has written two plays especially for her 'Three Piece Sweet', where she played Sophie and 'The Four F's', or the long version of the name 'The Extraordinary Meeting for the Forum of Fantasy and Fairytale Creatures' in which she played a tooth fairy with a hidden agenda and a large bank balance.
Some of her more recent credits include Dancer in Bluemouth Inc's Dance Marathon, Beatrice Meldrum in Hugh Leonards Time Was,Peggy in 'Dark Week' and Didley (Ugly Sister) in 'Fairytale of Cork'. Her television and film credits include 'Grey' (RED11) and (BBC) series 'Falling for a Dancer', where she got to work with Colin Farrell. Angela has performed in the 40th anniversary show for the Opera House and the 100th anniversary show for the Everyman Palace Theatre in 1997 and was honoured to be among the first cast to tread the boards in the newly renovated Cork Arts Theatre in November 2006 when she played Jane Murphy in Patrick Galvin's 'The Cage'.
She has recently Directed her First Opera for Bilou Opera Susannas Secret and was assistant Director on An enchanted Evening, which was the 45th anniversary celebration show for The Montfort Stage school, which had 159 people in the cast, arguably Cork's largest ever production.
Chattyboo productions is a dream come true for Angela. She studied Arts administration at Colaiste Stiofain Noafa, in 2000, and put her knowledge of the theatre to good use, while planning/writing and performing an educational piece, for the opening of the new creche at the college. She discovered she had a passion for teaching while at C.S.N. and has been teaching dance and drama and directing school and community shows ever since. Other aspects of theatre Angela has been involved in are clowning/balloon modeling, face painting, costume design/research, lighting/sound operation, set construction/design/painting and producing.
Since The Inception of Chattyboo Productions Angela has played Gwendolyn Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest, Aoife in The Children of Lir, Deirdre in Deirdre of Sorrows, Catherine in Acting Up, Caressa Balsac in Babes in the Wood (the adult panto) and has directed J.B.Keanes Moll for the company.
Her Father Jim Newman who is well known in theatre circles all over Ireland, parents were both performers with a genuine passion for the arts , like Michael 'Gerry' Casey, Billy Newman her other grandfather, was very involved in the fundraising for the Opera House, and played many small roles with 'Carl Clopet Opera company', performed in the Everyman Theatre Companies first production and helped run the Cork Film Festival for several years. Like on the Casey side most of her uncles and aunts were theatrical, but only her father took it up as a full time professional, again behind the scenes as a stage manager/set builder, he set up his set construction company in the late 90's 'Ready Set', he has worked with, 'The National Theatre Company', 'The Russian Ballet','The Royal Shakespearean Company' and hundreds more, as a stage manager. More recently he has branched out into writing and directing plays.
So is it any wonder Angela turned out the way she did.
Angela herself has been performing for over 17 years, she began her training with the 'Montfort College of Performing Arts', whom she has since taught for, and moved on to 'Cork Arts studio' in 1996. She appeared in various pantomimes such as 'Sleeping Cutie', 'Babes in the Wood' and 'Humpty Dumpty', numerous variety shows and musicals including the Irish premiere’s of 'A Chorus Line' and 'Fame'. She toured to Rennes, France, with 'Joseph and his amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' before attending 'Stella Mann college of performing arts' in London in 1998, on her return she performed in the 'Wizard of Oz' and played Sister Leo in 'Nunsense'. She then went on to do summer seasons 2000 and 2001 in NY, with 'Montauk Theatre Productions' were she had the time of her life, meeting musical theatre legends such as Luigi and Liza Minelli and playing the lead roles in 'Indian Fields', 'The Gospel According to Broadway' and 'The Show of the Century'.
Angela then spent 2 years singing and playing multiple parts at 'Bunratty' and 'Dunguaire' Castles. She landed the role of Nash in the all female 'Reservoir Dogs' in Brisbane, Australia. Her father Jim has written two plays especially for her 'Three Piece Sweet', where she played Sophie and 'The Four F's', or the long version of the name 'The Extraordinary Meeting for the Forum of Fantasy and Fairytale Creatures' in which she played a tooth fairy with a hidden agenda and a large bank balance.
Some of her more recent credits include Dancer in Bluemouth Inc's Dance Marathon, Beatrice Meldrum in Hugh Leonards Time Was,Peggy in 'Dark Week' and Didley (Ugly Sister) in 'Fairytale of Cork'. Her television and film credits include 'Grey' (RED11) and (BBC) series 'Falling for a Dancer', where she got to work with Colin Farrell. Angela has performed in the 40th anniversary show for the Opera House and the 100th anniversary show for the Everyman Palace Theatre in 1997 and was honoured to be among the first cast to tread the boards in the newly renovated Cork Arts Theatre in November 2006 when she played Jane Murphy in Patrick Galvin's 'The Cage'.
She has recently Directed her First Opera for Bilou Opera Susannas Secret and was assistant Director on An enchanted Evening, which was the 45th anniversary celebration show for The Montfort Stage school, which had 159 people in the cast, arguably Cork's largest ever production.
Chattyboo productions is a dream come true for Angela. She studied Arts administration at Colaiste Stiofain Noafa, in 2000, and put her knowledge of the theatre to good use, while planning/writing and performing an educational piece, for the opening of the new creche at the college. She discovered she had a passion for teaching while at C.S.N. and has been teaching dance and drama and directing school and community shows ever since. Other aspects of theatre Angela has been involved in are clowning/balloon modeling, face painting, costume design/research, lighting/sound operation, set construction/design/painting and producing.
Since The Inception of Chattyboo Productions Angela has played Gwendolyn Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest, Aoife in The Children of Lir, Deirdre in Deirdre of Sorrows, Catherine in Acting Up, Caressa Balsac in Babes in the Wood (the adult panto) and has directed J.B.Keanes Moll for the company.