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Olwen Fouéré (born 2 March 1954) is an Irish actress and writer/director in theatre, film and visual arts.[1] She was born in Galway, Ireland to Breton parents Yann Fouéré and Marie-Magdeleine Mauger.[2] In 2020, she was listed at number 22 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.[3]
As a freelance actress, Fouéré works internationally in English and French with numerous appearances at the Abbey Theatre, the Gate Theatre in Ireland, the Royal National Theatre in England, the Bouffes du Nord in Paris, at Brooklyn Academy of Music New York, Sydney Theatre Company Australia and Shakespeare Theatre Company. In 1980 she formed Operating Theatre, an avant-garde theatre company with composer Roger Doyle. She later established an artistic entity called TheEmergencyRoom for the development of her ongoing projects which have included the creation of her internationally acclaimed RIVERRUN (her adaptation of the voice of the river in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake); her staging of Lessness by Samuel Beckett (Barbican, Galway International Arts Festival and Project Arts Centre, Dublin); her translation and production of Danse, Morob, written for her by the French writer Laurent Gaudé and her translation and performances of Sodome, My Love (in association with Rough Magic) also by Laurent Gaudé; a film project co-directed by Kevin Abosch from a script by Anne Enright titled Cassandra:fragments of a playscript.
| Play | Role | Director | Author | Venue | Company | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Season | Winter | Danielle Micich | Sydney Festival Carriageworks | Force Majeure | 2021 | |
| Unwoman III | Unwoman (solo) | The Rabble | - | Dublin Fringe Festival and Melbourne | - | - |
| Ballyturk | 3 | Enda Walsh | Enda Walsh | Abbey Theatre 2017 and St Ann's Warehouse, New York | Landmark Theatre Productions and Galway International Festival | 2017, 2018 |
| What if Women Ruled the World? | The President | - | Yael Bartana | Manchester International Festival at Aarhus and Volksbuhne Berlin | - | - |
| Salome | Nameless Woman | - | Yaël Farber | - | Shakespeare Theatre Company Washington DC and National Theatre, London | - |
| Left Behind: Songs of 1916 Widows | Narrator | - | Simon O’Connor and Michelle O’Rourke | - | National Concert Hall, Dublin | - |
| The Fever | - | - | Fintan O’Toole | - | Belfast Festival | - |
| Death at Intervals | Death | Kellie Hughes | - | - | Galway International Festival / Dublin Theatre Festival | - |
| Embodied | Performer | Megan & Jessica Kennedy | - | Junk Ensemble Production | - | - |
| Riverrun | Solo performance | Olwen Fouéré (with co-director Kellie Hughes) | Olwen Fouéré | TheEmergencyRoom/
Galway International Arts Festival and international tour |
- | - |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Dr. Chausuble | Antony McDonald | Composer: Gerald Barry | NI Opera | - | - |
| A Tender Thing | Juliet | Selina Cartmell | - | Siren Productions | - | - |
| Maria de Buenos Aires | El Duende | Conor Hanratty | - | - | Cork Opera House | - |
| The Rite of Spring/Petrushka | the Cailleach | Michael Keegan-Dolan | - | English National Opera andSadler's Wells | - | - |
| The Taming of the Shrew | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| The Broken Heart | – | Mark O'Rowe | – | Various | Abbey Theatre World Tour | 2011 |
| Terminus | A | Mark O'Rowe | Mark O'Rowe | Various | Abbey Theatre World Tour | 2011 |
| The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane | Gertrude | Gavin Quinn | William Shakespeare | – | Pan Pan theatre | – |
| Medea | sole Chorus | Selina Cartmell | translated by Robin Robertson | – | Siren productions | – |
| Sodome, My Love | Celle de Sodome | Laurent Gaudé | Lynne Parker (translated by Olwen Fouéré) | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | – | – |
| The Rite of Spring | the Cailleach | Michael Keegan-Dolan | – | London Coliseum | Fabulous Beast and ENO | – |
| Under Glass (The Test Tube) | – | Suzy Willson and Paul Clark | Alice Oswald | – | Clod Ensemble | – |
| Paula Spencer, La Femme Qui Se Cognait Dans Les Portes | solo | Michel Abécassis | Roddy Doyle (translated by Ian Monk and Isabelle D. Phillippe) | Théatre de l'Eveil tour including Bouffes du Nord, Paris, and Project Arts Centre, Dublin | – | – |
| Woman and Scarecrow | Woman | Selina Cartmell | Marina Carr | Abbey Theatre | – | – |
| The Bull | Maeve | Michael Keegan-Dolan | – | Dublin Theatre Festival 2005, Barbicanbite 2007, speilzeiteuropa08 | Fabulous Beast | – |
| Catastrophe | The Assistant | Selina Cartmell | Samuel Beckett | Barbican | Gate Theatre Beckett Festival | – |
| Titus Andronicus | Tamora | Selina Cartmell | Shakespeare | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | Siren Productions | – |
| Here Lies | Antonin Artaud | Selina Cartmell | – | Galway Arts Festival 2005, Dublin and Paris 2006 | Operating Theatre | – |
| A Cry from Heaven | Ness | Olivier Py | Vincent Woods | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| The Plough and the Stars | Mrs Gogan | Ben Barnes | Seán O'Casey | Abbey Theatre, Barbicanbite and Cork Opera House | – | – |
| The Playboy of the Western World | Widow Quinn | Ben Barnes | John Millington Synge | Abbey Theatre (USA Tour) | – | – |
| Passades | self and explorer | Selina Cartmell | – | Lee's Cash 'n Carry, Dublin | Operating Theatre | – |
| La Musica | Woman | Selina Cartmell | Marguerite Duras | SS Michael and John, Dublin | Siren Productions | – |
| The House of Bernarda Alba | Augustine | Martin Drury | Federico Garcia Lorca, trans. Sebastian Barry | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Michael Barker-Caven | Shakespeare | Dublin and Irish tour | Second Age | – |
| Lessness | solo | Judy Hegarty-Lovett | Samuel Beckett | Gare StLazare Irl | Kilkenny Arts Festival, Cottesloe Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival | – |
| Bailegangaire | Dolly | Tom Murphy | Tom Murphy | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Chair | solo | Johnny Hanrahan | Operating Theatre | Peacock Theatre, Dublin | Operating Theatre | – |
| The Playboy of the Western World | Pegeen Mike | Niall Henry | John Millington Synge | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Peer Gynt | Solveig | Conal Morrison | Henrik Ibsen (trans. Frank McGuinness) | Royal National Theatre, London | – | – |
| Romeo and Juliet | Lady Capulet | Tim Supple | Shakespeare | Royal National Theatre, London | – | – |
| The Tempest | Ariel | Conal Morrison | Shakespeare | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Life Is a Dream | Rosaura | Calixto Bieto | Caldéron de la Barca (translated by John Clifford) | Edinburgh Festival '98, Barbican '99, BAM,'99 | – | – |
| The Wake | Mary Jane | Patrick Mason | Tom Murphy | Abbey Theatre and Edinburgh Festival | – | 1988–1999 |
| By the Bog of Cats (World Premiere) | Hester Swane | Patrick Mason | Marina Carr | Abbey Theatre (Dublin Theatre Festival '98) | – | 1988 |
| Angel/Babel | solo | Leon Ingulsrud | Operating Theatre | Project@the mint, Dublin | Operating Theatre | 1999 |
| Lady Windermere's Fan | Mrs Erlynne | Alan Stanford | Oscar Wilde | Gate Theatre Dublin and Charleston Spoleto Festival | Company | 1997–1998 |
| The Electrocution of Children | Margot | Brian Brady | Chris Lee | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards | Empress and Moon | John Crowley | Chikamatsu Montsaemon, trans. Peter Oswald | Royal National Theatre | – | – |
| Play and Come and Go | – | Bairbre Ni Chaoímh | Samuel Beckett | Gate Theatre and Lincoln Center, New York | – | – |
| Double Helix | Bickerstaffe | John Crowley | – | Peacock Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Six Characters in Search of an Author | Mme. Pace | John Crowley | Luigi Pirandello, trans. Tom Kilroy | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Slaughter City | Cod | Ron Daniels | Naomi Wallace | – | Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit | – |
| The Mai (World Premiere ) | The Mai | Brian Brady | Marina Carr | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | Company | Year |
| Old Times | Anna | Kevin Billington | Harold Pinter | Gate Theatre, Dublin | Gate Theatre Pinter Festival | – |
| Sheep's Milk on the Boil | The Inspector of Wrack | Tom Hickey | Tom Mac Intyre | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | – | – |
| Hamlet | Hamlet | Michael Sheridan | Shakespeare | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | – | – |
| The Tempest and Macbeth | Ariel and Lady Macduff | Michael Bogdanov | Shakespeare | World tour | English Shakespeare Company | – |
| The Cherry Orchard | Varya | Michael Bogdanov | Anton Chekhov | Gate Theatre, Dublin | ||
| Salome | Salomé | Steven Berkoff | Oscar Wilde |
|
1988, 1989, 1990 | |
| The Master Builder | Hilde Wangel | Paul Unwin | Henrik Ibsen | Bristol Old Vic, Bristol | 1989 | |
| Dancing at Lughnasa | Agnes | Patrick Mason | Brian Friel | Phoenix and Garrick Theatre, London | – | – |
| The Master Builder | Hilde | Paul Unwin | Henrik Ibsen, trans. Michael Meyer | Bristol Old Vic | - | - |
| Bajazet | Atalide | Peter Eyre | Racine, trans. Allan Hollinghurst | Almeida Theatre, London | - | - |
| Cathleen Ni Houlihan & The Cuchulainn Cycle | Cathleen and Aoife | Jim Flannery | William Butler Yeats | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Peer Gynt | Solveig and Anitra | Patrick Mason | Henrik Ibsen, trans. Frank McGuinness | Gate Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Les Liaisons Dangereuses | La Presidente de Tourvel | Ben Barnes | Christopher Hampton (after Laclos) | Gate Theatre, Dublin | - | |
| Uncle Vanya | Sonya | Paul Unwin | Anton Chekhov | Gate Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Fool for Love | May | Ray Yeates | Sam Shephard | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Innocence | Caterina | Patrick Mason | Frank McGuinness | Gate Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| The Playboy of the Western World | Pegeen Mike | Garry Hynes | John Millington Synge | Druid Theatre New York Tour '86 | - | - |
| The Pantagonal Dream | solo | David Heap | Sebastian Barry | Damer Theatre, Dublin | Operating Theatre | - |
| The Diamond Body | solo | Brendan Ellis | Aidan Mathews | Dublin, Bush Theatre London '84, Avignon Festival’86, Glasgow Mayfest '87 | Operating Theatre | - |
| The Antigone | Antigone | Michael Scott | Aidan Mathews | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | |
| The Old Woman Broods | Kazimierz Braun | - | Tadeusz Rosewicz | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| Extremities | Marjorie | Julian Plunkett-Dillon | William Mastrosimone | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| The Morning After Optimism | Anastasia | Michael Scott | Tom Murphy | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| Three Bunches of Blood and a Lump of Fog | - | Michael Scott | Sean MacCarthy | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| Three Sisters | Irina | Stephen Rea | Anton Chekhov, trans. Brian Friel | Field Day 1981 | - | - |
| Twelfth Night | Viola | Christopher Fitzsimon | Shakespeare | Irish Theatre Company | - | - |
| Withering Hypes and Bubblegum | - | Thom MacGinty | - | - | Grapevine touring company | - |
| The Glass Menagerie | Laura | Paul Brennan | Tennessee Williams | Gate Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Riders to the Sea | Kathleen | Brendan Ellis | John Millington Synge | Players Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Not I | solo | Brendan Ellis | Samuel Beckett. | Focus Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| The Fall of the House of Usher | Madeleine | Peter Sheridan | Steven Berkoff (from Edgar Allan Poe) | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| The Hostage | Teresa | Sean Treacy | Brendan Behan | Project Arts Centre and Eblana Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Marat/Sade | Charlotte Corday | Michael Sheridan | Peter Weiss | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| Famine | Maeve | Tom Murphy | Tom Murphy | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| Dev | Mrs DeValera | Peter Sheridan | - | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| The Risen People | Annie | Jim Sheridan | James Plunkett | Project Arts Centre, Dublin | - | - |
| A Month in the Country | Vera | Mary Elizabeth Burke-Kennedy | Turgenev | Focus Theatre, Dublin | - | - |
| Endgame | Nell | Sean Treacy | Samuel Beckett | APE Theatre company, Dublin | - | - |
| The President | The First Lady | Tom Creed | Thomas Bernhard | Gate Theatre, Dublin and Roslyn Packer Theatre | Gate Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company | 2024 |
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Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | This Must Be the Place | Mary's mother[4] |
| 2012 | The Other Side of Sleep | Maggie[5] |
| 2015 | The Survivalist | Kathryn |
| 2017 | Beast | Theresa Kelly |
| 2018 | Mandy | Mother Marlene |
| Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | Melusine | |
| 2019 | Animals | Maureen[6] |
| Sea Fever | Ciara[7] | |
| 2020 | Zone 414 | Royale |
| 2021 | She Will | Jean |
| 2022 | Texas Chainsaw Massacre | Sally Hardesty |
| The Northman | Ashildur Hofgythja | |
| Joyride | Sideline Sue | |
| 2023 | All You Need Is Death | Rita Concannon |
| Catching Dust | Copperhead | |
| Falling Into Place | Judy[8] | |
| 2024 | Sunrise | Ma Reynolds[9] |
| Tarot | Alma Astryn[10] | |
| The Watchers | Madeline | |
| TBA | The Actor | Old Lady Track[11][12] |
| The Last Girl | Dottie Evans[13] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | A Painful Case | Mary Sinico | Television film |
| 1985 | The Irish R.M. | Miss Malone | Episode: "In the Curranhilty Country" |
| 1986 | Screen Two | Young Nun | Episode: "Time After Time" |
| 1987 | When Reason Sleeps | Celia Dunbar | Episode: "The Scar" |
| 1990 | Hard Shoulder | Ella Burke | Television film |
| 1996 | Ballykissangel | Sister | Episode: "Fallen Angel" |
| 1998 | The Ambassador | Television interviewer | Episode: "A Cluster of Betrayals" |
| 2010 | Above Suspicion | Mrs Hughes | Episode: "The Red Dahlia: Part 1" |
| 2018 | Nightflyers | Constance Brighthead | Episode: "The Sacred Gift" |
| 2020 | Brassic | Margaret | Episode: "The Intruder" |
| Cursed | Yeva | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | Derry Girls | Sheila | Episode: "The Haunting" |
| The Crown | Oonagh Shanley-Toffolo | Episode: "No Woman's Land" | |
| 2024 | The Tourist | Niamh Cassidy | 6 episodes |
| Halo | The Mother | 4 episodes |
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Olwen Fouéré features in several works by artist James Coleman which continue to be shown internationally. Their first collaboration So Different and Yet... was created in 1980. She worked with artist Andrew Duggan on "unravel_róis" on Inis Oirr, Dublin Biennial and University of Lyon. She collaborated with artist Jesse Presley Jones representing Ireland at the Venice Biennale 2017 on a film installation 'Tremble Tremble'.
Olwen Fouéré was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy - Honoris Causa) from Dublin City University in April 2016
- The Irish Times Theatre Awards Special Tribute 2013 for outstanding achievement and contribution to theatre in Ireland.
- The Herald Archangel Award 2014 for "riverrun" and her outstanding contribution to the Edinburgh Festivals.
- 'Best Actress' in the Irish Times/ESB theatre awards 2011 for "Sodome, My Love" by Laurent Gaudé produced by Rough Magic in association with TheEmergencyRoom
- 'Samuel Beckett Award' at the Dublin Theatre Festival for her role as Hester Swane in the world premiere of "By the Bog of Cats" by Marina Carr at the Abbey Theatre 1998.
- 'Best Actress' at the Dublin Theatre Festival 1982
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- IFTA nomination for 'Best Supporting Actress' in 'The Survivalist' by Stephen Fingleton
- 'Best Actress' in the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2013 for 'riverrun' by TheEmergencyRoom
- 'Best Actress' in the Harvey Awards 1985 for 'The Diamond Body' by Operating Theatre.
- 'Best Actress' in the Irish Times/ESB Theatre awards 1999 for 'By the Bog of Cats' by Marina Carr
- 'Best Actress' in the Irish Times/ESB Theatre awards 2000 for 'Angel/Babel' by Operating Theatre
- 'Best Actress' in the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2006 for 'Titus Andronicus' directed by Selina Cartmell.
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She has contributed to a number of publications on contemporary theatre and performance including:
- The Dreaming Body, edited by Melissa Sihra and Paul Murphy;[14]
- Women in Irish Drama, edited by Melissa Sihra [15]
- Actors Voices: the people behind the performances, edited by Patrick O'Kane [16]
- The Theatre of Marina Carr, edited by Cathy Leeney and Anna McMullan [17]
- Theatre Talk, edited by Lilian Chambers, Ger Fitzgibbon and Eamonn Jordan [18]
- Operating Theatre 1980–2008 [19]
A documentary of a year in her life, "Theatre in the Flesh" directed by Dara McCluskey, was produced for RTÉ's Arts Lives series in 2005.
- Olwen Fouére Official website
- Olwen Fouéré at IMDb
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