Joint Artistic Directors
MUIREANN AHERN BIOG
Muireann Ahern is Joint Artistic Director of Theatre Lovett.
For Theatre Lovett she has directed; The Tin Soldier (Gate Theatre /Galway International Arts Festival), This Way to Christmas, The Festive Fox (National Concert Hall), Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel (Opera) in a co-production with the Irish National Opera and The Abbey Theatre (Winner of Irish Times Theatre Award 'Best opera - overall theatrical experience' 2020/2021), The Memory Bank, FRNKNSTN (Abbey Theatre, Tour 2020); They Called Her Vivaldi (Irish Tour, Abbey Theatre, USA/Canada Tour 2019); The True Story of Hansel and Gretel (Dublin Theatre Festival); Mr. Foley, The Radio Operator (Irish Tour); A Feast of Bones (Dublin Theatre Festival, UK tour); The House that Jack Filled (Dublin Theatre Festival, Baboró, Irish Tour) and she produced The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (originally produced by The Ark and Theatre Lovett) amongst several other productions. For Irish National Opera she co-directed The Patient Woman as part of their 20 Shots of Opera.
Muireann has over twenty five years' experience working in theatre for young audiences. Previously, she was Theatre Programmer and Producer at The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children and over a 7 year period, Muireann programmed the Family Season of the Dublin Theatre Festival and The Children’s Season of Dublin Dance Festival. Muireann has worked as an Education Director, Producer, Programmer and Lecturer. She has worked with The Abbey Theatre’s Outreach Department, TEAM Educational Theatre Company (Education Director for 7 years), Wet Paint Arts, RTÉ, TG4, The Department of Education and Skills and others. Muireann has been a lecturer in Drama at St Patrick’s teacher training college, Drumcondra and is a regular guest speaker on theatre for children at other third level colleges. She has led several Professional Development courses in theatre and drama for teachers and facilitates workshops with children of all ages.
Muireann was a committee member of Assitej Ireland (now TYA Ireland): a world network of theatre for children and young people. She was a member of the core working group on the published Artists~Schools Guidelines: ‘Towards Best Practice in Ireland’. She has been guest speaker at national and international conference focusing on ‘quality’ in theatre for young audiences. Muireann also works as a freelance consultant on theatre for children and young people. Muireann is a graduate of the Samuel Beckett Centre for Drama and Theatre Studies, Trinity College Dublin and also holds a HDip Education from TCD.
LOUIS LOVETT BIOG
Louis Lovett is Joint Artistic Director of Theatre Lovett.
For Theatre Lovett he has performed in The Tin Soldier, FRNKNSTN, They Called Her Vivaldi, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, Mr. Foley, The Radio Operator, A Feast of Bones, The House that Jack Filled and The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly (The Ark/Theatre Lovett). He has written The Tin Soldier, They Called Her Vivaldi and The True Story of Hansel and Gretel for the company. He leads Theatre Lovett’s unique actor training course Playing for your Audience which specialises in performing for young audiences. He has also offered masterclasses in this field across Ireland, New York, Cleveland, Sydney and elsewhere. Outside of Theatre Lovett, other acting work includes Dublin by Lamplight, The Seagull and Freefall (The Corn Exchange); The Train, Improbable Frequency, The Life of Galileo (Rough Magic); Bedroom Farce (The Gate Theatre); The Making of ‘Tis Pity she’s a Whore (Siren Productions); B for Baby (Best Actor Nominee, The Irish Times Theatre Awards 2010), Bookworms and She Stoops to Conquer (The Abbey Theatre); Slattery’s Sago Saga, The Butterfly Ranch (Performance Corporation); The White-Headed Boy, God’s Gift (Barabbas…the Company) and more.
Between 1996 and 2012, Louis performed in and directed several productions at The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children. He co-directed Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel (Opera) in a co-production with the Irish National Opera and The Abbey Theatre (Winner of Irish Times Theatre Award 'Best opera - overall theatrical experince' 2020/2021).
Television & Film work includes Fair City, Moone Boy, Stella Days, Killinascully, The Tudors, Showbands, Story Lane, The Morbegs. Radio: Eoin Colfer’s Noël and The Quest (Lyric FM); All that Fall, Embers (Gare St. Lazare Players Ireland / RTÉ Radio 1).
Testimonials
“Unquestionably Muireann has raised the standard for theatre for the young in this country.”
Marina Carr, Playwright
“Muireann Ahern has proven herself to be a pioneer of high quality work, radically raising the bar for theatre for children and young people in Ireland.”
Dr Fintan Walsh Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance at Birkbeck, University of London
“Muireann has an exceptional combination of skills that are rare in Ireland – and, it has to be, said, globally. She has presented papers at various world meetings and participated in panel discussions, specifically on theatre for young audiences. Muireann has brought fantastic creative leadership in theatre to The Ark.”
Eina McHugh, Former Director, The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children (2005-2015)
“Muireann has a thorough understanding of the needs of the performer and an excellent instinct for collaboration. I was able to trust her guidance in a way that made it possible to feel creatively free. Her comprehensive knowledge of children's developmental levels, cognitive abilities, theatre needs and sense of humour – and of logic - is a vital resource for the creative team"
Lynne Parker, Artistic Director Rough Magic Theatre Company
“Throughout pre-production and rehearsals I never once felt I had to compromise artistically and in open discussions about Carr's unique world, language and themes, I always felt reassured that Muireann's wealth of experience would sensitively guide and inform the project.”
Selina Cartmell, Director
“Muireann is an excellent programmer with a profound knowledge of Irish and international theatre for young audiences. Muireann is highly regarded by her international colleagues, both as a programmer and as a producer and has built up an extensive network of contacts across the world.”
Loughlin Deegan, Former Director Dublin Theatre Festival
“Lovett...one of the few actors to move effortlessly between theatre for young people and adults.”
Dr Fintan Walsh Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance at Birkbeck, University of London
“A dynamic, extraordinary performer, Louis demonstrates a level of physical awareness and ingenuity that places him in a class of his own among Irish actors.”
Annie Ryan, Artistic Director Corn Exchange
“Louis’ very special talent for working with children is internationally recognised. He is an artist of the highest integrity and a reflection of the very best of Irish creative talent.”
Arthur Lappin, Acting Director The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children 2012-2013
“Louis is a performer with consummate skills honed particularly for a children’s audience. He is sensitive to their needs, can adapt and engage as required. And they love him for it.”
Emer McGowan, Director Draiocht
“Mr. Lovett is an exemplary artist who performs with great care and sophistication, imbuing his work with warmth, humor and great skill.”
Mary Rose Lloyd, Director of Artistic Programming at The New Victory Theater, New York