Theatre for all of these characters they have a sense of humour. When I ask her what drew her to the job in particular, Crotty hoots. Its a no-brainer. I mean, Conor is an extraordinary writer. Its a luxury offer. Its not really about being drawn to it, its more the kind of thing youd crawl over people for, commit a few kidnaps for! The others are similarly enthusiastic, with Kearns proclaiming that its the stuff you dream about. Theyre all excited to be working on such rich material and they have genuine affection for their characters, messed up as they may be. Crotty recalls a friend coming to see the show during one of the earliest performances in London, when she was still finding her feet in the role, and asking why her character Elizabeth doesnt just leave the abject situation shes found herself in. I thought, Leave and go where? Do what?, says Crotty. I think we can delude ourselves that there are so many options, even now, that people can choose their lives and just remake them as they please. The Brightening Airs female characters are largely out of options and theyre just trying to find a way to survive, whether that means reciting train timetables aloud like neurodivergent Billie or becoming romantically involved with an older local businessman like Freya. Roddys Lydia is tragically optimistic, even as she remains married to a man who cares so little for her. I really like her sense of hope, Roddy says of her character. Shes always coming in with the solution, shes keeping the ball in the air but the thing that she wants is the thing thats going to cage her. Its like her sense of hope is the thing thats going to deflate her. We move on to talk about the options available for female theatre practitioners in Ireland today. Its been over a decade since the #WakingTheFeminists campaign was formed in response to the Abbey Theatres male-dominated 2016 programme (which featured only one play written by a woman) with women in Irish theatre demanding and gaining better representation. Crotty was heavily involved at the time, speaking at the public meeting held at Abbey Theatre that galvanised the movement. Irish theatre has changed in the years since: Roddy points out that the two biggest theatres in Dublin now have female artistic directors Róisín McBrinn at the Gate and Caitríona McLaughlin at the Abbey. Things have changed for the better overall, agrees Crotty but its a case of some down, plenty more to do. Looking back, shes struck by how being part of such a large movement a critical mass, an avalanche as she puts it allowed for a collective boldness. I dont think that has lasted, she says ruefully. Theatre is a small, very personal business ... Each of these women are very aware that theyre in a profession that offers little security: as an actor, even when youre as talented and garlanded as these women are, youre waiting to be chosen, as Crotty puts it. You get chosen every time or not chosen, she says. Youre on the list or youre not on the list. Gilmore has founded her own film and TV production company with her friend and fellow actor Fionnuala Gygax, as a way of having more control over her own career. An actor can be the cream of the crop for a time, but then youre out of the building, she says. You can feel disposable. So I thought producing work could feel more stable and rewarding. As Derbhle says, youre chosen or not chosen, and I was not chosen for a long time, so I chose myself, she reflects. I started writing vehicles for me but then go, hang on a minute, having a voice is addictive. Because, as an actor, youre a vessel for a vision. If you start writing, you realise, Oh, I have things in me that I want to say. Then more and more ideas come. The last time Roddy was on the Gate stage was during the spring covid lockdown in 2021 the stalls were empty and The Visiting Hour, a care home drama co-starring Stephen Rea, was streamed to audience members who were watching the live show on their laptops. It was a project that she spearheaded. Stephen and myself had worked together a few times, and I rang him during lockdown, and we talked about how we should do a two-hander. So we asked Frank McGuinness to write us a play! she remembers, almost amused by her own audacity. Its funny when youre backed up against the wall you realise your capacity, because otherwise you just have to wait for a phone call ... Kearns creates her own work on social media she has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok who are there for her humorous short form content. Her recent video about the specific type of plastic bowl that has multiple uses in an Irish home (popcorn receptacle, vessel to catch leaks, reservoir for childrens vomit, etc) has been viewed millions of times. Her social media success provides a welcome source of income that keeps her afloat when shes not earning from acting work. However, she thinks the pressure for actors to have a large social media following its not unheard of for commercial TV and theatre projects to enquire about a potential stars social media following before casting them is bullshit. I loved the way Paul [Mescal], just as he got really big, deleted all his public social media because you shouldnt have to have it, she says. Social media can feel toxic for actors, Kearns observes. Theres a lot of comparing, especially in those times when you havent been chosen, and youre thinking, Oh my god, theyre doing this and I didnt get seen for that. It can be really hard. I dont think actors should have to be on social media, and have a certain number of followers. Thats just crazy. Roddy and Crotty stay off social media and Gilmore is on Instagram but has conflicted feelings about it. Its almost like its like a fake simulation version of yourself, she says. Its you, if life went really well all the time. As we prepare to wrap up the interview, talk turns to the next few weeks and the upcoming rehearsal period. Roddy and Gilmore are new in the roles, while most of the rest of the cast, including Chris ODowd and Brian Gleeson, performed in the show in London. Its like coming on at half time in a football match, jokes Roddy. But you know the team are already winning with this production. Youre coming in with less rehearsal time, and with people who already know it, says Gilmore. So it feels exposing and thrilling at the same time. You just have to throw yourself in. She met McPherson recently and confessed that she was feeling apprehensive about the task ahead. He said, Thats like me every time I sit down to write something. Crotty tells them about a warm-up ritual the London cast carried out before each performance. They would gather on stage before the audience had been admitted to the theatre and sing a song one cast member had chosen before each performance: We would be on stage singing and dancing, and its a cool thing to be on a stage when the stalls are empty and ushers are checking for the last bits of rubbish and practising the fire announcements. Its special. She hopes to continue the tradition alongside Roddy and Gilmore in Dublin. The Brightening Air is at the Gate Theatre from July 17. Its like her sense of hope is the thing thats going to deflate her. THE GLOSS MAGAZINE July/August 2026 37 PERFECT PICNICS / EARTHY SCENTS / OUTDOOR DRINKS / SUMMER READING / GARDEN TO PLATE / CULTIVATING STYLE / STARGAZING MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2026 with THE IRISH TIMES LET NATURE IN .thegloss.ie ww w Frieda Gormley in Cornwall summer in the garden CATHERINE FITZGERALD IN BALLYFIN Contents IN THIS ISSUE THE GLOSS MONTHLY REMINDER SIGN UP to receive a monthly reminder by email when THE GLOSS is out so that you never miss an issue. Simply register your details on WWW.THEGLOSS.IE. EDITOR JE NNIFE R STE V E NS D EP UT Y ED IT OR S Í O MHA CO NNO LLY S TYLE E D I T O R AISLI Advertorial Q&A At Close Range Y Perfumer and Founder of Cloon Keen, Margaret Mangan our favourite virtue Every business is an act of imagination that conjuresafuturethatdoesntyetexist.Hopeisthevirtuethatpushes you to evolve, shaping yourself and your work to meet that vision. 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She speaks of putting their home up as collateral for their business, of wresting control back from a private equity fir Theatre CENTRE STAGE Lynn Enright meets actors Derbhle Crotty, Judith Roddy, Aisling Kearns and Kate Gilmore to discuss their roles in Conor McPhersons latest masterpiece, The Brightening Air PHOTOGRAPH BY DOREEN KILFEATHER T here were self-actualised women living impressive, independent lives in Theatre for all of these characters they have a sense of humour. When I ask her what drew her to the job in particular, Crotty hoots. Its a no-brainer. I mean, Conor is an extraordinary writer. Its a luxury offer. Its not really about being drawn to it, its more the kind of thing youd crawl over p Travel Travel Notes Ard na Sidhe Country House Hotel. Penny McCormick joins the growing band of star trekkers and astro tourists The gardens. A garden terrace room. 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A walled garden, a fouracre field plot Wine Brighter & Lighter Julie Dupouy finds affordable pairings for picnics I rish summer always feels slightly borrowed it never seems to last long enough. The moment the sun appears, the entire country slips into a kind of joyful frenzy to catch every possible ray of light. Parks and beaches s Food A Walk In The Park Kitty Coles knows how to pack a perfect picnic E veryones idea of a picnic is different. In Ireland, a picnic tends to mean sandwiches sweating in foil, crisps, supermarket sausage rolls, tubs of coleslaw, perhaps some strawberries, and warm canned drinks. Otherwise known Books Reading Notes Sarah Halliwell on the best books for summer S pend your summer indulging in new arrivals from some of the very best international writers this summer, from Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (Fleet, €19) to Ben Lerners highly acclaimed Transcription (Grant, €18), another novel Books How I Write IMANI THOMPSON London-based Imani Thompson won the Vogue new writers prize in 2019 as an undergraduate at Cambridge University. Her debut novel, the darkly funny and vicious Honey, triggered a ten-way auction and has already sold in ten languages. Honey (The Borough Press) is out This Glossy Life At Ballyfin, Catherine FitzGerald is quietly rewilding one of Irelands grandest estates, blending romance, restraint and a deep reverence for landscape. Deirdre McQuillan speaks to the designer PHOTOGRAPHS BY VERONIKA FAUSTMANN T SLOW AND SUBTLE he great thing about Ballyfin is This Glossy Life London-based architect Mark Lutyens (great-great-nephew of the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens) have included Hillsborough and Glenarm Castles in Northern Ireland, a Physic Garden in Edinburgh, as well as small private London gardens. The love of gardening was fostered growing u This Glossy Life Other plans include planting ornamental trees, cherries and crab apples beyond the cascade as our mission is to bring things into focus, to soften, to make it more inviting. Bordering the mown paths with blossoming trees and more bulbs will blend in with the greenery. She also want Wholefoods Supplements Natural Skincare Earth Friendly Products Try this Fibraed r ich Summer Sal up Build your s e p i c Re Wholefood ingredients for feel-good cooking Find us in selected Dunnes Stores across Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Naas and Tralee NOURISH.IE