Enda Walsh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Enda Walsh
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Walsh at the 2024 Berlinale
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| Born | 7 February 1967 Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Playwright, screenwriter |
| Spouse | Jo Ellison |
Enda Walsh (born in 1967) is a famous Irish writer who creates plays for the stage and scripts for movies. He is known for his unique and imaginative stories.
Contents
About Enda Walsh
Enda Walsh was born in Kilbarrack, North Dublin, on February 7, 1967. He was one of six children. His father ran a furniture shop, and his mother used to be an actress. Enda says that many of his plays are inspired by his family and the people he grew up with.
He went to Greendale Community School, where he was taught by well-known writers Roddy Doyle and Paul Mercier. After studying communications and acting in youth theatre, Enda traveled around Europe. He worked as a film editor for a while.
When he returned to Dublin, he found it hard to get work. So, he moved to Cork and started acting for a theatre group called Graffiti Theatre. In 1993, he began working with Pat Kiernan and the Corcadorca group. This was a big step in his career. In 1996, his play Disco Pigs was first performed in Cork. This play helped him become known around the world for his writing for stage and screen. In 2005, Enda and his wife, Jo Ellison, moved to London. They live there with their daughter, Ada, and their dog, Alvin.
How He Works
Enda Walsh doesn't just write regular plays. He likes to mix different art forms. Early in his career, he would write music for some actors and dance parts for others. His works include musicals, an opera, art installations (which are like art exhibits you can walk through), and radio plays. Some of his radio plays were for RTÉ and the BBC.
Many of Enda's plays have been translated into more than 20 languages. They have been performed in many countries, including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Some of his well-known plays are Disco Pigs, Bedbound, Chatroom, and The Walworth Farce.
His play Ballyturk first showed in 2014. Famous actors like Cillian Murphy, Stephen Rea, and Mikel Murfi starred in it. It was performed in Dublin, Cork, and London. Later, it was shown again in Dublin and New York. The Gleeson family (Brendan, Domhnall, and Brian) also starred together in his play The Walworth Farce.
Enda also adapted Roald Dahl's book The Twits for the theatre in 2015. He wrote an opera called The Last Hotel with music by Donnacha Dennehy. This opera was performed in Edinburgh, Dublin, London, and New York. He even wrote a musical play with the famous musician David Bowie called Lazarus. It premiered in New York in 2015 and then in London in 2016.
The Galway International Arts Festival has featured some of Enda's unique art installations. These are special rooms where you can listen to audio stories. Examples include Room 303, A Girl's Bedroom, Kitchen, and Bathroom. These installations have also been shown in Washington and New York.
Enda wrote the story for the musical Sing Street, which is based on the popular film. This musical was set to open on Broadway but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also writes screenplays for films. He wrote the short film Not a Bad Christmas in 1999. He turned his play Disco Pigs into a movie. He also helped write the script for Hunger, a film directed by Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender. He adapted his play Chatroom for a film too. Enda is currently working on several new film projects, including an adaptation of a children's story called Island of the Aunts.
What His Plays Are About
Enda Walsh often says that his plays explore ideas of 'love' and the 'need for calm and peace'. He mentioned that his play Penelope is about 'longing, love, and lost love'. He also feels that all his plays are about 'theatre' itself and 'writing'.
He finds it interesting how people create 'routines' in their lives, sometimes to escape them. Enda is drawn to characters who are 'on the edge of madness' or have already entered it. He believes that we are all similar in some ways. He likes his plays to take place in a unique, imaginative world, where the audience learns the rules of that world and connects with the characters, even if they seem strange at first.
List of Works
Theatre
- Fishy Tales (1993)
- The Ginger Ale Boy (1995)
- Disco Pigs (1996)
- Sucking Dublin (1997)
- Misterman (1999)
- Bedbound (2000)
- Pondlife Angels (2005)
- Chatroom (2005)
- The New Electric Ballroom (2005)
- The Small Things (2005)
- The Walworth Farce (2006)
- How These Men Talk (2008)
- Lyndie's Gotta Gun (2008)
- Gentrification (2008)
- Delirium (2008) – based on Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov'
- The Man in the Moon (2009) – co-written with Jack Healy
- My Friend Duplicity (2010) – short play
- Penelope (2010)
- Sixty Six (2011) – a short piece for a project based on the King James Bible
- Once (2011) – Musical based on the film Once
- Misterman (revised version) (2011) – with music by Donnacha Dennehy
- Ballyturk (2014) – with Mikel Murfi, Cillian Murphy and Stephen Rea
- Room 303 (2014) – Art installation
- Lazarus (2015) – Musical written with David Bowie
- The Twits (2015) – Adaptation of Roald Dahl's book
- A Girl's Bedroom (2015) – Art installation
- The Last Hotel (2015) – Opera with music by Donnacha Dennehy
- Kitchen (2016) – Art installation
- Arlington (2016)
- Rooms (2016) – combines 'Room 303', 'A Girl's Bedroom', and 'Kitchen'
- The Same (2017)
- The Second Violinist (2017) – Opera with music by Donnacha Dennehy
- Bathroom (2017) – Art installation
- Grief Is the Thing with Feathers (2018) – Adaptation of Max Porter's novel
- Medicine (2021)
Film
- Not a Bad Christmas (1999) – short film
- Disco Pigs (2001)
- Hunger (2008)
- Chatroom (2010)
- Weightless (2018)
- Island of the Aunts – based on a children's story by Eva Ibbotson
- Jules in the City – based on the life and music of Rufus Wainwright
- Into that Darkness – about Franz Stangl
- The House (2022) – animated film
- Small Things like These (2024)
- Die, My Love (Coming Soon)
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (In Development)
Awards and Honors
Enda Walsh has won many awards for his plays and films:
Theatre
- Disco Pigs (1996): Won the George Devine Award and Stewart Parker Awards.
- Bedbound (2000): Won a Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Festival.
- The New Electric Ballroom (2005): Won Best Foreign Play in Germany and a Fringe First award.
- The Walworth Farce (2006): Won a Fringe First award.
- Penelope (2010): Won a Fringe First award.
- Misterman (2011): Cillian Murphy won Best Actor for his role.
- Once (2011): This musical won many major awards, including 8 Tony Awards (like Best Musical) and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
- Ballyturk (2014): Won Best Production at the Irish Times Theatre Awards.
- The Last Hotel (2015): Won Best Opera at the Irish Times Theatre Awards.
Film
- Not a Bad Christmas (1999): Won a Short Script Award.
- Hunger (2008): Won the Caméra d'Or (Best First Film) at the Cannes Film Festival and many other awards for Best Film.
- Chatroom (2010): Was chosen for a special section at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
Radio
- Four Big Days in the Life of Dessie Banks: Won a PPI Award for Best Radio Drama.
In June 2013, NUI Galway gave Enda Walsh an honorary doctorate, which is a special university degree given to honor someone's achievements.
