Chapter 1: Who is Dennis Kelly and what is his background?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk with Aviva Insurance.
Well, I'm delighted to be joined now by the writer of Matilda the Musical, amongst many other things that he has done, Dennis Kelly. Dennis, you're welcome to the show.
Hi. Hi, Clare. Nice to be here.
Lovely to have you with us. And you know, when we have an Irish person on the programme, we want to claim you. We want to know exactly where you're from. What's your Irish background?
Well, my parents are Irish. Obviously, you can hear from my voice that I was born in London, but my parents were Irish. So my mum was from Leitrim and my dad was from Tipperary. Well, really, it was from Roscommon, but he always said he was a tip man. That's what he said.
You see, that's because Leitrim and Roscommon are deadly GAA enemies, you see. So it would be very difficult in the house. And did you travel back much?
We didn't really. I mean, it was a, you know, we, to be honest, we just didn't have a
lot of money so we didn't do any traveling really you know there was uh you know but um my dad was like my dad was possibly the most Irish man in London like he would listen he would listen to the sort of hurling while reading the Tipperary Star you know but he never ever went back no no idea why but he just never ever went back No.
And we still don't really know why, you know, he just, I think, I think he'd been in London so long that the island that was in his mind probably was changed anyway, you know, which is sort of something that happens, you know, but we went back, we went back when I was a kid once and I loved it. I remember with my, me and my sister, my, we were on a, my mum was brought up on a farm.
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Chapter 2: How did Dennis Kelly get involved with Matilda the Musical?
So by the time I was doing writing, I think they, you know, they would have either given up on me or stopped worrying about me, one or the other, you know. And then I think at first – They didn't, you know, you start off doing a play above a pub and they sort of see it's a bit of a thing, but slowly it gathers sort of steam, you know.
But I knew that they had accepted it when I went home and I saw a picture of me and Tim with the Matilda girls. I think it was at the Olivier's or something cut out and stuck on the wall. Like, and I was like, it was a strange moment. It was like really lovely that she was proud. But I was also thinking, what's Tim doing in my house? Like, why have you got a picture of Tim Minchin in my house?
That's great, though. I'd take it, you know.
Yeah, I'd take it, yeah.
Good place to be. Dennis, it's such a pleasure to talk to you. Oh, lovely talking to you as well. It would be lovely to meet you when you come over. I hope you come over when the show comes to Borthgosh.
I'd really like to. Energy Theatre. I keep saying to my wife that we've got to go over. You should.
You should. It would be lovely to welcome you home, you see. That's what we're going to say. Thanks so much for taking the time to speak to us. And a reminder that Matilda the Musical is happening at the Bordgosch Energy Theatre from the 15th of September through to the 18th of October, 2026. That's going to be huge. It's going to sell out really quickly. The tickets are on sale now.
So I would advise you, having seen it twice, to move pretty quickly if that is on your horizon.
The Clare Byrne Show. With Aviva Insurance. Weekday mornings at 9 on Newstalk. Conversation that counts.
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