'MEC Press' December 2019 Publication 1. Newsletter December 2019 Vo 7 | Page 7

MEC’s Rising Arts Reputation
Paul Mescal Lands Major Casting Role With BBC
Well done to MEC past student and Maynooth native Paul Mescal who has landed his first major
television role for the BBC. Paul will play Connell in Irish author Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel
‘Normal People.’ The 12-part BBC series will also star Cold Feet Actress Daisy Edgar-Jones as
Marianne. The book and series will follow the relationship between Marianne and Connell from the
end of their school days in a small town in the west of Ireland to their undergraduate years at
Trinity College. ‘Room’ filmmaker and director Lenny Abrahamson has previously said:
“In Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal, I feel I have found two young actors who can
vividly capture Marianne and Connell and bring alive the profound and beautiful
relationship at the centre of the story.”
Past Student Makes the West End #HarryPotter
We are delighted with the recent
news that past student and Lir
Academy graduate Craig Connolly
has been cast as Albus Potter in
‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’.
In its third year of production, the
play will run at the Palace Theatre,
London. Congratulations Craig!
“Just cast a spell, Dad, and
change me into what you want
me to be, okay? It’ll work
better for both of us” - Albus
Potter
New Talent In The Spotlight
A big congratulations to Dean McPartlin (6th year)
who took home the Best Actor award at the Insight
Theatre National One Act Drama Festival on Friday
night 15th Nov. Dean triumphed against stiff
competition from actors with decades of experience.
Esteemed adjudicator Tom Byrne praised Dean for
his performance, commenting that he has a very
bright future ahead of him.
Congratulations also to Ciara Pakenham-Barry who
along with Dean and his brother Lee (all 6th year),
took home the Best Overall Youth Play for 'This is a
Play' with their drama group Explore Youth.
It's always fantastic to see MEC students succeeding
in drama on a national stage.
@J.F.Moore