Brendan Conroy is a native of Tuam, Co Galway. His career stretches back to the late 70’s when he became known playing the role of Peter Cadogan in The Irish RM, a show which continues to be repeated regularly up to this day. He has toured to Russia, Europe and the United States with the Abbey Theatre playing Jimmy Jack in Translations, Philly Cullen in The Playboy of the Western World and Tadhg in The Field.
He worked extensively with Red Kettle of Waterford appearing in such celebrated productions as Bent, Moonshine, Talbot’s Box and Translations playing Manus and then he directed The Price and Jim Nolan’s Guernica Hotel. He last worked with them playing Shay in the Irish Arts Centre, Manhattan, in their run of The King’s of the Kilburn High Road. He created the role of Tommy Clocks in Island’s Pigtown by Mike Finn, played Arty O Leary in Livin Dred’s Belfry by Billy Roche; he has also toured with Ouroborous and Druid and played George In Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf with the late and wonderful Fedelma Cullen, one of his favourites.
For the Taibhdhearc in Galway he has played in Uaisle (Aristocrats), Namhaid don Phobal (Enemy of the People) and last year he played Git in The Kings of the Kilburn High Road as gaeilge, a part he played in the film ‘Kings’ winning an IFTA for best supporting actor.
Brendan’s work at the Abbey Theatre includes The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant, The Playboy of the Western World (US and national tour), The Field (Russian tour), Translations (US and European tour), Cúirt an Mheán Oíche(Gaeltacht tour), A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant, The Hostage, At-Swim-Two Birds, A Little Like Paradise, Mandragola and Calvary.
Other theatre work includes Dracula, Famine, The Beggar’s Opera (Druid), The Bachelor of Kilkish (Bottom Dog) Dreamland (Garter Lane Tour), Mrs Joyce is Leaving Paris(Backloft Theatre), Guerilla Days in Ireland (Everyman Cork, Olympia Theatre and tour), The Field(Olympia Theatre), Translations (Ouroborus), Namhaid don Phobal (Taibhdhearc), End of the Beginning, The Well of the Saints (Big Telly), The Tempest and The Big Yum Yum (Corcadorca), Silas Marner, Oedipus Rex (Storytellers), Juno and the Paycock (Northern Stage), Romeo and Juliet(Pavilion Theatre), What the Butler Saw, Talbot’s Box, Kings of the Kilburn High Road, Bent, Translations, Moonshine and he directed The Price and The Guernica Hotel (Red Kettle).
He had great success playing Bird in The Field to Brian Dennehy’s Bull directed by Joe Dowling.
TV credits include:
The Ballroom of Romance, The Lilac Bus, The Bounty, The General, A Man of no Importance, Jesus, Mary agus Mattie for TG4, Ros na Rún, Glenroe, The Secret of Roan Inis, Hamish Macbeth, Lindenstrasse. Other credits include Romantic Road, Roy II, Mattie, Rock Rivals, Prosperity, Ballykissangel, Sailortown, The Irish RM and Bracken.
Film credits include:
The Legend of Longwood, Gold, Mikayla, Grand Opening, Dublin in Pieces, Stella Days, Udar – Jesus, Mary and Mattie, Sunshower, If I Should Fall Behind, Next, Situations Vacant, Tufty, Kings (Winner Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor), Last Mango in Dublin, A Love Divided, The General, This is My Father, Butcher Boy, Moll Flanders, An Awfully Big Adventure, Circle of Friends, Words Upon the Window Pane, Secret of Roan Inish, A Man of No Importance, Revolution and The Bounty. More recently Brendan starred in the short film by Ruaidhrí Conroy ‘Justlikeabitch’.