About Us



Irene Warren
School Director

The ‘Performers Academy‘ was founded in 2007 by Irene Warren.

As a child, Irene trained with the ‘Montfort Stage School’, ‘Joan Denise Moriarty’ Ballet school, Annette De Foubert for singing and Lorna Daly for Drama, achieving Gold Medals, with Distinction from LAMDA in Acting and Verse and Prose. In later years, Irene studied with the remarkable Mary Curtin, who tutored Irene in her qualifications as a teacher. Irene spent many of those younger years performing in the Cork Opera House, where she appeared many times as the principle girl in their Pantomimes.

At the age of 18, Irene was cast in ‘Les Miserables’ in London and subsequently appeared in the production for over two and a half years. Irene was a cast member for the 10th Anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall. She then joined the cast of ‘Miss Saigon’ at the Drury lane Theatre for another two year run. Other West End credits include ‘Starlight Express’ at the Apollo Victoria, ’Something for the Boys‘ at the Barbican and ‘Grease‘ and ‘Summer Holiday’, National tours.

Whilst performing by night, Irene trained most days in the Actors Studios in Covent Garden. During this time, Irene was cast as ‘The Singing Nun’ in the hit TV series …’Father Ted’.

Irene has subsequently returned to London to appear in the 02 arena, where she performed as part of the cast for the epic 25th Anniversary performance of ‘Les Miserables’. Many Performers Academy students watched the performance in Cork cinemas as it was televised worldwide. This was a very special moment to share with the up and coming future West End Performers

On her return to Cork, Irene played ‘Jill’ in Bryan Flynn’s, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ at the Cork Opera House and also the ‘Skating Fairy ‘in his production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. A role that two of the ‘Performer Academy’ students will now take in the 2015 production at the Cork Opera House Irene has also appeared in the Opera House as ‘Mary Magdalene’ in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar and ‘Maria’ in the ‘Sound of Music’. Irene originated the role of ‘Kitty Kiernan’ in Bryan Flynn’s masterpiece ‘Michael Collins’ and is featured on some of the recordings on iTunes.

Irene has appeared on BBCS ‘Children in Need’ on many occasions with various casts. She has also appeared in numerous commercials, including ones for ‘Knorr Soup’, ‘Low Low Butter’ and ‘Heineken’.

As a director, Irene has directed Fame, Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, Seussical, Annie, High School Musical, Maleficent, Fiddler on the Roof and Grease for the Performers Academy. Irene is currently directing ‘Alice in Wonderland’ our forthcoming production at the Firkin Crane.

Irene was children’s director the Cork Opera Houses production of ‘Oliver’ which toured to the Helix Theatre in Dublin. She has also directed ‘Les Miserables’ student version, at the Cork Opera House, and ‘Oliver’ for Centre Stage School in Mallow, and directed ‘Les Mis’ for Scoil Mhuire.

Irene holds a Fellowship with London College as well as a teachers Licentiate. Irene's passion for theatre and her first-hand experience in the business has sculpted what the school has become today…. A thriving environment of passion, purpose, determination and skill whilst having much fun along the way.





Dane O'Sullivan
Director of Dance

Dane travelled to Bodywork Dance Studios in Cambridge at the age of 17 where he was awarded the prestigious 'Board of Trustees' scholarship for 4 years. Dane graduated in 2005 with a National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre from Trinity College, London. Dane then became part of London dance agencies Dancers Inc. and Reanimator. TV credits include 'The Tudors (HBO), Northanger Abbey' (BBC) and 'FAME the Musical' (RTE). Theatre credits include 'Troy' in High School Musical (Everyman Palace), 'Robin' in Robin Hood (Firkin Crane) and 'Diego' in Man of La Mancha' (Cork Opera House). Dane was also a senior dancer in many Cork Opera House productions under the direction of the late Bryan Flynn, most recently in 'Grease.' Dane was also the lead singer of Cork band 'Electric Blue' for 2 years from 2010 to 2012.

Dane's first passion has always been teaching and he has been awarded a distinction in speech and drama teaching from the London College of Music under the direction of Mary Curtin. Dane is currently pursuing a masters in primary education and will qualify in May 2016. Dane has been 'Head of Dance' at the Performers Academy for the past four years and is our resident choreographer having choreographed PA productions 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Seussical', 'Maleficent' and 'Fame' among others.





Keeva Mehegan

Keeva Mehegan began studying dance and drama with The Montfort College of Performing Arts at the age of 7, while performing in numerous small pantomimes and musicals. At the age of 12 Keeva met Dane Forde, he taught her until she was 18 and ''i believe I never would never have found this passion if I hadn't met Dane''. During her secondary school years she played parts in the pantomime 'Jack and the Beanstalk' in Cork Opera House and other various productions.

Keeva went on to study Dance and Performance Studies in Colaiste Stiofain Naofa under the direction of Alan Foley and Jane Kelleghan for two years, here she studied ballet, contemporary, jazz and commercial. ''This was a fabulous experience and I would repeat those years in a heartbeat''. During her time in 'CSN' she performed in 'The Ballet Sleeping Beauty' in Cork Opera house under the direction of Yuri Demokov.

After these two years of training she went on to train in the UK in Stellamann College of Performing Arts. This is where she continued her training and also found a love for acting, singing and tap. ''Living in London was amazing and life-changing, you're really in the heart of the Musical Theatre life with people that all have the same passion in life, to perform.

Keeva is now back in Cork and loving her time teaching for The Performers Academy.





Sinéad

Sinéad’s passion for performing began at a young age. She began performing in The Cork Opera House when she was five years old and grew up having many leading roles such as Gretel The Sound of Music, Molly Annie, Ugly Honk!, The Flying Fairy Sleeping Beauty as well as roles in many other shows such as Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, The King and I, Liz-Bette in Anne Frank and Me and nine pantomimes as a dancer in the junior chorus.

She began her training in Donna’s Dance studio when she was five years old. Whilst attending Donna’s Dance Studio, Sinéad performed in the annual production of Danceworks as well as the lead elf in The Grinch.

She attended Cork School of Dance, under the guidance of Sinéad Murphy where she has completed her intermediate I.S.T.D ballet and modern dance exams and performed in numerous shows such as the Doormouse in Alice in Wonderland and the Ugly Stepsister in The Glass Slipper as well as performing in their annual end of year production.

She began training in speech and drama, musical theatre and dancing in The Performers Academy when she was 12 years old. She has achieved her Gold Medal in acting, musical theatre and verse and prose L.A.M.D.A exams. Sinéad has performed leading roles in many of The Performers Academy’s productions such as Frenchie in Grease, Ugly Honk!, Chava Fiddler on the Roof, Mabel Fame and Aurora in Maleficent as well as a featured soloist in the annual production of Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance!

Sinéad is currently studying for her degree in Theatre and Drama studies in CIT Cork School of Music. Sinéad is delighted to be teaching in The Performers Academy.





Damien Delaney

Damien is originally form Cork where he trained at the Montfort Stage School and the Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance. He did his professional training for 3 years at The London Studio Centre.

Choreography credits include: Dance Master and Choreographer for Pump Up My Dance (RTE TV, Ireland); Asst Choreographer for the Warner Bros movie Alexander The Great; Ex The Musical; (Soho Theatre); Carousel (Trinity/Laban); The Threepenny Opera (Chichester University); Into The Woods (Chichester University); 1st Year Dance Project (Mountview); Dance Overture (London Studio Centre); The Revue (Lipa); The Matchgirls (Chichester University); Oklahoma (Trinity College Of Music); On The Town (Chichester University); Cinderella for First Family Entertainment (Theatre Royal Brighton); Cinderella with Louie Spence for First Family Entertainment (The Opera House, Manchester); Cabaret (Chichester University); Honk (Chichester University); Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Trinity/Laban); Rent (Chichester University); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Chichester University); Anything Goes (Chichester University); The Witches of Eastwick (Trinity/Laban); Sweet Charity (Chichester University); Babes In Arms (Chichester University); Songs For A New World (Chichester Univeristy) Cinderella with Louie Spence, First Family Entertainment; (The Milton Keynes Theatre); Closer Than Ever (Chichester University) and Privates On Parade (Theatre Royal Brighton), Crazy For You (Chichester University), The Pyjama Game (Chichester University), Spend, Spend, Spend (Chichester University, The Brighton Festival).

West End credits as a performer include: Cats (New London Theatre); Hard Times (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Tonight’s The Night (Victoria Palace Theatre) and the original cast of Billy Elliot The Musical in which he was the Children’s Dance Captain (Victoria Palace Theatre). Other theatre credits include Jack Tinker In Review (London Palladium); Half A Sixpence (West Yorkshire Playhouse); the National Theatre’s production of Singin’ In The Rain (West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK Tour); Babes In The Wood (Churchill Theatre); Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (New Victoria Theatre); The Wizard of Oz (Cork Opera House); Dance Overture (Sadlers Wells); Sweet Charity (Peacock Theatre).

Television: Victoria Wood Xmas Special 2009 (BBC); Hangar 17 (BBC); The Prince’s Trust Gala with Claire Sweeney (BBC); Showtime at the Stadium (BBC); The Sound of Musicals (BBC); Blue Peter (BBC); The Brit Awards (ITV); International Indian Film Awards (ITV). TV Commercials include Ericsson, More Magazine and Super Noodles.

Film: Phantom Of The Opera directed by Joel Schumacher and choreographed by Peter Darling; Alexander The Great (as assistant choreographer directed by Oliver Stone); Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham (Bombay, India); Wind In The Willows (directed by Terry Jones & choreographed by Arlene Phillips).

Damien has lectured for the IDTA at the Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House and has taught at The Place, Bird College, Mountview, London Studio Centre, Millenium, LIPA, Italia Conti, Performers College, Reynolds Performing Arts, Midland’s Academy of Dance & Drama, Stella Mann, C.P.A. and South East Dance.

Damien is a regular guest teacher and adjudicator for the British Ballet Organisation in both Australia and New Zealand.

Damien is a Senior Lecturer in Musical Theatre Dance and a Choreographer at the University of Chichester on the Musical Theatre Degree program.





Steven Harris

Choreography Credits: Chess Co-Director/ Choreographer (Union Theatre and Offies Nominee for Best Choreographer 2014) Laughing Matters for Celia Imrie ( St James Theatre London, Crazy Coqs), My Favourite Year (The Bridewell), The Sound of Music (KLCC Kuala Lumpur), Kruimeltje) (Netherlands Tour) Evita (Netherlands Tour, Stage Entertainment), My Fair Lady (Netherlands Tour, Stage Entertainment),I Do I Do (The English Speaking Theatre, Vienna), With A Song In My Heart (Salisbury Playhouse), The Musical of Musicals The Musical (Sound Theatre and Kings Head Theatre London), Blue Birds (Cochrane Theatre London) It’s Christmas Carol (Hen and Chickens Theatre London), Singin In The Rain (The Courtyard, Hereford), Mack and Mabel (Broadway Theatre Catford).

West End credits as a performer include: Cats (New London Theatre); Hard Times (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Tonight’s The Night (Victoria Palace Theatre) and the original cast of Billy Elliot The Musical in which he was the Children’s Dance Captain (Victoria Palace Theatre). Other theatre credits include Jack Tinker In Review (London Palladium); Half A Sixpence (West Yorkshire Playhouse); the National Theatre’s production of Singin’ In The Rain (West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK Tour); Babes In The Wood (Churchill Theatre); Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (New Victoria Theatre); The Wizard of Oz (Cork Opera House); Dance Overture (Sadlers Wells); Sweet Charity (Peacock Theatre).

Plays Staged: Twelfth Night Oxford Shakespeare Company (The Gardens of Wadham College Oxford Director Nicholas Green Composition Nicholas Lloyd Webber,) Left Hand Third Finger (Trafalgar Studios London, Director Ian Talbot) Alison! A Rock Opera (Royal Court London, Rough Cuts Season 2012, Director Nick Bagnall).

Other Credits: Associate Choreographer Stephen Ward Aldwych Theatre London Chor Stephen Mear Dir Richard Eyre, Feature Film Rain, date for premier to be announced.

Choreography Credits in the UK include: First Lady Suite, Steel Pier, Pal Joey, A Winters Tale by Howard Goodall, Side Show, Grand Hotel, Sweet Charity, Spring Awakenings, Carousel, A Man of No Importance, Little Shop of Horrors, Oliver, Oklahoma! Bye Bye Birdie, She Loves Me, Barnum, Guys and Dolls, The Pyjama Game, Music Man, Fiorello, Babes in Arms, Wild Party and Jason and the Argonauts.

Qdos Pantomimes Aladdin (Assembly Rooms Tunbridge Wells), Jack and The Beansatalk (Theatre Royal Nottingham), Dick Whittington (Venue Cymru Llandudno), Cinderella ( Swan High Wycombe), Jack and The Beansatalk (Grand Theatre Wolverhampton), Chuckles In OZ (Civic Darlington)