In our profile series Tell Us In Ten, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell us all about themselves in just 10 questions. From how they got their start in the industry to their favourite shows, we want to know everything.
This week we chatted with Ingrid Craigie, who stars as Mrs Tancred in Juno And The Paycock at the Gielgud Theatre.
1. My route into theatre was…
A drama teacher at school told me “You could be an actor”. I read English at Trinity College Dublin and in my final year I started doing walk on parts and crowd work at the Abbey Theatre. I then played the maid in A Doll’s House, starring Sorcha Cusack. In those days you needed a part of 100 words to get your Equity card – and I had 96! When I graduated, I was invited to join the Abbey Theatre as a member of the company and I stayed there for four and half wonderful years.
2. My West End idol is…
It’s Janie Dee. She is the real deal.
3. My colleagues would describe me as…
I think they would describe me as collaborative!
4. My favourite show is…
I have two – The Lehman Trilogy and Hamilton.
John Heffernan, Howard W Overshown and Aaron Krohn in The Lehman Trilogy, now playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Photo by Mark Douet.
5. The career moment I’m most proud of is…
Playing Grace in Brian Friel’s Faith Healer with Ralph Fiennes and Ian McDiarmid, directed by Jonathan Kent. One of the great plays! I’d wanted to play the part since I saw the original production.
6. The hardest part about my job is…
The hardest part is that you need to be in the whole of your health, as we say in Ireland. You have to be resilient, open and vulnerable at the same time.
7. If I wasn’t an actor, I would be…
I wanted to study History of Art and English but you couldn’t take that combination when I went to university, so I think I would be something in the world of fine art.
8. Something people don’t know about me is…
I unleash a ruthless capacity to win when presented with a table tennis table.
9. The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
“It’s not brain surgery”.
10. The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or say you don’t understand.
Sean O’Casey’s Juno And The Paycock plays at the Gielgud Theatre until 23 November. Tickets start from just £23 – book via Official London Theatre.