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Meet the family who turned the Christmas panto into their business
Claire Tighe started TheatreworX Productions at the beginning of the recession – 10 years on and the Helix Panto shows by her company have become an annual highlight.
YOU WOULD THINK that the 2008 financial crisis would not be a good time to start any business, nevermind one specialising in musical theatre, but we’ve got a story for you…
Claire Tighe’s accountant did have numerous early warnings, but the now-CEO of TheatreworX Productions kept the dream alive and, now, 10 years on the business is thriving with success coming in the form of the Helix Panto every Christmas in Dublin City University.
It was an endeavour that saw Claire rope in her family (multiple members) to help, and she soon had her mother doing costumes, her father and brother running the business and her husband acting and building sets.
“We’ve always been involved in musical theatre in our local in Leixlip,” says Rita, Claire’s mother. “And it [the business] kind of evolved from there.”
Claire’s father and director of TheatreworX, Brian Tighe, says they always knew she would end up doing professional theatre and performance. The surprise was having them come along with her.
“I’ve worked in other fields and I don’t think there’s anything quite like working show business,” says Claire’s brother Ciaran. “When you see the production at the end of the day, you sort of go ‘wow’.”
TheatreworX Productions is currently running Christmas Panto Robin Hood, staring Irish tenor Paul Byrom, at the Helix until 20 January 2019.
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