
We caught up with actor Killian Donnelly as he returns to the West End to take the lead in Les Misérables
Killian Donnelly is an Irish actor who has, over the last decade or so, performed in some of the most iconic musicals in the West End and on Broadway - Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Kinky Boots, The Commitments, Memphis and Les Misérables. Instantly recognisable to anyone who has seen him perform, he is charming and extremely likeable. As he prepares to take on the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables in the West End, we spoke to him about his remarkable career to date.
Itâs a hell of a CV. Taking in reigning classics like Phantom of the Opera and fresh blockbusters like Memphis, thereâs no denying Killian Donnellyâs résumé is seriously impressive. From his first London role as a swing in the iconic, revolutionary musical Les Misérables - âI didnât even know what a swing wasâ - to his recent casting in the same show as lead character Jean Valjean, things have very much come full circle for Donnelly.Back in Ireland, Donnelly had no real ambitions to act. âI wanted to be a primary school teacher bizarrely. I just love teaching kids, and I tried to focus on that, but sort of fell into this. I started in am-dram, and I would get connected with professional directors whoâd say âcome and work with me on a three month job in Dublinâ. Iâd say âerâ¦â and theyâd say âand youâll get paidâ. Soon after, I realised I had to move to London and just give it a shot. It was one of those things that if I didnât try then Iâd regret it forever.â It turned out to be a very good call.
Image courtesy of Killian Donnelly
Jumping from amateur dramatics to eight shows a week was a big leap, but Donnelly used the experience to learn as much as he could. âLes Mis was my training; it sort of made me the actor I am. As a swing I got to cover 10 actors and I was constantly changing each night. It really made me learn and get a strong enough singing voice to sustain eight showsâ. In his second year he was offered a supporting role, Grantaire, but asked instead to continue swinging, though with more responsibility. âThey gave me a Jean Valjean emergency cover, and through learning Jean Valjean my voice got stronger and I started thinking âI really, really like this roleâ. When he was offered the role five months ago, âit really felt like coming home. It was my first job. When I came back to the Queenâs, 'Stagedoor Mark' gave me a big hug and said âwelcome back. Welcome homeâ. Thereâs a beautiful family feel here at the Queenâs Theatre.â
Image Credit: Johan Persson
Donnelly exudes an easy charm but often plays characters that arenât necessarily so easy to warm to. âI guess thatâs the hidden quality that makes a character likeable - you look for a contrast, rather than going with the same âleading manâ quality. Just add a bit of charm to them - take Deco [from The Commitments]. Iâm not sure if I can say this, but heâs just a prick. Heâs a complete arsehole but the crowd loved it. So then, you flip it, and Huey Calhoun [Memphis] is the sweetest, ânot the brightest ball on the beachâ type of guy and people fell in love with him too for the same reason: heâs something differentâ.
Memphis was a show, and Huey Calhoun a character, that really cemented Donnellyâs status as a leading man. Based closely on real-life DJ Dewey Phillips - one of the first white DJs to play black music in America - the show was driven by Donnellyâs enigmatic and energetic performance. âThat show was sort of a badge of honour - kind of like Les Mis - where people still come up to me and say âI saw you in Memphis. My God, I loved that show.â Youâre so proud of it - youâre proud of all the stuff you do - but Memphis was such a special, special show to be a part ofâ. Would he ever want to play a bad guy? âDo you know what? Everybody wants to play the baddie! In Les Mis though, Jean Valjean is really the main one that you wantâ.
Image Credit: Johan Persson
If Jean Valjean is very much an ambition achieved, then another on that list would be appearing on Broadway in 2016 - reprising the role of shoe factory-owner Charlie Price in Kinky Boots. Did he enjoy Broadway? âOh, it was incredible. Itâs a beautiful thing. The people over there - the Broadway community - are amazing, and that goes for audiences as well. In the West End we pay £60 for a ticket and weâre sort of reserved. Weâve heard itâs good, but weâll let you know at the end if we agree. On Broadway people will applaud halfway through sentences, theyâll whoop and holler, and thereâs this great atmosphere. That support is the same with the casts and crews too. We were on West 45th Street in the Al Hirschfield Theatre, and down our street were Dear Evan Hansen, The Great Comet and Come From Away, so weâd all chat to each other and send each other cupcakes and doughnuts. It was just a wonderful, wonderful communityâ.
Musical theatre is undoubtedly a strong suit, but Donnelly is no stranger to more traditional acting roles. âMy favourite role so far is actually Tony - the brother from Billy Elliott. Itâs not really a singing role - more of a straight part - and itâs one that really changed me as an actor. Recently, I was lucky enough to do Donegal, written by Frank McGuinness, at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Growing up in Ireland thatâs the pinnacle of what you want to do - itâs Irelandâs National Theatre - and Iâve always wanted to act thereâ. So are more straight acting roles on the horizon? âItâll probably be wise to give my voice a rest after a year of Jean Valjean! I take it day by day though - the problem is I really love musical theatre. I love its community, I love talking to the people involved in it and I seem to be good at it. Iâll see what happens.â
Killian Donnelly is currently starring as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables at the Queenâs Theatre. Tickets start at £14.75.