Emer Dineen and Michael Roberson spoke to David Hennessy ahead of THISISPOPBABY’s WAKE coming to London’s West End and Manchester.
Emer Dineen
Acclaimed Irish theatre company THISISPOPBABY are coming to London’s West End and Manchester with their show, WAKE.
After two sold-out, award-winning runs in Dublin’s National Stadium, WAKE makes its London debut at the Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells home of entertainment before travelling to Manchester’s Aviva Studios, home of Factory International.
The show, like the ritual it takes its name from, is a celebration of life.
It brings together customs and club anthems for a night filled with aerial artistry, Irish tap, cabaret, slam poetry, pole dancing and more to create an anthemic spectacle with the spirit of an epic trad session and the energy of a stadium concert.
Co-created and co-directed by THISISPOPBABY’s Jennifer Jennings and Phillip McMahon, and designed by Niall Sweeney, the show subverts the rites and structure of a traditional Irish wake to create a club culture infused frenzy of ritual, rave, grief and joy.
Jennifer Jennings and Phillip McMahon said: ‘We cannot wait to bring this bold, ambitious, fabulous juggernaut of a show to London and Manchester. WAKE thrilled audiences in Ireland, and now it’s only fair that we bring the joy to these shores and see what your audiences are made of. I’m sure they know how to party, so we say let’s raise the roof together!.’
The Irish Times said: “Think Riverdance for the Club Queens.”
Joe.ie added: “One of the best things you’ll experience all year.”
The cast features singer and performer Adam Matthews, composer, sound designer, keys player, singer and music director Alma Kelliher, accordion player and traditional musician Darren Roche, dancer and choreographer Deirdre Griffin, London based Irish actor and singer Emer Dineen, breakdancer Cristian Dirocie, drummer Ryan McClelland, poet and performer Felicia Olusanya, Kerry dancer and singer Jade O’Connor, world champion pole artist Lisette Krol, traditional musician and fiddle player Lucia McPartlin, American Irish dancer Michael Roberson, aerialist Jenny Tufts and choreographer and dancer Philip Connaughton.
The Irish World spoke to London- Irish actress/ playwright Emer Dineen ahead of the show’s upcoming UK dates.
London- Irish actress, playwright and all round performer Emer Dineen has been named as one of Hot Press’ hot for 2025.
2024 was a big year for Emer.
She premiered her play 0800- Cupid, also a THISISPOPBABY production, at Dublin Theatre Festival. The piece has since travelled to Soho Theatre in London.
What can people expect from the show, WAKE?
“It’s just an unforgettable night out.
“It’s an electrifying Irish variety phenomenon that remixes Irish tradition with a high octane heart thumping celebration of life.
“There’s tap dancing, aerial, comedy, pole dancing, poetry, everything you can possibly want and more is packed into this show.
“We cannot wait to have you and see you there and we’ll open our sweaty arms for our run at Sadler’s Wells and Aviva Studios.”
How would you describe it to someone who hasn’t seen it?
“I think it’s a really unique and special mix.
“There’s something so grounded in traditional Irish art, so connected, so kind of elemental where you can’t help but stamp your feet when you hear good trad. It’s so spiriting and spirited and when you start to infuse contemporary culture, the eclectic mix of disciplines that we all have, gold hot pants and some nipple tassels, the alchemy of all of those things is so rich and so deep.
“I love doing this show.
“Our musical director Alma once phrased it, ‘It’s something that dances fiercely and fearlessly in the face of grief’.
“It’s built around an Irish wake which is not only to commemorate the loss of someone, but also to celebrate the life of someone.
“It’s fearless and it’s alive.
“Both being part of the show and watching the show reminds me of what it is to be human.”
How did you get involved with the show?
“I went to go and play Beyond the Pale and that’s where Jenny Jennings saw my Duncan Disorderly act.
“It was maybe one of my first cabaret gigs in Ireland and there was two people in the tent for my performance and one of them was my uncle and one of them was my friend that I brought with me.
“So I was like, ‘Okay, let’s go’.
“But then I started getting into it playing some tunes, dropping some bangers and the tent started filling up and then it started popping off.
“There were people everywhere and I think Jenny Jennings caught that and was like, ‘Okay, how might we fold this into this thing that we’re making?’
“And then I got a phone call asking if I wanted to be involved in this.
“Obviously there was only one answer.”
How are the rehearsals going? You’ve been involved with this show since 2022..
“I still remember the first rehearsal day so vividly.
“We had this cluster of phenomenal Irish artists scattered from across the world in this boxing gym all kind of looking at each other like, ‘What are we gonna do?’
“And from that moment, every iota of creativity, talent, inspiration, joy, blood, sweat and tears has just culminated in something truly magic.
“I think the fact that each individual has played a part and has made a creative investment in the show- This has truly been such a collaborative piece where everyone has brought not only their skill set, their discipline, their medium, their craft to the forefront, also just their humanity, their grief and their lived experience.
“It’s so generous.
“The show is so generous.
“It’s so giving and both as a performer and as someone viewing it, you feel so held in the intensity of feeling that it evokes.”
What can you tell us about your role in this piece? I assume you act but you’re also dancing..
“Well there’s no skill in this show that gets past Philly and Jenny without being put in the show so if you say you can do a bit of something, they’re like, ‘Fantastic, put it in’.
“I’m the English cousin, a kind of comedic hand between the piece and the audience, kind of acting a fool and having a play with the audience in a couple of scenes.
“I also, yes, dance in the piece, and I also sing a beautiful Cranberries song which is one of my favourite parts in the show because that’s the more emotional peak for me.
“Then I have to run backstage and put a hat on and a moustache and continue to be an eejit as my mother would say.”
So it’s all singing, all dancing, is it similar in tone to some of your other work such as your play 0800-CUPID?
“I think there’s such a distinctive THISISPOPBABY palette.
“I’ve never worked with a company before that can mix sincerity with satire, with depth, with nipple tassels.
“you’ll be crying one scene. You’ll be crying tears from poetry in one second and then you’ll be crying with laughter watching a strip tease the second, And then you’ll be in awe.
“it’s so dynamic What THISISPOPBABY offer.
“In terms of the parallels with the work that I’ve done before, like 0800-CUPID, you really take the audience on a really dynamic journey so they’re always actively engaged and active participants in the work.
“It’s not us and them, it’s us together so that’s how I’d say it’s similar.
“And it’s just life-y.
“It’s just a life-y show. It really is.
“It hits.
“It hits hard.”
What kind of reactions do you get after the show?
Do people come up to you emotional?
“Well, actually, in this piece, a lot of people don’t know me because I’m in drag.
“So a lot of people are kind of like, ‘I think you’re very underused in the show’.
“That’s what I get a lot.
“Or ‘I had no idea that you were Duncan and also this person’, because I’m a lady and then I kind of run backstage and then come back and I’m Duncan Disorderly, which is my drag character name.
“A lot of people don’t put two and two together so a lot of people are actually like, ‘Where’s the DJ? what happened to the DJ?’
“But in terms of my other work, I think it’s so important to create relationship to the audience especially, and that’s why I incorporate a lot of cabaret, audience participation, improvisation into my work, because it offers a sense of immediacy and a sense of risk and when those things are in play, everyone becomes more present.
“I think presence is something that’s really hard to come by in today’s day and age with so many distractions.
“I’m speaking for myself too. I’ll be watching Netflix on my phone whilst making dinner. There’s so many things clawing for your attention whereas a show like this that is putting everything out on the line and is so like now, is something that is so rare and so fun to do.”
Does it take Irish tradition and sex it up a bit?
“I think sex is a byproduct because we’re all so gorgeous,” Emer laughs.
“I think it’s using club culture, queer culture, kind of a frenzy of ritual, rave, grief, joy, tradition.
“It’s got this injection of camp energy and joy and everything.
“And naturally nipple tassels and little gold hotpants are a byproduct of that.”
Is it a show for everyone?
“It’s a show for everyone.
“It really is a show for anyone who has ever felt loss or grief.
“It’s a show for anyone who’s ever felt love, who’s ever needed like catharsis.
“It’s a show for anyone who just wants a good night out, who just wants to party.
“Who just wants to feel part of something together as a collective.
“It’s a show for everyone: Young, old, in between, inside out, upside down. You’re welcome.”
You grew up in London with a strong Irish influence, was your upbringing very much like the mix of modern and tradition that is this show?
“My mum is a seanchaí , a storyteller of Celtic folklore, and my dad is an Irish actor.
“I grew up on a diet of the Celtic cycles and Irish music and Irish literary genius from books and writers and artists.
“I always felt really connected.
“We would go back and forth from Cork to London quite a bit so I felt really connected to my Irishness and it’s been such a privilege to go home, or what we call ‘home’ which is Ireland, to collaborate with Irish artists and to bring my experience of growing up in this inner city metropolis of London with all of its vitality.
“Is the show like growing up in London?
“Is being part of this show like my diaspora experience?
“I think the love for Irish culture and the pride In being Irish and how much we champion this place that is so eclectic, generous and rich in culture.
“That’s how I feel connected because it reminds me of how me and my family and the reverence that we have for Irish culture, the mix of everything I think.”
Did you always feel Irish even though you grew up in south west London?
“I wasn’t allowed to feel any other way.
“My mum, to this day, will not let me get an English passport.
“In every form and everything, I am just Irish.
“I never really, in all honesty, ever thought that I was from.
“I’ve never had that framing.
“I’ve been conditioned pretty thoroughly by my mum and dad to say otherwise despite what my South London accent might might reveal.”
It is going to be special to bring it to London for you, isn’t it?
“It would be really exciting to connect with other people like myself.
“If I wasn’t part of this show but I went to see this show as someone from the Irish diaspora in London, I would feel so bolstered and connected to my culture.
“It’s definitely a family affair.”
Speaking of family, are your parents going to come and see it? “Oh yeah, and my cousins, and my aunties, and my second cousins, and my third cousins thrice removed.”
You have spoken about LGBT identity in your work previously. What is your take on how Ireland has come even in recent history?
“What’s amazing is it was only decriminalised in ’93.
“I think it’s such a testament to the work and the advocacy and the bravery of the generations that have come before me that my journey- I’m getting emotional now but my journey has been really easy.
“Obviously I’m only speaking for myself.
“I have had some really loving and supportive family and have found this incredible network of creatives and queer artists and mentors and friends.
“I’ve only felt- not always but- love and acceptance and celebration.
“That’s the energy that I think we need the most now at this point in the world.
“Looking at the world at large, that’s not the case and if anything, the pendulum is swinging backwards especially with our trans brothers and sisters and non-binary siblings.
“I think we really have to work hard as a community to protect them now.
“But in terms of the progression in Ireland from 1993 to now, it’s pretty remarkable.”
What’s next for you? Will we see another run for 0800-CUPID or you coming back with another play?
“There’s definitely exciting plans afoot.
“I can say pretty confidently that 0800 CUPID will be returning at some point.
“I have also just received a development grant from the Arts Council to develop a new body of work which is around blending traditional Irish culture with contemporary queer culture so I’m really sticking on a theme here.”
Michael Roberson
From Little Rock in Arkansas, Michael Roberson is a dancer and choreographer. Prior to WAKE, he danced in many US dance productions.
Are you looking forward to bringing the show to London and Manchester?
“Yeah, we’re very excited.
“We’re so excited to be taking WAKE on the road, out of our home National Stadium, and over to London and Manchester.
“We’re incredibly excited to be premiering on the West End.
“Very exciting.”
How did you get involved in the show first of all?
“It was actually a bit of fate, destiny.
“I was visiting New York City.
“I grew up doing performance so when you’re in New York, one of the things to do is audition for something, have that experience.
“I saw a listing for this company: THISISPOPBABY.
“They were holding auditions.
“They were looking for tap dance, Irish dance and multi- disciplinary performers and I figured, ‘I fall somewhere in that category’.
“So I sent them an email.
“They invited me to the audition and from there, they wanted me to come in to do a workshop a few months later in early 2020.
“That workshop was wonderful.
“We didn’t have the opportunity to create a show at that time for COVID reasons.
“Then we did another workshop in 2021 and we debuted WAKE in 2022 at the National Stadium for the Dublin Fringe Festival.
“So it’s been a journey since 2019, when I auditioned, to 2025 where we’re taking it on the road and hopefully this is just the beginning of an entire year of touring and different venues and things. They have things in the works.
“I love these people.
“It’s a fantastic company to work for.
“I give everything I can to the company and show because it’s something I really believe in and something I would love to continue being a part of as long as they’re sending the show all over the world.”
So it’s been a long journey and that’s partly due to COVID throwing a spanner in the works..
“Yeah, I think it was actually a wonderful incubation time to really find out what the show could be.
“During that time, they discovered the space, the National Stadium here in Dublin, which is an arena for boxing, for concerts, and the show just took on a whole new identity.
“It became a spectacle and this extravaganza of things.
“I can’t imagine it any other way now.
“It’s so much what it needed to be and what it should be and we’re still growing and adapting it to new spaces and to new audiences and we’re really excited to share it.”
How would you describe the show to someone who’s not seen it? I imagine it could be hard to describe..
“The through line obviously centres around the Irish traditional wake which is how the Irish handle loss, mourning, grief as a community.
“It’s an all-night party in which people get to tell stories, have a couple drinks, do some dancing, listen to music and come together.
“I think that’s a really universal experience.
“Everyone’s dealt with loss or grief in some way so one thing that WAKE does a great job of is it shows the Irish way of doing it while also highlighting the uniqueness of each individual within the show.
“We have Irish dance, tap dance, aerialists, break dancing.
“We have all these different disciplines which I feel like represents the uniqueness of human beings at large and we all come together and create this atmosphere of community that gives a really relatable, cathartic experience.
“We get lovely, lovely reviews but I think one of the things that touches me the most is when we get to go into the lobby or go to a meet and greet and people seem grateful.
“More than just excited or sad, they feel gratitude that we created the show and reached them where they were.
“I think that’s just a beautiful thing about the Irish wake as a cultural event and also just the show WAKE.”
Are the reactions you get emotional?
“There’s definitely emotions.
“A beautiful thing about the venue that we have been playing at, the National Stadium, is that we built a stage that’s virtually theatre in the round and we’re very close to the audience as you go through the show. You can see the emotional responses.
“I really do feel like I’ve seen everything.
“I’ve seen some people laughing, some people crying, people that are shocked, people that are in awe.
“And each act, I think, just reaches people a little bit differently.
“The artists themselves pour emotion into what they are doing with their craft, I think it’s that emotion that resonates with individuals in the audience.
“Some people handle loss through comedy, and each emotion is given time to be recognised.
“I feel like the people that share those emotions feel recognised by the end as well.”
What’s it like to be part of such a crew, such a cast?
With so many different disciplines, is there a real team feeling?
“Yeah, we have group ensemble numbers where we’re all working together.
“I think what THISISPOPBABY has done in constructing this cast is they find all these solo artists who are used to working by themselves.
“They found soloists who are also not altogether disagreeable and we work really well together.
“Since 2019, we have almost the exact original cast as our debut and we’re really becoming like a family.
“We walked into rehearsal just four days ago and it felt like we had never left.
“We rehearse in the same space, year after year, and it just feels like home.
“It feels familiar and it allows us to come back to the project where we left off and just build on top of it without having to jump through too many new hoops or not having to break the ice again and create that new thing, we can just find ourselves here and recall the dreams that we had for the next step together.
“They’re so inspiring.
“Everyone comes in because they have their main skill and also a couple of others, definitely masters of a trade but also jack of all trades.
“We just continually inspire each other.
“Being with so many talented people who have the technical knowledge but are also so inviting and so warm as humans, you don’t feel any pressure.
“It’s a great learning environment.
“We also love to just get to sit back and watch each other do our favourite thing in the world, whatever that may be whether it’s aeriel or dance and everyone gets a little bit of a spotlight in the show.
“So we get to enjoy watching the show within the show and then we all go out there and work through the same choreography for our ensemble numbers.
“There’s no pressure.
“We just have really grown to support each other as a family over the past few years.”
Prior to this show, you have danced in numerous productions in the states. How did it all start for you?
“I’m actually from Little Rock, Arkansas.
“My family has Irish heritage.
“It wasn’t until I was about 10 that my mom- completely out of the blue- was like, ‘Hey, you should try Irish dancing’.
“To this day I’m not sure how she made that decision to encourage that for me but I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll try it for a month and if I don’t like it, we’re done. I’m going back to football or whatever else’.
“And a month in I said, ‘Let’s do another month. Let’s do another month’.
“And before I knew it, I was doing competitions.
“I was travelling for extra rehearsal time and it just kept growing.
“I never thought I’d be performing.
“I thought I was going to be done by high school or 18 years old.
“And then the next opportunity presented itself and it’s been a wonderful experience.
“I’ve just always felt very at home in it and I’ve always seen the opportunities and not hesitated to take a little bit of a leap of faith and continue growing in Irish dance and Irish culture.
“It almost seems a little bit serendipitous but I’m just grateful for it at this point.
“I can’t make sense of every step along the way but I know where I’m at, and I know I love it.”
The show has been described as ‘Riverdance for the club queens’, is that what the show does? Take Irish culture and traditions and sex it up?
“I definitely think that’s a valid take on it.
“One thing that I think Ireland does great is you can put those things together but they do a great job of holding both equal.
“You can walk down one street in Dublin and you can pop in to a pub and have a trad session and then you walk two more doors down and there’s wonderful nightclub life.
“It’s just full of so much culture, old and new.
“I think that’s what WAKE does very well, it takes trad tunes and has them on their own, has pop tunes on their own and then they have these great mergers of both of them, usually the crescendo of an act and you have accordion and fiddle wailing in the background over an Ariana Grande song.
“It’s a really brilliant mash up of the old and the new but they leave a lot of space for each thing to exist in its own uniqueness and identity which I really appreciate because it tells my story of coming from a more strict Irish dance background and then learning that it can be applied in other places.
“It just brings together all the cultural aspects of the old Ireland and the pop culture.”
They say the proudest Irish people you can meet are those you meet outside of Ireland so it will be very special to bring it to London and Manchester, won’t it?
“Yes, I think that’s going to be a bit of a surreal experience.
“It will give them that moment to feel seen.
“I think there’s just a lot of excitement to test it out a little bit but also to keep it as close to the original because we’re really proud.
“The directors, who are Irish, are very proud of what they created and the culture that it came from.
“We’re, of course, interested in bringing it to people and entertaining people but we also want to hold true to the roots and the stories and the traditions that everything’s based in and we’re excited to share that.
“A big thing with WAKE is just highlighting that community and bringing people together.”
You’re back in rehearsals preparing for these upcoming shows, how is it going?
“It gets refined every year that we do it.
“What we did in 2022 we thought, ‘This is it. This is as great as it could get’.
“And here we are levelling up again where we’re like, ‘Oh, it could be better and it’s going to be’.
“We just get more proud of it.
“It will never stop growing.”
WAKE is at Peacock Theatre, London 2-5 April and Aviva Studios, Manchester 17-21 April. For more information, click here.