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KED Daryn Crosbie is behind the curtain (Oh no he
isn’t) WORDS Michael Herrity Last year the Gaiety Theatre celebrated its 150th annual pantomime production with an all-time favourite, Cinderella. This year, the Gaiety takes its audience to Neverland, to recreate the story of our hero Peter Pan as he battles with the ‘’baddie’’ Captain Hook. Daryn Crosbie is the Gaiety’s pantomime writer, choreographer and director. The theatre was Daryn’s playground as a child. Over his lifetime, he has been either watching, performing or directing theatrical shows. For this article I met with Daryn, behind the curtain, to discuss the importance of this Dublin institution. The director explained the process of bringing the pantomime to the stage, how the latest generation of children respond to the shows and the lengths that he goes to ensure that all eyes are on the stage. Daryn’s background is steeped in theatre, and the Gaiety in particular. His grandmother, Thelma Ramsey, was considered Maureen Potter’s “right hand woman”. Back in those days, a four-year-old Daryn was allowed to wander around the Gaiety unsupervised. During the performance, he would watch the audience from the orchestra pit, where his grandmother was playing the piano. Daryn joined the Billie Barry Stage School a few years later and, along with seven others from the school, made his debut in a Gaiety production of Mother Goose in the early 1980s. Maureen Potter was the star of the show. Younger people won’t remember Maureen, but right up until her last pantomime performance in 1987, she was the biggest theatrical draw in Ireland. Daryn recalls his earliest memory of a Maureen Potter pantomime. It was the sound of tap shoes above, as Maureen danced to the music that his grandmother was playing. The rhythmic percussive sounds of the shoes fascinated him. That sound was honed to perfection in rehearsals, which were often held in Thelma’s home. Thelma would play the piano while Maureen found the rhythm with her feet. Daryn was hooked. It was no surprise, then, when he enrolled in the Billie Barry School. When a theatre announces a new pantomime, there are regular questions from the media as to who has a starring role or what personalities are being cast. Undoubtedly, people like Jimmy O Dea, Maureen Potter and June Rogers were stars in past Gaiety productions. Daryn is quick to point out that nowadays there are no stars or personalities. The theatre itself is the star. Daryn refers to the Gaiety as ‘’the mothership’’ of theatres in Ireland. He believes that there is no better theatre in the country. In this respect, Caroline Downey, pantomime producer and owner of the theatre, deserves the plaudits. Under her management, the Gaiety has embarked on a major restoration project. The auditorium, the bars, every aspect of the theatre is being restored. From the moment one enters the building at South King Street, the theatre looks magnificent. Caroline Downey has ensured that people are immersed in the beauty and history of the building. Upon climbing the stairs, there is a portrait of Maureen Potter; her arms open as if to greet patrons. The auditorium is immaculate with the wrap around dress and upper circles. The intricate plaster work is painted gold. The ceiling 53