About

"Inspired by collaborative, devised frameworks for theatre making and integrating a variety of performative practices – Physical Theatre, Contemporary Dance, Circus Skills and Character Acting, Alchemy aim to create distinctive productions that actively engage audiences and explore personal & universal modes of expression."

- Will Flanagan, Alchemy Artistic Director.

Alchemy were originally established in 2007 under the moniker PassePartout Circus.

In this guise they established themselves as one of the foremost Street Theatre companies in Ireland, touring nationally & internationally on an annual basis.

Their productions enjoyed sold-out runs at the National Circus Festival of Ireland, and have featured at innumerable festival & events the length & breath of the country.

Characterised by highly skilled performances, interactive productions & personalised costume design PassePartout remained at the forefront of contemporary circus in Ireland.

Alchemy has it's genesis in this foundation. It seeks to further develop the performative expression of Circus, integrating it's origins in Street Theatre with a Contemporary Theatrical aesthetic in order to create productions that are distinctive in their expression, scope and structure.

Contributing Artists

Artistic Director: Will Flanagan

Will is a full time performer and recording musician based in Clonakilty, Co. Cork. He holds an M.A. in Theatre & Performative Practices and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Physical Theatre. As a circus performer, he originally trained as a Juggler and later studied Clown under Phillippe Gaulier and David Spathaky.

As a professional performer he tours nationally and internationally on an ongoing basis with his own work and collaborates with a variety of production companies throughout Ireland.

Will has presented work in Europe, Asia, Russia, Australia and North America.

His latest production The Presence sees Alchemy collaborate with videographer Maurice Supple of Blueshed Productions.

Performer & Designer: Dee Tierney

Dee Tierney is a professional performer, costume designer and model. A trained Stilt Walker, Dancer and Fire Performer, Dee works on an ongoing basis with a range of award winning national and international agencies and event management companies including PassePartout Circus, Fanzini Productions, Wobbly Circus, Propaganda Events, ROGU, Pooka Designs and Verve Entertainment.

Dee specialises in high quality customised costume design, bespoke tailoring and interactive characterisation. Her street theatre performances have featured at festivals and events in Europe, Asia and Australia and her latest co-production with ROGU – Elemental, premiered in 2020.

Videographer: Maurice Supple

Maurice is a highly experienced videographer & editor, renowned in Irish circus circles for his expertise in capturing and documenting its’ performances throughout the country. Through his production company blue shed he has become the primary videographer for The National Circus Festival of Ireland, for Spraoi, -the National Street Theatre Festival, The Cavan Arts Festival, The Body and Soul Festival and many more. He has collaborated with ALchemy and PassePartout in the past on productions such as Inferno: The Burning Quest, as well the solo character Monsieur Gusto, and has worked with many of the foremost circus and street theatre companies in Ireland, including Fanzini Productions, Rogu and the Lords of Strut.

This experience with performing artists in both their performative and creative environment, mixed with the technical prowess that Maurice displays in his multi-platform video capturing capacity, makes him an ideal mentor and collaborator.

Actor & Director: Bryan Quinn

Bryan Quinn is a writer, director, producer, editor, actor, camera operator, presenter, movement consultant and musician.
He graduated from the Jacques Lecoq École Internationale de Mime et Mouvement, Paris in 2001.
Theatre and Film:
As well as writing and directing for screen, Bryan has written and starred in several plays including Saddled, a comedy featuring live bicycle repair, co-written with and from an idea by David O'Doherty.
His second play Coconut Raft, a darkly comic musical, was co-written with Sean Carpio and Bobby McGlynn (The Rubberbandits).
Bryan directed Mark Doherty’s Trad, in Montreal for ‘Sidemart Theatrical Grocery’ at The Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Montreal, Canada, which received a Mecca nomination for ‘Best Production’ and won the ‘Best Actor’ award.
Bryan devised and played 10 characters, trumpet, guitar and drums in Puckoon by Spike Milligan, Big Telly Theatre Company, (Ireland and Britain 2011, West End 2011).
He created Bernie (The Four Handed Guitarist), has been touring in his Horsebox Theatre and has been at every Comedy Festival in the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin since 2014.
As an Actor:
Bryan’s recent credits include the romantic comedy THERE YOU’LL FIND ME directed by Brian Baugh, THE LAST RIGHT directed by Aoife Crehan and VIKINGS Season 6 directed by Stephen St. Leger.
Recent theatre credits include Billy in Enda Walsh’s multi-awarding winning ONCE directed by Andrew Shaver, Myles Na Coppaleen in Dion Boucicault’s THE COLLEEN BAWN and HARD TO BE SOFT.
His previous work includes GAME OF THRONES (HBO), The Abbey Theatre’s production of SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER by Oliver Goldsmith.
Other work includes Gulliver in GULLIVER at the Mac, Belfast, Roger Casement in OUR KIND directed by Alan Phelan and Prospero in THE SHITSTORM directed by Maeve Stone.
He appears as Sir Richard opposite Sean Penn in THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN directed by Farhad Safina. He also filmed the role of Charlie Hayes in Emmet Kirwan’s acclaimed feature film DUBLIN OLD SCHOOL directed by Dave Tynan.
Bryan plays the title character in ‘The Rubberbandits’ music video “Dad’s Best Friend”, which appears in Danny Boyle’s iconic sequel T2 TRAINSPOTTING.
As a voiceover actor he is the recognisable voice of Bord Gáis and the little dog on the AA ads, as well as being the voice of Mary Wilson's drivetime on RTE radio 1.
Music:
Range: Vocals, Trumpet, Guitar, Drums, Percussion.
Bryan has played at all of the major venues and festivals at home and abroad with: Tucan, Ham Sandwich, Our little Secrets, Rob Cunningham, David Kitt, The Frames and with live soundscape/music for shows in London’s West End, Ireland, Canada and The U.S.
Links:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3467013/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm
http://nolanmuldoonagency.com/actors-male/bryan-quinn/
https://www.voicebank.ie/artist/bryan-quinn

Musician & Composer: James Guilmartin

James Guilmartin is a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter, composer and music producer based in Co. Kildare, Ireland. His self-produced album Intro into Exile, co-produced with Martin Osbourne & Enda Roche, was released to critical acclaim in 2014, with many samples featured in Alchemy's productions. His most recent experimental work, The Sisyphus Project, provided the soundtrack to a number of Alchemy's video's in The Presence.
James' highly authentic sound, rich experimentation and sonic adaptability has helped to facilitate a rich partnership with Alchemy in his role as an independent composer.
www.youtube.com/jamesguilmartin
www.facebook.com/jamesguilmartinmusic
www.facebook.com/sisyphusproject

Performer & Choreographer: Guillaume Cousson

Guillaume is the writer, performer and director of Riuchi, an award winning circus company created in 2013 that tours and headlines festivals across the world.
The character Riuchi comes from the imagination of the performer’s Asian identity. Riuchi communicates through movements that are based on the theories of martial arts through self-taught techniques and training. Within this context, he creates movements enriched with grace, purity and focus that seem effortless. Riuchi has received several awards and became one of the winners of Ireland’s “New Emerging Artists” for 2016. The Irish Times describe him as “a skilled and imaginative performer”.

Health & Safety Documentation

Please find here a copy of our annual Safety Statement.