Bill Whelan – Composer

Bill has worked extensively in theatre and film. He was appointed composer to the W.B. Yeats International Theatre Festival at Ireland’s National Abbey Theatre in 1989, writing original music for 15 Yeats plays. His adaptation of HMS Pinafore received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. His compositional work in film includes original scores for Dancing At Lughnasa starring Meryl Streep, Some Mother’s Son starring Helen Mirren and Lamb starring Liam Neeson. Music for television includes The Seven Ages, Sean Ó Mordha’s history of the Irish State.
The Seville Suite was his first large scale orchestral work, commissioned for Ireland’s National Day at Expo ’92 in Seville. The Spirit Of Mayo followed in 1993. The Connemara Suite, a trilogy of pieces written for chamber orchestra, premiered in Carnegie Hall in March 2005. The World Premiere of the Riverdance Symphonic Suite, performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra, took place at the National Concert Hall in Dublin in May 2012.
His many production and arranging credits include U2, Van Morrison, Kate Bush, Richard Harris and Planxty. He has written and recorded a new composition with the classical violinist Vanessa-Mae. He has just completed a project with Berklee College of Music in Boston which is being developed into an album.
Bill was honoured with the 1997 Grammy Award for ‘Best Musical Show Album’ for his Riverdance CD. The album is a certified Platinum record in the US, Ireland and Australia. Bill holds two honorary Doctorates and was awarded a fellowship by the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He is a member of the Boards of Berklee College of Music, The University of Limerick and Ireland’s National Music Education Programme – Music Generation. Bill Whelan was recently appointed adjunct Professor to Trinity College Dublin’s School of Drama, Film and Music.

Moya Doherty – Producer

Starting out in RTÉ, Moya worked as a Producer, Director, Actor, Reporter and Presenter. In the 1980’s Moya  worked as a Reporter/Presenter with TVAM. Without the experience of living as an immigrant in Thatcherite Britain, Moya feels that she would not have been gifted the experience and the perspective on her return to Ireland to commence the journey she travelled with Riverdance.    Moya is a founding Director of Today FM, former Chair of the Dublin Theatre Festival, is currently on the Board of The Abbey Theatre and Business to Arts,  is on an advisory council to The Gathering 2013 and advisor to a number of 3rd level institutions for the development of courses in the creative industries. Moya is producing, with John McColgan, a range of new projects: Heartbeat of Home: a new dance show, The Parting Glass: a musical on the lives of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem; and through her Directorship of Tyrone Productions,  TV dramas for the BBC, based on the novels by Benjamin Black, and a new drama series for TV3.    Moya has been recognised  for her work in the arts, from a Jacobs Award , to Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year and Honorary Doctorates from the University of Ulster and the National University of Ireland

John McColgan – Director

John McColgan’s career as a television director began in the mid seventies in RTÉ Television where he went on to become Head of Entertainment. He is a founding Director of Tyrone Productions, Ireland’s premier independent television production company and is Chairman of Today FM radio station.
John played a key role in the evolution of Riverdance from the original seven-minute dance number and went on to direct the full stage-show spectacular. John has been closely involved with The Abbey Theatre – he was on the Board of the Theatre for five years, served as Chairman of the Abbey Centenary Committee and directed a critically acclaimed production of the 19th century melodrama, The Shaughraun, for the theatre.
He is founder and Chairman of the global website project www.worldirish.com .  John was artistic director of the entertainment to mark the State visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in May 2011.
John has received many awards during his career, including an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the National University of Ireland in recognition of his services to the arts and entertainment industry.

Julian Erskine – Senior Executive Producer

Julian has worked in the entertainment industry for nearly 40 years. He started his career in stage management and after several years as a lighting designer and production manager he set up and managed Ireland’s first professional scenery supply company.

In 1989 he returned to the world of theatre as a free-lance producer and, in 1994, he joined the fledgling Riverdance team on a consultancy basis. A year later he was appointed Executive Producer and since then he has been responsible for all the Riverdance companies and productions worldwide.

From 2005 to 2010 he was a director of Long Road Productions, an independent entertainment production and management company and has recently formed his own company, Tumblehome Productions.

Robert Ballagh – Set Designer

Robert is one of Ireland’s most distinguished artists and designers.

As a painter, his work is represented in many important collections including the National Gallery of Ireland and the Albrecht Dürer House, Nuremberg. He has designed seventy stamps for the Irish Postal Service and the last ever Irish banknotes before the Euro conversion for the Central Bank of Ireland.

His striking stage designs for Steven Berkoff’s version of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé and Samuel Beckett’s Endgame have enjoyed international success and he designed the Opening Ceremony for the Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Croke Park, Dublin.

He is a member of Aosdána, a self-governing trust of Ireland’s most eminent artists, and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.

Joan Bergin – Costume Designer

Joan is one of Ireland’s best-known film costume designers. Film credits include My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father and Dancing at Lughnasa. She began her career in Theatre and Architectural Design, winning awards in both areas. She designed Brian Friel’s Translations on Broadway, and returned to New York’s Lincoln Center in 1999 for their Friel season.

More recently her work was seen on television in David Copperfield and on film in Veronica Guerin, directed by Joel Schumacher. Recent projects include The Prestige, shot in LA, and The Tudors, for which she has just won her third Emmy. She has also won two IFTAs for The Tudors.

Her most recent theatre work includes two Sam Shepard plays commissioned by the Abbey Theatre, Kicking a Dead Horse and Ages of the Moon directed by the actor/playwright, and Henrick Ibsens John Gabriel Borkman staring Alan Rickman also at the Abbey. Joan is currently involved in “Camelot” with Joseph Fienes and Eva Green.

Michael O’Gorman – Sound Designer

Michael was born in London and completed his education at Trinity College, Dublin. On returning to England he founded his own sound company with Don McLean as his first client.

He was next approached by The Chieftains management to provide sound for their British tour. This relationship formed the basis for the development of his interest in sound design.

He has provided sound design for diverse artistic requirements, including Bill Whelan’s The Seville Suite and The Spirit of Mayo, Eurovision ’93, ’94, ’95, The Shaughraun (The Abbey), The Wiremen, Aïda, Handel’s Messiah (250th anniversary at The Point), Sweeney Todd (The Gate), Mother Goose, Beauty and The Beast and Cinderella (The Gaiety).

Benjamin Pearcy – Lighting Designer

Benjamin has been with Riverdance since Radio City Music Hall in 1996, and also designed the show’s animated projections.  He has lit theatre, opera, and architectural projects around the world, including a new production of Carmen for the Beijing Opera, Whoopi! on Broadway, US national tours of Beauty and the Beast and My Fair Lady, and many other productions for opera and theatre companies across the US.

A frequent collaborator with artist James Turrell, he was the Lighting Designer for the acclaimed James Turrell Museum at the Hess Collection at Colomé.

He dedicates his work on Riverdance to the memory of friend and collaborator Rupert Murray.

The original Lighting Design for Riverdance – The Show was created by Rupert Murray – 3rd February 1951– 17th August 2006.  RIP

Rupert Murray – Lighting Designer

Rupert lived in Dublin, where he worked as a freelance lighting designer and producer. His design work has been seen in all of Ireland’s major theatres as well as internationally. As a producer, he co-ordinated the 1991 Beckett Festival in Dublin and produced a series of independent theatre productions between 1992 and 1996.

From 1996 to 2000, Rupert was Festival Director of the St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin. He was Creative Director of the Opening Ceremony for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2003 and at the time of his death was Creative Director of the ceremonies associated with Ireland’s hosting of The Ryder Cup.

Rupert Murray  3rd February 1951 – 17th August 2006
May he rest in peace.