Kat Reagan interview
Belfast born Kat Reagan studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, following the completion of a BA at Queens. She graduated with a PG Dip in Musical Theatre in 2009 and her next theatre performance was at Belfast's MAC theatre, where she played Marcy Parks in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In her spare time Kat enjoys competitive Céilí dancing with the Mulvenna senior ladies team. She loves listening to trad music and often brings her voice along to sessions with friends.
In London Irish, Kat plays ditsy Niamh, as she explains below...
Hi Kat. Can you explain a bit about London Irish - what's it all about?
London Irish is a comedy about four friends living in London. There's Bronagh and Packy who're a bit more sensible than Conor and Niamh.
Conor and Niamh are a bit like two rockets I'd say! But that's why it works so well. The four of them just go great together as they kind of balance out, as you have all those different energies... so I hope it works really well.
You play Niamh, can you tell us a little more about your character?
Niamh has been a joy to play, because it's really nice to play a part that brings something more positive out of your own character. Even when you're doing something like comedy, it's good to have something at the core and something that's real.
For me it's really nice to be playing somebody that's so optimistic, bright, bubbly, not a care in the world because it brings out that side of me, which is really nice. It's a joy to play someone who's so untroubled and very straight forward. I mean - she knows what she wants and she goes and gets it. No mountain is too high. If she wants something, it's going to happen.
Niamh gets her own way easily with very little effort a lot of the time, it's lovely. Her flaws are very obvious as well but she's just so upfront. There's nothing hidden with her she's so honest to the point of being ridiculously blunt at times, but she would be a nice person to be friends with.
Do you think it's important to like your own character?
Not really, but it makes your job more enjoyable. Obviously as an actor there's times when you're going to play a character who you think 'this person is so removed from me', but you have to try and find it in yourself, something that can bring that out. With Niamh, I don't mind taking a part of her home with me. It enhances my life.
How closely would you say that it resembles the reality of your life?
It's like falling down a rabbit hole doing this one. My life back home, I mean I would party more back home than I would in London because when I lived in London I just found it so difficult to keep your friendships going as people are on one side of London and you're on the other side. And tackling the night bus home, well I hate that... I'd rather just roll into bed.
Finally, are there any TV sitcoms on at the moment or that were on in the past that make you laugh?
I mean - this sounds so stereotypical - but I love Father Ted. Me and my feller we still sit and watch the box set. I loved the one for Lent when Dougal goes off roller skating, it's just so good. I like that physical slapstick style, that's funny for me. I really like The Inbetweeners as well. I liked the awkwardness of it, I found that really funny. Everyone's different, everyone will have a chuckle at different things and I'm very childish in my sense of humour. Like Monsters Inc, I was laughing my head off at that. I like anything that's a bit silly.