10 Questions with actor and writer Isolde Fenton who brings her show IN A BAD WAY to the Belltable, October 18

Isolde Fenton is one of Ireland’s most exciting new voices in theatre.

Limerick actor, Isolde Fenton, answers 10 questions about her career, inspiration, and future plans

Isolde Fenton is one of Ireland’s most exciting new voices in theatre. Her debut play, Chalk & Cheese, won the PJ O’Connor Radio Drama Award in 2024 and will be produced by RTÉ Drama on One later this year.

Isolde is currently Artist-in-Residence at The Belltable Theatre in her hometown of Limerick, where she is developing her third play.

After training at the Gaiety School of Acting, she was chosen to participate in the UK National Youth Theatre’s prestigious Rep Company. Isolde Fenton performed in many major productions, including Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing on the West End. This performance received major acclaim.

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After completing her training, Isolde Fenton returned to Cork, where she developed the initial idea for her second play IN A BAD WAY with Cork Theatre Collective’s ‘Space to Think’ Bursary. The piece was subsequently chosen for CTC’s SHOW, a work-in-progress event, and eventually developed into the final full production for Cork Fringe in May of this year. She was also honoured as one of the Irish Examiner’s Ones to Watch for 2025 at the start of this year.

IN A BAD WAY is about Grá who is sick. With what, she’s not sure. Blood clots, maybe? Foreign Accent Syndrome, possibly? Bum Cancer – most definitely; The Ginger One from Desperate Housewives has it. Sat in a GP on Dame Street, she’s with The Doctor (for the fifth time this month) and she won’t rest until she has a diagnosis.

As she spins through her symptoms (all real – definitely real), we unravel a hilarious and touching story of health anxiety, loneliness, and having a body that will not stop keeping score. Ugh.

IN A BAD WAY is a darkly comedic, touching, fast paced one woman show about hypochondria.

IN A BAD WAY comes to the Belltable Limerick as part of the Lasta programme on Saturday, October 18 at 8pm.

TICKETS HERE

1. Tell us about your childhood growing up in Limerick.

I grew up in Adare, tucked away down a gorgeous little lane surrounded by a close-knit community of neighbours. Some of my earliest memories there are of walking along an old railway line, crossing the bridge onto the riverbank path with my family—my sisters and I constantly pleading with our dad to quiz us with trivia games as we took our dogs for long strolls. It was such a special time.

I went to school in the city, first attending an Modhscoil and later Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ, developing a life long love for the Irish language. My childhood in Limerick was full of activity and curiosity, from ballet to violin lessons to hockey. For a short period of time, I was the only hockey goalie in my secondary school, which resulted in me playing every single hockey match – I’m sure to the delight of my teachers. Looking back, my childhood in Limerick shaped not just who I am, but how I approach my work, my art, and my connection to the world around me.

2. How did you first get into acting and writing?

I’ve recently come to realise that writing has always been a central part of my life. As a child, I would staple pages together and fill them with stories about characters like Little Bo Peep. In primary school, I would spend lunchtimes directing my friends in improvised scenes I’d dream up on the spot.

My favourite creative outlet, though, was making short films with my sisters—I insisted they deliver my “brilliant” scripts exactly as written and often made them repeat the same scene over and over until it was just right. One of those sisters, Saorla, is now an actor—I like to believe my masterpiece The Haunted Hotel had something to do with that.

My other sister, Laoise Léan, may have been less inspired and more traumatised; she’s now training to be a primary school teacher at Mary I and is considerably more responsible than the rest of us. I found acting through an unexpected route—my anxiety. As a nervous teenager, my parents encouraged me to join Spotlight Stage School. A few of my friends had been attending for years and loved it, so I decided to give it a chance.

Just a few months later, I found myself playing Ms. Hannigan in the end-of-year show at UCH. I had five lines, but I was completely hooked. That first experience led me to join Limerick Youth Theatre and, eventually, to study English and Theatre at University College Cork. My time in college only deepened my passion for performance, and after graduating, I was accepted into the Gaiety School of Acting—further cementing my commitment to a career in acting.

3. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Most of my inspiration comes directly from real life. My family, my experiences, the small, often overlooked moments that shape who we are. I find myself constantly pulling from memories, conversations, and even challenges I’ve faced, using them as fuel for characters or stories. I think there is something powerful in drawing from what you know. It brings a kind of emotional honesty that audiences can feel, even if they don’t know exactly why. Real life is messy, funny, painful, and beautiful—and that’s exactly the kind of work I want to create.

4. Being an artist in residence at Belltable is a great opportunity.

How has the experience been? The experience has been truly wonderful. Louise Donlon and the entire team at the Belltable have been incredibly supportive, generous with their time, and consistently encouraging throughout the process. Their belief in me and my work has meant more than I can put into words.

The Belltable has always held a special place in my heart—it’s where I performed in my very first play at just fifteen years old. Walking back through those doors now, not as a teenager in someone else’s production, but as a writer and performer of my own work, feels surreal. To be creating and presenting something in my hometown, in a venue that shaped my earliest experiences of theatre, is both humbling and exhilarating. It genuinely feels like a full-circle moment—one I’ll always treasure.

5. What has been your experience performing in a one-person show?

The first one person show I ever performed in was during my final year at UCC, when my friend Rosa Mäkelä directed a production of A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride. I remember reading the script for the first time and being completely enthralled; I had never encountered writing like it before.

It was immense, jagged and lyrical, equally hilarious and utterly devastating. Stepping into that world was transformative for me as both an actor and a writer; it cracked something open and made me realise the power of raw, intimate storytelling—especially from a female perspective. Performing a one person show is unlike anything else.

It’s thrilling, exhausting, and deeply personal. You’re not just acting; you’re holding the entire space on your own, carrying the story, the rhythm, the emotional weight, and the audience’s attention from start to finish.

There’s a kind of intimacy and vulnerability to it that’s both terrifying and exciting. Every silence, every breath, every shift in energy comes from you and you alone.

6. How does it feel to have your show as part of Dublin Fringe?

Having my show as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival feels like a dream come true! The festival is a platform for creativity, for pushing boundaries, and for bringing together a community of artists who are all striving to make something new, fresh, and bold.

To have my work stand alongside such innovative productions is a huge achievement. There’s a sense of pride knowing that my voice is part of this incredible, dynamic celebration of theatre and performance.

7. How did it feel having your play win the PJ O’Connor Radio Drama Award?

I actually found out I’d won the award from my mam! Apparently, I had entered the wrong contact details on my application. A friend of hers happened to hear my name announced on RTE Radio One and passed it on to her. Mam called me, and as soon as she told me, I burst into tears. It was such an emotional moment.

I had just moved back to Ireland after spending two years in London and was feeling completely stuck, unsure of my next steps. The award was for my debut play, CHALK & CHEESE, a deeply personal piece about growing up with an autistic sibling.

The judges described it as “a fearless, emotionally tense depiction of a young girl and her complicated love for her autistic younger brother… visceral, powerful and poetic… through it we become privy to the inner world of a young person dealing with confusion, loneliness, yearning, empathy and transgression.”

To have a story so close to my heart recognised on a national level gave me a huge confidence boost. It gave me the push I needed to keep going, especially with writing. It felt very cosmic. The piece is directed by the great Gorretti Slavin. We recorded the play at RTE this summer just gone with a cast of actors I’ve admired for a very long time. I’m incredibly excited for it to debut this autumn on Drama on One.

8. What is next for ‘In a Bad Way’ following Dublin Fringe?

After our run at Dublin Fringe this coming September, I am delighted to be bringing IN A BAD WAY to the Belltable on Saturday, October 18th as part of their LASTA Young Curators Programme. There’s something incredibly special about performing this piece in my hometown, particularly since Limerick is vital to the story itself.

The references to the city, the streets, the atmosphere—everything feels deeply personal, and to bring it back home is both a full-circle moment and a celebration of where it all started. Looking ahead, I’m also excited about the possibility of taking IN A BAD WAY on tour. I can’t wait to share this story with new audiences in different places, to see how it resonates and to continue evolving the work as I perform it in new spaces. It’s just the beginning, and I’m so excited for what’s to come!

9. What advice would you give someone thinking about pursuing a career in theatre?

Pursuing a career in theatre is not easy. It’s a constant battle, against self-doubt, rejection, exhaustion, and the pressure to constantly prove yourself. There are weeks where you’ll question whether it’s all worth it. But that’s part of the journey. When you’ve put in the hard work and the pieces finally fall into place – there is truly no feeling like it.

The rush of being on stage, the satisfaction of seeing your words brought to life, the magic of connecting with an audience in that deeply personal, shared space— it’s all worth it. In those moments, you remember why you do it: because there is simply no other feeling that compares.

You have to do this because you love it—because no matter how tough it gets, there’s nothing else in the world that makes you feel as alive or as fulfilled as the work you create. For all the struggles and setbacks, there’s something inherently beautiful about chasing after that feeling, even when it seems out of reach.

10. What is your favourite thing about Limerick?

Limerick’s community is like nothing I have seen anywhere else. There’s a deep sense of connection and support that runs through the city – we see it often in its many sporting achievements, but it is also very alive in the arts scene. The people here take pride in their homegrown talent, and there’s a real appreciation for creativity and collaboration. Whether it’s the local theatre scene, artists supporting each other, or the way people show up to cheer each other on, Limerick has this rare quality of being both tightly-knit and open-hearted. It’s a place that encourages you to dream bigger and work harder. And that kind of support is priceless—it’s something that makes Limerick feel like home, no matter where life takes you.