Gúna Nua is an award-winning, critically acclaimed theatre company making new theatre for Irish and international audiences since 1998. We develop productions in relationship with artists and communities to generate dynamic, contemporary and vibrant theatre that challenges and inspires. Drawing on our extensive legacy of award winning productions, we strive for excellence and innovation by collaborating with exciting partners, finding new and unusual venues and employing cutting edge theatre techniques in our work. Gúna Nua has a strong reputation for devising, developing and producing new plays and re-inventing the classics.
Paul Meade – Artistic Director
Paul Meade is a writer, director, actor and Artistic Director of Gúna Nua theatre. From Limerick, Paul trained at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, and later received an M.A. in modern drama from U.C.D.
As a director Paul has directed the multi award-winning Pondling, The Goddess of Liberty, Little Gem and Scenes From a Water Cooler (co-directed with David Parnell) as well as The Unlucky Cabin Boy, Chicane, Taste, The Real Thing, Trousers, and Meltdown for Gúna Nua. He has also directed Hamlet and King Lear for Second Age, Percolate’s Green Street at the Dublin Fringe Festival, David Mamet’s The Shawl and Pauline Shanahan’s Positive Dead People for Bewley’s Café Theatre, and Gerry McCann’s Shay’s Story and Jennifer O’Dea’s Aisling’s Story for Focus Ireland.
Work as a writer includes Faith, Scenes From a Water Cooler, Skin Deep, Thesis, Trousers, and Meltdown all for Gúna Nua. In 2007 Paul wrote Mushroom for Storytellers Theatre Company, and was also awarded a play writing commission by the Irish Council for Bioethics. In 2010 he wrote Light Signals for Team Theatre Company. In 2011 he wrote Begotten Not Made, a commission from the Irish Council for Bioethics. This play went on to win the Jim McNaughton/Tilestyle Bursary at the 2009 Business to Arts Awards and received a special mention at the Prix d’Italia. Most recently, Paul wrote The Short Biography of Denis O’Rourke and Conference Call for RTÉ radio drama.
As an actor Paul has worked with companies all over Ireland and toured to the U.K., U.S.A. and Australia. Plays include: Hamlet, Dinner with Friends and Four Storeys for Gúna Nua; Licking the Marmalade Spoon also by David Parnell; Juno and the Paycock at the Abbey; Silverlands for Druid; Petty Sessions with Red Kettle; The Ash Fire for Pigsback; Grapes of Wrath for 7:84 Scotland; Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and more with Island; Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth with Second Age; Hard Times for Storytellers; Pygmalion for Smock Alley, God’s Gift with Barrabas; The Glass Menagerie for Galloglass and Alone it Stands with Yew Tree Theatre.
Film and Television include: Alarm by Gerry Stembridge, Rebellion, Acceptable Risk, The Clinic and Whistleblower for RTE, The Tudors for BBC, Lassie for Classic Media Productions, Love is the Drug for RTE, Quando for Paradox Pictures, Making Ends Meet for Indie Films, Rebel Heart, BBC, On Home Ground for RTE.
Gúna Nua Board
Sheila Campbell
Sheila is the Fundraising & Communications Manager at Beaumont Hospital Foundation.
She has worked within the non-profit sector for the past two decades as a communications professional and at senior management level. Sheila has expertise in managing and creating many successful fundraising campaigns and events.
She previously directed the vision for the work of Down Syndrome Centre, in which time she was successful in creating the role of the world’s first, Down Syndrome Liaison Nurse, who currently works to support new parents through an established maternity hospital referral system.
Michael Hennessy
From Limerick, Michael is a retired Pharmacist and has experience of running an SME. Michael is passionate about theatre, opera and music and brings this passion to his work with Gúna Nua. He is an active fundraiser for Gúna Nua and has extensive experience serving at board level in the not-for-profit sector.
Ray McKenna
Ray is Distribution Director for New Ireland Assurance. He has held a number of senior roles over the last 20 years including Managing Director at Towers Watson and Managing Director at Arthur Andersen & KPMG. Ray is a fellow of the Pensions Management institute and a member of the Institute of Directors. He has over 30 years’ experience advising companies, Trustees and Remuneration committees on the design, implementation and communication of a wide range of employee benefits. He has also successfully lead, and grown, local and global sales teams. He has held a number of directorships in both for profit, and not-for-profit organisations.
Colin Meagher
Colin is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and has held senior finance roles in a range of businesses in Ireland and overseas.
Joseph O’Dea
Joe is an actuary and investment consultant. He heads the investments business of Willis Towers Watson in Ireland and has worked for 30 years advising institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies, foundations and charities) on investment strategy. When not travelling (approaching 100 countries to date), he divides his time between Dublin and Lahinch. He has been a Friend and supporter of Gúna Nua since its foundation in 1998. Joe is a member of the RTE Philharmonic Choir.
Marie Taylor-Ghent
Marie is a Director in the Data & Analytics Consulting Practice in PwC. She leads high-performing data and analytics teams to help clients grow revenue, reduce cost, improve cash flow and enhance risk management across a range of business functions.
She has over 2 decades of industry and professional services experience in leading and delivering successful projects to address challenges and deliver sustainable business value using data, analytics and emerging technologies.
Dualta Woods
Dualta is a restauranteur and former managing director of a successful wine merchants. Dualta has experience in the SME sector and in fundraising for the not-for-profit sector.