Entertainment

TEN MINUTES with Catherine Leen

CATHERINE LEEN is a Dublin born writer, documentary maker and oral historian. Mona & Mimi, her first full length play about Mona Best and Mimi Smith (John Lennon’s aunt) is being performed at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool on September 3-4, 2025.

Catherine Leen

What are you up to?

Trying to get my head around all things social media to promote my new play, Mona & Mimi. I’ve not used any social media before but you can check out my efforts on @monaandmimi on Facebook, X and Instagram. You’re never too old to learn

Which producer / director / writer has most influenced you?

John B. Keane – and not just his writing/storytelling but also his determination and respect for his audience

What’s on your smartphone playlist at the minute?

Research for my play has taken me back to the late 1950s-early 1960s so now I am bopping away to the Crew Cuts, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Elvis…oh and the Beatles!

What’s your favourite film?

About a Boy – I just love the scene where they are discussing duck at the Christmas lunch

Your favourite theatrical production?

Iphigenia in Splott, Lyric Hammersmith, London, 2022
Gary Owen’s one-woman monologue, acted passionately by Sophie Melville, captivated me. Inspired by the Greek myth and set in modern day Cardiff, watching the play made me reflect on the power of theatre to advocate for those who do not have a voice

What is your top place in Ireland?

Kerry

Where were you born and bred?

I was born in Dublin but spent all my summers on my uncle’s farm in Kerry until I emigrated at 20.

Which book has really moved you?

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde – I tried to read it to my kids when they were little but couldn’t as I kept crying

Which piece of music makes you want to get up and leave a party?

Leave a party?!

When you’ve finished writing for the day. How do you relax?

I take my ‘spirited’ Irish wheaten terrier for a long walk

Which person from the past do you most admire?

I’ve got to say that right now it is Mona Best, the woman that inspired me to write Mona & Mimi. She was of Irish descent who was born in India and then moved to Liverpool as a young woman. She was the mother of Pete Best, the Beatles’ original drummer, and she played a vital and I would argue underappreciated role in the band’s early development. She refused to be constrained by society’s expectations of woman in that period becoming a club owner, music promoter and manager. She was a fierce and devoted mother to her children, who adored her.

What would be your motto?

I love Samuel Becket’s quote “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better”

What is your top memory of being onstage?

Being in a school production called ‘On The Good Ship Lollypop’ as a six year old – I thought I was Shirley Temple! First and last stage performance!

What books are on your bedside table at the minute?

Social Media for Dummies

What’s best thing about living in Liverpool?

The people. Everyone has a story to tell

If you had to recommend one place in Liverpool not to miss, what would it be?

Antony Gormley's 100 iron men sculptures on Crosby Beach, Liverpool, early morning or at sunset

What’s the greatest lesson life has taught you?

Never give up