THE Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival production of Reunion, by Mark O'Rowe, makes its UK debut at London’s Kiln Theatre this week.
Set on an island off the West Coast of Ireland, tensions surface in this family drama when an unexpected visitor drops by.
This week actress Kate Gilmore, who plays Marilyn, took time out of rehearsals to talk to the Irish Post.
Kate Gilmore stars in Mark O'Rowe's Reunion at the Kiln Theatre in North LondonWhat are you up to?
I’ve just started work on Reunion opening at the Kiln and then at the Gaiety. I’m also prepping a short film with my company Two Sparks through Screen Ireland’s Focus Shorts scheme. Freelancing means spinning a few plates at once!
Can you sum up Reunion in a sentence?
A biting family drama set on a west coast island, where simmering tensions finally boil over.
The Kiln Theatre is at the heart of what used to be a little-Ireland between the 60s and 80s - are there still traces of the community there now?
I’ve never actually been to Kilburn before, so this marks both my London stage debut and my first time working in the area. I’m really looking forward to discovering both.
Are you hoping to catch any shows when you are in London?
Time will be tight, but I’ll be back after our Gaiety run to see some friends in Playboy of the Western World at the National.
How did you get into acting?
I never considered anything else. As classmates weighed up medicine or law, I was glued to Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act (1 & 2!). Luckily my parents were completely
supportive. I wouldn’t be where I am without them (professionally, emotionally and, most importantly, financially).
What was it like working on Fair City?
I loved the pace and the community. Soap is a real art form, and I feel lucky to have been schooled in it at RTÉ. I also made some lifelong friends there.
You can also sing - you participated in the Voice of Ireland - tell me more?
I’ve always sung, and at 18 it felt natural (and naive!) to apply. It was fun, but I’m glad my career led me back to theatre; it’s where I feel most at home.
What would be your dream role?
Honestly, the role I’m playing now. Marilyn is volatile, complicated, and endlessly fascinating to unpack - and to do that through Mark O’Rowe’s words is a dream come true.
What are your Irish roots?
I am very Irish - my ancestors left me the skin, the sense of humour, and the dairy-tolerance, thank God.
What is your most treasured holiday memory as a child?
In Portugal, my Dad took off my armbands to teach me how to swim and I immediately jumped into the deep end. He still tells that story whenever I’m feeling nervous as a gentle reminder that I have some fearlessness in me… it is there… somewhere.
Where is your favourite theatre in Ireland?
It’s hard to beat the Gaiety Theatre. It’s beauty and history.
Which Irish actor do you most admire?
There are too many. Aislín McGuckin, Cathy Belton, Aisling O’Sullivan, Derbhle Crotty, Hilda Fay — incredible actors, but perhaps more importantly, incredible women.
Ireland has such a long tradition of storytelling - is that still in a strong place or is it being overtaken by technology?
AI can’t replace the experience of live theatre. That moment of sharing breath and heartbeat with strangers as a story unfolds. That’s why it’s endured for centuries.
What advice would you give to aspiring actors out there?
Protect your talent and don’t take rejection personally.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
'Strong but wrong'. Go for it. Even if it’s not quite right, you’ll learn something.
Reunion plays at the Kiln Theatre in London from 11 September – 11 October 2025, followed by a Dublin run at the Gaiety Theatre from October 21 – November 2, 2025.
See More: Kate Gilmore, Kiln Theatre, Reunion
