Olwen Fouéré (born 2 March 1954) is an Irish actress and writer/director in theatre, film and visual arts. She was born in Galway, Ireland to Breton parents Yann Fouéré and Marie-Magdeleine Mauger. In 2020, she was listed at number 22 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.
Career Fouéré works in English and French, and has made numerous appearances at the Abbey Theatre, the Gate Theatre in Ireland, the Royal National Theatre in England, the Bouffes du Nord in Paris, at Brooklyn Academy of Music New York, Sydney Theatre Company Australia and Shakespeare Theatre Company. In 1980 she formed Operating Theatre, an avant-garde theatre company with composer Roger Doyle. She later established an artistic entity called TheEmergencyRoom for the development of her ongoing projects which have included the creation of her internationally acclaimed RIVERRUN (her adaptation of the voice of the river in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake); her staging of Lessness by Samuel Beckett (Barbican, Galway International Arts Festival and Project Arts Centre, Dublin); her translation and production of Danse, Morob, written for her by the French writer Laurent Gaudé and her translation and performances of Sodome, My Love (in association with Rough Magic) also by Laurent Gaudé; a film project co-directed by Kevin Abosch from a script by Anne Enright titled Cassandra:fragments of a playscript.
Stage Play Role Director Author Venue Company YearThe PresidentThe First LadyTom CreedThomas BernhardGate Theatre, Dublin and Roslyn Packer TheatreGate Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company2024iGirlSole performerCatriona McLaughlin Marina CarrAbbey Theatre, Dublin2021The Last SeasonWinterDanielle MicichSydney Festival CarriageworksForce Majeure2021 Unwoman III Unwoman (solo) The Rabble - Dublin Fringe Festival and Melbourne - - Blood Wedding Mother Yaël Farber Frederico Garcia Lorca adaptation by Marina Carr Young Vic Theatre, London 2019 Nous, l’Europe, Banquet des Peuples Ensemble Roland Auzet Laurent Gaudé Festival d’Avignon 2019 Ballyturk 3 Enda Walsh Enda Walsh Abbey Theatre 2017 and St Ann's Warehouse, New York Landmark Theatre Productions and Galway International Festival 2017, 2018 What if Women Ruled the World? The President - Yael Bartana Manchester International Festival at Aarhus and Volksbuhne Berlin - - Salome Nameless Woman - Yaël Farber - Shakespeare Theatre Company Washington DC and National Theatre, London - Left Behind: Songs of 1916 Widows Narrator - Simon O’Connor and Michelle O’Rourke - National Concert Hall, Dublin - The Fever - - Fintan O’Toole - Belfast Festival - Death at Intervals Death Kellie Hughes - - Galway International Festival / Dublin Theatre Festival - Embodied Performer Megan & Jessica Kennedy - Junk Ensemble Production - - Riverrun Solo performance Olwen Fouéré (with co-director Kellie Hughes) Olwen Fouéré TheEmergencyRoom/ Galway International Arts Festival and international tour - - The Importance of Being Earnest Dr. Chausuble Antony McDonald Composer: Gerald Barry NI Opera - - A Tender Thing Juliet Selina Cartmell - Siren Productions - - Maria de Buenos Aires El Duende Conor Hanratty - - Cork Opera House - The Rite of Spring/Petrushka the Cailleach Michael Keegan-Dolan - English National Opera andSadler's Wells - - The Taming of the Shrew – – – – – – The Broken Heart – Mark O'Rowe – Various Abbey Theatre World Tour 2011 Terminus A Mark O'Rowe Mark O'Rowe Various Abbey Theatre World Tour 2011 The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane Gertrude Gavin Quinn William Shakespeare – Pan Pan theatre – Medea sole Chorus Selina Cartmell translated by Robin Robertson – Siren productions – Sodome, My Love Celle de Sodome Laurent Gaudé Lynne Parker (translated by Olwen Fouéré) Project Arts Centre, Dublin – – The Rite of Spring the Cailleach Michael Keegan-Dolan – London Coliseum Fabulous Beast and ENO – Under Glass (The Test Tube) – Suzy Willson and Paul Clark Alice Oswald – Clod Ensemble – Paula Spencer, La Femme Qui Se Cognait Dans Les Portes solo Michel Abécassis Roddy Doyle (translated by Ian Monk and Isabelle D. Phillippe) Théatre de l'Eveil tour including Bouffes du Nord, Paris, and Project Arts Centre, Dublin – – Woman and Scarecrow Woman Selina Cartmell Marina Carr Abbey Theatre – – The Bull Maeve Michael Keegan-Dolan – Dublin Theatre Festival 2005, Barbicanbite 2007, speilzeiteuropa08 Fabulous Beast – Catastrophe The Assistant Selina Cartmell Samuel Beckett Barbican Gate Theatre Beckett Festival – Titus Andronicus Tamora Selina Cartmell Shakespeare Project Arts Centre, Dublin Siren Productions – Here Lies Antonin Artaud Selina Cartmell – Galway Arts Festival 2005, Dublin and Paris 2006 Operating Theatre – A Cry from Heaven Ness Olivier Py Vincent Woods Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – The Plough and the Stars Mrs Gogan Ben Barnes Seán O'Casey Abbey Theatre, Barbicanbite and Cork Opera House – – The Playboy of the Western World Widow Quinn Ben Barnes John Millington Synge Abbey Theatre (USA Tour) – – Passades self and explorer Selina Cartmell – Lee's Cash 'n Carry, Dublin Operating Theatre – La Musica Woman Selina Cartmell Marguerite Duras SS Michael and John, Dublin Siren Productions – The House of Bernarda Alba Augustine Martin Drury Federico Garcia Lorca, trans. Sebastian Barry Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – Macbeth Lady Macbeth Michael Barker-Caven Shakespeare Dublin and Irish tour Second Age – Lessness solo Judy Hegarty-Lovett Samuel Beckett Gare StLazare Irl Kilkenny Arts Festival, Cottesloe Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival – Bailegangaire Dolly Tom Murphy Tom Murphy Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – Chair solo Johnny Hanrahan Operating Theatre Peacock Theatre, Dublin Operating Theatre – The Playboy of the Western World Pegeen Mike Niall Henry John Millington Synge Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – Peer Gynt Solveig Conal Morrison Henrik Ibsen (trans. Frank McGuinness) Royal National Theatre, London – – Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet Tim Supple Shakespeare Royal National Theatre, London – – The Tempest Ariel Conal Morrison Shakespeare Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – Life Is a Dream Rosaura Calixto Bieto Caldéron de la Barca (translated by John Clifford) Edinburgh Festival '98, Barbican '99, BAM,'99 – – The Wake Mary Jane Patrick Mason Tom Murphy Abbey Theatre and Edinburgh Festival – 1988–1999 By the Bog of Cats (World Premiere) Hester Swane Patrick Mason Marina Carr Abbey Theatre (Dublin Theatre Festival '98) – 1988 Angel/Babel solo Leon Ingulsrud Operating Theatre Project@the mint, Dublin Operating Theatre 1999 Lady Windermere's Fan Mrs Erlynne Alan Stanford Oscar Wilde Gate Theatre Dublin and Charleston Spoleto Festival Company 1997–1998 The Electrocution of Children Margot Brian Brady Chris Lee Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards Empress and Moon John Crowley Chikamatsu Montsaemon, trans. Peter Oswald Royal National Theatre – – Play and Come and Go – Bairbre Ni Chaoimh Samuel Beckett Gate Theatre and Lincoln Center, New York – – Double Helix Bickerstaffe John Crowley – Peacock Theatre, Dublin – – Six Characters in Search of an Author Mme. Pace John Crowley Luigi Pirandello, trans. Tom Kilroy Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – Slaughter City Cod Ron Daniels Naomi Wallace – Royal Shakespeare Company, The Pit – The Mai (World Premiere ) The Mai Brian Brady Marina Carr Abbey Theatre, Dublin Company Year Old Times Anna Kevin Billington Harold Pinter Gate Theatre, Dublin Gate Theatre Pinter Festival – Sheep's Milk on the Boil The Inspector of Wrack Tom Hickey Tom Mac Intyre Abbey Theatre, Dublin – – Hamlet Hamlet Michael Sheridan Shakespeare Project Arts Centre, Dublin – – The Tempest and Macbeth Ariel and Lady Macduff Michael Bogdanov Shakespeare World tour English Shakespeare Company – The Cherry Orchard Varya Michael Bogdanov Anton Chekhov Gate Theatre, Dublin Salome Salomé Steven Berkoff Oscar Wilde Gate Theatre '88 Edinburgh Festival '89 Spoleto '90 1988, 1989, 1990 The Master Builder Hilde Wangel Paul Unwin Henrik Ibsen Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1989 Dancing at Lughnasa Agnes Patrick Mason Brian Friel Phoenix and Garrick Theatre, London – – The Master Builder Hilde Paul Unwin Henrik Ibsen, trans. Michael Meyer Bristol Old Vic - - Bajazet Atalide Peter Eyre Racine, trans. Allan Hollinghurst Almeida Theatre, London - - Cathleen Ni Houlihan & The Cuchulainn Cycle Cathleen and Aoife Jim Flannery William Butler Yeats Abbey Theatre, Dublin - - Peer Gynt Solveig and Anitra Patrick Mason Henrik Ibsen, trans. Frank McGuinness Gate Theatre, Dublin - - Les Liaisons Dangereuses La Presidente de Tourvel Ben Barnes Christopher Hampton (after Laclos) Gate Theatre, Dublin - Uncle Vanya Sonya Paul Unwin Anton Chekhov Gate Theatre, Dublin - - Fool for Love May Ray Yeates Sam Shephard Abbey Theatre, Dublin - - Innocence Caterina Patrick Mason Frank McGuinness Gate Theatre, Dublin - - The Playboy of the Western World Pegeen Mike Garry Hynes John Millington Synge Druid Theatre New York Tour '86 - - The Pantagonal Dream solo David Heap Sebastian Barry Damer Theatre, Dublin Operating Theatre - The Diamond Body solo Brendan Ellis Aidan Mathews Dublin, Bush Theatre London '84, Avignon Festival’86, Glasgow Mayfest '87 Operating Theatre - The Antigone Antigone Michael Scott Aidan Mathews Project Arts Centre, Dublin - The Old Woman Broods Kazimierz Braun - Tadeusz Rosewicz Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - Extremities Marjorie Julian Plunkett-Dillon William Mastrosimone Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - The Morning After Optimism Anastasia Michael Scott Tom Murphy Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - Three Bunches of Blood and a Lump of Fog - Michael Scott Sean MacCarthy Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - Three Sisters Irina Stephen Rea Anton Chekhov, trans. Brian Friel Field Day 1981 - - Twelfth Night Viola Christopher Fitzsimon Shakespeare Irish Theatre Company - - Withering Hypes and Bubblegum - Thom MacGinty - - Grapevine touring company - The Glass Menagerie Laura Paul Brennan Tennessee Williams Gate Theatre, Dublin - - Riders to the Sea Kathleen Brendan Ellis John Millington Synge Players Theatre, Dublin - - Not I solo Brendan Ellis Samuel Beckett. Focus Theatre, Dublin - - The Fall of the House of Usher Madeleine Peter Sheridan Steven Berkoff (from Edgar Allan Poe) Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - The Hostage Teresa Sean Treacy Brendan Behan Project Arts Centre and Eblana Theatre, Dublin - - Marat/Sade Charlotte Corday Michael Sheridan Peter Weiss Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - Famine Maeve Tom Murphy Tom Murphy Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - Dev Mrs DeValera Peter Sheridan - Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - The Risen People Annie Jim Sheridan James Plunkett Project Arts Centre, Dublin - - A Month in the Country Vera Mary Elizabeth Burke-Kennedy Turgenev Focus Theatre, Dublin - - Endgame Nell Sean Treacy Samuel Beckett APE Theatre company, Dublin - -
Filmography Film Year Title Role 2011 This Must Be the Place Mary's mother2011, Indigo films, Cannes selection in competition for the Palme D'Or 2011 2012 The Other Side of Sleep Maggie2012, Fastnet films, Cannes selection for the Director's Fortnight 2015 The Survivalist Kathryn 2017 Beast Theresa Kelly 2018 Mandy Mother Marlene Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Melusine 2019 Animals Maureen Sea Fever Ciara 2020 Zone 414 Royale 2021 She Will Jean 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre Sally Hardesty The Northman Ashildur Hofgythja Joyride Sideline Sue 2023 All You Need Is Death Rita Concannon Catching Dust Copperhead Falling Into Place Judy 2024 Sunrise Ma Reynolds Tarot Alma Astryn The Watchers Madeline Kilmartin 2025 The Actor Old Lady Track The Last Girl Dottie Evans
Television