Career Profile
Donal Shiels
Career Experience
Produced over 30 productions at all of the major theatres in Ireland + UK, USA, Australia, Russia. This entailed budgetary management, relationship management, a strong results-focus and managing multi-disciplinary teams.
Executive Producer of The Shawshank Redemption in the West End, Stones in His Pockets (Irish Tour), The Field by John B Keane starring Brian Dennehy Directed by Joe Dowling.
Chief Executive: Reporting to the Board, managed budgets and led a team of 50 up to 250, programming over 30 arts events per year to large scale audiences outdoors, indoors and on television.
Worked on policy across all arts forms, liaising with department officials, Arts Council, arts organisations nationally, international interests and creating media opportunities.
Executive Producer for two Classical CDs with symphony orchestra recorded in Prague & Gdansk; Distributed by Sunday Independent.
Festival Manager of Government to Government reciprocal cultural exchange. Led teams and arts professionals in Ireland and China working to a budget of up to €4 million.
Programming: Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual arts, Film, Literature, Artists in residence.
Producer of two plays directed by Garry Hynes & Interim General Manager. Managed the administrative function and budgets for the company & the venue.
Producer of 6 productions & General Manager of the company.
Producer of 4 large scale theatre productions. Worked with MCD at The Gaiety Theatre overseeing staffing, marketing and operational logistics of the venue prior to and during major productions.
June-July 1999-2000: Producer - Liz Roche Dance Company
December 1998 - February 2001: Producer - Storytellers Theatre Company
November - March 1997-98: Producer - Olympia Theatre
December 1995 - April 2001: Company Manager - Opera Ireland
May 1994 – March 1997: General Manager - Irish Modern Dance Theatre
Board Memberships
I have sat on numerous boards throughout my career, such as Druid, James Joyce Centre, Liz Roche Dance Company, Triskel Arts Centre, uVersity, The Gaiety School of Acting and Theatre Forum (working as chairman for the last two).
Verdant Productions - Selected Works
- 2021/22 - New Play development about Maureen Potter with Arthur Riordan
- 2021 - Art by Yasmina Reza (filmed Online presentation for 6 venues)
- 2021 - Hansel & Gretel (live and Online presentation)
- 2021 - Lyric Theatre Belfast – Live to Digital programme
- 2021 - Triskel Outdoors (live 3 week music programme)
- 2021 - St Patrick’s Centre Downpatrick (filmed production)
- 2020 - Hans Christian Andersen (filmed Online presentation to 8 Irish venues)
- 2020 - A Holy Show by Janet Moran (Edinburgh & Irish Tour)
- 2019 - Class by Iseult Golden & David Horan (Irish Tour)
- 2019 - My Romantic History by D.C. Jackson (Irish Premiere)
- 2019 - Brothers of the Brush by Jimmy Murphy (Irish Tour)
- 2018 - Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo (Off Broadway & US Tour, The Gaiety Theatre, Irish Tour)
- 2018 - Copper Face Jack’s The Musical by Paul Howard (The Olympia Theatre)
- 2018 - Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh (The Olympia Theatre)
- 2017 - The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan (The Gaiety Theatre)
- 2017 - Owen Wingrave by Benjamin Britten (Irish Opera Collective) Irish Tour
- 2016 - Signatories at Kilmainham Gaol, directed by Patrick Mason
- 2016 - The Weir by Conor McPherson (The Gaiety Theatre & on tour)
- 2016 - The Kings of The Kilburn High Road by Jimmy Murphy (The Gaiety Theatre)
- 2015 - Hamlet & King Lear by William Shakespeare (The Helix)
- 2015 - The Field by John B Keane (The Gaiety Theatre)
- 2015 - Agrippina by Handel for Irish Youth Opera (O’Reilly Theatre)
- 2014 - Hooked by Gillian Grattan (Dublin Theatre Festival)
- 2014 - The Unlucky Cabin Boy by Mike Finn (Gúna Nua) World Premiere
- 2014 - Foxy by Noelle Brown (Project Arts Centre) World Premiere
- 2014 - Brendan Behan’s Borstal Boy (The Gaiety Theatre)
- 2014 - Moll by John B Keane (The Gaiety Theatre)
- 2013 - The Night Joe Dolan’s Car Broke Down by Padraic McIntyre (Olympia Theatre)
- 2013 - Dreamland by Jim Nolan (Garter Lane Waterford & Irish Tour)
- 2013 - Guerilla Days in Ireland (Olympia Theatre & Irish Tour)
- 2012 - Alone It Stands by John Breen (Olympia Theatre & Irish & UK Tour)
- 2012 - Anglo The Musical by Paul Howard (Bord Gáis Theatre) World premiere
- 2011 - My Brilliant Divorce by Geraldine Aron (Irish Tour)
- 2011 - Solpadeine Is My Boyfriend by Stefanie Preissner (Brisbane Powerhouse, Australia)
- 2011 - 47 Roses by Peter Sheridan (Waterloo East, London & Irish Tour)
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