Alma Kelliher: ‘Success in the arts can look different to success in other fields’
Award-winning composer, musician and sound designer Alma Kelliher (AKA Lux Alma) talks life in the arts, THISISPOPBABY, and the works that mean the most to her.
Award-winning composer, musician and sound designer Alma Kelliher (also known as Lux Alma) works across many art forms including film, theatre, dance, visual art and music. She shares her colourful cultural life with us as she is about to embark on what will be the stage show of the summer, RIOT by THISISPOPBABY. The show has an amazing line-up that includes Panti and Emmet Kirwan and runs at Dublin’s Vicar Street this July.
Was a career in the arts something you always aspired to?
Yes and no. I always loved music and have played keyboards since I was a kid, but couldn’t really see a career path besides teaching. So I briefly studied Electronic Engineering so I could go build robots for a living! I lasted three months.
You wear so many hats—working as a composer, musician and sound designer—how did you come to view these passions as a potential career?
Well I think the failed attempt to be a robot engineer showed me that loving what I do was the most important bit for me. From then on I knew I’d have to follow my nose and work as hard as I could to make music something viable, and that meant not limiting myself to one area. So now a given year could include writing film scores, learning dance moves for a theatre show, backing vocals on a pop tour and writing music for contemporary dance shows. Nothing is off the table, which is so much fun.
You’re a company artist of THISISPOPBABY — tell us about the theatre company and your role within it.
Popbaby are not your traditional theatre company; they are a group of artistic creators that came together on a dancefloor in Dublin almost 20 years ago and have blown the roof off every place they’ve been since, including their own venue at Electric Picnic, a take-over of IMMA, a West End smash, countless tours across Ireland, UK, Australia, America. Everything they do has equal measures heart, grit and glitter. It’s high art and arch pop and it’s always, always a great night out.
I, along with Panti Bliss and Philip Connaughton, am a company artist, which means I work on a bunch of their shows each year and am a key collaborator on many of their biggest projects including RIOT and WAKE.
What is the best part of your job?
The variety is wonderful. I’ve never once felt bored of my job which I know is a real blessing. So many of the projects I’m involved in are ephemeral, in that you’ve six weeks to make something great and then it’s gone, sometimes forever. So I’m always mindful to enjoy it while I can.
Who is someone you look up to in the world of Irish theatre?
Dan Colley is a brilliant theatre-maker. He has created some incredibly unique work including Lost Lear and Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, which will be at Edinburgh Fringe and Sydney Opera House respectively this year. His work has a gorgeous sense of magic and earthy darkness in it and often tackles really big stories in the most elegant and enjoyable way. He’s also a very lovely man.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
THISISPOPBABY’s WAKE opening on the West End in April this year was a huge milestone. It really felt like a dream come true to stand on that stage, in a sold out house, and for it to be so well received by an international audience.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew about working in the arts?
I guess that success in the arts can look different to success in other fields. It’s not necessarily about earning money, or even creating something famous. It can mean feeling fulfilled, feeling content, feeling curious, never being bored at work, getting to work with your friends, getting to work outside. If you can build your life on those things, then I think that’s success.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone hoping to have a career in the arts?
Reach out to people whose work you admire. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how willing people are to give specific advice. And if there’s work going, they might even send it your way. Coming out of school it can be daunting to choose a career which has no clear path. It’s not likely someone will “discover” you and just give you a salaried job with security. But if it’s what you love, it’s worth following it and people will be so glad to help along the way as you build your own self-led career.
RIOT makes its return to the stage this summer. How would you describe it to someone who has never seen it?
It is joyous, cheeky, heartfelt and silly. It’s the call to arms we need at the moment, when art and protest are more important than ever. It’s also a seriously good night out.
Alma Kelliher’s life in culture
The last thing I saw and loved… The gripping TV adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s book Say Nothing. It’s a brilliantly written look at the Troubles in the North of Ireland and the IRA.
The book I keep coming back to… Manchán Magan, 32 Words for Field. It really helped me understand my connection to our language and our land.
I find inspiration in… Nature. Especially the sea and the sensory bonanza you get from standing by it.
My favourite film is… Sister Act. Stone cold hit, and I won’t hear a bad word about it.
The song I listen to to get in the zone is… Well it depends on the zone… If the zone is total happiness then What A Fool Believes by The Doobie Brothers. If the zone is pre-show pumped then a RIOT favourite is New Rules by Dua Lipa.
The last (book/film/show/piece of work/artist etc.) I recommended is… A gorgeous novel called The Gatsby Gambit by Claire Anderson Wheeler. It’s a murder mystery set in the world of The Great Gatsby. It’s beautifully written, whip smart and a total page turner.
I never leave the house without… Giving my dog Frank O’Brien a little hug.
The film/performance/piece of work etc. I still think about is… Weer by Natalie Palamides. I got to see it recently at the Soho Theatre London and it was a masterclass in the art of clowning. She has nerves of steel and her physical comedy is unparalleled.
My dream job would be… Backing vocals for a giant pop act like Dua Lipa or Sabrina Carpenter.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… It takes so little effort to be sound to people you work with. And it’s energy well spent.
The most challenging thing about being on stage is… Taking care of myself all day in order to have the right energy to perform. Lots of vocal steaming, rest, careful eating, etc. I wouldn’t call it a hardship by any means but it’s a delicate balance.
After a show, I… Have to try really hard not to chat loads, because I’ll lose my voice.
If I wasn’t working in the arts, I would be… A really, really underwhelming electronic engineer.
The magic of theatre to me is… That it’s a one-off experience where a room full of people witness the same thing, feel something together, and then disperse into the ether.
Lux Alma performs in THISISPOPBABY’s RIOT at Vicar Street July 17 – 20. More info here.
Featured image via Ruth Medjber, additional image via Hazel Coonagh.
Also Read
