On stage, she is known for her acclaimed interpretations of Samuel Beckett; her one-woman performances, including The Beckett Trilogy and No’s Knife, have sold out globally and cemented her reputation as “the nonpareil interpreter of Samuel Beckett”. One thing is clear: Dwan continues to build a catalogue defined by multi-layered complexity and intention.

As if that wasn’t enough, the multi-hyphenate is also deeply embedded in academia, regularly lecturing at top institutions, including UCL, Columbia, Princeton, Oxford, and Cambridge, and writes and presents for BBC Radio, among many others.

In our conversation, she reflects on the craft behind her performances, why her plates are always full, and how she secured her role in Blackshore.

Blazer Nadine Merabi / Trousers Naomi Hart / Shoes Chanel

Let’s get started with MobLand, which came out last year, where you play Ohara Delaney alongside Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and Tom Hardy. What drew you to that role initially, and how did you approach preparing for your character?

When you get a phone call saying that Tom Hardy, Brosnan, and Helen Mirren are in it, you don’t have much to quibble with. It was such a dream team. Crucially, it was written initially by Ronan Bennett, who wrote Top Boy. I love Ronan’s work, so I was very excited because of the whole package, including Ronan.

That’s amazing. I did love Top Boy too. What was it like working with these actors?

Amazing! Watching Helen Mirren, in particular, conduct herself on set, she would sit there like everybody else. She was particularly generous to all the young actors and the female actresses on set and was utterly professional. Pierce is a gentleman. I’d worked with him many years prior, and he’s still the same gentleman. Tom is fascinating to watch because what he does on screen is incredible. There’s something magical about his craft. He’s very funny as well. He’s so funny, so it can be distracting. But he’s brilliant when you watch what he does on screen. I think he’s incredible.

Yes, it’s a great cast and a very thrilling crime series. I remember your performance in Top Boy as well, which is also a crime-driven series like MobLand. I know it’s from the same creator, but was it a conscious move towards crime-focused stories, or just a coincidence?

It’s not a conscious choice, but I think it’s a conscious choice of the wider public about what people find captivating in drama and why these programmes get commissioned. It’s a question for the commissioners when they take the temperature of the public’s appetite.

I have also just finished what I’m currently promoting, a TV series called Blackshore. It was in the top 10 recently, top dramas on the BBC for three months. I’m the lead in the series. It’s available on iPlayer and was written by Kate O’Riordan, an Irish writer. I was sent the script, and I read it in one sitting. I remember saying to my partner, I really want this one. It’s such a risk when you really want a part because you build yourself up for disappointment if you don’t get it. I did my best for the audition, and I got the lead role.

The next hurdle was that I had said I could drive for the job. I had two weeks between getting the role and needing to be driving on set. I did intensive driving lessons every day for four hours and managed to get a test before I flew, and I passed the test for the first time. So when I was on set on Monday, I was able to play the role. We’re used to saying we can do things, but this was quite important, that I could actually drive. I’m still grateful to Blackshore now that I am a driver with my own car in London. All in all, it was an amazing series, and I was very proud to lead the cast. I was amazed at how well it did on the BBC.

Dress Nadine Merabi / Jacket Heira / Shoes Jimmy Choo

That sounds incredible, and also, well done regarding the driving lessons! Was that the biggest lie you ever told to get a role?

I once said I could do martial arts. For a Roger Corman movie, I had to find a dojo in Dublin and ask them to teach me some moves that might give the director the impression I could do this. It pays off sometimes. It may or may not. If it doesn’t, it fails spectacularly. It’s not something I would encourage because of the stress. At least in both cases, I worked hard to make it seem true. I did four-hour driving lessons a day for two weeks.

It’s a win-win because now you can do martial arts, drive a car, and you got the roles too! What makes a character feel essential for you to explore?

As long as it’s multi-layered, I’m in. They don’t have to be likable, as long as I can bring multiple sides of myself to the role. Working with good people is important. I have different criteria for stage and for film and television. I want the characters to be fully fleshed out and multifaceted. When you’re in safe hands, like with writers such as Ronan Bennett and Kate O’Riordan, that happens. I hadn’t come across a role as good as Fia Lucey in Blackshore for a long time. I felt very proud to be the lead.

I agree, multi-layered is the way to go! You’ve moved between screen roles and theatre work throughout projects. How do you mentally and creatively shift between those spaces?

I have poor concentration in the sense that I can zoom in on something, but I also thrive on juggling multiple things at once. I’m working on my lecture on Samuel Beckett for UCL on Monday, while also sorting out my wedding plans and booking my child’s Easter holiday activities. I have a constant mix of projects, and that keeps me going. I need to have lots happening; I wouldn’t be content just being a TV actress or just a film actor. It’s important to stay connected to theatre and to my work as an intellect, constantly learning. At the moment, I’m also doing a course on Carl Jung, three hours tonight in LA. I have a real constant mix of projects, and it really keeps me energised. I don’t think I’d ever be satisfied focusing on only one area. It’s crucial for me to keep my foot in the door across all of it.

Dress Joseph

I totally feel you with that, I can’t ever sit still. But your projects sound incredibly interesting. Speaking of your lectures, you lecture all over the place, Columbia, London, Oxford, how does teaching and engaging with your students shape your own understanding of the acting arts? Have you noticed differences in interpretation or curiosity in different countries?

I haven’t, to be honest. I think it’s all relative, depending on each student. I’ve been lucky enough to lecture all around the world, and I’ve had varying amounts of time in different places. Right now, I’m just guest lecturing at UCL, but I’ve also held longer-term positions, for example, at Princeton, where I taught in the English department, and at Columbia for two years in the Gender Studies department. I also spent a year at MIT, which gave me more time to develop relationships and really flesh out subjects.

When I was at Columbia, I was deeply investigating the Greeks, particularly the role of Greek women, Antigone, in particular, alongside Colm Tóibín, who wrote a play on her. That was an incredible experience. At Princeton, I was teaching both Beckett and the Greeks, looking at the origins of our narratives, which is fascinating because Beckett himself engages with origins and the re-examination of human experience.

Teaching gives me a unique vantage point when I approach any new material. It allows me to ask: what is the object of this narrative, and what is the role of each player within it? I’ve found that process vital, not just as an artist and creative, but particularly as a woman. I’ve been very blessed, because I didn’t have these opportunities growing up. I became a ballet dancer and professional actress very early and effectively dropped out of formal education. So to then be asked, through my dedication to Beckett and my experience with his work, to write, lecture, and hold university positions, it all happened very organically.

It sounds like a full-circle moment, not finishing formal education but now lecturing at top universities! I was going to ask you about your ballet dancing as well. Has this discipline impacted your ambition in any way? I do hear it’s a rigorous sport.

Yeah, I’m incredibly hardworking, sometimes almost surplus to requirements. You know, unfortunately, we enter working environments that might be less than professional. I have this urge to always, no matter the environment, bring a real sense of hard work and professionalism to everything I do. And, unfortunately, not all areas of the world value that. So I’ve been lucky enough to find myself in environments with people who share that mindset and where I feel aligned with their approach.

Blazer Nadine Merabi / Shoes Chanel

That’s good, but yes, unfortunately, not always the case indeed! What projects are you working on at the moment that you can share?

I’m working on a small performance of Samuel Beckett, which I don’t want to talk about just yet, but it’s another exploration of his work. There are also quite a few TV projects coming up, and I’m trying to balance that with childcare, travel, and other commitments. It’s very diverse, but I always like to say: the universe doesn’t give you more than you can handle.

Sounds like you’re booked and busy. Last but not least, what’s your guilty pleasure film, series, or theatre play?

I do have one guilty pleasure: a TV series called The Morning Show. It may not be highbrow, but it’s right up my alley in terms of comfort. So if I have a cold or the flu and I’m cuddled up in bed, that’s what I like in the background. I also love The Archers on Radio 4, it’s such a joy to listen to.

I recently started watching The Morning Show. I’m only on episode four, but I really like it. Thank you so much for your time!

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