My Cultural Life: Actor and Stage Producer Mark Smith

Mark Smith, born in Celbridge, is a stage producer and actor. He stars in the one-man autobiographical show Making a Mark, touring Ireland from March 25 to May 7 and recounting his silver medal win at the Special Olympics world and Ireland’s Battle of LipSyncs in 2017.

BOOK: Harry Potter
I will find reading a bit difficult, so I prefer to listen to audio books. Currently, I’m listening to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series on audiobooks, narrated by Stephen Fry. I’ve heard it more times than I can count. It’s one of my favorites because it really digs into Harry’s backstory. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and it really put me in the area to perform.

TV: Law and Order: SVU
i like to watch Laws and Orders: Special Victims Unit and I’m watching the new series at the moment. I like it because it’s disgusting and all about crime. The new series is exploring a lot about the post-Black Lives Matter race and I find that very interesting. I studied anthropology at Maynooth University, so I see a lot of the program themes that connect me to that.

MUSIC: Les Misérables
I’m listening a lot Les MisePebble soundtrack at the moment. I like Colin Wilkinson’s version best. I was very disappointed to miss the show when it arrived in Dublin last month, but I will definitely watch it if it comes back, or go see it in London’s West End when I visit my sister. The song ‘Bring Him Home’ featured in my own show Make a mark and it has a special connection to me, to my dad and to my brother, both of whom have passed away.

ONLY: Nathan Carter

Well, in addition to my own country tour – getting back into the profession and performing live after two long years – I’m excited to see Nathan Carter and Westlife perform live this year. I’d love to see Nathan backstage (Nathan – if you’re reading this…!). I’m also looking forward to seeing the documentary How to tell a secret by Shaun Dunne and Anna Rogers, premiered at the Dublin Film Festival. Shaun wrote and directed my show, and I can’t wait to see this new movie based on a play he wrote called Rapids.