Desmond O'Connor (cabaret performer)

Desmond O'Connor (also known as Des O'Connor) is an English ukulele playing cabaret host and musical comedy performer. He is an award-winning composer and lyricist and musical director/co-creator for the award-winning Twice Shy Theatre. He has also been a teacher and head of seniors at Eaton Square School in London,[1] and is a trained educational psychologist, specialising in helping children with special needs or learning difficulties.

For the English comedian and singer, see Des O'Connor.

Desmond O'Connor
Born1972
Northampton, England, UK
Other namesDes O'Connor
OccupationCabaret performer, Composer, Lyricist, Educational Psychologist
Spouse(s)Zoie Kennedy
Websitehttp://www.desmondoconnor.com
http://www.oconnorassessment.com
http://www.twiceshytheatre.com

Career

Des O'Connor was a member of the Cambridge Footlights at the same time as Mitchell and Webb, Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness.[1] After a year away from Cambridge, he became musical director of the Footlights at the invitation of David Mitchell.[1] At one point, O'Connor was a Latin teacher.[1] He has been a presenter for MTV UK at Bestival and The Big Chill.[2] In 2009 he was composer, lyricist and musical director of Scott Mills The Musical for BBC Radio 1, working alongside co-writer Emlyn Dodd and director Patrick Wilde. Patrick Wilde directed the musical Failed States, written by Desmond O'Connor and Andrew Taylor, which won Best Book and Best Lyrics in the MTM UK musical theatre awards in Edinburgh in 2006. Failed States was revived this year for a run at St James' Theatre, London and at Latitude Festival, 2015, to mark the 10 year anniversary of the London bombings. He and Taylor also wrote the musical Toxic Bankers, which enjoyed an extended run at the Leicester Square Theatre in 2011.

Shows

O'Connor produced and starred in And The Devil May Drag You Under[3] and Desmorphia,[4] both of which showed at the Edinburgh Festival and Brighton Festival Fringe. And The Devil May Drag You Under has also played in Berlin and at Latitude Festival. Desmond has made regular club and festival performances in London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin and New York, and at the New York Burlesque Festival 2008.[5] He has a growing and loyal fan base.[5]

In 2008 he was co-producer of the Ministry Of Burlesque's High Tease during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and at Glasgow's Old Fruitmarket in December. In September of that year he produced Fallen Angels with Julie-Ann Laidlaw, a show that has been subsequently produced in Berlin. With Laidlaw, O'Connor created and produced Vive le Cabaret at the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2010, which won Best Cabaret in the Edinburgh Spotlight awards.

gollark: > will sqlite work for stuff that doesnt fit in RAM?Yes.
gollark: Intel is still a *massively* larger company.
gollark: I think most laptops are still using Intel, and most people do not actually care that much about computing hardware.
gollark: They are a MUCH larger company than AMD and also supply tons of non-enthusiast stuff.
gollark: Not really.

References
  1. "Bizarre Magazine UK, Bizarre Life - Des O'Connor". Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  2. "The Martini Lounge - Desmond O'Connor". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  3. "Fletch at St Andrews - cabaret". Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  4. "Fringe Review, Brighton Fringe 2010 - Desmorphia". Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  5. "Beyond the Cabaret - Des O'Connor". Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.


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