Making Movies!
9 January 2025We assume it is the highest of contemporary compliments in the world of matinee idols to be designated ‘the next Paul Mescal’ but, at St. Conleth’s, we also know that Ollie West (Class of 2023) has been setting pants on fire for years! In fact, Mr. Mescal has to pick up a few more talents to be even considered ‘the next Ollie West’. They may share the same smouldering good lucks, but our Ollie has a few more strings to his bow… and his guitar. Ollie and Finn Neilan (2023) thrilled us at innumerable school concerts and assemblies with their musical talent and spirit, and they continue to make news and records in the rock world. (Check out the exclusive Pants on Fire interview in the 85th Quinquennial!) And long before The Independent named him one of the ’25 people to watch’ in 2025, Ollie was making moves in the theatrical and cinematic realms. His lead performance in the one-boy show Hamnet wowed audiences from London to Boston; he was nominated for an IFTA ‘Lead Actor’ award for his performance in the film Sparrow; and, now, his leading role in The Listeners on BBC is turning heads of both viewers and producers. But best of all, in addition to all these laudits and laurels, Ollie is also just a really nice young man. The openness, friendliness and spark evident in his first-day-of-school photo below are still the hallmarks of his personality.
Well, for once, The Irish Independent and our other paper of record, The Irish Times, are in perfect agreement: Conlethian alumni are making moves… and making movies! For Sadbh Malin (2015) has joined Ollie as ‘one to watch in 2025’. We all have fond memories of Sadbh lighting up the School Hall with her spectacular vocal performances and we knew that she was heavily involved in drama even during her school days but in the decade since her graduation,Sadbh has gone from strength to strength, and is about to make a major studio breakthrough. A playwright in her own right, Sadbh co-founded the Philomena Theatre Company and she is currently enjoying a writing residency at the Pavillion Theatrehas. Like Ollie, she has feels equally home on the silver screen as on the stage, appearing in the Sally Rooney-penned Conversations with Friends and now earning a main part in the upcoming Outlander prequel. Once again, St. Conleth’s is proving to be Ireland’s Fame Academy!