Model Spaceships in the Dressing Room

Shannon tinkers in his spare time

Offenbach (clb) -

David Shannon, who plays the role of the Captain Walker in the musical Tommy, had already been on the stage when he was ten years old. He used to accompany his mother when she performed in amateur theatre, but David wasn’t interested at all in becoming an actor, he said. 

At thirteen years of age David was sent to a private high school, and by this time had lost interest in performing on the stage completely. The 24 year old David says, “At that time sport was much more important to me”. After two years the native Londoner left school and returned to his parents who lived near Dublin, thus becoming closer again to amateur theatre. 

Actually David Shannon wanted to attend the academy of art, because he found painting and designing stimulating. But when amateur theatre offered him a main role in a production, which he was also going to get paid for, he took the chance. He laughs “It was not what I had planned, it simply occurred”. After this he was continually offered roles in new productions.

The artist has never completely given up his passion for designing. He spends almost every free minute building little models of spaceships. Above all, models from the movie “Star Wars” appeal to him the most. “I have decorated my whole dressing room with model spaceships”, he says proudly.

He had not heard of the musical Tommy when he applied for a role for the first time. In London he auditioned for the role of Tommy. “I was the more surprised, when they offered me the role of Captain Walker for the Offenbach production”, he admits. And now he is happy that he took the role because he really likes the music.

Translated by Anika