James McAnespy

Profile:

James McAnespy is an actor, writer, podcast host and voiceover artist based in Belfast. Adept at comedy, drama and physical performance, he is also the artistic director of King's Fool Productions and is available for stage, screen and voice work across Ireland and Great Britain.


He is the host of Ecumenical Matters - The Father Ted Podcast, an episode-by-episode examination of Father Ted - the greatest sitcom of all time, where he interviews a different set of guests in each podcast to discuss the merits of each episode of the show and other observations around the program.


His stage work is hugely varied, with over nine years behind him, playing in prestigious venues (The MAC Belfast, The White Bear London) with established directors and in experimental new works. He is always critically lauded and hugely popular with audiences.

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Reviews:

"The lead, Brian (an engaging performance by James McAnespy), is struggling to deal with the deterioration of his father."

The Camden Review on Romancing the Score


"The full spectrum of humour, loss and regret is on show in Sitting Up for Michael (amid a background with references to the bombings). The cast too deliver believable performances"

The Irish Post on C.L.G./Sitting Up for Michael double bill


"McAnespy, who acts in both, has two great pieces of drama here and they have been well received in Ireland."

The Irish World on C.L.G./Sitting Up for Michael double bill


"I would like to particularly commend...James McAnespy as the artist Lebeau... these were the stand-out performances."

The Virtual Methodist Blog on Incident at Vichy


"The character Lebeau, whose lines galvanize much of both the banter and the anguished personal searching that takes place amongst the other characters, is portrayed convincingly by James McAnespy, a young man of 25 who clearly has much future potential in acting."

Thomas L Muinzer on Incident at Vichy, The Vacuum Magazine 14th March 2011


"The unctuous Chubb (played with purring villainy by James McAnespy) With a strong cast, in particular McAnespy, whose suave, spiteful little lucifer of a character was horrifically believable."

TheatreWatch blog on Robots in Disguise.

Ecumenical Matters - The Father Ted Podcast

In 2016, James hosted a weekly episode-by-episode rundown of Father Ted, in the popular podcast Ecumenical Matters. With a new set of guest dissecting a new episode of the show, it is the definitive rundown of the seminal sitcom, and also a launchpad for numerous cultural and topical talking points with various members of Belfast's arts, comedy and music scenes.
Regular features include a running count of Mrs Doyle's 'Ah Go Ons', a 'Meet your Maker' where they spot instances of Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews in the show, filling up Father Jack's drinks cabinet and trying to pick out a definitive top 5 episodes over the course of the podcast!

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