Our Team

Willie White

Artistic Director and Chief Executive

Willie White was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Dublin Theatre Festival in 2011. Previously, he worked at RTÉ, Ireland’s public service broadcaster, from 1998-2002 and was Artistic Director of Project Arts Centre, Dublin from 2002 to 2011.

Willie has been a member of the Culture, Recreation and Amenity SPC of Dublin City Council since 2010 and a Council member of Dublin Chamber of Commerce since 2015. He was a board member of IETM, an international performing arts network based in Brussels, for 7 years and its President from 2013-2017. In 2008 Willie was awarded the Jerome Hynes Clore Leadership Fellowship.

Originally from Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Willie now lives in Phibsboro with his family. He is an enthusiast for cycling, yoga and sea swimming. Is breá leis Gaeilge. Il parle français assez bien.

Eve Lalor

General Manager

Eve joined Dublin Theatre Festival in 2021 as General Manager. One of her first jobs in the arts was in the DTF box office 14 years ago and she has been working in arts management ever since, most recently as the general manager of Dance Ireland. Having studied languages and cultural policy, she has worked across dance, theatre, music, craft & design and visual arts with organisations such as the RDS Foundation, the Ark, Dance Theatre of Ireland, Dublin Dance Festival and Crash Ensemble. She is passionate about making artistic careers viable as well as hiking and growing vegetables.

Stephen McManus

Director of Programme and Production

Stephen spent the early part of his career as a freelance Lighting Designer working in Ireland and the UK. In 1998, he joined Riverdance’s Liffey Company, and as Stage Director and Company Manager, toured throughout Europe, Asia and Australasia. He has worked as a freelance Company Manager and Consultant Producer. He has been Director of Programme and Production at Dublin Theatre Festival since 2007. As Stage Director of the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games, Stephen gave the cue to light the Olympic Flame.

Derval Mellett

Head of Marketing and Development

Derval joined Dublin Theatre Festival in 2019 as Marketing & Development Manager. She was based in London for ten years after training as an actress in Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In that decade she was Production Manager with Giudecca Productions, a founding member and casting director with The Faction as well as being part of their rep ensemble for many years. Since returning to Dublin five years ago, she established an award winning food business, Delish Melish. She is currently working her way through Irish Times ‘100 Best Places to Eat in Ireland’.

Fiona Garvan

Development Manager

Fiona joined Dublin Theatre Festival in 2015 and currently works as Development Executive. During her time at the festival Fiona has completed the Business to Arts Fundraising Fellowship and the Arts Council RAISE programme. Holding a B.A.in Anthropology and Film, her professional experience includes a variety roles in film festivals and freelance event planning positions in New York and Ireland. Fiona enjoys film, nature, running, yoga and cooking.

Sharon White

Audience Development and Sales Manager

Since graduating with a degree in Visual Arts Practice from IADT in 2008, Sharon has developed a professional arts practice with a particular emphasis on sculpture. She has exhibited her work throughout Ireland and internationally. More recently, Sharon has held a variety of roles for arts festivals and organisations including International Literature Festival Dublin, Dublin Chinese New Year Festival, Dublin International Film Festival and Project Arts Centre. She has been part of Dublin Theatre Festival’s seasonal box office team since 2017. In her spare time, Sharon enjoys cookery, reading and has a passion for yarn, enjoying crafts such as knitting and crochet.

Mary Kilduff

Festival Administrator

Mary Joined Dublin Theatre Festival in 2021 as Festival Administrator. Mary studied Stage Management & Technical Theatre at The Lir, Trinity College and graduated top of her class in 2014. Mary has had an extremely successful career as a freelance Stage Manager, working with some of the most successful and recognisable theatre and event companies in Ireland and internationally. After completing a diploma in Event Management, Marketing & Public Relations at the Fitzwilliam Institute in 2018, Mary went on to be the Creative Production Coordinator for Electric Picnic Music & Arts Festival. In 2020 Mary walked the Camino to Rome, the next big walk on her list is the Kumano Kodo trails in Japan. Mary has also travelled the world in search of her favourite artists from Banksy to Caravaggio.