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David Gilna is an award-winning playwright, actor, writer and producer from Swords Co, Dublin. He trained at the National Performing School of Arts under the guidance of Jill Doyle & Eamon Farrell. Past students include Colin Farrell, The Script, Hudson Taylor & Jack Reynor. David has appeared in theatrical productions in Dublin, London's West End & Broadway. His most challenging role was playing Tadeusz 'Teddy' Pietrzykowski in Kolbe's Gift at The Leicester Square Theatre. David trained as a professional boxer in London for three months for the role. Bringing to life the true story of a warrior who survived the concentration camps of Auschwitz.
David began his creative journey as a writer after he was hit by lightning on a beautiful sunny day in South Boston. What are the chances? 1 in 1,042,000 a rough estimate from the National Weather Service. This sparked David to write his first play.
David began his career by writing 5 NIGHTS directed by Simon Hubbard, which ran at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin to critical acclaim. Under the guidance of director Ray Yeates the play transferred to The Axis Theatre to a sell out Dublin run, National Tour.
Following on from the success of his first play David was offered a job as a shadow writer for Ireland's leading soap FAIR CITY (RTE).
His second play GIFT OF LIGHTNING was directed by Conal Kearney at The Axis Theatre followed by a National Tour and transferred to The Waterloo East Theatre. David sold his first film option to World Picture Films in 2012. He optioned rights to Blue Pip Productions in 2013.Hot Press tagged him as "Irelands Most Promising Playwright" on the cover in 2014.
In 2014 he returned to Dublin at the Theatre Upstairs with MY BEDSIT WINDOW directed by Michael Scott followed by a National Tour. The play was translated into Italian by Alberto Albertino and opened at the Teatro Elettra, Roma. Following the success of his Italian debut the play returned in July, 2015 for an extended run. The play launched the Swords Cultural Quarter at the sunning location of Swords Castle in 2017.
In 2016 funded & commissioned by Dublin City Council he returned to the Theatre Upstairs with THE UNSUNG HERO dedicated to The O'Rahilly The Co-Founder of The Irish Volunteers & Nancy O'Rahilly The Vice-President of the Cumann na mBan, directed by Michael Scott. The sold out run has been David's most critically acclaimed play to date. The Minister for The Irish Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan chose it to mark the Irish Governments official celebrations for Irelands 1916 commemorations in Ballylongford, Co Kerry. The play launched The Atrium by Cheif Executive Paul Reid of Fingal County Council. The Sunday Independent called the play "A Masterpiece' .
In 2008 David Co-Created Theatre Under The Big Top with Fossett's Circus & Charles O'Brien at Electric Picnic.
In 2018 David founded Lightning Comedy and was awarded actor & playwright of the year by Mayor of Fingal at The Atrium as part of Creative Conversations.
In 2022 his new play 'A Bolt From D'Blue' had its World Premiere at The Irish Arts Center New York for the 1st Irish Festival supported by Culture Ireland, The Irish Echo 'Meandering from memory, hallucination, music and monologue, Gilna let not a static second fly by; and with writing of blunt, craggy street talk, ornamented with divine, dreamlike prose ("Serpents, mystical creatures, skinning me alive with glee"), Gilna's monologue matched equally the ferocity of fellow Dubliners Mark O'Rowe and Dylan Coburn Gray. With his cheeky Northside timbre and a joie de vivre of "wilde" abandon, Gilna's sole performance in New York was an irresistible joy to see. Glowing with wit and goodness, he charmed the crowd with rollicking laughter, and made us believe in a vision of life on the other side of trauma. The thunderous applause at his standing ovation showed Gilna's "A Bolt From D'Blue" was an emphatic victory on the evening, and we'll look for more performances from him to follow.'
