Gina Costigan

Irish actress

Gina Costigan

Gina Costigan in "Crackskull Row" c. 2017

Born| 1984[1]

Dublin, Ireland

Education| Queens University Belfast (BA)
Occupation| Actress
Years active| Early 2000s – present

Gina Costigan is an Irish actress, best known for her work on stage. She appeared in the original Broadway companies of Jez Butterworth's The Ferryman and Martin McDonagh's Hangmen.[1]

## Early life

[edit]

Costigan was born in Dublin, Ireland. She is the daughter of former Gaiety Theatre Executive Director, John Costigan, and Irish actress Maria McDermottroe.[2][3][4][5][6]

She holds a BA (Hons) from Queens University Belfast, and an AA from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.[2]

## Career

[edit]

Costigan made her professional stage debut as a street child in the 1994 revival of James Plunkett’s The Risen People at The Gaiety Theatre. Staged as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, the production was co-directed by brothers Peter and Jim Sheridan, marking their professional reunion.[7] At the time, The Risen People was the most expensive event in the festival's 35-year history.[8]

Costigan made her screen debut as crime figure John Traynor's girlfriend in 2003's Veronica Guerin, appearing opposite Cate Blanchett.[9] She would go on to have supporting roles as Caroline in 2007's Becoming Jane, and Jocelyn in 2024’s The Friend.[10][11]

In 2011 Costigan starred as Sandra in The New Theatre, Dublin's production of Isobel Mahon's Billy the Boat Loves Angelina. This play tells the story of three young siblings, Susan, Sandra and Tim Smith, who in various ways are caught up in the drugs scene in Dun Laoghaire.[12] In review for The Irish Times, Peter Crawley would note "Gina Costigan gives an assured performance under Caroline FitzGerald’s sparing direction... the three performers neatly construct the Hades of a drugs den while each portraying one menacing figure, Rayo, with admirable bite."[13]

In 2016 Costigan made her Off-Broadway debut in Honor Molloy's Crackskull Row at the Irish Repertory Theatre.[14][15]

In 2017 she appeared in The Suitcase Under the Bed, a combined bill of four plays by Teresa Deevy at the Mint Theater Company. The production was named a "Critic's Pick" by The New York Times.[16]

In 2018 Costigan starred opposite Hayley Mills in  Isobel Mahon’s Party Face at New York City Center. For their respective performances, Costigan and Mills were both nominated for Best Actress at the 2018 1st Irish Awards.[17] Later that year Costigan joined the original Broadway company of Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman, understudying the roles Caitlin and Mary Carney.[18] The production would go on to win the 2019 Tony Award for Best Play.

In 2019 Costigan appeared alongside her mother Maria McDermottroe in Michael Scott's adaptation of The Valley of the Squinting Windows at the Mullingar Arts Centre.[19] Later that year she starred in the critically acclaimed revival of Joe Crilly's On McQuillan's Hill at the Finborough Theatre in London.

In 2022 Costigan appeared in the original Broadway company of Martin McDonagh's Hangmen, understudying the roles of Alice and Shirley. The production would go on to be nominated for the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play.

From 2023-2024 she appeared as Grace in London Classic Theatre's UK tour of Brian Friel's Faith Healer.[20][21]

In addition to her work on stage, Costigan has had recurring roles on Vikings, Fair City, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.[22]

## Accolades

[edit]

The Irish Echo's "40 under 40,” Class of 2019.[23]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2003  | Veronica Guerin | Traynor's Girlfriend  |
2006  | The Front Line | Garda  |
2007  | Becoming Jane | Caroline  |
2009  | Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne | Nurse  |
2013  | A Terrible Beauty | Bridget Grace  |
2013  | Black Ice | Sister  |
2016  | Gender Bender | Katie  |
2016  | The Board | Siobhann  | Short film
2017  | Halal Daddy | Magda  |
2018  | Kryptonights  | Beth  |
2019  | Brittany Runs a Marathon | Drunk Woman  |
2020  | Flesh Is Heir To | Agent Kerrigan  |
2022  | The Ulysses Project | Molly Bloom |
2022  | My Sailor, My Love | Joyce  |
2023  | Suspicious Minds | Lola  | Short film
2024  | TWIG | Ange's Mother  |
2024  | The Friend | Jocelyn  |

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2007  | Fair City | Diane Sutton  | 3 episodes
2017  | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Officer Judy  | 2 episodes
2019-2020  | Vikings | Runa  | 3 episodes
2020  | I Know This Much Is True | Mrs. O'Meara  | Episode: "Five"
2021  | Halston | Doctor  | Episode: "Critics"
2022  | Harry Wild | Jenny Doyle  | Episode: "A Corpse in My Soup"
2023  | Kin | Betty Duggan  | Episode: "2.8"
2024  | Say Nothing | Lily  | Episode: "Evil Little Maniacs"
2024-2025  | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Virginia Becker  | 2 episodes

### Stage

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1994  | The Risen People | Street child  | The Gaiety Theatre
1997  | Buille an Phíce | Jenny  | Andrews Lane Theatre
2009  | Walnuts Remind Me of My Mother | Áine  | Focus Theatre
An Triail | Mailí  | Aisling Ghéar Theatre Co
2010  | Ghost Stories | Various  | Mill Theatre Dundrum
2011  | Billy the Boat Loves Angelina | Sandra  | The New Theatre, Dublin
2012  | The Muse Unbidden | Hilary  | Smock Alley Theatre
Bun Go Barr | Pamela  | Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
Les Impossibles | Actor 3  | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2013  | An Triail | Mailí  | Aisling Ghéar Theatre Co
2014  | Daughter of the Waves | Hen  | New York Musical Theatre Festival
2015  | The Seedbed | Hanna  | New Jersey Repertory Company
The Bacchae | Chorus  | Gorilla Repertory Theatre Company
2016-2017  | Crackskull Row | Dollie  | Irish Repertory Theatre
2017  | The Suitcase Under the Bed | Jil/Mrs. Stims  | Mint Theater Company
2018  | Party Face | Mollie Mae  | New York City Center
2018-2019  | The Ferryman | Caitlin/Mary Carney (u/s)  | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
2019  | The Valley Of The Squinting Windows | Brigid Byrne/Mary Essie/Mrs.McGoldrick/Miss Mckeon  | Mullingar Arts Centre
On McQuillan's Hill | Loretta Maline  | Finborough Theatre
2022  | Hangmen | Alice/Shirley (u/s)  | John Golden Theatre
2023-2024  | Faith Healer | Grace  | London Classic Theatre

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Another act in family drama". Independent.ie. 3 September 2012.
2. ^ a b Smith, Andrea (13 January 2014). "Bondings: Beyond the curtain call at the Gaiety". Independent.ie.
3. ^ Jackson, Joe (25 December 2005). "Happy? Oh, yes he is!". Independent.ie. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
4. ^ "The Blackwater Lightship". IFI.ie.
5. ^ "John Costigan The CV". Independent.ie. 14 December 2003.
6. ^ McDermott, Peter (11 January 2018). "Women's time to shine in 'Party Face'". IrishEcho.com.
7. ^ Fairy Powered Productions. “20 Questions with Gina Costigan.” Fairy Powered Productions, November 17, 2021. https://fairypoweredproductions.com/20-questions-with-gina-costigan/.
8. ^ Morphet, Richard. “Theatre: Aida Joins the Dublin Demo.” The Independent, October 10, 1994. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-aida-joins-the-dublin-demo-1441781.html.
9. ^ O'Donoghue, Anne (21 March 2018). "Actress Maria McDermottroe on pursuing her passion". FarmersJournal.ie. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
10. ^ "Gina Costigan". TVGuide.com. 13 May 2008.
11. ^ Jackson, Joe. "Markievicz park". Hotpress.com.
12. ^ "Billy the Boat Loves Angelina – The Rules." The New Theatre. January 16, 2012. https://thenewtheatre.com/event/2011/12/26/billy-the-boat-loves-angelina-the-rules/.
13. ^ Crawley, Peter. "Billy the Boat Loves Angelina." The Irish Times, February 16, 2002. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/rock-pop/billy-the-boat-loves-angelina-1.449835.
14. ^ Webster, Andy (16 September 2016). "Review: 'Crackskull Row,' an Irish Gothic With Masher, Basher and Rasher". The New York Times.
15. ^ "Crackskull Row". IrishRep.org.
16. ^ Webster, Andy (25 August 2017). "Review: Ireland in Four Dimensions, by a Pioneering Playwright". The New York Times.
17. ^ Soloski, Alexis (25 January 2018). "Women Beyond the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". New York Times. Gale A524722009 - via Gale General OneFile.
18. ^ "Complete Casting of The Ferryman Is Announced". BroadwayDirect.com. 4 September 2018.
19. ^ "Michael D to attend 'Valley' premiere". WestmeathExaminer.ie. 12 November 2019.
20. ^ "Review: Faith Healer". WinchesterToday.co.uk. 15 November 2023.
21. ^ "'One of the greatest plays of the 20th century - Brian Friel's 'Faith Healer' - for Millennium Forum stage this week". DerryJournal.com. 9 October 2023.
22. ^ "Gina Costigan | Actress". IMDb.
23. ^ "Costigan, Ruddy for radio version". IrishEcho.com. 19 August 2021.

## External links

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* Gina Costigan at IMDb