I’m Taylor Dolan, a full-time author, illustrator and creative based in Galway.

How did you get involved in GMS?

Last year, I saw the audition flyer for Oliver the day before they were to be held and just dove right in! Luckily, I got in and the rest is history.

I’ve been doing all sorts of theater since I was 6 years old. In the many many years since then I have been in 50+ shows in all sorts of capacities: performing, costumes, charge artist, hair/makeup/wigs, props, directing and producing.

How would you describe your artistic style? What were your influences when you were doing the character sketches for Sweeney Todd?

Artistically, I lean into a bit of darkness. I love all things spooky and undead so draw great inspiration from artists like Harry Clarke, Edward Gorey, Ralph Steadman.

Sweeney Todd is this deliciously macabre dark dark comedy, the drawings and masks had to point back to all the same source material. I knew that the drawings needed to really drip and have quick imperfect lines to keep up with the chaos of the show. As for the masks, they needed to resemble animals but as if the members of the asylum misremembered what the animal really looked like and blended in their nightmares instead.

Where can we see more of your work?

You can see my work at all good bookshops! Charlie Byrnes most especially. I have one series of spooky fun for kids called “Ghost Scouts’ that is a girl scout troop of monsters, and the rest of my books are geared towards adults. I recently published a new edition of ‘The Nutcracker’ with The Folio Society!