Abigail star Alisha joined guests on Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess when it stopped at Dun Laoghaire
The teenager, who stars opposite Dan Stevens in her latest film Abigail, joined guests on Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess when it stopped at Dun Laoghaire in Co Dublin.
The Regal Princess is currently on a British Isles and Ireland cruise with over 3600 passengers onboard and with a crew of 1500.
The cruise line welcomed families and opened the pools and kids clubs for the day for the specially invited guests.
They also got the opportunity to see the live entertainment in the ship’s purpose built theatre.
The Regal Princess in Dublin Bay at Dun Laoghaire
The Regal Princess dropped anchor in Dublin Bay off Dun Laoghaire and guests got the opportunity to stroll on SeaWalk – the glass floor walkway which extends 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship.
The breath-taking Piazza on the ship was a hive of activity,
inspired by the vibrant squares of Europe, with street performers and glass walled lifts which provided panoramic views.
The young actress from Knocklyon in south Co Dublin won the role to star alongside Emma Thompson and Stephen Graham in Matilda The Musical after auditioning for her first major part.
Alisha played the happy-go-lucky title character in the 2022 movie, perfecting an English accent in a brand-new take on the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical based on the Roald Dahl book.
Actress Alisha Weir pictured on Princess Cruise’s Regal Princess at Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.
“My agent sent me through to see if I wanted to do a self-tape (audition), and I had to do a song and a piece of dialogue,” Alisha explained at the screening in Dundrum on how she applied for the part.
“So, then I did that and then they were looking for me to fly over, but because it was during Covid I couldn’t fly over.
“So, throughout the year I did some more on Zoom, and then in December when Covid had died down I went over and did one in person.”
Alisha then flew home.
Entertainment on Princess Cruise’s Regal Princess
“Two weeks later we got the call on my mum’s birthday to say that I got the role of Matilda,” she smiles.
She said she enjoyed putting on an English accent for her role.
“I didn’t find it too challenging because I think even beforehand I would always put on the accent, and I also had a new dialect coach.
“I actually really enjoy doing the accent,” she confirms.
Asked what her favourite part of filming was, she replies: “Well I loved meeting all the people. Because I was coming over from Ireland I got to meet loads of new friends that I’m still friends with today, and also meeting all the amazing actors and actresses.
“Especially looking up to them, all the main cast, just looking up to them, because I had grown up seeing them in all these movies and then actually to be in a movie with them in my first ever big film was really crazy.”