Paul Mescal stars in school production of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in unearthed footage
9 January 2026, 16:33 | Updated: 9 January 2026, 16:51
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New footage has surfaced of Hamnet star Paul Mescal in his school production of The Phantom of the Opera.
Shared on the official Phantom Instagram account, the clip shows the actor singing with soprano Jessica Hackett at the age of 15 when they were both pupils at Maynooth Post Primary School in Kildare.
Hackett said on Instagram that it was the first production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom in Ireland, with the school securing the rights.
Lloyd Webber premiered the musical in 1986 and it’s now the longest-running show in Broadway history.
Read more: Paul Mescal can sing like Pavarotti and the Phantom
The Maynooth production turned out to be a good springboard. Hackett is now on an international tour with the show, playing the Wardrobe Mistress and understudying for the role of Carlotta Giudicelli.
Meanwhile, BAFTA-winning, Oscar-nominated Mescal has hit the Hollywood big-time, starring in the 2024 Gladiator movie, bagging the role of Paul McCartney in the recent Beatles four-parter, and playing William Shakespeare in the upcoming adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel Hamnet.
A keen musician, Mescal plays piano and often performs with his sister, singer-songwriter Nell Mescal. He does a mean impression of Pavarotti, as evidenced in this YouTube video.
“I have great memories of our time performing together,” Hackett said of the school show.
“It’s safe to say that it changed both our lives,” she told Classic FM. “From that moment, I was bitten by the performance bug. Phantom was where I truly found my voice. The first time I stepped on stage and sang that opening note was an experience like no other.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of performing the role of Christine many times across Ireland, and each production has deepened my love for the stage.”
