Profiles

The brilliantly off-the-wall Irish stand-up and actor, Ardal O'Hanlon, came to this year's Cambridge Comedy Festival to perform a rare, live exclusive set on Friday 19th June.

Cambridge Comedy Festival director, Andy White, caught up with Ardal O'Hanlon on tour in China

What are you up to in China? Are you allowed to tell us what you're working on out there?

It's no secret. I'm actually doing a mini stand-up tour of China. I'm not a spy, honest. In fact I have spent most of this year to date playing in far-flung places - US, Middle East, French Alps and now... Cambridge!
________________________________________________________
What can people expect from your new stand up show? Is it going to be straight stand-up as you've done before, or does the show have a specific theme?

The theme as ever is myself. Stand-up for me is a very personal medium. By and large you find yourself basing most lines and routines on things that have actually happened to you, feelings you have towards others, attitudes and reactions to the world around you. Essentially it's the comedian's role to put into words what everybody else is thinking.
________________________________________________________
When I last saw you perform, for the encore you came back out and started singing some of the 'My Lovely Horse' song from 'Father Ted'. Are you planning any other Father Ted callbacks this time around? I'd love to see you come back out on stage dressed in a matador's outfit, or perhaps do the three stages of Elvis. Any thoughts?

Father Ted

I only wear the matador stuff in the privacy of my own home. In the past I occasionally did My Lovely Horse as an encore because I was conscious that a lot of the audience were Father Ted fans. But generally I try and make a clear distinction between the stand-up persona and TV characters.
________________________________________________________
I understand you've recently made a film with Dylan Moran called 'Wide Open Spaces' that was written by Arthur Matthews. What's it about, and when's it likely to be out?

Definitely. Skins is great from that point of view. They make a virtue of comedians playing against type.
________________________________________________________
Richard E Grant tells a story about being on holiday in a remote village in France with his family when all of a sudden a car drives past and someone yells a line from Withnail and I. "Scrubbers!". What's the most unusual place where you've been recognised?

At a football match in Istanbul, this guy who worked for the Turkish FA declared himself my biggest fan and insisted I join his family for dinner!
________________________________________________________