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Interviews
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Funny Man to Serial Killer Philip Fisher talks to Owen O'Neill at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe For two decades or more, Owen O'Neill has plied his trade as a stand-up comedian. For many years though, he has also turned his hand to straight acting and writing. The thoughtful Irishman, now based in Twickenham, played the Henry Fonda role in Twelve Angry Men and then starred in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, both in company with teams of comedians. In parallel with that, he also wrote and performed his own dramas. In 2008, O'Neill has brought Absolution to the Assembly Rooms and explained to Philip Fisher how this work came to exist. "About three or four years ago I was travelling on a train from Galway to Cork and I got talking to I guy that I know very well - he's an artist. There was something in the newspapers about a paedophile priest. We got around to talking on that subject and he told me he got abused as a child. He was over it now. Then he told me what he was going to do". Being a writer O'Neill, while stunned by the revelations, thought, "What a great idea for a show" and was grateful when the artist said, "You can have the story". After ensuring that the original could not be identified, "I decided that the best way to do it would be as a one-man play". Having seen Rachel O'Riordan's work on Hurricane - "a great piece of theatre" - he asked her to direct Absolution, which she does to tremendous effect. O'Neill goes on to explain the intentions behind a drama about an unhinged avenger that many will find shocking, as much for the underlying problem that it exposes as the subject matter, which in itself can be pretty gory. "This isn't really a story about paedophile priests, it is the psychological journey of a man who has had a terrible experience when he was a child". He continues, "It's also to do with the collusion of the people in the town". O'Neill has the feeling that his play is going well but unusually is unsure about the critical impact. This is because "I stopped reading reviews two years ago because I was so demented by all the reviews in Edinburgh .... both good and bad. In the end, I thought I just can't deal with this ... It can affect you". Despite that abstinence, the reaction of the people on the streets and the stars on posters both tell the writer/actor that this time, he has got it right. O'Neill hopes that Absolution will have life after Edinburgh and is already planning a tour of Australia and New Zealand. More significantly, he really wants the people of Ireland, where the piece is set, to have the opportunity to travel with it there too and, following initial talks with producers, that seems on the cards. He certainly wants the big tours as he explains: "You don't make any money in Edinburgh even if you're selling out every night. You manage to break even for some weird reason. So I would like to tour it". However, he is quick to add that the money is not the only reason for wanting to extend the life of Absolution. "Every time I do this piece I find something new in it". Therefore, if it does tour the world, and it richly deserves to, "It will grow and get better". Do not miss this gripping play, which is currently playing an early evening slot at The Assembly Rooms throughout the Festival.
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