Ardal O’Hanlon: Comic’s novel life emerges onto the stage

Ardal O’Hanlon shot to fame in the much-loved Father Ted and now he’s back on the road with a new comedy tour. Chris Bond spoke to the Irish stand-up.
Ardal O'Hanlon and below in Father TedArdal O'Hanlon and below in Father Ted
Ardal O'Hanlon and below in Father Ted

THE voice on the other end of the line is instantly recognisable.

Father Ted was one of the best comedy series of the 90s and the loveable, but dim-witted, Father Dougal was many people’s favourite character.

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It propelled Ardal O’Hanlon into the limelight and even though it is, astonishingly, 15 years since Father Ted finished, it remains his defining role.

While being remembered for a single role that is now a decade-and-a-half old, would irk some actors and comedians it doesn’t bother O’Hanlon.

“Father Ted was my big break and I’m very grateful for that, because I had no expectations that Father Dougal would become so popular,” he says, in that lyrical, unmistakable lilt.

Even though the show only ran for three years it became a cult favourite with comedy fans and its popularity hasn’t dimmed.

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“It was very fresh and original at the time and it was also quite provocative in terms of talking about religion. But it also had a cartoonish quality that appealed to older people and kids.”

He is right and the fact that it had those different elements of comedy, different ways of making people laugh, means that it continues to find new fans with repeats and DVD sales even today.

But if Father Ted was O’Hanlon’s breakthrough moment he’s far from just a one trick pony, having written a novel, Talk of the Town, starred in the BBC sitcom, My Hero, and appeared in straight drama roles both on stage and TV.

He’s also been a stand-up comedian for 20 years and next month he’s playing a series of dates in Yorkshire, including the Harrogate Comedy Festival along with big names such as Andy Parsons, Alexei Sayle and Josh Widdecombe.

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O’Hanlon’s style of comedy is observational and his latest show follows in a similar vein.

“It’s more personal observations about life and relationships, it’s my take on the world,” he says.

“I’m in my 40s now and people sometimes ask me why I got into comedy and why I’m still doing it.”

It’s a question he tries answering by telling stories and talking about his own Catholic upbringing.

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“For me the best way of making people laugh is talking about your own life because people can relate to that,” he says.

O’Hanlon was born in County Monaghan, one of six children of the Irish politician Rory O’Hanlon.

It was while at university in Dublin that he first tried his hand at comedy, which consisted of hijacking the debating society and “making fun of the issues of the day.”

After finishing university he and some friends set up Ireland’s first alternative comedy club – The Comedy Cellar, in Dublin. “We wanted to do something like the Comedy Store in London because at the time there was nothing like that in Ireland,” he says.

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He then began developing his on stage persona. “I didn’t really have any grand plan but because of my body shape I developed this wide-eyed, slightly odd persona. But it wasn’t something I thought about when I started.”

He went to see Eddie Izzard and remembers being blown away by his performance.

“He was my first big influence because he had the confidence to do something really different and not worry about what people thought.”

In 1995, O’Hanlon won the comedy newcomer of the year at the British Comedy Awards and soon afterwards was spotted by the creators of Father Ted.

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It was between series of the show that he wrote Talk of the Town, a dark comedy set in Ireland during the 1980s, which stayed in the bestseller charts for six months. “I had fancy notions of being a writer before I discovered the joys of stand-up. I’d love to do another novel and I have tried, but I don’t have the patience.”

He’s not the only comedian who’s dabbled with fiction. The likes of Ben Elton, Alexei Sayle and David Baddiel have all become successful novelists and O’Hanlon believes there’s a close connection between the two. “Stand-up is relatively new and it’s attracted a lot of people who 30 or 40 years ago would have perhaps been writers, because it gives you a great public platform for voicing your ideas,” he says.

“It’s very portable, you don’t need a production team, it’s just one guy, or girl, and a microphone. It’s also very accessible and it’s not like theatre which some people have preconceptions about.”

He enjoys being a comedian but admits it doesn’t get any easier coming up with new jokes. “There’s no substitute for good material, I don’t care what anyone says. You have to work hard and that’s why there are big gaps between my tours because you have to set high standards for yourself.”

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Being a stand-up isn’t easy and although it’s arguably never been more popular, it’s become an incredibly competitive business. “The big arena tours do have an affect on clubs and theatres, because if people are spending £50 to go and watch someone in an arena that money isn’t being spent somewhere else,” he says.

So although he’s made a name for himself he feels for those comics desperately trying to climb up the ladder.

“It’s incredibly competitive and it’s a very tough business. The top 100 comedians do really well but for the next 300, who are nearly as good, it can be a struggle.”

Even so, he sees it as a privilege to make a living out of comedy. “I enjoy going out there and making people laugh. I didn’t start out with any big ambitions so when things started happening I was just thrilled and I’ve been pinching myself ever since.”

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O’Hanlon plays York Barbican Centre on September 22, City Varieties on October 9, Sheffield City Hall, Oct 10, Harrogate Theatre, Oct 16, Hull New Theatre, Oct 17 and Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, Oct 18.

Festival back for fifth year

Having celebrated its most successful year yet in 2012, the Harrogate Comedy Festival is back for its fifth outing this October 6 to 19.

The festival has established itself as one of the North’s top events in the comedy calendar, in a staggeringly short space of time. David Nobbs, the man who created Reginald Perrin, appears at this year’s festival (Oct 6), as does Stewart Lee, recognised as one of the finest comedians on the circuit today, on Oct 12. Paul Foot is a brilliant comedian and highly recommended and Edward Aczel, while possibly an acquired taste, is one of the most inventive you will see all autumn.

www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk