OWEN O'NEILL
'Sheep strangling, erotic love poetry, dancing with Mick Jagger. Stories so hilarious they could only be ripped from the pages of Owen O'Neill's life'
Owen O' Neill is one of the greatest comedians ever to come out of Ireland. Not bad going when you consider the Emerald Isle's track record at producing great stand-ups.
Most of Owen's material is drawn from his own life- anecdotes, many of which might only be considered mildly amusing if, for example, they happened to you. However, in Owen's hands the simplest of story builds and builds to a hilarious crescendo due to his honesty, perceptive observations and storytelling skill. It is, as another Irish comedian was wont to comment, the way he tells 'em.
Owen can be seen frequently at the Edinburgh Festival where his plays have won awards including a Perrier nomination in 1995, the Edinburgh Critics award for best new play in 1996 and the LWT Writers award for best comedy in 1998 with Off My Face, which dealt with his alcoholism. Volcano Dancing- his new book of poetry and extracts from his one-man plays- is currently on sale (plug, plug). In 2006 Owen was commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to adapt and star in six of his stage plays for radio.