Hot Press meets Howie the Rookie

Mark O’Rowe’s celebrated play Howie The Rookie is about to return to the Dublin stage. But this time it’s as a one-man show, starring Tom Vaughan Lawlor of Love/Hate fame.

“The big difference is the casting of Tom in both parts,” explains Mark O’Rowe taking a break from rehearsals in Dublin’s The Lab. “Tom was the first name I thought of. Then I had the idea of doing it with just one actor, so I had to approach him a second time and say, ‘Will you do double the work!?’”
“I was sitting on my in-laws couch in Peterborough and I got an email from my agent Richard saying, ‘Actually it’s to play both parts!’,” says Tom. “I was really shocked. It’s that mix of feelings when a challenge comes and you’re either in all the way – or not! It’s fight or flight!”
On its first run, the darkly comic tale set in a working-class milieu was compared to Tarantino and Mamet. Two monologues introduce the audience to a colourful cast of outlandish characters and their calamitous activities.
Mark was familiar with Tom from his acclaimed stage performances in Saved and The Irresistible Rise Of Arturo Ui – but also for his turn as the menacing Nidge in Love/Hate. Another fascinating entry on Tom’s CV is his role in the UK production of The Quare Fellow directed by Kathy Burke.
“She’s an incredible woman,” he says. “I’ve never met a person who is so openly loved by the public. It was a cast of 17 Irish men and she was leading us all around Britain! She’s amazing, beautiful.”
Mark O’Rowe became a household name when his script for Intermission triggered one of the biggest ever domestic screen successes. When did he realise he had a hit on his hands?
“You just don’t know if a film is going to be good until it’s out,” he reflects. “There are a billion things that can go wrong. I’ve written four films and each of them was made by the skin of its teeth. But I thought it was funny. There were certain things that went into the public consciousness like the brown sauce – and that you don’t plan. Then you try to do it again and it doesn’t work (laughs)!”
Despite critical praise, the box office receipts for fine Irish movies like Good Vibrations and Jump do not seem to tally.
“When you go to the cinema you’re paying your money you’re giving up your time,” muses Mark. “So if it’s a choice between Pilgrim Hill and Iron Man 3 you know at least Iron Man 3 will be spectacular, even if it’s crap. It will engage your adrenalin, whereas a difficult poetic Irish movie that moves at a certain pace won’t. I’m not saying it’s right – it’s not. But mostly when people go to the movies they are looking for entertainment.
“We have a young industry. Chances are higher that the film will not be good because we make more bad films than good films – and I’ll gladly include myself in that criticism. Whereas if you go to see a foreign film, more often than not it will come trailing rave reviews.”
What are Tom’s thoughts on the secret to Love/Hate’s success?
“Ireland has been crying out for its own good drama,” he says. “People have such an appetite for box-sets these days. I think people feel proud to have one of their own.”
Does he get recognised a lot now?
“Well, I live in England! This is the longest stretch I’ve been at home in quite a while. But yeah, it’s pretty overwhelming! People are really lovely though. I’m very lucky.”
Now that the drama has been snapped up by Channel 5, what does he think the reaction in the UK will be?
“I have no idea. But it will be fascinating to see!”

Howie The Rookie opens Monday, June 17, in the Project Arts Centre, Dublin.