'I never had a masterplan'

MARTIN NEAL catches up with Father Ted and Death in Paradise star Ardal O'Hanlon in the run-up to his new stand-up tour

- 

DID you hear the one about the Irishman famous for playing a bungling priest who got invited to meet The Pope?

Actually, as well as being the basis of a joke by comedy star Ardal O'Hanlon, it’s actually absolutely true!

It's been five years since Ardal - who shot to fame as Father Dougal McGuire in the enduringly hilarious Channel 4 comedy Father Ted ~ went out on a stand-up tour, but he’s decided now's the time to put that right.

His Not Himself tour has just started and continues right up until the end of March. And one of the driving forces behind the new show was a visit to ‘The Vatican where, along with a host of other big names from the world of comedy, he had an audience with The Pope.

“It is a very neurotic existence,” he said of being a stand-up comic. “You're always trying to think ‘what would work?’ But it’s also what would fit with the other stuff that I do.

“That's the way I've been for the last 30 years - literally every idea that comes into your head, no matter how serious or how stupid, you think ‘how can I turn this into a bit of material or a joke?’

“The starting point is always a good story or something like that. Something that really did happen.

“For instance I was invited to an audience with The Pope last year and it was a bizarre thing. It was an email out of the blue - you're invited to an audience with The Pope to celebrate humour and comedy, and of course you think ‘it's a joke - it’s revenge for Father Ted from some Catholic militia!

“But we were in ‘The Vatican and there were comedians from all over the world. It was the most surreal thing I think I have ever been at.

“Chris Rock was there, Whoopi Goldberg, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Merchant, loads of Italian comedians, there was me and Tommy Tiernan and Paddy Kielty from Ireland.