Father Ted actors reunite for R3 Flann O’Brien play

Published Wednesday 23 July 2008 at 17:10 by Matthew Hemley

BBC Radio 3 will reunite two of the actors from Channel 4’s Father Ted in a new play about Irish writer Flann O’Brien.

As reported by The Stage in May, Ardal O’Hanlon, who played Father Dougal McGuire in the TV series, is already lined up to perform in the production.

His co-star from the series, Pauline McLynn, who played Mrs Doyle, has now been confirmed to appear alongside him in the radio play.

In addition, comedian Dara O’Briain, best known for his appearances on TV panel shows such as Mock the Week, will feature in the production, which has been written by Annie Caulfield.

It focuses on the true identity of O’Brien, whose real name was Brian O’Nolan - a civil servant in Dublin during the thirties and forties, who regularly wrote for the Irish Times under the name Myles na gCopaleen.

He wrote the books The Third Policeman and At Swim-Two-Birds using his Flann O’Brien pseudonym.

The radio drama is being made by independent company Absolute Productions and is set to be broadcast on Radio 3 on August 31.

Meanwhile, Caulfield has also written a play for BBC Radio 4 called O Margate, which she said was a tribute to Lindsay Anderson film, O Dreamland.

Caulfield described the play as a “comedy about art, anarchy and Algerians in contemporary Margate”.

The production stars newcomer Leila Farzad and Silver Street actor Ahvin Kumar Joshi. Helen Longworth and Stephen Critchlow are also in the play, which will be broadcast January 2009.