1 week Ago By Ryan Tubridy
A very cultural week for me in London following a hectic working Easter, both here and in Dublin.First stop was home for a live broadcast of The Bookshelf podcast on Instagram and YouTube with a favourite of mine, Joseph O’Connor, whose book, The Ghosts Of Rome, was our featured novel. It’s the second of his Vatican Trilogy, but can be read as a standalone experience also.
Joe is not only one of my favourite writers, he’s also a joy to interview. I learnt early on not to mistake that soft-spoken purr for shyness or lack of something to say. On the contrary, he has much to say about everything from the Pope to The Beatles and beyond.
Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Nick EdwardsMost people watching or listening wanted the conversation to go on and on (as did I) but we wrapped it up and Joe kindly presented me with a beautiful hardback copy of The Ghosts Of Rome in which he had inscribed a note quoting our mutual favourite band by writing: ‘Dear sir or madam will you read my book, it took me years to write, will you take a look?’ Needless to say, I was delighted and honoured!Back to London then for a one-off job presenting a three-hour show on Times Radio, a sister station of my day station, Virgin Radio (I hope you can keep up here!) This allowed me to flex a muscle I hadn’t tried for some time, namely, current affairs and politics broadly.I invited Seymour Platt on the show as we had spoken once before about his mother, Christine Keeler, who became a worldwide sensation and major player in one of the biggest stories of the 20th century, The Profumo Affair.
Seymour joined from Ireland, where he now lives, and he told us about his ongoing attempt to get a state pardon for his late mother, who was jailed for perjury.Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Nick EdwardsI tend to agree with the proposition that Christine Keeler has had an unfair treatment by the history books so far and that it’s time to back Seymour’s noble bid to rescue her good name.
I was thrilled when another favourite author of mine agreed to appear on the show. Robert Harris, right, brings history alive like few others and is wonderful at highlighting the skulduggery of politics from Ancient Rome to the modern Vatican.We started talking about his latest book, Precipice (the mad and true story of British prime minister Herbert Asquith, WW1 and an illicit affair) before moving to another called Conclave.
It was appropriate to have this conversation on Easter Sunday, and Robert told us how he had to pull back on interviews a few months ago as Pope Francis’s ailing health rendered such encounters inappropriate. Little did we know that within 12 hours, the Pope would be dead and preparations in train for a real-life conclave.Rosie Sheehy and Conor McPherson.
Pic: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images The culture kept coming this week as I made my way to the theatre, not once but twice. London is teeming with talent and storytelling, so it was with enormous pride that I sat in The Old Vic to watch a matinee performance (£70 – not bad for what you get in return) of Conor McPherson’s latest offering, The Brightening Sky. A family drama set in 1980s Ireland, this was a beautiful experience, possibly heightened by being an Irishman in London.
Brian Gleeson, above, Rosie Sheehy and Chris O’Dowd (there he is again, getting better with age) all glow and are surrounded by superb actors including Seán McGinley, Hannah Morrish, Eimhin FitzGerald Doherty, Derbhle Crotty, and upcoming superstar Aisling Kearns. If you’re planning a trip to this city and looking for a play, put this at the top of your list.The second play I went to was The Score, about a moment in the life of JS Bach.
The reason I went was that I interviewed Brian Cox and his wife, Nicole Ansari-Cox, recently, and they invited me along, and I’m so happy I found the time to see this production. Ryan Tubridy: ‘Meeting with John Cleese taught me the key to a long life’ Brian was his titanic self, strolling the stage like a colossus, and the chemistry with his elegant, real-life wife was a beautiful sight. The play closed last night, but I met the pair after the show, and there’s talk of Broadway, so you might get a chance yet.
Meanwhile, Brian will appear on stage again soon. For a man of 78, he shows no signs of stopping; I’m taking notes..
