FEATURE
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coming in from a hard day‘s work and just want to fall asleep in front ofsomething. That‘s not what I want to do. [don‘t do that much television. so I want what I do to be goodf
In the TV version, although we never see the parents or girlfriends (‘they remain inside my mind which is the best place for them‘). we are introduced to three other characters: neighbour Tony. Barry the barman and an Indian shopkeeper. ‘If I was taking the piss out oftheatre with the stage show. I suppose I‘m taking the piss out of sit-coms with the TV show.‘ says I lughes. ‘Barry the barman‘s first words are: “Sean. I'm a bit worried about my character. it‘s very one-dimensional.“ I tell him. “It's alright. you‘re in a sitcom.“ So he goes. “Oh. OK then”. and goes about his business. In the first episode I don‘t even realise I‘m in a sitcom. I look at a newspaper and it says. “new sitcom about an Irishman who doesn‘t realise he‘s in a sitcom." I say “That's sounds crap. I’m not watching that." ‘
Hughes is not an enormous fan ofTV. but
is very keen to work in films. His appetite was whetted by a bit part in the new Alan Parker film The Commitments. due for release later this year. ‘The character I play. Dave Machin. is from a record company.‘ he says. ‘and is basically trying to get everything on the cheap. The day I went in to get the costume-fitting and meet people. I‘d got very drunk the night before and had this thick stubble and a hangover. I went into Alan Parker’s caravan. and he took one look at me and said. “Oh very Dave Machin. Sean.“ He thought I‘d made the effort to get into character. some kind ofmethod-acting or something. I was stuck with stubble for the whole three scenes.‘
Stories involving heavy drinking and terrible hangovers are a vital part ofthe Sean Hughes persona. At last year‘s Fringe. well as breaking more than a few females'
. hearts with his easy-going charm. he made serious inroads into the city‘s Guinness stocks. It makes you realise that the confused. alcohol-hazy and lovelorn hero of One Night Stand is virtually autobiographical. ‘I won‘t lie in the show in any respect.‘ he says. ‘In an interview. this woman was talking about my "character" on stage. It sounded very strange talking about my “character” in the show being very unlucky. That’s no character. I thought. that’s me babe.‘
After his current tour. Sean Hughes takes his ever-developing show to comedy festivals in Australia and Montreal. before
returning to Edinburgh in August with a new i
play he's writing with Irish stand-up ()wen O‘Neill. It's about the adventures oftwo Irish barmen. No doubt the ‘character‘ Hughes plays will have a strong need to be loved, tempered only by a stronger need to get pissed. ‘I haven‘t been feeling too well of
late. come to think ofit.‘ he says. ‘Maybe I should be cutting down on the drinking.‘ Don‘t believe a word ofit.
Sean Hughes will be performing hisstantl-up sho w at Edinburgh Counting House 11—13 March. and A One NightStantl at Stirling Mac‘Robert Arts Centre I 4 March and Glasgow Tron Theatre 15—] 7 Mare/1 '.
Th;- List 8— 21 March 199113