On the fringe of Europe
Award-winning Dunshaughlin actor, writer and composer Fionn Foley has taken on the role of a lifetime bringing his critically claimed one-man show 'Brendan Galileo For Europe' to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the month of August.
Brendan Galileo For Europe is the story of a young aspiring politician determined to join the ranks of the European Parliament. In a last-ditch attempt to dramatically improve his public profile, he decides to represent Ireland in the most vicious diplomatic cat-fight in the continent, the Eurovision Song Contest.
"Essentially it's a musical comedy that follows an aspiring politician from Galway who is trying to make a mark on the Irish political scene but is finding it very difficult," comments Foley, adding,
"In an absurd move, he decides that he can actually make a better profile for himself by going to Eurovision and using that as a vehicle. The theme of it is about the changing Europe we are in now post-Brexit and how the Eurovision in a way is an interesting model for a comparison to be made between that and the EU and how we are all these melting pot of cultures all competing to be heard."
Dunshaughlin actor Fionn Foley was selected as one of 2018’s Show in A Bag artists by the Irish Theatre Institute, Fishamble and Dublin Fringe Festival.
"I'm a massive Eurovision nerd myself and was an opportunity to get stuck into something that I was interested in doing for the next while."
Indeed Fionn, a 26-year-old theatre and drama studies graduate of Trinty College in Dublin will be enthralled in his preferred subject for the next while as he will be performing the satirical show every day for the month of August at the world's most famous fringe festival.
"We have a full month in Assembly in George's Square in Edinburgh. It's a marathon, we have a show every single day. It's very energetic, there are about 30 different characters and voices. I'd like to think it captures the manic energy and colour of something like the Eurovision on a very small scale, it will be interesting to see how far I'll get before collapsing," he laughs.
"It's officially the biggest festival in the world, there's no opportunity like it. The other side of it is that there are 3,000 other shows so there is competition to be heard and to get the platform you want. We are lucky with having a great venue which is right in the middle of Edinburgh. We were brought over by Culture Ireland who has been fantastic.
"It is hugely exciting. The hope is that off the back of this we will be able to continue touring hopefully internationally. The great thing about writing about Eurovision and writing about European politics is that it resonates in so many different places and so many different ways. We've had different receptions in Belfast than we would have had in Dublin, the show takes on different meanings so hopefully, it will be not only a great month but a springboard for a long life to come for the show."
The successful actor is currently performing his one man show in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Fionn was selected as one of 2018's Show in A Bag artists by the Irish Theatre Institute, Fishamble and Dublin Fringe Festival. Brendan Galileo for Europe was developed through this process and won both the 'Best Actor' and 'Bewley's Little Gem' awards as well as being nominated for 'Best Actor', 'Best New Play' and 'Best Director' at the Broadway World Ireland Awards.
The Meath performer has had a career to date that any aspiring actor would be enviable of notching up a barrage of stellar theatre credits including 'Light A Penny Candle' in the Gaiety Theatre, 'Trainspotting' (Olympia Theatre), 'The Harvest' (New Theatre) to name a few.
"I've been writing my own stuff for a good while now as well, I had another solo performance called 'Eamonn From Menswear' and a musical called 'Fierce Notions' that did quite well. This is the kind of niche I've tried to carve out, I have an interest in performing but also this genre of theatre.
"Acting was always my primary interest but particularly acting with a music element to it as well. Wherever I could find an opportunity to get music whether that be live music or singing or any kind of element into the work that I did that was kind of always the real focus of my interest."
Fionn was inspired to write a show with the Eurovision Song Contest as the central theme having developed an interest in the famous competition growing up
Having the freedom to both write and perform a show has its merits and drawbacks as the young actor explains.
"It's a double-edged sword, if somebody really likes the show, of course, you are in a lucky position to take a lot of the credit, if they don't it really is on you. You are making a bespoke performance for yourself so naturally, you are going to try to play to your strengths or take on things that make you uncomfortable or the things that you want to try. You are making something that you yourself would love to see.
"The show constantly evolves as a piece and you are constantly shaping it in different ways. That's the great thing about theatre, no performance is exactly the same and whatever relationship you have with that audience that night is going to slightly dictate the way the show looks and how it feels, that is the beauty of the whole medium."
Fionn credits a drama teacher in Dunshaughlin Community College where he attended school with fostering his and others artistic ambitions,
"I took part in musicals when I was in school and our teacher Bláithín Fitzgerald was hugely instrumental with not only me but a lot of people's decision to go into theatre. It's kind of single-handedly down to her and the influence she had on students."