From his first show starting out Pat Shortt has been an enormous hit with audiences and critics alike. His comedy coupling with Jon Kenny as D'Unbelievables was one of Ireland's biggest coemdy acts of all time for over a decade, and more if you consider the comeback performances they have done since. Since Shortt has gone solo he has enjoyed great success on stage and in feature films, starring as the lead in the critically acclaimed Garage, as well as acting on stage, in numerous other films, producing, directing and starring in TV series such as Killinascully. His latest film Life's a Breeze is out 19th July. When a grandmother loses her life savings during a house rennovation, a family treasure hunt turns into a national free-for-all. Colm (Pat Shortt) is centre of the drama as the unemployed, no-good son who sets in motion all of the drama.
Interview by Aoife Ryan
1. The build up to Life's a Breeze's release must be in full swing right now, how is it?
I'm over in London right now missing a lot of the buzz for the film's opening. I'm over here until September in The Noel Coward Theatre performing The Cripple of Inishmaan with Daniel Radcliffe and a great cast all around. I wish I could be enjoying the Galway sunshine (laughs).
2. You must be extremely busy with P.R. then?
Yeah I've a few things going on at the moment with the show and the film, and I've also some series coming out. Another film Calvary wrapped up recently enough so that'll be coming up also. I've some BBC TV series in the process and I've also got some RTE Radio Drama shows in production that will hopefully spur on some more good shows in the future following it. The RTE Radio Drama series will promote young writers with little experience working in the field and give them a push to actually circulate their material. Sometimes writers have to be dragged out of their hovels [laughs]. We have some excellent material from them and it's great to get fresh blood working in the industry and get them going. With any luck, it'll become an annual thing.
3. What attracted you to Life's a Breeze?
I was very eager to work with Lance Daly and Fionnula Flanagan and everyone involved, it really has such a strong team behind it. Aside from that the story really drew me in and made me want to get involved. I read the script and knew immediately I wanted to work on it without a doubt; it was so solid and really well written and just had that punch it needs to have. The story between the grandmother and granddaughter in particular really struck me. I just thought it was a wonderful pairing, and I remember even saying to Lance how great the pair was and how strong just that twosome connection was and he reminded me, 'no it’s not just a pairing, there’s your character Colm as well. It’s a family triangle', and he was right, I just kept leaving myself out of the equation.
4. Do you enjoy playing the recessionary type of downtrodden character in particular? Like Colm or Josie from Garage?
I don't know if I do in particular [laughs]. There is something fun about playing a character that people like and sympathise with but it's also very interesting to play a character who stirs something else inside you-somebody who creates mixed emotions. Colm is very much like that really; he can be awful, rotten, like he basically lives home and drains the mother dry, but he has some redeemable qualities too that make you feel for him.
5. Are Irish people particularly good at laughing at themselves?
Ah yeah definitely, we have that attitude ingrained in us alright I think. Sure, look at Greece and the massive uproar there and then look at us. We tend to take things as they come and say 'ah sure that’s how it goes'.
6. Do you ever feel self-conscious performing, or did you once before when starting out maybe?
Yes [laughs]. Yes, most definitely but you just have to get over it and move on and you learn to cope with it yourself as you keep working and learn to use it. It doesn’t fully go away but the nerves are a sign yuo care about it and it's just something to get past it. It can even be very hard to switch emotions and go through the gamut so quickly in front of a whole crew and cast, but you just have to throw it out there. In one scene in the film they kid around with my character Colm and pretend he's just won the lotto. So I have to go from screaming and leaping around the place to crying, and then he finds out it was all a practical joke so it switches again. I have to do all of this with shaving foam on my face, standing there in my boxers for more than one take …In this business you have to leave your pride at the door [laughs]. So it's not easy trying to recreate and really produce that energy and all those different expressions. You have to love it and keep thinking of what it feels like to you. Use that.
7. What's been the best time in your career so far and what’s been the worst, if you had to sum them up?
Oh it's too hard when people always ask for a defining moment. Either that or it's too personal [laughs]. Yeah, that's for me, and it really is usually too hard to sum up. I couldn't say.
8. What advice would you give to anyone who wants to go into comedy or acting?
Oh there's a lot you could say to that one but I think the best is just to keep thinking of what you want-what you want to say and where you're going with it. You need to feel whatever it is you want to say and express. Like everyone knows what it's like to feel sad. It's no good someone else telling you to 'act sad', you have to remember what you feel yourself and take something from that, not think of what other people want you to show or try to copy someone else. That's not to say that's all there is to it, you have to be truly talented at whatever it is you do in the arts whether it’s writing, acting, music, comedy or whatever. You have to have something and persevere, but it’s just as important not to lose your own message and voice in others.
9. Will people hear any more music from you?
Yeah definitely, I'd would love to. I'll be touring all across Britain and doing another tour around Ireland after I finish up here with this show. I'll be touring around with I Am The Band, my new one man show [starring fictitious Dixie Walsh of course]. Ah yeah music will always be brought into it and it's exciting to tour for something like this for the first time in the UK. The Kiltha trad festival will also be going on down in Cork in my pub.
10. Your type of comedy isn't far off acting anyway, in that it has definite characters and stories, but earlier on in your career did you ever think you would do feature films? Was it always something you aspired to do?
I always had that love for them but it's more where things have thankfully led from as you move from project to project.
11. Would people have picked you out from a young age as a comedian? Were you the class messer?
I was a messer I'd say, but more because I didn't have the attention span to sit and do well. I wouldn't say I was the class clown or the funniest kid; I was quieter than that, a bit more introverted.
12. Do you think people have a certain amount in them, a certain amount of creativity in them that is limited?
No not at all, just look at people like Clint Eastwood and the amount he's still doing now with producing and behind the scenes. He may not be acting now really but he still is a driving force when it comes to behind the camera. I think you change your style and method over the years but you can still keep going once you keep the ideas going and you enjoy it.
13. Would you consider touring again as D'Unbelievables?
We did a tour last year so I feel we already did the reunion tour and it's good to do new things and have new characters. I'm kept busy at the moment with what I'm doing now, and Jon also has his own stuff, so it's better to move on and start other things. I've great faith in Life's a breeze, and it's doing well so far, so I'm enjoying this all right now and hope to stay busy with more work like I've planned.