I, Keano
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''I, Keano'' is a comedy musical play about footballer
Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, former coach, and former professional player. He is best known for his career in the Premier League, in particular his captaincy of Manchester United. He is the joint most ...
leaving the
Republic of Ireland national football team The Republic of Ireland Men's national football team () represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international Association football, football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The team made their debut at the Ir ...
before the
2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
. It is written by Arthur Mathews, Michael Nugent and Paul Woodfull, and is presented as a mock-epic melodrama about an ancient Roman legion preparing for war. In its first two years, it had sales of over half a million tickets, generating €10m ($13m) in ticket sales. In January 2008, it began its fourth year of performances with the addition of Caroline Morahan as Surfia.


Productions

Peter Sheridan Peter Sheridan (born 1952) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director. He lives in Dublin. His awards include the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 1978."Judges shortlist 16 authors", ''The Irish Times'', 4 September 1999 (NB article ...
, brother of film director
Jim Sheridan Jim Sheridan (born 6 February 1949) is an Irish people, Irish playwright and filmmaker. Between 1989 and 1993, Sheridan directed three critically acclaimed films set in Ireland, ''My Left Foot'' (1989), ''The Field (1990 film), The Field'' (19 ...
, directed the first production in 2005. It starred Mario Rosenstock of the Irish radio comedy show Gift Grub, and
Risteárd Cooper Risteárd Cooper (; born February 1969) is an Irish actor, comedian, singer and writer and is one third of comedy trio '' Après Match''. Cooper's parents Cáit Lanigan and Richard Cooper were both educated through Irish and were highly accomp ...
and
Gary Cooke Gary Cooke is an Irish actor, satirist and writer who is one of the stars, on screen, of ''Après Match'' and, on stage, '' I, Keano'' and ''MacBecks''. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of media personality Eamon Dunphy, although h ...
of the Irish television comedy show ''
Après Match ''Après Match'' is an Irish comedy show normally screened after competitive Irish soccer matches on RTÉ. It is performed by Barry Murphy (comedian), Barry Murphy, Risteárd Cooper and Gary Cooke. It grew out of Barry Murphy and Risteárd Coop ...
''. Controversy arose during the first run when three leading cast members publicly left the show, including ironically Rosenstock, who played Keano, leading to media articles about life imitating art imitating life.
Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, former coach, and former professional player. He is best known for his career in the Premier League, in particular his captaincy of Manchester United. He is the joint most ...
attended the show in Dublin in 2005. Michael Caven directed the second production in 2006, which included a run in Manchester, England. Several sections of the play were rewritten substantially for its UK debut, which came on the heels of Keane's messy departure from
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
. Portions that were understandable only to Irish audiences were removed, and the role of "Fergie", a send-up of United manager
Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time and ...
, was more heavily emphasised. Terry Byrne directed the third production in 2007, which ran for 2 months at the Olympia, Dublin, and subsequently toured Ireland for 9 weeks. ''I, Keano'' returned in January 2008 for a limited run with a revival of the 2007 production this was billed as the last chance ever to see the show but after a sellout run at the Olympia it returned for "Extra Time" at the Olympia for two weeks from 19 May 2008, playing its last ever performance on 31 May 2008 to standing ovations. In 2015, the Olympia revived the show again for a limited 6 week run from 25 March to 2 May.


Characters

The characters, and the real-life figures whom they parody, are: * Keano, the legion's greatest warrior (
Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, former coach, and former professional player. He is best known for his career in the Premier League, in particular his captaincy of Manchester United. He is the joint most ...
, then Ireland and
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
footballer) * Fergie, a hair-dryer god (
Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time and ...
, then manager of Manchester United) * General Macartacus (
Mick McCarthy Michael Joseph McCarthy (born 7 February 1959) is a professional Manager (association football), football manager, pundit and former Association football, footballer. He was most recently the head coach of Blackpool F.C., Blackpool. McCarthy b ...
, then manager of Ireland) * Quinness, a warrior (
Niall Quinn Niall John Quinn (honorary Order of the British Empire, MBE; born 6 October 1966) is an Irish former professional Association football, footballer, manager, businessman and sports television pundit. As a player, he was a Striker (association f ...
, then Ireland footballer) * Surfia, washerwoman to the legion (Gillian Quinn, Niall's wife) * Packie Bonnerus, a warrior (
Packie Bonner Patrick Joseph Bonner (born 24 May 1960) is an Irish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper and spent his entire senior career at Celtic. He earned 80 caps for the Republic of Ireland after making his debut on his 21st birthday. Commonly ...
, then Ireland goalkeeping coach) * Duffus and Keano the Younger, two child warriors (Ireland footballers
Damien Duff Damien Anthony Duff (born 2 March 1979) is an Irish professional manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player. He is the manager of League of Ireland club Shelbourne F.C., Shelbourne. He began his pro ...
, then of
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
; and
Robbie Keane Robert David Keane (born 8 July 1980) is an Irish professional football coach and former player who played as a striker and is currently the head coach of Ferencváros. Keane served as captain of the Republic of Ireland from March 2006 until h ...
, then of
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
) * Ridiculus, head of the legion's Federation (representing the
Football Association of Ireland The Football Association of Ireland (FAI; ) is the governing body for association football in the Republic of Ireland. Organisation The FAI has an executive committee of five members under the president, who receive expenses, as well as a p ...
) * Dunphia, a wood nymph (
Eamon Dunphy Eamon Martin Dunphy (born 3 August 1945) is an Irish media personality, journalist, broadcaster, author, sports pundit and former professional footballer. He grew up playing football for several youth teams including Stella Maris. Since retirin ...
, Irish commentator and ghost-writer of Roy Keane's autobiography) * Sanctimonius, Obsequius, Scandalus and Superfluous, a scribes' chorus (representing the different viewpoints of the Irish media).


Cast

The lead role of Keano has been played by Mario Rosenstock and Pat Kinevane in 2005, Denis Foley in 2006, and Jamie Beamish in 2007 and 2008*. Two cast members have been ever-present: Dessie Gallagher (Macartacus) and Malachy McKenna (Obsequius); as has the musical director David Hayes. The cast has also included
Gary Cooke Gary Cooke is an Irish actor, satirist and writer who is one of the stars, on screen, of ''Après Match'' and, on stage, '' I, Keano'' and ''MacBecks''. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of media personality Eamon Dunphy, although h ...
and David O'Meara (Dunphia, Fergie); Paul McGlinchey, Diarmuid Murtagh and Karl Harpur (Packie Bonnerus);
Risteárd Cooper Risteárd Cooper (; born February 1969) is an Irish actor, comedian, singer and writer and is one third of comedy trio '' Après Match''. Cooper's parents Cáit Lanigan and Richard Cooper were both educated through Irish and were highly accomp ...
, Conor Delaney and Vincent Moran (Quinness);
Tara Flynn Tara Flynn (born 1969) is an Irish actress and writer. She was a member of The Nualas. Career Flynn has written three satirical books: ''You're Grand: The Irishwoman's Secret Guide to Life'', ''Giving Out Yards: The Art of Complaint, Irish Styl ...
, Susannah de Wrixon, Sharon Sexton and Caroline Morahan (Surfia),
Gary Cooke Gary Cooke is an Irish actor, satirist and writer who is one of the stars, on screen, of ''Après Match'' and, on stage, '' I, Keano'' and ''MacBecks''. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of media personality Eamon Dunphy, although h ...
, Joe Taylor and Ciaran Bermingham (Ridiculus), Ryan O'Connor and Hugh McDonagh (Duffus) and Colin Middleton and Alan Kavanagh Aaron Howey, and Ben Reilly (Keano the Younger). The scribes have been played by Joe Taylor and Nicholas Grennell (Sanctimonius); Malachy McKenna (Obsequius); Nicky Elliot, Maclean Burke, David O'Meara and Pat Nolan (Scandalus); and Gemma Crowley, Karl Harpur and Lorna Quinn (Superfluous). * *(Beamish was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the 2007 run but continued performing until just before the end of the tour when he had to pull out to begin treatment. Understudy Karl Harpur took over the role. Beamish returned for both 2008 runs).


Quotes

Tagline: He Came. He Saw. He Went Home. Keano: "Typical! If you fail to plan, then you’re planning to fail."
Packie Bonnerus: "But if you plan to fail, and you do fail, then surely you have succeeded?"


References


External links


Review of ''I, Keano''
Shane Murray, RTÉ, January 2007

James Ducker, ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', 2 March 2006
Review of ''I, Keano''
Alan Pattullo, ''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...
'', 21 January 2006
Review of ''I, Keano''
Anthony Garvey, ''
The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...
'', 17 February 2005
Review of ''I, Keano''
James McMahon, RTÉ, 10 February 2005

Harvey O'Brien, CultureVulture.Net, 9 February 2005

Richard Jinman, ''The Guardian'', 8 February 2005
Soccer Bust-Up Inspires Musical
Diarmaid Fleming, BBC, 8 February 2005
''I, Keano'' at IrishPlayography.Com
{{Arthur Mathews Irish musicals 2005 musicals 2000s in Irish music 2010s in Irish music