Abie Philbin Bowman - Comedian Without Borders
"Way beyond superficial satire... Absorbing, intricately woven, challenging and highly entertaining."
Abie Philbin Bowman has been boycotted by Ian Paisley's DUP and had his jokes stolen by the late Osama bin Laden. He is the only Western stand-up to have performed religious, political comedy in Pakistan during the 2007 State of Emergency (while the Worlds No. 1 Terrorist was in hiding, in a secret compound, in the same country). On Barack Obama’s election night, Abie scooped CNN, BBC and Reuters by exclusively interviewing the Ku Klux Klan. TIME magazine describes him as ‘a rising star’. In July 2011, The Sunday Times declared him "the Best Irish stand-up under 30".
In 2006, Abie took the Edinburgh Fringe by storm with his debut, Jesus: The Guantanamo Years. The plot was simple: “Christ returns to earth but doesn’t get through US immigration. He’s a bearded, Middle-Eastern guy, who wants to die as a martyr.” The show sold out at Edinburgh for three years running, and was reported by over 70 media outlets including Associated Press, Le Monde, The Financial Times and The New York Times. The Scotsman dubbed Abie "the face of this years' Fringe".
Jesus: The Guantanamo Years later toured London's West End, the USA and Pakistan. Released on iTunes, it entered the top ten comedy albums across Europe and in Japan. In Belfast, the show survived a bombscare and was boycotted by Ian Paisley’s DUP.
Abie’s second solo show, Eco-Friendly Jihad, suggested we could radically reduce carbon emissions by joining Al Qaeda. "Who else can save the planet from airlines, oil-companies and overpopulation?" Eco-Friendly Jihad sold out at the 2008 Galway Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe. Touring was cut short when Abie was offered his own radio show.
From November 2008 to May 2009 Abie hosted the main talk show on youth station i105-107, weekdays from 1-4pm. Guests included Channel 4 News anchor, Jon Snow; Woodstock veteran, Arlo Guthrie; World Pillow Fight Champion, Carmen Monoxide; former Guantanamo inmate, Moazzam Begg; and National Membership Director of the Ku Klux Klan, Dr Travis Pierce. His show received the highest listenership on the station in its first six months on air.
In July 2010, the US comedy magazine, Punchline named him alongside Robin Ince & Brendon Burns as one of ‘Five UK Acts You Need to Know’. Abie spent the summer touring his new show, ‘Sex, Lies & the KKK’ to Fringe Festivals in Brighton, Los Angeles, Edinburgh & Dublin, winning awards & selling out shows.
Most bizarrely, Abie’s jokes were stolen and taken seriously by Al Qaeda. In January & October, two new audiotapes from Osama bin Laden, blamed the USA for climate change. The world’s #1 terrorist was effectively advocating ‘Eco-Friendly Jihad’. Abie was the first to point out that if Al Qaeda are serious about tackling climate change, they need to stop bombing public transport.
Abie's latest show, Pope Benedict: Bond Villain explores the global financial crisis, asking: why is Catholic Europe (Ireland, Spain & Italy) being bailed out by Protestant Europe (Germany, the UK & Scandanavia)? Is it part of a sinister Vatican plot to impoverish us & drive us back to God? Is the Pope the perfect Bond Villian - with his creepy German accent, priceless art collection and diplomatic immunity? His real name is "Ratzinger". And he's the head of a sinister organisation, hell bent on World Domination.
After a successful & critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe run at the Pleasance Courtyard, Pope Benedict: Bond Villain is travelling to the ABSOLUT Fringe in Dublin, and beyond. Meanwhile, Abie has started a crowd-funding drive to film & produce all three of his previous shows on DVD.
Abie has also taught workshops and courses on the art and business side of comedy. He has previously taught courses at Trinity College Dublin, the Hollywood Fringe Festival in LA, Big Smoke Writing Factory, the Brighton Fringe, the Irish Writers Centre, University College Dublin and the Irish Centre for Talented Youth. He wrote a regular magazine column for seven years, and is a frequent contributor to Irish and British television and radio. In 2008, Abie completed a Masters in International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin. His thesis, on the use of comedy as a weapon of non-violent protest, was entitled ‘How many Comedians does it take to change a Government?’
“Bursting with talent... The Best Irish Stand-up Comedian under 30”
“Abie Philbin Bowman deserves a comic sainthood”
“With his rapid-fire delivery, wit and taste for paradox, he calls to mind both Swift's Modest Proposal and Robin Williams”
“A distinctive comic philosopher unafraid of pushing the most sensitive buttons.”
“Contemporary and controversial”
“If all comedy had Abie Philbin Bowman’s scope of ambition, then plenty more people might take it seriously as an art form.”
– Malcolm Hay, TimeOut
– Sunday Times
- The Stage
- LA Weekly
– Punchline
- The Seoul Times
- Chortle
