REMEMBERING STAN THE MAN

David O’Reilly makes his theatre debut with a love letter to Stan Laurel.

At the funeral of Stan Laurel back in February 1965, fellow comedy icon Buster Keaton remarked, “I wasn’t the funniest; Chapin wasn’t the funniest – this man was the funniest”.

The artist formerly known as Arthur Stanley Jefferson was also one of the most-loved of those silent era stars, by fans and fellow comedians alike.

He and his comedy partner Oliver Hardy appeared in 107 short and feature films, debuting together in 1921’s The Lucky Dog and becoming an official double act in 1927. And when the movie work began drying up, the duo took to the road, famously arriving in Ireland by boat at Cobh in County Cork on September 9th, 1953 to cheering crowds and the church bells ringing out their theme tune, Dance Of The Cuckoos.

Through the good times and the bad, the two best friends stuck together, right up until Hardy’s passing on August 7th, 1957.

Stan would live another 8 years, largely alone in his small LA apartment, famously keeping his chest of tricks and costumes packed and ready to go, just in case he got the call.

Laurel was also happy to have his home number in the local directory, giving out advice and comedy tips to such young upstarts as Jerry Lewis and Dick Van Dyke, whilst also merrily chatting with the thousands of fans who just called to tell him how much they loved Laurel & Hardy.

It’s these latter years that are at the centre of local author David O’Reilly’s Stan, playing three nights at The Whale in the middle of November. His theatre debut, O’Reilly has enlisted another local, Gerry Cannon, to take on the role of the twinkle-eyed titter titan in his twilight years.

“It’s just such a fascinating story,” says O’Reilly, “and one that plays out like a sweet epitaph. A man alone, still in love with comedy, with life, and welcoming anyone and everyone into his world.

“And the fact that he wanted to keep the legacy of Laurel & Hardy pure, turning down solo work on screen, showed a man with a real respect for his late partner too.”

The writer’s final thought on his subject is, “People are going to walk out of this play having fallen in love with Stan Laurel…”

David O’Reilly’s Stan: The Laughs, The Loves, The Life Of Stan Laurel is at The Whale on Thursday, November 14th, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th – details here: https://whaletheatre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873648432