Soho Theatre’s alternative Christmas show is the world premiere of Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement’s new stage play Chasing Bono based on Neil McCormick’s memoir I Was Bono’s Doppelganger. Here’s a Throwback Thursday watch: video interviews with director Gordon Anderson and members of the cast. Who are their doppelgangers? Time to get booking!
The cast of Chasing Bono
1970s Dublin. Friends Neil McCormick and Paul Hewson share the same ambition: to form bands and become global superstars. Paul changed his name to ‘Bono’ and his band became U2. Neil’s band never got off the ground.
1987. Dublin gangster Danny Machin wants a fair and balanced account written of his life whilst now-writer Neil is wondering where his went so wrong. Danny sees an opportunity and kidnaps him. Neil becomes Danny’s biographer. Danny becomes Neil’s shrink, probing the reasons for his succession of disastrous decisions.
Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (The Likely Lads, Porridge, The Commitments), Chasing Bono is a lovingly fictionalised account of music journalist, author, broadcaster and U2 biographer Neil McCormick’s 2005 memoir I was Bono’s doppelganger. The book also inspired the 2011 film Killing Bono.
The stage adaptation, directed by The Inbetweeners‘ Gordon Anderson, features Niall McNamee as Neil and Shane O’Regan as Bono, along with Niamh Bracken, Denis Conway, Farzana Dua Elahe, Donal Finn and Ciaran Dowd.
Featured videos
What’s it like working with Clement and La Frenais? Who’s doppelganger is Pierce Brosnan? Chris O’Dowd, Squirrel from Ice Age and co-star Denis Conway? See our earlier videos with Clement and La Frenais, as well as original author Neil McCormick and his onstage doppelganger, Chasing Bono star Niall McNamee.
Director Gordon Anderson
Donal Finn
Niamh Bracken
Farzana Dua Elahe
Denis Conway
Ciaran Dowd
