Christ in Gitmo: iTunes Comedy to Mark St. Patrick’s Day,
Easter Week and the 5th Year of War in Iraq

In a week that will mark St Patrick's Day, Easter and the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, an Irish comedy about Jesus and the War on Terror is being launched on iTunes. Jesus: The Guantanamo Years has already survived boycotts and bomb scares in Belfast, been held up by US immigration, and was performed in Pakistan during the recent state of emergency.

The showportrays Jesus Christ returning to earth, but being stopped at US immigration, because He’s a bearded, Middle-Eastern guy, prepared to die as a martyr. From March 17 itwill be available on iTunes for under €6 / $6 / £5. 

The debut from Dublin comedian Abie Philbin Bowman, Jesus: The Guantanamo Years proved a sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Helped by an iconic poster (featuring Jesus in an orange jumpsuit), the show’s overnight success was reported by over 20 media outlets, with The Scotsman dubbing Abie "the face of this years' [Edinburgh] Fringe".

Following its triumph at Edinburgh, Jesus: The Guantanamo Years sold-out throughout Ireland and travelled to London's West End. The show's American debut was delayed, ironically, because of a hold-up at US immigration. When it finally arrived, the show played to rapturous audiences. “One evening, we had seven Protestant ministers laughing in the front row,” Abie recalls. “I’m glad they enjoyed the show. It would have been pretty ironic if they crucified me.”

In November 2007, Jesus: The Guantanamo Years represented Ireland at the World Performing Arts Festival in Pakistan. The script was changed to include references to the country's unfolding political crisis, making Abie the only Irish comedian “stupid enough” to perform a religious, political satire in a Muslim nation, under a state of emergency.

Ironically, it was in Belfast that the show encountered the fiercest hostility. There was a bomb scare at the theatre, and Northern Ireland's largest political party, led by the Rev Ian Paisley, called for the show to be boycotted. “Whether you’re Catholic or Protestant, I think phoning in a fake bomb warning counts as ‘bearing false witness’. And I still can’t believe I was attacked, by supporters of Ian Paisley, for dressing up in orange and talking about Jesus.”

Abie attributes the show’s success to its irreverent take on an important subject. "Guantanamo Bay is like a maximum security prison designed by Kentucky Fried Chicken: it has tiny wiremesh cages, soulless uniforms and teenage staff with no other career options.” The Irishman is eager to dismiss charges of blasphemy: "Guantanamo Bay is totally unchristian. I'm not a religious expert, but I'm pretty sure that telling jokes about God is not as blasphemous as torturing His children.”

"Way beyond superficial religious satire... Absorbing, intricately woven, challenging and highly entertaining."                                                              - TimeOut

"The greatest stand-up story ever told… Funny, thoughtful, impassioned…Abie [Philbin] Bowman deserves a comic sainthood."                              - The Stage

'Jesus: The Guantanamo Years' will be launched on iTunes on March 17.

Interviews with Abie Philbin Bowman, copies of the script, audio recordings, YouTube links and high resolution images from the show are available to the media on request. Contact:

AbieLaughs@Gmail.com            + 353 861 677 268            www.MySpace.com/AbieLaughs