For immediate release:

Interview with Abie Philbin Bowman about the issues raised in
'Eco-Friendly Jihad'

Your first show was called 'Jesus: The Guantanamo Years'. Now you've written 'Eco-Friendly Jihad'. Do you deliberately pick outrageous titles?

“I know some people will assume that I just sandwich controversial issues together for the sake of a catchy title. But the truth is that I write jokes about topical issues because I'm a hardcore politics junkie. Even in Edinburgh, after seeing five or six shows, I'll cycle home at 3am and eat dinner watching BBC News 24. If I was simply trying to generate controversy, I would have called my show Confessions of a Gay Iranian Abortionist."

Would you at least concede that your titles suggest an anti-American bias?

I do criticise America, but I'm not anti-American. I certainly don't want to live in a world dominated by China, or Russia or Iran. Ideally, I'd like to live in a world run by a coalition of Holland, Sweden, Canada and New Zealand, but I'm not holding my breath.”

Why did you choose to combine global warming with the ‘war on terror’?

“Most governments, and populations, over-react to terrorism – even though it’s a relatively minor threat. Yet they do almost nothing to combat climate change – which could destroy our ecosystem and wipe out billions of people. I wanted to challenge that.”

Haven't we witnessed a huge increase in people taking action on climate change?

“Those who do engage, myself included, tend to take the Tesco approach to combating climate change: buy some locally-produced potatoes, a few energy-saving lightbulbs, put them all in a re-usable plastic bag and don't think twice about your weekend break in Paris. After all, ‘every little helps’… Unfortunately that's next to useless.”

The American satirist Bill Maher recently described the environment as "one of the hardest subjects to do in comedy". Why did you choose it as your theme?

“It’s certainly easier to slag off religious nuts and neo-cons, but satire shouldn’t be easy. Every great political joke contains, to use Al Gore’s phrase, ‘an inconvenient truth’ – a fact which someone in power would prefer to sweep under the carpet. So deciding to do a political comedy show about climate change was a no-brainer. It’s potentially the biggest crisis in human history, yet we all behave as if it’s not happening.”

Are you in danger of taking political comedy too seriously?

“I’m currently researching a Master's thesis on the use of comedy as a political weapon, so yes – although my shows are full of jokes, I promise. I'm a huge fan of The Daily Show, but I get annoyed whenever they duck an issue and go for a cheap laugh. The best thing about performing in Edinburgh is that the audiences are incredibly savvy – politically and comedically. Unless you’re passionate, informed and really funny, they’ll see through you in minutes.”

So what's the consistent message behind this show?

“Climate change is happening. We will soon experience 1° of global warming and we are already on course for 2°. If we keep polluting, past 3°, the Amazon rainforest will start burning – releasing billions of extra tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. At that point, climate change becomes unstoppable. The scientific consensus is that we can only save the Amazon if we reduce emissions by 90%. No government in the world is facing up to that. The longer we do nothing, the more radical the action we will ultimately have to take. The most extreme strategy would be to start killing the world's worst polluters – Westerners – preferably in a way which discourages others from flying. That’s the most ‘inconvenient truth’ of all: 9/11 was the biggest act of carbon offsetting since Nagasaki… That’s Al Gore to Al Qaeda in one sentence."

Isn’t that the kind of cheap one-liner you’re trying to avoid?

 “No. There’s a clear message behind it. If democratic governments don't address the threat of global warming, then some day soon, environmentalists will have to choose between preserving democracy and protecting the planet. That's a pretty horrific choice. I want to wake people up to that looming reality, before it's too late.”

Doesn't your argument discredit environmentalism, or worse, glorify terrorism?

“As an Irish citizen, I loathe terrorism. It's a chronically stupid and counterproductive strategy. I do understand that there’s genuine anger behind it. But you don’t help children in Palestine by blowing up commuters in London. That’s like finding mice in your kitchen, and deciding to fly to Botswana to shoot a giraffe.”

How do you plan to make such bleak subject matter funny?

“By looking at the inconvenient truths: Al Qaeda is far more eco-friendly than the US Army. The Americans fly bombs halfway around the world – whereas Al Qaeda typically walk them to their targets. And they source their fighters locally. Plus suicide bombers are a lot more biodegradable. Having said that, if Al Qaeda wants to encourage people out of their cars, they really need to rethink their strategy of bombing public transport.”

'Eco-Friendly Jihad' @ 15.55 (60) in the Smirnoff Underbelly, from July 31 to August 24 (Wednesdays through Sundays only – i.e. not: Aug. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19.)
'Jesus: The Guantanamo Years' runs in the same venue/time on Aug. 5, 12 and 19.

Abie Philbin Bowman will also be appearing at several events organised by the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, including their opening ceremony on August 3.

Contact:
AbieLaughs@Gmail.com                         www.AbieLaughs.com

Praise for Abie Philbin Bowman

“A rising star”                                                               - Time

"A first-class comedy writer and performer"                              - The Galway Advertiser

“A brave, creative man”                                                             - The Boston Globe

"Energetic and intense… you get the impression that if he
had to go on for another two or three hours, he could” - Metro

Praise for 'Eco-Friendly Jihad'

“Contemporary and controversial”                                     - The Seoul Times

“Sealing his reputation as one of Ireland's most thought-provoking comedians."
- Galway City Tribune.

“Sensational… Top festival comedy”                                              - The Nationalist

Praise for 'Jesus: The Guantanamo Years'

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

“Destined to be a Fringe favourite... Miraculous... *****”
                                                                                                                  - National Student

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