The Fringe beckons for Strabane man

THE Edinburgh Fringe Festival is world renowned, with performers coming from all over to ply their trade at the Holy Grail of arts festivals. This year, one Strabane man will be part of the hallowed fraternity as he takes to the stage in Scotland’s capital

Conor Burns, who describes himself as ‘actor, filmmaker and occasional bartender’ will be taking to the stage with Stop the World, We’re Getting Off,’ a play by Liverpool-based theatre group Tenderfoot Theatre company.

Playing former MP Rorke, Conor will be one of a group of people trapped in a bunker post-apocalypse as the play deals with how they will survive as the air runs out.

However, not content with one play, Conor will also appear in a three-hander called ‘Closure’ playing a man with a chequered past confronted by two women, one of whom he has wronged.

It’s not the first time Conor has appeared at the Fringe, and is an experience he didn’t expect to repeat.

“My first time at the Fringe, which every actor dreams of, was in 2018 where I also appeared in two plays over a three-week period and, to be honest, I was knackered after it and swore I would never do it again. Yet, four years later, here I am repeating the feat. I’m a glutton for punishment it seems,” he laughed.

“I was looking for a job through the Liverpool Theatre Network and this role with Tenderfoot looked interesting. As an eco-friendly and feminist company, their ethos helped draw me to the role. After two auditions and an interview, the role was thankfully mine. I’ve excited about it.”

Playing two unsavoury characters, Conor jokes that he does feel as typecasting is setting in. “It seems that every play I’m in, I always play a baddie. I think it’s my look, the eyes, beard, and the long hair, maybe I just look like I’m good at terrorising people!

“People ask me why I don’t go for goodies and the answer is simple – the bad guy is always more of a challenge.”

Having ploughed his own furrow since becoming an actor, Conor got himself an agent last year, a move which seems to have begun paying dividends.

He has an (admittedly) blink-and-you-miss-it role in a new Ben Kinglsey film ‘Dali Land’ which was filmed in his adopted city last year.

“That was a brilliant experience. I play a sound technician and I’m in shot for a couple of seconds. That is if I don’t make the cutting room floor!

“I don’t know if I’ll pursue film though. I really love the theatre and the immediacy of it. On film you can have multiple takes whereas on stage, it’s one shot to get it right. That’s a challenge I thrive on.”

A lot of actors want to be writers and Conor admits the thought has crossed his mind, musing, “During lockdown I did toy with writing my own play, unfortunately I’ve been so busy with acting I haven’t found the time but its on the bucket list. Who knows, maybe I can write myself a good guy part.”