Life after the Guildford Four: from cocaine to redemption - The ...

A play about the post-prison life of Gerry Conlon, who was wrongly convicted of the IRA Guildford pub bombings, will show him offering ... SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsWorldnewsUKnewsCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteUKUKpoliticsEducationMediaSocietyLawScotlandWalesNorthernIrelandTheObserverGuildfordFourThisarticleismorethan1yearoldLifeaftertheGuildfordFour:fromcocainetoredemption–andaduetwithSpringsteenThisarticleismorethan1yearoldApowerfulone-manplaytellsthestoryofGerryConlonafterhisreleasefromwrongfulconvictionGerryConlonafterhewasfreedattheOldBaileyin1989.Photograph:TedBlackbrow/DailyMail/REXGerryConlonafterhewasfreedattheOldBaileyin1989.Photograph:TedBlackbrow/DailyMail/REXHenryMcDonaldSun1Mar202007.15GMTLastmodifiedonThu26Mar202012.26GMTAplayaboutthepost-prisonlifeofGerryConlon,whowaswronglyconvictedoftheIRAGuildfordpubbombings,willshowhimofferingcocainetoJackNicholsonandsingingwithBruceSpringsteenattheOscars.Basedonabookwrittenbyachildhoodfriend,theone-manplaywillalsorevealhowConlonspentmorethan£1moncrackcocaineandhowhefinally,almostentirelyalone,beathisdrugaddiction.Conlonandthreefriends–PaulHill,PaddyArmstrongandCaroleRichardson–wereconvictedofthe1974IRAGuildfordpubbombings.Afteryearsofcampaigningagainstamiscarriageofjustice,thefourwerefreedattheOldBaileyin1989.IntheNameoftheSonopensatBelfastLyrictheatreon17MarchandwillalsobestagedlaterthisyearattheEdinburghfestival.ItisbasedonthebookofthesametitlebyformerIRAprisonerRichardO’RaweandfollowsConlon’slifeafterhewalkedoutofLondon’sOldBaileyafreemanin1989untilhediedofcancerin2014at60.O’Rawe,whowrotetheplaywithBelfastplaywrightMartinLynch,saidtheexperienceofdramatisingConlon’slifeafter15yearsinjailwas“oneofthehardestthingsIhaveeverhadtodo”.Headded:“IhadknownGerrysincewewerekidsplayingcowboysandindiansinthestreetsofftheFallsRoad.Soitwasdraininganddeeplyemotionalattimes,recreatingsceneswhichshowedGerry’sdarktimes.“Butthisisalsoastoryofredemption,ofhowGerrygotoutofthepitofdrugaddictionandrebuilthislife…andhowheusedtherestofthatlifetocampaignforotherssufferingmiscarriagesofjusticeaswellashisbattleagainstthedeathpenalty.“WhenIreadthefinalscriptIfeltasifIcouldhearGerry’svoiceagainspeakingtome.Thereisnosentimentalityinthedramabutthereareplentyoflaughsaswellasitbeingatribute.”TheOscarsscenesarebasedoneventsin1994whenConlontravelledtoHollywood.InTheNameofTheFather,afilmbasedonthestoryoftheGuildfordFour,starringDanielDay-LewisasConlon,wasupforastringofnominations.Boredwiththeceremony,ConlonandfriendsfromIrelandbarricadedthemselvesintoatoiletforaparty,jokingwithstarswhocameintorelievethemselves“GerryofferedcoketoJackNicholson,whopolitelydeclined,andlatersangHungryHeartwithBruceSpringsteen,”O’Rawesaid.ActorShaunBlaneyrecreatesthisandotherscenesbyswitchingbetweenConlon’svoiceandothercharacters.LynchsaidhealsofoundtheexperienceofconcentratingConlon’syearsoffreedomintoaone-manshowemotionallydraining.HecomparedittowritingChroniclesofLongKesh,hisplayaboutrepublicanandloyalistprisonersintheHBlocksbetween1971and1994.“ThatwasachallengingprocessbecauseittouchedontimessuchasthehungerstrikesandhadcharactersthatIhadknowninreallife.ButIhavetosaythatIntheNameoftheSonwasevenmorechallengingbecauseitisoneman’sstruggletowardsredemption,”Lynchsaid.“IknowsomeofhisfamilywillattendtheshowwhenitopensafterSt.Patrick’sDay,andIhopetheywillseethatRichardandIhavedonejusticetoGerryandhisstory.”TopicsGuildfordFourTheObserverTheatreNorthernIrelandBelfastHumanrightsnewsReusethiscontentUKUKpoliticsEducationMediaSocietyLawScotlandWalesNorthernIreland