No Simple Simon

“There’s a tap-dancing Klu Klux Klan number and Jesus appears in a nappy. It can be very offensive. But it’s a brilliant show. It’s very funny,” says Simon Delaney, relaxing in the impressive interior of the Grand Canal Theatre.

The Irish actor best known for his roles in Bachelors Walk and as the red-leather-clad alien in Zonad is enthusing about his upcoming role in Jerry Springer: The Opera.
“It’s definitely for mature audiences only. The clue is in the title. It’s Jerry Springer – not The Sound Of Music!”
The controversial musical has already had sell-out runs in the US and the UK, where some regional performances were cancelled due to protests by extreme Christian groups.
“I fully expect to be on Joe Duffy on the Tuesday morning!” laughs Delaney.
In addition to being rib-ticklingly funny, the performance also raises some moot points.
“As well as being an episode of the show it also looks at why people are obsessed with going on television,” explains Simon. “Why do people want to be famous? Why are people prepared to queue up around the block to air their dirty laundry on front of 20 million people? At one point Jerry’s conscience appears, so the whole show turns on him, why are you doing this? How are you sleeping at night? You are wheeling these poor unfortunate people out and you are getting paid for it.”
Any what does Mr. Springer make of this parody?
“He loves it!” exclaims Simon. “He’s invited to the opening night. It would be mad if he comes! He went to the opening night in London because he lives in London now. He might pop over and fancy a night in Dublin!”
Current musical ventures aside, Delaney has been busy of late building a name for himself across the Atlantic.
“I did an episode of The Good Wife which aired last night in the States,” he divulges. “I was nine days there filming and I was very nervous. It’s Premier League really. It’s the biggest show on TV in the States.”
“I did actually catch myself looking around at Julianna Magulies, Josh Charles, Alan Cumming and Eddie Izzard thinking, ‘Christ, am I really here?’”
“Myself and Eddie Izzard play opposing barristers in the episode,” he explains [attorneys surely? Legal affairs ed]. “Eddie is exactly what you’d imagine him to be – mad as a box of frogs and very funny. We would rehearse our lines whilst playing table tennis – his idea!”
On the subject of high-profile ventures, Delaney also recently worked with Sean Penn in Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must Be The Place, part of which was filmed in Dublin.
“It premiered at Cannes last September and got a 17-minute standing ovation,” he beams. “So I’m standing there with the rest of the cast and there’s Faye Dunaway clapping and whispering, ‘amazing’, Gwen Stefani was there. It was ridiculous. Now I’m only in three of four scenes in the film but I’m in it!”
According to Delaney, Penn was a consummate pro.
“He was incredible,” he says. “For people of our generation he’s the man; six Oscar nominations, some of the greatest movie characters ever created. He’s a very generous actor, very professional, never late, always knew his lines. But you do catch yourself standing there going, ‘Jaysus that’s your man out of Carlito’s Way and I have to talk to him now!’ It was bizarre.”
Delaney’s stateside activities were prompted by the effusive response to Zonad, which enjoyed much success at the Tribeca Film Festival and garnered rave reviews from Variety and other respected titles.
“It died on its arse here,” notes Delaney. “Many Irish movies do. They have to do well overseas before they get accepted at home. But that film started the ball rolling because it got me my manager in New York and agents in LA. I have a lot to be thankful to it for.”
So what was it like squeezing into that leather suit every day?
“That was the most uncomfortable seven weeks of my life,” he laughs. “Let’s just say the suit itself was a woman’s suit that you can only buy in a certain type of shop that requires you going downstairs to a basement! And because they don’t make them for men… let’s just say if the suit was a house the ballroom was very small. It was ferociously uncomfortable.”
The revealing costume may have raised a few eyebrows, but Delaney has braved worse, bearing all in the musical version of The Full Monty for instance.
“Fully naked, every night in the Olympia!” he states. “We had a lot of hen nights travelling from the UK. At the same point every night you would see the phones start to come out and they would be ready! We had to get the front of house staff to stand in the stalls and get them to put the phones away because they were all there in their pink cowboy hats going, ‘Aaaaggghhh!’”
Film, television, theatre, musicals, Delaney is quite the jack of all trades.
“In Ireland you have to diversify,” he insists.” You have to do directing, straight drama, musical theatre, TV, film, voiceovers, commercial work, every little helps… as they say in a certain supermarket!!” he laughs in reference to his Tesco ad campaign. “I’m just happy to be working because it is very tough here.”
Despite the aforementioned activities and starring roles in Intermission, Disco Pigs and sundry others, it is the character of solicitor Michael Quinn in Bachelors Walk that he is mostly associated.
“Nearly every day someone mentions it to me, it’s phenomenal,” he says. “People ask if it’s a noose around my neck but I wear it like a badge of pride. It was such a great show, I’m so proud of it.”

Jerry Springer: The Opera runs from October 31 to November 5 in the Grand Canal Theatre.