John Keegan

Uncomplicated and gifted actor, who was already an established stage performer at the time of his death in 1998. In his comparatively short career he found work in all mediums, emerging first with the Lyric Players in two 1979 productions, as Peter Grant in John Boyd's 'Facing North' and playing multiple roles in Armand Gatti's political drama 'The Second Life of Tatenberg Camp'. In 1980, again at the Lyric, he played Martin Boyle in Tommy McArdle's adaptation of Eugene McCabe's television play 'Heritage' and a year later made his film debut as Liam Doyle, in Pat Murphy's Belfast set 'Maeve', in a cast which also featured a young Brid Brennan. Now regarded a Lyric regular, he was better placed for more substantial parts and in 1982 took leading roles in Martin Lynch's 'The Interrogation of Ambrose Fogarty' and John Boyd's Wildean snapshot, 'Speranza's Boy'. 1982 also saw his first television appearance in the much lauded mini series 'Harrys Game', playing a peripheral character credited as Ardoyne Man, but had a co-starring role in his next small screen project, Mike Leigh's 'Four Days In July' 1984. In his second film, 'Life Force' 1985, he struggled to make the credit list and in the late eighties was working sporadically in theatre, he did however appear at the Kings Head London, in Christina Reid's award winning drama, 'Did You Hear the One About the Irishman...?' 1987. His position improved in the late eighties, early nineties, with several film and television roles, most notably playing Sean Scanlon in the mini series 'Crossfire' 1988 and Det Sgt Hughes in Ken Loach's Cannes Film Festival award winning, 'Hidden Agenda' 1990. He was back on the Belfast stage in 1991 in the Lyric's production of Ron Hutchinson's 'Pygmies in the Ruins' and the same year had a decent role in the locally set television series 'So You Think You've Got Troubles', in a cast which included James Ellis, Harry Towb and Stella McCusker. At the Tricycle Theatre in 1993 he played Victor, in Bill Morrison's 'A Love Song For Ulster' and the following year took the role of Father Donnelly in Barry Devlin's BBC 'Screen Two', 1950s Ulster set comedy, 'All Things Bright and Beautiful'. One of his last stage appearances was in the the Irish premiere of Sam Shepherd's 'Simpatico' presented at the Old Museum Arts Centre in 1997 and made a final bow on screen as Father Flynn, in the successful Irish comedy 'Divorcing Jack' 1998. John Keegan, although a proven stage player, was not offered sufficient screen work to fully assess his capabilities, but he did in that limited window and in his relatively short life, reveal a glimpse of what otherwise might have been. Theatre Other Theatre, Film and TV credits: * Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1982) Lyric Theatre, Belfast * Boyd's Shop (1984) Lyric Theatre, Belfast * Ourselves Alone(1985) Royal Court Theatre, London * Fanshen (1988) NT Cottesloe, London * The Difficulty of Concentration (1991) Druid Theatre, Galway * Henry VI: The Battle for the Throne(1994) RSC (tour) TV * A Casualty of War (1993) * The Ambassador (1998)