I WAS recently writing about theatre being a great educator – it certainly is when enjoying it from the auditorium but more so from behind the footlights and Richard Orr would agree.
He’s a well known actor, on stage since he was a teenager and rarely out of work for the past 30 years. His CV is the envy of many, he has worked with the best, yet five years ago he decided it was time for a change.
“I had a good run and thoroughly enjoyed my time in theatre and travelling to play on stages in the United States, throughout the UK and Ireland, even filming a movie in Luxemburg, but I needed a challenge,” he tells me.
Most of his work locally was at the Lyric theatre and his fellow actors included Adrian Dunbar, Dan Gordon, Conleth Hill, Ciarán Hinds, Stella McCusker, Frances Tomelty, Liam Neeson and Sir Ian McKellen – the best in the business. He toured twice in America, on Broadway with Brendan At The Chelsea with Adrian Dunbar and he spent five months in Washington DC playing Pavel in Brian Friel's Fathers And Sons.
With a pedigree like this, why leave the stage?
“After 30 years and a changing theatre scene I just wanted something new. So, in my late 40s I bought a restaurant and opened Clemsons on the Woodstock Road and, although it got to number two in TripAdvisor, eventually I sold up because there was something else that had become very fascinating to me – Tour Guides NI.”
Despite having seven O-levels, studying drama in Manchester and a lifetime of experience, to qualify for the intensive course at the University of Ulster he needed the one thing he didn’t have – maths. So at 52 years of age he went beck to school, got his qualification and started the Blue Badge journey.
His plus factor is that he has a natural passion for Northern Ireland, the skills of presentation, a love of words and a fine sense of humour.
“I aim to be a good tour guide because I’m proud of this country and I want people to understand it and come to love it too," Richard says. "I want to entertain, inform, keep the people safe and well looked after and send them away as fascinated with this part of the world as I am.”
He’s still waiting for his official badge, awarded in a ceremony next month, but already he has been honing his skills taking visitors on walks around Paris, London and now Belfast.
He has set up his own platform, Best Fast Tours, and after his recent LGBT tour during the Gay Pride week in Belfast the compliments flowed – "exciting", "informative", "fun".
“And people love to hear personal theatrical stories, especially during the Troubles, and here I can talk about my own experiences, about the audiences who kept coming to the theatre despite the civil unrest. Nothing stopped a production except a power cut or snow.
"Once in the Arts Theatre panto Cinderella we got an unexpected phone call that there was an incendiary device primed to go off at 3.30 so we shortened the show and got everyone out of the building by three o’clock – thankfully it was a hoax.”
He talks of the language of the guide.
“I once referred to there being an awful lot of people at one venue and someone asked me, what was wrong with them – why were they awful? On another occasion I said I wanted to do something terribly badly – think about it!” Laughter is never far away from Richard.
Thankfully theatre hasn’t lost Richard Orr completely; although not acting, he is making a name for himself as a director, most recently with the hit show Ruby starring Libby Smith as Ruby Murray.
You might not realise it but you often hear his voice on commercials between television programmes – he has made an ad for the Dead Rabbit restaurant in New York and publicised anti-litter campaigns and domestic abuse awareness.
He still coaches young actors but he says he’s out of the mix when it comes to performing and he has few regrets.
“I’ve proved you can take years of experience and put them to good use reinventing yourself and taking on a new role on a new stage in life and I’m loving it!”
For details of Richard’s tours email: Bestfasttours@yahoo.com
A gem of a man
MY COLLEAGUE Ivan Little called Eddie McIlwaine, "a giant of a journalist and a gem of a man”. That summed him up.
I was lucky through the years to grow up in journalism with Eddie around, his contact book bursting with big names, showbiz and sporting, alongside his regulars and although he didn’t suffer fools gladly he supported those he respected and never failed with an encouraging word, a contact, a story.
He fought his demons but eventually cancer got the better of him and at the end of July at the age of 83, Eddie died peacefully surrounded by his family.
Deepest sympathies to Irene, the love of his life, his son Edward and daughter Zara and the family.
