Introduce yourself please.
Hello! My name is Tom O’Kelly, an Irish actor and writer from Belfast. I am a big fan of red wine and Avatar: The Last Airbender. I am also ¼ of the WIT? Theatre Company. Together, we co-created the show “Remember, Remember!” back in the summer of 2025.
How would you pitch Remember! Remember! to a fan of Horrible Histories?
This show is like all the really absurd and surreal parts of Horrible Histories put together. Think “Stupid Deaths” deluxe version with a heavy influence of “Historical Fashion Fix” (except with loads of f bombs). The little weirdo in you is going to be gleeful.
And how would you pitch it to someone who only knows who Guy Fawkes is from V For Vendetta?
Oh, it’s extremely similar. The only difference is that Hugo Weaving is a rugby bro who loves a Hyrox and Stephen Rea has a foot fetish. Also, they both feature Stephen Fry! What could be better?!
How do you make Gunpowder Plot queer?
The earnest answer is that queer people have always existed. It’s important when looking into historical figures to try and read between the lines to understand the nuances of their personal lives. We certainly aren’t the first to capitalise on James I being widely believed to have been bisexual. However, we may be the first to use this evidence to personify him as a demon twink who goes by Jamie.
How historically accurate is it?
I would say on a scale of wildly-inaccurate-and-fantastical to totally accurate, it’s in a happy medium of super-fantastical-but-rooted-in-the-knowledge-of-what-really-happened. Also, there’s a foot fetish scene.
You play a Dungeon Master? Are you a D&D fan or did you have to do some research?
I sadly have never delved into D&D! It’s a subcategory of nerdiness that I haven’t explored. The dorkiness in our show goes less in the “folk-lorey” and mythical direction and more in the Monty Python school of ridiculousness.
What is the hardest part of the show?
This show, despite being only an hour, is a marathon. We are 4 people playing 11 parts between us, with the longest time off-stage for any one person being about 2 minutes. The sheer volume of material (including surprisingly intricate choreography) means we cannot switch our brains off for a second.
Why the Edinburgh Fringe?
We met doing sketch comedy in a 60 seat theatre above a pub. Fringe is where we are at home. Call it cliché, but this is our dream! Our show has a certain homemade-ness that is integral to our writing style that is so specifically suited for fringe theatre.
What was your inspiration for the show?
When co-writing a show with four people, it’s tricky to find a common language and writing style. We knew the winning formula would be a parody. More specifically a term I have enjoyed using is “historical fiction”. After agreeing on that, we were so shocked by all the true and lesser-known facts about the Gunpowder Plot. It was just a vat of untapped potential just begging to be made into a ridiculous parody musical that may or may not feature a foot fetish sequence.
Where else can we see you?
We are actually doing a run of our wonderful show in London once again this November at The Pleasance! Other than that we are on instagram being idiots
Honesty or Politics?
Honesty- sooooo much more interesting.
Show or Business?
Show always. The minute I start having to worry about numbers and logistics and money is when things stop being fun.
Truth or Beauty?
Truth is beauty. Sorry to be the most wise and profound person inhistory.
