Ex-Love/Hate star Johnny Ward is relishing playing a new ‘psychotic' part
'I think this is the most psychotic part I'll ever play,' Johnny tells the Sunday World , referring to his upcoming performance as an evil dentist in the musical Little Shop Of Horrors at Dublin's Bord Gais Energy Theatre.
'Little Shop Of Horrors is a love story about a guy call Seymour who works in a flower shop that's not doing well,' Johnny explains of the 1980s movie and stage production.
'He discovers that one of the plants that he bought from a random man in a Chinese shop eats people.
Actors David O Reilly, Johnny Ward and Jacqueline Brunton
'Seymour is attracted to Audrey who works in the shop and, here we go yet again, I'm Audrey's abusive boyfriend Orin, a biker dentist.
'He beats her up and takes great pleasure in getting pain out of a lot of people when doing dental surgery on them.'
Johnny's character ultimately meets a grisly end involving the human-eating plant.
'It's a far-fetched story, but it's phenomenal and the music is amazing,' he says.
'The songs I get to perform are Dentist Song, and a duet song with Seymour, played by David O'Reilly, called It's Just The Gas. So I'm really looking forward to it. We start rehearsals on Monday.'
The Little Shop Of Horrors role is the latest in Ward's hectic work life, which these days involves teaching young people in drama classes.
'Teaching is my bread and butter and I absolutely love it,' Johnny says. 'On a Monday I teach out in Dizzy Footwork Drama Academy opposite The Square in Tallaght… Tuesdays I'm in a primary school in Wicklow, Wednesday I'm in Cavan, Thursday in Leixlip, Friday I'm in Trim and I'm off Saturday and Sunday.
The cast of the Little Shop of Horrors musical
'Thankfully the people that I work for are like brothers and sisters to me and when something acting-wise comes up they provide cover for me. They are very accommodating.
'Usually at this time of the year I do summer camps, but this year I can't because my hands are tied with the Little Shop Of Horrors'
'I love passing on what you've learned to young kids. I love it when they come in in September and they are all shy and nervous and by June they are like a different kid. You can't shut them up, they are full of confidence and they become the role models for the next year's kids.
'And I really love writing scripts for kids to perform. We had an amazing show just there on Monday.
The popular entertainer says he would encourage parents to get their children involved in drama.
'It's great for kids, especially in this day and age because kids don't have the attention span that they used to. That's not their fault, it's just the modern world.
'Our attention span back in the day was going to watch a movie like Jurassic Park for two hours on a Saturday. Kids don't do that anymore because their attention span is just flicking through their TikToks and stuff… their attention span is a max of about 30 seconds.
'I do think that for an hour or two hours a week putting the phone down is good for the head. I go to a philosophy class every Monday with my mother and I love it.
David O'Reilly and Jacqueline Brunton in the Little Shop of Horrors musical
'My mother started it in 2022 and she said, 'I've signed you up.' And it's the best thing I've ever done. It's just a reminder of the tools that are so simply accessed that we don't use. Little things when you are in a situation of anxiety, pause, take three seconds, breathe and ask yourself 'What would a wise man do in this situation?' It's very good and you meet some really great people.'
Johnny credits his mother, Kathy, with fostering his love of acting.
'Without her I wouldn't have made a career in this,' he says. 'My mum was very much adamant that we all do drama growing up. Just before this interview we went over the script of Little Shop of Horrors together.'
Johnny's mum, Kathy, has suffered a series of health issues since the passing of her husband in 2019.
She was diagnosed with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which is also referred to as a broken heart.
Johnny as Ciaran in Fair City
'Last July Mum was diagnosed with cancer and we all feared the worst. Her pancreas, gallbladder and a large part of her bowel were taken out.
'Then she got Covid, she had a fall and it was one nightmare after another. But she's brilliant and she's doing well and she's back to her usual self now.'
Johnny also paid tribute to his wife, Brenda, who, he says, is his 'biggest supporter.'
The couple met while out walking in the Curragh when lockdown restrictions were relaxed and will be two years married next month.
'Brenda is an amazing person, there is never any arguing and if there is we just have a laugh about it,' Johnny reveals.
'And she has just been magnificent with my mother — she's just like another daughter to her.'
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RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- RTÉ News
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Most of those are in China, but around 130 physical shops and 200 robostores are in other countries, including England and France. Non-China sales now account for around 40% of their revenue – and last year they doubled their total revenues to 13 billion yuan – or around €1.5 billion, their profits tripled to the equivalent of €390m. That's largely driven by Labubu – but sales of some of their other toy lines have been boosted too, which has led to its share price surging. As a result Pop Mart is now technically valued at more than the combined valuations of both Hasbro and Mattel. And of course they're looking to capitalise on the Labubu trend – with a TV show and a film already underway. That may well boost sales of the toys even further in the coming years. How has this success been received in China? There has been some criticism of Labubu in China – not just the use of blind boxes, but also suggestions that the dolls are too scary looking and shouldn't be sold to children. 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a day ago
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Oasis superfan sells concert ticket after Liam Gallagher's 'unacceptable' tweet
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Oasis superfan was left "completely heartbroken" and opted to flog her ticket to the band's kick-off gig following frontman Liam Gallagher's controversial, now-deleted social media post containing an offensive phrase. The 52-year-old Mancunian rocker became the target of backlash after dropping a racial slur on X. The offending tweet, which ridiculed languages spoken by people from East Asia or those of East Asian heritage, prompted immediate reactions online, with one supporter admonishing him: "Liam, you can't say that". Following the uproar, Liam swiftly pulled down the post and put up an apology. His tweet read: "Sorry if I offended anyone with my tweet before it wasn't intentional you know I love you all and I do not discriminate. Peace and love LG x". Nevertheless, some admirers find themselves disenchanted by the incident. For Yue Xiong, originally from Shanghai and now living London, Oasis's tunes have been a lifeline since her teens, declaring the songs "saved [her] life". Yet she felt Liam's comment was "completely not acceptable". Consequently, the Goldsmiths scholar decided to sell her Live '25 tour launch night pass for Cardiff, slated for July 4. The 23-year-old student also decided to head to Cardiff on Thursday to stage a demonstration. "I've been I've been a huge fan since 2017," she told Wales Online. "All of my adolescence I was just listening to Oasis – it got me through life and the music really saved my life. "But I kind of stopped being a fan two days ago because what Liam said is completely not acceptable. As an Asian and as a Chinese person I could not deal with it just by keeping silent and accepting what he was saying." (Image: GETTY) She continued: "I just can't participate in that anymore. Otherwise it will be disrespectful for my own community where I come from." Yue also expressed her disappointment at the silence over Liam's remarks, saying: "I felt people would need to speak up about it. So if no-one talks about it it just adds more pressure to everything. But I felt the need to say something. It is not okay for someone to say something extremely racial, targeting an Asian community, on a social platform." Yue added that she had sold her ticket on Wednesday, following the incident, as a "gesture" – two days before she was due to attend the Cardiff gig. Though saddened by parting with her ticket, she admitted she would have been "completely heartbroken" if she went to the show. As a dedicated fan who had met Noel Gallagher several times, Yue apologised to the musician for missing the Cardiff concert, clarifying her respect for him and his work remains. Despite Liam's apology, Yue felt it fell short of addressing the issue properly. "It was not sincere," she said. "It was not really an apology. I see it more as a PR strategy but it's not even enough for a PR move because what he said was extremely controversial and when people pointed it out he said: 'Whatever'. "He didn't see it as a problem. He then deleted that tweet. So he definitely feels it is not appropriate for him to say anything like that." Despite deciding against attending the concert, Yue made her way to Cardiff the day before the show to stage a protest. Explaining her motivation for the protest, she said: "The C-word is not acceptable in any circumstances. "If Liam said the N-word or anything against transgender people the media would stand up for that community. But it seems like it's okay for people to treat and make fun of the Asian community like that. "[The protest] is not coming out as an attack to Oasis but it's about defending our own right – it's about speaking up for our own community. It's about making the world right again. My partner, he's white, his friends and people in the industry found it not acceptable. But they were just really surprised as nobody said anything about it. "I've been talking to loads in the Chinese community fan groups. They're completely shattered, they're completely heartbroken." Oasis are set to rock Cardiff's Principality Stadium with gigs scheduled for Friday, July 4, and Saturday, July 5, as fans descend on the Welsh capital for the much-anticipated event. A representative for Oasis has been contacted for comment. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Ex-Love/Hate star Johnny Ward is relishing playing a new ‘psychotic' part
Johnny Ward is relishing his moment on state at the Bord Gais as an evil dentist 'I think this is the most psychotic part I'll ever play,' Johnny tells the Sunday World , referring to his upcoming performance as an evil dentist in the musical Little Shop Of Horrors at Dublin's Bord Gais Energy Theatre. 'Little Shop Of Horrors is a love story about a guy call Seymour who works in a flower shop that's not doing well,' Johnny explains of the 1980s movie and stage production. 'He discovers that one of the plants that he bought from a random man in a Chinese shop eats people. Actors David O Reilly, Johnny Ward and Jacqueline Brunton 'Seymour is attracted to Audrey who works in the shop and, here we go yet again, I'm Audrey's abusive boyfriend Orin, a biker dentist. 'He beats her up and takes great pleasure in getting pain out of a lot of people when doing dental surgery on them.' Johnny's character ultimately meets a grisly end involving the human-eating plant. 'It's a far-fetched story, but it's phenomenal and the music is amazing,' he says. 'The songs I get to perform are Dentist Song, and a duet song with Seymour, played by David O'Reilly, called It's Just The Gas. So I'm really looking forward to it. We start rehearsals on Monday.' The Little Shop Of Horrors role is the latest in Ward's hectic work life, which these days involves teaching young people in drama classes. 'Teaching is my bread and butter and I absolutely love it,' Johnny says. 'On a Monday I teach out in Dizzy Footwork Drama Academy opposite The Square in Tallaght… Tuesdays I'm in a primary school in Wicklow, Wednesday I'm in Cavan, Thursday in Leixlip, Friday I'm in Trim and I'm off Saturday and Sunday. The cast of the Little Shop of Horrors musical 'Thankfully the people that I work for are like brothers and sisters to me and when something acting-wise comes up they provide cover for me. They are very accommodating. 'Usually at this time of the year I do summer camps, but this year I can't because my hands are tied with the Little Shop Of Horrors' 'I love passing on what you've learned to young kids. I love it when they come in in September and they are all shy and nervous and by June they are like a different kid. You can't shut them up, they are full of confidence and they become the role models for the next year's kids. 'And I really love writing scripts for kids to perform. We had an amazing show just there on Monday. The popular entertainer says he would encourage parents to get their children involved in drama. 'It's great for kids, especially in this day and age because kids don't have the attention span that they used to. That's not their fault, it's just the modern world. 'Our attention span back in the day was going to watch a movie like Jurassic Park for two hours on a Saturday. Kids don't do that anymore because their attention span is just flicking through their TikToks and stuff… their attention span is a max of about 30 seconds. 'I do think that for an hour or two hours a week putting the phone down is good for the head. I go to a philosophy class every Monday with my mother and I love it. David O'Reilly and Jacqueline Brunton in the Little Shop of Horrors musical 'My mother started it in 2022 and she said, 'I've signed you up.' And it's the best thing I've ever done. It's just a reminder of the tools that are so simply accessed that we don't use. Little things when you are in a situation of anxiety, pause, take three seconds, breathe and ask yourself 'What would a wise man do in this situation?' It's very good and you meet some really great people.' Johnny credits his mother, Kathy, with fostering his love of acting. 'Without her I wouldn't have made a career in this,' he says. 'My mum was very much adamant that we all do drama growing up. Just before this interview we went over the script of Little Shop of Horrors together.' Johnny's mum, Kathy, has suffered a series of health issues since the passing of her husband in 2019. She was diagnosed with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which is also referred to as a broken heart. Johnny as Ciaran in Fair City 'Last July Mum was diagnosed with cancer and we all feared the worst. Her pancreas, gallbladder and a large part of her bowel were taken out. 'Then she got Covid, she had a fall and it was one nightmare after another. But she's brilliant and she's doing well and she's back to her usual self now.' Johnny also paid tribute to his wife, Brenda, who, he says, is his 'biggest supporter.' The couple met while out walking in the Curragh when lockdown restrictions were relaxed and will be two years married next month. 'Brenda is an amazing person, there is never any arguing and if there is we just have a laugh about it,' Johnny reveals. 'And she has just been magnificent with my mother — she's just like another daughter to her.'
