Arts Interview: Rookie rises again

Mark O'Rowe shot to fame with his play Howie The Rookie, and now he's back with a fresh look at that classic work, writes Joanne Hayden.

Mark O'Rowe: the playwright's success has stemmed from his singularity; his voice is entirely his own. Picture: Maura Hickey

Mark O'Rowe is busy revisiting his youth, a bittersweet experience that "feels a little bit like looking at a photograph".

His play Howie The Rookie has just opened at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. O'Rowe was 29 when he wrote the play that launched his career, electrifying audiences wherever it was performed. Directing this new, one-man production, he finds himself trying - and sometimes failing - to remember who he was 14 ...