2011 Edinburgh Fringe

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Is Pope Benedict infallible? Or is he the ultimate Bond Villain? Bearing in mind, 'Il Papa' has a creepy German accent, a priceless art collection and diplomatic immunity. His real name is "Ratzinger". And he heads a sinister organisation, hell-bent on world domination. You decide.

Welcome to the alarmingly credible world of Abie Philbin Bowman, 'Comedian Without Borders'. Abie's provocative new show Pope Benedict: Bond Villain will be entertaining Edinburgh Fringe audiences at the Pleasance Courtyard - The Green. Abie has exclusively interviewed the Ku Klux Klan, daringly challenged Justin Beiber's sexuality, and been taken seriously by Osama bin Laden. Now he takes on the most holy man in the world: The Pope. Pope Benedict: Bond Villain sees Abie explore the financial crisis engulfing Europe. Is it a coincidence that the countries facing financial meltdown are overwhelmingly Catholic? Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy are all in dire trouble. As is Orthodox Greece. Are they part of a fiendish plot to poison the world economy with toxic levels of Catholic guilt? And what can we do to stop it?

Abie took Edinburgh by storm in 2006, with his Fringe debut, Jesus: The Guantanamo Years. The plot was simple: "Christ returns to earth, but He doesn't get through US immigration. Because He's a bearded, Middle Eastern guy who wants to die as a martyr." The show completely sold out and was widely reported in the international media, including the New York Times, BBC News and Le Monde. He went on to tour Jesus: The Guantanamo Years across Ireland, and from London's West End to America. He was the only Western comedian to perform blasphemous, political comedy in Pakistan, during the 2007 state of emergency. Jesus: The Guantanamo Years was boycotted by Ian Paisley's DUP.

Abie followed this up with an equally provocative sell out comedy show about climate change. Eco-Friendly Jihad argued that we could reduce carbon emissions by joining Al Qaeda: "who else can save the planet from airlines, Western consumerism and overpopulation?

Amazingly, in 2010, Abie's jokes were taken seriously by Osama bin Laden. Two audiotapes from the Al Qaeda leader, released in January and October 2010, blamed the USA for climate change. Effectively, the world's number one terrorist was calling for 'Eco-Friendly Jihad'. Was bin Laden aware of Abie's comedy? It's impossible to know for certain. However, we now know, that bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan when Abie toured Jesus: The Guantanamo Years to the country's World Performing Arts Festival. A year later, the Festival was bombed by Islamic insurgents.

Abie's most recent show, Sex, Lies & the KKK was inspired by the election of President Barack Obama. The night Obama was elected, Abie exclusively interviewed the Ku Klux Klan. "I hate the Nazis, but I would love to have interviewed Hitler just as the Allied tanks rolled into Berlin" he confesses.

As a broadcaster in Ireland, Abie hosted the main talk show on Irish youth station i105-107, weekdays from 1-4pm. Guests included Channel 4 News anchor, Jon Snow; Woodstock veteran, Arlo Guthrie; World Pillow Fight Champion, Carmen Monoxide; former Guantanamo inmate, Moazzam Begg; and National Membership Director of the Ku Klux Klan, Dr Travis Pierce. His show received the highest listenership on the station in its first six months on air.

Abie's work as a comedian has been reported by over 70 international publications including the New York Times, Le Monde, The Financial Times, The Boston Globe, The International Herald Tribune, The LA Times, The Miami Herald, the Seoul Times, the Guardian, The Times, The Scotsman, the Irish Times, The Sunday Independent (Ireland), the News on Sunday (Pakistan) and TIME magazine. Last October Sunday Times featured him on the cover of its Culture section as "Ireland's Best Stand-up under 30", he was the only stand-up to make the list.