Chris O’Dowd joins Aussie musical The Sapphires

Irish comedian Chris O’Dowd has joined the cast of the upcoming Australian musical The Sapphires.

According to If.com, O’Dowd will play “an Irish roustabout who ‘sees the light’ through for young Aboriginal women”.

Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell will star as the eponymous singers – based on a real all-girl Aboriginal pop group – who in the late 60s entertained the troops in Vietnam.

The story will be adapted from the stage musical of the same name by Keith Thompson (Clubland) and playwright Tony Briggs – whose mother and aunt toured Vietnam as singers and inspired the musical – and will be directed by Wayne Blair.

Dowd stars as Roy in The I.T. Crowd, and was most recently seen as Kristen Wiig‘s love interest in surprise hit Bridesmaids.

Discuss: Glad to see O’Dowd make his way in the world of movies, or would you rather he return to TV?