P.J. O'Connor Awards: Winners 2008

The overall winner was Kevin Gildea from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin with 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 7! 8! 9! 10! a black comedy in which the caller at the door could be a visitor or a visitant! Kevin is a comedian, writer and actor. Last year Kevin came second in the PJ O'Connor Awards with his play Story which was broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 last September. Kevin received a cheque for €3,000.

Last night's second prize winner was The Lottery by Shay Linehan also from Dun Laoghaire in Co. Dublin. Misfortune is a lottery but when an Alzheimer's patient scoops the jackpot fate seems to favour her. Shay Linehan, based for many years in Zambia, has written and produced a number of stage plays that have toured southern Africa.

Thinking Ahead by Jack Olohan from Rathfarnham in Dublin was the third prize winner at last night's ceremony. Thinking Ahead is a comedy in which a hypochondriac ruminates on all his possible ills. Jack started work in theatre while still at school as a production assistant in The Gate and The Abbey

Ana Leddy, Head of RTÉ Radio 1 said:

"The RTÉ Radio 1 Drama Awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to tap into the wealth of creative talent amongst our listeners.10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 7! 8! 9! 10! by Kevin Gildea is a fascinating black comedy with unexpected twists, he is a well deserved winner. Reading Kevin's work is both entertaining and inspiring, qualities that are at the heart of RTÉ Radio 1 programming."

This year 150 plays by writers from all over Ireland and overseas were entered in the competition. An independent panel of actors and writers read all of the plays and chose the 13 for the shortlist. The short listed plays were read by a panel of judges, Danish theatre critic and dramaturge Jesper Bergmann, director and producer Selina Cartmell and chaired by actor and writer Mark O'Halloran (Adam and Paul/Garage)

The aim of the RTÉ Radio 1 Radio Drama Awards in memory of P.J. O'Connor is to encourage new writers to radio drama and to increase awareness of the possibilities and scope of radio as a medium in the field of drama. The awards were established to honour the late P. J. O'Connor, producer, writer and former Head of Drama in RTÉ Radio 1, who died 27 years ago and will always be remembered for his encouragement of new talent.

About the Winners

10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 7! 8! 9! 10! by Kevin Gildea from Dun Laoghaire in Co. Dublin was the winner of tonight's drama awards. Kevin is a comedian, writer and actor who was described by The Guardian newspaper as 'quirky, innovative, creative' and pioneering' and 'highly original and explosively funny' by The Sunday Times.

Kevin gigs all over Britain and Ireland and is currently working on stand-up for his new Edinburgh Festival Show, Man of a Million Heads. He is joining his sister Anne for a double bill of 'sibling revelry' in theatres around Ireland this summer.

Last year Kevin played gigs at Irish festivals in Madrid, Barcelona and Strasbourg. He also played The Smithwicks Kilkenny Comedy Festival and The Budlite Comedy Revue Festival.

In 2007 Kevin wrote and performed a specially commissioned comedy sketch for The Third Policeman's Ball - a televised extravaganza. This year Kevin was short-listed for the Francis McManus Short Story Competition 2008 and in 2007 he won second prize in the PJ O'Connor Awards with his play Story which was broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 last September.

Tonight's second prize winner was The Lottery by Shay Linehan also from Dun Laoghaire in Co. Dublin. Shay Linehan, based for many years in Zambia, has written and produced a number of stage plays that have toured southern Africa. He also toured the UK with his play Footers in 2002 and brought the same show to the Edinburgh festival the following year.

His Dublin Heads debuted at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2005 and played for a further run the same year as 'The Best of the Fringe'.

Kerry Plates, his first radio play won a PJ O'Connor award in 2006. It was also an RTÉ entry for the Prix Europa in Berlin in 2007, taking tenth place.

Thinking Ahead by Jack Olohan from Rathfarnham in Dublin was the third prize winner at tonight's ceremony. Jack started work in theatre while still at school as a production assistant in The Gate and The Abbey.

After graduating with a HND in Film Studies from Ballyfermot College, Jack went straight back into theatre, mainly as a stage manager / struggling actor. He has also worked with Abhann Productions (Riverdance), River Productions (The Wiremen, The Ronnie Drew Show) and many more. Jack was seen very briefly on Fair City last summer as the television delivery man. In the summer of 2006, he had his play Bernard Opens Up produced as a part of the Fishamble theatre festival 'Whereabouts' which won the Irish Times Special Theatre Award

About the Adjudication Panel

Jesper Bergmann

Jesper Bergmann is a theatre critic, dramaturge and radio producer who has work in theatre and theatre schools in Stockholm and Malmo. He has worked on the production of over 200 new Danish plays for Denmark's Radio, fifteen of which have received international awards and recommendations. He has adapted plays for RTÉ, the Royal Danish Theatre Company and Odense City Theatre.

Mark O'Halloran

Award-winning Irish screenwriter and actor Mark O'Halloran, who comes from Ennis in Co. Clare, will chair this year's panel of judges for the RTÉ P. J. O'Connor Awards.

As an actor he has worked extensively at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and the Druid Theatre Company, Galway among others.

Mark is one of the most interesting writers working in Irish film today, with a singular and unique voice. His films have including the incredibly successful Adam and Paul and Garage, and the critically-acclaimed television series Prosperity.

His play 'The Head of Red O'Brien' was produced by RTÉ Radio Drama in 2003.

Selina Cartmell

Selina Cartmell holds an MA (distinction) from Central School of Speech & Drama in Advanced Theatre Practice in Directing and a First Class Main History Art and Drama from Trinity College, Dublin and Glasgow University.

For the Abbey Theatre Selina has directed Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr [Peacock]. For the Gate Theatre she has directed Sweeney Todd (Best Opera Production - Irish Times Theatre Awards), Festen and Catastrophe as part of the Beckett Centenary Festival 2006.

For Siren Productions she has most recently directed Macbeth, the award winning Titus Andronicus (Four Irish Times Theatre Awards including - Best Production and Best Director), La Musica (Best Production and Best Actress - Dublin Fringe Festival), Fando & Lis and Shutter (Project Arts Centre).

Selina was a finalist in the Opera Europa / Camerata Nouva Europäische

Opernregie-Preis (International Directors Opera Award Wiesbaden, Germany 2005). In 2006 Selina Cartmell was chosen as a Protégée in the third cycle of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, an international philanthropic programme that pairs rising young artists with master artists for a year of mentoring. Selina has begun

collaborating with her Mentor, world-renowned director and designer Julie Taymor.

Future productions in 2008 include Big Love (Abbey Theatre) and The Cordelia Dream by Marina Carr (Royal Shakespeare Company)