PJ O'Connor Radio Drama Awards winner Patrick Fogarty introduces his new Drama On One play The Last, High King of Ireland, which tells the story of a day in the life of a hard-drinking man (Olivier Award Winner Pat Kinevane) who has bestowed upon himself the crown in a small rural Irish town - listen to The Last, High King of Ireland above.
My name is Patrick Fogarty, and I am a 25-year-old playwright and screenwriter originally from Tipperary, Ireland. I graduated from the National University of Galway, Ireland in 2021 with a BA in Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies with Gaeilge. My first work began with writing and directing a play entitled Zugzwang, starring Conor Gormley and Matthew Forrest.
Undoubtedly, I have a fearsome passion for playwrighting, film, theatre, and all things dramatical; my love began at an early age, reading stories and playing games with my brothers and friends. I have a vivid imagination, and I can see stories quite visually in my head. My family and parents, John and Mary, are a great inspiration for me; (Shakespeare’s parents were named John and Mary – really, I should have been called William), and both are artistic in their own ways, and this has siphoned down to distill itself in me. My friends, family, aunts, and uncles are all highly influential in my life, very kind, intelligent people who inspire me to write, and to be a fair and decent man.
actors bring it alive, and take it to another level entirely, is educating and humbling.
The work I create is primarily focused on verse/prose theatre; Shakespeare and Joyce are perhaps my most direct influences. Although I do have a grá for certain iconoclastic writers, like Sarah Kane, Brendan Behan and Flann O’Brien. I am striving to create Irish drama inspired by the old craft of playwrighting. In this current era, I suppose, there is much talk of innovation and modernism within the theatre; whilst there are many people who can lead this charge, I, instead, seek to embolden the old craft of storytelling and renew the great dramatic traditions that are rooted within the Irish people. By telling a story, I tackle but not one theme, but many, and challenge the ubiquitous nature of the world, and the infinitudes of the minds of many people, from all places, under all banners, and all who share in this strange and wonderful place, whom we all as one, must call home.
I have to say, it has been an absolute honour to win the RTÉ PJ O'Connor Radio Award, I do not say this lightly, with so many great writers and artists who have come and gone before. It gives me courage, to continue what I’m doing, to write and create, and know that it has some value to some people, somewhere. I would also note, on reflection, that this was a great learning experience. There are many very talented people working with RTÉ and the experience was a wonderful collaboration. It is one thing to feel pleasure at reading your own work, but watching actors bring it alive, and take it to another level entirely, is educating and humbling. My thanks to all the actors, and Pat Kinevane, a force of nature, who gave everything to creating this piece; and of course, to the force behind this piece, Goretti Slavin, the director, who took the vision, who enhanced it, who gave it life, who polished, tightened, refined the piece, down to the tiniest detail. I thank you all, dearly. I hope we can work together again.
As for what is to come; I will continue to write, and say no more until you see it. I am hoping to find a distinct voice, separate from all others, that is uniquely mine, as I believe this to be imperative to any artist who wishes to impart their own, however small, view on the world. Tis true, then, for any artist ‘This above all: to thine own self be true.’
Thank you for reading.
Drama On One: The Last, High King of Ireland, RTÉ Radio 1, Sunday 2nd April at 8pm - listen to more from Drama On One here.
