Drama On One begins its Science Season, ‘What Is Life’, named after the Dublin lectures, given 70 years ago, by Austrian physicist and Nobel Laureate, Erwin Schrödinger. The season consists of 4 plays inspired by the world of science and begins with “What Next for Hedy Lamarr” by Joe O’Byrne

This play is a sonic treatment of the real-life story of Hedy Lamarr, whose biography reads like a one-woman history of the 20th century. Born in Vienna, she emigrated to America where she became a movie screen idol as well as an inventor, registering a patent for a process called frequency hopping. This patent proposed a means of radio-guidance for weaponry, that would hop frequencies, making the radio guidance impossible to jam via enemy transmissions. This pre-dated a related technology that is used in Wi-fi.

Written and Directed by Joe O'Byrne

Featuring Olwen Fouéré as Hedy Lamarr

Mario Rosenstock played Fritz Mandl. Gistav Machaty, George Antheil, The General and other voices

Roger Gregg played the police officer and other voices

Hugh O’Conor was the reporter

Original music by Denis Clohessy

Sound Supervision Mark Dwyer

Producer Kevin Brew