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John O’Donovan

Writer

Represented by:

Jessica Stewart

John O’Donovan’s work has been read and staged in the UK at the Old Vic, the Old Red Lion, New Diorama, Southwark Playhouse, Theatre503, Arcola Theatre, RADA and Clapham Omnibus, as well as in Ireland by the Abbey Theatre, Project Arts Centre, Druid and glór.

John is a former member of the BBC’s Writers Room: Drama Room (2018), the Old Vic 12 (2017), Orange Tree Writers Collective (2017) and Royal Court Young Writers’ Programme, as well as the Abbey Theatre Playwrights Hub in Ireland. He has had stories and plays published in Verbal Arts Magazine, Crannóg and Bare Fiction.

His debut play, If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You, premiered at the Old Red Lion in August 2016 to critical acclaim, before subsequent tours and productions in Ireland, Spain and Australia. It is published by Bloomsbury. Sink premiered at the Dublin Fringe in 2019, while Flights toured Ireland and the UK in 2020. Flights & Sink are published by Nick Hern Books.

John is currently working on the BBC TV Drama Writers Programme, in partnership with Element Pictures and developing a new literary adaptation for glór, Ennis. He is also under commission to Restless Content for his first short film Two Stories High, and to Kudos North for a new TV show.

Credits

THEATRE
Date: 2020
Production (role):
YOUR HANDS
Company:
Abbey Theatre
Project details:
Short play as part of the Abbey Theatre's Dear Ireland series.
Cast: Nicola Coughlan
Date: 2020
Production (role):
FLIGHTS
Company:
glór, Project Arts, Omnibus Clapham
Project details:
Produced by One Duck Theatre Company.
Directed by Thomas Martin.
Cast: Colin Campbell, Rhys Dunlop, Conor Madden
Date: 2019
Production (role):
SINK
Company:
Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival
Project details:
Full length, produced by One Duck Theatre Company. Directed by Thomas Martin. Cast: Rachel Feeney.
Date: 2018
Production (role):
IF WE GOT SOME MORE COCAINE I COULD SHOW HOW I LOVE YOU
Company:
Project Arts, glór, Druid, Vault
Project details:
Full length, produced by One Duck Theatre Company. Directed by Thomas Martin. Cast: Alan Mahon and Josh Williams. Highly Commended Vault Festival 2018.
Date: 2018
Production (role):
NOW AND AT THE HOUR
Company:
Bush Theatre
Project details:
Full length play developed for three days, in association with the Bush. Directed by Sara Joyce. Cast: Eileen Walsh, Aidan Kelly and Doireann May White.
Date: 2017/18
Production (role):
THE DIVIDE
Company:
Old Vic and Edinburgh International Festival
Project details:
by Alan Ayckbourn. Wrote lyrics for a selection of songs to be included as part of the play; and dramaturged the development of the play from a two-part seven hour script to a single-part 3-hour play. Music by Chris Nightingale. Directed by Annabel Bolton.
Date: 2017
Production (role):
TRIO (Workshop)
Company:
National Theatre Studio
Project details:
Workshop developing new work, in association with the Orange Tree. Directed by Guy Jones. Cast: Eileen Walsh, Ian Lloyd Anderson, Alice Haig.
Date: 2017
Production (role):
HY BRASIL
Company:
Old Vic
Project details:
Full length, commissioned and produced by the Old Vic, as part of the Old Vic 12. Presented at the Old Vic 23 June 2017. Directed by Lekan Lawal. Cast: Jamie Beamish, Ash Hunter, Eileen O’Higgins, Ciaran Owens, Josie Walker.
Date: 2017
Production (role):
JOHNNY
Company:
Orange Tree Theatre
Project details:
Short, produced at the Orange Tree Theatre, as part of Uprising Festival. Directed by Ola Ince. Cast: Jackie Clune, Finbar Lynch, Danushia Samal.
Date: 2017
Production (role):
THE VERTIGO ANGUSTIOR OF DOUGHMORE BEACH
Company:
Arcola Theatre
Project details:
Short, produced by the Miniaturists at the Arcola Theatre. Directed by Lucy Atkinson. Cast: Alan Mahon, Nicola Coughlan, Greg Patmore.
Date: 2016
Production (role):
IF WE GOT SOME MORE COCAINE I COULD SHOW YOU HOW I LOVE YOU
Company:
Old Red Lion
Project details:
Full length, produced at the Old Red Lion by ORL, Sam Julyan and Will Bourdillon. Premiered 30 August 2016. Directed by Thomas Martin. Cast: Ammar Duffus and Alan Mahon. Critics’ Choice Time Out.
Date: 2016
Production (role):
MONOLOGUE FOR NEW HORIZONS
Company:
New Diorama
Project details:
Short. Commissioned by New Horizons. Directed by Tom Birch. Cast: Anna Spearpoint.
Date: 2015
Production (role):
ZUGUNRUHE
Company:
RADA
Project details:
Full length. Rehearsed reading at RADA, produced by Lloyd Trott. Directed by Michael Fentiman. Cast: Tia Bannon, Burt Caesar, Cary Crankson, Gráinne Keenan, Ed MacLiam, Jake Mann, Mairéad McKinley, Denis Quilligan
Date: 2013
Production (role):
THE STARVELING
Company:
Arcola Theatre
Project details:
Short, produced by the Miniaturists at the Arcola Theatre. Directed by Sarah Chew. Cast: Darci Debrett, Eoin Geoghegan, Michael Quinlan.
TELEVISION
Date: 2020
Production (role):
OPEN COUNTRY
Company:
Element / BBC
Project details:
Writing pilot as part of the BBC TV Drama Writers Programme
Date: 2020
Production (role):
UNTITLED
Company:
Kudos North
Project details:
Treatment Commission
COURSES/ AWARDS/ ATTACHMENTS
Date: 2019
Production (role):
Stewart Parker Trust Award: BBC Radio Drama Award Winner
Date: 2018
Production (role):
BBC Writers Room, Drama Room
Date: 2017
Production (role):
Old Vic 12
Project details:
Year-long association, plus commission
Date: 2017
Production (role):
IARA Award for Best Playwright
Date: 2017
Production (role):
Orange Tree Writer's Collective
Project details:
Year long association with the theatre
Date: 2015
Production (role):
Abbey Theatre Playwright's Hub
Date: 2013
Production (role):
RADA Advances in Scriptwriting
Date: 2011
Production (role):
Royal Court Young Writers' Programme

Credits

  • Date
    Production (role)
    Company
    Project details
  • Date: 2020
    Production (role): YOUR HANDS
    Company: Abbey Theatre
    Project details: Short play as part of the Abbey Theatre's Dear Ireland series.
    Cast: Nicola Coughlan
  • Date: 2020
    Production (role): FLIGHTS
    Company: glór, Project Arts, Omnibus Clapham
    Project details: Produced by One Duck Theatre Company.
    Directed by Thomas Martin.
    Cast: Colin Campbell, Rhys Dunlop, Conor Madden
  • Date: 2019
    Production (role): SINK
    Company: Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival
    Project details: Full length, produced by One Duck Theatre Company. Directed by Thomas Martin. Cast: Rachel Feeney.
  • Date: 2018
    Production (role): IF WE GOT SOME MORE COCAINE I COULD SHOW HOW I LOVE YOU
    Company: Project Arts, glór, Druid, Vault
    Project details: Full length, produced by One Duck Theatre Company. Directed by Thomas Martin. Cast: Alan Mahon and Josh Williams. Highly Commended Vault Festival 2018.
  • Date: 2018
    Production (role): NOW AND AT THE HOUR
    Company: Bush Theatre
    Project details: Full length play developed for three days, in association with the Bush. Directed by Sara Joyce. Cast: Eileen Walsh, Aidan Kelly and Doireann May White.
  • Date: 2017/18
    Production (role): THE DIVIDE
    Company: Old Vic and Edinburgh International Festival
    Project details: by Alan Ayckbourn. Wrote lyrics for a selection of songs to be included as part of the play; and dramaturged the development of the play from a two-part seven hour script to a single-part 3-hour play. Music by Chris Nightingale. Directed by Annabel Bolton.
  • Date: 2017
    Production (role): TRIO (Workshop)
    Company: National Theatre Studio
    Project details: Workshop developing new work, in association with the Orange Tree. Directed by Guy Jones. Cast: Eileen Walsh, Ian Lloyd Anderson, Alice Haig.
  • Date: 2017
    Production (role): HY BRASIL
    Company: Old Vic
    Project details: Full length, commissioned and produced by the Old Vic, as part of the Old Vic 12. Presented at the Old Vic 23 June 2017. Directed by Lekan Lawal. Cast: Jamie Beamish, Ash Hunter, Eileen O’Higgins, Ciaran Owens, Josie Walker.
  • Date: 2017
    Production (role): JOHNNY
    Company: Orange Tree Theatre
    Project details: Short, produced at the Orange Tree Theatre, as part of Uprising Festival. Directed by Ola Ince. Cast: Jackie Clune, Finbar Lynch, Danushia Samal.
  • Date: 2017
    Production (role): THE VERTIGO ANGUSTIOR OF DOUGHMORE BEACH
    Company: Arcola Theatre
    Project details: Short, produced by the Miniaturists at the Arcola Theatre. Directed by Lucy Atkinson. Cast: Alan Mahon, Nicola Coughlan, Greg Patmore.
  • Date: 2016
    Production (role): IF WE GOT SOME MORE COCAINE I COULD SHOW YOU HOW I LOVE YOU
    Company: Old Red Lion
    Project details: Full length, produced at the Old Red Lion by ORL, Sam Julyan and Will Bourdillon. Premiered 30 August 2016. Directed by Thomas Martin. Cast: Ammar Duffus and Alan Mahon. Critics’ Choice Time Out.
  • Date: 2016
    Production (role): MONOLOGUE FOR NEW HORIZONS
    Company: New Diorama
    Project details: Short. Commissioned by New Horizons. Directed by Tom Birch. Cast: Anna Spearpoint.
  • Date: 2015
    Production (role): ZUGUNRUHE
    Company: RADA
    Project details: Full length. Rehearsed reading at RADA, produced by Lloyd Trott. Directed by Michael Fentiman. Cast: Tia Bannon, Burt Caesar, Cary Crankson, Gráinne Keenan, Ed MacLiam, Jake Mann, Mairéad McKinley, Denis Quilligan
  • Date: 2013
    Production (role): THE STARVELING
    Company: Arcola Theatre
    Project details: Short, produced by the Miniaturists at the Arcola Theatre. Directed by Sarah Chew. Cast: Darci Debrett, Eoin Geoghegan, Michael Quinlan.
  • Date
    Production (role)
    Company
    Project details
  • Date: 2020
    Production (role): OPEN COUNTRY
    Company: Element / BBC
    Project details: Writing pilot as part of the BBC TV Drama Writers Programme
  • Date: 2020
    Production (role): UNTITLED
    Company: Kudos North
    Project details: Treatment Commission
  • Date
    Production (role)
    Project details
  • Date: 2019
    Production (role): Stewart Parker Trust Award: BBC Radio Drama Award Winner
    Project details:
  • Date: 2018
    Production (role): BBC Writers Room, Drama Room
    Project details:
  • Date: 2017
    Production (role): Old Vic 12
    Project details: Year-long association, plus commission
  • Date: 2017
    Production (role): IARA Award for Best Playwright
    Project details:
  • Date: 2017
    Production (role): Orange Tree Writer's Collective
    Project details: Year long association with the theatre
  • Date: 2015
    Production (role): Abbey Theatre Playwright's Hub
    Project details:
  • Date: 2013
    Production (role): RADA Advances in Scriptwriting
    Project details:
  • Date: 2011
    Production (role): Royal Court Young Writers' Programme
    Project details:
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