Fergal O'Byrne

Fergal O'Byrne

Fergal O'Byrne is an award winning writer for print, stage and screen. His debut novel Trolley Ride in Manhattan (Mentor Books, 2000) has become a cult classic.

His short stories, Silvercup and Sweetpea, was shortlisted for the prestigious Colm Tóibin International Short Story Award and another Ribeye was Longlisted for the prestigious Alpine Fellowship 2020.

In 2020 Fergal’s...
Fergal O'Byrne is an award winning writer for print, stage and screen. His debut novel Trolley Ride in Manhattan (Mentor Books, 2000) has become a cult classic.

His short stories, Silvercup and Sweetpea, was shortlisted for the prestigious Colm Tóibin International Short Story Award and another Ribeye was Longlisted for the prestigious Alpine Fellowship 2020.

In 2020 Fergal’s award winning play Extremophiles received its world premiere in Copenhagen by the renown That Theatre Company. This was followed by the second play of his Location Trilogy when Rub-a-dub-dub premiered in early 2022, also in Copenhagen. The third play of the trilogy, Same Shit Different Planet, will be produced in early 2023. These were all performed by renown English language That Theatre Company.

His previous stage work has garnered multiple awards, including; A Dragon's Tale (Eamon Keane Award 2013), Folie-a-Deux (Listowel 2015) and Extremophiles (Eamon Keane Award 2018, Papatango 2018 and NEWvember Festival 2017). He has also written several radio plays aired by Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.

Award winning movie credits include Eyes Wide Open (2017 Silver Screen Award Nevada, Miami, Berlin Festivals) Ribeye (2016 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards), Bio (2016 Miami, Los Angeles, Antwerp and Dublin Film Festivals) and Glass Ceiling (2014 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards). He was a collaborator with the late Liam O’Neill (RIP) on many projects.

Season 1 of his sitcom Hipsterverse is being aired on PCEN across North America and TikTok globally. Season 2 of Hipsterverse is in pre-production. Another sitcom is slated for production in Denmark in 2022. Season one of his sitcom GIFT* is currently being developed with a Danish based production company.

His short stories have garnered many awards including:

- Sweetpea, 3rd place winner, Colm Tóibin International Short Story Award 2022
- Silvercup, Shortlisted, Colm Tóibin International Short Story Award 2020
- Ribeye, Longlisted, Alpine Fellowship 2020
- Cube, Longlisted, Colm Tóibin International Short Story Award 2019
- A Subway Incident, Monthly Winner, Hennessy New Writing Awards 1999

Plays

  • The Light by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: light, absurdist + 7 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, mystery/thriller, satire
    Keyword: light, absurdist, Beckett, Mamet, humour, space, black holes, astronomy, end of the universe
    A park bench, 2 characters meet in 3 different scenes. They could be the same people - perhaps not. One of them in each scene carries a shopping bag with a light emanating from it. Is it a cheap trick, or the very light of life itself? The other character in each scene wants to see the light, badly. Will they risk everything for one look? This absurdist, yet humour-filled piece, has been likened to Beckett meeting Mamet.
  • ... Unsaid by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Denmark, Sweden + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, farce
    Keyword: Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, friends, dinner party
    Niels is in a foul mood. It is not the wheelchair he is incarcerated in, nor his wife Catherine's frenetic mutterings about which tablecloth to use and not even his friend Gavan's constant to-ing and fro-ing from the kitchen. It is none of these things. Niels is in a bad mood because his wonderful, only daughter, Mette is bringing home her fiancee for the first time, and he is particularly upset...
    Niels is in a foul mood. It is not the wheelchair he is incarcerated in, nor his wife Catherine's frenetic mutterings about which tablecloth to use and not even his friend Gavan's constant to-ing and fro-ing from the kitchen. It is none of these things. Niels is in a bad mood because his wonderful, only daughter, Mette is bringing home her fiancee for the first time, and he is particularly upset because she is brining home … a Swede.
    As an old Dane he has been indoctrinated into disliking Swedes for no good, reasonable or rational reason. Rapprochement is in short supply at this dinner party. As the evening unfolds each of the diners bring to the table more than meets the eye. Secrets will be revealed ... secrets that were definitely better off left ... Unsaid.
  • Same Shit, Different Planet by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Mars, Martians + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, political, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: Mars, Martians, comedy, dark comedy, toothache, Freedom
    A fast-paced and humorous look at the future. The year is 2251. Humans have successfully colonised Mars. However, an unknown microbe is playing havoc with peoples’ teeth causing them to decay dramatically. Is it something to do with the addictive drug OmniGrin that Earth supplies freely to subdue the Martian colonists? Can the fake dentist Doctor Sørensen unearth the Underground movement? The Martian dental...
    A fast-paced and humorous look at the future. The year is 2251. Humans have successfully colonised Mars. However, an unknown microbe is playing havoc with peoples’ teeth causing them to decay dramatically. Is it something to do with the addictive drug OmniGrin that Earth supplies freely to subdue the Martian colonists? Can the fake dentist Doctor Sørensen unearth the Underground movement? The Martian dental surgery becomes a cauldron of tension, intrigue and trickery. Can humans learn to trust other humans when they do not share the same history, identity or heritage? An emotional, funny, touching, quirky, robotic, thirsty, thought-provoking, dusty, dark comedy.
  • Rub-a-Dub-Dub by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: future, ai + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: future, ai, artificial intelligence, friends, friendship, euthanasia
    Rub-a Dub-Dub is a dark comedy about the endurance of human friendship against a backdrop whereby Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is becoming ever more indispensable in our technological, brave new world.

    SiSi is a replicant programmed to tell the truth. It is not a choice for her – it is hardwired in ones and zeros. She observes the 3 humans in this story and records everything. She can even...
    Rub-a Dub-Dub is a dark comedy about the endurance of human friendship against a backdrop whereby Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is becoming ever more indispensable in our technological, brave new world.

    SiSi is a replicant programmed to tell the truth. It is not a choice for her – it is hardwired in ones and zeros. She observes the 3 humans in this story and records everything. She can even analyse their biometric data and give hints as to how healthy (or not) they may be. When Neil, effectively her owner, announces that he plans to commit suicide by euthanasia emotions run high. This is when “SiSi the observer” becomes “SiSi the participant”, and discovers that to be human you sometimes have to bend the truth.
  • Extremophiles by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Antarctica, science + 5 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, science fiction
    Keyword: Antarctica, science, station, drama, hallucinations, starvation, end of the world
    The play is set in a research base located on the frozen vastness of Antarctica. A deep and prolonged winter is forecast and most of the international science team have headed back North, via the supply ship, to warmer climes. This leaves only a skeleton crew behind; Angela, Lars and Bertram. Base Commander Fiskler has gone to the ship but, wracked with guilt and uncertainty, changes his mind and makes the...
    The play is set in a research base located on the frozen vastness of Antarctica. A deep and prolonged winter is forecast and most of the international science team have headed back North, via the supply ship, to warmer climes. This leaves only a skeleton crew behind; Angela, Lars and Bertram. Base Commander Fiskler has gone to the ship but, wracked with guilt and uncertainty, changes his mind and makes the perilous, solo trek back to the station.

    In Act One we see how the three scientists are struggling to cope with the weather, the rations and the complete lack of information from the outside world. Bertram, the seasoned campaigner, is drifting in and out of hallucinations due to his age and limited rations. Lars, the pragmatist, helps to keep them sane and Angela is a brilliant micro-biologist, tries to keep all the plates spinning. At the end of Act One Angela makes the ominous announcement that she is pregnant.

    In Act Two they grapple with the news of Angela’s pregnancy and the implications this will have on their survival. Bertram drifts further in hallucinations and the other two have to sedate him to prevent him from self-harm. Lars and Angela rely more and more on each other. Just when things are drifting into chaos Fiskler arrives back at the base station, half dead from exhaustion, but perhaps their saviour.

    Why does Fiskler risk his life to return? Will the rations for three stretch to four? And will Angela’s pregnancy news shock or delight Fiskler? During Act Three the four, disparate and desperate companions, receiving only distorted bursts of news from home about possible nuclear Armageddon. The team must come to terms with the very real possibility they are humanity’s last survivors. Will one of them make the ultimate sacrifice to save the others or will they be forced to make the most difficult decision imaginable?
  • Snowed In by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: bar, angel + 2 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, fantasy, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: bar, angel, succubus, Snow
    A bar somewhere in a city in the USA. Three characters become locked in due to a ferocious snow storm. They settle in for what could be a long but enjoyable night. Just as the bar owner Stan is locking the doors the mysterious Clem appears. She has an ethereal aura about her and the other three are captivated by both her appearance and the sound of her voice. Is she an angel come to offer redemption or a...
    A bar somewhere in a city in the USA. Three characters become locked in due to a ferocious snow storm. They settle in for what could be a long but enjoyable night. Just as the bar owner Stan is locking the doors the mysterious Clem appears. She has an ethereal aura about her and the other three are captivated by both her appearance and the sound of her voice. Is she an angel come to offer redemption or a succubus come to drain the very life from them?
  • Trust No One by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, satire, zoom
    A cautionary tale of trust in a hyper connected world. Four business people (based in Ireland, Singapore, Copenhagen and New York are all working on closing a multi-million dollar deal. They conduct their business over video calls. No one trusts any one but the deal must get done. Who will blink first in this fast-paced hyper connected world?
  • A Madness Of Three by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama, fantasy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: madness, folie + 4 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: madness, folie, insane, treatment, spiders, mental illness
    A Madness Of Three centres around the characters; Liz, Andrew and Jennifer, all either living or working in an asylum. During the play it becomes apparent that Liz’s delusions are influencing Andrew. They start to act in unison to carry out Liz’s nefarious plan.
  • A Dragon's Tale by Fergal O'Byrne
    Cast: 
    5–20
    ·
    Genre: drama, tragedy
    ·
    Keyword: New York, irish + 4 more
    Genre: drama, tragedy
    Keyword: New York, irish, emigrant, Drugs, Alcohol, guns
    Shem, a young Irish man, has moved to New York looking for a new lease of life. Imperceptibly, he descends in to a murky world of drink, racism and drugs … and eventually, his own demise. On one level this is a simple tale of an emigrant ending up on the wrong path. On another it is the story of the many young people who go to the States and do not end up as successful politicians, presidents of large...
    Shem, a young Irish man, has moved to New York looking for a new lease of life. Imperceptibly, he descends in to a murky world of drink, racism and drugs … and eventually, his own demise. On one level this is a simple tale of an emigrant ending up on the wrong path. On another it is the story of the many young people who go to the States and do not end up as successful politicians, presidents of large corporations or successful movie stars.