Michael Patrick may not live long enough to play King Lear, so a rendition of Lear’s storm scene finds a way into his new one-man show. “Do it now” is the imperative for this multitalented Belfast actor and playwright who, in 2023, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given an estimated four years to live. In a script written with his regular collaborator Oisín Kearney, Patrick describes the impact of that prognosis and his decision to take part in an international drug trial.
Directed by Kearney with an assured touch, the simple staging against a plain black curtain is animated by a soundtrack of Patrick voicing his friends, family and childhood drama teacher, with snatches of songs and Shakespeare sparking memories. Referring to his eligibility as “a diversity hire”, having lost the use of his right leg, a tongue-in-cheek social media post suggesting stage roles he was now suited for prompted Belfast’s Lyric theatre to invite him to play Richard III last year. Adapting the text with Kearney, who directed him, Patrick’s portrayal of the murderous king as disabled was far from tokenistic.
