A local playwright’s debut work exploring the exhilarating highs and heart-wrenching lows of the Donegal Rally takes centre stage in Letterkenny this week.

Patrick Quinn’s ‘Revved’ runs for four nights at An Grianán Theatre from Wednesday.

A former St Eunan’s College student, 25-year-old Patrick studied at Queen’s University before training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

A one-man play, Revved was penned during the first lockdown and following Patrick’s return to his native Donegal.

“This is my first foray into writing and I’ve found it to be a very different beast from anything I’ve done before,” said the Glenswilly man.

“I had just moved home from Wales and I had this real compulsion to write about being in Donegal. This idea about the Rally grabbed me and I kept thinking about it. I was also very aware that no one would want to go and see a play about being in lockdown so I formed this idea about getting out, going on a road trip and about touring different places.”

Revved follows the fortunes of Eamon Kelly, a young man working in a petrol station on the day after the Donegal Rally. He starts to reminisce about three years earlier, the year of his Leaving Cert, attending the Rally and going to the pub with his mates.

Soaked in Donegal humour, the play chronicles Eamon’s trip and his encounters with pals and various other characters. That is up until the last when a terrible truth is revealed.

“As well as being a story about Donegal, it is a story about Donegal people and our vernacular. I think it will speak to young people and the changes they face, being in love and the excitement of youth. It’s about doing things for the first time, a coming of age story in many ways,” said the writer.

Despite his young age, Patrick Quinn is something of an acting veteran, having first appeared on stage 20 years ago. His previous appearances include A Winter’s Tale at An Grianán and Unified, Guy Le Jeune’s musical take on the story of the old Unifi plant.

He is not though the first in his family to tread the boards. His grandfather, William MacNamara, took to the stage in Maynooth alongside Buncrana Bafta award winner Ray McAnally.

But opting to play multiple roles in a writing debut is surely a challenge few would have taken on.

“It is a challenge but one I’m getting to sink my teeth into. I have done a one man show before so I do have a bit of experience but this is definitely a different ball game.

“The An Grianán is putting a huge amount of faith in me which I’m really appreciative of. Theatre Director Patricia McBride read the first draft and then brought me in for some research and development on it.

“Between that and Emily Foran who is a fantastic director and who has the last say on everything, my job now is really as an actor. It’s challenging but one I’m really looking forward to.”

In the audience for Revved will be children from various local schools, something Patrick was keen to see happen.

“The problem in Ireland is often that a young person’s first experience of theatre is something like Shakespeare. This will be more exciting, particularly for pupils of Transition Year age.”

Revved debuts at An Grianán this Wednesday, January 26, at 6.30pm and runs until Saturday January 29. For more information and bookings go to http://www.angrianan.com or phone 074 91 20777.