At a time when many Irishmen were emigrating to England in search of employment, Laurence Foster was packing his bags in Wolverhampton and emigrating to Ireland. It was the autumn of 1968 and ‘the Troubles’ were escalating in Northern Ireland … hardly the best timing for a freelance actor. But having secured several roles in Irish productions, Laurence Foster decided to remain in Ireland.

He went on to tread the boards in a wide variety of shows, from the classics to pantomime, before joining the RTÉ Players with whom he acted and directed many plays and radio ‘soaps’, including Lee Dunne’s Konvenience Korner and eventually being appointed head of RTÉ Radio Drama. Along the way, he would work with many famous actors and entertainers, both Irish and international, including Micheál Mac Liammóir, Jack Cruise, Dennis Waterman, Michael Gambon and Donovan.

In this personal memoir, Laurence Foster writes honestly and humorously about his highs and lows over the last forty years in one of the most precarious of professions, his move from the theatre to radio drama and, more recently, a new acting career in the theatre and film industry, both in Ireland and further afield.

“The name ‘Laurence Foster’ was familiar – in fact, throughout my theatre-going days, it seemed to be everywhere. And yet there was a will-o'-the-wisp aspect to it, impossible to pin down. Within these pages, we can at last monitor the travels and travails of this Renaissance Man of Irish Theatre, Radio and Entertainment. He takes us to places where, in the past, legends were created in hearsay, and behind the hand whispers. Here we have chapter and verse.”



Born in Wolverhampton, laurence foster studied acting at Birmingham Theatre School, where he gained the Outstanding Student Award and a Diploma in Theatre Studies. He is now patron of Birmingham Theatre School. Seasons at various English theatres were a prelude to a lifelong career in Irish theatre, radio, television and films. He was Chairperson for the Prix Italia and represented Irish Broadcasting in Europe. He was also a Birmingham League and Leinster League cricketer.

More recently he has received acclaim for his solo performance as Dickens in Dublin. He spent the summer of 2006 in the Gate Theatre in The Constant Wife and travelled to the USA with the Gate in the same production in 2007.