Congratulations to all of the nominees, and winners, in the Irish Times Theatre Awards. Thanks to the Irish Times and the Judges, Sinéad Mac Aodha, Damian Downes and John Fairleigh for a wonderful night in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Our huge congratulations to last night's winners -

BEST ACTOR - Declan Conlan as Christy in The House, Abbey Theatre

BEST ACTRESS - Catherine Walker as Maeve Brennan in The Talk of the Town Hatch Theatre Company, Landmark Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Aaron Monaghan as Liam in Conversations on a Homecoming, Druid Theatre Company

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Marie Mullen as Missus in Conversations on a Homecoming, Druid Theatre Company

BEST DIRECTOR - Annabelle Comyn for The House, Abbey Theatre

BEST SET DESIGNER - Jamie Vartan for A Village Romeo and Juliet, Wexford Festival Opera

BEST COSTUME DESIGNER - Peter O’Brien for The Talk of the Town, Hatch Theatre Company, Landmark Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival; and A Woman of No Importance, Gate Theatre

BEST LIGHTING DESIGNER - Thomas Kluth for The Barber of Seville, Lismore Music Festival

BEST SOUND DESIGNER - Little John Nee for Sparkplug, Absolut Fringe Festival

BEST PRODUCTION - DruidMurphy - Plays by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes, Druid Theatre Company

BEST NEW PLAY - The House Keeper written by Morna Regan and directed by Lynne Parker, Rough Magic Theatre Company

BEST OPERA PRODUCTION - Pagliacci, composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo and directed by John O’Brien and Michael Barker-Caven for Everyman Palace Theatre and Cork Operatic Society

JUDGES SPECIAL AWARD - Karl Shiels for his selfless commitment to the development and promotion of new talent in Irish theatre.

Marie Mullen was also the recipient of a Special Tribute Award. One of the founding members of Druid Theatre Company and a Tony Award-winning actress, Mullen said she was “overwhelmed and humbled” and thanked “all the druids: past, present and future”.

The Irish Times Theatre Award Judges for 2013 are; Fergus Cronin - fergusgcronin(at)gmail.com, Emilie Pine - Emilie.pine(at)ucd.ie and Alan O’Riordan - oriordan.alan(at)gmail.com. Be sure to invite them to your productions for the coming year.

 

Theatre Forum Poll Results

Last year, when we asked you to vote on the Irish Times Theatre Awards nominations for the first time, almost 300 of you voted. So we decided to do it again this year and nearly 500 votes were received. Our thanks to everyone who voted and now here's how you voted...

Best Production

And the winner is... DruidMurphy. Plays by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.

The voting was quite close:

  • 48% DruidMurphy, plays by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.
  • 31% Farm, directed by Sophie Motley for WillFredd Theatre and Absolut Fringe Festival
  • 15% Alice in Funderland, written by Phillip McMahon, composed by Raymond Scannell and directed by Wayne Jordan for the Abbey Theatre and thisispopbaby.
  • 6% Pinter X 4, four short plays by Harold Pinter, directed by Peter Reid for AC Productions

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 
The Boys of Foley Street (Anu Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival), Dogs (Emma Martin Dance), The House (Abbey Theatre), Monster/Clock (Collapsing Horse Theatre Company), The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle (15th Oak Productions), The Talk of the Town (Hatch Theatre Company, Landmark Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival), Tiny Plays for Ireland (Fishamble), Have I No Mouth (Brokentalkers).

Best Actor

And the winner is: Marty Rea, as Michael in A Whistle in the Dark, written by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.

A clear winner in this category:

  • 44% Marty Rea, as Michael in A Whistle in the Dark, written by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.
  • 27% Declan Conlon. As Christy in The House, written by Tom Murphy, directed by Annabelle Comyn for the Abbey Theatre                
  • 20% Garrett Lombard. As Tom in Conversations on a Homecoming, written by Tom Murphy and directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.
  • 9% Aaron McCusker. As Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest, written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Graham McLaren for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 
Mark O'Halloran in Dubliners (The Corn Exchange and Dublin Theatre Festival), Patrick O'Kane in Quietly (the Abbey Theatre), Owen Roe in Da (the Gate Theatre), Aaron Monaghan in A Whistle in the Dark (DruidMurphy), Andrew Bennett in Everyone is King Lear in his own Home (Pan Pan), Niall Buggy in A Whistle in the Dark (DruidMurphy).

 

Best Supporting Actor

And the winner is...  Aaron Monaghan As Liam in Conversations on a Homecoming, written by Tom Murphy and directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.            

Here are the voting results: 

  • 43% Aaron Monaghan as Liam in Conversations on a Homecoming, written by Tom Murphy and directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.       
  • 25% Gavin Drea as Des in A Whistle in the Dark, written by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.
  • 19% Lorcan Cranitch. As William Shawn in The Talk of the Town, written by Emma Donoghue and directed by Annabelle Comyn for Hatch Theatre Company, Landmark Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival.           
  • 13% Owen Roe as Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross, written by David Mamet and directed by Doug Hughes for the Gate Theatre.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 
Rory Nolan in Conversations on a Homecoming (Druid Theatre Company) and in A Whistle in the Dark (DruidMurphy), Niall Buggy A Whistle in the Dark (Druid Theatre Company), Paul Reid in Alice in Funderland (the Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY), Shane Byrne in The Family (THEATREclub), Peter Hanly in Last Summer (The Gate Theatre).

 

Best Actress

And the winner is...Caitriona Ennis as Young Girl in The Boys of Foley Street, directed by Louise Lowe for Anu Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival.

It was a very close vote: 

  • 33% Caitriona Ennis as Young Girl in The Boys of Foley Street, directed by Louise Lowe for Anu Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival.
  • 32% Eileen Walsh as Betty in A Whistle in the Dark, written by Tom Murphy and directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.
  • 18% Catherine Walker as Maeve Brennan in The Talk of the Town, written by Emma Donoghue, directed by Annabelle Comyn for Hatch Theatre Company, Landmark Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival.
  • 17% Cathy Belton as Mary in The House Keeper, written by Morna Regan and directed by Lynne Parker for Rough Magic Theatre Company

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 
Judith Roddy in A Doll House (Pan Pan), Sarah Greene in Alice in Funderland (the Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY), Lauren Larkin in Death of the Tradesman (Talking Shop Ensemble and Shaun Dunne), Caroline Lynch in The Mai (Mephisto Theatre Company), Louise Lewis in The Family (THEATREclub).

Best Supporting Actress

And the winner is...Eleanor Methven as Mother in The House, written by Tom Murphy and directed by Annabelle Comyn for the Abbey Theatre.

Another close one: 

  • 44% Eleanor Methven as Mother in The House, written by Tom Murphy and directed by Annabelle Comyn for the Abbey Theatre.
  • 34% Marie Mullen as Missus in Conversations on a Homecoming, written by Tom Murphy and directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre Company.
  • 16% Grace Kiely as Millie in The Mai, written by Marina Carr and directed by Róisín Stack for Mephisto Theatre Company.
  • 6% Jacqueline Boatswain as Mrs Muller in Doubt - A Parable, written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Andrew Flynn for Town Hall Theatre, Decadent Theatre Company and Everyman Palace Theatre. 

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included:

Cathy Belton in The House (the Abbey Theatre), Kathy Rose O'Brien in Alice in Funderland (the Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY), Eileen Walsh in Conversations on a Homecoming (Druid Theatre Company), Pauline Hutton in A Doll House (Pan Pan), Lauren Larkin in Death of the Tradesman (Talking Shop Ensemble and Shaun Dunne). 

 

Best Director

And the winner is...Louise Lowe for The Boys of Foley Street, produced by Anu Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival.

A very clear winner as our voting result shows: 

  • 46%Louise Lowe for The Boys of Foley Street, produced by Anu Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival.
  • 37% Annabelle Comyn for The House, written by Tom Murphy and produced by the Abbey Theatre.
  • 11% Andrew Flynn for Port Authority, written by Conor McPherson and produced by Decadent Theatre Company
  • 6% Oliver Mears for The Turn of the Screw, composed by Benjamin Britten, produced by Northern Ireland Opera.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 

Garry Hynes for DruidMurphy – Plays by Tom Murphy (Druid Theatre Company, Gavin Quinn for A Doll House (Pan Pan), Lynne Parker for Macbeth (the Lyric Theatre) and The Housekeeper (Rough Magic), Sophie Motley for FARM (WillFredd Theatre), Jimmy Fay for Quietly (the Abbey Theatre), Jim Culleton for Tiny Plays for Ireland (Fishamble: The New Play Company), Annie Ryan for Dubliners (The Corn Exchange and Dublin Theatre Festival). 

 

Best New Play

And the winner is: Halcyon Days written by Deirdre Kinahan and directed by David Horan for Tall Tales Theatre Company and Solstice Arts Centre

A clear winner in this category as the results show: 

  • 38% Halcyon Days written by Deirdre Kinahan and directed by David Horan for Tall Tales Theatre Company and Solstice Arts Centre.
  • 26% The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle written by Ross Dungan, directed by Dan Herd for 15th Oak Productions and Absolut Fringe Festival
  • 24% Quietly written by Owen McCafferty and directed by Jimmy Fay for the Abbey Theatre.
  • 12% The House Keeper written by Morna Regan and directed by Lynne Parker for Rough Magic Theatre Company.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included:

Death of the Tradesman by Shaun Dunne (Talking Shop Ensemble), Jezabel by Mark Cantan (Rough Magic), Solpadeine is My Boyfriend by Stefanie Preissner (With an F Productions), Alice in Funderland by Phillip McMahon (the Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY), I'm Not A.D.H.D., I'm B.O.L.D. by Jacinta Sheerin and Georgina McKevitt (Wicked Angels), Monster/Clock by Eoghan Quinn (Collapsing Horse Theatre Company). 

Best Opera Production

And the winner is...Flåtpäck composed by Tom Lane and directed by Conor Hanratty for Ulysses Opera Theatre

Another clear winner: 

  • 50% Flåtpäck composed by Tom Lane and directed by Conor Hanratty for Ulysses Opera Theatre.
  • 22% Pagliacci composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo and directed by John O’Brien and Michael Barker-Caven for Everyman Palace Theatre and Cork Operatic Society.
  • 16% A Village Romeo and Juliet composed by Frederick Delius and directed by Stephen Medcalf for Wexford Festival Opera.
  • 12% The Turn of the Screw composed by Benjamin Britten and directed by Oliver Mears for Northern Ireland Opera.

We asked who did you think was left out:
Tristan and Isolde Original Production Directed and Designed by Yannis Kokkos by Wide Open Opera.

 

Best Designer: Lighting

And the winner is...Nick McCall for The Great Goat Bubble, written by Julian Gough and directed by Mikel Murfi for Fishamble and Galway Arts Festival.

A very clear winner: 

  • 62% Nick McCall for The Great Goat Bubble, written by Julian Gough and directed by Mikel Murfi for Fishamble and Galway Arts Festival.
  • 21% Simon Corder for L’arlesiana, composed by Francesco Cilea and directed by Rosetta Cucchi for Wexford Festival Opera.
  • 17% Thomas Kluth for The Barber of Seville composed by Gioacchino Rossini and directed by Dieter Kaegi for Lismore Festival.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 
Chahine Yavroyan for The House (the Abbey Theatre), Chris Davey for DruidMurphy – Plays by Tom Murphy (Druid Theatre Company), Ciaran O'Melia for Hungry Tender (THEATREclub), Stephen Dodd for Dogs (Emma Martin Dance), Sarah Jane Shiels for FARM (WillFredd Theatre), Sinead McKenna for Elevator (THISISPOPBABY) and Quietly (the Abbey Theatre), Mike O'Halloran for Frank Pig Says Hello (Galway Youth Theatre and Galway Arts Centre Community Drama).

 

Best Designer: Sound

And the winner is...Little John Nee for Sparkplug, written and directed by Little John Nee for Absolut Fringe Festival.

Another close one:

  • 43% Little John Nee for Sparkplug, written and directed by Little John Nee for Absolut Fringe Festival.
  • 40% Carl Kennedy for Doubt - A Parable, written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Andrew Flynn for Town Hall Theatre, Decadent Theatre Company and Everyman Palace theatre
  • 17% Tom Speers for Macklin: Method and Madness, written by Gary Jermyn and Michael James Ford and produced by Antelope Productions and Bewleys Cafe Theatre.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 
Philip Stewart for The Talk of the Town (Hatch Theatre Company. Landmark Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival), Jack Cawley for FARM (WillFredd Theatre), Gregory Clarke for DruidMurphy – Plays by Tom Murphy (Druid Theatre Company),Joe Hunt for The Chairs by Eugene Ionesco (Blue Raincoat Theatre Company).

 

Best Designer: Costume

And the winner is...Peter O’Brien for The Talk of the Town, written by Emma Donoghue; and for A Woman of No Importance, written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Patrick Mason for the Gate Theatre.

A very clear winner in this category: 

  • 58% . Peter O’Brien for The Talk of the Town, written by Emma Donoghue; and for A Woman of No Importance, written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Patrick Mason for the Gate Theatre.
  • 27% Lisa Zagone for Pagliacci, composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo, directed by John O’Brien and Michael Barker-Caven for Everyman Palace Theatre and Cork Operatic Society.   
  • 15% Richard Kent for Titanic (Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioners Enquiry, 1912), written by Owen McCafferty and directed by Charlotte Westenra for The MAC and Patrick Talbot.            

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 

Joan O'Clery for DruidMurphy – Plays by Tom Murphy (Druid Theatre Company), Naomi Wilkinson for Alice in Funderland (the Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY), Bruno Schwengl for A Doll House (Pan Pan).

Best Designer: Set

And the winner is...Naomi Wilkinson for Alice in Funderland, written by Phillip McMahon, composed by Raymond Scannell and directed by Wayne Jordan.

Another clear winner in this category: 

  • 51% Naomi Wilkinson for Alice in Funderland, written by Phillip McMahon, composed by Raymond Scannell and directed by Wayne Jordan.
  • 30% Joe Vanek for Orfeo, written by Claudio Monteverdi and directed by Ben Barnes for Opera Theatre Company.
  • 19% Jamie Vartan for A Village Romeo and Juliet, composed by Frederick Delius and directed by Stephen Medcalf for Wexford Festival Opera.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 
Ciaran O'Melia for Death of the Tradesman (Talking Shop Ensemble and Shaun Dunne), Francis O'Connor for DruidMurphy – Plays by Tom Murphy (Druid Theatre Company), Lisa Zagone for Pagliacci (Everyman Palace Theatre and Cork Operatic Society), Lynne Parker for Travesties (Rough Magic).

 

Judge's Special Award

And the winner is...Blue Teapot Theatre Company for giving a voice in theatre to actors with intellectual disabilities.

Another very close one: 

  • 39% Blue Teapot Theatre Company for giving a voice in theatre to actors with intellectual disabilities.
  • 34% Karl Shiels for his selfless commitment to the development and promotion of new talent in Irish theatre.
  • 17% Tom Creed and the city of Cork. For the original and dynamic use of local spaces during Cork Midsummer Festival.
  • 10% Stephen Rea for keeping alive the Field Day tradition of developing and presenting new Irish plays in Derry.

We asked who did you think was left out and the answers included: 

  • Aonghus Og McAnally. For 52 endlessly informative Rise Productions Irish Theatre Podcasts. And for being Cheerleader-in-Chief of the Irish Theatre.
  • Róise Goan and Dublin Fringe Festival for Fringe Lab and their many initiatives and tireless support to help artists develop, grow and create.
  • Ensemble cast The Boys Of Foley Street.
  • Fishamble for relentlessly supporting new Irish plays.
  • Gavin Kostick for tirelessly promoting new Irish writing (Tiny Plays for Ireland, Show in A Bag)
  • Patrick Sutton for re-opening and re energising Smock Alley Theatre.
  • Siobhan Bourke and Jane Daly at Irish Theatre Institute.
  • The Strollers Network for the Julie Feeney and Theatre Lovett National Tours.
  • Stephen Molloy, props master of the Abbey who is about to retire after 40 years of helping every theatre company in the country.

 

 

Any other new awards you feel should be introduced?

  • International practioners award for contribution to theatre.
  • An award for Theatre For Young Audiences (or, more importantly, that those shows be more seriously considered in all the categories).
  • Best Critic. Best Theatre. Best Children's Production since judges continually snub the sector. Best Festival. Opera should be opened up to other forms of musical theatre. Best Dance show.
  • Best ensemble cast (comes up a lot).
  • Dance!! Come on already! (also comes up a lot).
  • Best Independent production (non funded or less than say 5000 in funding)
  • Best musical/opera should be a single category. Maybe something for stage management/make-up/fight scene/etc. more in best actors/production if necessary. A lot of younger/new performers/shows/companies left off the list so more established/abbey/Druid/country could get their nods as usual. Also maybe smtng for off-site/site specific/unusual theatre.
  • Best Newcomer.
  • Why, oh why are there only three nominations in the set / costume / lighting / sound design categories? There are four for everything else. It is simply not fair. Is design less important than directing? Writing? Acting? What possible justification can there be? It is simply not fair. Other awards ... emerging practitioner? Best solo performance? Best off-site production?
  • The award for not doing a play about yourself.
  • Regional Awards. The nominations are weighted in favour of the capital and some interesting and creative theatre is being created outside of Dublin.
  • Recognition of the role of stage managers and production managers.
  • Clique Casting of the Year.
  • Best marketing and PR campaign

Your Theatre Moment of the Year

  • 2 moments. The immersive-ness of Farm and The boys of Foley Street.
  • 24 Hours Plays, 2012, Project Arts Centre
  • A beautiful performance of Tender Napalm at the Project, Tiny Plays for Ireland for sheer laughs and poignant moments combined, Monster Clock for its beauty and Alice In Funderland for fun, frivolity, beautiful songs and the use of many phrases which have not been expressed on the stage of the National Theatre. Oh and anything with Lorcan Cranitch... And a final nod to Pat Kinevane and Fishamble's Silent which was astounding.
  • All Hell Lay Beneath at Dublin Fringe Festival
  • Alice In Funderland - renewed my faith in new Irish theatre
  • Beginning to realise, watching Annabelle Comyn's superb production of The House, that the play is a masterpiece.
  • Blue Teapot Theatre. Sanctuary
  • The Boys of Foley Street.
  • DruidMurphy. Every moment of it.
  • Dublin Fringe Festival's hugely supportive atmosphere.
  • Eternal Rising of the Sun
  • FARM...it just blew me away..so different, so true... any awardstruly well deserved for 'thinking outside thebox'.
  • flatpack...such an amazing experience and with such young talent! its safe to say opera in ireland is and will be ok with these amazing bright sparks
  • Halcyon Days.
  • Have I No Mouth.
  • Monster/Clock.
  • Lorcan Cranitch realises that Declan Conlon is not innocent, and he's just given him an alibi - The House.
  • Helen Marriage speaking at the AIAC in Belfast.
  • Holding Caitriona Ennis' hand in Boys of Foley Street while a car tried to get her to get in.
  • Mystery Magnet at the Dublin Theatre Festival. BRILLIANT.
  • No specific moment but it's been a good year!
  • 'Pagliacci' at The Everyman Palace Theatre, sheer theatrical beauty! Mark O'Halloran's entrance for one story in 'Dubliners' at The Gaiety Theatre.
  • Rondi Reed and John Mahoney in The Outgoing Tide at Galway Arts Festival and the tears from the audience at the end. Utterly heartbreaking.
  • seeing semele in st werburghs church in january 2012 opened my eyes to opera! it was handel meets lady gaga! brilliant!
  • Taking back our Voices in the Abbey. Director : Oonagh Murphy
  • That most moving moment of Derbhle Crotty's breakdown into tears at the end of The Dead - perfectly judged, just right.
  • The deadly blow that ends Des's life in Whistle in the Dark and the sons finally realise the depth of their father's duplicity. Heart-rending.
  • The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (National Theatre of Scotland at Galway Arts Festival).
  • Tiny Plays for Ireland! Great idea and brilliantly executed. Wonderful cast as well! Pat Kinevan in Silent. Made me bawl like a child. Also, Peter Daly. In everything.
  • When the ensemble for DruidMurphy were finally allowed to bow. The point at which I was instructed to follow someone upstairs for All Hell Lay Beneath and offered a choice. Or the heart-stopping moment in a bathroom in the Boys of Foley Street when you realise you are not alone.
  • Waterford Spraoi's parade which is street theatre and pageantry at its best.