The nominations for this years Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards were unveiled in today’s edition of the paper.
A lot of the usual suspects make up the bulk of the nominations but as the judges are clear to state, it’s not about resources in the face of the funding constraints, it’s about quality, so fair enough. Although after the fresh talent and writing that was present in last year’s nominations, it’s slightly disconcerting to see a good chunk of nominations going to very familiar plays, some of which have been significantly overperformed in recent years. This can probably be put down to what the judges call ‘a very disappointing year for new writing’. Let’s hope 2010 offers a lot more in that regard. One refreshing exception is the inclusion in the Best Production category of The Ark’s production of The Giant Blue Hand by Marina Carr, a serious big up for children’s theatre, an area too often over looked by the theatrical establishment in Ireland.
The bulk of nominations go to the Corn Exchange’s well reviewed production of Freefall by Michael West and Druid’s production of Tom Murphy’s The Gigli Concert.
The awards take place on February 28th.
Nominations
Best Actor
Denis Conway : As The Irish Man in the Druid Theatre’s production of The Gigli Concert by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes
Stuart Graham : As Ray in the Decadent Theatre’s production of Blackbird by David Harrower, directed by Andrew Flynn
Andrew Bennett: As A in the Corn Exchange Theatre’s production of Freefall by Michael West, directed by Annie Ryan
Conor Lovett: As Ishmael in Gare St Lazare Players’ production of Moby Dick by Herman Melville, adapted by Conor Lovett and Judy Hegarty Lovett, directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett
Best Actress
Gina Moxley: As Woman in Prime Cut’s production of Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr, directed by Emma Jordan
Stella McCusker : As Mag in the Lyric Theatre production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, directed by Richard Croxford
Kate Brennan : As Jess in the Hatch Theatre Company in association with Project Arts Centre production of Love and Money by Dennis Kelly, directed by Annabelle Comyn
Maeve Fitzgerald: As Julie in Purple Heart Theatre’s production of After Miss Julie , a version of Strindberg’s Miss Julie by Patrick Marber, directed by Ronan Leahy
Best Supporting Actress
Ruth McGill: In various roles for Corn Exchange Theatre’s production of Freefall by Michael West, directed by Annie Ryan
Eva O’Connor : As Girl in Manchán Magan’s production of Broken Croí/Heart Briste by Manchán Magan, directed by Tom Creed
Maeve Fitzgerald : As Woman in Anú’s production of Basin by Gary Duggan and Jessica Traynor, directed by Louise Lowe
Kate Brennan: For various roles in the Making Strange Theatre Company in association with Project Arts Centre production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Aldy Guirgis, directed by Matt Torney
Best Supporting Actor
Karl Quinn : As Sorin in the Loose Canon’s production of Anatomy of a Seagull by Chekhov, adapted and directed by Jason Byrne
Bryan Burroughs : As Snowdrop in Barabbas’s production of Johnny Patterson: The Singing Irish Clown by Little John Nee, directed by Raymond Keane
Karl Sheils : As Tommy Stein in the Oroborous’ production of The Death of Harry Leon by Conall Quinn, directed by David Horan
Malcolm Adams : As Sheridan in the Abbey Theatre’s production of Only an Apple by Tom McIntyre, directed by Selina Cartmell
Best Director
Annie Ryan: For Corn Exchange Theatre’s production of Freefall by Michael West
Garry Hynes : For Druid Theatre’s production of The Gigli Concert by Tom Murphy
Matt Torney : For the Making Strange Theatre Company in association with Project Arts Centre production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Dylan Tighe : For The Stomach Box production of No Worst There Is None composed by Seán Óg
Best New Play
Barry McKinley : For Elysium Nevada produced by Bewleys Cafe Theatre
Michael West : For Freefall , produced by Corn Exchange Theatre
Richard Dormer : For The Gentlemen’s Tea-drinking Society , by Richard Dormer produced by Ransom Theatre Productions
Manchán Magan : For Broken Croí/Heart Briste , produced by Manchán Magan
Best Production
The Stomach Box in association with Poetry Now: For No Worst There is None , composed by Seán Óg, directed by Dylan Tighe
The Ark cultural centre : For The Giant Blue Hand by Marina Carr, directed by Selina Cartmell
Hammergrin Theatre Company : For Hollander by John McCarthy, Ciaran Ó Conaill and Sarah-Jane Power, directed by Sarah-Jane Power
Loose Canon : For Anatomy of a Seagull by Chekhov, adapted and directed by Jason Byrne
Best Opera Production
Wexford Festival Opera: For The Ghosts of Versailles by John Corigliano, directed by James Robinson
Opera Ireland: For Mazeppa by Tchaikovsky, directed by Dieter Kaegi
Castleward Opera: For Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, directed by Tom Hawkes
Opera Theatre Company : For Alcina by Handel, directed by Annilese Miskmmon
Judges’ Special Award
Limerick Hub and Belltable : For reinvigorating professional theatre in Limerick
Opera Theatre Company : For its commitment to fostering Irish-based talent. Above: some of its “Young Associate Artists”
Tania Banotti and Theatre Forum : For leadership in the National Campaign for the Arts
Conor Linehan: For setting the standard for original composition in theatre
Best Designer: Lighting
Aedín Cosgrove : For Pan Pan Theatre’s production of The Crumb Trail by Gina Moxley, directed by Gavin Quinn
Sínead Wallace: For Landmark’s production of Knives in Hens by David Harrower, directed by Alan Gilsenan
Ben Omerod : For the Abbey Theatre production of The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant by Tom Murphy, directed by Conall Morrison
Best Designer: Sound
Roger Gregg : For Barabbas’s production of Johnny Patterson: The Singing Irish Clown by Little John Nee, directed by Raymond Keane
Séan Óg : For The Stomach Box production of No Worst There is None composed by Seán Óg, directed by Dylan Tighe
Ben Delaney and Conor Linehan : For the Abbey Theatre production of The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant by Tom Murphy, directed by Conall Morrison
Best Designer: Costume
Joan O’Clery : For the Abbey Theatre production of The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant by Tom Murphy, directed by Conall Morrison
Gaby Rooney: For The Ark production of The Giant Blue Hand by Marina Carr, directed by Selina Cartmell
Rodrigo Rodriguez : For the Core Dublin production of The Trojan Women by Euripides, directed by Rodrigo Rodriguez and Alan King
Best Designer: Set
Maree Kearns : For Nomad in association with Livin’ Dred’s production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank McGuinness, directed by Padraic McIntyre
Monica Frawley: For The Ark production of The Giant Blue Hand by Marina Carr, directed by Selina Cartmell
Emma Fisher : For The Limerick Hub and Belltable Arts Centre production of Don Juan in Hell , directed by Duncan Molloy and The Revengers Tragedy, directed by Myles Breen
The Gate got no nominations. The Abbey got four nominations, when last year they won at least five awards. Rough Magic got nothing. Druid only got two where last year they had about eight or nine. Could you explain who the ‘usual suspects’ are that you’re referring to and what plays you’re referring to also, because to me the awards seem deliberately to be ignoring the big theatres and in many ways don’t make any sense. None of the best productions have ever been done before – they are all new plays, or a new version of an old play in the case of Antaomy of a Seagull. And as for the best plays – in 2009 there were new plays by Tom Murphy, Sebastian Barry, Marina Carr, Conor McPherson and Tom McIntyre, but none of them were nominated, so again how can the judges be accused of going with the usual suspects? Could you please tell us what you mean about the ‘good chunk of nominations going to very familiar plays, some of which have been significantly overperformed in recent years.’
I don’t think it’s warranted to say that the big theatres are being deliberately ignored. I think you’ve got a situation where the perception of the big theatres is that their work wasn’t as interesting as what was being produced by smaller companies and didn’t have a particularly strong year in 2009.
The ‘usual suspects’ I referred to were specifically Druid and Corn Exchange, and the reference was without any negative connotations. They are regularly nominated and are amongst the most visible Irish companies with the strongest presences on the national scene. As two of the most innovative and progressive Irish companies I would certainly regard those two companies as ‘usual suspects’ when it comes to award nominations and critical plaudits.
When it comes to productions (and writers) that I felt have been significantly overperformed in recent years, I referred specifically to McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen Of Leenane, Harrower’s Blackbird and the works of Chekov nd Strindberg which have had a lot of airings in recent years. This observation was in line with what the judges referred to as a bad year for new writing and from the perspective of a theatre goer was exactly that. If new writing isn’t being pushed and developed then it’s a given that companies are going to veer towards what is tried and tested, simple as. The comment was made in no way to denigrate the achievements of those who were deservedly nominated.