The word is that Patrick Mason will appoint an artistic director-elect by the end of the year, although he is not due to leave until late next year. Ben Barnes is understood to be interested in the job, but other names are also circulating, particularly that of Conall Morrison, the 32-year-old associate director at the Abbey. Morrison's rise has been spectacular over the last year: his Tarry Flynn won two Irish Times Theatre Awards and is due to go up at the British National Theatre in August, and Morrison is also due to direct Martin Guerre for Cameron Mackintosh. Fiach Mac Conghail may leave the Project Arts Centre next year, and so his name is also being mentioned.
Meanwhile at the Lyric, Belfast, artistic director Robin Midgley is preparing to leave when his five-year contract is up in June. Associate director David Grant will act as artistic director until Christmas, and then anything may happen. The theatre is going through a huge, and welcome, reassessment, a requirement for a recipient of major Lottery funding, and is having talks with key players in theatre, North and South, including Rough Magic's Lynne Parker. But before anyone starts buying Parker - or anyone - a one-way ticket to Belfast - the Lyric says it wants to remain so open as to allow the possibility that it might not have an artistic director at all.
