The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards took place with a spectacular ceremony at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on Sunday. Among the video tributes were a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the work of Lian Bell for leading the Waking The Feminists movement; a wrap of the year in theatre compiled by Mags Mulvey; and a special tribute to Anne Clarke who picked up an award for her work significant contribution to the industry, largely in the independent sector.
Among those who contributed to the Anne Clarke tribute were actors Cillian Murphy, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Brendan, Brian and Domhnall Gleeson, playwrights Deirdre Kinahan and Enda Walsh, and Paul Fahy of Galway International Arts Festival. On the night, Loughlin Deegan gave a citation for Clarke.
On Saturday March 12th, The Irish Times will have a photospread and colour report from the event along with an online gallery of images. The winners for 2015 are listed below.
Best production
Winner: DruidShakespeare A Druid Theatre coproduction with Lincoln Center Festival of Richard II, Henry IV: Parts 1 and 2 and Henry V, by William Shakespeare, in a new adaptation by Mark O'Rowe
Chekhov's First Play A Dead Centre production with Dublin Theatre Festival, Baltoscandal and Theatre National Bordeaux Aquitaine of Chekhov's First Play, adapted from Anton Chekhov
Pals: The Irish at Gallipoli By Anu Productions, with the National Museum of Ireland and Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in association with the National Archives of Ireland and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
The Gigli Concert A Gate Theatre production of Tom Murphy’s play
Best director
Winner: Garry Hynes For the Druid Theatre and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, an adaptation by Mark O'Rowe
Grace Dyas For the THEATREclub production of The Game
Pat Kiernan For the Corcadorca and Eat My Noise production of Enda Walsh's Gentrification
Wayne Jordan For the Abbey Theatre and Lyric Theatre production of Seán O'Casey's The Shadow of a Gunman and for the Abbey production of a new version of Oedipus, by Sophocles
Best actress
Winner: Derbhle Crotty For her role as King Henry IV in the Druid Theatre and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, an adaptation by Mark O'Rowe
Cathy Belton For her role as Sal in the Galway International Arts Festival production of Frank McGuinness's play The Match Box
Aisling O’Sullivan For her roles as Hal/King Henry V in the Druid Theatre and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, an adaptation by Mark O’Rowe
Susan Lynch For her role as Hester Swane in the Abbey Theatre production of Marina Carr's play By the Bog of Cats
Best actor
Winner:Marty Rea For his role as King Richard II in the Druid Theatre and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, an adaptation by Mark O'Rowe
Adrian Dunbar For his role as Tommy in the Dublin Theatre Festival and Lyric Theatre production of Conor McPherson's The Night Alive
Mark O’Halloran For his role as Donal Davoren in the Abbey Theatre and Lyric Theatre production of The Shadow of a Gunman, by Seán O’Casey
Denis Conway For his role as Irish Man in the Gate Theatre production of The Gigli Concert, by Tom Murphy
Best supporting actress
Winner:Abigail McGibbon For her role as Sandra in the Rough Magic production of David Ireland's Everything Between Us
Dawn Bradfield For her role as Mona in the Gate Theatre production of The Gigli Concert, by Tom Murphy
Clare Barrett For her roles as Aoife and Margaret Gaj in Rough Magic's The Train, by Arthur Riordan and Bill Whelan
Amy McAllister For her role as Minnie Powell in the Abbey Theatre and Lyric Theatre's production of Seán O'Casey's The Shadow of a Gunman
Best supporting actor
Winner:Laurence Kinlan For his role as Doc in the Dublin Theatre Festival and Lyric Theatre production of Conor McPherson's The Night Alive
Brian Gleeson For his role as Sean in Enda Walsh's The Walworth Farce, staged by Landmark Productions in association with MCD
Peter Campion For his role as Katurian in Decadent Theatre and the Lyric Theatre's production of Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman
Rory Nolan For his role as Falstaff in the Druid Theatre and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, an adaptation by Mark O'Rowe
Best new play
Winner: Scorch By Stacey Gregg, produced by Prime Cut Productions in association with the Mac and OutburstQueer Arts Festival
Luck Just Kissed You Hello By Amy Conroy, produced by HotforTheatre and Galway International Arts Festival
The Match Box By Frank McGuinness, produced by Galway International Arts Festival
The Night Alive By Conor McPherson, produced by Dublin Theatre Festival and the Lyric Theatre
Best opera
Winner:The Last Hotel Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera production of a work by Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh
Agrippina Irish Youth Opera's production of Handel's work, with Northern Ireland Opera in association with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Lime Tree Theatre
Faust By Gounod, staged by the Everyman and Cork Operatic Society
Guglielmo Ratcliff Wexford Festival Opera production of Pietro Mascagni's work in association with the Italian Institute of Culture
GPO Witness History audience choice award in association with An Post
Winner: Pals: The Irish at Gallipoli By Anu Productions, with the National Museum of Ireland and Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in association with the National Archives of Ireland and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Best costume design
Winner: Doreen McKenna and Francis O'Connor For the Druid and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, by Mark O'Rowe
Sarah Bacon For the Abbey and Lyric production of Seán O'Casey's The Shadow of a Gunman
Monica Frawley For the Abbey Theatre's production of Marina Carr's By the Bog of Cats
Catherine Fay For the Gate Theatre's production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Best set design
Winner:Sarah Bacon For the Abbey Theatre and Lyric Theatre production of The Shadow of a Gunman, by Seán O'Casey
Francis O’Connor For the Druid Theatre and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, an adaptation by Mark O’Rowe
Aedín Cosgrove For the Abbey Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare
Ciaran O’Melia For the Gate Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Winner: Sarah Jane Shiels For the Brokentalkers and Junk Ensemble production of It Folds, and Anu Productions' Pals: The Irish at Gallipoli
Sinéad Wallace For the Abbey Theatre’s production of Sophocles’ Oedipus, in a new version by Wayne Jordan
Aedín Cosgrove For the Abbey Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Adam Silverman For Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera's The Last Hotel, by Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh
Best sound design
Winner:Jimmy Eadie For the Dead Centre production with Dublin Theatre Festival, Baltoscandal and Theatre National Bordeaux Aquitaine of Chekhov's First Play, adapted from Anton Chekhov
Denis Clohessy For the Brokentalkers and Junk Ensemble production of It Folds
Gregory Clarke and Conor Linehan For the Druid Theatre and Lincoln Center Festival coproduction of DruidShakespeare, an adaptation by Mark O'Rowe
Tom Lane For the Abbey Theatre's Oedipus by Sophocles, in a new version by Wayne Jordan
Judges’ special award
Winner:Lian Bell For leading the Waking the Feminists movement with courage and conviction, highlighting the inequalities in Irish theatre and advocating sustainable change
Galway International Arts Festival For its consistently supportive role as coproducer to independent theatre
Blue Raincoat Theatre Company For its imaginative restoration of the theatre of WB Yeats as part of its A Country Under Wave programme
Druid For the way the company has assembled and enabled a group of actors to work as a true ensemble, the pinnacle of this rare achievement being DruidShakespeare
