Irish Theatre Awards

The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards recognise outstanding achievements in Irish theatre.

History

The awards were founded in 1997 by The Irish Times . Awards were established in numerous categories, ranging from design, to acting, to overall production. The goal was to promote adventuresome theatre, both in the Republic and in Northern Ireland. ^[1]

Description

In addition to the awards for specific excellence, the judges also present a special award for leadership in the overall community. ^[2]

The nominations are announced every January and the awards are presented the following month in a prominent invitation-only ceremony. In 2022, the nominations for 2021 will be announced in May and the ceremony will take place early in the summer. ^[3]

By year

2010 awards

(Winners in bold): ^{[4] [5]}

Best Actor

• Louis Lovett, as B and Brian in B For Baby at the Abbey Theatre
• Malcolm Adams, as Tim Hartigan in Slattery's Sago Saga
• Marty Rea, as Hamlet in Hamlet
• Karl Shiels, as Quinn in Penelope

Best Actress

• Olwen Fouéré , as the woman in Sodome, My Love
• Hilary O'Shaughnessy, as the tour guide in Berlin Love Tour
• Eileen Walsh, as Medea in Medea
• Aoife Duffin, as Winnie Butler in Christ Deliver Us!

Best Supporting Actor

• Laurence Kinlan , as Mossy Lannigan in Christ Deliver Us!
• Joe Hanley, as Fluther Good in The Plough and the Stars
• Ronan Leahy, as Tutor/Messenger in Medea
• Conor MacNeill, as Lyokha in Plasticine

Best Supporting Actress

• Andrea Irvine, as Lady Macduff in Macbeth
• Eleanor Methven, as Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest
• Karen Ardiff, as Mrs Cregan and Sheelagh Mann in The Colleen Bawn
• Brid Brennan, as Madge in Philadelphia, Here I Come!

Best Director

• Selina Cartmell , for Medea, produced by Siren Productions
• Jo Mangan, for Slattery's Sago Saga, produced by Performance Corporation
• Wayne Jordan, for Christ Deliver Us!, produced by the Abbey Theatre
• Rachel O'Riordan, for Over the Bridge, produced by Green Shoot Productions

Best Set

• Aedin Cosgrvoe, for The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane
• John Comiskey, for Sodome My Love
• Tom Pye, for John Gabriel Borkman

Best Costumes

• Bláithin Sheerin, for Phaedra
• Joan Bergin, for John Gabriel Borkman
• Miriam Duffy, for The Birthday of the Infanta

Best Lighting

• Paul Keogan, for Plasticine
• Sinéad Wallace, for Happy Days
• Sinéad McKenna, for Medea

Best Sound

• Dennis Clohessy, for Sodome My Love
• Ellen Cranitch, for Phaedra
• Philip Stewart, for The Early Bird

Best Production

• Pan Pan Theatre , for The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane
• Siren Productions, for Medea
• Anu Productions, for World's End Lane
• Rough Magic Theatre Company, for Phaedra

Best New Play

• What's Left of the Flag, by Jimmy Murphy
• Slaterry's Sago Saga, by Arthur Riordan
• National Anthem, by Colin Bateman
• B for Baby, by Carmel Winters

Best Opera Production

• Opera Ireland, for Roméo et Juliette, by Charles Gounod
• Opera Theatre Company, for The Diary of Anne Frank , by Grigory Frid
• Wexford Festival Opera , for Virginia, by Saverio Mercadante
• Dumbworld/Brian Irvine Ensemble, for Postcards from Dumbworld, by Brian Irvine

Judges Special Award

• Project Brand New
• Theatre Upstairs
• Carysfort Press
• Louise Lowe/Anu Productions

2011 awards

(Winners in bold): ^{[4] [5]}

Best Actor

• Patrick O'Kane as John Proctor in The Crucible
• Cillian Murphy as Thomas Magill in Misterman
• Paul Reid as Farrell Blinks in Man of Valour
• Philip Judge as Older Man in Trade

Best Actress

• Charlie Murphy as Eliza in Pygmalion
• Amy Conroy as Gina Devine in Eternal rising of The Sun
• Marie Mullen as Woman in Testament
• Aisling O'Sullivan as Maggie Polpin in Big Maggie

Best Supporting Actor

• John Olohan as Byrne in Big Maggie
• Rory Nolan as Commissioner in The Government Inspector
• Frankie McCafferty as Ivan in The Seafarer
• Bob Kelly as Martin O Bonnassa / Osborne O'Loonassa / Gentleman / Others in The Poor Mouth

Best Supporting Actress

• Dearbhla Molloy & Ingrid Craigie as Eileen and Kate in The Cripple of Inishmaan
• Aoife Duffin as Abigail Williams in The Crucible
• Karen Ardiff as Aase / Green-Clad in Peer Gynt
• Caitriona Ní Mhurchú as Masha in 16 Possible Glimpses

Best Director

• Conall Morrison for The Crucible
• Louise Lowe for Laundry
• Niall Henry for The Poor Mouth
• Gavin Quinn for All That Fall

Best Set

• Paul O'Mahony for Pygmalion
• Jamie Vartan for Misterman
• Sabine Dargent for The Crucible

Best Costumes

• Joan O’Cleryfor Peer Gynt
• Peter O'Brien for Pygmalion
• Gaby Rooney for The Lulu House

Best Lighting

• Adam Silverman for Misterman
• Aedin Cosgrove for All That Fall
• Ciaran Bagnall for Guidelines

Best Sound

• Jimmy Eadie for All That Fall
• Mel Mercier for Sétanta
• Carl Kennedy and Tarab for Peer Gynt

Best Production

• The Lyric Theatre, Belfast for The Crucible
• Landmark Productions and Galway Arts Festival for Misterman
• ANU Productions for Laundry  
• Pan Pan Theatre for All That Fall

Best New Play

• Fight Night written by Gavin Kostick and directed by Bryan Burroughs for Rise Productions in association with Bewleys Cafe Theatre
• No Romance written by Nancy Harris and directed by Wayne Jordan for The Abbey Theatre
• Trade written by Mark O’Halloran, directed by Tom Creed for Thisispopbaby
• Silent written by Pat Kinevane, directed by Jim Culleton for Fishamble

Best Opera Production

• Opera Theatre Company, for The Magic Flute, by Mozart
• NI Opera, for Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini
• Wexford Festival Opera, for La Cour de Celimene, by Ambroise Thomas
• Wexford Festival Opera , for Maria, by Roman Statkowski

Judges Special Award

• Val Sherlock
• The Lyric Theatre
• Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre
• Landmark Productions

2012 awards

(Winners in bold): ^{[4] [5]}

Best Actor

• Declan Conlon as Christy in The House
• Aaron McCusker as Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest
• Marty Rea as Michael in A Whistle in the Dark
• Garrett Lombard as Tom in Conversations on a Homecoming

Best Actress

• Catherine Walker as Maeve Brennan in The Talk of the Town
• Eileen Walsh as Betty in A Whistle in the Dark
• Cathy Belton as Mary in The House Keeper
• Caitriona Ennis as Young Girl in The Boys of Foley Street

Best Supporting Actor

• Gavin Drea as Des in A Whistle in the Dark
• Aaron Monaghan as Liam in Conversations on a Homecoming
• Lorcan Cranitch as William Shawn in The Talk of the Town
• Owen Roe as Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross

Best Supporting Actress

• Jacqueline Boatswain as Mrs Muller in Doubt – A Parable
• Eleanor Methven as Mother in The House
• Marie Mullen as Missus in Conversations on a Homecoming
• Grace Kiely as Millie in The Mai

Best Director

• Annabelle Comyn for The House
• Louise Lowe for The Boys of Foley Street
• Andrew Flynn for Port Authority
• Oliver Mears for The Turn of the Screw

Best Set

• Jamie Vartan for A Village Romeo and Juliet
• Joe Vanek for Orfeo
• Naomi Wilkinson for Alice in Funderland

Best Costumes

• Richard Kent for Titanic (Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Enquiry, 1912)
• Peter O’Brien for The Talk of the Town
• Lisa Zagone for Pagliacci

Best Lighting

• Nick McCall for The Great Goat Bubble
• Simon Corder for L’arlesiana
• Thomas Kluth for The Barber of Seville

Best Sound

• Carl Kennedy for Doubt - A Parable
• Little John Nee for Sparkplug
• Tom Speers for Macklin: Method and Madness

Best Production

• Druid Theatre Company for DruidMurphy
• WillFredd Theatre and Absolut Fringe Festival for Farm
• AC Productions for Pinter X 4
• The Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY for Alice in Funderland

Best New Play

• Quietly written by Owen McCafferty
• The House Keeper written by Morna Regan
• The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle written by Ross Dungan
• Halcyon Days written by Deirdre Kinahan

Best Opera Production

• Pagliacci composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo for Everyman Palace Theatre and Cork Operatic Society
• The Turn of the Screw composed by Benjamin Britten for Northern Ireland Opera
• FLÅTPÄCK composed by Tom Lane for Ulysses Opera Theatre
• A Village Romeo and Juliet composed by Frederick Delius for Wexford Festival Opera

Judges Special Award

• Karl Shiels
• Blue Teapot Theatre Company
• Stephen Rea
• Tom Creed and the city of Cork

2013 awards

(Winners in bold): ^{[4] [5]}

Best Actor

• Lewis J Stadlen for The Price
• Cillian Murphy for Ballyturk
• Rhys Dunlop for Punk Rock
• Ciaran Hinds for Our Few and Evil Days

Best Actress

• Judith Roddy for Pentecost
• Marie Mullen for Bailegangaire
• Aoife Duffin for A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing
• Sinead Cusack for Our Few and Evil Days

Best Supporting Actor

• Simon O’Gorman for Sive
• Des Keogh for Dreamland
• Mark Lambert for Twelfth Night
• Ian Toner for Punk Rock

Best Supporting Actress

• Kate Gilmore for Breathless
• Bríd Ní Neachtain for Sive
• Aisling O’Sullivan for Bailegangaire
• Caitriona Ennis for Spinning

Best Director

• Conall Morrison for Sive & She Stoops to Conquer
• Enda Walsh for Ballyturk
• Selina Cartmell for Punk Rock
• Jimmy Fay for Pentecost

Best Set Design

• Paul Wills for Our Few and Evil Days
• Jamie Vartan for Ballyturk
• Alyson Cummins for Pentecost
• Mario Beck for Waiting in Line

Best Sound Design

• Carl Kennedy for Mr Foley the Radio Operator
• Teho Teardo/ Helen Atkinson for Ballyturk
• Fergus O’Hare for Punk Rock and Pentecost
• Tom Lane & Rob Moloney for Between Trees and Water

Best Costume Design

• Peter O’Brien for An Ideal Husband
• Catherine Fay for Breaking Dad and Our Few and Evil Days
• Mike Britton for How Many Miles to Babylon
• Niamh Lunny for Heartbreak House

Best Lighting Design

• Chahine Yayrovan for The Vortex and Punk Rock
• John Comiskey for Sive
• Adam Silverman for Ballyturk
• Ciaran Bagnall for Pentecost

Best Production

• Landmark Productions for Ballyturk
• Lyric Theatre for Punk Rock
• Wildebeest Theatre Company for On the Wire
• Abbey Theatre for Our Few and Evil Days

Best New Play

• Dreamland by Jim Nolan
• Conservatory by Michael West
• The Mariner by Hugo Hamilton
• Our Few and Evil Days by Mark O’Rowe
• Petals by Gillian Greer

Best Opera

• Der Vampyr by Heinrich Marschner, directed by Michael Barker-Caven and John O’Brien for Everyman and Cork Operatic Society
• The Rape of Lucretia by Benjamin Britten, directed by Michael Barker-Caven for Irish Youth Opera and Wexford Festival Opera
• Silent Night by Kevin Puts, directed by Tomer Zvulun for Wexford Festival Opera
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare, directed by Oliver Mears for Northern Ireland Opera  

Judges Special Award

• Limerick City of Culture: Former programmers and the current administration for using the city in the most imaginative way to rebrand Limerick as a beacon of artistic endeavour
• Lyric Theatre: For a consistently high standard of productions in a most welcoming venue
• The Lir: For producing skilled graduates of a very high calibre
• Stage managers and technicians: For keeping the show on the road after opening night and for loyal support to cast and creatives

2014 awards

Best Actor

• Denis Conway for his role as Irish Man in the Gate Theatre production of Tom Murphy’s The Gigli Concert
• 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/ Lyric Theatre production of Sean O’Casey’s The Shadow of a Gunman
• Marty Rea for his role as King Richard 11 in DruidShakespeare

Best Actress

• Cathy Belton for her role as Sal  in the Galway International Arts Festival production of The Matchbox by Frank McGuinness
• Derbhle Crotty for her role as King Henry 1V in DruidShakespeare
• Susan Lynch for her role as Hester Swane in the Abbey Theatre production of By theBog of Cats by Marina Carr
• Aisling O'Sullivan for her roles as Hal/King Henry V in DruidShakespeare

Best Supporting Actor

• Peter Campion for his role as Katurian in the Decadent, in association with the Lyric Theatre, production of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman
• Brian Gleeson for his role as Sean in the Landmark Productions in association with MCD, production of Enda Walsh’s The Walworth Farce
• Laurence Kinlan for his role as Doc in the Dublin Theatre Festival and Lyric Theatre production of The Night Alive by Conor McPherson
• Rory Nolan for his role as Falstaff in DruidShakespeare

Best Supporting Actress

• Clare Barrett for her role as Aoife/Margaret Gaj in the Rough Magic production of The Train by Arthur Riordan and Bill Whelan               
• Dawn Bradfield for her role as Mona in the Gate Theatre production of  The Gigli Concert             
• Amy McAllister for her role as Minnie Powell  in the Abbey Theatre and the Lyric Theatre production of Sean O’Casey’s The Shadow of a Gunman                
• Abigail McGibbon for her role as Sandra in the Rough Magic production of Everything  Between Us by David Ireland.

Best Director

• Grace Dyas for the THEATREclub production of The Game
• Garry Hynes for DruidShakespeare          
• Wayne Jordan for the Abbey Theatre and Lyric Theatre production of Sean O’Casey’s The Shadow of a Gunman and for the Abbey Theatre production of a new version of Oedipus by Sophocles          
• Pat Kiernan for the Corcadorca and Eat My Noise production of Gentrification by Enda Walsh     

Best Set Design

• Sarah Bacon for the Abbey Theatre production of The Shadow of a Gunman
• Aedín Cosgrove for the Abbey Theatre production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Francis O'Connor for DruidShakespeaqre                                   
• Ciaran O'Melia for the Gate Theatre production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Best Sound Design

• Denis Clohessy for the Brokentalkers and junk ensemble production of  It Folds
• Gregory Clarke and Conor Linehan for DruidShakespeare
• Jimmy Eadie for the Dead Centre production of Chekov’s First Play
• Tom Lane for the Abbey Theatre production of Oedipus by Sophocles in a new version by Wayne Jordan

Best Costume Design

• Sarah Bacon the Abbey Theatre production of The Shadow of a Gunman
• Catherine Fay for the Gate Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet
• Monica Frawley for the Abbey Theatre production of By the Bog of Cats
• Doreen McKenna and Francis O'Connor for DruidShakespeare

Best Lighting Design

• Aedín Cosgrove for the Abbey Theatre production of A Midsummer Night's Dream  
• Sinéad Wallace for the Abbey Theatre production of Oedipus
• Sarah Jane Shiels for the Brokentalkers and junk ensemble production of It Folds and ANU Production of  PALS – The Irish at Gallipoli        
• Adam Silverman for the Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera production of The LastHotel           

Best Production

• Chekhov's First Play: a Dead Centre production of Chekhov’s First Play by Anton Chekhov
• The Gigli Concert:  a Gate Theatre Production
• PALS – The Irish at Gallipoli: ANU Production in association with the National Museum of Ireland and Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht with the National Archives of Ireland and ICTU
• DruidShakespeare: a co-production with Lincoln Center Festival NYC of Richard 11 ( Parts 1 & 2 ) and Henry V by William Shakespeare in a new adaptation by Mark O’Rowe,  

Best New Play

• Scorch by Stacey Gregg produced by Prime Cut Productions in association with The MAC and Outburst Arts           
• The Night Alive by Conor McPherson produced by Dublin Theatre Festival and Lyric Theatre, Belfast
• The Matchbox by Frank McGuinness produced by the Galway International Arts Festival
• Luck Just Kissed You Hello by Amy Conroy produced by HotForTheatre  and Galway International Arts Festival   

Best Opera

• Agrippina: the Irish Youth  Opera’s production of Handel’s Agrippina, a co-production with Northern Ireland Opera in association with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Lime Tree Theatre Limerick
• Faust: The Everyman and Cork Operatic Society production of Gounod’s Faust
• Gugliemo Ratcliff: the Wexford Festival Opera production of Guglielmo Ratcliff in association with the Italian Institute of Culture 
• The Last Hotel: the Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera production of The Last Hotel by Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh  

Judges Special Award

• Druid Shakespeare for the way in which the company has assembled and enabled a group of actors to work together as a true ensemble, the pinnacle of this rare achievement being its 2015 Druid Shakespeare production                                          
• Blue Raincoat Theatre Company, Sligo, for its imaginative restoration of the theatre of W B Yeats as part of its A Country Under Wave programme                                      
• Lian Bell for leading the wakingthefeminists movement with courage and conviction, highlighting the inequalities in Irish theatre and advocating for sustainable change.                 
• Galway International Arts Festival for its consistently supportive role as co-producer to the independent theatre sector                                    

2022 awards

Best Actor

• Owen Roe for his role as Thomas in the Gate Theatre production of Sebastian Barry's The Steward of Christendom ^[6]

Best Actress

• Janet Moran for her role as Mal in the Fishamble: the New Play Company production of Eugene O’Brien's Heaven

Best Supporting Actor

• Rory Nolan for his role in the Abbey Theatre production of Anthony Simpson-Pike's An Octoroon

Best Supporting Actress

• Anna Healy for her performances in Abbey Theatre's Portia Coughlan, Druid's The Last Return and, Corcadorca Theatre Company's The Spin

Best Director

• Judy Hegarty Lovett for the production of The Realistic Joneses

Best Set

• Aedín Cosgrove in Dead Centre's production of Good Sex

Best Costume

• Madeleine Boyd for Wexford Festival Opera's production of Lalla-Roukh

Best Lighting

• James C McFetridge for Lyric Theatre's production of Big Man

Best Sound

• Carl Kennedy for Gate Theatre and Theatre Lovett's production of The Tin Soldier
• Conor Linehan for Gate Theatre and Theatre Lovett's production of The Tin Soldier
• Olesya Zdorovetkska for Gate Theatre and Theatre Lovett's production of The Tin Soldier
• Louis Lovett for Gate Theatre and Theatre Lovett's production of The Tin Soldier

Best Movement

• David Bolger for Blackwater Valley Festival Opera's production of Orfeo ed Euridice and CoisCéim Dance Theatre's production of Go to Blazes

Best Ensemble

• Druid's production of The Last Return

Best Production

• Northern Ireland Opera's production of Into the Woods

Best New Play

• Fishamble: the New Play Company's production of Heaven by Eugene O’Brien

Best Opera

• Opera Collective Ireland and Kilkenny Arts Festival's production of Semele

Judges’ Special Award

• Loughlin Deegan

Best Video Design

• Mags Mulvey with Aisling Ghéar Theatre Company for Minimal Human Contact

The Irish Times Special Tribute Award

• Bosco Hogan

Audience Choice Award

• No Magic Pill

References

1. O'Toole, Lauren (27 February 2011). "The Irish Times Theatre Awards". entertainment.ie. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
2. Abbey Theatre Marketing. "Irish Times Theatre Award nominations announced". Behind the Scenes. Abbey Theatre. Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
3. "Irish Times Theatre Awards". Dublin Theatre Online. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
4. "2010 Winners of Irish Times Theatre Awards". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
5. "2010 Nominees for Irish Times Theatre Awards". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
6. Johns, Nathan. "The 25th Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: Owen Roe and Janet Moran win best actors as full list revealed". The Irish Time. Retrieved 6 March 2025.

External links

• Event page for Project Brand New, HERE Arts Center