The shortlist has been announced for the The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, recognising the best performances and productions in Irish theatre in 2018.
A quartet of acclaimed productions featuring strongly throughout the various categories: The Gate Theatre’s production of Roddy Doyle's The Snapper, a revival of Marina Carr’s On Raftery’s Hill at The Abbey, Druid’s Richard III and Grief is a Thing With Feathers presented by Complicité and Wayward Productions, in association with Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts.
Judges Ella Daly, Catriona Crowe and Paula Shields assembled the shortlist from 150 productions viewed in conventional theatres and site-specific locations throughout the country in 2018.
"The nominated plays managed the difficult balance between ambition and achievement, and brought us high production values, inspired direction and remarkable performances," said the judges in a statement. "Many of this year’s plays dealt with dysfunctional families, an interesting focus as Irish society continues to deal with the uncovering of dark secrets from our collective past."
The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards ceremony takes place on 31st March.
2018 IRISH TIMES IRISH THEATRE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
BEST PRODUCTION
Grief is a Thing with Feathers
Complicité and Wayward Productions, in association with Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival, adapted by Enda Walsh from Max Porter’s novel
How It Is
A Gare St Lazare Ireland / Everyman Theatre production
The Lost O’Casey
An ANU production
Richard III
A Druid Theatre production of Shakespeare’s play, in association with the Abbey Theatre
BEST OPERA PRODUCTION
Il Bravo
A Wexford Festival Opera production of Saverio Mercadante’s work
Dinner at 8
A Wexford Festival Opera production of William Bolcom’s work, co-production with Minnesota Opera and Atlanta Opera WB
Bluebeard’s Castle
An Irish National Opera production of Bela Bartok’s work
The Tales of Hoffman
An Irish National Opera production of Jacques Offenbach’s work
BEST DIRECTOR
Garry Hynes
For Richard III, a Druid Theatre production of Shakespeare’s play, in association with the Abbey Theatre
Roisin McBrinn
For The Snapper, a Gate Theatre production
Catríona McLaughlin
For On Raftery’s Hill, an Abbey Theatre production
Enda Walsh
For Grief is the Thing with Feathers, Complicité and Wayward Productions, in association with Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival
BEST ACTOR
Declan Conlon
For his role as in Come on Home, an Abbey Theatre production
Stephen Dillane
For his role in How it is, a Gare St Lazare Ireland / Everyman Theatre production
Cillian Murphy
For his role as Dad in Grief is a Thing with Feathers, Complicité and Wayward Productions, in association with Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival, adapted by Enda Walsh from Max Porter’s novel
Aaron Monaghan
For his lead role in Richard III, a Druid Theatre production, in association with the Abbey Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Peter Coonan
For his role as Ded Raftery in On Raftery’s Hill, an Abbey Theatre production
John McCarthy
For his role as Valene Connor in The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh, an Everyman Theatre production
Mark Huberman
For his role as Polish Tom in Shelter by Cristín Kehoe, a Druid Theatre production
Owen Roe
For his role as Claudius in Hamlet, a Gate Theatre production
BEST ACTRESS
Maeve Fitzgerald
For her role as Dinah Raftery in On Raftery’s Hill
Hazel Clifford
For her role as Sharon Rabbitte in The Snapper, a Gate Theatre production
Sarah Morris
For her role as Nannie in The Lost O’Casey by ANU Productions
Lauren Larkin
For her role as Majella in Shelter by Cristín Kehoe, a Druid Theatre production
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Zara Devlin
For her role as Sorrel Raftery in On Raftery’s Hill
Aoife Duffin
For her role as Ophelia in Hamlet, a Gate Theatre production
Rebecca O’Mara
For her role as Dee in Furniture by Sonya O’Kelly, a Druid Theatre production
Aisling O’Sullivan
For her role as Stef in Furniture by Sonya O’Kelly, , a Druid Theatre production
BEST SET
Susan Hilferty
For Hamlet, a Gate Theatre production
Francis O’Connor
For Richard III, a Druid Theatre production
Jamie Vartan and Will Duke (video projection)
For Grief is the Thing with Feathers, Complicité and Wayward Productions, in association with Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival
Paul Wills
For The Snapper, a Gate Theatre production
BEST LIGHTING
Aedín Cosgrove
For ELIZA’s Adventures in the Uncanny Valley, a Pan Pan Theatre production
Paul Keogan
For Hamlet, a Gate Theatre production
Sarah Jane Shiels
For FRNKNSTN, a Theatre Lovett production, adapted by Michael West from Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.
Kris Stone
For How It Is, a Gare St Lazare Ireland / Everyman Theatre production
BEST COSTUME
Katie Davenport
For the Irish National Opera production of The Tales of Hoffmann, by Jacques Offenbach
Francis O’Connor and Doreen McKenna
For the Druid Theatre production, in association with the Abbey Theatre, of Richard III
Victoria Tzykun
For the Wexford Opera Festival production of Il Bravo
Paul Wills
For The Snapper, a Gate Theatre production
BEST SOUND
Mary Coughlan, Mongoose and Valgeir Sigurdsson
For Woman Undone, a Brokentalkers production
Joe Hunt
For The School Days of Thaddeus K, a Blue Raincoat production
Mel Mercier
For How It Is, a Gare St Lazare Ireland / Everyman Theatre production
Teho Teardo and Helen Atkinson
For Grief is the Thing with Feathers, by Complicité and Wayward Productions, in association with Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival
BEST MOVEMENT
Justine Cooper
For The Misfits, a Corn Exchange Theatre production
Eddie Kay
For Woman Undone, a Brokentalkers production
Sue Mythen
For The Lost O’Casey, an ANU production
Catherine O’Malley
For ELIZA’s Adventures in the Uncanny Valley, a Pan Pan Theatre production
BEST ENSEMBLE
The Approach
A Landmark Production
The Lost O’Casey
An ANU production
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Rough Magic Theatre / Kilkenny Arts Festival production
Thirst (and Other Bits of Flann)
An Agro Grimace production
BEST NEW PLAY
The Approach
By Mark O’Rowe, a Landmark Production
Come On Home
By Phillip McMahon, an Abbey Theatre production
The Lost O’Casey
An ANU production
Northern Lights
By Stephen Jones, a Theatre Upstairs production
JUDGES’ SPECIAL AWARDS
Edward Beckett has scrupulously, fairly and flexibly stewarded his uncle Samuel Beckett's theatrical legacy since his death, keeping a delicate balance between his uncle's requirements and the desires of companies to re-interpret some of his great works.
John Fairleigh has provided significant support to playwrights and to new Irish writing for the stage, through the Stewart Parker Trust, which he founded in 1989 and of which he remains Chair, also in the fields of editing and publishing, and in his championing of international cultural exchange.
Monica Frawley is one of Ireland's most innovative and original theatre set and costume designers. She has worked with all the major Irish companies over 30 years and has made memorable work for the plays of Tom Murphy, Marina Carr, Brian Friel and Frank McGuinness, among others.
Nicholas Grene and Chris Morash have made an immeasurable contribution to academic writing on theatre in general and contemporary Irish theatre in particular. They have produced many of the core text books on the subject including the Oxford Handbook of Modern Irish Theatre.
Voting for the Audience Choice Prize, which gives the public the opportunity to vote for their favourite Irish theatre performance of 2018, opens on Feb 16 and closes on March 16, via the Irish Times website.
The ceremony takes place on 31st March, at the National Concert Hall in Dublin - tickets for the awards night are on sale from January 22nd via the National Concert Hall website.
