The death has been announced of the award-winning theatre designer Monica Frawley.
Dublin-based Monica Frawley, who was 65, designed the premiere productions for many Irish dramatists including Brian Friel, Tom Murphy, Frank McGuiness, and Marina Carr.
The Abbey Theatre described her today as fearless, inspirational, and groundbreaking.
It is with immense sadness that we mark the passing of the fearless, inspirational and ground-breaking designer Monica Frawley. She broke the mould.
— Abbey Theatre (@AbbeyTheatre) February 14, 2020
Pictured is one of Monica's designs, Marina Carr's By the Bog of Cats, 1998, with Olwen Fouéré and Tom Hickey. Image: Amelia Stein pic.twitter.com/yXtXu5WWWR
Frawley trained at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and the Central School of Art and Design, London. She worked as a designer with a number of major theatres, including the Abbey Theatre, the Gate Theatre, Druid Theatre Company, Galway, The Lyric, Belfast, The Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis), Opera Ireland and many theatres in the U.K., including the National Theatre, London, the Tricycle Theatre, London and the Traverse in Edinburgh.
Heartbroken at the passing of Monica Frawley, a great friend and collaborator. She was a true and courageous artist. My thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/QxB6ZWLsnJ
— Selina Cartmell (@cartmell_selina) February 14, 2020
She received multiple awards for her work and was last year presented with the Judges Special Award at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, in acknowledgement of her innovative and illustrious career.
Watch: Monica Frawley on inspiration
She won a London Time Out Theatre Award for At The Black Pigs Dyke for Druid Theatre Company, an Irish Times Best Costume Design award for The Taming of the Shrew for Rough Magic Theatre Company and an Irish Times Best Set Design award for Heavenly Bodies, for the Abbey Theatre.
She is survived by her husband, Vincent Woods, and extended family.
