Irish Theatre Awards

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

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]

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]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2024)

(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

(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’Clery for 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

(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

(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

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 the Bog 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 Last Hotel           

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                                    

• Event page for Project Brand New, HERE Arts Center