And the winner is: RIOT wins best play at Dublin Fringe festival

The spectacular, angry, funny show RIOT has won the Best Production Award at this year's Tiger Dublin Fringe festival. RIOT, produced by THISISPOPBABY, played to packed houses at the festival's Spiegeltent in Dublin's Merrion Square, and the exuberant, exhilarating show included rap from Emmet Kirwan, electro-pop Irish dance from Up and Over It, comic contortions from the Lords of Strut, a Michael Harding monologue, raunchy acrobatics, and Panti Bliss's charm.

RIOT was a highlight in a festival of highlights, with very positive word on the standard of shows generally on this year's Fringe; witness the high star ratings in reviews on irishtimes.com.

TIGER DUBLIN FRINGE 2016 AWARD WINNERS

BEST PRODUCTION - RIOT BY THISISPOPBABY
Best Production is for "the show, production or event that has it all, displaying excellence in every area of production, design, performance, concept and execution". Read the review here.
Shortlisted nominees for Best Production
Hot Brown Honey presented by Briefs Factory; Nautilus by Trygve Wakenshaw; Bite Me by Joanne McNally; This Beach by Brokentalkers; and Hope Hunt by Oona Doherty.

BEST DESIGN - THIS BEACH BY BROKENTALKERS
For outstanding lighting, sound, scenic, projection, costume or overall design. Brokentalkers wins for Overall Design, Costume and Scenic Design by Sabine Dargent, Lighting Design by Sarah Jane Shiels, Sound Design by Jack Cawley. Read the review here.
Shortlisted nominees for Best Design
Glowworm by Umbrella Theatre Project (production design by Hanna Bowe, sound design by Dylan Tonge Jones, lighting design by John Brennan, Art department - Sue Crawford, Seán Martin, Claudia Lemontea and Niamh Cooke, Corentin West and Gary Maguire); Reassembled, Slightly Askew (creator Shannon Yee and composer/sonic artist Paul Stapleton). Hot Brown Honey (original concept by Lisa Fa'alafi, director, production design, costume design), Candy Bowers and Busty Beatz, lighting design by Paul Lim, set by Tristan Shelly, composer and sound designer Busty Beatz); Start With A Circle by Jack Phelan (sound design/composed by Dunk Murphy); The Perfect Wagner Rite (visual design by Aoibheann Greenan).

BEST PERFORMERS - TRYGVE WAKENSHAW (NAUTILI) AND OONA DOHERTY (HOPE HUNT)
The two performers were selected from 10 nominees. This was formerly given to best male and female performer, but is now broadened to suit all gender identification.
Shortlisted nominees for Best Performer
Emmet Kirwan for RIOT; Margaret McAuliffe for The Humours of Bandon; Sarah Gordon for A Sinkhole in Guatemala; Joanne McNally for Bite Me; Vickey Curtis for Finem Respice; Liz Peterson for Performance about a Woman; Ashleigh Dorrell for Animalia; Jinkx Monsoon for The Vaudevillians

BEST ENSEMBLE - RUSANGANO FAMILY
The award recognises the ensemble as the standout – the key and driving action behind a project or show. Read the review here.
Shortlisted nominees for Best Ensemble
Half Light by Mollie Molumby; Hot Brown Honey presented by Briefs Factory; Hostel 16 by Fionnuala Gygax; The Definitive View with Sneachta Ní Mhurchú by The Brownbread Mixtape.

JUDGES' CHOICE AWARD - VERY RICH HOURS BY TABLETOP
Recognising a project, contributor, experience of Fringe event that defies categorisation and is too good to pass unheralded.
Shortlisted nominees for Judges Choice Award
Reassembled, Slightly Askew by Shannon Yee; George Bush and Children by Dick Walsh Theatre and Pan Pan; Gays Against the Free State by Oisin McKenna.

FISHAMBLE NEW WRITING AWARD - ANIMALIA BY IAN TONER
Honouring the best play by a new or emerging Irish (or Ireland-based) playwright premiered during Fringe, including dramaturgical support (a scholarship for Fishamble's playwriting course or New Play Clinic support). Read the review here.
Shortlisted nominees for Fishamble New Writing Award
Tryst by Finbarr Doyle and Jeda de Brí (Sickle Moon Productions); Coast by Tracy Martin (Red Bear Productions); BlackCatfishMusketeer by Dylan Coburn Gray (Malaprop).

FIRST FORTNIGHT AWARD - HALF LIGHT BY MOLLIE MOLUMBY
An award aiming to challenge stigma and prejudice about mental-health issues in creative arts.
Shortlisted nominees for First Fortnight Award
Reassembled, Slightly Askew by Shannon Yee; Dysmorphin' Time by Davey Reilly; Coast by Red Bear Productions; Bite Me by Joanne McNally.

BEWLEY'S CAFE THEATRE LITTLE GEM AWARD - THE HUMOURS OF BANDON BY MARGARET MCAULIFFE
The lunchtime theatre sponsors the award for the most exciting show under 60 minutes on the Fringe. The winning production earns a two-week run at Bewley's Café Theatre with €2,000 to re-mount the production. Read the review here.
Shortlisted nominees for Bewley's Little Gem Award
Glowworm by Umbrella Theatre Project; The Definitive View with Sneachta Ní Mhurchú by The Brownbread Mixtape; Mimes in Time by DREAMGUN; Animalia by Ian Toner.

NEXT STAGE WILD CARD AWARD - HANNA BOWE (GLOWWORM)
This Dublin Fringe bursary enables an artist to participate in the Next Stage artist development programme run by Dublin Theatre Festival and Theatre Forum. Read the review here.

The 22nd Fringe festival included 73 productions, 412 performances, with 40 world premieres, in 23 venues across Dublin city. Fringe judging panel chairwoman Julie Kelleher said: “We were really impressed by the superb quality of work across the whole programme, whether from well established or emerging artists. We applaud the artists who managed to couple sharp political commentary with a tremendous sense of fun. We felt this has been a vintage year for Dublin Fringe and look forward to seeing more of these shows throughout the coming year, and more from the brilliant artists who made them.”

Artistic director of Tiger Dublin Fringe Kris Nelson: “The quality of work in this year’s festival has blown us away. Fringe has illuminated our city this September with adventurous and brave works from Ireland’s brightest and most exciting creators and some very special international guests. Over 600 artists made our judges’ decisions very difficult this year, and we’re delighted to recognise their extraordinary contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape at the Tiger Dublin Fringe Awards.”

Tiger Dublin Fringe 2016 - panel of judges
Julie Kelleher (Chairwoman of the 2016 Tiger Dublin Fringe Judging panel - Artistic Director, The Everyman, Cork); Caroline Flood (Member of Dublin Youth Theatre & Thornbud Theatre Co / Student of English & Drama, TCD); Conor O'Toole (Comedian); David Tynan (Writer / Director); Gavin McEntee (Director, Theatre-maker; Co-artistic Director & founding member of Conflicted Theatre & also member of BrokenCrow Theatre Co.); Kate O'Sullivan (Communications & Development, Project Arts Centre); Kerrie O'Brien (Award-winning writer and Literary Editor); Kevin Coquelard (Dancer); Lisa Walsh (Actor, Theatre-maker & Facilitator & Founding member of Talking Shop Ensemble; Louise White (Theatre & performance maker); Mark Ball (Theatre-maker, Student & member of Dublin Youth Theatre); Orlaith Ross (Events Manager); Pato Cassinoni (Photographer & Visual Artist); Philip Doherty (Writer & Director - Founder & Creative Director Town Hall Cavan Arts Space); Robyn McQuaid-O'Dwyer (Performance & theatre-maker, writer and dramaturg).