Dublin Fringe Festival 2019: This year’s award winners

After 16 days and nights and 77 productions, the creative explosion that is Dublin Fringe Festival – you can read all our coverage here – ended on Sunday. The curtain came down on this year's event with the presentation of 15 awards, at Whelan's, on Wexford Street. Here are the winners.

Best production

The Examination by Brokentalkers (Read our review here)

Also shortlisted:
Cuckoo by Jaha Koo
Losing Your Body by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Collapsing Horse
Some Names Were Changed by 15th Oak
Making a Mark by Talking Shop Ensemble and Run of the Mill Theatre

Best design

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (Read our review here)
Lighting design: Sarah-Jane Shiels
Audiovisual design: Eoin Kilkenny
Composition and sound design: Alma Kelliher
Set and prop design: Andrew Clancy

Things We’ve Always Wanted to Tell You review: Thought-provoking look at the Irish class system

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Two Fingers Up review: Unapologetic celebration of female friendship and sexuality

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Symphony of Worms review: Fantasy and confession overlap in a lyrical solo show

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Also shortlisted:
Admin by Oisín McKenna for overall design
Minefield by Clare Monnelly for audiovisual design
Collapsible by Margaret Perry for lighting design
Gym Swim Party by Danielle Galligan and Gavin Kostick for overall design (composition and sound design by Denis Clohessy; lighting design by Aedín Cosgrove; set and costume design by Maree Kearns)
Bodies of Water by Eoghan Carrick, Maeve Stone and Jonah King for audiovisual design
Cuckoo by Jaha Koo for overall design

Best performers

Breffni Holohan for Collapsible (Read our review here)
Willie White for The Examination

Also shortlisted:
Genevieve Hulme-Beaman for A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
Mark Smith for Making a Mark
Tadhg Hickey for In One Eye Out the Other
Oisín McKenna for Admin
Rachel Ní Bhraonáin for Losing Your Body
Natalie Palamides for Nate
Maïa Nunes for Incantation
Nicholas Nwosu for Circus
Deirdre Griffin for Soup

Best ensemble

Villains by Luke Murphy and Attic Projects (Read our review here)

Also shortlisted:
Moop by Game Theory
Sorry Gold by Emily Aoibheann
Ode to a Postcode by Freshly Ground Theatre
We Are Lightning! by Joseph O'Farrell and Sam Halmarack, performed by The St James' Brass and Reed Band, Zombie Dolls, The High Hopes Choir and The Line-Up Choir

Judges’ choice

These awards recognise three winners whose projects or contributions defy categorisation but must be recognised for their brilliance

Incantation by Maïa Nunes
Making a Mark by Talking Shop Ensemble and Run of the Mill Theatre (Read our review here)
We Are Lightning! by Joseph O'Farrell and Sam Halmarack, performed by The St James' Brass and Reed Band, Zombie Dolls, The High Hopes Choir and The Line-Up Choir (Read our review here)

Also shortlisted:
Sauce, from Ciara Elizabeth Smyth and Camille Lucy Ross
Losing Your Body by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
In One Eye Out the Other by Tadhg Hickey
Some Names Were Changed by 15th Oak Productions

Fishamble new writing

Honouring the best new play by a new or emerging Irish (or Ireland-based) writer premiered during Dublin Fringe Festival. This award includes dramaturgical support, such as a place on one of playwriting courses run by Fishamble: The New Play Company

Collapsible by Margaret Perry

Also shortlisted:
Minefield by Claire Monnelly
Admin by Oisín McKenna
Two Fingers Up by Seón Simpson and Gina Donnelly

First Fortnight

First Fortnight's mission is to challenge prejudice and end stigma about mental-health issues through the creative arts. The winner will perform at the next First Fortnight Festival, in January 2020

Admin by Oisín McKenna (Read our review here)

Also shortlisted:
In One Eye Out the Other by Tadhg Hickey
Collapsible by Ellie Keel Productions
Minefield by Clare Monnelly

Next Stage Wild Card

Dublin Fringe awards a bursary to enable an artist who has been part of the festival to participate in Next Stage, a development programme run by Dublin Theatre Festival in partnership with Theatre Forum

Rachel Ní Bhraonáin, maker of Losing Your Body

Bewley’s Cafe Theatre Little Gem

This award, for the most exciting fringe show of less than 60 minutes, comes with a two-week run at Bewley's Cafe Theatre, with €2,000 available to the company for remounting the production

Patchwork by Louis Deslis

Also shortlisted:
Sauce from Ciara Elizabeth Smyth and Camille Lucy Ross
Blá Blá Blá… with Special Guests by Bláithín De Burca
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Collapsing Horse
In One Eye Out the Other by Tadhg Hickey

Spirit of Wit: Moira Brady Averill award

Awarded to an artist who is willing to take risks and whose work defies categorisation with bold and unconventional material

Hannah Mamalis for Symphony of Worms (Read our review here)

Also shortlisted:
Sarah Devereux for My Fringe Show
Ciara Elizabeth Smyth for Sauce

Outburst Queer fringe

The winner will be invited to bring their work to Outburst Queer Arts Festival, in Belfast, in November

Gaa Maad! by Áine O'Hara and Vickey Curtis (Read our review here)

Radical spirit

Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival and Project Arts Centre to an Irish artist who is dedicated to making bold contemporary work and who embodies the spirit of Fringe and Project

Comfort Carnival by Club Comfort

Also shortlisted:
Symphony of Worms by Hannah Mamalis
In One Eye Out the Other by Tadgh Hickey
Soup by Deirdre Griffin

Wilde Courage

A €1,000 cash prize for the creator of a brave, one-of-a-kind project with a singular artistic vision

Black Jam by Fried Plantains Collective

Also shortlisted:
Púcaparty by Glitter Hole
Making a Mark by Talking Shop Ensemble and Run of the Mill Theatre
Play Like a Riot Grrrl by Girls Rock Dublin, Other Voices and Kato

London Launchpad

Presented by London Irish Centre and Dublin Fringe Festival with the support of Culture Ireland, this award offers exciting Irish artists a chance to present their work in London

How to Square a Circle by Aisling Ní Cheallaigh and Ronan Brady

Creative Thinking

This award rewards an emerging artist with five weeks of time, space and money for some creative thinking. The recipient receives €3,000, desk space at Fringe HQ, and meetings with and support from the creative teams at the Abbey Theatre and Dublin Fringe Festival

Seón Simpson and Gina Donnelly for Two Fingers Up (Read our review here)

Also shortlisted:
Hannah Mamalis for Symphony of Worms
Jade O'Connor for Things We've Always Wanted to Tell You
Oisín McKenna for Admin