Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are...

The nominations for this year’s The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards have been announced, which recognise the best performances and productions in Irish theatre in 2014.

Shortlists have been announced across 13 categories. Among the most nominated productions are: GIAF/Landmark’s Ballyturk, by Enda Walsh; the Abbey Theatre’s Our Few and Evil Days, by Mark O’Rowe; and the Lyric Theatre’s Punk Rock, by Simon Stephens. Each has been nominated for six awards. Among the actors nominated are Cillian Murphy, Aoife Duffin, Marie Mullen, Ciaran Hinds and Aisling O’Sullivan.

The three judges for 2014 were: Gerry Smyth, poet and former managing editor of The Irish Times; novelist Liz Nugent; and actor Fergus Cronin. Between them they saw 138 productions in conventional theatres, site-specific locations, promenade performances and even floating venues throughout the country.

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Ballyturk, written and directed by Enda Walsh for Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival

As a former managing editor of The Irish Times, Gerry Smyth founded the awards in 1997 to adjudicate all professional theatre throughout Ireland.

“At the time Irish theatre was going through a great surge, particularly in terms of international recognition, but there was no local recognition for that. The paper decided, because part of its core audience is the theatre audience, to establish the awards. I think one of the things it was welcomed for was to provide Irish theatre with a moment of celebration.”

One discovery of last year, a sixth successive year of diminished State funding for the arts, is not that theatre disappeared but that it was forced to change. “At the beginning of the year I conned myself that there would be a much lower level of activity, because I was so conscious of cuts in arts funding,” says Gerry Smyth. “That didn’t prove to be the case at all.”

This year sees the introduction of a new category: an Audience Choice award, sponsored by An Post. The public can vote for their favourite Irish theatre show of 2014, using entry forms in The Irish Times, or by logging on to irishtimes.com/theatreawards.

This year's Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards ceremony take place on February 22nd, at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. The event will also feature on The Works, on RTÉ One, on February 27th. Tickets for the awards night (€20) will go on sale on January 26th, at nch.ie.

BEST PRODUCTION

Ballyturk, written and directed by Enda Walsh for Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival

Our Few and Evil Days, written and directed by Mark O'Rowe for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

On the Wire, written and performed by Marie Boylan, Mike Finn, Conor Madden, Amanda Minihan and Shane Whisker, directed by Terry O'Donovan  for Wildebeest Theatre Company

Punk Rock, by Simon Stephens, directed by Selina Cartmell for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

BEST DIRECTOR

Jimmy Fay for Pentecost, by Stewart Parker, for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

Conall Morrison for Sive by John B Keane and She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith, for the Abbey Theatre

Enda Walsh for Ballyturk, for Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival

Selina Cartmell for Punk Rock, by Simon Stephens, for the Lyric Theatre

BEST ACTRESS

Judith Roddy as Marian in Pentecost, by Stewart Parker, directed by Jimmy Fay for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

Marie Mullen as Mommo in Bailegangaire, by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre, Galway

Sinéad Cusack as Margaret in Our Few and Evil Days, written and directed by Mark O'Rowe for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Aoife Duffin for A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing, adapted for the stage and directed by Annie Ryan for Corn Exchange

BEST ACTOR

Cillian Murphy in Ballyturk, written and directed by Enda Walsh for Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF)

Rhys Dunlop as William in Punk Rock, by Simon Stephens, directed by Selina Cartmell for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

Lewis J Stadlen as Solomon in The Price, by Arthur Miller, directed by Doug Hughes for the Gate Theatre, Dublin

Ciarán Hinds as Michael in Our Few and Evil Days, written and directed by Mark O'Rowe for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Aisling O'Sullivan as Dolly in Bailegangaire, by Tom Murphy, directed by Garry Hynes for Druid Theatre, Galway

Kate Gilmore in Breathless, by John MacKenna, directed by Iseult Golden for Orion Productions and Danú Theatre

Bríd Ní Neachtain as Nanna Glavin in Sive, by John B Keane, directed by Conall Morrison for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Caitriona Ennis as Annie in Spinning, by Deirdre Kinahan, directed by Jim Culleton for Fishamble The New Play Company

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Des Keogh as the Doc in Dreamland by Jim Nolan for Garter Lane,  Everyman and Project Arts Centre

Simon O'Gorman as Thomasheen Seán Rua in Sive, by John B Keane, for the Abbey Theatre

Mark Lambert as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Ian Toner as Bennett in Punk Rock, by Simon Stephens, for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

BEST NEW PLAY

Dreamland by Jim Nolan for Garter Lane, Everyman and Project Arts Centre

The Mariner by Hugo Hamilton for the Gate Theatre, Dublin

Our Few and Evil Days by Mark O'Rowe for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Conservatory by Michael West for the Peacock Theatre, Dublin

Petals by Gillian Greer for Roadkill Productions and Theatre Upstairs

BEST LIGHTING

Chahine Yavroyan for The Vortex (above) and Punk Rock, for the Gate, Dublin, and Lyric, Belfast

Adam Silverman for Ballyturk, by Enda Walsh, for Landmark Productions/GIAF

John Comiskey for Sive, by John B Keane, at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Ciaran Bagnall for Pentecost, by Stewart Parker, for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

BEST SET DESIGN

Jamie Vartan, for Ballyturk, by Enda Walsh, for Landmark Productions and GIAF

Paul Wills, for Our Few and Evil Days, by Mark O'Rowe, for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Alyson Cummins, for Pentecost, by Stewart Parker, for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

Mario Beck, for Waiting in Line, for the Honest Arts Production Company

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Carl Kennedy, for Mr Foley the Radio Operator, by Frances Kay for Theatre Lovett

Teho Teardo and Helen Atkinson, for Ballyturk, by Enda Walsh, for Landmark Productions/GIAF

Fergus O'Hare, for Punk Rock, by Simon Stephens, and Pentecost, by Stewart Parker, for the Lyric

Tom Lane and Rob Moloney for Between Trees and Water, by Fiona McGeown and Thomas Conway, for Painted Bird Productions

BEST OPERA PRODUCTION

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

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

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Peter O'Brien, for An Ideal Husband, by Oscar Wilde, for the Gate Theatre, Dublin

Niamh Lunny, for Heartbreak House, by George Bernard Shaw, for the Abbey, Dublin

Catherine Fay, for Breaking Dad, by Paul Howard, for Landmark,  and Our Few and Evil Days, by Mark O'Rowe, for the Abbey Theatre

Mike Britton, for How Many Miles to Babylon, by Jennifer Johnston, adapted for stage by Alan Stanford for the Lyric, Belfast

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