THE IRISH TIMES IRISH THEATRE AWARDS:IT WAS, according to comperes Mark O'Regan and Michael James Ford, "a cosy get-together for friends and family to reflect on another fascinating theatrical year and to ponder the implications of the Great Crunch".
With such a bold invocation to the gods of the flailing economy, the 12th Irish Times Theatre Awards got under way.
The evening’s two emcees followed up with their countdown of the 10 Most Significant Moments in Irish Theatre in 2008. These included the publication of Ben Barnes’s diaries, which prompted a “dramatic reconstruction” of a conversation between Barnes and Patrick Mason, the latter played by a pursed-lipped James Ford; the new wing of the Gate Theatre, illustrated by a picture of a Berlusconi-esque Michael Colgan surrounded by an “inner cabinet” of glamorous models; and the Waiting for Godot tour, depicted with a frenzied following which drew comparisons to Beatlemania from the evening’s hosts.
All this and a round of “Pinter or Piffle”, where actor Mark Lambert was called upon to recognise a line from the late, great playwright or call the bluff of James Ford and O’Regan and declare it “piffle”, a task he carried off with remarkable aplomb.
And so began what the hosts referred to as the “first awards night of the recession era”; yet despite their bemoaning the lack of designer dresses in these penny-pinching times, there was plenty of glam in sight as actors, directors, producers and playwrights all donned their finery for an evening of celebration.
“It’s the only social event in the year where everybody from this business arrives, dresses up and celebrates what we’ve being doing the previous year,” said the new Arts Council chairwoman Pat Moylan.
“There’s a sense of celebration,” said Jason Byrne, artistic director of Loose Canon Theatre Company, who picked up the award for best production on the night. “I’m sure that there’s plenty of behind-the-scenes tension and backbiting, but it’s great for the community to get together and for everybody to be united once a year.”
Glad rags donned and grievances aside, members of Ireland’s theatre community rallied in force. As the Abbey Theatre’s artistic director Fiach MacConghail pointed out, the theatre awards “remind us that we are a very strong industry, and a very strong community”.
So strong, in fact, that some of the key names were missing in action, with Irish shows running in New York and London making it hard for a few award winners to make it back to pick up their gongs. “The success of Irish theatre is indicated by the fact that I had to go up and collect awards [for others],” said Garry Hynes, artistic director of Druid Theatre Company, who added her own defence of the arts. “I believe that the performing arts are even more important than they were in the good times, and my plea to the Government is to recognise that we are not surplus to requirements.”
Despite such sober reminders of the difficult year ahead, any sense of gloom was quickly dissipated by an upbeat ambience.
After all, as director Jimmy Fay pointed out, strong audiences indicate that theatre is in a defiantly healthy state these days. “I think it’s because people are concerned, and they want to engage in the arts,” he said.
His optimism was echoed by Culture Ireland’s Eugene Downes, who pointed to the international recognition currently being garnered by Irish theatre. “What we’ve been seeing internationally over the last year is that the worldwide recognition of the work Irish theatre companies are doing is at a higher level than it ever was before,” he said.
Which would come as no surprise to actor Derbhle Crotty, winner of the best actress award, who commended “all the talent in the room, and all the friendship”.
Old friends Pavilion Theatre director Martin Murphy, actor and novelist Pauline McLynn, Rough Magic Theatre director Lynne Parker and costume designer Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh mingled with some new faces. Among the latter was Aoibheann O’Hara, radiant in an Adolfo Dominguez dress, a first-timer at the annual event. “It’s a room full of people who care what’s going on,” said O’Hara. “There’s a gorgeous atmosphere.”
Her words were borne out by novelist Anne Enright, who paid tribute to Ireland’s close-knit theatre community. “It’s always been a special, particular community in Dublin life,” she said. “It goes back 100 years. The luvvies always recognise each other, and you’ve always got this family around you.”
Other family members in attendance on Sunday night included actors Ingrid Craigie, Don Wycherley, Susan Fitzgerald, Barry McGovern, Bairbre Ní Chaoimh, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, winner of the best actor award; as well as playwrights Abbie Spallen and Michael Harding; Gate Theatre director Michael Colgan; Fringe Festival director Róise Goan, and Dublin Theatre Festival director Loughlin Deegan. Also present were assistant secretary at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism Niall Ó Donnchú; set designer Joe Vanek; Tania Banotti, chief executive of Theatre Forum Ireland; and Paul Hennessy, chairman of Wexford Festival Opera, who accepted their award for best opera.