Conor McPherson leads tributes to Tony-winning Irish actor

PLAYWRIGHT CONOR McPherson has led tributes to actor Jim Norton who won a prestigious Tony award in New York on Sunday night.

McPherson was critical, however, of the lack of training facilities for aspiring theatre actors and directors in Ireland, saying they were a "wonderful but neglected resource".

Norton received the Tony in the category of best performance by a featured actor in a play, for his portrayal of Richard Harkin in McPherson's play, The Seafarer.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Norton said he had found the role demanding: "He was blind and a drunk who fell down a lot, so I spent a lot of time at the gym and with the physical therapist. I was covered in bruises at the end of it."

McPherson said he was "delighted for Jim" and described the award as "well-deserved". "Jim is incredibly talented and workmanlike in his attitude. He has a wonderful voice, is a great theatre instrument and very powerful weapon to have in your armoury."

Speaking to The Irish Times, McPherson said the award showed how Ireland punched "above its weight" on the international theatre stage. However, he added that Ireland was "in danger of letting this resource slip away when you consider that there is almost nowhere for young actors or directors to train in Ireland. The Trinity school is gone. The Abbey school is gone. The Gaiety school is there but it's small, and there is nowhere for directors to train."

Minister for Arts Martin Cullen said he was anxious to address the issue of access to theatre training.

A spokeswoman for the Minister said he was "engaged with the issue" and was considering a report from Trinity College Dublin's forum on theatre training.

Michael Colgan, director of the Gate Theatre, said McPherson was "100 per cent right" and there was a "real problem in theatre training in this country".

"We need something like the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Australia or something to challenge Rada [the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art] in London," he said.