Whatever Michael Colgan might try and tell you, scaffolding is definitely not the new black for theatre facades - when the first night crowd arrived for An Ideal Husband at the Gate theatre on Tuesday, they were more than a little surprised to see that venerable theatre looking a little like the dowdy cousin of the Georges Pompidou Centre. Apparently, the idea is to get the outside of the theatre cleaned while the stretch in the evenings allows for long working days (so the Corpo obviously isn't involved then), but there are also plans afoot to improve the look and the size of the entrance to the theatre - to elongate the Gate's gate, as it were.
Regardless of the casual dress adopted by the theatre, a good-sized crowd turned up to check out a Wilde play that is almost - gasp - serious. As actress Jeananne Crowley played one of the lead roles, it was no surprise that most of her set - who have been close friends since college days - were there to cheer her on.
Singer Chris de Burgh was there with wife Diane, and her sister, painter Susan Morley, was there with husband, food writer Paolo Tullio. Meanwhile Principal Management's Paul McGuinness came along with wife Kathy Gilfillan - more than a few raised eyebrows were caused by the intense conversation he had mid-auditorium with the new theatrical agent in town, Justin Moore-Lewy, managing director of ICM - plans afoot?
The town's other agent, Lisa Richards, also came along on the night. A bit of a busman's holiday really, as the place was bursting with actors, including Liam Cunningham, whose most recent film, A Love Divided, continues to rake 'em in; Cathy Belton, fresh from Making History at the Peacock; Barry McGovern with partner, journalist Medb Ruane; and Stephen Brennan, who was perhaps keeping an eye on the young pretender to the throne - and Brennan lookalike - Risteard Cooper, who stole the show in the role of Lord Goring.
Poet Brendan Kennelly added a literary touch to the evening while the film world was represented by director Michael Lindsey-Hogg and his partner, Lisa Tichner, who flew home from work on a film project in New York following the death of his father. Others there for the first night included Lynne Parker and Loughlin Deegan of Rough Magic; playwright Bernard Farrell, whose new play, The Spirit of Annie Ross opens at the Dublin Theatre Festival in the autumn; Eithne Healy, the outgoing chairwoman of that festival, and the latest addition to Ireland's movie star gang after the success of Waking Ned, actor David Kelly, looking natty in a bow tie.