It was a turn-out of dramatic proportions with playwrights to the right of us and playwrights to the left of us. As the ricotta and spinach roulade and the smoked salmon were passed around among the thespian guests packing the Abbey bar earlier this week, On the Town spotted Tom Murphy, Tom McIntyre, Frank McGuinness, Hugh (though he's Jack to all his friends) Leonard and Bernard Farrell in attendance at the noonhour party, which was organised to herald in a range of announcements and initiatives from Ben Barnes, the national theatre's new artistic director.
Playwrights Marina Carr, Jim Nolan, Donal O'Kelly and Billy Roche were also there. Would Carr be home sitting in front of her PC if she wasn't at this party? "No," she says quietly. "I'd probably be drinking coffee. It's nice to come and meet people."
The socialising continues. Is there no guilt? What about Farrell? "I'm between things," he says. "I'm heading out to California in April for the US premiere of Kevin's Bed." Ah, well, that's alright. What about Wexford-based Roche? Shouldn't he be at home writing, like any playwright worth their salt? "I do have a film script that I'm tapping round and a book of short stories that I'm working on. But it's lovely to come up and meet everybody again," he says.
Actor Eamonn Morrissey looks relaxed. He starts work on a new BBC sit-com in March. Oh, so he's "resting" at the moment? "Oh, you'd never admit to `resting'," he says. "You're always doing something." Now, that's the spirit. Were it not for such an exciting occasion would, should, McGuinness be at work? "Yes. I would be at home writing," he says. Jim Nolan, formerly of the Red Kettle Theatre Company, does look worried. Good. "I have a deadline, I should be working, this is the last place I should be," he says.
A guilty conscience, great. There should be more of that. Enough of this celebrating. As Barnes's speech draws to a close and the applause dies down, actor Tom Hickey whispers "and they're off" to Nolan. And about time too.