THE IRISH TIMES IRISH THEATRE AWARDS:"THEATRE CORRESPONDS to the human experience in a way that nothing does," Lynne Parker, artistic director of Rough Magic Theatre Company, told a room full of members of Ireland's theatre community as she accepted a special tribute award at the Irish Times Theatre Awards last night. "At this particular time, it has never been more important," she said.
Parker, who co-founded Rough Magic in 1984, highlighted the importance of the arts, and theatre in particular, at a time of economic and social change. “I think we have the chance to do something enormous, which is to reposition art and the theatre as a central force in the making of our nation,” said the Belfast-born director and producer.
“Though I don’t think theatre necessarily has to be political, I think its observation of humanity can help strengthen the health of our politics.”
Parker, whose work with Rough Magic has included Copenhagen, Improbable Frequency, The Taming of the Shrew and Don Carlos, was presented with her award by actor Pauline McLynn, who recalled her first meeting with Parker at Trinity College Players in 1979: “We loathed one another.”
Their mutual animosity was nowhere in evidence last night, however, as McLynn paid tribute to “an amazingly talented, fearless artist” whose theatre company Rough Magic brought “a breath of fresh and anarchic air into the Irish theatre scene” when it was established 25 years ago.
While praising Parker’s achievements in theatre – “When you go to a Lynne Parker production, you can expect excellence” – McLynn painted a colourful portrait of her “practical yet witty” long-time friend through anecdotes from their cash-strapped student days, when Parker would go shopping “a small young woman in a long coat with big pockets”.
Apart from her “impressive collection of red lipstick” and a shoe collection that kept her theatre company shod for years, McLynn highlighted Parker’s modesty, calling her “a woman clinically unable to take personal praise”.
Yet praise came from all quarters on Sunday night. A video montage was shown of friends and colleagues, including writer Anne Enright, actors Ingrid Craigie and Owen Roe, and playwright Tom Murphy, who all paid tribute to Parker’s contribution to theatre in Ireland.
When Parker finally took to the stage to a standing ovation, she was keen to remind those who had leapt to their feet to applaud her that she was “standing on a lot of people’s shoulders”.
Quoting from her late uncle, Irish Times columnist and playwright Stewart Parker, she reminded those present that “it falls to the artist to construct a working model of wholeness” during difficult times. To an assembly of artists, her message was clear: “We can actually make this country better – I believe that.”