Irish Times Theatre Awards 2018 – Winners

While the Brexit debate runs long and hard with talk of hard borders, there is no such debate in the world of theatre as Red was the big winner on the night taking Best Production, Set Design, Actor and Director.

The other big winner was Corcadorca who won awards for Best New Play (The Same), Best Actress (The Same – shared by Catherine Walsh & Eileen Walsh) and Lighting design (Aedín Cosgrove and Paul Keogan). The Great Gatsby at the Gate also won awards for Best Costume Design (Peter O’Brien), Best Supporting Actor (Marty Rea) and Set Design.

Possibly the biggest surprise on the night was the winner of Best Ensemble for a small Dublin based company in Reality:Check for their production of Disco Pigs & Sucking Dublin. Their speech was mostly about how difficult it is for unfunded theatre companies in Ireland.

See the full list below…

BEST PRODUCTION

Red A Prime Cut and Lyric Theatre coproduction of John Logan’s play

Far Away A Corcadorca production of Caryl Churchill’s play

Hamnet A Dead Centre and Abbey Theatre coproduction of Bush Moukarzel, Ben Kidd and William Shakespeare’s play

Woyzeck in Winter A Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival coproduction, based on Georg Büchner’s Woyzeck and Franz Schubert’s Wintereisse, conceived by Conall Morrison

BEST OPERA

The Second Violinist A Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera coproduction; composed by Donnacha Dennehy;libretto by Enda Walsh

Acis and Galatea An Opera Theatre Company production of Handel’s work

Front of House A UlyssesOpera Theatre and Cork Opera House coproduction; composed by Tom Lane; libretto by Lily Akerman

Dubliners A WexfordFestival Opera and Opera Theatre Company coproduction; composed by Andrew Synnott, libretto by Arthur Riordan, adapted from James Joyce’s Dubliners

BEST NEW PLAY

The Same By Enda Walsh, produced by Corcadorca

Hamnet By Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd, produced by Dead Centre and the Abbey Theatre

Charlie’s a Clepto By ClareMonnelly, produced by Axis Ballymun

Class By Iseult Golden and David Horan, produced by Iseult Golden and David Horan

BEST DIRECTOR

Emma Jordan For Prime Cut and Lyric Theatre’s coproduction of Red, by John Logan

Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd For Dead Centre and the Abbey’s coproduction of Hamnet by Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd

Garry Hynes For Druid’s production of King of the Castle by Eugene McCabe

Enda Walsh For Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera’s coproduction of The Second Violinist, by Enda Walsh and Donnacha Dennehy

BEST ACTRESS

Catherine Walsh For her role as Lisa in Corcadorca’s production of The Same, by Enda Walsh

Eileen Walsh For her role as Lisa in Corcadorca’s production of The Same, by Enda Walsh

Katie Honan For her role as Eli in Let the Right One In, adapted by Jack Thorne, in a production by the National Theatre of Scotland by arrangement with Marla Rubin Productions and Bill Kenwright, in association with the Abbey Theatre

Clare Monnelly For her role as Charlie in Axis Ballymun’s production of Charlie’s a Clepto, by Clare Monnelly

BEST ACTOR

Patrick O’Kane For his role as Rothko in Prime Cut and Lyric Theatre’s coproduction of Red, by John Logan, and his role as Woyzeck in Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival’s coproduction of Woyzeck in Winter

Ollie West For his role as Hamnet in Dead Centre and the Abbey Theatre’s coproduction of Hamnet, by Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd

Shane O’Regan For his role as Tommo in Pemberley Productions and Verdant Productions’ coproduction of Private Peaceful, adapted by Simon Reade from Michael Morpurgo’s novel

Aaron Monaghan For his role as Martin in Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera’s coproduction of The Second Violinist by Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh

Robbie O’Connor For his role as Christy in Anu Productions’ staging of Hentown

Best set design: Acis and Galatea, The Great Gatsby, Hamnet, and TheSecond Violinist

BEST ENSEMBLE

Gemma Kane, Honi Cooke, Ethan Dillon, Gordon Quigley, Meg Healy, Michael-David McKernan and Toni O’Rourke In Reality:Check Productions’ staging of Disco Pigs and Sucking Dublin by Enda Walsh

Siobhán Cullen, Kate Stanley Brennan and Amy McElhatton In Druid’s production of Crestfall, by Mark O’Rowe

Louis Lovett, Karen Egan, Gus McDonagh, Paul Reid, Colin Campbell, Caitríona Ennis and Frank Blake In the Abbey Theatre’s presentation of Corn Exchange’s production of Dublin by Lamplight, by Michael West in collaboration with the company

Bryan Burroughs, Faoileann Cunningham, Caitríona Ennis, Donal Gallery, Raymond Keane, Janet Moran, Garrett Lombard and DavidPearse In the Abbey Theatre’s production of Ulysses, adapted by Dermot Bolger

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Rosaleen Linehan For her role as Hurdy Gurdy Man in Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival’s coproduction of Woyzeck in Winter, and for her role as Mags in the Gate Theatre production of The Red Shoes, in a new version byNancy Harris

Marion O’Dwyer For her role as Mrs Nugent in the Gate Theatre production of The Red Shoes, in a new version by Nancy Harris

Clare Dunne For her role as Sylvia in the Gate Theatre production of Tribes, by Nina Raine

Caitríona Ennis For several roles in the Abbey Theatre production of Ulysses, adapted by Dermot Bolger, and for her role as Maggie in Corn Exchange’s production of Dublin by Lamplight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Marty Rea For his role as Nick Carraway in the Gate Theatre production of The Great Gatsby and for his role as Jemmy Maguire in Druid Theatre Company’s production of King of the Castle by Eugene McCabe

Thomas Finnegan For his role as Ken in Prime Cut Productions and the Lyric Theatre’s coproduction of Red, by John Logan

Mark Huberman For his role as Tom Buchanan in the Gate Theatre’s production of The Great Gatsby, adapted by Alexander Wright

BEST SET DESIGN

Ciarán Bagnall For Prime Cut Productions and the Lyric Theatre’s coproduction of Red, by John Logan, and the Gate Theatre production of The Great Gatsby

Paul O’Mahony For OperaTheatre Company’s production of Acis and Galatea and for the Everyman Theatre production of Futureproof, by Lynda Radley

Jamie Vartan For Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival’s coproduction of Woyzeck in Winter and for Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera’s coproduction of The Second Violinist

Andrew Clancy and José Miguel Jiménez For Dead Centre and the Abbey Theatre’s coproduction of Hamnet, by Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Aedín Cosgrove and Paul Keogan For Corcadorca’s production of Far Away, by Caryl Churchill

Ben Ormerod For Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival’s coproduction of Woyzeck in Winter

Ciarán Bagnall For Prime Cut Productions and the Lyric Theatre’s coproduction of Red, by John Logan, and for the Gate Theatre production of The Great Gatsby

Matt Frey For Corn Exchange’s production of Dublin by Lamplight, by Michael West in association with the company

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Peter O’Brien For the Gate Theatre production of The Great Gatsby

Joan O’Clery For Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival’s coproduction of Woyzeck in Winter

Annemarie Woods For Northern Ireland Opera’s production of Radamisto, by Handel

Hannah Clark For Northern Ireland Opera’s production of Così Fan Tutte, by Mozart

BEST SOUNDSCAPE

Mel Mercier For Corcadorca’s production of Far Away, by Caryl Churchill

Alan Darcy For the Abbey Theatre’s production of Two Pints, by Roddy Doyle

Tom Lane For Bram Stoker Festival’s production of Whitby, by Joan Sheehy and Colin Dunne

Ben Delaney For the Abbey Theatre’s production of Jimmy’s Hall

BEST MOVEMENT DIRECTION

Laura Murphy For Bram Stoker Festival’s production of Whitby, by Joan Sheehy and Colin Dunne

Dylan Quinn For the Prime Cut Productions and Lyric Theatre coproduction of Red, by John Logan

Vicky Manderson For the Abbey Theatre’s production of Jimmy’s Hall

Steven Hoggett and Eddie Kay For the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Let the Right One In, by arrangement with Marla Rubin Productions and Bill Kenwright, in association with the Abbey Theatre

JUDGES’ SPECIAL AWARD

Abbey Theatre For Free First Previews, an innovative measure which offers a broader audience increased access to the National Theatre

Rough Magic For the SEEDS programme, a far-sighted initiative in 2001, and its contribution to wide-ranging professional development in the theatre sector

Corcadorca For its commitment to bringing theatre and audiences to unusual locations, the latest of which are old Cork prison in The Same and Spike Island in Far Away

Bewley’s Cafe Theatre For providing space and support for lunchtime theatre in the heart of Dublin city since 1999

SPECIAL TRIBUTE

Eleanor Methven For challenging inequalities in Irish theatre, creating opportunities for positive change and, as a performer, always seeking richer ways to tell a story