The Irish Times Theatre Awards recognize outstanding achievements in Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 theatre. The awards were founded in 1997 by The Irish Times

The Irish Times

The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...

. It established awards in numerous categories, ranging from design, to acting, to overall production. The goal was to promote adventuresome theatre, both in the Republic

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 and in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, and the awards have become the most prestigious award in its national theatre community. The nominations are announced every January and the awards are presented the following month in a prominent invite-only ceremony. In addition to the awards for specific excellence, the judges also present a special award for leadership in the overall community.

2010 awards

(Winners in bold):

Best Actor

• Louis Lovett, as B and Brian in B For Baby at the Abbey Theatre
  Abbey Theatre
  The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
  
  
  
• Malcolm Adams, as Tim Hartigan in Slattery's Sago Saga
  
• Marty Rea, as Hamlet in Hamlet
  
• Karl Shiels, as Quinn in Penelope

Best Actress

• Olwen Fouéré, as the woman in Sodome, My Love
  
• Hilary O'Shaughnessy, as the tour guide in Berlin Love Tour
  
• Eileen Wlash, as Medea in Medea
  
• Aoife Duffin, as Winnie Butler in Christ Deliver Us!

Best Supporting Actor

• Laurence Kinlan, as Mossy Lannigan in Christ Deliver Us!
  
• Joe Hanley, as Fluther Good in The Plough and the Stars
  
• Ronan Leahy, as Tutor/Messenger in Medea
  
• Conor MacNeill, as Lyokha in Plasticine
  

Best Supporting Actress

• Andrea Irvine, as Lady Macduff in Macbeth
  
• Eleanor Methven, as Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest
  
• Karen Ardiff, as Mrs Cregan and Sheelagh Mann in The Colleen Bawn
  
• Brid Brennan, as Madge in Philadelphia, Here I Come!
  

Best Director

• Selina Cartmell, for Medea, produced by Siren Productions
  
• Jo Mangan, for Slattery's Sago Saga, produced by Performance Corporation
  
• Wayne Jordan, for Christ Deliver Us!, produced by the Abbey Theatre
  
• Rachel O'Riordan, for Over the Bridge, produced by Green Shoot Productions
  

Best Set

• Aedin Cosgrvoe, for The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane
  
• John Comiskey, for Sodome My Love
  
• Tom Pye, for John Gabriel Borkman

Best Costumes

• Bláithin Sheerin, for Phaedra
  
• Joan Bergin, for John Gabriel Borkman
  
• Miriam Duffy, for The Birthday of the Infanta

Best Lighting

• Paul Keogan, for Plasticine
  
• Sinéad Wallace, for Happy Days
  
• Sinéad McKenna, for Medea

Best Sound

• Dennis Clohessy, for Sodome My Love
  
• Ellen Cranitch, for Phaedra
  
• Philip Stewart, for The Early Bird
  

Best Production

• Pan Pan Theatre, for The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane
  
• Siren Productions, for Medea
  
• Anu Productions
  Anu Productions
  ANU Productions is a theatre company based in Dublin, Ireland, It exists to create an artistically open working environment where artists can both investigate their individual practice and collaborate together.- The company :...
  
  , for World's End Lane
  
• Rough Magic Theatre Company, for Phaedra
  

Best New Play

• What's Left of the Flag, by Jimmy Murphy
  Jimmy Murphy (playwright)
  Jimmy Murphy is an Irish playwright living in Dublin.He is a former writer in residence at NUI Maynooth , a member of the Abbey Theatre’s Advisory Council and a recipient of three Bursaries in literature from the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. He is a member of Aosdána.Murphy was born to Irish...
  
  
  
• Slaterry's Sago Saga, by Arthur Riordan
  
• National Anthem, by Colin Bateman
  
• B for Baby, by Carmel Winters

Best Opera Production

• Opera Ireland, for Roméo et Juliette, by Charles Gounod
  
• Opera Theatre Company, for The Diary of Anne Frank, by Grigory Frid
  
• Wexford Festival Opera, for Virginia, by Saverio Mercadante
  
• Dumbworld/Brian Irvine Ensemble, for Postcards from Dumbworld, by Brian Irvine
  

Judges Special Award

• Project Brand New
  
• Theatre Upstairs
  
• Carysfort Press
  
• Louise Lowe/Anu Productions

External links

• Theatres Awards at The Irish Times
  The Irish Times
  The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
  
  
• Event page for Project Brand New, HERE Arts Center
  HERE Arts Center
  HERE Arts Center is a New York City based off-off broadway presenting house, founded in 1993, with two stages specializing in hybrid performance, dance, theater, multi-media and puppetry. From 1993-2009, HERE supported over 12,000 artists and served approximately 950,000 audience members...