The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards recognise outstanding achievements in Irish theatre.
History The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards were established in 1997 by The Irish Times to recognise excellence in professional theatre across the island of Ireland. The awards were conceived to reflect the full breadth of theatrical practice, encompassing productions in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and covering a wide range of disciplines including acting, directing, design, and new writing.
From their inception, the awards have aimed to support and promote innovative and adventurous theatre, with particular emphasis on new Irish work and emerging talent. Productions staged in major venues such as Abbey Theatre and Gate Theatre, as well as those in smaller independent theatres and festivals, are considered eligible.
The judging panel is composed annually of theatre critics and cultural commentators, who attend productions throughout the year before compiling a shortlist of nominees.
Description The awards recognise achievement across multiple categories, typically including Best Production, Best Director, Best Actor and Actress in leading and supporting roles, as well as awards for set, costume, lighting, and sound design. In addition to these categories, the judges may offer a Special Award to honour outstanding contribution or leadership within the theatre community.
Nominations are traditionally announced each January, with the ceremony taking place the following month at a high-profile, invitation-only event in Dublin. However, this schedule has occasionally been adjusted; for example, due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 nominations were announced in May 2022, with the ceremony held in June 2022. The awards are widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in Irish theatre, frequently highlighting both established practitioners and emerging artists.
By year
2010 awards
(Winners in bold):
Best Actor Malcolm Adams, as Tim Hartigan in Slattery's Sago Saga Louis Lovett, as B and Brian in B For Baby at the Abbey Theatre Marty Rea, as Hamlet in Hamlet Karl Shiels, as Quinn in Penelope
Best Actress Aoife Duffin, as Winnie Butler in Christ Deliver Us! Olwen Fouéré, as the woman in Sodome, My Love Hilary O'Shaughnessy, as the tour guide in Berlin Love Tour Eileen Walsh, as Medea in Medea
Best Supporting Actor Joe Hanley, as Fluther Good in The Plough and the Stars Laurence Kinlan, as Mossy Lannigan in Christ Deliver Us! Ronan Leahy, as Tutor/Messenger in Medea Conor MacNeill, as Lyokha in Plasticine
Best Supporting Actress Karen Ardiff, as Mrs Cregan and Sheelagh Mann in The Colleen Bawn Brid Brennan, as Madge in Philadelphia, Here I Come! Andrea Irvine, as Lady Macduff in Macbeth Eleanor Methven, as Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest
Best Director Selina Cartmell, for Medea, produced by Siren Productions Wayne Jordan, for Christ Deliver Us!, produced by the Abbey Theatre Jo Mangan, for Slattery's Sago Saga, produced by Performance Corporation Rachel O'Riordan, for Over the Bridge, produced by Green Shoot Productions
Best Set John Comiskey, for Sodome My Love Aedin Cosgrvoe, for The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane Tom Pye, for John Gabriel Borkman
Best Costumes Joan Bergin, for John Gabriel Borkman Miriam Duffy, for The Birthday of the Infanta Bláithin Sheerin, for Phaedra
Best Lighting Paul Keogan, for Plasticine Sinéad McKenna, for Medea Sinéad Wallace, for Happy Days
Best Sound Dennis Clohessy, for Sodome My Love Ellen Cranitch, for Phaedra Philip Stewart, for The Early Bird
Best Production Anu Productions, for World's End Lane Pan Pan Theatre, for The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane Rough Magic, for Phaedra Siren Productions, for Medea
Best New Play B for Baby, by Carmel Winters National Anthem, by Colin Bateman Slaterry's Sago Saga, by Arthur Riordan What's Left of the Flag, by Jimmy Murphy
Best Opera Production Dumbworld/Brian Irvine Ensemble, for Postcards from Dumbworld, by Brian Irvine 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
Judges Special Award Carysfort Press Louise Lowe/Anu Productions Project Brand New Theatre Upstairs
2011 awards (Winners in bold):
Best Actor
Patrick O'Kane as John Proctor in The Crucible Cillian Murphy as Thomas Magill in Misterman Paul Reid as Farrell Blinks in Man of Valour Philip Judge as Older Man in Trade
Best Actress
Charlie Murphy as Eliza in Pygmalion Amy Conroy as Gina Devine in Eternal rising of The Sun Marie Mullen as Woman in Testament Aisling O'Sullivan as Maggie Polpin in Big Maggie
Best Supporting Actor
John Olohan as Byrne in Big Maggie Rory Nolan as Commissioner in The Government Inspector Frankie McCafferty as Ivan in The Seafarer Bob Kelly as Martin O Bonnassa / Osborne O'Loonassa / Gentleman / Others in The Poor Mouth
Best Supporting Actress
Dearbhla Molloy & Ingrid Craigie as Eileen and Kate in The Cripple of Inishmaan Aoife Duffin as Abigail Williams in The Crucible Karen Ardiff as Aase / Green-Clad in Peer Gynt Caitriona Ní Mhurchú as Masha in 16 Possible Glimpses
Best Director
Conall Morrison for The Crucible Louise Lowe for Laundry Niall Henry for The Poor Mouth Gavin Quinn for All That Fall
Best Set
Paul O'Mahony for Pygmalion Jamie Vartan for Misterman Sabine Dargent for The Crucible
Best Costumes
Joan O’Clery for Peer Gynt Peter O'Brien for Pygmalion Gaby Rooney for The Lulu House
Best Lighting
Adam Silverman for Misterman Aedin Cosgrove for All That Fall Ciaran Bagnall for Guidelines
Best Sound
Jimmy Eadie for All That Fall Mel Mercier for Sétanta Carl Kennedy and Tarab for Peer Gynt
Best Production
The Lyric Theatre, Belfast for The Crucible Landmark Productions and Galway Arts Festival for Misterman ANU Productions for Laundry Pan Pan Theatre for All That Fall
Best New Play
Fight Night written by Gavin Kostick and directed by Bryan Burroughs for Rise Productions in association with Bewleys Cafe Theatre No Romance written by Nancy Harris and directed by Wayne Jordan for The Abbey Theatre Trade written by Mark O’Halloran, directed by Tom Creed for Thisispopbaby Silent written by Pat Kinevane, directed by Jim Culleton for Fishamble
Best Opera Production
Opera Theatre Company, for The Magic Flute, by Mozart NI Opera, for Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini Wexford Festival Opera, for La Cour de Celimene, by Ambroise Thomas Wexford Festival Opera , for Maria, by Roman Statkowski
Judges Special Award
Val Sherlock The Lyric Theatre Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre Landmark Productions
2012 awards (Winners in bold):
Best Actor
Declan Conlon as Christy in The House Garrett Lombard as Tom in Conversations on a Homecoming Aaron McCusker as Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest Marty Rea as Michael in A Whistle in the Dark
Best Actress
Cathy Belton as Mary in The House Keeper Caitriona Ennis as Young Girl in The Boys of Foley Street Catherine Walker as Maeve Brennan in The Talk of the Town Eileen Walsh as Betty in A Whistle in the Dark
Best Supporting Actor
Lorcan Cranitch as William Shawn in The Talk of the Town Gavin Drea as Des in A Whistle in the Dark Aaron Monaghan as Liam in Conversations on a Homecoming Owen Roe as Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross
Best Supporting Actress
Jacqueline Boatswain as Mrs Muller in Doubt – A Parable Grace Kiely as Millie in The Mai Eleanor Methven as Mother in The House Marie Mullen as Missus in Conversations on a Homecoming
Best Director
Annabelle Comyn for The House Andrew Flynn for Port Authority Louise Lowe for The Boys of Foley Street Oliver Mears for The Turn of the Screw
Best Set
Joe Vanek for Orfeo Jamie Vartan for A Village Romeo and Juliet Naomi Wilkinson for Alice in Funderland
Best Costumes
Richard Kent for Titanic (Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Enquiry, 1912) Peter O’Brien for The Talk of the Town Lisa Zagone for Pagliacci
Best Lighting
Simon Corder for L’arlesiana Thomas Kluth for The Barber of Seville Nick McCall for The Great Goat Bubble
Best Sound
Carl Kennedy for Doubt - A Parable Little John Nee for Sparkplug Tom Speers for Macklin: Method and Madness
Best Production
Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY for Alice in Funderland AC Productions for Pinter X 4 Druid Theatre Company for DruidMurphy WillFredd Theatre and Absolut Fringe Festival for Farm
Best New Play
Quietly written by Owen McCafferty The House Keeper written by Morna Regan The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle written by Ross Dungan Halcyon Days written by Deirdre Kinahan
Best Opera Production
Pagliacci composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo for Everyman Palace Theatre and Cork Operatic Society The Turn of the Screw composed by Benjamin Britten for Northern Ireland Opera FLÅTPÄCK composed by Tom Lane for Ulysses Opera Theatre A Village Romeo and Juliet composed by Frederick Delius for Wexford Festival Opera
Judges Special Award
Blue Teapot Theatre Company Karl Shiels Stephen Rea Tom Creed and the city of Cork
2013 awards (Winners in bold):
Best Actor
Rhys Dunlop for Punk Rock Ciaran Hinds for Our Few and Evil Days Cillian Murphy for Ballyturk Lewis J. Stadlen for The Price
Best Actress
Sinéad Cusack for Our Few and Evil Days Aoife Duffin for A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing Marie Mullen for Bailegangaire Judith Roddy for Pentecost
Best Supporting Actor
Des Keogh for Dreamland Mark Lambert for Twelfth Night Simon O’Gorman for Sive Ian Toner for Punk Rock
Best Supporting Actress
Caitriona Ennis for Spinning Kate Gilmore for Breathless Bríd Ní Neachtain for Sive Aisling O’Sullivan for Bailegangaire
Best Director
Selina Cartmell for Punk Rock Jimmy Fay for Pentecost Conall Morrison for Sive & She Stoops to Conquer Enda Walsh for Ballyturk
Best Set Design
Paul Wills for Our Few and Evil Days Jamie Vartan for Ballyturk Alyson Cummins for Pentecost Mario Beck for Waiting in Line
Best Sound Design
Carl Kennedy for Mr Foley the Radio Operator Tom Lane & Rob Moloney for Between Trees and Water Fergus O’Hare for Punk Rock and Pentecost Teho Teardo/ Helen Atkinson for Ballyturk
Best Costume Design
Mike Britton for How Many Miles to Babylon Catherine Fay for Breaking Dad and Our Few and Evil Days Niamh Lunny for Heartbreak House Peter O’Brien for An Ideal Husband
Best Lighting Design
Ciaran Bagnall for Pentecost John Comiskey for Sive Adam Silverman for Ballyturk Chahine Yayrovan for The Vortex and Punk Rock
Best Production
Abbey Theatre for Our Few and Evil Days Landmark Productions for Ballyturk Lyric Theatre for Punk Rock Wildebeest Theatre Company for On the Wire
Best New Play
Conservatory by Michael West Dreamland by Jim Nolan The Mariner by Hugo Hamilton Our Few and Evil Days by Mark O’Rowe Petals by Gillian Greer
Best Opera
Der Vampyr by Heinrich Marschner, directed by Michael Barker-Caven and John O’Brien for Everyman and Cork Operatic Society The Rape of Lucretia by Benjamin Britten, directed by Michael Barker-Caven for Irish Youth Opera and Wexford Festival Opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts, directed by Tomer Zvulun for Wexford Festival Opera Macbeth by William Shakespeare, directed by Oliver Mears for Northern Ireland Opera
Judges Special Award
Limerick City of Culture: Former programmers and the current administration for using the city in the most imaginative way to rebrand Limerick as a beacon of artistic endeavour Lyric Theatre: For a consistently high standard of productions in a most welcoming venue The Lir: For producing skilled graduates of a very high calibre