Druid scoops yet another national award for trilogy

Date Published: 25-Feb-2013

BY JUDY MURPHY

Druid Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of DruidMurphy – consisting of three plays by Tom Murphy – has won Best Production at this year’s Irish Times Theatre Awards, held in Dublin on Sunday night.

At the same event, Druid co-founder Marie Mullen was presented with the judges’ Special Tribute award, in recognition of her contribution to Irish theatre down through the years.

DruidMurphy – made up of Conversations on a Homecoming, A Whistle in the Dark and Famine – was named best production at the ceremony held in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham.

The title of Best Supporting Actor went to Aaron Monaghan as Liam in Conversations on a Homecoming and Best Supporting Actress went to Marie Mullen as Missus in the same play.

Tuam -born Tom Murphy, who attended the awards ceremony, was profoundly moved when he received a standing ovation in recognition of his achievement.

Another of his plays, The House, which was produced by the Abbey Theatre, also scooped several awards. Loughrea actor Declan Conlan received Best Actor award for playing Christy in that drama, while Annabelle Comyn was honoured with the Best Director Award for the Abbey production.

Declan Conlon beat a strong Druid contingent to take the award, including Marty Rea, who was up for A Whistle in the Dark and Garrett Lombard, who had been nominated for Conversations on a Homecoming.

And another gong came to Galway courtesy of Little John Nee’s play, Sparkplug, which premiered at last year’s Dublin’s Absolut Fringe Festival. Little John took home the award for Best Sound Design for this production.

Other Galway companies were represented at the awards, including Blue Teapot, which offers actors with an intellectual disability the opportunity to perform professional works. Blue Teapot Theatre Company was nominated in the Judges Special Awards category; the award went to Karl Shields of Dublin’s Theatre Upstairs.

Decadent Theatre’s Andrew Flynn was nominated in the Best Director category for his production of Conor McPherson’s Port Authority.

Mephisto Theatre’s Grace Kiely received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance in Marina Carr’s drama, The Mai.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.