Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, and their co-production of ‘Red’ with Prime Cut Productions, swept the boards at this year’s Irish Times Theatre Awards.
The winners of the annual awards were announced last week at a Gala Ceremony in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, with the Lyric’s co-production with Prime Cut winning four out of seven of its nominations, namely Best Production for ‘Red’, Best Director for Emma Jordan, Best Actor for Patrick O’Kane and Best Set Design for Ciarán Bagnall. Founded in 1997 to recognise outstanding achievements in both the Republic and in Northern Ireland, the awards have become the most prestigious in the national theatre community. The awards for specific excellence range from design, to acting, to overall production.
The Lyric Theatre has been nominated for 29 Irish Times Theatre Awards since 2014, and won more than any other theatre in Ireland, north or south, including the Abbey, Gate, Druid, MAC and Everyman Theatres. Ten of the recent Lyric wins include productions of ‘The Shadow of a Gunman’, ‘The Night Alive’, ‘Punk Rock’, ‘How Many Miles to Babylon’ and ‘Pentecost’. Executive Producer of the Lyric Theatre, Jimmy Fay, commented:
“We here in the Lyric, along with our co-producers Prime Cut, are delighted to have won four significant awards at the Irish Times Theatre Awards. It is a brilliant achievement especially for director Emma Jordon whose vision and passion is constantly inspiring and energising. But also for the fact that these awards are for a production that placed the actual creation of Art at the very centre of its narrative and it showed how companies can work so well together in partnerships in producing work that is significant and part of the broader cultural narrative. These awards are a wonderful boost to the arts in Northern Ireland, show the immense talent and skill that emulates from here, and are a reminder of how important nurturing and investing properly in our artists is and continues to be.”
Gilly Campbell, Arts Development Officer for Drama and Dance, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added: “Congratulations to the Lyric Theatre, Prime Cut Productions, Emma Jordan, Patrick O’Kane and Ciaran Bagnall on their four major wins at the prestigious Irish Time Theatre Awards. As principal funder of both the Lyric Theatre and Prime Cut, we are proud to celebrate the achievements of these clients who are highlighting the tremendous talents of our arts sector.”
This year the Lyric will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on Ridgeway Street, a remarkable achievement for a theatre of its size. It is a testament to the wonderful loyalty, interest and affection that this theatre is held in by its audience. The Lyric will be continuing its relationship with Emma Jordan through its new production of Brian Friel’s ‘Lovers: Winners & Losers.’ Emma Jordan will direct Friel’s bittersweet meditation on love and loss, which has as much to say about Ireland’s shifting social attitudes as it does about love, in May 2018.
For full information on the Lyric’s 50th celebratory programme and how to get involved, check out www.lyrictheatre.co.uk. ‘Lovers: Winners & Losers’ will run from 12 May – 10 June and tickets are now on sale at T: 028 9038 1081 (Prices £10 – £24.50, accessible performances available).
