And the ‘Irish Times’ Irish Theatre Awards nominees are . . .

After hundreds of shows and days of deliberation, here are this year's nominees

Best actor

Mikel Murfi
For his performance in Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, a Michael Keegan-Dolan, Sadler's Wells Theatre London, Colours International Dance Festival, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Dublin Theatre Festival, and Theatre de la Ville, Luxembourg co-production

Marty Rea
For his roles as Vladimir in the Druid production of Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett, and as Iago in the Abbey Theatre production of Othello, by William Shakespeare

Stephen Rea
For his role as Eric in the Abbey Theatre and Royal Court Theatre co-production of Cyprus Avenue, by David Ireland

Owen Roe
For his role as Andre in the Gate Theatre production of Florian Zeller's The Father, in a translation by Christopher Hampton

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Best actress

Barbara Brennan
For her role as Ellen in the Abbey Theatre production of Town is Dead, by Phillip McMahon, music by Raymond Scannell

Caitríona Ennis
For her performance in the WeGetHighOnThis Collective in association with Theatre Upstairs production of Test Dummy, by Caitríona Daly

Marie Mullen
For her role as Mag Folan in the Druid production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, by Martin McDonagh

Aisling O'Sullivan
For her role as Maureen Folan in the Druid production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, by Martin McDonagh

Best supporting actor

Stephen Brennan
For his role as Peter Sorin in The Corn Exchange and Dublin Theatre Festival production of The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov in a new version by Michael West and Annie Ryan

Brian Doherty
For his role as Finbar in the Abbey Theatre's production of The Wake, by Tom Murphy

Rory Nolan
For his role as Pozzo in the Druid production of Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett

Daniel Reardon
For his role in the Brokentalkers production of This Beach, a co-production with the Munich Kammerspiele, the Goethe-Institut Irland presented as part of EUROPOLY at Tiger Dublin Fringe

Best supporting actress

Kate Gilmore
For her role as Katarina in the Abbey Theatre production of Town is Dead, by Phillip McMahon, music by Raymond Scannell

Clare Monnelly
For her role as Mary in the Nomad in association with Livin' Dred Theatre Company production of Bailegangaire, by Tom Murphy

Janet Moran
For her role as Mrs Gogan in the Abbey Theatre production of The Plough and the Stars, by Sean O'Casey

Ali White
For her roles in Rough Magic Theatre Company's production of Northern Star, by Stewart Parker

Best director

Grace Dyas and Barry John O'Connor
For the THEATREclub production of It's Not Over

Sean Holmes
For the Abbey Theatre production of The Plough and the Stars, by Sean O'Casey

Garry Hynes
For the Druid productions of Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett and The Beauty Queen of Leenane, by Martin McDonagh

Michael Keegan-Dolan
For Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, a Michael Keegan-Dolan, Sadler's Wells Theatre London, Colours International Dance Festival, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Dublin Theatre Festival, and Theatre de la Ville, Luxembourg co-production

Best production

Swan Lake/Loch na hEala
A Michael Keegan-Dolan, Sadler's Wells Theatre London, Colours International Dance Festival, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Dublin Theatre Festival, and Theatre de la Ville, Luxembourg co-production

The Father
A Gate Theatre production of Florian Zeller's play, in a translation by Christopher Hampton

The Plough and The Stars
An Abbey Theatre production of Sean O'Casey's play

Waiting for Godot
A Druid production of Samuel Beckett's play

Best set design

Ciaran Bagnall
For the Abbey Theatre, Headlong, Citizens Theatre and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse co-production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, by Frank McGuinness

Alex Lowde
For the Lyric Theatre production of Three Sisters by Lucy Caldwell, in a version of the play by Anton Chekhov

Francis O'Connor
For the Gate Theatre production of Florian Zeller's The Father, in a translation by Christopher Hampton

Jamie Vartan
For the Blue Raincoat Theatre Company production of Shackleton, the Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival production of Arlington [a love story], by Enda Walsh and the Wide Open Opera production of The Barber of Seville, by Gioacchino Rossini

Best lighting design

Zia Bergin-Holly
For the Pan Pan production of The Importance of Nothing, after Oscar Wilde adapted by the ensemble

Hanna Bowe
For the Umbrella Theatre Project production of Glowworm, by Tom Nieboer

Paul Keogan
For the Abbey Theatre, Headlong, Citizens Theatre and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse co-production of of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, by Frank McGuinness and with Aedín Cosgrove for the Corcadorca production of Sacrifice at Easter, by Pat McCabe

Sarah Jane Shiels
For the Abbey Theatre production of Town is Dead, by Phillip McMahon, music by Raymond Scannell

Best sound design

Ben Delaney, Raymond Scannell
For the Abbey Theatre production of Town Is Dead, by Phillip McMahon, with musical director Cathal Synnott

Joe Hunt
For the Blue Raincoat Theatre Company production of Shackleton

Emma Laxton, Stephen Warbeck
For the Abbey Theatre, Headlong, Citizens Theatre and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse co-production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, by Frank McGuinness

Helen Atkinson, Teho Teardo
For Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival's Arlington [a love story] by Enda Walsh

Best costume design

Catherine Fay
For the Abbey Theatre production of Sean O'Casey's The Plough and The Stars

Jonathan Fensom
For the Gate Theatre production of The Heiress, by Ruth & Augustus Goetz, based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James

Joan O'Clery
For the Rough Magic Theatre Company's production of Stewart Parker's Northern Star

Hyemi Shin
For the Michael Keegan-Dolan, Sadler's Wells Theatre London, Colours International Dance Festival, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Dublin Theatre Festival, and Theatre de la Ville, Luxembourg co-production of Swan Lake/Loch na hEala

Best new play

Cyprus Avenue
By David Ireland, produced by the Abbey Theatre and Royal Court Theatre

Shackleton
By Blue Raincoat Theatre Company, developed with Jocelyn Clarke

Test Dummy
By Caitríona Daly, produced by WeGetHighOnThis Collective in association with Theatre Upstairs

Town Is Dead
By Phillip McMahon, music by Raymond Scannell, produced by the Abbey Theatre

Best opera

Herculanum
Wexford Festival Opera's production of Félicien David's work, presented with the support of Palazzetto Bru Zane

Long Story Short: The Belfast Opera
A Belfast Buildings Trust production featuring a Community Chorus, composed by Neil Martin, libretto by Glenn Patterson

The Barber of Seville
Wide Open Opera's production of Gioacchino Rossini's work

Vanessa
Wexford Festival Opera's production of Samuel Barber's work

Judges’ special award

Anu Productions
For sustained imaginative engagement with the commemoration of 1916 throughout the year

Dublin Fringe Festival, Fishamble and the Irish Theatre Institute
For creating Show in a Bag which has enabled the production of outstanding work such as, in the last year, To Hell in a Handbag and The Humours of Bandon

Nomad Theatre Network
For its ongoing commitment to producing and touring theatre regionally and nationally, most recently with the Livin' Dred Theatre Company's production of Bailegangaire, by Tom Murphy

Theatre Lovett
For the inventiveness of their work, most recently represented in They Called Her Vivaldi, and the company's ongoing contribution to children's theatre

Special tribute

Siobhán Bourke and Jane Daly
For their essential work with the Irish Theatre Institute and long-standing commitment to Irish theatre