The search begins in earnest for the National Theatre's new artistic director. Candidates for Patrick Mason's job "will be artists of considerable stature and experience", in the words of Friday's advertisements, and the successful applicant will take over from him at the end of December, after a hand-over period of a few months.

Three names seem to crop up in any conversation on the subject: Ben Barnes, Fiach MacConghail and Conall Morrison. It's a short list but, of course, it's possible that the successful applicant might come from abroad, assuming that another non-Irish candidate would be deemed acceptable. "In an ideal world, the new A.D. would be Irish, but it's really not an issue," says The Abbey's managing director, Richard Wakely. "We're looking for the candidate of the highest possible calibre, wherever he or she comes from, to lead the company. We are open to applications from theatre professionals of all kinds - whether producers, writers or actors - who have experience, vision, dynamism and confidence."