The judges give their verdicts on a year in theatre to Arminta Wallace
Judges on awards panels rarely see eye to eye on everything, but on one thing the three judges of The Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Awards for 2003 are unanimous: it was not a vintage year for theatre in Ireland. "A year of peaks and troughs," is how Maureen Kennelly, chairwoman of the judging panel, sums it up. She has been a judge for two years in a row. "Overall, I would have to say that 2003 wasn't as good as 2002. It struck me as rather a safe year, with a marked absence of shows which set out to challenge the audience."
However, the judges created a special award category to accommodate those elements of theatrical production which simply didn't fit into existing shortlist categories. "We have a special category for shows which either integrated multimedia elements in a very successful way, or fell between different categories, such as dance, theatre," says Helen Meany.
"The whole design aspect of theatre in Ireland has certainly improved," adds Phelim Donlon. "There are some people who are working in a very creative way in terms of design, be it set design or sound design, which in many cases is becoming quite integral to the work."
Perhaps the most striking feature of the shortlist is the dearth of nominations in the opera category - just two opera productions have been nominated instead of four. "There was a significantly smaller field of full opera productions from which to choose," says Donlon. "We are confident that the two we have nominated are of an acceptable standard, but nevertheless it's a 50 per cent reduction on last year, which is a pity."
At the other end of the theatrical scale, Donlon notes a concomitant increase in the number of one-person shows. "Have we seen rather too many of these, I wonder? It's hard to know whether it's an economic or an artistic decision. Sometimes there's compelling artistic evidence that a work can only be done in that particular way - but too often it seems forced."
For Meany, one of the most disappointing aspects of the year was the relative lack of innovative theatre outside the capital. "Outside of Dublin city, there was a marked concentration on revivals, which is pretty unexciting." Whether this was due to Arts Council funding cutbacks is questionable, since many of those shows would already have been in the pipeline before the cuts took effect. "But there was a lot less touring - and that is a funding issue," she says.
If there is one area in which Irish theatre is positively vibrant, say the judges, it is that of performance. "We saw some quite exceptional acting this year," says Donlon. "Performances which, in another year, would have earned nominations for best actor/actress, or best supporting actor/actress, had to be left out altogether. It was really difficult to choose. Actors seem to be genuinely interested in upgrading their skills and acquiring new skills."
While established training courses are playing their part, Kennelly also points to an increase in international masterclasses as a factor.
In contrast, the absence of recognised directorial training appears to be creating problems. "The lack of training for directors is very much on all our minds," says Meany. "Every theatre professional would agree that there is a crying need for rigorous training courses in this field - not just for young directors coming on stream, but even for people who are in mid-career but who are seeking to extend their range." Donlon suggests that such training might include a mentorship programme under which young directors would work alongside established colleagues. "To throw a young and relatively inexperienced director into a situation where they haven't had the opportunity to learn their craft is very unfair," he says.
Such, apparently, is also the position which pertains to young playwrights - often with dismaying results. "It was not a good year for new writing," says Meany. "There's a tendency to over-praise new writers in the search for the Great New Irish Playwright; there's also a tendency for companies to present new writing before it's ready to be staged. Writers need nurturing. In a publishing house, they'd get that, but the same process doesn't seem to be applied to theatre. They also need dramaturgical support before the work goes into performance, and there's definitely not enough of that."
The Dublin Fringe Festival would usually be the showcase for both new writing and new, young directors, she says. "That's where you would expect to see some innovation and excitement, even though people are doing productions on a shoestring - but all three of us found this year's Fringe to be very, very disappointing. As a barometer of what's up and coming, it was not heartening. Of course, these things go in cycles and it wouldn't do to be too gloomy."
Looking back over a year of theatre, the judges say they often found themselves puzzled by the choice of production. "In many cases," says Meany, "we found ourselves asking - why? Some of these plays are hardly crying out to be staged." The honourable exception to this was a number of well-informed, well-crafted plays aimed at children - not just from specialist companies but right across the board - and the presentation of a number of plays by non-Irish writers, which had never been staged in Ireland before.
"But," concludes Meany, "audiences need to have their imagination caught. The question needs to be asked. What's going to bring people into the theatre - and keep them coming back?"
The Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Awards will be presented to the winners in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin, on Sunday, February 15th. Highlights of the awards ceremony will be shown on RTÉ 1.
The shortlist
Best Actor
Richard Dormer: As Pyper in the Lyric Theatre production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, by Frank McGuinness
David Heap: As Foster in the Abbey Theatre production for the Dublin Fringe Festival of The Race of the Ark Tattoo, by David Hancock
Frankie McCafferty: As Dinzie Conlee in the Druid Theatre production of Sharon's Grave, by John B. Keane
Frank McCusker: As Gregors Werle in the Abbey Theatre production of The Wild Duck. by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Frank McGuinness, at the Peacock.
Best Supporting Actor
Keith Dunphy: As George Hastings in the Abbey Theatre production of She Stoops To Conquer, by Oliver Goldsmith
Frankie McCafferty: As Moore in the Lyric Theatre production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, by Frank McGuinness
Chris McHallem: As Dr Relling in the Abbey Theatre production of The Wild Duck, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Frank McGuinness, at the Peacock
Aaron Monaghan: As Tony Lumpkin in the Abbey Theatre production of She Stoops To Conquer, by Oliver Goldsmith.
Best ActressHelen Carey: As Kate Keller in the Abbey Theatre production of All My Sons, by Arthur Miller
Sara Kestelman: As Nell Jeffrey in the Abbey Theatre production of The Shape of Metal, by Thomas Kilroy
Simone Kirby: As Mae in the Corn Exchange production of Mud, by María Irene Fornés
Lia Williams: As Alma Winemiller in the Gate Theatre production of Eccentricities of a Nightingale, by Tennessee Williams
Best Supporting Actress
Andrea Irvine: As Martirio in the Abbey Theatre production of The House Of Bernarda Alba, by Federico García Lorca, adapted by Sebastian Barry
Ruth McCabe: As Poncia in the Abbey Theatre production of The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca, adapted by Sebastian Barry
Justine Mitchell: As Claire in the Abbey Theatre production of Aristocrats, by Brian Friel and for her role as Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, by Oliver Goldsmith, also at the Abbey
Judith Roddy: As Hedvig in the Abbey Theatre production of The Wild Duck, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Frank McGuinness, at the Peacock.
Best Production
The Abbey Theatre: For The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Frank McGuinness and directed by László Marton, at the Peacock.
The Ark: For The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, adapted by Jocelyn Clarke from the book written by Neil Gaiman and directed by Eric Fraad and Liz Roche.
The Corn Exchange: For Mud by María Irene Fornés, directed by Annie Ryan.
The Abbey Theatre: For She Stoops to Conquer, by Oliver Goldsmith and directed by Patrick Mason.
Best Director
Lazlo Marton: For the Abbey Theatre production of The Wild Duck, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Frank McGuinness, at the Peacock.
Patrick Mason: For the Abbey Theatre production of She Stoops to Conquer, Oliver Goldsmith
Joe O'Byrne: For the Kilkenny Arts Festival production of De Profundis, adapted from the Oscar Wilde work
Annie Ryan: For the Corn Exchange production of Mud, by María Irene Fornés.
Best Opera Production
The Opera Theatre Company/ Genesis Opera Project: For the co-production with Almedia Aldeburgh Opera of Thwaite, by Jürgen Simpson and Simon Doyle, and directed by Dan Jemmett.
Wexford Festival Opera: For Svanda Dudak, by Jaromir Weinberger, directed by Daminao Michieletto.
Best New PlayGerard Mannix Flynn: For James X, which was produced by Far Cry Productions
Alex Johnston: For Entertainment, which was produced by Bedrock Productions
Thomas Kilroy: For The Shape of Metal, which was produced by the Abbey Theatre
Mark O'Rowe: For Crestfall, which was produced by the Gate Theatre.
Best Designer: Set
Dick Bird: For the Opera Theatre Company/Genesis Opera Project co-production with Almeida Aldeburgh Opera of Thwaite, by Jürgen Simpson and Simon Doyle and Opera Theatre Company's Cinderella, by Rossini
David Craig: For the Castleward Opera production of La Rondine, by Puccini
Sabine Dargent: For the Lyric Theatre production of Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Conall Morrison
Francis O'Connor: For the Gate Theatre production of Crestfall, by Mark O'Rowe and for the Druid production of Sharon's Grave, by John B. Keane
Best Designer: Lighting
Paul Keogan: For the Abbey Theatre production of The Wild Duck, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Frank McGuinness, at the Peacock and for Rough Magic's Olga, by Laura Ruohonen
Sinéad McKenna: For the Gúna Nua/One Productions production of Skin Deep, by Paul Meade
Rupert Murray: For the Gate Theatre production of Crestfall, by Mark O'Rowe
Conleth White: For the Lyric Theatre production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, by Frank McGuinness.
Best Designer: Costume
Dick Bird: For Opera Theatre/Genesis Opera Project co-production with Almeida Aldeburgh Opera of Thwaite, by Jürgen Simpson and Simon Doyle
Sinead Cuthbert: For the Second Age/Theatreworks production of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare.
Monica Frawley: For the B*spoke Theatre Company/Galway Arts Festival production of The Drunkard, by Tom Murphy
Robin Rawstorne: For the Wexford Festival Opera production of Svanda Dudak, by Jaromír Weinberger
Judges' Special Award
Paul Arditti: For his evocative and chilling sound design on Crestfall, by Mark O'Rowe, at the Gate Theatre
Dublin Theatre Festival and Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre: For their production of Giselle, which wonderfully fused dance and theatre.
Gúna Nua/One Productions: For the innovative use of multimedia in their production of Skin Deep, by Paul Meade.
Theatre Shop: For www.irishplayography.com, the comprehensive on-line catalogue of all new plays produced in Ireland since 1975.