ARTSCAPE:GREAT NEWS yesterday for Little Gem, the Gúna Nua production of Elaine Murphy's first play, currently a wow at the Traverse theatre as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which won this year's Carol Tambor Award.
The award will bring the show to New York, covering all costs and expenses, for a run at the off-Broadway Flea Theatre in January, including a showcase for producers at the strategically important arts presenters’ conference Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP).
The award, which sort of replaces the First of the Firsts award at Edinburgh, is a significant one and regarded as the highest award of the Fringe. The winner was chosen by artist Carol Tambor and her foundation, along with Scotsman critics, and the announcement came yesterday at 11am at the weekly ScotsmanFringe Awards at the Assembly @ George Street.
Ironically, the show was onstage (the Traverse's day-long revolving festival production times meant the show was on yesterday at 10.15am) when the award ceremony began. But actors Sarah Greene and Hilda Fay managed to make it just in time to hear, along with playwright Elaine Murphy and Gúna Nua general manager John O'Brien, the announcement of Little Gemas winner of the award, presented by Tambor and Fringe chief executive Kath Mainland. The other nominees were Midsummer(by David Greig and Gordon McIntyre, at the Traverse), Crush(Iron Shoes and Tristan Bates Theatre), Home of the Wriggler(Stan's Cafe); to be eligible, shows needed a four- or five-star Scotsmanreview and not to have been performed in the US.
One of the cast of three, Anita Reeves, was also nominated for Best Actress in the Stage Awards (winners are announced tomorrow). By the end of its second week at the Traverse (it closes tomorrow), Little Gemhad sold out for the whole run. A thrilled O'Brien commented that "Little Gem is the talk of the town, with promoters jostling each other for tickets".
Elaine Murphy’s play premiered in last year’s Dublin Fringe Festival, winning the Fishamble Award for Best New Irish Writing and the Award for Best Female Performance (jointly for the three actors).
“This award opens the door to New York, and Culture Ireland looks forward to working closely with the Carol Tambor Foundation to promote Little Gem at our annual performing arts showcase at APAP,” commented Eugene Downes of Culture Ireland, which supported the show in going to the festival.
Also in Edinburgh, following a great reaction to FaithHealer, part of the Gate Friel residency as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, The Yalta Gameopens tonight, and Afterplayopens on Monday. Brian Friel is expected in Edinburgh for the openings, which Minister Martin Mansergh (who is on holiday in Scotland) is also attending. The Gate season of three productions (which was earlier seen at the Sydney Festival in January) finally comes to Dublin for a short run (Sept 9-19) before the theatre festival.
In the meantime, also on Edinburgh Fringe awards, there has been some comment about the complete absence of women stand-ups from the 11-strong line-up of nominations for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards (the Eddies). Formerly the Perrier, then the if.comedy awards until Intelligent Finance surprisingly ended its sponsorship deal in April, the awards are now without a sponsor and funded by West End producer Nica Burns, who created the comedy awards 28 years ago.
The six nominations for the best comedy show – up from four last year – are Idiots of Ants, John Bishop, Jon Richardson, Russell Kane, Tim Key and Tom Wrigglesworth. And the Best Newcomer nominees are Carl Donnelly, Jack Whitehall, Johnny Sweet, Kevin Bridges and Pete Johansson.
About 15 per cent of this year's comedy shows at the Fringe this year are by women, including Sarah Millican and Shappi Khorsandi, who cut a dash last year, and others such as former winner Laura Solon, Ava Vidal, Celia Pacquola and Janeane Garofalo who have had four-star reviews and packed shows. Only two women – Solon and Jenny Eclair – have won the award in 29 years. Millican wrote a graceful response to the nominations in the Guardian, saying it was nothing to do with gender, that she wouldn't want to be part of any box-ticking tokenism anyway, and that the reason she wasn't selected was that she wasn't what the judges are looking for this year.
The winners will be announced at lunchtime today, a move from the previous midnight slot. The big prize – won last year by Irish comic David O’Doherty – includes £8,000 (€9,100) cash (and a big earnings fillip), and performances at international comedy festivals, including for the first time Just for Laughs in Montreal, Toronto and Chicago; best newcomer wins £4,000.
Nica Burns said the shortlist still reflected “an outstanding year of highly creative, original comedy performance” but admitted that “on a personal basis, I can’t help but be disappointed that no women made the list”.
And more winners: Festival Productions Ireland has made it three in a row at the International Gilbert Sullivan festival in Buxton, where the opera house was entirely sold out for the Irish production of The Gondoliers.
This year's production swept the boards at the 16th festival in Britain's Peak District, scooping the International Champions award for the third time in a row (following smash hits with The Mikadoand The Pirates of Penzanceover the past two years).
The Gondoliersalso won Best Director (Vivian Coates), Best Musical Director (Aiden Faughey), Best Character Actor (Adam Lawlor – Don Alhambra) and Best Chorus, as well as a host of other nominations (Best Animated Chorus, Best Male Voice – Brian Gilligan, Best Female Voice – Nicola Mulligan, Best Character Actress – Jackie Curren-Olohan and Best Male Performer – Wilfred Pyper).
