Irish Times Theatre Award Nominations for Trinity’s Lir Academy and its Graduates

Posted on: 04 February 2015

Trinity College Dublin’s Lir National Academy has been nominated for the Irish Times Theatre Judges’ Special Award in recognition for producing high calibre skilled graduates.

The Lir is also well represented in a number of other categories with former Bachelor in Acting student, Rhys Dunlop, nominated in the Best Actor category for his professional debut in the Lyric Theatre’s production on Punk Rock and former Masters in Fine Arts Playwriting graduate, Gillian Greer nominated for Best New Play for her play Petals which premiered at the Theatre Upstairs last year. Tutors from the Academy, Catherine Fay and Michael West, have also received nominations in the Best Costume Design category and Best New Play category.

“The Lir was established four years ago to provide training across the dramatic disciplines to the highest international standards,” said Director of The Lir Academy, Loughlin Deegan. “We pride ourselves on our direct connections to the industry and on providing training that responds directly to the needs of the industry.  Being recognised by the Irish Times Theatre Awards judges in this way is a direct endorsement of all that we do from the industry that we were designed to serve. The individual nominations for two our students in the year that our very first acting and stage management graduated from the Academy is particularly gratifying for the many theatre professionals who teach and work at The Lir.”

Nominated Lir Academy Graduates,  Rhys Dunlop for Best Actor and Gillian Greer for Best New Play

Acting, stage management and technical theatre graduates from The Lir have gone on to work with The Gaiety Theatre, The Gate, The Abbey Theatre, Wexford Festival Opera, Irish Youth Opera, Druid Theatre Company, Galway, The Lyric Theatre, Belfast, Chichester Festival Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, London and The Park Theatre, London.

Other nominees for the Judges Special Award include Limerick City of Culture, the Lyric Theatre Belfast and Stage Managers and Technicians. The Irish Times Theatre Awards ceremony will take place at the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Sunday 22nd February.