Byrne Highlights Theatre

Last week The Irish Times reported that broadcaster Gay Byrne and actor Gabriel Byrne were in Dublin to mark their appointment as honorary directors of the new Grand Canal Square Theatre in Dublin.

Construction of the theatre - designed by award-winning architect Daniel Libeskind - is expected to finish by St. Patrick's Day next year. It will seat 2,100, making it the largest theatre in Dublin.

Gabriel Byrne, who was recently nominated for an Emmy for his role as a therapist in In Treatment , highlighted the importance of the new theatre for Dublin.

"Every village, every city, needs a theatre. It’s not just a building; it’s about being exposed to new ideas. Theatre changes the way we view society and connects us to global ideas. In the past, we’ve suffered from being closed off.

"The theatre is seriously important for who we are. In the past, the most important building in a village was a church," the actor added. "A theatre can be as powerful as a church, but without being as controlling."

Awards '09

The international awards season for film and television has kicked off. Last week the National Society of Film Critics Awards were announced.

The critics picked Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky for Best Screenplay, as well as Best Director, with the surprise pick of Best Film going to the animated feature, Waltz with Bashir, which was written and directed by Ari Folman.

Last night the Golden Globes were awarded.

Slumdog Millionaire, written by Simon Beaufoy, won Best Screenplay, garnered Best Director for Danny Boyle, and also picked up Best Motion Picture - Drama.

Irishman Colin Farrell won Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy for his performance in In Bruges.

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy was won by Vicky Cristina Barcelona, written and directed by Woody Allen, and Best Animated Feature Film went to WALL-E, which was written by Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, and directed by Andrew Stanton

Waltz with Bashir won Best Foreign Language Film.

Best Television Series - Drama was scooped by Mad Men.

Irishman Gabriel Byrne won the Best Actor In A Television Series - Drama for his performance in In Treatment.

Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy was won by 30 Rock, and HBO's John Adams won Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Steven Spielberg was presented with the Cecil B DeMille Award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field".

O'Brien Radio Drama

The Stage reports that "Your Only Man", a new radio play written by Northern Irish novelist and screenwriter Annie Caulfield, about Irish writer Flann O'Brien, will début on BBC Radio 3 on August 31. It will feature Irish actors Ardal O'Hanlon, Pauline McLynn, and Dara O'Briain.

It focuses on the true identity of O'Brien, whose real name was Brian O'Nolan - a civil servant in Dublin during the thirties and forties, who regularly wrote for the Irish Times under the name Myles na gCopaleen.

Film Stamps

An Post has released four stamps depicting some of Ireland's best know actors, and the films in which they appeared.

Actor Cillian Murphy features in his role in The Wind that Shakes the Barley on an 82c denomination stamp. The film, directed by Ken Loach, was produced in Ireland during 2006 and awarded the Palme D'Or at that year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Actor Brid Ni Neachtáin appears on a 55c stamp from her role in Cre na Cille. Directed by Robert Quinn in 2007 as an adaptation of the famous novel by Máirtin O' Cadhain, this film was selected for screening at the 2007 Shanghai International Film Festival. Attending the event Brid said "I'm delighted that Cré na Cille is being featured in the series, míle buíochas do An Post."

Actor Colm Meaney appears on a 55c denomination stamp in his role in Kings. Directed by Tom Collins and based on the play Kings of the Kilburn Highroad, by Jimmy Murphy, Kings is a 2007 film featuring both the Irish and English languages and was Ireland/s official entry for Best Foreign-language Film in the 2008 Academy Awards.

Actor Pat Shortt features on an 82c denomination stamp in his role in Garage, directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Mark O'Halloran. Garage received four prizes at the Irish Film and Television Awards, Best Film, Best Script, Best Actor and Best Director. Garage also won the CICAE Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and Best Feature Film at the 2007 Turin Film Festival.

Tonys 2008

The 2008 Tonys were handed out in New York last night, and the winners are listed on the web site.

The Best Play award went to: August: Osage County by Tracy Letts.

Irish actor, Jim Norton, best known as Bishop Brennan in Father Ted, won the Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his role as Richard in Conor McPherson's The Seafarer.

O'Halloran Wins Twice

The Irish Examiner reports on last night's IFTA winners.

Irish screenwriter Mark O'Halloran won best script for a feature film (Garage) and for a TV series (Prosperity).

The television period drama The Tudors scooped awards in a record seven categories. Garage also won the Best Film category, Best Director for Lenny Abrahamson, and Best Actor in a Lead Role Film for Pat Shortt.

Irish Actor Dies

RTÉ reports that Irish actor Tom Murphy has died.

In 1998 he won a Tony Award for his role in the Druid Theatre Company production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane. He also appeared in Adam and Paul, Man About Dog, Intermission, Small Engine Repair and the RTÉ Television series Pure Mule.

Paying tribute, Druid's Artistic Director Garry Hynes said: "All of us in Druid are terribly saddened by the premature death of Tom Murphy. Tom won a Tony Award on Broadway for his wonderful portrayal of 'Ray Dooley' in Martin McDonagh's 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane'. A wonderful colleague and friend, he will be much missed by his many friends in the film and theatre business."

All-Ireland Drama

RTÉ reports on the winners of this year's RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone. The big winners of the night were the Silken Thomas Players of Kildare, who won the Perpetual Trophy for their production of Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart. They also scooped Best Actor (Conor O'Connell), Best Supporting Actor (Colin Malone), and Best Stage Management (Maria Finnegan).

Forum on Actor Training

According to The Stage the outcry against the decision by Trinity College, Dublin to scrap its three-year acting degree has lead to the formation of a 14-member forum to investigate Ireland's actor training needs.

Among the members of the forum are: Fiach MacConghail, director of the Abbey, actors Fiona Shaw and Mark Lambert, Gate Theatre director Michael Colgan, and Druid Theatre founder, and director, Garry Hynes.

Among the issues the forum has been asked to examine are:

• How many actors should Ireland train each year, and for what sort of work?


• What training courses are currently available and on what basis do they operate?


• Where should actor training courses be located - inside or outside the universities?


• Is a three-year degree course the most suitable option?


• What relationship should training courses have with the professional theatre?


• How should such courses best be funded - by the state, from private fees or through public/private partnership agencies?

The forum, chaired by Professor Nicholas Grene, of the university’s school of English, is expected to deliver its recommendations before the summer.

Chance to view Home

IFTN mentions there's a free showing of the award-winning Irish documentary, Home, which was written by Alan Cooke. It will air in the IFI in Dubiin on Saturday the 24th of March at 11:30 am, but tickets must be requested in advance via email.

Cooke, a stage and film actor, shot the film on location in New York during 2005. Co-produced and directed by Dawn Scibilia, the film features Dubliner Cooke exploring themes of nostalgia and the concept of home.

Included are a number of interviews with immigrants and native New Yorkers including Woody Allen, Liam Neeson, Frank and Malachy McCourt, Alfred Molina, Mike Myers, Rosie Perez, Colin Quinn and Susan Sarandon. Irish director Jim Sheridan commented that the film "beautifully captures the Irish immigrants journey through the myth and mystery of New York."

Sunshine for April 5

According to RTÉ the new Danny Boyle-directed science fiction film, Sunshine, starring Cillian Murphy, will open in Ireland on April 5th. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, who worked with Boyle on 2001's The Beach. Cillian appeared in Boyle's zombie film 28 Days Later (2002).