And the nominations and winners are....
Dublin Fringe Festival Awards 2023
We are delighted to celebrate the hundreds of bold and inspiring artists whose work has moved us, made us laugh and taken our breath away at this year's festival.
Our panel of judges have been hard at work deliberating and are pleased to now announce the nominees and winners for this year's awards. Recognising just some of the extraordinary skill and creativity on display, acknowledging some of the stand-outs in this year’s festival.
Below is the full list of nominees and winners.
Best Production
For the show that has it all!
Presented to the show, production or event that has it all, displaying excellence in every area of production, design, performance, concept and execution. This award acknowledges the enormous work and talent that is poured into presenting work at the festival and honours the comprehensive production.
Nominees:
HOTHOUSE by MALAPROP
MOSH by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
RED LINES by Monika Palova & Sean McIlraith
Shauna Carrick Wants A Dog by Aon Scéal Theatre
You're Needy (sounds frustrating) by tasteinyourmouth
Winner: HOTHOUSE by MALAPROP
Best Design
The Best Design award is presented for outstanding lighting, sound, scenic, costume, AV or overall design. This year the design award has been divided into four categories to fully reflect the excellence of designers across the board.
Best Design Ensemble
Nominees:
Clash at the Quays! by Ahmed, With Love.
Sound design by Killian Taylor; lighting design by Sean Cassidy Tyrrell; lighting assistant was Thomas O'Sea
HAUS OF FASH HUN by FemmeBizarre
Set & costume design by Sarah Foley; lighting design by Suzie Cummins; composition, sound design & live music by Stephen Kerr; sound design by Jenny O’Malley; chief LX: Adrian Moylan; sound engineering by Eóin Murphy & Mark King
HOTHOUSE by MALAPROP
Set & costume design by Molly O'Cathain; composition, musical direction & sound by Anna Clock; lighting design by John Gunning; associate sound design & sound engineering by Eóin Murphy; costume supervision by Mary Sheehan
Persona Metropolitana by Annachiara Vispi & Giulia Macrì
Sound design & composition by Lorenzo Saini; set & costume design by Freya Gillespie; AV design by Hannah Bloom; lighting design by Owen Clarke
Winner: HOTHOUSE by MALAPROP
Set & costume design by Molly O'Cathain; composition, musical direction & sound by Anna Clock; lighting design by John Gunning; associate sound design & sound engineering by Eóin Murphy; costume supervision by Mary Sheehan
Best Sound Design
Nominees:
endings. by Springheel Productions
Composition by Ethan Roe & Morgan Beausang
MOSH by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
Sound design by Richard Durning and Joe Love
Winner: MOSH by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
Sound design by Richard Durning and Joe Love
Best Lighting Design
Nominees:
MOSH by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
Lighting design by John Gunning
RED LINES by Monika Palova & Sean McIlraith
Lighting design by Kevin Murphy
Winner: RED LINES by Monika Palova & Sean McIlraith
Lighting design by Kevin Murphy
Best Set & Costume Design
Nominees:
The Crow's Way by Moonfish Theatre
Costume design by Cherie White; set design by Lian Bell
What Is Not Ours To Carry by Ali Clarke
Set design by Emma Fisher
Winner: The Crow's Way by Moonfish Theatre
Costume design by Cherie White; set design by Lian Bell
Best Performers
Two of the festival’s best performers will take home this much sought-after accolade from a field of up to ten nominees.
Nominees:
Aideen McQueen in Craic Den as Gaeilge by The Craic Den Comedy Club
Conor Murray in Just a Minute by Conor Murray
Colm McCready in Scaredy Fat by Colm McCready & SkelpieLimmer
Dan Daw in The Dan Daw Show by Dan Daw Creative Projects
Esther Ayo James in MMANWU by Dagogo Hart
Hannah Mamalis in Stars by Hannah Mamalis
Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle in The Crow’s Way by Moonfish Theatre
Leanne Bickerdike in RETCH by Leanne Bickerdike
Leanne Devlin in Slippery When Wet by Leanne Devlin
Timmy Creed in Drainage Scheme by Noke Theatre
Winners:
Hannah Mamalis in Stars by Hannah Mamalis
Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle in The Crow’s Way by Moonfish Theatre
Best Ensemble
This award recognises the ensemble as the standout – the heartbeat of a show.
Nominees:
Blue Thunder by A Cathal Cleary Theatre & Kelly Phelan co-production
B.S. Incorporated by Broad Strokes Improv
HOTHOUSE by MALAPROP
MOSH by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
Texture like sun by Diarmuid Armstrong Mayock
Winner: MOSH by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
Judges' Choice
Three Awards chosen by the judging panel to honour things that defy categorisation but must be recognised for their brilliance.
Winners:
Black Jam by Fried Plantains Collective
Clash at the Quays! – Ahmed, With Love.
ISL Deaf Translations Project by Lianne Quigley & ISL Team Interpreting
Bewley’s Cafe Theatre ‘Little Gem’ Award
Bewley’s Café Theatre is Ireland’s foremost presenter of lunchtime theatre and is delighted and proud to continue to sponsor the Bewley’s Café Theatre ‘Little Gem’ Award for the most exciting show presented at this year’s festival under 60 minutes. The prize is a handsome one; the winning production earns a two-week run at Bewley’s Café Theatre with €2,000 available to the company for remounting the production.
Nominees:
Float by Kirby Thompson & Orla Graham
Just A Minute by Conor Murray
RETCH by Leanne Bickerdike
Slippery When Wet by Leanne Devlin
The Scratcher by Kelly Shatter
Winner: Slippery When Wet by Leanne Devlin
Fishamble New Writing Award
Awarded to an Irish (or Irish based) writer for a new play premiered in the Dublin Fringe Festival. The award includes a targeted package of dramaturgical supports for the writer. Selected by Fishamble: The New Play Company via application process.
Nominees:
endings. written by Fionntán Larney
HYPER written by Ois O’Donoghue
in heat written by Sadhbh Malin
Mosaic written by Louis Deslis
Winner: endings. written by Fionntán Larney
First Fortnight Award
Since its inception in 2009, First Fortnight’s key aim has been to challenge stigma and prejudice about mental health issues through the creative arts. This award recognises excellence in a Fringe show that does just that, inviting it back for an encore run at First Fortnight in January 2024.
Nominees:
Boxing Day by William Keohane
Dopa-Mean Girl by Louisa Ní Éideáin
Shauna Carrick Wants A Dog by Aon Scéal Theatre
Scaredy Fat by Colm McCready & SkelpieLimmer
You're Needy (sounds frustrating) by tasteinyourmouth
Winner: Dopa-Mean Girl by Louisa Ní Éideáin
Spirit of Wit: Moira Brady Averill Award
For a unique artist willing to take risks and whose work defies categorisation with bold and unconventional material. In memory of Moira Brady Averill.
Nominees:
Colm McCready for Scaredy Fat
Fionn Cleary for Chiron: A One Centaur Show
Matthew Bratko for KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE Has a Complicated Relationship With Reality and With Himself
Síomha Hennessy for The Coil’s Lament
Sarah Devereux for EGG: The Proclamation of The Irish Republegg
Winner: Matthew Bratko for KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE Has a Complicated Relationship With Reality and With Himself
The Listowel Residency “The George Fitzmaurice Award”
St. John’s Theatre, Listowel is a venue dedicated to nurturing new talent. They are currently collaborating with experimental Theatre Maker, Richard Walsh, on creating a program of works that will make Listowel a hub for experimental art in rural Ireland. This award will connect an experimental artist with an original voice with the St John’s Theatre, Listowel via a two weeks residency. The prize includes a €1500 bursary, workspace and travel/ accommodation.
Nominees:
Andy Ingamells & Seán Clancy for nowhere better than this place
Annachiara Vispi & Giulia Macrì for Persona Metropolitana
Martha Knight for The King of All Birds
Mathhew Bratko for KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE Has a Complicated Relationship With Reality and With Himself
Ois O'Donoghue for HYPER
Winner: Martha Knight for The King of All Birds
PromptPad Technical Innovation Award
This new award for 2023 is for a show that pushes the boundaries of technical elements for their production. This show will have utilised existing technology to innovate their work and transform traditional industry practices to put a unique spin on live performance.
Nominees:
Matt and Hat by Mateusz Szczerek
Persona Metropolitana by Annachiara Vispi & Giulia Macrì
Svara Seven by Sal Stapleton
Who Wants To Write An Email? by Laura Allcorn & Jennifer Edmond
Work.txt by Nathan Ellis
Winner: Work.txt by Nathan Ellis
Solas Nua New Voices Award
A new international partnership with Solas Nua in Washington D.C. for this year’s edition of Dublin Fringe Festival. It will be awarded to a writer with a singular voice who is making work that speaks to contemporary social, political or cultural issues. This award will facilitate a public play reading of the script by Solas Nua in Washington which will be coordinated in conversation with the playwright.
Nominees:
Dog Shit by Bellaray Bertrand-Webb & Ursula McGinn
Float by Kirby Thompson & Orla Graham
Hand of God by Carley Magee & Aaron Finnegan
in heat by Philomena Productions
MAY DAY by Holly Furey
MMANWU by Dagogo Hart
Winner: MAY DAY by Holly Furey
Beyond The Pale Award
A new festival award in recognition of outstanding performance work with the potential to transcend boundaries and thrive in a green field festival setting. The award comes with a €4000 bursary to remount work at Beyond the Pale in June 2024, bringing the winner’s work to a new audience in a spectacular camping festival environment.
Nominees
EGG: The Proclamation of The Irish Republegg – Egg
Clash at the Quays! – Ahmed, With Love.
MOSH – Rachel Ní Bhraonáin
Winner: EGG: The Proclamation of The Irish Republegg – Egg
The Next Stage Wild Card Award
Dublin Fringe awards a bursary to an artist who has been part of the festival, enabling them to participate in the Next Stage – an artist development programme run by Dublin Theatre Festival in partnership with Theatre Forum.
Winner: Pea Dinneen
Radical Spirit Award
Co-presented by Dublin Fringe Festival and Project Arts Centre. An Irish artist dedicated to making bold contemporary work and who embodies the spirit of Fringe and Project.
Nominees:
Ahmed, With Love. for Clash at the Quays!
Colm McCready for Scaredy Fat
Martha Knight for The King of All Birds
Sal Stapleton & Renn Miano (DIAxDEM) for BLACK JAM
Tadhg Griffin for EGG: The Proclamation of the Irish Republegg
Winner: Tadhg Griffin for EGG: The Proclamation of the Irish Republegg
Axis Green Arts Award
In partnership with Axis Ballymun, the Axis Green Arts Award is a fantastic opportunity for environmentally conscious makers and producers. The award includes a cash prize of €1000 as well as a targeted package of supports for the company. Selected by Axis Ballymun via application process.
Winner: Two Hundred Deer to Every Lion by bluehouse theatre
Lifetime Achievement Award
In recognition of outstanding contribution to the arts Dublin Fringe Festival honours Oddy Sherwin with a special lifetime achievement award.
The 2023 Dublin Fringe Festival awards judges are:
Rebecca Mairs, Ailish McCarthy, Clodagh Mooney Duggan, Diana Bamimeke, Eleanor White, Erin McGathy, Gearóid O Dea, Jennifer Aust, John King, Kate Gilmore, Morgana MacIntyre, Murky Onyango, Tobi Balogun, Vickey Curtis and Zeda the Architect aka Oyindamola Animashaun.