Abbey & Druid Theatres Win At 09 Irish Times Theater Awards

Dublin's Abbey Theatre and the Galway-based Druid Theatre are among the winners at the 12th annual Irish Times Theatre Awards. Both theatres won three categories.

Druid Theatre's The New Electric Ballroom, which will be opening tonight at London's Riverside Studios won Best Production; Mikel Murfi was awarded the title of Best Supporting Actor. Druid Theatre and New York-based Atlantic Theatre's co-production of The Cripple of Inishmaan also had a winner. Dearbla Molloy won Best Supporitng Actress.

Two actors from the Abbey Theatre picked up the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards. Tom Vaughan won for his title role in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui while Dearbhle Crotty won for her role as Masha in The Three Sisters. The third award was given to Rae Smith (An Ideal Husband) for Best Costume Design.

The complete list of winners is as follows:

Special tribute award: Lynne Parker
Best actress: Derbhle Crotty ( Three Sisters, Abbey Theatre)
Best actor: Tom Vaughan Lawlor ( The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht, Abbey Theatre)
Best supporting actor: Mikel Murfi ( The New Electric Ballroom, Druid)
Best supporting actress: Dearbhla Molloy ( The Cripple of Inishmaan, Druid and Atlantic Theatre)
 Best director: Rupert Goold ( No Man’s Land, Gate Theatre)
 Best production: Loose Canon ( Phaedra’s Love )
 Best new play: The New Electric Ballroom (Druid Theatre Company)
 Best opera: Mines of Sulphur , Wexford Opera.
 Best costume design: Rae Smith ( An Ideal Husband, Abbey Theatre)
 Best set designer: Owen MacCárthaigh ( Juno and the Paycock; Cork Opera House/ Association of Regional Theatres, NI)
 Best lighting designer: Kevin Treacy ( The Nose, The Performance Corporation)
 Special award: Wexford Opera House