Good Friday Agreement play among Irish nominations at UK Theatre Awards
By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
The Lyric Theatre in Belfast is leading the UK Theatre Awards nominations alongside Sheffield Theatres, with five nods apiece.
Agreement, about the events leading up to the peace process, comes from local playwright Owen McCafferty – and is up for best new play.
The production about the Good Friday Agreement, which has marked its 25th anniversary this year, features performers playing former secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and ex-prime minister Tony Blair.
Enough Of Him, a National Theatre of Scotland and Pitlochry Festival Theatre co-production, and Young Vic Theatre’s Untitled F*** M*ss S**gon Play are also up for the same gong, UK Theatre Awards announced on Thursday.
Hannah Essex, co-chief executive of UK Theatre, said: “We are incredibly proud to celebrate theatre across our four nations and the inspiring work of our UK Theatre members.
“This year’s nominees are a reflection of the quality and diversity of talent, story-telling and community engagement that is needed now more than ever.
“We would like to thank all our sponsors for supporting the event and offer our congratulations to all those nominated.”
Tony Award winner Garry Hynes has also been nominated for best director at the Lyric for DruidO’Casey, which brings together the work of Irish dramatist, Sean O’Casey, into one play about rebellion and war.
President Michael D Higgins was among the attendees of the Druid Theatre Company-production based on The Plough And The Stars, The Shadow Of A Gunman, and Juno And The Paycock.
Hynes faces competition from Shakespeare North Playhouse’s Matthew Dunster and Jimmy Fairhurst for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Omar Elerian for As You Like It, a Royal Shakespeare Company production.
Also among the Lyric’s nods is Propaganda: A New Musical, set in Berlin during the Cold War, for best design, Martin McDonagh play The Beauty Queen Of Leenane for best play revival and children’s musical Mirrorball for best show for children and young people.
Cork-born actress Siobhan McSweeney, best known for her performance as a nun in Derry Girls, will be hoping to take away best performance in a play for Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days at the Birmingham Rep.
Bafta-winner McSweeney wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Another heavenly day! Thank you.”
She faces competition from West End actor Peter Forbes for On The Beach, Flowers star Daniel Rigby for Accidental Death Of An Anarchist and theatre star Wiliam Young for Of Mice And Men.
Sheffield Theatres, which includes the Crucible, the Lyceum and the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, was nominated for best musical production, best play revival, best performance in a musical and best performance in a play.
The award ceremony, hosted by musical theatre star Zoe Birkett, will take place on October 8th at London’s Guildhall.