The Herald Arcangel Award, one of the most prestigious awards of the Edinburgh Festivals, was presented on Saturday 16 August to Olwen Fouéré for her performance in riverrun and her sustained contribution to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at a reception at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre.
Keith Bruce, Arts Editor of The Herald who presented the Award praised Fouéré for ‘her astonishing performance in riverrun and her impact and brilliance on the Edinburgh stage over the years.’ ‘This is a great honour’ commented Fouéré who thanked The Herald, and making reference to the award, a sculpture of a winged angel, she joked, ‘I will use my wings and my trumpet well!’ Fouéré went on the thank Culture Ireland for their support of the production, her producers, the riverrun company and the Traverse Theatre.
Legendary US theatre artists Peter Sellars and the Wooster Group, and Enda Walsh are among previous receipents of this prestigious award.
Produced by The EmergencyRoom and Galway International Arts Festival in association with Cusack Projects Limited, riverrun has received numerous 5-Star reviews since it opened at the Edinburgh Fringe earlier this month at the Traverse Theatre. ‘Astonishing…a physical performance of unforgettable intensity, beauty and power.’ wrote The Scotsman’s Joyce McMillian in her rave review of riverrun going on to describe actor ‘Olwen Fouéré’s breathtaking performance’ as ‘a tour-de-force.’ Neil Cooper from The Herald in his review wrote, “A force of nature in a thing of beguiling and transformative beauty…’
The Award Ceremony at the Festival Theatre was attended Neil Murray, Producer at the National Theatre of Scotland; Christopher Wynn and Roy Luxford from the Edinburgh International Festival; Orla O’Loughlin, Artistic Director and Linda Crooks, Producer of the Traverse Theatre; Pat Bourne Ireland’s Consul General to Scotland, Galway International Arts Festival’s Artistic Director Paul Fahy, and by many artists and companies performing at the Festival.
The Edinburgh Festival Magazine wrote, ‘A tour-de-force performance from Olwen Fouéré, riverrun…is extraordinary in every way’ while the Metro described Olwen’s performance as ‘a thing of rare beauty and mystery.’ Fouéré also received The Stage Award for Acting Excellence last week.
riverrun runs at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh until 24 August and tours to Next Wave Festival at BAM in New York from 1-20 September and to Princeton University on 24 & 25 September.
Supported by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council of Ireland. Production support provided by Rough Magic.
