Galway’s Cathy Belton On Being An Actress
23 February 2016
Galway International Arts Festival are nominated for the Judge’s Special Award as part of this year's Irish Times Theatre Awards. The special award is to recognise the Festival ‘for its consistent supportive role as a co-producer to independent theatre’. Galway International Arts Festival has been producing and touring theatre since 2004.
1. Trad by Mark Doherty starring Mikel Murfi
Trad, which was first produced for the 2004 Galway International Arts Festival was a surreal comedy written by comedian and actor Mark Doherty. It received a fantastic response from audiences and critics on its first outing in Galway and subsequently toured both nationally and internationally. It toured in the UK and Australia and won several major awards including prestigious Fringe Firsts, at both the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the 2006 Adelaide Fringe.
2. Misterman by Enda Walsh starring Cillian Murphy
Misterman, a Galway International Arts Festival co-production with Landmark Productions, premiered at the Festival in 2011. Following a sell-out run in Galway, it went on to similar success in New York and The National Theatre London. Misterman won two awards at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards in 2012 including the best actor award for Cillian Murphy.
3. Chapatti by Christian O'Reilly starring John Mahoney and Penny Slusher
Described as a beautifully poignant and extremely funny play, Chapatti was written by Galway playwright Christian O'Reilly. Christian handed the script to actor John Mahoney and asked him if he would be interested in taking it to the stage. The pair joined forces with Galway International Arts Festival and Northlight Theatre in 2014, premiered the play in Chicago and then took it to Galway for it's European premiere.
4. Ballyturk by Enda Walsh starring Cillian Murphy, Mikel Murfi and Stephen Rea
A Galway International Arts Festival and Landmark Productions co-production, Ballyturk was first performed at the 2014 Galway International Arts Festival and subsequently at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Cork Opera House and National Theatre in London. The play was a huge success selling out in every city. Ballyturk was nominated in six categories at the Irish Times Theatre Awards in 2014 and went on to win the Best Production award that year with Stephen Rea also recognised for his outstanding contribution to theatre at the same ceremony.
5. The Match Box by Frank McGuinness starring Cathy Belton
Written by Frank McGuinness, the Matchbox was a major success at Galway International Arts Festival in 2015. The production returned Galway actress Cathy Belton to the stage in her hometown for the first time in many years and resulted in a Irish Times Theatre Awards best actress nomination for her and a Best new Play award nomination for Frank Mc Guinness. The Guardian in its review said, "McGuinness has conceived a compelling, tragic heroine: a woman to be pitied and feared in equal measure. You come out feeling like the contents of the matchbox: completely spent.
6. Luck Just Kissed You Hello by Amy Conroy starring Amy Conroy, Will O'Connell and Mark Fitzgerald
The best way to describe Amy Conroy’s play for Hot for Theatre, co-produced by Galway International Arts Festival, is as a family drama combined with a mystery. The show premiered at the festival in July 2015, followed by a sell-out Irish tour. Luck Just Kissed You Hello has been nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award.
7. riverrun by Olwen Fouéré
A co-production between TheEmergencyRoom and Galway International Arts Festival, riverrun premiered at Galway International Arts Festival in 2014 and went on to tour at Kilkenny Arts Festival, Dublin Theatre Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Adelaide Festival, Sydney Theatre Company, The National Theatre London and BAM New York. Olwen was awarded both the Herald Archangel Award and Stage Acting Award at Edinburgh Festival and an Irish Times Theatre award best actress nomination for her performance in riverrun.
Read more on Irish Times Theatre Awards here.
