AT the Abbey on Tuesday, a lunch took place to celebrate the appointment of Chris Lee as the National Theatre's writer-in-residence, sponsored by the Anglo Irish Bank. Rather a shooting star in the literary world, Lee sent an unsolicited script to the Abbey and The Electrocution of Children opened not long afterwards, at the Peacock last year. His next play, The Map Maker's Sorrow, is due to open at the Peacock during the Dublin Theatre Festival next autumn.
The residency, which has previously rewarded the talents of Dermot Bolger, Marina Carr and Tom Murphy, was presented by the bank's chief executive, Sean Fitzpatrick. Fellow thespians at the banquet table included Frank McGuinness, who's busy working on his new play for the Abbey - Dolly West's Kitchen, and director Brian Brady, who's in charge of Lee's new play and will also be directing Making History at the Peacock as part of the theatre festival. Actors Barry McGovern, Stephen Brennan and Pat Laffan were joined by the cast of Dancing at Lughnasa taking a break from their rehearsals for a bite to eat.