AN IRISH play, Little Gem, yesterday won the prestigious Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award, a prize which will bring the show to New York for a run off-Broadway.
Little Gem, the first play by young Dublin playwright Elaine Murphy, produced by Gúna Nua and the Civic Theatre, has been playing to excellent reviews and sold-out houses in the Traverse Theatre at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe over the past three weeks. The award is the highest honour at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which concluded yesterday.
“We’re trying to be cool about it, but it’s just not happening,” said a thrilled Elaine Murphy yesterday. “We lost it for a few minutes!”
The winner was chosen by the New York-based Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation and critics from the Scotsmannewspaper.
Carol Tambor, who presented the award, said: " Little Gemis a little gem. It has exciting language and exciting acting, and the moment I sat down I was totally involved. I loved the family in the play, and the special relationship between the three generations of women felt really authentic."
Sarah Greene, Hilda Fay and Anita Reeves play the three women in the funny and poignant play set in Artane, Dublin, which was onstage at the Traverse Theatre as the award ceremony began, but both Green and Fay managed to join the rest of the team just before the winner was announced.
The award, now in its sixth year at the Fringe, is considered the top prize as it brings the winner to the next step by funding a New York premiere for the production during January’s international performing arts showcase APAP.
“For a new Irish play to win the most prestigious award at the world’s largest arts festival is an extraordinary achievement for Elaine Murphy, for Gúna Nua and the outstanding cast of actors.
“It’s striking evidence of Ireland’s world class success in the arts,” said Eugene Downes, CEO of Culture Ireland, which supported the production going to Edinburgh.
Directed by Paul Meade, it premiered at last year's Dublin Fringe Festival, where it won the Fishamble Award for Best New Irish Writing, and also won Best Female Performance. After Edinburgh Little Gemis at the Civic Theatre, Tallaght (Sept 3rd-12th), and following its run in New York it is scheduled to go to the Peacock in Dublin from January 20th and then tour Ireland.
