It is like the busiest stock exchange - only more urgent. No one is resting. Everyone is lined up to do a new production. Everyone is "in development". It's all happening now. Now! Now! At The Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Awards last Saturday night.
Dublin actor Karen Ardiff is ready to play Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght, in five weeks' time. It's all top secret but Bairbre Ni Chaoimh, artistic director of Calypso Productions, in swinging 1920s gear, says plans are afoot to do a new piece by Roddy Doyle but "it's still under wraps".
Barbara Brennan, who has just finished playing Sultano in the panto at the Gaiety, is about to start in Paul Mercier's play, Down the Line, at the Peacock shortly. Edie Demas, the woman from Washington who has just moved from Cork (and the Cork Film Festival) to base herself in Dublin, is to work with a new TV company on script development. This new company has yet to be launched but she'll be working with Ed Guiney and David Collins, she says.
Plenty is planned for Draiocht, the new theatre in Blanchardstown, which will be officially opened by the president on May 3rd. According to its new director, Teerth Chungh, who comes from India's Punjab region, the programme includes a ballet of Swan Lake, two Music Network events, a Shakespearean production and a number of community projects.
Others spotted at the awards gig include Niall O Sioradain, manager of the Crypt Arts Centre in Dublin Castle; Mary Tuohy, of the Hallward Gallery and Patricia Quinn, director of the Arts Council. Then dinner is served and it's on with the show.
For more details and video clips of the awards ceremony log on to www.ireland.com/dublin/entertainment/theatre
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