The winners of the 28th annual Dublin Fringe Festival were announced last night during an awards ceremony held in The Botanical Gardens. The queer talent from the festival dominated the night, collecting a total of six wins from 13 categories.
This year was like no other for the Dublin Fringe Festival, hosting an astonishing 430 artists in 586 performances all over Dublin city. GCN has rounded up a list of the winning LGBTQ+ performers and productions below, read on to get the scoop!
Best Production Award – Absent The Wrong by Dylan Coburn Gray
This award is described as being given to “the show that has it all”. Best Production was awarded to Absent the Wrong as it displayed excellence in every area of its creation – design, performance, concept and execution.
This play was about racialised people in the adoption system, and the story centres around a birth mother and daughter who are both queer. The play was written by Dublin writer Dylan Coburn Gray, who won the Best New Writing Award at the festival in 2013, for his play Boys and Girls.
Best Performer Award – Felicia Olusanya in WAKE by THISISPOPBABY
This prize is given to two of the brightest stars from the festival, a highly sought-after award that is chosen from a pool of up to 10 nominees. Felicia Olusanya from THISISPOPBABY’s WAKE took home the prestigious accolade this year.
Felicia is a Nigerian-Irish poet, performer, and playwright based in Maynooth. Even though she wasn’t at the Dublin Fringe Festival awards ceremony to celebrate in person, she took to Instagram to express her excitement about the win.
View this post on Instagram
Best Ensemble Award – Oliver Cromwell is Really Very Sorry
This prize is awarded to the whole cast of a show at the festival. Since 2014, this category has recognised the efforts of the cast as a collective. This year, the cast of Oliver Cromwell is Really Very Sorry took home the prize for Best Ensemble.
This show is a queer musical remake of the life of historical figure Oliver Cromwell. The production does hit on various parts of Cromwell’s life, with some artistic liberties taken of course. Members of the award-winning cast are: Alison Arnopp, Iestyn Arwel, Sé Carr, Lórcan Strain and Xnthony
Spirit of Wit: Moira Brady Averill Award – Goblingoblinsgoblins in Klankety Klank and Platforms
The Moira Brady Averill Award is bestowed upon an artist willing to take risks and whose work defies categorisation. This year, the award was given to Goblingoblinsgoblins for their participation in Klankety Klank by Sissy That Pod x Phoning It In and Platforms by Platforms Collective.
Klankety Klank was a hilarious parody of the beloved gameshow Blankety Blank, that featured different cast, characters and questions for each night of its production. Platforms was also a parody of sorts, featuring Dublin’s sharpest drag artists and Trans comedians in an alt-right media environment.
Radical Spirit Award – Áine O’Hara
This award, co-presented by the Dublin Fringe Festival and the Project Arts Centre, celebrates an Irish artist dedicated to making bold, contemporary work. Áine O’Hara is an artist, designer, and theatre maker based in Dublin and Mayo. They are also the lead artist of The Rest Rooms project, which aims to create spaces for disabled joy.
Judges’ Choice Award – Hive City Legacy and WAKE by THISISPOPBABY
Last, but definitely not least, is the Judges’ Choice Award. Since it was instituted in 2014, this prize recognises the brilliance of three winners whose work defies categorisation. This year, two displays of queer talent at Dublin Fringe took home awards: Hive City Legacy: Dublin Chapter, and WAKE by THISISPOPBABY.
The Hive City Legacy show featured a mobilised troop of Femmes of Colour. Together, they explored what it means to be a woman of colour in Ireland through sequences of dance, song, poetry and performance.
WAKE met at the intersection of club culture and Irish tradition. This show embraced the ecstasy of letting go in a joyous collection of theatre, spoken word, beats and circus.
A huge congratulations are in order for all of the queer winners from this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival!
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