The Wild Stages is run by an Executive Committee, all of whom give their services on a full volunteer basis.
The people working on the Festival either behind the scenes are all volunteers. While we have over 40 committed and talented volunteers working at the Festival, the core of the volunteers make up the executive committee:
Sean Denyer – Artistic Director
Sean is doctor, playwright, director, producer and also jointly runs, Acting Out, an LGBTQ+ theatre group based in Dublin. He is twice winner of a National GALA Award for his plays, The Ref, The Paradise and The Decriminalisation Monologues. At the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival he won the Hilton Edwards Award in 2015 for The Ref, and again in 2022 for, The Death of Me. He has been nominated twice for Best New Play at Brighton Fringe and also at the Manchester Fringe Festival. His plays were nominated for the Inspiration Award at Prague Fringe in 2019 and again in 2024. In 2022, Sean won the Scripts festival for his short play, Ghost Bitch. In 2025, he was awarded the Patrick Murray Award for Outstanding Contribution to LGBTQ+ theatre.
Robert (RC) Bates – Managing Director
R.C. has worked on our Tech Team since 2015 after relocating from the United States, and became Managing Director in 2024. In addition to managing the Festival, he manages the technical aspects of the Pearse Centre theatre, is a Technical Venue Manager for the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival and has worked for Home You Go Productions, Glass Mask Theatre, and No Drama Theatre in Dublin. Prior to relocating to Ireland he worked for more than a decade at St. Marks Players in Washington, DC, as both a board member and on productions. He was also the Legislative Director for Equality Maryland, an LGBT civil rights organisation.
Derek O’Neill and Pavel Mikhailov – Technical Coordinators
A long-time supporter of IDGTF, Derek took over as Technical Director for Festival 2016, a responsibility he shared with R.C. Bates though 2024. Derek has many years of experience in the arts and arts administration combined with a professional career as a senior medical scientist. Pavel Mikhailov joined the Festival as a technician in 2024, and jouined Derek as co-coordinator in 2026.
Gareth Hurley – Board Member
Gareth has been on the IDGTF executive committee for more than ten years, serving in a number of roles most recently as Company Secretary. He has also represented the Festival at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a number of years. An IT professional he has experience in areas including web, social media, management and administration. He has a long time interest in theatre and the arts. He has previously been involved in a number of other festivals and university societies including the Dublin Fringe Festival as well as a regular attendee of arts festivals in Ireland and abroad.
Annick Thijs– Board Member
Eimhear Ó Dalaigh – Volunteer Coordinator
Eimhear brings extensive experience in theatre, festivals and volunteering to Festival 2022. Her previous experience includes Volunteer Coordinator for the Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival.
Kathleen Warnock – Ambassador of Love for North America
Kathleen is a playwright and editor. Her work has been seen in NYC, regionally, and internationally. Her works have appeared in the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in 2014, 2017, and 2018. She is on the Board of Directros of TOSOS, New York City’s oldest and longest-producing LGBTQIA+ theater company.
International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival CLG
The Wilde Stages Festival is owned by The International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, CLG (Company registration number 409686). The company is comprised of seven members:
- Robert Bates
- Collette Cullen
- Gareth Hurley
- Eimhear Ó Dalaigh
- Derek O’Neill
- Annick Thijs
- Philip Weldon
Brian Merriman, Founder, Artistic Director Emeritus
Brian is one of Ireland’s leading producer/directors, and an accomplished actor, writer and singer in music and theatre at home and abroad. In all he now has over 360 productions to his credit. He has won many awards for directing, acting and singing at International Festivals including for Best Producer, Best Director, Best Show and Best Actor at the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, The Association of Irish Musical Societies and The Northern Ireland Festival of Light Opera. Amongst other achievements, Brian devised, wrote and directed the biggest millennium night celebration in Ireland – 1000 artists, 15 hours of entertainment, culminating in an audience of 50,000 people on the Quay in Waterford. He has a strong commitment to diversity and equality in the arts and to date has sourced, developed and encouraged thousands of young artists and volunteers. He prioritises meaningful access to the arts by performers, writers, communities and audience.
