The final night of this year’s theatre festival features snippets from the festival programme and many special guests including Anne Bushnell, Rory Cowan, Cormac de Barra, Mark Power and Steve Martyn. A night of music, drama, poetry and song showcasing what is best in gay theatre. During the evening, awards for excellence will be presented including the Oscar Wilde Award for Writing, the Hilton Edwards Award for Production, two Michael Mac Liammoir Awards for Acting and the Patrick Murray
Award for Irish Gay Theatre. Dress to impress and celebrate this special evening.

Pat Murray Award

The International Dublin Gay Theatre festival is inaugurating a new award to commemorate the lifetime contribution of award winning Set designer Patrick Murray who died unexpectedly in Cork in December. Patrick Murray was a committed artist, set designer,dance enthusiast, member of the Labour party, a generous larger than life character with a presence that was inspirational, intellectual and hugely entertaining.

From Cork, Patrick Murray graduated from the Crawford School of Art and has worked on the design of plays, opera, ballet, pantomime and musicals for more than three decades in all of Ireland’s leading theatres: from Dublin to London’s West End and Broadway. He worked closely with the Irish National Ballet Director Joan Denise Moriarty for many years. Patrick Murray was a member of the Arts Council from 1993-1998 and the Institute of Designers in Ireland. His most recent productions include: “Die Fledermaus” at Cork Opera House and “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” at the Cork Arts Theatre. Patrick had also designed interiors for many historic civic buildings, including the City Hall in Cork.

The International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival was exploring the possibility of an exhibition of Pat’s inspiring and award winning designs when he died unexpectedly. The Festival is honoured to name its fifth award for ‘outstanding contribution to Irish gay theatre’ after Patrick Murray and its first presentation will take place at the Gala night on May 29th next.