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Dec

FIONA DOYLE RECEIVES INAUGURAL PHELIM DONLON PLAYWRIGHT’S BURSARY & RESIDENCY 2015/16

3 Dec 2015

Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig today announced Fiona Doyle as the recipient of the inaugural Phelim Donlon Playwright’s Bursary & Residency 2015/16.

Fiona Doyle spent a number of years working in London before returning to her native Co. Kerry where she now lives and writes. She holds a first class degree in Drama & Theatre Arts from Goldsmiths and completed the John Burgess Playwriting Course in 2012. Her plays include Coolatully (Finborough Theatre; winner of the 2014 Papatango New Writing Prize); So Gay (winner of the 2013 Play for the Nation’s Youth); Abigail (shortlisted for the 2014 Eamon Keane Full-length Play Award / longlisted for the 2013 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting); Deluge (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs; winner of the 2014 Eamon Keane Full-Length Play Award). Her most recent play was completed on attachment at the NT Studio and she’s recently been confirmed as a writer for ‘5 Directors, 5 Plays, 5 Days’ at the Young Vic in February 2016.

This award is named in honour of Phelim Donlon, former Drama Officer at the Arts Council and a dedicated member of the first Irish Theatre Institute PLAYOGRAPHYIreland Advisory Panel, in acknowledgement of his valued contribution to Irish theatre.  The award was officially announced by Dr. Pat Donlon, former Director of National Library of Ireland and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig at a celebratory event attended by Phelim’s family, friends and former colleagues.

For this inaugural bursary, Irish Theatre Institute has partnered with colleagues at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre to offer Fiona a two weeks’ fully resourced residency in Annaghmakerrig, Co Monaghan and an ITI writer’s stipend.  Open to playwrights resident in Ireland with at least one full length professionally produced play, the bursary provides the recipient with the facilities and time to explore and develop new work for Irish theatre.