Silent Night wins Audience Choice Award and Best
Opera Production Award at
the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards
(Sunday, 22 February, 2015) Silent Night by American composer Kevin Puts, last year’s critically acclaimed opera set against the backdrop of WWI, proved to be both the people’s and the judges’ favorite at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, as the Wexford production was awarded two accolades, including Best Opera Production and the inaugural An Post Irish Stamps Audience Choice Prize, in a Gala Ceremony at the National Concert Hall, Dublin this evening. A total of seventeen productions, predominately theatre, were nominated in this public category, with Silent Night being one of only two operas eligible for the award. For the public to vote an opera their favorite production of last year, is an encouraging development for Irish opera in general and Wexford Opera in particular.
This brings the total of ten wins for Wexford Festival since the awards were founded in 1997 and the first time audiences were given a say in what they thought was the ‘Best Irish theatre production’ of 2014.
Artistic Director of Wexford Festival Opera, David Agler accepted the award on behalf of conductor, Michael Christie and director, Tomer Zvulun. Speaking to Ireland’s opera and theatre community, David said, “;I wish to thank the Irish Times for their dedicated support for the arts and, in particular, for opera. Opera is merely theatre on an epic scale and Wexford is extremely grateful to have this recognized by opera’s inclusion in these prestigious awards.”;
He added, “Silent Night was a very special opera, not only artistically, but because of its subject matter and its significance in our collective history. It is clear from this award tonight that our audiences were truly moved by the production and I wish to thank all of those who came to Silent Night and who voted for it. It proved challenging to realize such a large and complicated opera and this would simply have not been possible without the generous support from the Arts Council.”;