The Lyric Theatre Appoints New Executive Producer

After an extensive review of its operations, the Board of the Lyric Theatre has announced the appointment of the acclaimed director Jimmy Fay to lead the theatre.
Fay has been a dynamic force in Irish theatre for close to twenty years. He was the first director of the Dublin Fringe Festival which he co-founded with Bedrock Productions, has been Literary Director of the Abbey Theatre and in 2007 was the Theatre Curator of the Kilkenny Arts Festival.
His much-admired production The Risen People is currently running at the Abbey Theatre, while later in the year his acclaimed production of Quietly by Owen McCafferty will tour extensively, including a week in the Lyric in April. Jimmy’s production of the St. John Ervine play Mixed Marriage proved a critical and popular hit at the Lyric last year.
Among other Abbey Theatre productions Jimmy has directed are The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht, The School for Scandal by R.B. Sheridan, The Seafarer by Conor McPherson, The Playboy of the Western World in a new version by Bisi Adigun and Roddy Doyle, Saved by Edward Bond, for which he won Best Director in the Irish Times Theatre Awards in 2007, True West by Sam Shepard, and Flánn O’Brien’s At Swim-Two-Birds, adapted by Alex Johnston.
Mr Fay said: "I am delighted and deeply honoured to be taking up the reins of the Lyric Theatre, which is one of the most beautiful theatres on these islands. It has a history of producing thought-provoking theatre and I want it to nurture and produce the best from our artists – writers, actors, designers and directors. The Lyric must maintain an ongoing dialogue with its audience to stimulate imaginations, to entertain and to pose difficult questions. I look forward to producing vibrant theatre with brilliant theatre-makers and artists at the Lyric."
(CD/MH)