Film Director, Playwright and Screen-writer Paul Mercier
Paul Mercier is an Irish playwright[1], screenwriter, film and theatre director[2].
Born in Dublin and living in An Cheathru Rua[3] he was the founder member and Artistic Director of the Passion Machine Theatre Company and of film production company An Pointe Productions.[4] His work is famous for its gritty poetic realism and examination of ordinary, contemporary Irish life[5][6].
A former Irish teacher at Greendale Community School in Kilbarrack[7], Paul Mercier's work is known for what Irish journalist Fintan O'Toole calls its "inclusive dramatic vision"[8]. His plays have received numerous awards such as the Harvey's Irish Theatre Award for Best New Irish Work, The Sunday Independent Arts Award, The Sunday Tribune Arts Award, The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, and an Edinburgh Fringe First Award. His 1998 Dublin Trilogy received the Evening Herald/ Dublin Theatre Festival Award for Best Irish Production and The Irish Times/ ESB Irish Theatre Award for Best Production. He has written and directed two award-winning short films for Brother Films, 'Before I Sleep' and 'Lipservice'. he directed the hit Irish-language teenage series 'Aifric' for TG4. 'Sétanta', a co-production by the Abbey Theatre and Fibín Theatre Company and directed by the author, won the BBC Irish language award at the 2012 Stewart Parker Trust Awards[9][10].
Paul Mercier has written and directed the following plays for the Passion Machine Theatre Company[11], founded in 1984[12]. The company is a project-based operation, staging only original Irish work, and was committed to a wholly indigenous populist theatre that depicted, challenged and celebrated the contemporary Irish experience[5][13]
He was the director and Co-Creator of the celebrated TG4 TV series, Aifric (2006, 2007, 2008)[32]. Aifric won best Children's/Youth programme at the 2007, 2008, 2009 Irish Film and Television Awards, and was nominated for Best Irish Language show in 2009.
