A nine-foot giant, an eco-friendly genetically-modified beanstalk and a magic piano can all be found at this year’s pantomime at the Gaiety: ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. Panto legend June Rodgers takes the role of Millie Ennium who, with her brother Jack, stands between the mysterious Mr Big and his ambitiously nasty plans for the village of Ballynapuddle. Yes, you’ve guessed it, this is a different take on the traditional tale of Jack, that old pesky giant and the magic beans. Macnas spent three weeks working on their innovative design for the giant – the model features moveable eyes, mouth and arms.
November 29, 2008
November 28, 2008
November 25, 2008
Harry Connick Jr
Sinatra sycophant or the saviour of swing? Opinions are sharply divided about Harry Connick Jr but one thing’s for certain: he’s a consummate entertainer with a voice more sultry than a hot day in his native New Orleans. After notching up acting credits in ‘Copycat’ and ‘Independence Day’, he’s now concentrating more fully on his music career. His new album ‘Come By Me’ daringly uses both a 16-piece big band and a full symphony orchestra, to revisit the songs of Henry Mancini, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
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November 24, 2008
De Fra Angelico à Bonnard
Mysterious millionaire Dr Rau sold his family firm to become a doctor in Africa, alternating noble causes with visits to European salerooms. Now the remarkable collection, which he has left to Unicef, goes on show for the first time. Spanning six centuries and all of Europe, the first half reveals a dramatically foreshortened ‘David Beheading Goliath’ by Guido Reni and Dutch landscapes, the tiny, intense ‘Judith’ by Lucas Cranach and the powerful ‘St Dominic’ by El Greco. The second half looks to Impressionists, Symbolists, the Nabis, Fauves and the melancholic ‘Clown in Green’ by August Macke.
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November 22, 2008
Living Quarters by Brian Friel
Brian Friel’s ‘Living Quarters’ returns to the Dublin stage before embarking on a national tour. The play is set in a small town in Donegal in the late 1970s and brings together the members of the Butler family from the four corners of the world. Commandant Frank Butler returns from the Far East as a hero, but it is not only his family that are gathered to celebrate his return – all manner of mayhem arises as press and dignitaries descend on the small town to join in the celebrations. Not surprisingly, many secrets and lies are revealed as events unfold with extraordinary and tragic consequences.
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November 21, 2008
Indian Summer
With more than 600 items on display, this exhibition is a must for everyone who’s curious about the Native American way of life. Featuring clothes, masks, tepees and photographs and boasting a special multimedia section, it gives a fascinating insight into how 90 million people lived before being butchered by a merciless US army. Those who think Apaches are simply the name of US military helicopters or that Sioux is an idiosyncratic abbreviation of Susan will have their eyes opened during this five-month ‘Indian Summer’.
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November 18, 2008
November 17, 2008
Nous, les héros
Somewhere in the centre of Europe, a marriage between two actors is being prepared and war seems imminent. Against that background, French playwright Jean-Luc Lagarce weaves a surreal tale – of warped relationships, deceit, pretension and unrequited love – which is strongly influenced by Franz Kafka. ”Nous, les héros’. One should hear this title with a sense of humour and melancholy’, said the play’s director, Philippe Sireuil. It stars Valérie Bauchau, Léa Capraro, Patrick Descamps and Janine Godinas. In French.
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November 6, 2008
Jordaan Lit Up
The incredibly scenic neighbourhood of the Jordaan is always the perfect place for some quality wandering. But for this week, a cartel of artists from various disciplines have decided to ‘light up’ the area further by each choosing their favourite spots and erecting an art work there. Seek and ye shall find.
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November 3, 2008
Yes
British rockers Yes were the kind of torpid dinosaurs that punk was supposed to swallow, wash down with pints of snakebite and puke up as a horrid green mucus. Yet somehow the band, who once released the ridiculously overblown double album ‘Tales from Topographic Oceans’, continues to fill stadia on both sides of the Atlantic. Still featuring their original singer Jon Anderson, they recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first album by releasing a new one, ‘The Ladder’. Prog-rock still lives… but why?
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