Southern Tenant Folk Union
FOLK/BLUEGRASS Wednesday 1st September @ 8.00pm
Southern Tenant Folk Union is an explosive Edinburgh-based folk and bluegrass outfit, writing and performing its own unique brand of Old-Time, Bluegrass, Gospel and Celtic Folk. Taking its name from the ground breaking multi-racial union of sharecroppers and non-landowning tenant farmers founded in Arkansas in the 1930s, words like ‘groundbreaking’, ‘excellent’ and ’breath of fresh air’ are never far from descriptions of the band and its music. As is general acclaim. The band line-up comprises: Adam Bulley (mandolin/guitar/dobro/vocals; Silas Child (double bass/vocals); Ben Ivitsky (fiddle/vocals); Ewan Macintyre (guitar/percussion/vocals); Chris Purcell (guitar/vocals); Jed Milroy (guitar/vocals); Pat McGarvey (banjo/guitar/vocals). STFU’s third album The New Farming Scene has just been released. These guys are the real deal. Don’t miss them.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"A compelling mix of bluegrass, gospel, old time and celtic swing that is memorably embellished with warm and richly woven harmonies." - The Irish Times
"The musicianship is faultless." - Country Music People
Southern Tenant Folk Union website.
Community Solutions to the Global Financial Crises
Mayo Sustainability Forum Evening Monday 2nd August, 7.00pm-10.00pm
Mayo Sustainability Forum presents an evening titled Community Solutions to the Global Financial Crises, featuring a keynote talk "Making Sense of the Financial Crises in the Era of Peak Oil" by Nicole Foss. The talk will be followed by a short break, refreshments and an informal discussion on implications for local communitiesThis event is a must for everyone concerned about where we are heading as a society and how we are getting there.
Admission is free, and all are welcome. For more information contact: forum@sustainability.ie
All Stars Youth Theatre - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
LOCAL ARTS: YOUTH THEATRE Saturday 10th July @ 3.00pm & 8.00pm
All Stars Youth Theatre, based in Ballyheane Ballet and Drama studios, presents one of Shakespeare’s most magical plays: the tale of Puck, Titania and Oberon, Bottom and his group of amateur actors, and two sets of lovers, all caught in a web of mistaken identity, confusion, comedy and magic in an Athenian forest over the course of one fateful night. A child-friendly, high entertainment version of this classic play, directed by Eleanoir Cazabon-Regan and Phil Roberts, and featuring a young cast from All Stars Youth Theatre. Suitable for all the family.Adm: €12 / €10 (concessions)
Jack L- EXTRA DATE ADDED: Wednesday 23rd June @ 8.00pm
Tuesday 22nd June BOOKED OUT
Jack L is widely regarded as one of the greatest performers ever to have graced a stage. He has performed to sell out crowds in America, a crowd of 40,000 nestled in the palm of his hand at Ireland’s Witness Festival, and he is one of only a few distinguished artists to have performed at the Glastonbury Festival for three consecutive days. The remarkable Irish singer, who has drawn comparisons to legendary talents including Frank Sinatra, Jacques Brel, Scott Walker and Nick Cave, is renowned for his exceptional live performances, has seven acclaimed albums to his credit: the latest, The Story So Far, a collection of his best material to date. From the magic to the mundane, from the carnal to the cosmic, Jack L’s distinctive songs and electrifying vocal style make this a concert not to be missed. As an acoustic performance in the intimate setting of the Linenhall, this promises to be a very special night indeed.Adm.: €20
“Just brilliant.” - The Examiner
“An artist as unique as Ireland has ever produced.” - Hot Press
“Jack L… is perhaps the most singular talent to have emerged from Ireland in the past decade.” - Irish Independent
“This musical force of nature…” - Irish Times
Jack L’s website
Castlebar Gospel Choir + Eureka
LOCAL ARTS: GOSPEL MUSIC Wednesday 16th & Thursday 17th June @ 8.00pm
Making a typically vibrant return to the Linenhall, Castlebar Gospel Choir performs a selection of works from their Songs of Praise concert, previously performed in the John Field Room at the National Concert Hall, as well as a selection of new material. These songs evoke the arduous and emotional path taken by African Americans towards freedom and equality. In addition, there will be a performance of four songs by Eureka, another choir under the direction of Kathy Fahey, that has been in existence for six years. The concert a finale combining the talents of both choirs. Kathy will be ably assisted by Marese O'Hora, who will accompany Castlebar Gospel Choir on the piano.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Castlebar Gospel Choir website
Walk Tall Fashion Show with Julie Feeney
LOCAL ARTS: FASHION SHOW with JULIE FEENEY Thursday 10th June @ 8.00pm
Take your seat for the fashion event of the year. See the work of fifteen new designers from the Castlebar area, in a show-stopping catwalk extravaganza. The featured designers have worked with Castlebar’s Charity Retailers and three textile artists over six weeks at the Linenhall, to upstyle and re-fashion fifteen outfits that will receive their first public viewing at this fantastic event. Not only that, but the creators will model the outfits themselves, having taken part in gruelling deportment training in the lead up to the show! Other fashion highlights include a showcase of clothes on sale in a selection of Castlebar’s Charity Retail Outlets.The “Walk Tall” fashion show will be introduced by composer, singer, and sometimes fashion model Julie Feeney. Renowned for her stirring and spellbindingly elegant performances, Julie’s award video for ‘Impossibly Beautiful’ won Best Styled Music Video at the IMTV awards in 2009.
Guaranteed to be a fun-filled event, this show marks the climax of an exciting project at the Linenhall Arts Centre designed to highlight the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010. We all have a role to play in combating poverty and social exclusion. What’s yours?
The Social Inclusion Division of the Department of Social and Family Affairs supports this project as part of its funding initiative for the European Year for Combating Poeverty and Social Exclusion (2010)
Adm: FREE
Lane Productions - Setanta Murphy
THEATRE Tuesday 8th June @ 8.00pm
Setanta Murphy is a young man with a lot of time on is hands. Paddy is his grand-uncle, a cantankerous 90-year-old with a razor-sharp tongue who spends his days around town and his nights at the dog track. When Paddy gets sick, they are thrown into the messy world of public hospitals until Paddy finds himself in a nursing home, plotting his escape. Setanta Murphy is the touching and funny story of a relationship between an old man and his nephew as they attempt to navigate their way through ups, and downs, of the Irish health system. Starring Luke Griffin (Pure Mule, The Clinic, The Disappearance of Finbar) as Setanta and Garrett Keogh (Veronica Guerin, The Clinic, A Love Divided) as Paddy. Written and directed by Garrett Keogh.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"An enchanting piece of writing, devastatingly and wickedly acted ... a hymn to fellowship and the human spirit ... not to be missed." - The Sunday Independent
"A moving piece of black farce ... burns with the same fire as Krapp’s Last Tape." - The Sunday Times
Andy Irvine
FOLK/WORLD MUSIC Thursday 3rd June @ 8.00pm
Legendary Irish singer/songwriter Andy Irvine makes a welcome return to the Linenhall with his impressive repertoire that ranges from Irish traditional songs to dexterous Balkan dance tunes, creating an exciting new fusion of Irish and World Music not to be missed. Having travelled the world with bands such as Sweeney’s Men, Patrick Street, Planxty and more recently Mozaik, Andy continues to pursue new combinations and styles of music. He has broadened his musical horizons over the course of his forty-year career to encompass the musical styles of countries he visits. Between the achievements of his solo, group work and collaborations, he is a highly revered troubadour of the Irish music world. Andy Irvine never fails to deliver a pulsating, heartfelt performance. In the intimacy of the Linenhall this promises to be a very special night of music from one of Ireland’s true originals.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Andy Irvine has been one of Ireland’s most creative talents for over 20 years.” - Boston Globe
“Andy Irvine is a tradition in himself.” - Irish Press
“Dazzling.” - The Scotsman
Andy Irvine’s website
Open Mike Night
LOCAL ARTS: POETRY, PROSE & MORE Thursday 27th May @ 8.00pm
The latest in the ongoing Open Mike series at the Linenhall: an informal and thoroughly enjoyable evening of poetry, prose and music, when writers from all over Mayo come to read from their own work in front of an enthusiastic audience of peers, pundits and the public in general. The event takes place in the Linenhall Café, where refreshments will be available to enhance the ambience and bonhomie. Come along to share your own work, or enjoy the work of others. Adm.: free
Do Bhíosa Lá i bPortlairge - Music from the South East
IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC Wednesday 26th May @ 8.00pm
David Power (uilleann pipes), Fionn Mac Giolla Chuda (fiddle) and Ciarán Somers (flute) unearth a veritable treasure trove of music with its origins in the Co. Waterford Gaeltacht and the surrounding region. Virtuoso piper David Power is a former All-Ireland winner and member of Liam Clancy’s Fairweather Band in the 90s, with two highly-acclaimed solo CDs as well as performing alongside such Trad giants as Tony Mac Mahon and Máirtín O’Connor. Flautist Ciarán Somers is noted for his musical links with Brittany: his recent CD Faoi Bhláth was recorded there with fiddler Dave Sheridan and Breton guitarist Nicolas Quemener, formerly of Arcady. Fionn Mac Giolla Chuda first fell in love with traditional music in An Rinn and later returned there to record two CDs with local musicians. In addition to numerous TV and radio appearances he has toured in Japan and across Europe in the distinguished company of The Helvick Heads, Dónal Clancy and Gorumna.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“David Power brings a breathtaking freshness to the set, his fluid, fluent playing as light as a feather."- Siobhan Long, Irish Times
Music Network websiteLondon Classic Theatre - The Caretaker
THEATRE Tuesday 25th May @ 8.00pm
Davies, an elderly drifter, is given shelter by the kindly but vulnerable Aston. He quickly makes himself at home in the squalid, junk-filled attic, but an uneasy peace is fractured by the arrival of Mick, Aston’s quick-witted, streetwise younger brother. As the shadows lengthen and the three men reveal more about the past and themselves, a battle of wits begins that will have irrevocable consequences for them all. A landmark of twentieth century theatre, Nobel prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter’s seminal work is compelling study of loneliness and power games that still has the capacity to amuse, to shock and to fascinate. London Classic Theatre (Abigail’s Party, Humble Boy, The Beauty Queen of Leenane) first produced The Caretaker in 2004, to critical and public acclaim. This revival will be the centrepiece of the company’s tenth anniversary year. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“One of the 20th century's great plays.” - Daily Mail
"Acting and direction superb." - Onstage Scotland
"Uncanny, unrelenting, and grimly humorous...captivating." - edinburghguide.com
London Classic’s website
Active Retired Group Variety Concert
LOCAL ARTS: VARIETY CONCERT Wednesday 19th May @ 8.00pm
Castlebar Active Retired Group will stage their very own concert with music, songs, dancing, poems and storytelling at the Linenhall Arts Centre. The concert, for all ages, is part of Bealtaine, the national festival celebrating creativity in older age. So prepare to be entertained by some of Castlebar’s youngest at heart! Part of the Linenhall Arts Centre’s Bealtaine programme of events.Adm.: FREE
Please note: A complimentary tea and coffee reception will take place from 7.30pm prior to the concert.
(Castlebar Active Retired Group was established in 2000. The members meet once a week, on Wednesdays between 3.00pm and 4.30pm at the Welcome Inn on New Antrim Street in Castlebar. Newcomers are always welcome.)
Dean Spanley
CINEMA: FREE BEALTAINE MATINEE Tuesday 18th May @ 3.00pm
New Zealand, UK 2008 100 minutes Cert: GA fantastical comedy-drama for all ages, based on Lord Dunsany’s 1936 novella My Talks with Dean Spanley, about the difficult relationship between a man and his cantankerous father, who is unable to come to terms with the death of his elder son in the Boer war and the subsequent death of his wife from a broken heart. A lecture on the transmigration of souls by a visiting swami leads to a chance meeting with singular new local clergyman Dean Spanley, whose liking for Tokay wine leads to a spiritual revalation that may lead to emotional redemption for the father. Starring Peter O’Toole, Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill and Bryan Brown. A small gem and a real charmer. Part of the Linenhall Arts Centre’s Bealtaine programme of events, sponsored by Seven Seas Active 55.
“Fraser’s delightfully eccentric and ultimately touching film set in Edwardian England features O’Toole on sublime form as an irascible curmudgeon...” - Michael Dwyer, The Irish Times
“An eccentric, absorbing and rewarding film... Delightful.” - David Cheal, The Daily Telegraph
Adm.: FREE
Access Cinema website.
Denis Buckley - BRIGHTNESS: a Live Performance with Harsh Words
AUDIO/VISUAL PERFORMANCE Monday 17th May @ 8.00pm
BRIGHTNESS is a 21st century Aisling: a vision text for the next one hundred years of the Republic, which suggests such texts might be best to ignore. A live performance with video and original sound by artist Denis Buckley, BRIGHTNESS questions the role of past vision in Ireland’s current self-defining and asks what tangible part could imagination play in the countries future consciousness.
Using a mixture of original free verse in English, ancient/contemporary poetry, popular song in both Gaelic and English the suggestion is made that Irish identity is formulated from the poetic imagination. As Denis explains, “this is a powerful visceral spoken word audio visual performance, which demands to know how a country first imagined in poetic minds could turn out how it has, and if indeed it was those very visions that were to blame.”
Provocative and intriguing, this promises to be a unique and stimulating multimedia experience.
Denis Buckley was born in Kerry and has lived in London for twenty-five years. He was a member of the influential multi media performance company The People Show for ten years before touring his own brand of site specific interventions within the UK, Ireland and America.
Adm.: FREE (voluntary contribution)
The performance runs uninterrupted for 40mins and is followed by an open discussion on the themes of the work with the artist.
Denis Buckley’s website
Luke Davis
LOCAL ARTS: MUSIC Wednesday 12th May @ 8.00pm
Castlebar-born singer/songwriter Luke Davis first came to public attention in 1989 with an appearance on RTÉ’s Nighthawks. Since then he has reached the finals of RTÉ/BBC’s Go For It and Let Me Entertain You, and had a single in the Irish charts.Describing his style as “easy listening” and citing Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and U2 among his musical influences, Luke’s songs “are life experiences coming with a touch of fire”. Luke will be performing with a line up of well-known Mayo-based musical talent: David Warde (bass), Joanne Keegan (backing vocals, fiddle), Anthony Mc Namee (drums), Michael Kelly (keyboards), and Charley Cusack (guitar).
Support on the night will be provided by Luke’s daughter Zoe, who is, in Luke’s own words “greater than I am”. Come along and celebrate an enduring musical talent.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Black Balloon
CINEMA Tuesday 11th May @ 8.00pm
Australia 2008 97mins Language: EnglishThomas is about to turn sixteen and start a new school but his main concern is his older brother Charlie, who is autistic. And with their pregnant mother under doctor’s orders to rest, Thomas’ responsibilities to look after his brother are increasing. And when a new romantic interest begins for Thomas, it turns out that Charlie has also become entranced by the focus of Thomas’ attentions. Avoiding over-sentimental or tragic excesses, this is both a coming-of-age drama and an endearing and enduring portrait of a family who ultimately just get on with life, underpinned by a sensitive script and great performances by Rhys Wakefield as Thomas, Luke Ford as Charlie and Toni Collette as the heavily pregnant mother holding the family together. Directed by Elissa Down.
Adm.: €5
“Unblinking family drama… blessedly free of noble lessons and filled with real people.” - Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times
“The Black Balloon establishes this family with a delicate mixture of tenderness and pain.” - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Access Cinema website.
Garrymore Players - Pull The Other One
LOCAL ARTS: COMEDY THEATRE Monday 10th May @ 8.00pm
Albert Perkins is blessed with a loving wife, Muriel, and a fearsome mother-in-law, Boadicea. When Albert’s friend Hilary writes to him reminiscing about the good times they used to have, Boadicea reads the letter and determines to remove her daughter from the clutches of what is clearly a sex fiend. Albert pleads innocence, and that Hilary is a man. However he isn’t helped in his explanation when same Hilary turns up in a blonde wig and dress direct from performing his drag act at a local pub… Chaos and shenanigans ensue in Norman Robbins’ riotous farce where misunderstandings, double entendres and lost clothing abound from start to finish. Presented by Garrymore Drama Group, which has been performing since the late 1960s. Directed by Ger Lynskey, with a cast of Mary Dixon, Jimmy Murphy, Rosemary Dixon, Padraic Hegarty, Paula Dixon, Ollie Dixon and Mattie J Connolly.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Katie Kim
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC Friday 7th May @ 8.00pm
Katie Kim is a songwriter, musician and performed going places. Twelve, her first album, of self-penned ambient ‘post-rock’ tracks, has garnered critical acclaim far and wide (see below), and, backed up by a definitive performance at last year’s Electric Picnic, has generated an overwhelming public response. Formerly a member of dreampop outfit Dae-Kim, Katie left the band in 2008 to start recording songs she had been writing over the past 5 years that had been lost after a computer mishap wiped over 50 completed works. Katie’s second album is due for release in early October of this year. Katie Kim has also contributed to David Kitt's newest record The Nightsaver, and is also featured on Mike Scott's newest venture, due for release in the summer of 2010. Presented by Finbar Hoban Promotions. Support by Mia Sparrow.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"…subtle, slow-burning magic... Post-rock music at its instinctive, risk-taking finest." - The Irish Times
“A remarkable beginning.” - Donal Dineen
"A trafficker in dreamy space-rock… there's always a sublime melody or quirky hook... Independently released, her album Twelve has already basked in ecstatic reviews." - The Independent
"Twelve… Album of the month." - Road Records
Katie Kim's website
Ladybirds Vocal Ensemble + Mayo Girls Choir - Old and New
LOCAL ARTS: CHORAL CONCERT Thursday 6th May @ 8.00pm
Ladybirds Vocal Ensemble originally got together to play handbells. However, they soon discovered that they all loved to sing and so, from the Bells of Mayo evolved this very entertaining vocal ensemble! In the short time they have been together they have wooed audiences with snappy arrangements of songs from the ‘Swing’ era of the ‘30’s to musical treasures of the 21st century.Mayo Girls Choir was founded in 1994 to help promote choral singing for young girls in Co. Mayo. They have been awarded prizes in the Derry Feis Ceoil, Michael Van Dessel Festival, Pan Celtic Festival, Lyric FM Choirs For Christmas competition and in 2008 and 2009 they received the top prize for youth choirs in the Dublin Feis Ceoil. Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater is one of the most beautiful settings of this 13th century poem. Combine that with the pure voices of these young girls and you are assured of feast of musical beauty.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Ger Reidy
BOOK LAUNCH/POETRY READING Wednesday 5th May @ 8.00pm
Born in Aughagower, Westport, Ger Reidy began writing poetry in 1980. Since that time he has established himself as one of the strongest and most enduringly popular literary voices in Mayo, a fact confirmed by the recent reprinting of his first collection, Pictures from a Reservation, originally published by Dedalus Press in 1998. Since that time Ger has appeared in many prestigious poetry publications both in Ireland and internationally, has read widely at literary festivals and on both RTÉ radio and LyricFM, and has won numerous national poetry competitions. This reading sees the launch of Ger’s highly anticipated second collection, Drifting Under the Moon, also published by Dedalus. Ger will be reading from the collection and signing copies of the new collection. Come and celebrate a resonant Mayo talent.Adm.: FREE
“The images are fresh and the emotions uncompromisingly honest." - Dermot Healy, Cyphers
"Ger Reidy's use of language has a quiet, unassuming simplicity which belies the power of his imagery and the eloquence of his words." - Arts West magazine
Ger Reidy's website
Xuefei Yang & Natalie Clein
CLASSICAL RECITAL Wednesday 28th April @ 8.00pm
Two truly spell-binding performers, Xuefei Yang (guitar) and Natalie Clein (cello), perform together for this unmissable concert as part of a prestigious Music Network tour. Natalie Clein’s remarkable talent first came to the world’s attention when, aged sixteen, she won the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year award. Since then she has performed with many of the world’s finest orchestras and chamber music ensembles, combining traditional repertoire with more experimental pieces. Xuefei Yang is the first ever guitarist in China to enter a music school or launch a professional career, and first to sign an international recording contract with EMI. Lauded for her “feisty virtuosity”, light touch and precision, Yang gives a new meaning to the phrase ‘in demand’: in 2003 alone she performed 54 European concerts for the Night of the Proms Tour, to a combined audience of over 800,000 people! A magical night in prospect.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Natalie Clein… a performer of such great magnetism that she sweeps her audiences along with her, so much so that it is almost a shock when she stops playing and you find yourself back in the real world once more.” - The Oxford Times
“One of the most extraordinary instrumentalists in the world. Ms Yang plays her Spanish music, like her other music, fabulously; with sparkle, clarity and flair.” - The New York Sun
Music Network websiteBlue Eyelids (Párpados azules)
CINEMA Tuesday 27th April @ 8.00pm
Mexico 2007 98mins Spanish with English subtitlesDirector: Ernesto Contreras
Starring: Cecilia Suárez, Enrique Arreola, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Tiaré Scanda, Luisa Huertas
Directed with maturity and delicacy, Ernesto Contreras’ charming debut feature gently explores solitude and the quest for love between two needy but awkwardly independent Mexico City singles. Self-contained twentysomething Marina works at a uniform factory, and one day wins a trip to a beach paradise. But she doesn’t have anyone to go with her. That is, until Victor unexpectedly presents himself to her as an old friend from high school, an old friend she doesn’t remember. But then she doesn’t seem to remember much as she quietly wanders through her daily life as it passes her by. Original and cliché-free, this often touching and occasionally very funny film is underpinned by a great central performance by Cecilia Suárez and Enrique Arreola.
“What a humane treat this film is: a pinsharp cine-poem of romance. A gem.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“A remarkable feature film debut.” - Sundance Film Festival
Adm.: €5
Access Cinema website.
Alan Kelly Quartet
TRADITIONAL/WORLD MUSIC Thursday 22nd April @ 8.00pm
One of Ireland’s most accomplished musicians in any genre, Roscommon piano accordionist, composer and arranger Alan Kelly exploded onto the traditional scene with his 1997 debut album Out of the Blue, an album which according to Folk Roots magazine “made the piano accordion hip in Ireland again.” His dazzling second album Mosaic established Alan as one of the hottest live acts on the Irish scene with its exciting blend of traditional, salsa and jazz rhythms, and propelled him onto the World Music stage. Alan’s newly released third album After the Morning is fuelled by a rake of self-composed tunes, rich in variety and drawing on musical influences from Brittany to Asturias, to Louisiana. Performing with Alan are three top-drawer musicians: veteran fiddle player Tola Custy; Lúnasa-founding guitarist Donogh Hennessy; and vibrant young flute and whistle player Steph Geremia. Alan Kelly doesn’t just play the accordion, he celebrates it in a way that draws you into the passion he puts into the music he plays. Come and join him in that celebration.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“ … brilliantly talented, effortless and exuberant.” - The Irish Times
"After the Morning" is an unqualified triumph … superb.” - The Irish Echo
Alan Kelly's website.
Rig the Jig
TRADITIONAL/FOLK MUSIC Thursday 15th April @ 8.00pm
Rig the Jig comprises eight musicians who met through their love of music in the 1990s. In recent years, the band has evolved into a leading exponent of Irish traditional and contemporary folk music. Some of the faces may have changed since the band's early days, but Rig the Jig has proven itself as a byword for wonderfully organic, talented and energetic performances of music and song. Irish and American folk songs find the captivating, story-telling voice of Michael Banahan, the lilting vocals and the passionate fiddle playing of Aoife Kelly and the beautifully ornate performances of Patricia Lane. There’s a sprinkling of magic in Noel Carberry's ethereal whistle playing and in the haunting sounds of the Uilleann pipes. The sweet and jaunty melodies from Brendan Emmet's mandolin complement the pulsating rhythm of Anthony McDermott s guitars. All of that energy, coupled with Ian Kinsella’s mastery of the banjo and guitar, the fluid, exciting style of Paul Gurney on guitars and keyboards, makes Rig the Jig a force to be reckoned with. Irrepressible and lively, Rig the Jig offers a combination of Irish traditional music and more contemporary American material, a repertoire of songs, ballads, jigs and reels that is fresh and invigorating, completely natural and spontaneous. Enjoy!Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"When Rig the Jig let fly, a spirit of connection exists between Irish traditional music and contemporary American material, which is both fresh and invigorating as well as sounding completely natural and unforced." - John O'Regan, Folk Roots
“Rig the Jig is one of the most exciting new bands I have heard in my nearly 15 years as a radio programmer.” - Mike Fleischer, WDCB-FM, Chicago Illinois
Rig the Jig weblog
The Event
THEATRE Wednesday 14th April @ 8.00pm
A man stands on the stage. He is an actor. We know this because he tells us so, but also because our experience tells us that this is what actors do. Standing in a pool of light, he wittily deconstructs the theatrical experience while offering parallel insight into modern life: what if everything we believe and experience is an illusion - a fantasy designed to make us forget all that's important and... we do. Written and directed by John Clancy, and performed by David Calvitto, The Event is a deceptively simple piece of theatre - unpretentious and totally engaging - which playfully but profoundly leads us to question, not only the nature of reality, but the very nature of existence itself. A winner of the Edinburgh Fringe First Award, The Event is hugely acclaimed, beautifully conceived piece of theatre, masterfully delivering a profound, thought-provoking, imaginative experience. Definitely one not to miss.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"Absolutely superb theatre that lives long in the imagination and deserves to be the top of any must see list!" - The Mirror
“Intelligent and exhilarating.” - The Guardian
“Calvitto is one of the funniest and cleverest performers around.” - Neil Cooper, The Herald
“An extraordinary tour-de-force… Brilliant.” - Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
The Event website.
Burma VJ : Reporting From a Closed Country
CINEMA Tuesday 13th April @ 8.00pm
Denmark 2008 85mins Language: Burmese / EnglishDirector: Anders Østergaard
Director Anders Østergaard brings us close to Burma’s video journalists in this remarkable documentary. Filming covertly, and risking their lives in the process, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) smuggle their footage out of the country and have it broadcast back into Burma via satellite, providing free images to international media outlets. When, in September 2007, Buddhist monks lead a massive uprising, VJ Joshua is thrown into the role of tactician, coordinating a group of undercover reporters. With foreign TV crews banned from entering the country, it is left to Joshua and his crew to document the events, keeping the revolution alive on TV screens all over the world. - Irish Film Institute
“A flawlessly constructed piece of work, relentlessly gripping, and a stirring testament to individual bravery. Simply unmissable.” - Tom Huddleston, Time Out
“A rich, thought-provoking film.” - A.O. Scott, New York Times
Adm.: €5
Access Cinema website.
Limbik Theatre Company - The Harbour
PHYSICAL THEATRE Thursday 8th April @ 8.00pm
A contemporary re-imagining of a selkie tale - inspired by old stories of seal-women - The Harbour follows a daughter’s journey back to her island home, where she finally learns why her mother abandoned her as a child. Funny, moving and visually arresting, with haunting live music, Limbik explores the fragile nature of the relationships that give us shelter, and a safe haven, in a chaotic and unpredictable world. Presented by exciting new UK-based physical theatre company Limbik.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“A masterclass in surreal storytelling.” East Anglia Daily Times
“Haunting…imaginative… beautifully told.” - Rachel Sheridan, The British Theatre Guide
Limbik website.
Tony Manero
CINEMA Tuesday 30th March @ 8.00pm
Chile 2008 98mins Language: Spanish with English subtitlesDirector: Pablo Larrain
Starring: Alfredo Castro, Amparo Noguera, Hector Morales, Paola Lattus, Elsa Poblete.
Set in Chile in 1978, with the country in the grip of Pinochet's oppressive dictatorship, fifty-something Raúl is obsessed that he is disco king Tony Manero, John Travolta's white-suited star of Saturday Night Fever. Inspired by repeated viewing of the film at his local fleapit, he forms and choreographs a low-rent dance troupe, performing at a rundown bar on the outskirts of the city. When a national Tony Manero competition is announced, Raúl feels he is destined to win, even when the murderous secret police start to take interest in the inhabitants of the bar and his fellow dancers. The result is at once an absurd black comedy, an unsettling thriller, a confrontation of dark days in Chile's recent history, and a horribly believable, realist portrait of obsession, underpinned by a brilliant lead performance from Alfredo Castro as the misanthropic, misguided anti-hero.
“A multi-textured, striking work of distinction.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“This tough, impassive, marvellous second feature from young Chilean Larraín.” - Wally Hammond, Time Out
Adm.: €5
Access Cinema website.
Splódar - Dancing at Lughnasa
THEATRE Thursday 25th March @ 8.00pm
Since its premier production at The Abbey in 1990, Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa rapidly established itself as a modern classic in both Irish and international theatre. Set in 1936 in Ballybeg Co. Donegal, the home of the five unmarried Mundy sisters, this memory play unfolds from the point of view of adult narrator Michael, then 8 years old, the illegitimate son of the youngest sister. His memories of that fateful time, centred round the festival of the Celtic god Lugh, bring into sharp focus images of love, loss, and moments of intense emotion in a play of layered meanings, conflicting rituals and family tensions. Splódar (formerly The Glens Players) is the resident drama company in the Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, and has been creating compelling drama since its establishment in 1995.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Brian Finnegan, Ed Boyd & John Joe Kelly
CONTEMPORARY FOLK/TRAD Wednesday 24th March @ 8.00pm
Brian Finnegan (flute, whistles), Ed Boyd (guitar) and John Joe Kelly (bodhrán) - erstwhile front man and rhythm section from Flook, one of the finest bands ever to have graced the folk scene - join forces to promote Brian`s new album, The Ravishing Genius Of Bones, a finely woven mix of traditional and original material. Wonderfully hypnotic, the perfect balance between grace and power, sunlight and shade, the three make for a uniquely thrilling union.A great night of music in prospect.LATEST UPDATE: Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control Boris Grebenshikov will NOT be performing on the night as previously announced.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Sheer musical magic... enthralling.” - The Scotsman
“Multi-layered, rhythmically sophisticated and meltingly beautiful.” - Glasgow Sunday Herald
Brian Finnegan's website.
Flook website.
35 Shots of Rum (35 rhums)
CINEMA Tuesday 16th March @ 8.00pm
France/Germany 2008 100mins French, German with English subtitlesDirector: Claire Denis
Starring: Alex Descas, Mati Diop, Gregoire Colin, Nicole Dogue
Regarded by many as Denis’ warmest and most affirmative movie to date, 35 Shots of Rum is a portrait of the close relationship between widowed train driver Lionel and his affectionate student daughter Jo, who share a cramped apartment on the outskirts of Paris. The film centres on the domestic intimacy of this arrangement, the evolving relationships the two have with their neighbours, whether romantic or parental, and the approach of Lionel’s retirement. In top directorial form, Denis presents an eloquent meditation on family, harmony, loss and loneliness.
“Marvellous.” - Wally Hammond, Time Out
“Outstanding… rich, quietly complex and subtle. A film to be savoured.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“A masterpiece.” - Armond White, New York Press
Adm.: €5
Access Cinema website.
Beezneez - Tuesdays with Morrie
THEATRE Tuesday 9th March @ 8.00pm
Based on the multi-million best-selling book by Mitch Albion, and adapted for the stage by Mitch Albion and Jeffrey Hatcher, Tuesdays with Morrie is a heartwarming play that tells the story of a professor and a student who meet again after sixteen years, when former student Mitch discovers that his much-loved tutor Morrie is suffering from a terminal illness. What starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage, and Mitch gets a final class in the meaning of life from the older man. A two-hander directed by John McDwyer and featuring actors Michael Roper and Pat Feeley, Tuesdays with Morrie is a warm, compassionate and life-enhancing evening of theatre by Leitrim’s finest, Beezneez Theatre Company.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"A touching, life-affirming, deeply emotional drama with a generous dose of humor." - NY Daily News
Beezneez website
Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos)
CINEMA Tuesday 2nd March @ 8.00pm
Spain 2009 127mins Spanish with English subtitlesDirector: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar, Blanca Portillo, Jose Luis Gomez
Almódavar’s latest film is a story dominated by jealously, the abuse of power, treachery and guilt. Harry Caine is a man who writes, lives and loves in darkness. Fourteen years previously, in his former life as film director Mateo Blanco, he was in a car crash on the island of Lanzarote. In that accident, he lost his sight and also Lena, the love of his life. Today, Harry lives thanks to the scripts he writes and to the help he gets from his faithful former production manager, Judit, and from Diego, her son. One night Diego has an accident and Harry takes care of him (when his mother is out of town). During his convalescence, Diego asks Harry about his time as Mateo Blanco. Harry finds that he can’t refuse and relives the events of that time and the affair that fuelled those fateful events.
“Sheer, gorgeous style… Almodóvar conjures a vivid, rich palette of colours… he moves back and forth between the past and the present with virtuoso fluency.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“A lush, deeply romantic noir dense with nods to films past. Almodóvar is above all a great entertainer. This movie is utterly irresistible.” - David Edelstein, New York Movies
Adm.: €5
Access Cinema website.
Niwel Tsumbu & The Song of the Nations Band
WORLD MUSIC Monday 1st March @ 8.00pm
Congolese guitar sensation Niwel Tsumbu and his new band are set to deliver a night of spine-tingling music to the Linenhall as part of a nationwide tour presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award. Niwel and the Song of the Nations Band have been wowing audiences and critics alike with concerts nationwide and the band’s recent self-titled album. Since his arrival in Cork in 2004 from his war-torn homeland, Niwel has developed an enviable reputation as an elegant and fluent guitarist, vocalist and composer. The new album perfectly showcases his ability to vividly blend African rhythms, rumba, new jazz, classical flamenco and more. Playing electric and acoustic guitars and singing mostly in his native Lingala, Niwel performs a range of music that stretches from contemporary versions of Congolese traditional music from the 1930s and 40s to modern Jazz. Performing with Niwel as The Song of the Nations Band are Hungarian bassist Peter Erdei, Irish percussionist Eamonn Cagney, violinist Kathryn Doehner from Germany and Cuban percussionist Frailan Moran Mendive. Come along and put some fresh musical joy in your life.
“Niwel and his band are at the top of their profession…Niwel Tsumbu’s live show is unmissable.” - Starlife Magazine
“Potent… indomitable, infectious spirit… a sweep of syncopated rhythms.” - The Irish Times
“Exceptional.” - Hot Press
Music Network website
Niwel Tsumbu’s website
The Crimlin Community Arts Music Collective - From The Ocean to The Fringe
MUSIC NIGHT Saturday 27th February @ 8.00pm
After a rollercoaster year that included performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Volvo Ocean Race Festival in Galway, the various bands and groups from Crimlin Community Arts perform in concert at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Saturday 27th February at 8 pm. The show will feature the Batafada Samba band, Na Ciotógaí, Rockafada, Pipa Riba, Joe Mc Hale, the Crimlin Pipe Band Drummers and Bata Óg. Special guest artists on the night will be the world renowned local traditional musician Emer Mayock and friends. The concert will showcase a wonderful variety of musical styles from traditional to folk and from samba to bagpipes and song with a touch of dance thrown in. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Tickets available from the Linenhall Box Office, or they may also be ordered locally through Crimlin Community Arts from Sheila 086 8202883.
Bruiser Theatre Co - The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
THEATRE Monday 22nd February @ 8.00pm
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is one of Brecht's best known plays. It is an alarming and savagely hilarious allegory of Hitler's rise to power, in which the Führer is portrayed as charismatic Chicago gangster Arturo Ui, endeavouring to seize the city's fruit and vegetable racket from top-dog Al Capone. He systematically seduces the public and eliminates his political rivals in his bid for total domination. This is Political theatre at its best and most powerful. Six actor/musicians will play over fifty characters to bring this powerful story to life in typically exciting, engaging and physical Bruiser style, as previous productions(The Government Inspector, Candide, Oh What A Lovely War) triumphantly testify. Adapted by Ralph Manheim and directed by Lisa May (Belfast Telegraph Woman Of The Year In The Arts 2009), Arturo Ui is as relevant as ever. The battle for political status and the corruption of power still fill our newspapers in 2010. When credits crunch, to whom do we turn? Arturo Ui offers protection and freedom - but at what price?Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Bruiser - bursting with fun, energy and invention.” - Brendan Deeds, Culture Northern Ireland
Bruiser Theatre Company website
London Classic Theatre - The Beauty Queen of Leenane
THEATRE - BOOKED OUT - POSSIBLE RETURNS ON THE NIGHT Wednesday 17th February @ 8.00pm
Set in a claustrophobic kitchen of a rural cottage in the mountains of Connemara in the early 1990s, The Beauty Queen of Leenane tells the darkly comic tale of Maureen Folan, a plain, lonely woman in her early forties, and Mag, her manipulative, ageing mother, whose interference in Maureen’s first and possibly final chance of a loving relationship sets in motion a train of events that leads inexorably towards the play’s shocking denouement. The first part of the highly acclaimed and successful Leenane Trilogy, Martin McDonagh’s multi-award-winning play was first performed by Galway’s Druid Theatre Company in 1996. Presented here by London Classic Theatre (Abigail’s Party and Humble Boy), in an acclaimed production directed by Michael Cabot, The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a blend of black comedy, melodrama, horror and bleak tragedy, with the capacity to shock and surprise, with a masterful and violent sting in the tail. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“…wildly funny, deeply affecting and grotesquely macabre…an absolute cracker…” - Daily Telegraph
"Beautifully directed... a memorable production." - The Stage
NB: BOOKED OUT: possible returns on the night only
London Classic Theatre website
Katyn
CINEMA Tuesday 16th February @ 8.00pm
Poland 2007 121mins Polish with English subtitlesDirector: Andrzej Wajda
Starring: Maja Ostaszewska, Artur Zmijewski, Andrzej Chyra, Danuta Stenka
A poignant drama by Polish veteran director Andrzej Wajda that traces the lasting effects of a national tragedy, the Katyn massacre of 1940, a subject of enduring rage and shame. On Stalin's orders, the Soviets slaughtered some 22,000 Polish prisoners of war in Katyn forest in western Russia. Originally attributed to the Nazis by the Soviet Union, the bitter truth was only finally acknowledged by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990. Katyn recreates the stories of both the perpetrators and their victims. Focusing on the influence of politics and the impossibility of resolution for the victims’ families, Wajda’s film is not merely about the crime itself, but the process of collusion in which the post-war Polish state sought survival supporting a grotesque lie.
“A powerful and even remarkable memorial to these victims and to the belated destruction of one of the most persistent untruths about the Second World War.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“A poignant drama… a stately, exquisitely shot film.” - Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Adm.: Film Club membership
Access Cinema website.
Geraldine O’Grady + Oonagh Keogh
CLASSICAL VIOLIN RECITAL Thursday 11th February @ 8.00pm
Geraldine O’Grady has been in the forefront of Irish Music since she graduated from the Paris Conservatoire with the coveted Premier Prix and First Place, and has had a distinguished international career as recitalist and soloist with major symphony orchestras. Geraldine’s daughter, Oonagh Keogh, is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and has an Honours MA from the University of Limerick. She has performed extensively as a soloist and is a member of the much-acclaimed Irish Chamber Orchestra. As a duo, Geraldine and Oonagh have been co-soloists in classical and modern concertos. They have a wide repertoire of music and have given recitals throughout Ireland, Europe, The West Indies and the USA, and have recorded for radio, television and on CD. Margaret O’Sullivan is in constant demand as an accompanist, duo partner and repetiteur. Among her many awards is the top prize for solo pianoforte at the College of Music in Dublin. She performs regularly with Geraldine and Oonagh and was accompanist on their duo album Heartstrings in Harmony.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom)
CINEMA Tuesday 2nd February @ 8.00pm
South Korea 2008 130mins Korean, Mandarin, Japanese with English subtitlesDirector: Ji-woon
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung
Korean director Kim Ji-woon’s homage to Sergio Leone’s seminal The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, set in the lawless badlands of Japanese-occupied 1930s Manchuria. A psychotic dandy gangster, a bounty hunter and an opportunistic small-time thief find themselves in a race to secure a stolen map, pursued by an international syndicate of bandits, some double-dealing drug dealers, and the amassed forces of the Japanese imperialist army. A film filled with train robberies, gun battles, knife fights, opium dens, horse chases and tense Mexican stand-offs, constant tonal surprise, occasional violence, offbeat comedic moments and grand action set-pieces. Energetic, stylish, outrageous - yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds.
“It's exciting, funny, thrilling, and as entertaining as hell.” - Anton Bitel, EyeForFilm.co.uk
“Gleefully deranged.” - Wendy Ide, The Times
“Wild, crazy and packed with memorable moments… one of the most genuinely fun and inventive movies to hit the screen in quite some time.” - Saxon Bullock, Film4
Adm.: Film Club membership
Access Cinema website.
Eduardo Niebla
FLAMENCO/JAZZ GUITAR Monday 1st February @ 8.00pm
Hailed as one of the world's great guitarists, Eduardo Niebla returns to the Linenhall to present a scintillating repertoire of dazzling flamenco jazz from his latest albums. His lyrical, breathtaking music has garnered huge respect within his adopted UK homeland, and also internationally, with concerts including Glastonbury Festival, the San Isidro Fiesta Madrid, the Olympic Games Greece and concert tours to India, South Africa, Jordan, Abu Dhabi, and much of Europe. Continually seeking out new musical terrain, Niebla has traversed the worlds of pop, jazz and world music, collaborating with such diverse partners as sitar maestro Nishat Khan, George Michael, Lol Coxhill and Craig David. He is currently recording his 23rd album. Accompanied for the concert by fellow guitarist Ricardo Garcia, expect a spellbinding evening of passion, verve and fleet fingered virtuosity from one of the most potent forces in flamenco jazz fusion.”Poignantly poetic... and truly breathtaking.” - The Scotsman
”Stunning flamenco jazz.” - The Sound
“Niebla is the king of Latin guitar, a world-class virtuoso.” - Time Out
“Astonishing.” - Q Review
"Stunning… a potent force." Jazz UK
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Eduardo Niebla’s website
Jon Kenny - I’m Not Says I… I’m Fine
COMEDY Thursday 28th January @ 8.00pm
With our newspapers full of stories of doom and gloom and bad weather, an evening of hilarious comedy with former D’Unbelievable Jon Kenny is just what the doctor ordered. I’m Not Says I …I’m Fine heralds a return for Jon to the type of work that made his reputation as one of the most talented and best-loved comedians in Ireland. Jon uses the changing face of contemporary Ireland as the scaffold on which to build his hilarious observations and characters. Running through such contrasting experiences as supporting Munster rugby to visiting a health spa, he takes no prisoners and delights in emphasizing the humour in everyday life. This is a thrilling experience for lovers of comedy everywhere. So turn off your televisions and radios - they’re only making you depressed - and come out for an evening of guaranteed craic.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“He has an uncanny eye for the most absurd elements of life as we know it while at the same time lampooning the idiocies spawned by recently discovered (and just as quickly lost) affluence.” - Hot Press
Jon Kenny’s website
The Homecoming
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Thursday 21st January @ 8.00pm
Forget all the hype about the Irish Brand: here are four top musicians who left Ireland to ply their musical trade in the US in the 1980s and 90s. They went, they played and they conquered.Paddy O'Brien (accordion), Susan McKeown (vocals), Cillian Vallely (pipes), Aidan Brennan (guitar).
Accordion maestro Paddy O’Brien made his mark with the legendary Shanachie trio and continues to spread the Gaelic gospel with his highly-acclaimed groups Chulrua and The Doon Céilí Band. Vocalist Susan McKeown hit the ground running with her debut album Bones in 1995. Eleven albums on she has a Grammy under her belt and list of collaborators that reads likes a musical who’s who. Fellow Dubliner and guitarist Aidan Brennan is a major presence on the Portland, Oregon trad scene who’s also worked with the likes of Martin Hayes, Emer Maycock and Loreena McKennitt as well as touring with Riverdance, while Armagh-born piper Cillian Vallely has appeared with fiddler Seamus Connolly, New York-based band Whirligig and on Tim O’Brien’s The Crossing. Oh yes, and he’s also a member of Celtic supergroup Lúnasa. A whole barrel of talent performing together as part of a very special Music Network tour.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“The music: button box wizard Paddy O’Brien gets it. Really gets it.” - Irish Music Magazine
“A singer of passion, grace and striking presence; she seems to personify both past and present.” - Irish Examiner on Susan McKeown
“Music that lives and breathes in the wider world.” - Q MAGAZINE
Music Network websiteThe Grocer’s Son (Le Fils de l’Epicier)
CINEMA Tuesday 19th January @ 8.00pm
France 2008 96mins French with English subtitlesDirector: Eric Guirado
Starring: Nicolas Cazalé, Clotilde Hesme, Jeanne Goupil, Daniel Duval
A French summertime idyll, this second film from director Eric Guirado is touching and honest, with a genuine eye for character and the small battles of everyday life. Antoine, a 30 year-old grocer’s son unwillingly returns to his village of birth to run the family shop after his father has a heart attack. Accompanying him is his ‘friend’, Claire, a bubbly and pretty girl from the city who feels she could use some peace and quiet in the country to prepare for her upcoming exams. Guirado takes a rather less predictable route with this boy-girl scenario, an approach that makes for a moving coming-of-age story, ultimately delivering a quiet delight.
“Unforced and beautifully acted.” - J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader
“… unfolds with subtlety, humor and affection - a pure enchantment.” - Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Adm.: Film Club membership
Access Cinema website.
Open Mike Night
POETRY, PROSE & MORE Thursday 14th January @ 8.00pm
Going from success to success, here’s the latest in the ongoing Open Mike series at the Linenhall: an informal and thoroughly enjoyable evening of poetry, prose and music, when writers from all over Mayo come to read from their own work in front of an enthusiastic audience of peers, pundits and the public in general. The event takes place in the Linenhall Café, where refreshments will be available to enhance the ambience and bonhomie. Come along to share your own work, or enjoy the work of others. Adm.: free
Desi Wilkinson, Máirtín O’Connor, Frank Hall & Lena Ullman - Buffalo in the Castle
TRADITIONAL/AMERICAN OLD-TIME MUSIC Monday 14th December @ 8.00pm
Buffalo in the Castle is an exploration of music inspired by the traditions of Irish and American Old-time music and song. Drawing together the genres is a dazzling line up of musical talents: Traditional luminaries Desi Wilkinson (flute, whistle and vocals) and Máirtín O’Connor (accordion) team up with two top musicians with an Appalachian musical background: Frank Hall (fiddle, vocals) and Lena Ullman (5-string banjo, vocals). Playful and lyrical, the result is a potent concoction that guarantees satisfaction to the last drop - be it poitín, moonshine or this stunningly enjoyable cocktail of the two.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“A stirring concoction of deftly played good-time music.” - Gerry Quinn, The Irish Examiner
“A pure distillation of Old Time American and Irish traditions: there for the savouring.” - Siobhan Long, The Irish Times
Buffalo in the Castle website
WhistleBlast Quartet - Christmas Family Concert
FAMILY CONCERT Saturday 12th December @ 3.00pm
The WhistleBlast Quartet (Mary Curran, French horn; Kenneth Edge, saxophones, clarinet; Síle Daly, oboe, cor anglais; Andrew Synnott, piano) performs and narrates Tchaikovsky’s magical Nutcracker Suite as arranged by Ken Edge as part of this Christmas Family Concert for all ages. The Concert also has lots of fun music including the themes from The Pink Panther and The Simpsons, This Little Babe from the Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten and much more! A relaxed, informal and accessible family concert full of charming favourites: what better way to while away a Saturday afternoon?Adm.: €8 (NB: Special Family Rate: €25 for 4 tickets)
WhistleBlast Quartet website
Peadar de Burca - Why Men Marry
COMEDY THEATRE Thursday 10th December @ 8.00pm
“Let me take you on a journey around a man’s mind…don’t worry, it won’t take long.”Brace yourself as Peadar de Burca’s new one-man comedy takes you on a mission to find out what goes on in the mind of the most complex species on the planet. Irish comedian, actor and playwright Peadar de Burca interviewed over 300 men in Ireland and England trying to find out exactly what they wanted from life and love. Unfortunately, he found out. Following on from the sell-out successes of What Men Want and Why Men Cheat, Why Men Marry has continued with the tradition of rave reviews. Not for the bashful or the easily shocked, Why Men Marry is definitely not for men that can’t laugh… at themselves!
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“De Burca lays bare every insecurity men ever had, sizzling stuff.” - Conor Morrow, Sunday Tribune
“One of the funniest shows this year.” - Ryan Turbridy
“Four stars and a smile on your face.” - The Irish Times
Lemon Tree (Etz Limon)
CINEMA Tuesday 8th December @ 8.00pm France/Germany/Israel 2008 106mins Arabic/Hebrew with English subtitles
A fortysomething West Bank Palestinian widow decides to tackle the might of the Israeli state in court when her new neighbour, the Israeli Defence Minister, orders her family’s lemon grove to be uprooted as a perceived security risk. Eran Riklis’ multifaceted drama straddles the Palestinian-Israeli divide in a film full of irony, generosity, anger and even optimism.“Tender, humane.” - Anthony Quinn, The Independent
“A powerful film.” - Philip Kennicott, Washington Post
Adm.: Film Club membership
Access Cinema website.
Castlebar Gospel Choir
CHORAL CONCERT Monday 7th December @ 8.00pm
Castlebar Gospel Choir makes a welcome return visit to the Linenhall with an inspirational and joyous evening of Christmas and spiritual music in tune with the time of the year. With a wonderful array of musical talent and enthusiasm, it’s easy to see why over the past 10 years the choir has won so many fans and admirers. For this concert, choir Director Kathy Fahey has lined up a programme of new music especially for the Christmas season. Come along and get yourselves into a truly festive spirit.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Reserved Moments
POPULAR MUSIC NIGHT Thursday 3rd December @ 8.00pm - SOLD OUT - Possible returns on the night
Old, new, borrowed, blue…Locally based good-time group The Reserved Moments celebrates the music of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and Noughties, along with original songs by David Tuomey, based around the theme of ‘Love and Romance’. The Moments line-up comprises David Tuomey (lead vocals), Adrian Gavin (guitar/vocals), Paddy Gannon (guitar/vocals), Kelvin Frain (bass guitar), Donal Hoban (drums) Roger Esaul (keyboards/vocals), Siobhan Shields (vocals) and Teresa Burke (guitar/vocals). So for a trip down the Memory Lane of heartbreak, lost love, found love and all the confusions that ensue, look no further, and reserve yourself a few special musical moments…
NB. Complimentary mulled wine from 7.30pm.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions) - SOLD OUT - Possible returns on the night
The Laudate Ladies Choir + Ronan Egan
CHORAL CONCERT Tuesday 1st December @ 8.00pm
Ronan Egan and the Laudate Ladies Choir present an intimate evening of song, featuring a programme of Classical, Sacred and Contemporary music directed by accomplished Musical Director Kathy Fahey and accompanied by renowned local musician John Flatley. Ronan Egan, originally from Wicklow and now living in Belcarra will perform some favourite Italian pieces, as well as songs from musicals and popular Irish songs. Mayo’s Laudate Choir has been together for four years and has earned a growing reputation for beautiful singing and unusual interpretation of a wide repertoire of music. A wonderfully entertaining evening of singing with something for everyone, including Vivaldi’s Gloria; Walking in The Air; Nella Fantasia; Love Changes Everything; and Time to Say Goodbye.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Mary Mc Partlan + Vincent Woods
MUSIC + POETRY EVENING Friday 27th November @ 8.00pm
An evening of music and poetry. Mary McPartlan is one of the most talented singers to come out of the Irish scene in recent years. Born in Drumkeerin, Co. Leitrim and now living in Galway, she started singing in the early 70s but it wasn't until 2003 that she decided to make music her full time career. Her debut album The Holland Handkerchief was released the following year to resounding critical acclaim and was collectively hailed as one of the finest Traditional albums of the year. Fellow Leitrim-born author, playwright and broadcaster Vincent Woods (whose oeuvre includes plays At the Black Pig’s Dyke and Song of the Yellow Bittern, and poetry collections The Colour of Language and Lives and Miracles) has written songs for Mary’s acclaimed album Petticoat Loose. A former Mayo Writer-in-Residence, Vincent will be reading from his work during the evening.Musical accompaniment for the night is by acclaimed guitarist Garry Ó Briain.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Mary McPartlan has one of the great voices of Ireland.” - The Living Tradition
“McPartlan’s voice is gloriously earthy.” - The Irish Times
“A voice that pins you against the wall.” - Mojo magazine
Mary McPartlan's website
The Nomadic Theatre Company- The Rare Oul’ Times
COMEDY THEATRE Thursday 26th November @ 8.00pm
Set in 1950s Dublin in the back room of the Bailey public house, Ireland's two most volatile drinkers and literary figures, Brendan Behan and Patrick Kavanagh, discuss with great humour their lives, loves, successes and failures. The comedic play sympathetically highlights the complexities of both men, their fiery temperaments, their love of the written and spoken word and their longing for recognition. The Rare Oul' Times shows Behan at his most outrageous and Kavanagh at his most vitriolic, while the humour, poetry, songs and pints of porter flow. Written by Ken McElroy in 2003 for the Edinburgh Festival, this two-act play featuring Ken Mc Elroy as Patrick Kavanagh and Oliver Moore as Brendan Behan has toured widely in Ireland and the UK.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Poignant, abrasive and hugely funny. A great night’s theatre.” - Belfast Telegraph
“A nostalgic romp… wallow in their lovable eccentricity.” - Glasgow Herald
“A great piece of theatre. Do not miss this production.” - The Irish News
Rare Oul’ Times website
The Silence of Lorna (Le Silence de Lorna)
CINEMA Tuesday 24th November @ 8.00pm Belgium 2008 105mins French with English subtitles
Directors Jean-Pierrre and Luc Dardenne tell the tale of Lorna, an Albanian immigrant seeking Belgian citizenship, caught between love and the law of the underworld. Nuanced, surprising and deeply moving, this is a beautifully observed study of immigrants in the new Europe attempting to eke out a living through rather uncertain means.“Brilliantly nuanced… the film feels almost spiritual in its investigation of a lost soul.” - Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Adm.: Film Club membership
Access Cinema website.
Armed Eye Film & Theatre Co. - Psycho Spaghetti
CHILDREN’S THEATRE Wednesday 18th November @ 11.30am & 2.00pm
Ger Carey’s Psycho Spaghetti is a brilliant comedy written specifically for young people aged between 15 and 18. This hilarious one-man show attempts to answer the age-old question: just what is going on inside the teenage brain? The show aims to get teenagers to laugh at themselves and view themselves as part of a bigger picture. A show perfect for Transition Year students, LCA, Youth Reach and even grown-ups!Adm.: €10
NB: Booking through Armed Eye. Tel: 059 9141333
Armed Eye website
DoYou Playhouse - Multiplex
YOUTH DRAMA Monday 16th & Tuesday 17th November @ 8.00pm
A comedy written by Christopher William Hill, Multiplex revolves around the lives of a group of young cinema ushers obsessed with films. Reality and fantasy blur, as they imagine their own films under the direction of film-buff King. But King’s leadership is challenged when new usher Mouse arrives and the pecking order begins to disintegrate. Expect plenty of laughs as Castlebar-based youth drama group DoYou Playhouse delivers its latest success with a cast of some of Mayo’s very best young acting talent from 13-18 years of age. DoYou is the brainchild of Donna Ruane and Oisín Herraghty, two highly experienced members of the Mayo drama community who have been delivering top quality youth productions since 2002. Multiplex looks set to be their latest triumph. And remember, youth theatre isn’t just for young people, it’s for everyone. Enjoy!Adm.: €10 / €5 (concessions)
The Lawnmowers - Cabaret for Fools
COMIC THEATRE Thursday 12th November @ 8.00pm
Cabaret for Fools is a series of beautifully crafted comic and tragic sketches exploring universal themes such as Love, Death, and Memory, using full Character Mask, Commedia dell’Arte and Clown, taking the audience on a wonderful journey into their comical observations of the world inspired by the likes of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Jacques Tati. The sketches are wordless and very physical, accompanied by an array of wonderful music and beautiful imagery. Since 1986 The Lawnmowers has been a vibrant company run by and for people with learning difficulties. It employs people with learning difficulties and uses performance based shows and workshops to lay the foundations for learning disabled people to participate fully in their own society, shape their lives and achieve their aspirations. The Lawnmowers is brought to Mayo by the Arts & Disability Networking Pilot, a partnership initiative of the Arts Council, Arts & Disability Ireland and Mayo County Council Arts Office.
Adm.: €12/ €8 (concessions)
The Lawnmowers' website
Preston Reed
CONTEMPORARY GUITAR Wednesday 11th November @ 8.00pm
Welcome to Preston Reed’s guitar revolution. Everything you thought you knew is wrong. All the rules you thought applied have gone. For one night only, logic and reason leave the building and musical magic fizzes in the air, as the New York visionary credited with reinventing the acoustic guitar takes you on a six and twelve string thrill-ride through the impossible and unforgettable. Yet this is not guitar wizardry for its own sake. Blues, rock, funk and jazz meet, embrace, interlock and attack to create a sonic brew quite unlike anything you’ve heard before. Playing an array of guitars from acoustic to electric to classical, Reeds vast range of explosively original music will forever change your expectation of a guitarist.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Spectacular… a terrific performer.” - Eamon Sweeney, The Irish Independent
“Widely thought of as the world’s most gifted guitarist.” - Total Guitar
“In a class of his own.” - Jack Massarik, London Evening Standard
“Reed's fiendishly intricate blend of blues, rock, country and metal styles ducks and weaves itself away from measurability.” - The Irish Times
Preston Reed website
Quiet Chaos (Caos Calmo)
CINEMA Tuesday 10th November @ 8.00pm UK/Italy 2008 105mins Italian with English subtitles
Following the accidental death of his wife, film executive Pietro attempts to cope with loss and living, through immersing himself in the activities of daily life with his 10-year-old daughter. Antonio Luigi Grimaldi’s film is a thoughtful and mature adaptation of Sandro Veronesi’s novel, with a quietly compelling central performance by Nanni Moretti.“A beautifully modulated, fluidly told film.” - Jay Weissberg, Variety
Adm.: Film Club membership
Access Cinema website.
Songs for Cecilia
OPERATIC RECITAL Monday 9th November @ 8.00pm
Two of Ireland's brightest operatic talents, soprano Celine Byrne and mezzo soprano Tara Erraught, present a delightful programme based on the theme ‘Songs for Cecilia’ accompanied by the pianist Dearbhla Collins. Celine Byrne was winner of First Prize at the 2007 Maria Callas Grand Prix in Athens and has recently collaborated with luminary tenors José Carreras and Roberto Alagna. Tara Erraught's star is assuredly in the ascendant, having recently won a slew of awards, including First Prize in the Jakub Pustina International Singing Competition, the Washington National Opera Prize and the Houston Grand Opera Prize. The two singers will be accompanied by highly respected prize-winning solo pianist Dearbhla Collins. The programme includes a specially commissioned piece by Ian Wilson, songs and duets by Purcell, Mozart, Schumann, Strauss and Puccini, as well as arias from Cosi fan Tutte, The Barber of Seville, Madam Butterfly and Norma. Part of a Music Network tour.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"Celine Byrne.... has presence, a powerful and flexible voice, and the intelligence to understand how music and words work together.” - Martin Adams, The Irish Times
"Erraught has the true mezzo's rare ability to illuminate the most ordinary segment of the human voice." - Andrew Johnstone, The Irish Times
Amongst Women
POETRY EVENING Thursdsday 5th November @ 8.00pm
An evening of poetry, music and prizewinners. Five women writers with Mayo connections present their work:Geraldine Mitchell (Louisburgh), one of Mayo’s most distinguished writers, recipient of the 2008 Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Prize; Pearl King (Crossmolina), who has read with Anthony Cronin and features regularly at Open Mike events; Aoife Casby (Claremorris) winner of the Edgeworth Poetry Prize and published in Poetry Ireland; Helen Falconer (Killala), author of Primrose Hill and Sky High, two novels published in both the UK and US; and Sally Rooney (Castlebar), published in a Manchester Guardian anthology, and currently studying in Trinity College. Music on the evening will be provided by young singing sensation Elaine Madden, whose recent sell-out debut concert at the Linenhall received a standing ovation. A great celebration of Mayo talent where men are also more than welcome - but on this occasion only in the audience! Come and enjoy!
Adm.: €10 / €7 (concessions)
Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Wednesday 4th November @ 8.00pm
The brilliant, innovative harping of Máire Ní Chathasaigh, Irish Traditional Musician of the Year 2001, and the astonishing virtuosity and versatility of English guitar wizard Chris Newman, make a welcome return to the Linenhall with their addictive and stylish cocktail of powerhouse Irish dance-music, gorgeous airs, evocative old songs and striking new compositions, with shots of hot jazz and bluegrass thrown into the dazzling mix. The latest in a string of scintillating recordings, their new CD FireWire has garnered extraordinary critical acclaim. These two stellar talents, coupled with Chris's subversively witty introductions, guarantee a unique and captivating evening of music at its very best. Don’t miss it.Máire Ní Chathasaigh's website
Chris Newman website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Máire Ní Chathasaigh is in a class of her own.” - The Guardian
“Virtuoso playing... an eclecticism and spirit of adventure that is quite thrilling...” - The Times
“Dazzling virtuosity... The speed and complexity is to be marvelled at... exquisitely delivered... delightful.” - The Daily Telegraph
So & So Circus Theatre - The Hot Dots
CIRCUS THEATRE Monday 2nd November @ 8.00pm
Frank Johnstone and Evie Steele met in 1928. This is the story of two hugely successful vaudeville performers and their spectacular fall from grace. Featuring award-winning London-based So & So's trademark acrobatic balancing and a fantastic story set against the backdrop of 1930s Music Hall, this show is a real one-off treat. Performed by So & So founders Kaveh Rahnama and Lauren Hendry, directed by Kristine Landon-Smith, featuring design by Sue Mayes and film by Mark Morreau. Don’t miss it!
So and So Circus website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"It's clever and funny and poignant- really entertaining!" - Liz Arratoon, The Stage
"Outstanding." - The Observer
ROOLABOOLA CHILDREN’S ARTS FESTIVAL 2009
Monday 19th - Monday 26th October
The Linenhall’s annual arts extravaganza for young people, celebrating its 12th birthday with a bulging programme of top quality shows, workshops and much, much more. See our pulsating RoolaBoola brochure for full details. While the action comes to a climax over the Bank Holiday weekend, there are also public shows during the previous week that we’d like to draw your attention to, shows suitable for families and engaging and entertaining enough for adults on their own too!Click here for full RoolaBoola programme and workshop listings.
The Magician’s Garden
ROOLABOOLA PUBLIC EVENT @ RURAL TRAINING CENTRE Friday 23rd October @ 7.30pm
The Magician has left his garden and his spells have gone wild, taking root and even taking flight! After twilight, the veil of reality slips just a little and visions appear in a magical glow of lights. An enchanting visual experience for all the family, devised by artist Tom Meskell in association with the HSE Rural Training Centre, Castlebar.Adm.: free
PigNut - Ahhhh!!
ROOLABOOLA PUBLIC SHOW - FOR PRE-SCHOOLERS Thursday 22nd October @ 10.00am & 12.00noon Friday 23rd October @ 10.30am
Welcome to Jay’s world, where bubbles, a pet pig, mysterious plants, and more come together to create moments of ‘ahhhh!!’ A show full of magic and delight, Ahhhh!! is a gorgeous performance combining music, illusion and physical theatre, designed with loving care for very young children. Suitable for pre-school children aged 2-3years and their guardians.PigNut Productions website
Adm.: €8
“Are you magic?” - (3 year-old audience member)
Teatergruppen Batida - Spaghetti
ROOLABOOLA PUBLIC SHOW - FOR VERY YOUNG PEOPLE & ADULTS Wednesday 21st October @ 8.00pm
“Spaghetti makes you tall”, say the two lanky fellows. And then they cook spaghetti right there on stage! But then their neighbour, who is short and round, wants to join in the feast. A charming, heart-warming story about irreconcilable opposites, a fun-packed mix of clowning, theatre and live music presented by Denmark’s Teatergruppen Batida. Suitable for ages 4 years+.Teatergruppen Batida website
Adm.: €8
”We perform for the vivacious and the curious!” - Batida
Cahoots NI - The Musician
ROOLABOOLA PUBLIC SHOW - FOR YOUNG PEOPLE & ADULTS Monday 19th October @ 8.00pm
A spellbinding new opera for children that tells the story of the child that was to become the best known flautist of them all… the Pied Piper. Using magic, dance, narrative and an orchestra of instruments, The Musician is a totally original and darkly thrilling piece of musical theatre for children, inspired by classic children’s fairytales. Written and composed by Conor Mitchell. Suitable for ages 9 years+.Cahoots NI website
Adm.: €8
“A story of broken dreams and broken music, which challenges the imagination of its young audience.” - Jane Coyle, The Irish Times
Independent Ballet Wales - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
BALLET Wednesday 14th October @ 8.00pm
Critics Circle Award-winning company Independent Ballet Wales makes a welcome return visit to the Linenhall with a dazzling version of Shakespeare's most magical play: Puck, Titania and Oberon, Bottom and his “rude mechanicals”, and two sets of lovers, all caught in a thrilling web of mistaken identity, confusion, comedy and magic in an Athenian forest over the course of one fateful night. Featuring Mendelssohn's haunting music, with expansive choreography by Artistic Director Darius James and critically acclaimed costumes by Yvonne Greenleaf, the result is a wonderfully colourful and entertaining classical ballet performance for all the family.Independent Ballet Wales website
Adm.: €20 / €15 (concessions)
“This charming and gifted company.” - Daily Telegraph
“A delicate fusion of comic magic.” - The Irish Times
“A hugely enjoyable version of Shakespeare’s comedy.” - The Daily Express
“Colourful, exciting and a joy to see.” - Munster Express
Decadent Theatre - Country Music
DRAMA Wednesday 7th October @ 8.00pm
Country Music is a story of crime and redemption. Spanning more than twenty years, this is the life story of illiterate loser Jamie Carris, a troubled eighteen year old whose recklessness leaves him facing a tragic future after being sent to prison for murder. What made this young man a killer? How will he survive the harsh reality of prison life? Can he ever rebuild his life? Unsentimental yet not unsympathetic, episodic moments offer insight into Jamie’s inarticulate character and motivations, in an intricately woven play by Simon Stephens. A new production directed by acclaimed director Andrew Flynn, starring Andy Kellegher.Presented in association with Galway Arts Centre.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"...spare but eloquent... the imaginative sympathy of Country Music really blew me away...almost unbearably moving." - The Daily Telegraph
Bruiser Theatre Company - The Government Inspector
THEATRE Thursday 1st October @ 8.00pm
“All last night I was dreaming about a rat…”The very wonderful Bruiser Theatre Co. teams make a return visit to the Linenhall with this cracking version of Gogol’s classic comedy. In a small country town, a penniless traveller finds himself mistaken for a top-ranking government official. Totally unprincipled, he plays along with the confusion, demolishing the town’s facade of respectability and revealing greed and hypocrisy on a scale that even he finds hard to stomach. Witty, smart and wildly satirical, this timely and spirited All-Ireland premiere of Bill Scott’s brilliant adaptation is packed full of amazing characters, played with huge energy, slapstick and cracking comic timing by a six-strong cast, and guaranteed to surprise, amuse and delight. One of the most famous comedies in world theatre, Gogol's masterpiece has lost none of its bite!
Bruiser Theatre Company's website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Bruiser - bursting with fun, energy and invention.” - Brendan Deeds, Culture Northern Ireland
Times and Winds (Bes Vakit)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 29th September @ 8.00pm
Turkey 2006 111minsTurkish language with English subtitles
An intensely lyrical film by director Reha Erdem, set in a mountainous, austerely beautiful region of north-eastern Turkey, chronicling the lives of three children in their early teens as harsh realities of life come into focus: not only the realities of a life of subsistence farming within an isolated village community, but also those of status in the adult world. They begin to learn what it means to be second best, what it means to be a woman in a man's world, or to be the son who is not his father's favourite. A beautifully photographed and eloquent addition to the oeuvre of new Turkish cinema.
“A remarkable piece of work, conceived at the highest pitch of intelligence: a cinematic poem, replete with fear and rapture, and one of the best films of the year.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Original… spectacular…marvellous.” - Wally Hammond, Time Out
Access Cinema website
Damien Dempsey (Solo)
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC Monday 28th September @ 8.00pm NOW SOLD OUT
Considered one of Ireland’s most outstanding contemporary singer/songwriters, Damien Dempsey has produced a series of critically acclaimed chart-topping albums, the most recent of which is The Rocky Road, featuring the cracking single reworking of The Rocky Road to Dublin. The Donaghmede troubadour is back to perform another electrifying acoustic set in the intimate setting of the Linenhall. If you’ve seen him before, you’ll know. Unmissable.Support act to be confirmed.
Damien Dempsey's website
Adm.: €20 NB: Booking opens 2nd September.
CULTURE NIGHT: Open House @ the Linenhall
Friday 25th September @ 6.00pm-10.00pm
As part of the national Culture Night initiative, the Linenhall opens its doors for a whole bunch of fun, free, family-friendly, fifteen-minute workshops running through the course of the evening, including:Sing For Your Supper - Give us a song and receive a free tea/coffee/hot chocolate or glass of wine!
Haiku 4 U - Write Haikus and have fun with Ken Armstrong!
Stage-Light Up Your Life - Have a go in our Stage Control Room with Buildings Manager Oisín Herraghty!
Fifteen Minutes of Fame - Drama Queen Donna Ruane shows you how to improvise!
Look Sea - A whirlwind guided tour of Angie Grimes’ exhibition of seascapes!
Speed Paint - Create a masterpiece in 15 minutes with artist Grainne O’Reilly!
The Arts and You - Showcasing local voluntary arts organisations!
We’ve Got You Covered - A live visual document of what’s going on over the evening!
Intrigued? Come and see what we’ve got in store, and feel free to join in! Numbers for individual workshops will be limited, booking available only on the night. Enjoy!
Adm.: free!
Open Mike Night
POETRY, PROSE & MORE Thursday 24th September @ 8.00pm
The latest in the ongoing Open Mike series at the Linenhall, here’s another informal and extremely enjoyable evening of poetry, prose, music “and maybe more”, when writers from all over Mayo are invited to read from their own work in front of an enthusiastic audience of peers, pundits and the public in general. The event takes place in the Linenhall Café, where refreshments will be available to enhance the general enjoyment and bonhomie. Come along to share your own work, or enjoy the work of others. Adm.: free
Ó Euskadi go hÉirinn - The Basque Irish Connection
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Monday 21st September 8.00pm
Could this be the longest-awaited reunion tour in history? Recent studies have revealed a common ancestry between the Irish and Basques dating back some 8,000 years, both peoples fiercely proud of their musical heritage. Music Network brings together world-class musicians from the two traditions for this very special tour: All-Ireland Champion on both fiddle and concertina, Killarney-born Niamh Ni Charra; Ibon Koteron, one of the Basque country’s best-known musicians and exponent of the alboka (Basque hornpipe) and dultzaina (similar to a Breton bombarde); and Dublin-born Gavin Ralston, the guitarist of choice for such luminaries as Sharon Shannon, Donal Lunny, Steve Wickham and Anúna.Niamh Ní Charra's website
Music Network website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Niamh Ni Charra… quite simply, ground breaking. This is masterclass musicianship, and a legend in the making.” - Alex Gallacher, Folk Radio UK
“Ibon Koteron is alboka’s leading present-day player.” - Andrew Cronshaw, fRoots
Elaine Madden
MUSIC Thursday 17th September @ 8.00pm NOW SOLD OUT
Castlebar singer Elaine Madden headlines at the Linenhall accompanied by her friend and musical associate, pianist and harpist Marese O'Hora. Elaine has the ability and vocal maturity to portray emotions in songs which belie her young years, and her reputation as a talented vocalist has been steadily growing both in musical circles and among the general public. Elaine and Marese have performed together since their days in Secondary School, and their resulting musical rapport is clearly evident. For this performance, Elaine will draw on all her musical influences to ensure a concert of many genres of music including soul, country, Irish and songs from musicals, an eclectic mix not to be missed from a young talent in the ascendant.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
I’ve Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t aime)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 15th September @ 8.00pm
France 2008 115minsFrench language with English subtitles
A subtle and insidiously watchable family drama about the corrosive effects of a past that won’t go away. Based around a tour de force performance by Kristin Scott Thomas, director Philippe Claudel tells the story of Juliette, a middle-aged woman returning into society after a long prison sentence. Her younger and estranged sister, Lea (Elsa Zylberstein) offers her family home for Juliette to stay as she puts her life together again. In the family setting, the elephant in the room that is the unspoken past begins to surface…
“Scott Thomas's performance, easily the best of her career… the centre of a deeply involving, beautifully acted and expertly constructed human drama by and for grown-ups.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“[An] exquisitely rendered story of reconciliation and redemption.” - Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post
Access Cinema website.
Rain, Rocks and Reeks - Eden
DRAMA Monday 14th September @ 8.00pm
Eden depicts a dysfunctional marriage, a couple living the archetypal Irish lives of quiet desperation is a small pre-Celtic Tiger provincial town. Billy clings to booze, and fantasies about a younger woman, while Breda clings onto an inkling of optimism, believing that their big night out will rekindle the spark that once was there. But will it? Eden is an award-winning play by Eugene O Brien (writer of RTÉ’S Pure Mule, now enjoying its second season), a two-hander first produced at The Peacock and The Abbey, and more recently turned into an award-winning film. This production by Mayo’s newest professional theatre company features actors Hazel McLynn and Paul Mekatarian, and enjoyed a sell-out pilot tour Spring 2009.Not suitable for under 15s.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Eden is wonderful… enthralling and disconcertingly realistic.” - Eoin Brady, RTÉ Entertainment
“Eden… A rueful, touching comedy of lost hopes, failed expectations, shattered illusions and occasional serendipity.” - Neal Weaver, LA Weekly
Impressions of Bofin
BOOK LAUNCH Friday 11th September @ 7.30pm
The launch of Impressions of Bofin, a collection of writings resulting from four week-long writing workshops that have taken place on Inishbofin with writer and teacher Jean Tuomey since 2002 through the Linenhall. Edited by Geraldine Mitchell, Impressions of Bofin features prose and poetry by 15 participants, some of whom will be reading at the launch. Copies of Impressions of Bofin are available for €10, and all profits from sales go towards community projects taking place on Inishbofin.Impressions of Bofin will be launched by Helen Falconer, author of Primrose Hill and Sky High, two novels that have been published in both the UK and US.
The book will also be launched at the Doonmore Hotel on Inishbofin by Marie Farrell on Saturday 19th September at 6.00pm.
Adm.: Free. All welcome.
Gerald Peregrine & Cathal Breslin
CLASSICAL MUSIC Thursday 10th September @ 8.00pm
Critically acclaimed Irish cellist Gerald Peregrine and pianist Cathal Breslin are both laureates of the Royal College of Music in London, former Fulbright scholars and recipients of National Concert Hall Rising Star debut recitals. This special tour features a programme of much-loved cello works. Programme comprises: Beethoven: 7 Variations on Mozart’s Magic Flute in E flat major; Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No.1 in B flat major, Op.45; Debussy: Cello Sonata; Eibhlis Farrell: Stillsong; Shostakovich: Cello Sonata in D minor, Op.40; Chopin: Polonaise Brillante in C major, Op 3. This is a chance to catch two of Ireland's finest young performers and rising stars live in concert.
Concert grant-assisted by a Music Network Performace and Touring Award, and presented in association with RTÉ Lyric fm.
Gerald Peregrine's website
Cathal Breslin's website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Gerald Peregrine plays the cello as if born to it.” - Irish Times
“Cathal Breslin…playing with assurance and sparkle.” - Irish Times
Mayo Emigrant Liaison Committee
LECTURE Wednesday 9th September @ 8.15pm
The Mayo Emigrant Liaison Committee (1999-2009) Mr John Kennedy CBE, KSG, KMCO, DL (Manchester) Lecture, by Dr Kevin McNamara KSG, former MP and Labour Party Spokesperson on Northern Ireland, on the topic: Irish America Strikes Back - Aspects of the McBride Principles Campaign for fair employment in Northern Ireland.NB: Admission by invitation only.
Other Voices Theatre Co. - We Are for the Dark
DRAMA Thursday 27th August @ 8.00pm
We Are for the Dark is an exciting new triple-bill of one-act plays by Westport’s own Other Voices theatre company and Gerald and Rebecca Wilson. Based in Westport, Gerald and Rebecca have been mainstays of drama in Mayo for many years, presenting top quality contemporary theatre that is ambitious, thoughtful and compelling. The three plays on this occasion are:The Bright Day is Done, a new play by Gerald Wilson, in which a young man comes to interview an aging actress and inveigles her into recreating some of her most acclaimed roles - but all is not what it seems. Featuring Rebecca Wilson and Wez Locke, directed by Gerald Wilson.
The Baglady by Frank McGuinness, in which a baglady confronts - and is confronted by - the abused child she once was. Featuring Mary Ryan and Eithne McGreal, directed by Rebecca Wilson.
The Jewish Wife by Bertolt Brecht; set in 1935 in Germany, a Jewish wife packs her bags in a universal motif of tragedy: every day someone, somewhere, is packing a bag or making a bundle… Featuring Saskia Eland and Wez Locke, directed by Gerald Wilson.
Don’t miss Westport’s finest in action.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Dennis Wyers’ Rhombus Quartet
CONTEMPORARY JAZZ Thursday 20th August @ 8.00pm
Rhombus jazz quartet features some of the finest established and emerging jazz musicians on the Irish scene. Led by Castlebar-born composer/saxophonist Dennis Wyers, the group is quickly developing a name for itself as a hotbed for spontaneous, exciting music. The ensemble draws on influences from Norwegian and British jazz, contemporary classical, the blues and South-Indian music, moving between many different styles and textures to create colouristic compositions and intensely rhythmical jazz explorations, with influences from Charlie Parker to Frank Zappa and from the Beatles to Pat Metheny. The debut album, part-funded by the Mayo County Council Arts Office, is currently in production. The full quartet lineup is: Dennis Wyers (alto saxophone); Bill Blackmore (trumpet); Cormac O Brien (double-bass); and Shane O Donovan (drums). Catch them now!Dennis Wyers website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Beezneez Theatre Co. - A Wake In The West
COMEDY THEATRE Tuesday 11th August @ 8.00pm
Not content with drinking himself to death, Tom Healy makes a last request to be buried ‘in the drink’ - at sea! His wish creates havoc in his house and in his local community, with some believing he is not entitled to ‘take it all with him’. In this riot of a comedy, his neighbours vie with each other to secure a piece of Tom before his exit. The work of Mulranny playwright Michael Joe Ginnelly, A Wake In The West is described by Leitrim-based theatre favourites Beezneez as the funniest comedy the company has ever worked on, “an absolute madcap evening of fun and frolics that will leave you sore from laughter”. Directed by John McDwyer.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Crooked Still
BLUEGRASS/FOLK Monday 3rd August @ 8.00pm
On the road since 2002, bluegrass sensation Crooked Still has established itself as "the most important folk group to emerge from Boston since the early 60s"(- Boston Globe). Originally a four-piece that is now a quintet, Crooked Still continues to perform one of the most compelling and exciting forms of alternative bluegrass and string band music today, with both modern and traditional influences, bringing together improvised old time music, bluegrass, folk and original songs in a genre-bending sound that is the result of the combined alchemy of five distinctive talents: Aoife O'Donovan (vocals), Greg Liszt (banjo) Corey DiMario (bass), Brittany Haas (fiddle), Tristan Clarridge (cello). Amazing, unique, and totally intoxicating!Part of The World Fleadh: The World Fleadh website
Crooked Still website
Adm.: €20
“Superbly crafted musical styles veering off into exciting and exhilarating directions.” - All Music Guide
“Highly skilled… with an ingenious flair for steering traditional music in unexpected directions.” - The Boston Globe
Dave Munnelly Band
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Sunday 2nd August @ 8.00pm
On the road since 2000, the Dave Munnelly Band is one of the hottest bands on the traditional Celtic music scene. Headed by Belmullet button accordion wizard David Munnelly, who's toured and recorded with The Chieftains and with DeDanann and has a string of acclaimed CDs to his credit, the band (David Munnelly, Kieran Munnelly, Philippe Barnes, Paul Kelly) combines accordion, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, piano, bodhrán and flute for a high-spirited instrumental sound coloured with a bit of jazz, ragtime and percussive dancing, topped with the singing of All-Ireland champion Shauna Mullin. A night of Trad at its most exciting.Part of The World Fleadh: The World Fleadh website
Dave Munnelly Band website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"The Irish band to see." - The Irish Voice
Carmina
TRAD/FOLK/JAZZ Saturday 1st August @ 8.00pm
Founded by songwriters Rob King and Pippa Marland in the late 80s, Carmina’s music is an uplifting blend of traditional and contemporary Celtic sounds with jazz improvisation in powerful original songs, led by Pippa’s voice (“wondrous, emoting and enchanting” according to Time Out). Original, soulful and sophisticated, Carmina’s music has been compared with Moving Hearts, Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison, yet Carmina’s highly accessible music is uniquely their own. Carmina has attracted a world-wide devoted following, with four albums to date and countless tours in Ireland, the UK and worldwide. The band has just finished recording its latest album, My Crescent City, produced by the legendary Dónal Lunny.Part of The World Fleadh: The World Fleadh website
Carmina's website
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Glorious...gorgeously haunting." - Time Out
"Powerful and spiritually uplifting." - The Guardian
Heidi Talbot & John McCusker
CONTEMPORARY/FOLK Friday 31st July @ 8.00pm
With the release of her new album In Love and Light, Heidi Talbot is set to establish her place in the firmament of great Irish singers. After five years as lead singer with the Irish-American super group Cherish the Ladies, and high praise for her previous solo outing Distant Future, Heidi now extends her talents over a broader, bolder musical canvas. John McCusker is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer who from his early days with legendary Scottish folk outfit Battlefield Band has over the years worked with artists as diverse as Paul Weller and Patti Smith, Teenage Fanclub and Mark Knopfler. Known mainly for his virtuoso fiddle playing, John was presented with the Spirit of Scotland Award for Music in 2000.Part of The World Fleadh, The World Fleadh website
John McCusker's website
Heidi Talbot's website
Adm.: €20
“Heidi Talbot sings in a voice that’s both awestruck and tender.” - New York Times
“Talbot is exquisite.” - The Village Voice
“John McCusker… a musician’s musician.” - Phil Cunningham
David Munnelly Band - CANCELLED
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Wednesday 24th June @ 8.00pm
CANCELLEDKim Rosen - Saved by a Poem: an evening of Poetry, Music and Inspiration
POETRY PERFORMANCE Thursday 18th June @ 8.00pm
Kim Rosen is a poet performance artist and teacher of self inquiry who explores poetry's power to awaken, inspire and heal. In this evening, she interweaves the poetry of Mary Oliver, Rumi, W.B. Yeats and many others with music, insight and audience interaction to create a magical presentation inviting people to discover the true power of poetry “as an affirmation or prayer... which can bring every level of being into alignment with what matters most to you.”Adm.: €10 / €8 (concessions)
“Kim’s gift of speaking poems by heart is a gorgeous incantation, an irresistible call to break open. For those who are afraid of poetry this is a door opening. For those who love poetry this is a sure deepening.” - Eve Ensler (author of The Vagina Monologues)
Castlebar Gospel Choir - Songs of Freedom
GOSPEL MUSIC Wednesday 17th June @ 8.00pm
Making a welcome return to the Linenhall for a wonderful evening of uplifting music, Castlebar Gospel Choir presents its inspirational new show. Songs of Freedom celebrates the spirit of freedom that has evolved in the USA from slavery, through the Civil Rights movement, to the inauguration of President Barack Obama. This history has produced some of the most enduring songs ever written, and on its 10th anniversary Castlebar Gospel Choir celebrates this powerful legacy together with some very special guests, under the musical direction of Kathy Fahey. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Whistleblast Quartet
MUSIC: FAMILY RECITAL Thursday 11th June @ 6.00pm
The Whistleblast Quartet (Mary Curran, French horn; Kenneth Edge, saxophone; Síle Daly, oboe, cor anglais; Andrew Synnott, piano) presents a relaxed and accessible family concert featuring a wide selection of music including Fauré, Britten, Stravinsky and the theme from The Simpsons. This concert will also feature the premiere of Irish composer John Buckley’s piece As Far as the Eye can See which was especially commissioned for the Quartet by the Arts Council. Pupils from Derrywash National School will also perform a short piece with the Quartet which they will have composed during school workshops. Come and enjoy!The WhistleBlast Quartet is sponsored by Mayo County Council, The Arts Council and the National Concert Hall Learn & Explore Programme.
Adm.: FREE
Des Keogh - Confessions of an Irish Publican
COMEDY THEATRE Monday 8th & Tuesday 9th June @ 8.00pm
The inimitable Des Keogh returns with a new comedy based on the work of one of Ireland’s best known storytellers, John B. Keane’s Confessions of an Irish Publican, in which the lives of the inhabitants of Knockanee are brilliantly evoked by Kerry publican, Martin MacMeer - proprietor of the Journey’s End pub. Having premiered off-Broadway at New York’s Irish Rep Theatre, this hilarious one-man show sees the inimitable Des Keogh switch from character to character as he brings the Confessions to life. Come to Journey’s End to meet MacMeer, the parish priest, the Reverend Mother, feisty Dublin woman Grace and many more…Adm.: €20 / €18 (concessions)
“A brilliant turn (or six) by Des Keogh……a journey well worth taking.” - The Epoch Times, New York
Julie Fowlis & Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Wednesday 3rd June @ 8.00pm
Julie Fowlis and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh are two Gaelic singers and instrumentalists from islands off a West coast: Julie a native of Uist, Scotland and Muireann from Inisheer off West Kerry. While both talented musicians have careers in their own rights (Muireann is a member of award-winning traditional group Danú and is a regular contributor to television and radio programmes at home and abroad, including the BBC’s recent Highland Sessions; Julie is BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2008, recorded the award-winning album Cuilidh and featured on the BBC’s Later...with Jools Holland and the Transatlantic Sessions series), in 2004 they joined forces in a collaboration that has come to glorious fruition in the acclaimed CD Dual. Performing with the two singers on the night, as on the album, are Éamon Doorley (bouzouki, fiddle) and Ross Martin (guitar). A night of Gaelic song and music at its best is on the cards.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"Julie Fowlis… traditional music at its most seductive." - The Daily Telegraph
“Nic Amhlaoibh… a precious talent.” - Gerry Quinn, The Irish Examiner
Emma’s Bliss (Emmas Glück)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 2nd June @ 8.00pm Germany 2006 99 minutes
Emma is a passionate but lonely young woman who eschews human company in favour of her beloved pigs and her late grandfather's isolated farm. Then Max, a terminally ill car-dealer and recent thief, crashes into her life - quite literally - in a stolen car. Max survives and Emma takes him in and tends his injuries. When she finds his stash of money, she sees a way of clearing her debts and saving the farm, but then she finds herself falling for Max… A quirky charmer of a movie from director Sven Taddicken, stolen by a superb central performance by Jördis Triebel as the eponymous Emma.“Eccentric romanticism impossible to resist… Triebel's Emma is remarkable, an oestrogen-packed explosion of unapologetic femininity.” - Paul Whitington, Irish Independent
Active Retirement Group Variety Concert
BEALTAINE VARIETY CONCERT Wednesday 27th May @ 8.00pm
Castlebar Active Retired Group will stage their very own concert with music, songs, dancing, poems and recitations at the Linenhall Arts Centre. The concert, for all ages, is part of Bealtaine, the national festival celebrating creativity in older age. So prepare to be entertained by some of Castlebar’s youngest at heart! Part of the Linenhall Arts Centre’s Bealtaine programme of events.Adm.: FREE
Please note: A complimentary tea and coffee reception will take place from 7.30pm prior to the concert.
(Castlebar Active Retirement Group was established in 2000. The members meet once a week, on Wednesdays between 3.00pm and 4.30pm at the Welcome Inn on New Antrim Street in Castlebar. Newcomers are always welcome.)
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
BEALTAINE FILM MATINEE Tuesday 26th May @ 3.00pm USA 2008 92 minutes Cert: PG
Based on Winifred Watson’s best-selling novel set in 1939 London, this delightful screwball comedy introduces Miss Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged governess who finds herself out of work. Intercepting an employment assignment for a ‘social secretary’ she is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of American actress and singer Delysia Lafosse. There she finds every dream she had given up on become reality - reminding us all that everyone has a second chance to blossom in this world. Directed by Bharat Nalluri, starring Francis McDormand, Ciaran Hinds, Amy Adams.Adm: FREE
”A delightfully frivolous screwball comedy.” - Anna Smith, Time Out
“Frothy and exuberantly entertaining… the best romantic comedy so far this year.” - Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
Cora Smyth Band
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Monday 25th May @ 8.00pm
A featured soloist in many of Michael Flatley’s shows (Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, Gold, Celtic Tiger), dazzling Mayo-born fiddler Cora Smyth has also guested on The Chieftains’ Grammy-nominated album Water from the Well before releasing her acclaimed debut solo album Are We There Yet? Joined by a hugely talented band including Seán Og Graham (box), Andy Kingslow (keys) Martin Brunsden (bass) Seán Horsman (guitar), this show mixes up traditional and original tunes with modern arrangements in a compelling and engaging mix of musical styles that promises an exhilarating evening of music.“…a serious fiddler… polished, gutsy, engaging and uplifting.” - Alex Monaghan, Irish Music Magazine
“…Cora Smyth(‘s)… music can plumb the depths of emotion on slower pieces and pack a lot of brio into up tempo melodies.” - Earle Hitchner, Irish Echo
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Five Lamps Theatre Company - The Mariettas
COMEDY DRAMA Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd May @ 8.00pm
Following the success of The Telephone Exchange, Five Lamps Theatre Company is back with The Mariettas, an exciting and warm-hearted new comedy by Niamh Gleeson. The Marietta Showband is dreamed up while Bernie Brady works on the biscuit factory line in 1968. She drums up four other young ones and together they attempt to burst onto the Dublin showband scene. Will the unreliable musicians turn up? Will Assumpta's gippy tummy get the better of her? Can The Mariettas get the crowds on the dance floor? Charming and quirky, The Mariettas is a trip down memory lane and Hucklebuck shoes are compulsory! Starring Stephanie Behan, Andrea Cleary, Margaret O'Doherty, Jennifer Meade and Emma Reinhardt.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Donal Buckley - Remembrance and Reconciliation in Ireland
TALK Wednesday 20th May @ 8.00pm
Captain Donal Buckley talks on reconciliation in Ireland and how it can be helped through the process of remembrance. “Because of our difficult history and our sometimes traumatic relations with Britain, Northern Ireland and indeed each other, we traditionally have had a difficulty in remembering those who fell for us in the World Wars. Hardly a family in Ireland was untouched by the Great War and yet grieving and remembering their fallen has been more painful than in other countries as the political landscape changed beyond recognition and public grief and memory was suppressed.” An apposite and relevant talk in prospect.Adm.: €5
XXY
FILM CLUB Tuesday 19th May @ 8.00pm Argentina 2007 90mins
Alex is, as all teenagers, struggling with mood swings, parental constraints and teenage crushes. However, born an intersex brings an extra level of difficulty. Having relocated from Buenos Aires to a remote costal area of Uruguay, the parents’ protective intentions are thwarted by Alex’s blossoming sexuality. Things come to a head when a plastic surgeon skilled in sex-change operations is invited to spend the weekend, along with his wife and their 15-year-old son. Director Lucia Puenzo avoids salacious prurience in favour of sensitive and compelling human drama, ably assisted by some of Argentina's finest actors.“Tenderly observed, quietly understated and deeply moving.” - Philip French, The Observer
The Long Note: Music from the West of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Monday 18th May @ 8.00pm
The Long Note heads back into the mists of time to explore the musical traditions of Gaelic Scotland and Ireland. Master button accordion player and broadcaster Tony MacMahon has performed and worked with most of the great Irish trad players of the past half-century. On this tour he performs with virtuoso banjo player Angelina Carberry, who has wowed critics and fellow musicians alike with a series of acclaimed albums. Completing the top trio is expert piper Allan MacDonald, who hails from the Western Scottish Highlands, bringing to life the lyrical sounds of the rarely-heard pibroch (piobaireachd). A fine celebration of Gaelic music tradition in prospect. Part of a Music Network tour.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Tony MacMahon is one of the great Irish traditional musicians of our time.” - Don Meade, The Irish Voice
“Allan MacDonald's music has an awesome rugged finesse unsurpassed in contemporary piping.” - The Living Tradition
“Carberry… spellbinding.” - Earl Hitchner, The Irish Echo
The Foghorn Trio
OLD-TIME AMERICAN MUSIC Thursday 14th May @ 8.00pm
Caleb Klauder and Stephen Sammy Lind began playing music together in 2000 in Portland, Oregon. Switching between guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo and vocals, they have performed traditional American old-time music all over the globe with their critically acclaimed band The Foghorn Stringband, and other projects with the likes of Riley Baugus, Dirk Powell and Kevin Burke. Their style encompasses early country music, the fiddle repertoire of the Southern Appalachians and the Midwest, and the stringband sounds of the Piedmont region. Their vocals are simple and honest, with intertwining harmonies similar to the Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers. Although their repertoire is mainly traditional, Caleb's stellar original songs and tunes fit right in next to any classic. Special guest Nadine Landry of Canadian Bluegrass outfit Hungry Hill will be joining the lads on upright bass for this tour. A night of great music with great heart: prepare to be enchanted.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Genuine passion for their music.” - The Glasgow Herald
I Miss Communism
THEATRE Wednesday 13th May @ 8.00pm
East goes West; communism goes capitalism; atheism goes God. From Croatia to America and back, this intense dramatic comedy is a story about freedom of the spirit, not about political systems. It’s about a woman coming of age. It’s about war, religion and God. It’s about Oliver Twist... I Miss Communism is a solo show written and developed by actress and writer Ines Wurth with writing partner and director, Mark Soper: a true personal account of Ms. Wurth’s life growing up in Communist Croatia, through the war which ripped Yugoslavia apart, her escape to Los Angeles, and her return to her homeland to face the family and the world which has shaped her life. Voted Best Touring Show in the UK 2006 (Best Of The Best, Fringe Report), nominated for the Amnesty International Award 2005 and Writer’s Guild Award. Through music, tears and great comic timing, this is a story that won’t leave you untouched.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Spellbinding… a very powerful theatrical experience.” - Struan MacKenzie, The Evening News, UK
“A one performer show with the stamina of a full cast.” - Iain S., edfringe
“…an emotionally charged performance… a compelling story…” - Thom Dibdin, The Stage
Mayo Concert Orchestra
CLASSICAL CONCERT Monday 11th & Tuesday 12th May @ 8.00pm
Mayo Concert Orchestra presents an evening of music, fusing classical compositions with contemporary arrangements. The orchestra has been in existence for over 11 years and, under the baton of George Lee, plays with a delightful energy and enthusiasm. This year’s repertoire brings the audience on a journey through time, including European folk dances, a selection of musical medleys and a nod to 20th century North America. Special guests include enchanting Soprano Francie McNicholas, and acclaimed Claremorris harpist Grainne Hambly, renowned for her sensitive and dynamic performances and three critically acclaimed solo CDs. A night of great music with a big feelgood factor and a great opportunity to enjoy Mayo’s musical talent.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Gare St Lazare Players - Moby Dick
DRAMA Thursday 7th May @ 8.00pm
One of Ireland's best known touring theatre companies presents a one-man show based on Herman Melville’s classic novel of revenge and obsession, the epic story of Captain Ahab and the great white whale Moby Dick. Performed by acclaimed actor Conor Lovett, directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Please Note: Show not suitable for under 14s
A Secret (Un Secret)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 5th May @ 8.00pm France 2007 106mins
A Secret traces the life of a Jewish family in Paris during and after the Second World War. An exploration of dark secrets and passion, the film focuses on François, who is trying to come to terms with conflicting memories from his childhood. Now an adult, he embarks on a search for answers. What he uncovers is a painful history of a family struggling to survive during the Occupation, forced to decide between declaring and concealing their Jewish identity. Using a complex, seamless structure of flashbacks, director Claude Miller creates a fresh and moving exploration of a troubling period of modern French history.“Claude Miller's superb drama… beautifully acted and exquisitely photographed.” - Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
Rastrelli Cello Quartet
CELLO RECITAL Tuesday 28th April @ 8.00pm
The cello has been described as the instrument that sounds closest to the human voice and it is this with unique attribute that the Rastrelli Cello Quartet weaves its magic as audiences are treated to a heady mix of classical, jazz and Latin-American music in a concert by this astonishing and hugely entertaining quartet. Since meeting up in 2002, the quartet has released three CDs, and between them the four cellists - Kira Kraftzoff, Kirill Timofeev, Misha Degtiareff and Sergio Drabkine - have garnered an impressive collection of prizes and worked with such luminaries as Gidon Kremer, James Galway and Yuri Bashmet. While remaining true to the great Russian tradition of big-toned, soulful cello playing, the ensemble takes the instrument into unknown and surprising waters. With pieces by Piazzolla, Sulchan Zinzadze, Billy Strayhorn, Alfred Schnittke, Jimmy Forrest and Modest Mussorgsky amongst others, the result has to be heard to be believed. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“They are men on a mission. The Rastrelli Cello Quartet, four Russians living in Germany, is out to cross all genres. The Rastrelli runs the gamut from classical to polkas, tangos to rags.’’ - Strings magazine
Splódar Theatre Company - The Home Place
DRAMA Wednesday 22nd April @ 8.00pm
Brian Friel’s award-winning drama probes the dilemma of a benevolent landlord as social and political forces close in around him. The author sets his play in 1878, the year of the assassination of Lord Leitrim, an event which marked the beginning of the end of landlordism. Central to the plot is a beautiful love story which rivals that in Friel’s other masterpiece, Translations. Directed by Prin Duignan. Acknowledgement is made to the author for his assistance in securing performance rights of The Home Place for Splódar. (NB: while Splódar is generally known for Irish language productions, this is an English-language version of The Home Place.)Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Pope’s Toilet (El Baño del Papa)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 21st April Brazil/Uruguay/France 2007 90mins
It’s 1988, and the inhabitants of Melo, a small Uruguayan town bordering Brazil, make their living as best they can, but business is not booming and the customs police exact a high price for turning a blind eye to illegal border traffic. Then news comes through that Pope John Paul II will be visiting and many seize the opportunity to capitalise on this once in a lifetime opportunity. For small-time smuggler Beto and his bicycle, this involves investing the family’s meagre savings in the construction of a toilet that will service the anticipated 50,000 tourists during their time in the town…“An emotionally rich and tender film, beautifully played, with heart and head in massive abundance.” - David Jenkins, Time Out
“One of the best films in town.” - Derek Malcolm, This Is London
Duck Baker
GUITAR MUSIC Monday 20h April @ 8.00pm
Duck Baker is one of the most highly regarded fingerstyle guitarists of his generation. Born Richard R. Baker IV in Richmond, Virginia, he is unique among jazz guitarists in that his repertoire spans the entire history of the music from ragtime through swing to modern masters like Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols and into to free improvisation. Baker’s devotion to American music also encompasses more traditional forms like blues, gospel, Appalachian music and its Scots-Irish ancestry. Duck’s extensive discography reflects the diversity and quality of his musical talent, as do collaborations with the likes of bluesmen Charlie Musselwhite and Jerry Ricks, bluegrassers Tim O'Brien and Dan Crary, traditionalists Ali Anderson and Brian MacNeil, new music icon John Zorn, rock legend J. J. Cale, Irish fiddler Kieran Fahy, and guitarists Jamie Findlay, Woody Mann and Ken Emerson. A chance to see a true original in the flesh.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“One of the best guitar records ever recorded - by anybody.” - Acoustic Guitar magazine (of Baker’s 1997 recording Spinning Song)
Coisa Feita - CANCELLED
WORLD MUSIC - BRAZIL Wednesday 15th April @ 8.00pm - CANCELLED
Malachi Cush & Deirdre Bonner - CANCELLED
TRAD/FOLK MUSIC Wednesday 8th April @ 8.00pm - CANCELLED
Still Life (Sanxia haoren)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 7th April @ 8.00pm China 2006 108mins
Set in the real-life city of Fengjie, half-submerged and due for demolition as part of the Three Gorges Dam project, the inhabitants given final notice to quit, director Zhang Ke Jia spellbindingly captures the human cost of rapid industrialization in modern China through the story of two visitors, both desperate to recover something of the past before it disappears into the water. Still Life is a meditation on mortality, a contemporary drama-documentary about an entire city preparing to be drowned in the service of China's progress, and a portrait of a vast nation preparing for capitalist superpower status while retaining the autocratic habits of communism.“Exhilarating, expertly choreographed and a movie to change one's view of both cinema and life.” - John Anderson, Newsday
Special Moments at the Linenhall
READING + VISUAL ART Tuesday 7th April 6.00pm
Throughout March, regular attendees at the Linenhall Arts Centre are taking part in creative writing and mixed media visual art workshops on the theme ‘Special Moments at the Linenhall’. Join us for an informal celebratory evening of readings and exhibits resulting from these workshops. The event will take place in the Linenhall Café, where refreshments will be available to enhance the general enjoyment and bonhomie. Come along and celebrate the creativity in your community. Part of a Per-Cent-for-Art Scheme.Adm.: Free
Bruiser Theatre Company - Oh What A Lovely War!
MUSICAL THEATRE Monday 6th April @ 8.00pm
On foot of last year’s dazzling production of Candide, Bruiser Theatre Company is back with Joan Littlewood’s brilliant, satirical musical that is one of the great landmarks of post-war British theatre. It’s 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war. Your king and country need you, so enlist today! But the propaganda promise of valour and victory evaporate as the donkeys in command send the lions on the front line to die. But they keep on singing! Armed with sketches, songs and stories, a cast of Pierrot clowns mix their sombre buffoonery with the bawdy, tough humour of the lads on the front line. Along the way the story is marked by a fantastic collection of songs from the Great War - Pack Up Your Troubles, Keep The Home Fires Burning and It’s A Long Way To Tipperary. Oh What A Lovely War! is a groundbreaking, moving, funny, lyrical evocation of the tragedy and pathos of the First World War. A night of top musical theatre on the cards.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“A work of genius.” - The Guardian
The Open Mike
POETRY, PROSE & MORE Thursday 2nd April @ 8.00pm
Following on from the success of the last Open Mike, here’s another informal and extremely enjoyable evening of poetry, prose, music and maybe more, when writers from all over Mayo are invited to read from their own work in front of an enthusiastic audience of peers, pundits and the public in general. The event takes place in the Linenhall Café, where refreshments will be available to enhance the general enjoyment and bonhomie. Come along to share your own work, or enjoy the work of others. Adm.: free
Mayo Male Voice Choir
CHORAL CONCERT Thursday 26th & Friday 27th March @ 8.00pm
Mayo Male Voice Choir makes a return visit to the Linenhall for two concerts of choral music with special guests Donna Malone and David Durham. Since the choir was established in 2000 it has grown from strength to strength and now has a total of 48 men who travel from all parts of Mayo to rehearse and perform together, under the accomplished musical direction of Deirdre Lee. Ballina native Donna has been described as having one of the most astonishing and mature soprano voices of her generation, and has performed internationally with the Celtic Tenors. The concerts also feature our regular guest baritone and international star David Durham, who recently played the lead role in The English Chamber Opera Co. production of Don Giovanni. Come along and enjoy an evening of mellifluous choral music, Mayo style.Adm.: €20 (price includes Souvenir Programme and Wine Reception from 7.30pm)
La Zona
FILM CLUB Tuesday 24th March @ 8.00pm Mexico 2007 97mins
When three teenagers from the other side of the tracks enter the wealthy residential estate of Mexico City’s ‘The Zone’, they’re ill-prepared for what awaits them: a world unto itself, protected by high gates and private security guards. As their break-in goes badly wrong, the boys panic and the true colours of the inhabitants are revealed when they resist a police investigation in favour of vigilantism. Rodrigo Plá's short sharp shock of a thriller is a Ballardian moral fable about fear, paranoia, exclusion and the uncomfortable relationship that exists between rich and poor.“Gripping thriller with strong performances and a script that is both chilling and scarily prescient.” - Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Prime Cut Productions - Woman and Scarecrow
DRAMA Monday 23rd March @ 8.00pm
A remarkable and critically acclaimed play by Marina Carr, one of Ireland’s leading playwrights. A woman, mother of eight and wife of an unfaithful husband lies on her deathbed, surveying her life and imagining what could have been: “Happiness! Everyone thinks they have a god-given right to it. Sure it’s only a recent invention of the Sunday papers.” Full of black humour and brutal honesty Woman and Scarecrow is a passionate and moving lament for a life half-lived. A fresh new production by Prime Cut, a company at the forefront of contemporary international theatre in Ireland, directed by Emma Jordan. Don’t miss it.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“This is a play that seeps into your very bones.” - The Guardian
“Tremendous... perhaps the most interesting new Irish play of the past few years.” - Sunday Tribune
“A wild, beautiful, fierce and funny creation.” - Irish Examiner
Johnny Duhan
CONTEMPORARY FOLK Wednesday 18th March @ 8.00pm - Please Note Rescheduled Date!
Johnny Duhan's songs have been brought to worldwide audience by Christy Moore, The Dubliners, The Irish Tenors, Tommy Fleming and many other Irish and international singers. After the success of his Just Another Town tour in 2008, Johnny's new show charts his years on the road with seminal 60s Irish band Granny's Intentions, “tilting for fame and the girl”. Many of these songs have already been popularised by the likes of Mary Black, Mary Coughlan, Dolores Keane, Eleanor Shanley and Ronnie Drew. Johnny is a songwriter’s songwriter and a sensitive and passionate performer highly respected by fans and peers alike for the depth and maturity of his music. Experience the reality for yourselves.Adm.: €20 / €15 (concessions)
“Genius” - Irish Music Magazine
“Duhan’s lyrics are quite superb.” - Tony Clayton-Lea, Irish Times
Don Baker
BLUES Thursday 12th March @ 8.00pm
Don Baker is one of Ireland's most revered musicians - a singer, songwriter and guitarist and harmonica player of stunning individuality. He has been feted by audiences, the media, the music industry and fellow musicians all over Europe and the US, in a career spanning over 30 years that has also included acting roles (In the Name of the Father, Mia, On the Nose, Mystics) and a recent appearance on RTÉ’s Fáilte Towers. Don has produced a string of acclaimed albums including Miss You, Just Don Baker, No Regrets, Almost Illegal and Rain on the Wind, and his extraordinary life has been chronicled in his bestselling biography The Winner in Me by Jackie Hayden. For this concert Don will be accompanied by veteran guitarist Gerry Hendrick. Don’t miss the real deal.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
"The greatest harmonica player in the world." - Bono, U2
My Brother is an Only Child (Mio fratello è figlio unico)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 10th March @ 8.00pm Italy 2007 108 mins
Director Daniele Luchetti presents a lively, witty, funny and intelligent meditation on Italy's Fascist inheritance. The film follows the experiences of two politically-divided brothers from a working-class town outside Rome, who come of age in the 1960s and drift apart in the paranoid, violent, sour political atmosphere of Italy in the 70s. While handsome, charismatic Manrico gets involved with the revolutionary left, sharp-tongued contrarian Accio falls under the influence of a dogmatic father-figure and his band of thuggish Fascist 'aristocrats', and the battling brothers' mutual loyalty is stretched towards breaking point.”Luchetti's fluent, heartfelt picture shows the tremendous energy of which contemporary Italian movies are capable.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Armed Eye Film & Theatre Co. - The Scriptwriter
YOUTH DRAMA Monday 9th March @ 11.00am
Poor Marty has only one day to come up with a pitch for a new movie. Follow Marty’s hilarious efforts to create five teenage characters and take them camping… in the woods…near the old graveyard… A fun-filled and imaginative play to introduce teenagers to the theory and practice of storytelling. Ger Carey’s new play once again proves that a one-man show can have many funny faces. Aimed at Transition Year students, suitable for 15 years and up.Adm.: €10
NB: Booking through Armed Eye. Tel: 059 9141333
Castlebar Concert Band + Mayo Youth Orchestra
LIGHT CLASSICAL CONCERT Thursday 5th March @ 8.00pm
Since the ‘Roaring 20s’ there has always been a town band in Castlebar. Now with over 20 enthusiastic players, it continues to delight audiences with all kinds of music from military marches to jazz, rock’n’roll and light classical. The band’s new show, Big Band Boogies, features rousing marches such as Blaze Away, American Patrol and Elvis, plus other favourites such as The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and the moving Amazing Grace and You Raise Me Up sung by the young soloist Deirdre Filan with Band accompaniment. Special guests on the night, The Mayo Youth Orchestra under musical director Debbie Clarke will also present their delightful programme of recitals such as Vivaldi's Spring Largo, Pomp & Circumstance and Star Wars. All in all, a great night of popular musical favourites in prospect, with something for everyone and entertainment assured to the very last note.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Banshee of Crokey Hill
DRAMA Wednesday 4th March @ 8.30pm
An exciting new Irish play by Midwest Radio’s Tommy Marren, set in rural Ireland in the 1970s, that has received rave reviews in Ireland, England and the US. Steeped in Irish comedy and hilarious Irish one-liners, the play also has a serious undertone as the soured relationship between a father and son is uncovered. Mickey McMahon returns home to visit his aging parents after 13-years living in Manchester to announce his forthcoming marriage, but a dark secret that has been kept from him begins to unfold. With a plot that twists and turns, the play also contains a ‘hooley’ scene that includes an exuberant display of brush-dancing and traditional music. Starring Tommy Marren, John Duggan, Eileen Slevin and Mary Mannion.The play is presented in aid of Mayo Women Support Services, and there will be a cheese and wine reception from 7.30pm.
Adm.: €40
Please Note: Booking through Mayo Women Support Services. Tel: 094 9025409
“Emotionally fearless… has all the ingredients from comedy to suspense and a sensational plot… emotionally powerful.” - Frank West, Irish American News
Walk the Line
FILM MATINEE Tuesday 3rd March @ 2.30pm USA 2005 130mins Cert: 12A Dir: James Mangold
James Mangold's compelling biopic tells the story of the first half of the life of the legendary Man in Black, Johnny Cash: his early years in Mississippi county and the death of his brother Jack, a first marriage destroyed by drugs and a gruelling touring schedule, his growing success coupled with his self destructive antics, his fateful meeting with June Carter and his abiding love for her. Then there's the music, here in abundance and driving the story, with nods too to other notables of the time, including Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a remarkably convincing performance as Cash, while Reese Witherspoon is a revelation as June, the pair of them burning up the screen in the many scenes of them performing together.Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Shelby Lynne, Robert Patrick
Adm.: €5
“Walk the Line pulls it off - as musical biography, as love story and as all round unmitigated treat. Let the music play...” - Sandra Hebron, London Film Festival Programme
Gyan Riley Trio (USA)
CONTEMPORARY JAZZ Monday 2nd March @ 8.00pm
Prepare to be swept away by the energy and sheer musicality of a phenomenal Stateside trio. Gyan Riley is a true original, a one-man melting pot effortlessly fusing classical and jazz traditions with Indian ragas, Flamenco, and complex Balkan harmonies. He also plays a mean guitar. Like his father Terry Riley, the ‘godfather of minimalism’ who influenced everyone from Philip Glass and Brian Eno to The Who - Gyan is also a composer constantly pushing the boundaries. On this tour Riley is joined by electrifying violinist/violist Timb Harris (of Middle Eastern rock band Secret Chiefs 3) and percussionist Ches Smith, a stalwart of the New York cutting edge music scene. For this tour the trio will be playing mainly original compositions from Gyan’s recent album Melismantra with room made for improvisational solos, allowing for plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Part of a Music Network tour.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Riley's music draws elements from Indian and African modes and rhythms, Western classical music, jazz, and flamenco, without ever sounding cliché. Riley demonstrates that he’s an effortless distiller of prevailing influences.” - The Wire
Sharon Murphy & John Hoban
FOLK/TRAD NIGHT Thursday 26th February @ 8.00pm
A double bill by two singer/songwriters with strong local connections.Sharon Murphy grew up in Clifden, Co. Galway but spent many holidays in Westport. Sharon describes her music as folk-soul, with a blend of Irish and Carribean influences. Her songs deal with growing up in an institution as a black Irish woman. A popular performer of many years’ standing, Sharon sings songs about who she is, and where she comes from, finding it easier to express herself through music and song, her stories carried by the eloquence of her music.
Castlebar native John Hoban is a teacher, singer, composer and musician of many years standing. A consummate multi-instrumentalist (fiddle, guitar, mandocello, mandolin, harmonica…) John also writes and composes his own songs and music. It has been said that “he could make music from a sheaf of oats”. His music is from the heart: honest, open, warm, sad, funny... a true original.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“John Hoban's music brings us back to the source. He searched out music from old masters, showing deep respect for the social contexts in which music was played for generations." - Tom Clancy, Music Critic, San Francisco
Private Property (Nue propriété)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 24th February @ 8.00pm Belgium 2007 92mins
When fiftysomething divorcee Pascale decides to sell her ramshackle farmhouse to open a B&B, her sons François and Thierry are more than a little put out. As tensions rise, it seems no property is truly private - least of all a mother's personal life. With a superb central performance by Isabelle Huppert as Pascale, director Joachim Lafosse presents a psychological drama that ruthlessly ratchets up tension as all kinds of lines are overstepped and a family feud quietly spirals out of control. “Superb, barb-filled Belgian chamber drama… beautifully textured performances.” - David Jenkins, Time Out London
Garrymore Drama Group - The Country Boy
DRAMA Wednesday 18th February @ 8.00pm
The Country Boy is a comedy-drama written by Charlestown native John Murphy in the early 60s depicting West-of-Ireland rural experience of the time, and over the years has become a firm favourite with drama groups and audiences throughout Ireland and beyond. Set in a small Mayo farmhouse, 25-year-old Curly still lives at home with his parents, but dreams of following his older brother Eddie to the U.S. in pursuit of success, even if it means leaving his sweetheart behind. Only upon Eddie's return home on vacation are truths revealed of hardship, alcoholism, homesickness, and regrets. Performed by Award-winning Garrymore Drama Group, directed by Ger Lynskey, and starring Sean Browne, Ciara Dixon, Rosemary Dixon, Sabina Bell, Enda Conway and Padraic Hegarty.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Halloran Brothers
SOUL/BLUES Thursday 12th February @ 8.00pm
Newly formed 3-piece band The Halloran Brothers from Westport presents an evening of original music and song, “soul/blues with a jazz influence”. Featuring Liam Halloran (guitar, vocals), Joseph Halloran (Keyboard, drums) and Michael Halloran (electric bass).Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
London Classic Theatre - Humble Boy
THEATRE Wednesday 11th February @ 8.00pm
An award-winning comedy with a delightful sting in the tail. Following the sudden death of his father, thirty-five-year-old Felix Humble, a Cambridge academic, returns to his Middle England home and his difficult and demanding mother. After a chaotic funeral, and the disappearance of his father’s prized bees, it becomes clear to Felix that life at the Humble home will never be the same again. Past and present collide with love and uncertainty in this original and captivating play by Charlotte Jones, directed by Michael Cabot.NB. Contains strong language. Recommended for 14yrs+
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“… intelligent, funny and touching… I can’t recommend this lovely play too highly…” - The Daily Telegraph
Happy-Go-Lucky
FILM CLUB Tuesday 10th February @ 8.00pm UK 2008 118mins
Not as lightweight as it may first appear, director Mike Leigh’s latest film is a fascinating character study that tests the bounds of optimism. The film is underpinned by a dazzling central performance by Sally Hawkins as the bubbly and garrulous Poppy, a character who at first appears to have little complexity, but in the course of events reveals a character of formidable inner strength: compassionate, perceptive and harbouring her own sadness like the rest of us.“It’s a funny film and, crucially, it aches with truth.” - David Calhoun, Time Out London
The 39 Steps
FILM MATINEE Tuesday 10th February @ 2.30pm Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Richard Hannay, a Canadian visitor to London, attends a music hall show by ‘Mr Memory’. During the performance shots ring out, and he flees the theatre. Outside, a terrified woman begs Hannay to help her, telling him that she's a British spy whose life has been threatened by international agents. He is initially disbelieving until he finds her near death with a knife in her back, a map in her hand, whispering something about “39 Steps”. Now mistakenly wanted for murder, Hannay sets off to follow the map, and to find a way to clear his name. This classic British thriller, adapted from the novel by John Buchan, was one of Alfred Hitchcock's first major international successes, and is still as engaging as ever. A real classic.Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Peggy Ashcroft
“For sheer entertainment value (this) still stands in the forefront of his work.” - Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
“Dazzling mixture of spycraft, banter and manic chases.” - Joshua Rothkopf , Time Out New York
Adm.: €5
Yew Tree Theatre - The Magic Boy
THEATRE Thursday 5th February @ 8.00pm
The Magic Boy is a coming-of-age story about a Magician, a bittersweet tale about a man who is forced to realise that he is never going to make it as a Magician himself, but that his young son (whom he has only recently discovered) has the gift: his son is the Mozart to his Salieri. The Magic Boy is “a small sweet story suitable for family viewing” written and directed by John Breen, author of that contemporary classic of Irish theatre, Alone It Stands. The show features live magic as part of the action.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Sullane Session featuring Fiona Kelleher
TRADITIONAL Wednesday 4th February @ 8.00pm
Cork musicians Fiona Kelleher (vocals), Jim Murray (guitar), Richard Lucey (accordion) and Ciaran Coughlan (piano) present an evening of exciting new arrangements of traditional songs from Fiona's debut album My Love Lies together with fresh energetic arrangements of well known tunes. All four musicians are well known and highly regarded, having worked with the likes of North Cregg, Altan and Sharon Shannon, to name but a few. The dynamic combination of Ciaran's jazz-influenced piano and Jim's sublime guitar with Richard's accordion mastery give exciting and inventive new interpretations of the traditional tunes, and provide a perfect backdrop to Fiona's pure crystal like vocals. A breath of fresh traditional air is on the cards. The concert is grant-aided through a Music Network Performance & Touring Award.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Open Mike
POETRY, PROSE & MORE Thursday 29th January @ 8.00pm.
“The Open Mike”, is an informal evening of poetry, prose, music and sometimes ‘even a step or two of dancing’. “The Open Mike” is an occasion when writers from all over Mayo are invited to read from their own work in front of an enthusiastic audience of peers, pundits and the public in general. This is the fifth evening of its kind, and takes place in the Linenhall Café, where refreshments will be available to enhance the general enjoyment and bonhomie. The evening will be MC’d by Westport poet Ger Reidy. Come along to share your own work, or enjoy the work of others.Adm.: Free
Couscous (La Graine et le Mulet)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 27th January @ 8.00pm France 2007 151mins Language: French / Arabic with English subtitles
Director Abdel Kechiche’s film is an expansive ensemble comedy-drama centring on a North African dockside community. In his sixties, Slimane is tired of a life of toil in a shipyard, and wants to realise his long-cherished dream, opening a floating restaurant specialising in fish-and-couscous dishes. But the ship is still to be renovated, and local dignitaries to be persuaded that the venture has a future. And then there are Beiji's friends and family - including the new woman in his life, his ex-wife and a host of neighbours - who have their own parts to play in the success or failure of his dream. “A remarkable and thought-provoking work.” - Wally Hammond, Time Out
“Funny, tragic and totally unforgettable.” - Time Out New York
Film title subject to confirmation by the distributor.
Donal Sarsfield
MUSIC NIGHT Monday 26th January @ 8.00pm
Join Donal Sarsfield in the first in a series of events at the Linenhall each celebrating a different theme through music and song. In the company of invited musicians, Donal will present an eclectic evening’s entertainment on the theme of Longing, encompassing chamber music by way of jazz, folk, pop and poetry. Best known locally for his role as Director of the Castlebar Gospel Choir, Donal's work as a composer has been recognised both at home and internationally. From Renaissance music to Rufus Wainwright, and Schubert to Brad Mehldau, the evening is a unique showcase of music to distract from a cold winter’s night. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Meridian Theatre Co. - Love, Peace & Robbery / Thailand: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
THEATRE Thursday 22nd January @ 8.00pm
A double bill of fresh, vibrant theatre by Cork-based Meridian, the company that brought last year’s sell-out Raccoon and The Exit Wound.Liam Heylin’s Love, Peace & Robbery is a new comedy inspired by interviews with a group of men struggling to break the cycle of petty crime and imprisonment. A funny, touching, portrait of the human face of the underworld, his characters are shrewd, witty survivors of a lifetime of self-abuse, still trying to go straight - sort of. Directed by Brian Desmond, starring Shane Casey, John Desmond and Aidan O’Hare. Thailand: What’s Love Got To Do With It? is a darkly comic, highly entertaining evening’s storytelling, featuring a stunning performance from internationally celebrated actor Máirtín de Cógáin. A unique take on modern Ireland and its contribution to the East Asian tourist economy, we follow Declan as he heads off to Thailand for the holiday of a lifetime with the lads, to embark on a bizarre journey of self-discovery and cheap thrills… Directed by Brian Desmond.
NB: Contains strong sexual references, not suitable for children.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Heylin delivers a finely observed, funny, and utterly convincing portrait of crime and its environs…The cast turn in perfectly pitched performances, under astute direction by Brian Desmond.” - The Irish Times
The Gypsy Jazz Quartet - The Django Story
TRADITIONAL MUSIC Thursday 15th January @ 8.00pm
The Django Story is a multimedia performance presented by the Gypsy Jazz Quartet that celebrates the colourful life and music of genius Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and his band, from its roots in the clubs of 1930s Paris. The Gypsy Jazz Quartet is led by Castlebar native Frank Kilkelly, a highly regarded guitarist who has toured extensively with a string of well-respected acoustic groups and artists including Sharon Shannon, Mairtín O'Connor, Finbar Furey and the Café Orchestra. Completing the impressive Quartet line-up is Paul O'Driscoll (double bass) well known for his work with Deiseal and Josephine Marsh, Bertrand Huve (saxes and clarinet), and Damian Gilligan (rhythm guitar) from The Hot Club of Dublin. People say jazz is cool. But remember, some like it hot.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
My Gentle Harp: Moore’s Irish Melodies 1808-2008
THOMAS MOORE COMMEMORATIVE CONCERT Thursday 11th December @ 8.00pm
In celebration of 200 years of Moore's world-famous Irish Melodies, the Thomas Moore Commemorative Festival presents a concert featuring one of Ireland’s leading pianists Dr Úna Hunt, with young sopranos Roisin Walsh, Anna-Louise Costello and Katy Kelly, with a programme of Moore’s songs including The Last Rose of Summer, The Minstrel Boy and The Meeting of the Waters.Supported by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, the Arts Council, the Office of Public Works, the National Library of Ireland and DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Western Care Multicultural Concert
MULTICULTURAL CONCERT Wednesday 10th December @ 8.00pm
An evening of music, song and dance with a multicultural flavour, with a line-up that includes traditional Indian dancer Jayashree Naveen, John Hoban and friends, the Karen Group from Burma, Westport Salsa Dancers and other special guests. The concert is support of Western Care Association Autism Services. Further information from The Fundraising Department, Western Care at 094 9029136Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
The Bothersome Man (Den Brysomme Mannen)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 9th December @ 8.00pm Norway 2006 95mins
A man arrives in a strange town to a new job, clothes, an apartment - even a wife. But something isn’t quite right in this sterile city: the food is tasteless, the booze doesn’t get you drunk, the conversation bland and stilted, and there are glimpses of a dark undercurrent to this world of clinical office buildings and soulless designer homes. Jens Lien’s beautifully filmed directorial debut is a surreal, blackly comedic meditation, with nods towards sources as diverse as Jacques Tati, David Lynch, Franz Kafka and the IKEA catalogue….“A stylish, subtle, and funny satire on the dehumanising effects of our consumer society.” - David Mattin, bbc.co.uk
Splódar Productions - Antigone
DRÁMAÍOCHT AS GAEILGE Thursday 4th December @ 8.00pm
Seo scéal an chailín a thug dúshlán an stáit agus a chuir fáilte roimh an mbás mar nár fhéad sí glacadh leis an measarthacht nó leis an modhúlacht. Tá an bhua is an díomua, an chaimiléireacht is an chneastacht, an grá is an ghráin fite fuaite ina chéile sa scoth-shaothar seo. Ceann de mhór-dhrámaí ár linne, aistrithe go Gaeilge don chéad uair agus arna léiriú ag an gcompántas nua-bhunaithe Splódar. Stiúrthóir/Aistritheoir: Proinn Ó Duigneáin. Urraithe ag Foras na Gaeilge.Jean Anouilh’s Antigone is based on the enduring Greek classic of Sophocles, a tale of individual versus state and duty versus conscience. Splódar Productions (formerly The Glens Players) present a play not only of deep passion and emotion but also of ideas and deep insights into the human condition. Directed by Prin Duignan.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Antti Siirala
PIANO RECITAL Monday 1st December @ 8.00pm
Recognised as one of the outstanding pianists of his generation, Helsinki-born Antti Siirala made his debut with an orchestra at the age of seven, and by 24 the multi-award winning pianist had won the prestigious Leeds International and AXA Dublin International Piano competitions. Praised by critics for his breathtaking technique, instinctive musicality and “wonderfully sustained intensity”, Siirala has performed solo recitals at most of Europe’s finest concert halls with many top conductors. Concert Programme: Bach’s Partita No.1 in B flat major BWV 825; Brahms’ Rhapsody in B minor Op. 79/1; Brahms’ Variations on an Original Theme in D major Op. 21/1; Deirdre McKay’s Time, Shining; Chopin’s Sonata No. 3 in B minor Op. 58. Part of a Music Network tour.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“A full-blooded musician with a fascinating sense for the quality of the sound... he makes one listen and discover.” - Seen & Heard
Damien Dempsey
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC Wednesday 26th November @ 8.00pm
The Donaghmede troubadour in concert. SOLD OUT.Adm.: €20 / €15 (concessions)
TheViolin (El Violín)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 25th November @ 8.00pm Mexico 2006 99mins Spanish with English subtitles
Francisco Vargas Quevedo's debut feature, The Violin, is a tender and exceptionally poignant drama set in a small Mexican village during the uprisings of the 1970s. Beautifully filmed in black and white, while the film depicts the tensions between the peasants and the brutal federales in the Guerrero region, it transcends traditional social commentary to present a compelling and beautiful story about a father's love for his family..“A message this political has rarely been delivered in so poetic a form.” - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
“Shot in stunning black and white and unfolding with a dreamlike languor.” - Diana Sanchez, Toronto International Film Festival 2006
Flook
CONTEMPORARY TRAD Monday 24th November @ 8.00pm
The flutes of Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen, the guitar of Ed Boyd and the bodhran of John Joe Kelly weave and spin traditionally rooted tunes into the breathtaking sound of the groundbreaking band Flook. Comprising four exceptional musical talents, Flook possesses a rare blend of fiery technical brilliance, delicate ensemble interaction and a bold, adventurous musical imagination, as witnessed on a string of acclaimed CDs. Exuberant and exhilarating, and with a justifiable reputation for brilliant live performances, be prepared to be blown away.Adm: €15 / €12 (concession)
“Four brilliant musicians. Four times as much brilliant music.” - Time Out
“A sensational live act.... in the front rank of the innovators.” - The Rough Guide to Irish Music
"Never have I seen so many people so completely and utterly spellbound...the most magical of experiences." - The Irish Post
“Multi-layered, rhythmically sophisticated and meltingly beautiful.” - Glasgow Sunday Herald
Emilie Conway - No Regrets
JAZZ/BLUES Thursday 20th November @ 8.00pm
Dazzling young chanteuse and rising star Emilie Conway presents No Regrets, a captivating evening of music which celebrates great female vocalists from across the decades and continents, showcasing the legendary talents of Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Abbey Lincoln, Elis Regina and Edith Piaf. Over the past five years Emilie’s distinctive voice and inimitable style has earned her much acclaim on the Dublin jazz scene, as well as further afield in Europe and the States. A fine and versatile vocalist of extraordinary sensitivity, Conway possesses the ability to distill the very essence of song and lyric and express it in a beautifully natural and minimalist way. Emilie is accompanied for this concert by Francesco Turrisi (piano), Claus Kaarsgaard (bass) and Conor Murray (drums). If you saw Emilie on her last visit to the Linenhall, you won’t need convincing. Come and celebrate the wonderful melodic heritage of a host of vocal legends, in the company of a young star in the ascendant.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Emilie Conway is a heart stealer. She possesses a voice like an angel smooth, mellow, sincere and deeply connected to both music and lyrics… and truly beautiful to boot!”” - Fionna Duncan, jazz vocalist
"A wonderful talent. Emilie sings her songs from her heart." - Sheila Jordan, jazz vocalist
Sean Tyrrell - The Midnight Court
CONTEMPORARY BLUES/TRAD/FOLK: MUSICAL THEATRE Monday 17th November @ 8.00pm
A poet dreams he has been put on trial by the women of Ireland for his sexual inadequacy. The Midnight Court is a potent musical adaptation presenting Brian Merryman’s 18th century classic poem Cúirt an Mhean Oiche in a contemporary setting by veteran folk/trad singer/songwriter Sean Tyrrell. The result is a heady mix of Celtic blues that is melodious, hilarious, boisterous, risqué and irreverent, with a litany of sexual scenarios sung in styles veering from traditional to calypso. Tyrrell’s musical adaptation has achieved something of a legendary status since its premiere in 1992 at the Galway Arts Festival. This latest incarnation of Tyrrell’s “musical narrative” features the man himself together with fellow musician Johnny Mullins. Brace yourselves for a night of bawdy fun and great music.Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Anyone and everyone who has been to this show has left the theatre glowing - and rightly so.” - City Tribune
“Merriman’s classic bristles with bawdy wit and Sean Tyrell's rich musical settings (are) a continuing delight.” -The Irish Times
Fluid Performance Group - Amarty’s Journey
SHADOW PUPPET THEATRE Saturday 15th November @ 12.00noon
A poetic and magical shadow puppet show for the young and the young at heart about displacement, adventure and the hope of new beginnings, Amarty’s Journey is the story of a boy in a boat travelling to an unknown destination. On the way he encounters a nasty mermaid, learns to play the trumpet, and encounters some exotic and not-so-exotic creatures. Amarty’s Journey is devised by a Mayo-based group of women of different nationalities, written by Noeline Kavanagh and performed by Castlebar-based Fluid Performance Group directed by Carmel Balfe. Performers include Eriko Uehara-Hopkinson, Sharon Downey-Holland, Suzette Ruane and Breda Murphy. The production is supported by Mayo Artsquad, Mayo County Council Arts Office, Mayo Intercultural Action, Department of Justice, and Department of Family Affairs.Adm.: €4
The Three Tenors
LIGHT OPERA Thursday 13th November @ 8.00pm
Ireland’s very own and hugely successful The Three Tenors make a welcome return to the Linenhall having released their exciting new single Il Mondo. Hailed as “Ireland’s greatest voices”, the winning trio of magnificent mature singers are John Scott (a regular soloist at the National Concert Hall, and one of the most powerful singers in Ireland); David Martin (Ireland’s “Golden Voice”, who has performed at major venues in Ireland and abroad) and Declan Kelly (who has performed and toured extensively in the UK and Europe). With their own brand of humour, and star guests, the evening features the world’s most popular songs from Elvis, Sinatra, Bocelli, Pavarotti, Lloyd Webber and more greats. Joined by special guests, The Three Tenors are guaranteed to delight and thrill. Adm.: €30
“A great night out, wonderful Arias sung with flair and gusto.” - Michael D. Higgins
Contemporary Guitar
Preston Reed Wednesday 12th November @ 8.00pm
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Acknowledged by an ever-growing string of superlatives, guitarist extraordinaire Preston Reed has single-handily reinvented acoustic guitar playing. Drawing on blues, rock, funk and jazz influences among others Preston Reed’s vast range of explosively original music will forever change your expectations of a guitarist. The phrase ‘has to be seen to be believed’ has never been more true!“Widely thought of as the world’s most gifted guitarist.” - Total Guitar “Remarkable…. Mesmerising…” - UNCUT
“In a class of his own.” - London Evening Standard
“Heart stopping tour de force.” - Billboard
“Will drop your jaw.” - Playboy
The Orphanage (El Orfanato)
FILM CLUB Tuesday 11th November @ 8.00pm Spain 2007 105mins Spanish with English subtitles
Juan Antonio Bayona’s chilling first feature is an extremely accomplished supernatural thriller that applies a sinuous modern twist to the classic ghost story form. A woman, together with her husband and adopted son, returns to live in the large former orphanage where she was raised as a child, driven by a need for closure on her past experiences. But from the moment she returns, the past begins to haunt her... Bayona brings a complex script to life with the help of haunting imagery and an atmospheric score, exploring themes of memory, loss, and grief. A film produced, appropriately, by Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo Del Toro.“An effective mixture of horror and fantasy, with the supernatural bleeding into dreams that teeter on the brink of reality.” - James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Arsenic and Old Lace
FILM MATINEE Tuesday 11th November @ 3.00pm USA 1944 118 mins 15 PG
Mortimer Brewster: “Insanity runs in my family... It practically gallops!”Drama critic and ex-confirmed bachelor Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) is finally marrying his sweetheart Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane). However their honeymoon plans begin to unwind as a visit to Brewster’s spinster aunts yield the discovery that they are, in acts of misguided kindness, killing people in their pleasant little house and burying the bodies in the cellar…Welcome to Frank Capra’s outrageous screwball black comedy: what better way to spend a grey Tuesday afternoon?
“Good macabre fun.” - New York Times
Adm.: €5
Folk / Traditional Music
John Faulkner & Jackie Daly Tuesday 4th November @ 8.00pm
Two of the great stalwarts of Traditional music for over thirty years come together in an exciting musical partnership. Accordionist Jackie Daly is best known for his work with De Danann, Buttons & Bows and Patrick Street, while multi-instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin, fiddle) and singer/songwriter John Faulkner is well known for his collaborations with Dolores Keane and the Reel Union. As major musical figures with some of the highest profile Irish traditional acts over the past three decades, John and Jackie exhibit their vast musical experiences, complementing each other in a uniquely intuitive way while also showcasing their inimitable individual talents. An unmissable gig in prospect and a rare treat for all Irish and folk music-lovers.“Jackie Daly is one of Ireland's top accordion players.” - Steve Winick, All Music Guide
“John Faulkner…one of the most experienced folk singers and musicians in these islands.” - Irish Times
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Theatre for Families / RoolaBoola
Lyngo Theatre - Hansel and Gretel Wednesday 22nd October @ 8.00pm
A poor woodsman’s empty stomach goes to his head - he gives in to his bony wife and Hansel and Gretel are left in the forest, not just once but twice - and the second time there won’t be any moonstones to follow back home. Instead they follow their noses to the sugary heart of darkness… a journey that takes them from a house with empty cupboards and a mother who doesn’t like children to a house made of sweets and someone who just loves children - on toast! Lyngo serve up a musical theatrical treat with their own special recipe of, captivating songs and haunting imagery.Suitable for ages 4 years and up. Duration: 60 minutes
“Charming … an unforgettable adventure.” - Leinster Express
Adm.: €8.00
Theatre for Families / RoolaBoola
NIE - The End of Everything Ever Monday 20th October @ 8.00pm
Agata is 6 years old, and she is going to the railway station with her father. Everyone is smiling and happy, but she has the strange feeling that she will never see him again. On the train she absent-mindedly chews on the paper name-tag tied around her neck, and slowly her name and address disappear, along with any chance of finding her family again. Based on true stories and accounts of the Kindertransport - a time when Jewish families sent their children out of Nazi-occupied Europe - award-winning internationally-based company NIE presents a an unforgettable story of survival, love and hope.Suitable for ages 10 years and up. Duration: 65 minutes
“Brave… uplifting… full of humour… brilliantly performed.” - The Sunday Herald
“Beautiful, touching and very, very funny.” - The Jerusalem Post
Adm.: €8.00
Film Club
Tony Takitani Japan 2004 75mins Tuesday 14th October @ 8.00pm
Tony Takitani is an eloquent, deftly told tale based on a short story by bestselling Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The eponymous ‘hero’ is an undemanding mechanical draftsman who lives a comfortable but lonely existence. But when Tony meets the young and beautiful Eiko, he falls for her instantly, despite their 15-year age difference. Life hovers on the brink of fulfilment - except that Eiko buys an alarming number of designer clothes. When tragedy strikes, Tony is forced to look at his life in a whole different way. Written and directed by Jun Ichikawa, this understated but lyrical film is told in long scenes with little or no dialogue, and the intelligent script is accompanied by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto's gorgeous, spare score and Hirokawa Taishi's stark, captivating cinematography. All in all, a quiet, beguiling gem of a movie.“A refined, delicately poetic reverie on loss and memory.” - Derek Elley, Variety
“Tony Takitani is an exquisite film, as elegant and precise as an impeccably cut diamond.” - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
“Exquisite… something approaching perfection.” - Philip French, The Guardian
Film Matinee
Gosford Park Director: Robert Altman UK 2002 137 mins 15 PG Tuesday 14th October @ 3.00pm
Legendary director Robert Altman explores the English class system and master-servant relations via intertwining storylines in this Oscar-winning film. Set in 1932, a phalanx of moneyed guests arrives for a weekend shooting party at the estate of Sir William and Lady Sylvia. Mary, a fresh-faced and naïve maid is shown the ropes by the house's worldly head housemaid, Elsie. While the masters engage in various financial and sexual intrigues upstairs, the world downstairs has its own curiosities including the predatory valet to a Hollywood producer and the mysterious, cagey servant, Robert. Altman delivers a fascinating, blackly comic look at the treacherous yet poignant gamesmanship between the classes. A stellar British ensemble cast includes Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Emily Watson and Eileen Atkins. “Altman takes you from one delicious subplot to another, serving up mirth and misery in equal measure and exploring the gulf between the lives of those above and below stairs.” - Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive
Adm.: €5
Jazz
The Elio Villafranca Jazz Quartet Monday 13th October @ 8.00pm
Featuring some of the finest players on the American Latin jazz scene, The Elio Villafranca Jazz Quartet delivers a hefty dollop of Afro-Cuban jazz with a dash of Thelonious Monk, Claude Debussy and Errol Garner thrown into the mix. The group features Cuban pianist Elio Villafranca, one of the rising stars of the US and Latin jazz scenes. Noted for his razor-sharp technique, harmonic vision and rhythmic panache, Villafranca effortlessly fuses classical, bebop and African influences with the musical traditions of his native Cuba, while remaining a true individualist. On this tour Villafranca is joined by Juno Award winner and Grammy-nominee Jane Bunnett (flute/saxophone), who has spent the last twenty five years touring her own brand of Cuban jazz around the world. The stellar line-up is completed by bassist Yunior Terry and drummer Ludwig Afonso, both with impeccable Latin jazz credentials on the world stage. The Elio Villafranca Jazz Quartet performs here as part of a Music Network tour. Why not put some Latin sunshine into the Irish autumn?“Elio Villafranca’s playing… is like a quiet volcano, starting slowly, gradually building in intensity, until the music erupts in a cascade of sound, rhythm and color.” - Philadelphia Tribune
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Lunchtime Art Talk
Deirdre Walsh Wednesday 8th October @ 1.00pm
A talk by artist Deirdre Walsh about her own work, presented in the context of the current exhibition in the Linenhall Gallery, Discovered Moments. Deirdre’s work is based on direct observation informed by Impressionism’s concerns with light. This promises to be a fascinating insight into the Mayo artist’s work.All are welcome. The talk takes place in the Linenhall Arts Centre Gallery, duration approximately 50 minutes.
Adm.: free
Theatre
Beezneez Theatre Co. - You’ll Never Walk Alone - Tuesday 7th October @ 8.00pm
Rovers have reached the cup final for the first time in ten years. Tonto and Dusty are overjoyed with this success while their partners, Trish and Mags look on in bemusement. Holding a watching brief are friends Luke and Numbers, both with their own regrets and sorrows. When Dusty's brother Tony, who left town under mysterious circumstances after the last cup final appearance, arrives back for the final, the cosy world is turned upside down by a series of life changing events. Typical McDwyer humour is used to mask a savage tale of life and love in a Beezneez production which will both delight and disturb. Come along and see what promises to be the company’s latest success. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Film club
The Edge of Heaven (Auf der anderen Seite) - Tuesday 30th September @ 8.00pm
Germany / Turkey 2007 122mins Retired widower Ali sees a solution to his loneliness when he meets prostitute Yeter, and he proposes that his fellow Turkish native live with him in exchange for a low rent. At first Ali’s German Professor son Nejat seems disapproving about his father’s choice, but the young man quickly grows fond of kind Yeter, especially upon discovering most of her hard-earned money is sent home to Turkey for her daughter’s university studies. After Yeter’s accidental death, an event that drives father and son further apart, Nejat decides to travel to Istanbul to begin an organized search for Yeter’s daughter Ayten. What Nejat doesn’t know is that 20-something political activist Ayten who, having fled the Turkish police, is already in Germany and has befriended German student Lotte, a young woman who’s willing to go to any lengths to help her…
“An exquisitely mysterious feature by the German-born Turkish filmmaker Fatih Akin.” - Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
“Wonderfully acted, deeply moving and curiously illuminating... an extraordinary, moving tale.” - Philip French, The Observer
Adm.: see Film Club information at end of the programme
Cajun/Zydeco
Pine Leaf Boys - Monday 29th September @ 8.00pm
Louisiana'a finest Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys have made a name for presenting their own inimitable brand of Cajun music with youthful exuberance. Hailing from the southwest Louisiana and known for their wild shows and thoughtful arrangements, the Pine Leaf Boys have breathed new life into Cajun music, reviving ancient songs and bringing them to the bandstand. The Boys play the old fashion dance hall standards while also including many lesser-known songs of past masters into their repertoire. The variety and energy they release evolves through their shows, bringing multi-faceted angles to Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco. Their mission is to present the awesome music of their ancestors and celebrate the real pure joys of authentic Cajun music at its finest. And do they succeed! Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Fabulous… a youthful vitality that gives an extra kick to that already vibrant music.” - Rick Mason, Minneapolis News
"A revelation of anarchy and reverence and manic exuberance funneled through traditional musical forms.” - Josh Caffery, Louisiana
Drama as Gaeilge
Aisteoirí Chorr na Móna - As Béal a Chéile - Friday 26th September @ 8.00pm
Ábhar nua ar fad a bheidh ar stáitse sa taispeántas seo le drámaí grinn cliste agus agallaimh rithimiúla. Bainfear sásamh ar leith as saibhreas na cainte agus as an véarsaíocht bhríomhar. Casadh nua ar shean-scéalta atá sa dá dhráma. Sa dráma Sínte eagraítear tórramh bréige chun bob a bhualadh ar na comharsain. Agus tá an sprionlóir ag iarraidh a chuid airgid a cheilt sa dráma Craiceann is a Luach. Two newly written comedies in verse and traditional verse-dialogues on topical issues by Mícheál Ó Tuairisg. The emphasis is on the skilful use of witty rhymes and rhythms. Both plays present a new 'twist' on classic themes - 'the man who pretends to be dead' and the story of the miser - based on a play written by Plautus in 200BC.
Presented by An Comhlachas Náisiúnta Drámaíochta.
Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Classical guitar
Darragh O’Neill - Thursday 25th September @ 8.00pm
Award-winning guitarist/composer Darragh O'Neill presents an evening of wonderful music for guitar spanning centuries and cultures. Darragh's wonderful musicianship spellbinds with music of Bach and the Baroque classics along with some of Darragh's own compositions and the programme also includes music from Japan, Latin America and Ireland. Dublin born Darragh O'Neill has collaborated in the past with such international artists as Michael Ball, Russell Watson and Vanessa Amorossi with appearances on The Late Late Show and at Dublin's Point Depot. Darragh’s 2009 concert calendar for 2009 includes performances at the National Concert Hall, Dublin and at Carnegie Hall, New York. Catch him while you can. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
Lunchtime Art Talk
Ann O’Mahony - Reading Women’s Art: A Web of Multiple Meanings - Wednesday 24th September @ 1.00pm
A fascinating talk by artist Ann O’Mahony on art created by women artists, presented in the context of the current exhibition in the Linenhall Gallery, Female Artists of the Twentieth Century from the Niland Collection.Adm.: free
Theatre - BOOKED OUT
Waiting for Godot (The Gate Theatre) - Tuesday 23rd September @ 8.00pm
A production of Beckett’s seminal work, part of a national tour by the Gate Theatre celebrating the theatre’s 80th anniversary, starring Stephen Brennan, Barry McGovern, Johnny Murphy and Alan Stanford. Adm.: €25 - BOOKED OUT
PLEASE NOTE: All those who have BOOKED TICKETS are reminded to have them PAID FOR by 6th September, OR THEY WILL BE SOLD ON!
Contemporary music
The Guggenheim Grotto - Thursday 18th September @ 8.00pm
Promoting their eagerly awaited second album Happy The Man, Dublin-based Guggenheim Grotto plays one of its last Irish dates before returning to the States. GG’s critically acclaimed debut album Waltzing Alone kept them busy touring the US for most of 2006-2007, with songs from the album featuring on many top-rating US TV Dramas. GG’s Irish radio hit Told You So featured on the Starbucks Compilation CD Across the Pond, a handpicked compilation that also featuring the likes of Amy Winehouse, Damien Rice, KT Tunstall and Lilly Allen, while Philosophia made iTunes Single of the Week, and No.1 on the iTunes Folk Chart. Still fresh from their phenomenal success in America and with a new album of songs in their set, The Guggenheim Grotto pairs hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies with classical and contemporary instruments, creating a mix of Pop, Rock and Folk which keep audiences coming back again and again. Catch them while you can. Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“A spine tingling effect that I haven’t experienced since I heard Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends for the first time.” - The Irish Voice
“Modern, intelligent, lyrically potent pop.” - Boston Herald
“First-rate acoustic pop.” - Paste Magazine
Film club
You, the Living (Du Levande) - Tuesday 16th September @ 8.00pm
Sweden 2007 95mins A highly subjective and darkly witty series of fifty mini-portraits of the human race at our present moment in Western history by a truly original filmmaker. Director Roy Andersson described the film as a “mosaic of human destinies” on the theme of “how to behave around others”, using farce of the darkest hue cut through at times with unexpected affection to address existential strife in an oblique and surreal fashion. Ultimately, his tableaux vivants are haunting compositions of humorous despair and depravity that brand themselves indelibly on one’s brain.
“Rare and covetable genius.” - Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph
“You, the Living is a very funny film - though in the darkest possible way. It is a silent comedy, but with words. Profoundly different…this is the work of a real original - I might almost say a genius.” - Philip French, The Guardian
World Music
Yurodny - Thursday 28th August @ 8.00pm
Prepare for a heady stew of Klezmer, Russian gypsy, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Arabic, Greek, Turkish and Hungarian music, full of wedding dances, party stoppers and sheer joie de vivre from the dazzling 7-piece Yurodny. Expect original compositions from the doyen of the gypsy fiddlers, Oleg Ponomarev (ex-Loyko), dizzying reworkings of legendary tunes by Romanian giants Taraf De Haïdouks and new arrangements of time-honoured traditional tunes, as Yurodny flit between jazz, European folk traditions and classical music, uniting disparate influences and fans in one breathless and breathtaking swoop. Enjoy! Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)
“Triumphant…vibrant and irresistible.” - The Irish Times
“Their warm and dragging melodies vie against the brisk rhythms of gypsy dances in ways that absorb you into their hearts” - The Event Guide
