Artistic Professional Development - Workshops / Seminars / Courses / Events

at the Centre for Creative Practices, January - June 2010

·         Artistic Professional Development for artists and Creative Practitioners (seminars topics: Marketing, Copyrights, Contracts and Consignments, Forms of Doing Business and Taxes and Online Marketing)

·         Digital Arts and Photography (courses in: colour theory, image composing, studio setting & lightings, portfolio preparation, editorial photography, photo editing, intro to digital art and animation)

·         Visual Arts and Craftwork (workshops in: a unique in Ireland Puppetry and Marionettes Workshop;  craftwork courses in: Handcrafted Personalised Gift Stationary;  Artist Book / Notebook Making, Design of your own wedding stationary)

·         Music and Performing Arts (courses in: Jazz & Blues Guitar – improvisation for advanced practitioners; Creativity & Communication Skills combining performance & NPL; Youth Theatre workshop, Words and Music workshops combining improvisation, performance and creative writing)

·         Writing and Publishing (courses in: Editing your manuscript; Critical Exchange for writers and creative artists working on a project; Broadcast Journalism; Graphic Novel; Manuscript Assessment; Travel Writing and Journalism)

The aim of the programme is to help people interested in all areas listed to widen and deepen their skills and to work with and learn from experience and outstanding practitioners.

The Series of Artistic Professional Development has been designed to help professional and amateur artists to complement their artistic skills with the useful knowledge necessary to run a successful artistic practice. For participants enrolling for the whole series we have prepared a special offer.

All courses taking place at the Centre for Creative Practices will finish with an artistic event – a screening, reading, concert, performance or an exhibition and definitely with a glass of wine or a smoothie if they are not for adults.

Monika Sapielak & Ian Oliver

Centre for Creative Practices

15 Pembroke Street Lower

Dublin 2

Web: www.cfcp.ie

email: info@cfcp.ie

phone: 086-6084020

An exhibition presenting works from private collections by some of Ireland's foremost visual artists, "from Shinnors' kites to McSweeney's bog pools, and everything in between". A selection from private collections by Linenhall Chairman Eamon Smith.

Adm.: free

Opening times: Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm; Sat. 11am-5.30pm

The Molesworth Gallery presents new work by
gallery artists. The Molesworth Gallery is one
of Ireland's leading contemporary art galleries,
representing some of the most accomplished
and exciting artists working in the country
today. It hosts eight solo and two curated
group exhibitons annually at its exhibition
space in Dublin's city centre. Exhibitions are
documented in gallery publications ranging
from brochures to hardback books. The
gallery also collaborates with arts centres and
museums to maximise public access to the
work of its artists as well as promoting them at
international art fairs.

www.iontascastleblayney.ie

Naz is a 12 year old war refugee, who undertakes a long journey to find asylum in Ireland. He carries with him only a small suitcase and a treasure of childhood stories . Like his hero, Sinbad the Sailor, Naz must travel half-way around the world to reach the safety of his brother in Dublin. He teams up with Krysia, a young girl in similar circumstances, and together they dodge soldiers and find safe passage over mountains and across seas to the relative safety of Dublin. But is it the 'heaven on earth' that Naz expects?
For 8-12 year olds 

Draíocht, The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15

Tickets: €10/€9 groups (2 free teachers per class)

Box Office: 01 885 2622

Online: www.draiocht.ie

 Celebrating 15 years of award-winning productions CoisCéim Dance Theatre doubles up with two new shows

Faun by David Bolger

Audiences rioted when they saw Nijinski's first ballet, L'Après midi d'un Faune, shocked by the shameless sensuality and revolutionary dance style. Mixing Debussy's famous score with Queen, David Bolger explores how dance still reconnects us with our feelings and imagination and asks can we still break free?

Tickets €14/10 concession : Booking Tel 057 866 3355 : www.dunamaise.ie

Burma VJ Starts at 8PM Tickets: €6/€5 Burma VJ Dir: Anders �stergaard /Denmark /2008/84mins Cert: CLUB Director Anders �stergaard 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.

Burma VJ Dates: 9th February 2010 Starts at 8PM Tickets: €6/€5 Burma VJ Dir: Anders �stergaard /Denmark /2008/84mins Cert: CLUB Director Anders �stergaard 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.

Burma VJ Dates: 9th February 2010 Starts at 8PM Tickets: €6/€5 Burma VJ Dir: Anders �stergaard /Denmark /2008/84mins Cert: CLUB Director Anders �stergaard 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.

Eco-Friendly Jihad

Written and performed by

Abie Philbin Bowman

In a world threatened by overpopulation and rising carbon emissions, maybe the solution is to join Al Qaeda. While the U.S. Army flies bombs halfway around the world, Al Qaeda walks them to their targets. And they source all their fighters locally. From the writer/performer of 'Jesus: The Guantanamo Years' which toured Ireland, UK, USA and Pakistan, became a Top 10 Hit on iTunes and was boycotted by Ian Paisley's DUP. Al Qaeda meets Al Gore in this explosive comedy about saving the planet. www.AbieLaughs.com

"One of Ireland's most thought-provoking comedians." - Galway City Tribune

Admission: €14 & €11 concession

Loose End Studio

Bridie and Valentine Fagan have lots to celebrate. They have been selected as Ireland's happiest couple, having won a competition sponsored by Celtic Cheese. The glittering prize is a re-enactment of their wedding reception, an appearance on The Late Late Show and a second honeymoon in Paris. But when the happy couple arrives at the hotel, events don't run smoothly as a host of skeletons is released from the cupboard!

With Denise Burns as Bridie, Tom Mekitarian as Valentine and a large supporting cast, expect a night of great fun and enjoyment.

For more information visit us at: www.hawkswell.com

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man's search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and "F-Troop" is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry's unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. Can anyone help Larry cope with  his afflictions?  This is a pitch perfect black comedy of despair. Tickets €8 / €6 / €5 members   
www.thesourceartscentre.ie

Seeing your photograph, along with those of two Ireland Rugby players, a national broadcaster and an elite athlete, on your university bookmark is food for thought. This is what happened to our intrepid comedian, Mr. Delamere, and it got our little man from Offaly thinking. Life is just a series of bookmarks – different events that highlight how far we've come and how far we've left to go.

In this brand new show, Neil considers these life-markers and explores some significant milestones in his life as well as how his photo appeared on the university bookmark in the first place.

"Simply put, Delamare is a master"  - The Scotsman

Cups and Crowns Presents
MAIMIE'S CART

Time: Two Performances
          10.45 - 1145am *(Free workshop 9.45 - 10.30am)
          1pm - 2pm *(Free workshop 12-12.45pm)

Price: €8 (Suitable for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Classes)

Bernard is a fixer, he loves to fix things.  He believes that every nut has its bolt and that everthing makes complete logical sense, just like his life.  Maimie sees the world in a completely different way... if its broke, why fix it?

When Maimie calls upon Bernard to repair her chaotic cart, he finds a world where broken possessions have a value and where lifes possibilities are endless.  What will this mean for Bernard's timetabled and very logical life?  This is where the story begins...

There will be a short 'Chatback' session after the performance to give the young audience an opportunity to discuss their experience of the story.

Cups and Crowns will run a free workshop before each show where pupils will explore the themes of the play.  Using 'process drama', the facilitator will help the children to gain a better understanding of the artistic processes and themes in the performance.

*Max 30 pupils per workshop.  Free places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. 

Please contact Box Office on 045 448327 for details.


Devised for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes by Jay Ryan, Gillian Kelly and Fiona McDonagh.

Directed by Fiona McDonagh.

Cups and Crowns Presents
MAIMIE'S CART

Time: Two Performances
          10.45 - 1145am *(Free workshop 9.45 - 10.30am)
          1pm - 2pm *(Free workshop 12-12.45pm)

Price: €8 (Suitable for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Classes)

Bernard is a fixer, he loves to fix things.  He believes that every nut has its bolt and that everthing makes complete logical sense, just like his life.  Maimie sees the world in a completely different way... if its broke, why fix it?

When Maimie calls upon Bernard to repair her chaotic cart, he finds a world where broken possessions have a value and where lifes possibilities are endless.  What will this mean for Bernard's timetabled and very logical life?  This is where the story begins...

There will be a short 'Chatback' session after the performance to give the young audience an opportunity to discuss their experience of the story.

Cups and Crowns will run a free workshop before each show where pupils will explore the themes of the play.  Using 'process drama', the facilitator will help the children to gain a better understanding of the artistic processes and themes in the performance.

*Max 30 pupils per workshop.  Free places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. 

Please contact Box Office on 045 448327 for details.


Devised for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes by Jay Ryan, Gillian Kelly and Fiona McDonagh.

Directed by Fiona McDonagh.

Oonagh Keogh Dates: 10th February 2010 Starts at 8PM Tickets: €15/12 Violin Duo Geraldine O'Grady & Oonagh Keogh 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. She has had a distinguished international career as recitalist and soloist with major symphony orchestras. She has been awarded an honorary Doctorate by the National University of Ireland and an honorary Fellowship by the Royal Irish Academy of Music. 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 many competition successes to her credit. 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, TV and CD. 　 Margaret O'Sullivan – Piano Margaret O'Sullivan is in constant demand as an accompanist, duo partner and repetiteur. She studied with Elizabeth Costello at the College of Music in Dublin where she was awarded the top prize for solo pianoforte playing. She also won many awards for accompaniment. She performs regularly with Geraldine and Oonagh and was accompanist on their duo album Heartstrings in Harmony.

Join Eddie Lenihan for a rip roaring ride through Irish Folklore where Eddie will thrill and delight young audiences with tales of myth, magic and mystery.  Native to Kerry, Eddie has spent the last 35 years delighting both young and old with his vast catalogue of yarns.  Often described as "Ireland's greatest living storyteller" Eddie continues to captivate audiences and transport them to a world of adventure and fantasy.  Suitable for 8-12 year olds.

Tickets: €6

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

An Evening With Kevin Rafter
In conversation with Mary Smithwick, Political Editor, Cork Evening Echo

Thurs 11th Feb :: 8pm :: Jurys Western Road

Following the success of our recent non-fiction evenings at Jurys, we have invited Kevin Rafter, writer, broadcaster and lecturer to give his assessment of Ireland present and future against the background of his new book 'Party at the Crossroads', which tells the remarkable story of the Fine Gael comeback and provides an authoritative assessment of Irish politics. 

Kevin Rafter has held several senior editorial positions in Irish media organisations and is currently head of the department of film and media at the National Film School at IADT, Dun Laoghaire. 

He continues to write and broadcast, and is also a columnist with the Sunday Times.

Tickets: €5
Available at Triskel Box Office :: (021) 427 2022
www.triskelartscentre.ie

CoisCéim Dance Theatre Company presents

As You Are & Faun

CoisCéim Dance Theatre celebrates 15 years of award-winning productions with a New Year national tour of As You Are by Muirne Bloomer and Faun by David Bolger.

As you Are by Muirne Bloomer

Who would you rather be: Superman or Clarke Kent? We all want to stand out from the crowd – but are we willing to pay the price? In Muirne Bloomer's quirky world, six extraordinary individuals are tested to the limit as they struggle for control over themselves and each other.

Faun by David Bolger

Audiences rioted when they saw Nijinski's first ballet, L'Aprês midi d'un Faune, shocked by the shameless sensuality and revolutionary dance style. Mixing Debussy's famous score with Queen, David Bolger explores how dance still reconnects us with our feelings and imagination and asks can we still break free?

This production is not for the faint-hearted or easily offended. Strictly for ages 14+, it contains male and female nudity and scenes of a sexual nature.

But if you are daring and curious, and have any interest at all in contemporary dance come along.

Thursday 11th February @ 8pm

Admission: €20 & €16 concession

Main Auditorium

Celebrating 15 years of award-winning productions, CoisCéim Dance Theatre doubles up with two new shows

As you Are by Muirne Bloomer

Who would you rather be: Superman or Clarke Kent? We all want to stand out from the crowd – but are we willing to pay the price? In Muirne Bloomer's quirky world, six extraordinary individuals are tested to the limit as they struggle for control over themselves and each other.

Faun by David Bolger

Audiences rioted when they saw Nijinski's first ballet, L'Après midi d'un Faune, shocked by the shameless sensuality and revolutionary dance style. Mixing Debussy's famous score with Queen, David Bolger explores how dance still reconnects us with our feelings and imagination and asks can we still break free?

Tickets €16/14 concession.  Booking Tel 043-3347888 : www.backstage.ie

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 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)

World Cinema: Crossing the Bridge Dates: Thurs 11th February 2010 Starts at 8pm Tickets: €6/€5 Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005): By Fatih Akın The film is a journey through the music scene in modern Istanbul, Turkey as well as portraying its cultural life. It features German musician Alexander Hacke (member of Einst�rzende Neubauten) as the narrator. Hacke and Akın travelled around Istanbul with a mobile recording studio and a microphone, assembling an inspired portrait of Turkish music – from arabesque to indie rock and rap.

Lisa Richards presents

Thur 11, Friday 12, Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 February, 8pm.

Dara O Briain

After a break from the circuit, Dara is back with an all new show.

Tickets: €26, €27.50, €29  (Booking fee may apply)

Hailed as one of the world's great guitarists, Eduardo Niebla appears with his internationally acclaimed guitar duo (Ricardo Garcia) to present an evening of flamenco gypsy jazz.

 A formidable flamenco-jazz guitar virtuoso, Eduardo is technically superb, breathtakingly versatile, amazingly talented. Inspired by tours to India, the Middle East & his adopted Yorkshire homeland, Eduardo presents his stunning new album - intricately brilliant, passionate flamenco infused with a myriad of Eastern colours and a Gypsy-jazz edge.Tickets €18 / €16 concession
www.thesourceartscentre.ie

Tralee's oldest drama group, The Group Theatre, takes on Bernard Farrell's immensely entertaining comedy - I  Do Not Like Thee Dr. Fell.  In this, Farrell exposes the deceptions of the hapless members of a dysfunctional group therapy session.  The mysterious Joe's presence at the session turns the session into a roller coaster ride for the other participants.  The play, a comedy with strong elements of thriller and mystery is funny, gripping and highly entertaining.

Tickets €16/€14

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

Chrissie and Jade spend their days in pyjamas; waiting. Waiting for the kettle to boil, waiting for Coronation Street, waiting for the next bit of juicy gossip. Set in the heart of inner city Dublin, where night wear is day wear and bitching is everywhere. Waiting for IKEA uses quick fire wit and old school charm to investigate what lies beneath the surface, what's behind the bling. A heart-warming story of friendship, family, community and sunbed obsessives. Waiting for IKEA premiered at the 2007 Dublin Fringe Festival, the first show in the history of the Festival to sell out in advance of opening. It was nominated for The Bewley's Cafe Theatre Award and The Fishamble New Writing Award. This show contains strong language and adult content.
Duration: 80 minutes, no interval

Draíocht, The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15

Tickets: €16/€13 conc SOLD OUT

Box Office: 01 885 2622

Online: www.draiocht.ie

The six-week course will cover the basics of storytelling and the specific aspects of writing for children and young adults. Areas that will be examined include how
to generate ideas, how to use observation, description of both character and setting, using dialogue, and ensuring a good pace and plot.

There will also be a focus on how to tailor your writing for different age groups and practical exercises, including a final writing task. Oisín will also be giving tips on
how to get published and how to market your books when you do.

The course runs over six Thursdays and costs €165.  To book, please visit http://www.writerscentre.ie or call 01-8721302.  

featuring Órfhlaith Foyle, Celeste Augé, Gary King, Gerard Hanberry, Ed Madden, Dave Rock, Edward Lee, John Corless, Patricia Byrne, Colette NicAodha, Geraldine Mills, Mary Hanlon, Eamonn Bonner, James Martyn, Alan Garvey, Deirdre Kearney, Terry McDonagh & Jessie Lendennie with a special guest reading by Japanese poet Hisa Kagawa

In this annual retrospective of the year just past, every Galway-based poet who published a new collection of poems during 2009 will read three poems from the collection in question.

All welcome. For further details phone 087-6431748

Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing generous financial support of The Arts Council and Galway City Council

http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com

Those who caught him last time couldn't praise him enough. We were asked to bring him back – so here he is!

David O'Doherty wanted to become a professional cyclist, then a professional jazz musician, but a (self-declared) almost complete lack of talent in these areas meant he became a professional telemarketer.  

The Courthouse Film Circle in association with access:Cinema presents an affecting and evocative Swedish film about a lonely young boy who is befriended by a vampire child.  This movie was critically acclaimed and features on several "Best Of" lists from last year.  The camera work echoes the film's tone of quiet melancholy, and the horror genre really only comes to the fore during a few scenes of black humour and a rather bloody climactic sequence.  Overall this is a sensitive if chilling study of adolescence and alienation, and the basic human need for friendship. Cert: 16. Tickets €8/€6. Info tel 0402-38529. No need to book seats in advance.

Netnakisum (Austria) are talented and experienced musicians that have been playing together for five years.  They have gathered a reputation for introducing classical music to new audiences because of their quirky look and dynamic performances.  They blend strings and beautiful voices.  The music in their concert includes Strauss, Waltz's a Britney Spars song, unique arrangements of Mozart, Latin Tangos and even Traditional Harmonic Yodelling.  For more information/to book, visit: www.seamusenniscentre.com

Join us for lunch and the best in New Kerry Poetry.  Siamsa Tire supported artists, Loose Strife present new poems over lunch, so why not join us for a bite to eat and an hour of verse?  Simon Ó Faoláin will be reading from Anam Mhadra (Coiscéim) winner of the Rupert Strong Award 2009 and Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh will be reading from Péacadh.

Tickets: €12 - includes a small lunch which can be ordered at the time of ticket purchase.  Lunch is served at 1pm with the performance at 1.20pm.

THE TINKERS CURSE
By Michael Harding in Association with Focus Theatre


*Nominated best play of the year at Irish Theatre Awards 2007.

One man's story- One man's life - One man's broken Heart - At the top of Croagh Patrick

The Tinkers Curse is a play of laughter and joy, a show brimming with fun and rich imaginative language, as Kikey reveals the sequence of tragic events that leads to his own ultimate destruction.

Agter the success of The Timkers Curse in 2007, award winning actor and Irish Times columnist Michael Harding is back on the road with a moving story about a travelling man who climbs Croagh Patirck to do penanve for the sins of a lifetime.

"When the Buffer started snooping around the trailer in the middle of the night, like a haunted horse, Mikey's world changed forever.  Now, many years later, agter the loss of a wife and the death of two children, Mikey climbs the Reek to put a good ending on a tragic story".

The Tinkers Curse was developed in collaboration with Irish travellers and is based on real life experiences.  Featuring Michael Harding (Irish Times) and Finbar Coady (Music), it is a rough, raw and unconventional piece of theatre - NOT TO BE MISSED!!

'Michael Hardings theatre is unique, daring, entertaining and unmissable' - Irish Examiner

For more info please go to www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

Fishamble: The New Play Company presents

Pat Kinevane's captivating portrayal of four elderly characters, living in retirement homes and care facilities around Ireland, is a unique collage of Kabuki dance with Irish storytelling. This boutique performance by the award-winning Fishamble: The New Play Company has been a major hit on tour in Ireland and Europe since it was first presented as part of Bealtaine Festival 2006, and visits Solstice just prior to the show's run in New York.

'a piece of theatre not easily forgotten' The Sunday Tribune

WEB: www.fishamble.com

Duration: 80 minutes

Tickets:  €15/€12  concession / 046 909 2300 /

NYOI Camerata directed by Fionnuala Hunt will perform her arrangements of various Tangos with live exhibition Tango Dancers.  Call 051 421255 to reserve tickets.

Vyvienne Long Dates: 12th February 2010 Starts at 8PM Tickets: €20/€18 VYVIENNE LONG Vyvienne Long returns to the Belltable this year after the success of her 2009 tour. Her new 2010 tour is to launch Vyvienn's debut album Caterpillar Sarabande and will include dates throughout Ireland as well as in the UK and Paris. She first achieved celebrity as a cellist in collaboration with singer-songwriter Damien Rice producing the soaring melodies and distinctive sound associated with his albums 'O' and '9'. International tours followed during which she instantly charmed fans with her unique 'cello song' and quirky take on the White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army'. She began writing her own vocal material, forming a core band which typically includes three cellos, piano, drums and bass, and released an EP 'Birdtalk' in '06. Her performances include Other Voices (tv series), the JK Ensemble "Sessions" (Lyric FM), and critically acclaimed gigs at The Electric Picnic and Spiegeltent in '08. Admired as a compelling vocalist and songwriter of incisive wit, critics have drawn comparisons with Bjork, Tori Amos and Joanna Newsome. Long is now recording an album due for release in September. "_…moves lightfootedly between frantic art-rock, heartfelt piano balladry and Bjork-esque weirdo pop…_'' The Irish Independent Belltable off-site venue, 36 Cecil Street, Limerick

Éigse Carlow Arts Festival present

A special Valentine's event to remember with

VIRGINIA KERR (soprano)

EMMANUEL LAWLOR (tenor) & ROY HOLMES (piano)

& special guest Alec O'Leary (classical guitar)

Sat. 13^th February, 7.30pm

Cobden Hall, St. Pat's College, Carlow

Tickets: €25 (include pre-concert reception)

Available at: Éigse Carlow Arts Festival Office, College St., Carlow & St. Patrick's College Reception

Further info: 059-9140491 www.eigsecarlow.ie

Celebrating 15 years of award-winning productions, CoisCéim Dance Theatre doubles up with two new shows

As you Are by Muirne Bloomer

Who would you rather be: Superman or Clarke Kent? We all want to stand out from the crowd – but are we willing to pay the price? In Muirne Bloomer's quirky world, six extraordinary individuals are tested to the limit as they struggle for control over themselves and each other.

Faun by David Bolger

Audiences rioted when they saw Nijinski's first ballet, L'Après midi d'un Faune, shocked by the shameless sensuality and revolutionary dance style. Mixing Debussy's famous score with Queen, David Bolger explores how dance still reconnects us with our feelings and imagination and asks can we still break free?

Tickets €16/12 concession : Booking 053-9122144 : www.wexfordoperahouse.ie

Artist's Talk: Noel Brennan will discuss the exhibition and his work practice on Saturday 13 February at 1.00pm, all welcome

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.  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.  Together Geraldine and Oonagh are a phenomenal violin duo.  Geraldine and Oonagh will be accompanied by renowned pianist Margaret O'Sullivan.  If you missed them in 2008, don't make the same mistake in 2010.  Quality!

www.iontascastleblayney.ie

€18/16

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.  She 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 many competition successes to her credit and has performed extensively as a soloist and is a member of the much-acclaimed Irish Chamber Orchestra.  Together Geraldine and Oonagh are a phenomenal violin duo.  Geraldine and Oonagh will be accompanied by renowned pianist Margaret O'Sullivan.  Margaret studied with Elizabeth Costello at the College Of Music, Dublin where she was awarded the top prize for solo pianoforte playing.  If you missed them in 2008, don't make the same mistake in 2010.  Quality!

Admission: €18/16

www.iontascastleblayney.ie

Afternoon Performance
County Tipperary Ryan Youth Orchestra
County Donegal Youth Orchestra
St Peter's College Dunboyne
Kylemore College Orchestra

The Irish Aviation Authority Festival of Youth Orchestras is an annual event taking place at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Eight youth orchestras take part in the festival which consists of two performances with four orchestras taking part in each.

This year's line-up has representative orchestras from the two pilot projects of the Music Network report A National System of Local Music Education and we hope that representatives from VECs and arts offices from around the country will come to hear them – County Donegal Youth Orchestra and Kylemore College Orchestra will play in the afternoon performance. The evening concert will see a performance by the newly re-formed NYOI Camerata who will be directed by Fionnuala Hunt in a selectioin from her Tangos and Dances.

We have just one first-timer in the Festival this year. St Peter's College in Dunboyne won a 2005 IAYO achievement award for the orchestra for the 'Strings for All' programme in their school. It's also the first time the Symphony Orchestra of Dublin Youth Orchestras will have performed at the Festival although we have had all the other DYO ensembles performing in the Festival in the past. We also have the welcome return of the County Tipperary Ryan Youth Orchestra, Galway Youth Orchestra and the County Wexford Youth Orchestra.

Evening Performance
County Wexford Youth Orchestra
Galway Youth Orchestra
DYO Symphony Orchestra
NYOI Camerata

The Irish Aviation Authority Festival of Youth Orchestras is an annual event taking place at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Eight youth orchestras take part in the festival which consists of two performances with four orchestras taking part in each.

This year's line-up has representative orchestras from the two pilot projects of the Music Network report A National System of Local Music Education and we hope that representatives from VECs and arts offices from around the country will come to hear them – County Donegal Youth Orchestra and Kylemore College Orchestra will play in the afternoon performance. The evening concert will see a performance by the newly re-formed NYOI Camerata who will be directed by Fionnuala Hunt in a selectioin from her Tangos and Dances.

We have just one first-timer in the Festival this year. St Peter's College in Dunboyne won a 2005 IAYO achievement award for the orchestra for the 'Strings for All' programme in their school. It's also the first time the Symphony Orchestra of Dublin Youth Orchestras will have performed at the Festival although we have had all the other DYO ensembles performing in the Festival in the past. We also have the welcome return of the County Tipperary Ryan Youth Orchestra, Galway Youth Orchestra and the County Wexford Youth Orchestra.

Kevin McAleer Starts at 8pm Tickets: €18/15 Kevin McAleer A genius and a living comedy legend Kevin McAleer is a genius and a living comedy legend, and writes all his own publicity material. The Tyrone space cadet returns to Limerick with his latest 2010 vision of Reality, a world of ever-increasing paranoia, psychosis and hilarious gibberish. McAleer has been a huge influence on a whole generation of comedians from Stewart Lee to David O'Doherty; the sharp, original writing would have Beckett laughing in his grave, while the timing and delivery just get better with age, even if he says so himself. '_Probably the best piece of stand-up that I have ever seen_' Stewart Lee '_He's so funny it hurts_' Sunday Times

Kevin McAleer Dates: 13th February 2010 Starts at 8pm Tickets: €18/15 Kevin McAleer A genius and a living comedy legend Kevin McAleer is a genius and a living comedy legend, and writes all his own publicity material. The Tyrone space cadet returns to Limerick with his latest 2010 vision of Reality, a world of ever-increasing paranoia, psychosis and hilarious gibberish. McAleer has been a huge influence on a whole generation of comedians from Stewart Lee to David O'Doherty; the sharp, original writing would have Beckett laughing in his grave, while the timing and delivery just get better with age, even if he says so himself. '_Probably the best piece of stand-up that I have ever seen_' Stewart Lee '_He's so funny it hurts_' Sunday Times

A love story perfect for Valentine's weekend starring Bryan Murray (Brookside, The Irish RM, The Tudors) and Una Crawford O'Brien (Fair City).A smash hit on Broadway, Love Letters is funny, compelling, sad, poignant, and will prove to be an exhilarating and touching night of theatre that will stay in the memory long after the performance ends.

Valentine's Weekend: bottle of bubbly and nibbles €20 per couple (tickets not included).

More Info

THE 4 OF US (ACOUSTIC)
An Evening with Brendan & Declan Murphy

Mary, She Hits Me, Sunlight and more... The 4 of Us hold a critically-acclaimed back catalogue that spans 20 years and six Top 20 albums.

Now, Brendan and Declan Murphy of The 4 of Us will perform the highlights of their current Live At Vicar Street album, along with new material at Riverbank Arts Centre.

Formed in Newry in the late 1980's by brothers Brendan, Declan and Paul Murphy, The 4 Of Us appeared out of nowhere in 1989 with the huge radio hit 'Mary', taken from their debut album 'Songs for the Tempted'.  Wary of the transient nature of pop, the bands 1992 follow-up, 'Man alive', was a more rock-driven album, featuring 'She Hits Me' a Top 30 hit in the UK.

From Mary - one of the most played Irish tracks on national and regional radio to the massive radio hit Sunlight, and much more, see The 4 Of Us perform their hits as they were originally written, in an intimate acoustic setting.

'The music brims with a palpable sense of the past, the acoustic guitars evoking a grand old era of folk, blues and R&B..' Irish Times

'Simply Heavenly... music of a lasting quality' IMRO MQ Magazine

For bank news and information check out:
www.the4ofus.com and
www.myspace.com/thefourofus

For bookings and information please go to www.riverbank.ie or call boxoffice on 045 448327

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

NYOI Camerata directed by Fionnuala Hunt will perform her arrangements of various Tangos with live exhibition Tango Dancers as part of the Irish Aviation IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras.  Call 01-4170000 to book tickets.

NYOI Camerata directed by Fionnuala Hunt will perform her arrangements of various Tangos with live exhibition Tango Dancers as part of the Irish Aviation IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras.  Call 01-4170000 to book tickets.

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Time: 2pm
Price: €3

Dir: Mel Stuart / 1971 / USA / 100 mins / Cert: Gen

The world is astounded when Willy Wonka, for years a recluse in his factory, announces that five lucky people will be given a tour of the factory, shown all the secrets of his amazing candy, and one will win a lifetime suplly of Wonka chocolate.  Nobody wants the prize more than young Charlie, but as his family is so poor that buying even one bar of chocolate is a treat, buying enough bars to find one of the five golden tickets is unlikely in the extreme.  But in movieland, magic can happen.  Charlie, along with four somewhat odious other children, get the chance of a lifetime and a tour of the factory.  Along the way, mild disasters befall each of the odious children, but can Charlie beat the odds and grab the brass ring?

For further info please visit www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

Caitriona Fallon

Celebrate Valentine's Day with a show to remember.  After touring the world as lead singer of Riverdance - The Show, Caitriona Fallon spent some time in Australia before coming home to Ireland to launch her solo career.

Caitriona and her band, comprising of some of the best musicians in the country, entertain audiences with a mixture of jazz, folk and Irish arrangements. Quoted by a Parisian concert reviewer to have a voice like an angel, Caitriona's soulful tones and passionate performance ensure a concert not to be missed.

Tickets: €26 (Booking fee may apply)

Pretender, fraudster, imposter, fake - voilà La Charlatanne.  (She's part French, don't you know).  This chic diva and former 'Nuala' presents a show filled with bold, brassy rhythm and attitude and plenty of comic timing.  Mixing a cocktail of Cohen, Brel and Waits with her own original hits, La Egan offers an evening of charismatic characters.  Supported by a four-piece band, this is a show that will delight in its contradictions.  Sexy burlesque, wonderful music and unmissable magic.

Tickets: €20/€18

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

Mairead O'Neill Laher was born in Limerickand now lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her work explores the process of land formation and is influenced by experience and by strata of memory. Her paintings focus on the dynamism and force of the natural world, the tug of war between conflicting forces in nature and the tension between abstraction and representation.
The exhibit opens at 3pm on the 14th Febrary, and is on view between 10am and 5pm Tuesday to Friday, and 1pm to 5pm on Sundays until Friday the 12th March, more information on our website, www.tinahely-courthouse.ie

Hosted by Paudie O'Connor, a box player well grounded in his Sliabh Luachra tradition as well as been a nationally recognised performer.  Our slow sessions are aimed towards adults who have been learning an instrument and are at a stage where they wish to take part in a relaxed informal session.  Adm:  €5

NYOI Camerata directed by Fionnuala Hunt will perform her arrangements of various Tangos with live exhibition Tango Dancers.  Call 083-3631468 for concert tickets.  For dinner & accomodation with concert tickets call 021-4652531

Youth Drama

I.T.Tallaght Drama Society

The Institute of Technology Tallaght will present a collection of 3 short plays, THE SOUND OF SILENCE, POOR CLARA and STRUCK DOWN from Monday to Thursday, with a full length production of FUNNY PAGES on Friday & Saturday.

The Sound of Silence

A short play about a man who lives with his mute friend. Marcus, who is mute, is not fond of Stephen's girlfriend Andrea, and tries to alert Stephen to a secret he has uncovered about Andrea through the only method he knows.

Poor Clara

When housekeeper Clara discovers that she has hypertensive heart disease her primary concern is keeping her job. A widow estranged from her children, she has nothing else in her life. Her employer tries to reconnect her with her children who are bitter about the past. Clara struggles to get her family back together at this difficult time in her life.

Struck Down

While having an out-of-body experience, Daniel Grey has an unusual encounter with a mysterious stranger who will be the deciding factor as to which road Daniel is to continue down in this dark comedy.

Funny Pages

All is going well at Reborn Comics Inc. until slow sales spark a rash decision from management. Now the staff  have to compete with each other for their jobs and indeed for their friendships.

Monday 15th – Saturday 20th February @ 8.15pm

Admission: €10 & €7 concession 

Loose End Studio

ORIGAMI CREATIONS
Art Workshop

Time: Two Workshops
         10am - 11.30am
         11.45am - 1.15pm

Price: €5

Artist Sinead McGeeney offers a playful workshop working with a chosen origami fold she is applying to a larger modular design.  The aim of the workshop is for the group to work together and experiment in the creation of large solid shapes and illuminate the work to highlight its geometric details.

The workshop is suitable for 10-15 year olds and all materials are provided.  The workshop lasts an hour and a half, it begins with a group demonstration and once the origami fold is mastered, a freer experimentation approach is welcomed in the group.  The workshop best suits students with an interest in sculpture, design and architecture.

The final result will be left for display and later the pieces will be available to bring home.

For more information please go to www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

ORIGAMI CREATIONS
Art Workshop

Time: Two Workshops
         10am - 11.30am
         11.45am - 1.15pm

Price: €5

Artist Sinead McGeeney offers a playful workshop working with a chosen origami fold she is applying to a larger modular design.  The aim of the workshop is for the group to work together and experiment in the creation of large solid shapes and illuminate the work to highlight its geometric details.

The workshop is suitable for 10-15 year olds and all materials are provided.  The workshop lasts an hour and a half, it begins with a group demonstration and once the origami fold is mastered, a freer experimentation approach is welcomed in the group.  The workshop best suits students with an interest in sculpture, design and architecture.

The final result will be left for display and later the pieces will be available to bring home.

For more information please go to www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK

Time: 8pm
Price: €6 (non-members)

Dir: Charlie Kaufman / USA / 2008 / 128 mins / Cert: 15A

In this mind-bender from Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Kaufman wants to prove that intellectual amabition isn't dead at the movies.

Philip Seymour Hoffman creates a mesmerizing portrait of the artist as a young, old and middle-aged man.  He plays Caden Cotard, a stage director struggling on the fringes in Schenectady, New York.

Then a genius grant allows Caden to construct a huge theatre piece in a warehouse in Manhattan.  The subject is Caden's life, and he takes a lifetime to create it.  The play is a synecdoche, a figure of speech that indicates a part standing in for the whole.  Synecdoche, New York is exhilarating and exasperating in equal doses and certainly gives you something to chew on when you leave the cinema. - Peter Travers / Rolling Stone

For more info please visit www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045448327

Tráthnóna draíochtúil amhranaíochta geallta
i gcuideachta an amhránaithe Chonallaigh
SEOIRSE Ó DOCHARTAIGH
( www.seoirse.com )
Cead isteach: €15 ( Blaisíní bia san áireamh ! )
Áirithintí riachtanach - 087:2547574/niamh@gael-linn.ie
******************************
A magical evening of song is promised in
the company of Donegal singer
SEOIRSE Ó DOCHARTAIGH
(www.seoirse.com )
Admission €15 ( includes complimentary finger food ! )
Booking essential - 087:2547574/niamh@gael-linn.ie

Poland  2007  121mins  Polish with English subtitles

Director: 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.: €5   

Diary For My Children Starts at 8pm Tickets: €6/€5 Diary For My Children Dir: Márta Mészáros/ Hungary 1984 /102 minutes Cert: CLUB Starring: Zsuzsa Czinkóczi, Anna Polony, Jan Nowicki, Mari Diary for My Children by Marta Meszaros, the highly regarded Hungarian director who's best known for Adoption, Women and Just Like Home, was her most politically explicit film on its release. Like Juli (Zsuzsa Czinkoczi), the film's solemn, skeptical teen-age heroine of Diary for My Children, Miss Meszaros, at the age of 5 migrated to the Soviet Union in 1936 with her father, a sculptor, who was later arrested and then officially disappeared. This film begins with Juli's return to Hungary in 1947, in the company of her fearful grandparents, to live with her politically committed, Stalinist aunt, Magda (Anna Polony). Meszaros makes use of a lot of newsreel footage of the period, which is blended with her new material to create an unusually graphic picture of Hungarian political, cultural and social life in the late 40's. One of the funniest, most poignant scenes is a dreary birthday party for the spoiled young son of a party leader. Not so effective, if only because they are redundant, are a series of flashbacks that describe Juli's relations with her father and mother in the Soviet Union and the trauma she experienced on losing them.

Diary For My Children Dates: 16th February 2010 Starts at 8pm Tickets: €6/€5 Diary For My Children Dir: Márta Mészáros/ Hungary 1984 /102 minutes Cert: CLUB Starring: Zsuzsa Czinkóczi, Anna Polony, Jan Nowicki, Mari Diary for My Children by Marta Meszaros, the highly regarded Hungarian director who's best known for Adoption, Women and Just Like Home, was her most politically explicit film on its release. Like Juli (Zsuzsa Czinkoczi), the film's solemn, skeptical teen-age heroine of Diary for My Children, Miss Meszaros, at the age of 5 migrated to the Soviet Union in 1936 with her father, a sculptor, who was later arrested and then officially disappeared. This film begins with Juli's return to Hungary in 1947, in the company of her fearful grandparents, to live with her politically committed, Stalinist aunt, Magda (Anna Polony). Meszaros makes use of a lot of newsreel footage of the period, which is blended with her new material to create an unusually graphic picture of Hungarian political, cultural and social life in the late 40's. One of the funniest, most poignant scenes is a dreary birthday party for the spoiled young son of a party leader. Not so effective, if only because they are redundant, are a series of flashbacks that describe Juli's relations with her father and mother in the Soviet Union and the trauma she experienced on losing them.

A family who are under financial stress come upon a sum of money. Its not a huge sum but large enough to relieve their financial worries. Where did it come from? Who owns it? What should they do with it? Will it bring a whole lot of trouble on them? Who's right? Who's wrong? It raises moral and social issues for them. What would you do?
Hartstown Day Activity Centre Drama Group have worked together and devised this play  through drama classes and drama workshops. They have been working alongside some students from transition year at Hartstown Community School to bring this piece to the stage.
This project was funded by Intro Art

Draíocht, The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15

Tickets: €7

Box Office: 01 885 2622

Online: www.draiocht.ie

A man walks on a high-wire across the Twin Towers in one of the most wildly entertaining documentaries of recent year. This film of daredevil Philippe Petit, who brought together a motley crew to help him realise his dream of crossing from the top of one tower to the other in 1974, is an adventure tale that astonishes in every respect.

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at The Coach House, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2 on Tuesday 16th February at 8pm. Tickets priced €15/€10 (concession)/€40 (family ticket) are available at (01) 6719429. This concert is promoted by Music Network.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

Cork Opera House and Stage Centre present

The Good Sisters

By Michel Tremblay

Directed by Marion Wyatt and the creative team that brought us The Sunbeam Girls

The Good Sisters has gotten even better!

Cork audiences delighted at seeing their friends, their sisters, their neighbours and themselves during workshop performances in the Half Moon Theatre in 2008.  More opportunties to laugh and cry with the ladies of Cork's north side await when The Good Sisters moves to the mainstage for its official Irish premiere.

Meet fourteen women at their unbeatable best, laughing, loving, gossiping and surviving.  It will be a night of
hilarous and moving theatre chock full of Cork humour and characters.   

Set in the north side of Cork in 1965, Geraldine Lawlor has won a million Green Shield stamps – the 60s equivalent of striking it rich in the Lotto.  From that mixed blessing, a friends and family drama unfolds with wild and raucous action and an homage to that greatest of working class passions: bingo!

"the laughter quota is very high...lapped up with hoots and hollers" - Evening Echo

 Tickets: €21, €23.50, €26  booking fee may apply

Waiting for IKEA

WAITING FOR IKEA, a side-splitting story of friendship, family, community and sunbed obsessives, is back by popular demand. The critically acclaimed production premiered at the 2007 Dublin Fringe Festival where it was nominated for The Bewleys Café Theatre Award, The Fishamble New Writing Award and was the first show in the history of the festival to sell out in advance of opening.

Seen by over five thousand people, the show continues to be a box office hit. Set in the heart of 'new' Dublin, where night wear is day wear and bitching is everywhere, WAITING FOR IKEA is a sharp and nostalgic comedy exploring the bittersweet world of two best friends in inner city Dublin. Written and performed by real-life friends Georgina McKevitt and Jacinta Sheerin, the play tells the story of Chrissie and Jade who spend their days waiting; waiting for the postman, waiting for the kettle to boil and waiting for Coronation Street. They won't shop in Argos "cos we're waiting for IKEA". Pimlico flats is akin to 'Cheers', everybody knows your name, your business, your record and what you are having for dinner. Nothing much changes in Pimlico, each day begins and ends the same; it's what happens in between that keeps the neighbours interested. The only current affairs these girls are concerned with is whether Mrs. Dignam is having it off with Gunner Eye Gilby.

The Celtic tiger has been and gone and they never even stroked it. "Recession – is that a new fragrance by Calvin Klein?"

"I loved it ... if you want to escape from the doom and gloom then this is the show for you". Róisín Ingle, the View RTE.

Tuesday 16th – Saturday 20th February @ 8pm 

Admission: €18 & €16 concession 

Main Auditorium

Strictly for ages 14+

***Join us after the show for The Big Damn Sci-fi Table Quiz***

2010: A SPACE ODDITY takes us into the world of science fiction, cult movies, and spoof!

Two men are trapped in a kitchen in a HAL of their own devising…. Together they rage against the machine that rules their existence.

2010: A Space Oddity is every space movie you've ever seen in an hour and a bit!

From Company Gavin Robertson

More Info

ARDAL O'HANLON - STANDS UP

Time: 8pm
Price: €25

Ardal O'Hanlon the award winning comedian, actor, writer and star of Father Ted, brings his side-splitting nationwide tour to Riberbank Arts Centre this February.  A highly acclaimed stand up, Ardal has toured to sell out audiences internationally and has released two top ten stand up DVD's.

Currently starring as Val Falvey in RTE's series Val Falvey, Ardal's extensive TV credits include the hugely successful Father Ted; My Hero; Doctor Who; several series hosting The Stand Up Show - and most recently guest starred in Skins.  Ardal has also presented So You Want to Be a Taoiseach and Leagues Apart, both for RTE.

"Ardal O'Hanlon appearing as 'himself' will be a revelation.. Don't miss his stand up performance.  Watch him turn innocence into a deadly comic weapon" - The Sunday Times

"If you love comedy and smart talking - and only go to see one comedy show, make it O'Hanlon" - The Daily Telegraph

Three Irish poets in the inaugural reading for the Spring Literary Festival, themed 'Dinnsheanchas: The Lore of Place'. O'Donoghue, winner of the 2009 Cholmondeley Award, is a poet and literary critic whose most recent works include a verse translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (2006) and a Selected Poems (2009). O'Connell is editor of The Cork Literary Review and a poet, whose most recent collection is Diviner (2009). Smyth is a poet, Aosdána member and a journalist for The Irish Times. His Selected Poems will be published this year.

Before the reading, the winner of the Gregory O'Donoghue Prize will be announced, along with a reading from the prize-winning poet.

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival please visit http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html 

Three Irish poets reading for the Spring Literary Festival, themed 'Dinnsheanchas: The Lore of Place'.

O'Driscoll, Aosdána member and recipient of the Patrick and Katherine Kavangagh Fellowship in Poetry recently published his collection Life Monitor (2009). De Paor is a poet commonly considered to be a key protagonist in the Irish language poetry renaissance, and his most recent collection is Cúpla Siamach an Ama (2006). Ramsell is a Cork poet whose first collection, Complicated Pleasures, was nominated both for a Strong and a Hennessy Award. 

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival please visit http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html 

Date:Wednesday 17 February         Time: 8.00pm

Jack Wyllie (sax), Milo Fitzpatrick (double bass), Nick Mulvey (percussion), Duncan Bellamy (drums)

A jazz combo that's ground-breaking and wildly popular. The Porticos hit the headlines in 2008 when their debut album Knee Deep In The North Sea was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Their music is breathtakingly original yet packed with hummable tunes and killer hooks. A jazz concert that will suit all music fans.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/porticoquartet

Tickets:  €15/€12 / 046 909 2300 /

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 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

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at Solstice Arts Centre, Railway Street, Navan ,Co. Meath on Wednesday 17th February at 8:00 PM. Tickets priced €15 / €12 are available at 046 9092300. This concert is promoted by Solstice Arts Centre and Music Network.

Riverbank Arts Centre
In Association with Childrens Books Ireland Presents
STORY WRITING WORKSHOP WITH CONOR KOSTICK

Time: 13.30pm - 15.30pm
Price: €10 (Suitable for ages 13-15)

What makes for a really great story?  Author Conor Kostick will begin his session with a discussion of everyone's favourite books.  With Conor's guidance the workshop group will examine the qualities that make the book a success.

Engaging characters, life-altering journeys, thrilling plots... what excites the reader and makes them rush on to discover the resolution?

Having read excerpts from some classic childrens books, Conor will then ask the participants to write down their own ideas about characters and plots.  The session will end with his always encouraging feedback on these ideas.

Participants will also have the opportunity to write up their story and send it back to Riverbank Arts Centre for publication on the Riverbank website.

About the Author:

Conor Kostick revently won the Reading Association of Irelands Special Merit Award 2009 for his contribution to the childrens literature.  His first novel, Epic, was awarded a place on the International Board on Books for Young People Honours list for 2006 and on the Booklist Best Fantasy Books for Youth list for 2007.

For more info on this workshop please visit www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

Company Gavin Robertson & BEX Productions in Association with makin projects
2010: A Space Oddity takes us into the world of science fiction, cult movies and spoof!  From Company Gavin Robertson - following recent tours of "Spittoon" and "A Grimm World" comes a brand new physical COMEDY!  Teaming up with Jonathan Bex ('Don Carlos' West End and RSC) 2010: A Space Oddity is every space movie you've ever seen in an hour and a bit!  Two men are trapped in a kitchen in a HAL of their own devising ..... Together they rage against the machine that rules their existence.  Arthur C Clarke is nowhere on the horizon .... and in space, no-one can eat ice cream!

Tickets: €16/€14

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

Kilinascully, Father Ted) as he takes you through his hilarious and very often misguided ' Seven Steps To Success in Life & Business' seminar. Leave your blues at the door, forget the recession - Batty Ryan is here to convince you that the recession is all in your head! Accompanied by his assistant and 'Life Partner', Eastern European Katarina (Sharyn Hayden), 'Batty Ryan Will Change Your Life!' is a comedy show about life, hope and self-improvement. Contains impromptu singing and plenty of audience participation!

Duration 60 mins no interval

Draíocht, The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15

Tickets: €15/€12 conc

Box Office: 01 885 2622

Online: www.draiocht.ie

Sligo's very own award-winning musical society proudly presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic Carousel. Cited as the "best musical of the 20^th century", Carousel is an emotionally charged, dramatic yet comedic musical featuring timeless numbers such as If I Loved You, June Is Bustin' Out All Over and the much-loved You'll Never Walk Alone.
Set in New England in the late 19^th century, Carousel follows the compelling love stories between Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan and Carrie Pipperidge and her beau Enoch Snow. Enthralling from start to finish, the show will have you laughing one moment and crying the next, making this one carousel ride that you'll never want to forget!

For more information visit us at: www.hawkswell.com

CHOKE COMEDY IMPROV Thursday, 18th Feb Tickets: €10 Doors @ 8pm CHOKE COMEDY IMPROV The weekend starts here! Choke Comedy return to their monthly residency in the Belltable, but now all the fun is on a Thursday night! Start the weekend with Choke Comedy Improv as they try without a script, rehearsal or a safety net to put a smile on your face. The audience are in charge and who knows what crazy ideas they'll come up with. Only formed just over a year, Limerick's first comedy improv troupe Choke Comedy Improv, have been going from strength to strength. If you enjoyed Whose Line Is It Anyway? Choke Comedy Improv are the night out for you. The performers are Tracy Aspel, Ann Blake, Myles Breen, Charlie Cassie, Susan Holland, John Loftus, Norma Lowney, and Jerry O Mullane, ably assisted by the musical genius of David Irwin. Tickets: €10

Two Irish poets reading in the Spring Literary Festival themed 'Dinnsheanchas: Lore of Place'.

Derek Mahon, one of Ireland's most important poets, recently won the Irish Times/ Poetry Now award for his 2008 collection, Life on Earth. Matthew Geden co-founded the SoundEye Poetry Festival and runs a bookstore in Kinsale. His works include his 2009 collection, Swimming to Albania.

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at Anaverna, Ravensdale, Dundalk, Co. Louth on Thursday 18th February at 8:00 PM. Tickets priced €18 / €5 are available at 042 9371490. This concert is promoted by Anaverna and Music Network.

Three Irish poets reading in the Spring Literary Festival themed 'Dinnsheanchas: Lore of Place'.

Moran is a Tipperary poet who has won both the Gerard Manley Hopkins Prize and the Éist Poetry Competition. His most recent collection is Green. O'Malley is a member of the Poetry Council for Ireland. She teaches on the MA in Writing at the National University of Ireland, Galway and her most recent collection is A Perfect V. O'Donoghue is a Cork poet who recently published the collection Train to Gorey. She is also known for having filmed In the Hands of Erato, an anthology of Cork poets which was viewed at the Cork Film Festival. 

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

Guitar player and singer Tommy O'Sullivan has performed with Steve Cooney, Paddy Keenan, The Kilfenora Céilί Band and even Michael Flatley. Paddy Keenan was an original member of The Bothy Band, and is generally acknowledged as the most accomplished uilleann piper performing today.

Coming together to play over a decade ago, these two musicians began touring regularly with Tommy featuring on Paddy's solo album "Na Keen Affair". The duo later went on to record the much acclaimed album "The Long Grazing Acre" (2003) and continue to tour and appear at festivals worldwide. The first trad session on 2010, we are starting in style!

Riverbank Arts Centre
In Association with Children's Books Ireland Presents
WONDERFUL WRITING WORKSHOPS
WITH AUTHOR SARAH WEBB

WRITE A STORY SESSION

Time:10.30am - 12.30pm
Price: €15 (including lunch) *(Suitable for ages 10-12yrs)

With this two-hour story writing session book-lovers and aspiring writers will have the chance to work with the wonderful author Sarah Webb.  Devising their own title, characters and plot, the children will create their own illustrations and story ending.  Sarah will work with each participant, helping them add their own ending to the story the group has created.

Please go to www.riverbank.ie for further details or call box office on 045 448327

Riverbank Arts Centre
In Association with Children's Books Ireland Presents
WONDERFUL WRITING WORKSHOPS
WITH AUTHOR SARAH WEBB

WRITE-O-RAMA WORD AND STORY GAMES

Time:13.30am - 15.30pm
Price: €10 *(Suitable for ages 10-12yrs)

How do you write a great story?  What makes a character jump off the page and excite the reader?
This workshop with Sarah Webb will use word and story games to focus on the basic key stones of writing - words, sentences, characters and plot.  Sarah will work with the class to discuss the important elements of writing and help them to hone their writing skills.  Favourite words, how to make 'boring' sentences more exciting, memory and its importance to writers, feelings and emotion, and how to use these in your work are topics which will be looked at throughout the workshop.  Sarah will also introduce some fun writing fames to help aspiring authors get their creative juices flowing. 

About the author:

Sarah Webb is the author of the hugely popular Amy Green, Teen Agony Queen for young teen readers.  She has also written the Kids Can Cook Series for children, and nine bestselling adult novels.

For more information see www.sarahwebb.ie and www.askamygreen.com

For venue and booking info please see www.riverbank.ie



Please go to www.riverbank.ie for further details or call box office on 045 448327

From the bumbling but lovable Father Dougal to best selling novelist, Ardal O'Hanlon is easily one of Ireland's best loved and most accomplished comedians. He has also starred alongside David Tennant in Doctor Who and had a guest stint on Channel 4's hit teen drama Skins.

More Info

If we ever needed a laugh, we surely need it now. Ireland's multi-platinum selling comedian is back with a brand new show that does exactly what it says on the tin - make you Laugh, Laugh, Laugh! The King of Comedy prides himself on providing his audience with real comedy, real jokes and real punch-lines that will have you in stitches from start to finish.

Mick Flannery has gone from part time stonemason to one of Ireland's most sought after musicians, since the release of his critically acclaimed album White Lies.  He has played sold out shows all over Ireland, most notably a sold out show at Vicar Street, as well as being nominated for numerous awards.

Tickets: €21

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

Writers from Ireland and America reading in the Spring Literary Festival themed 'Dinnsheanchas: Lore of Place'.

Espada has been called the 'Pablo Neruda of North American authors'.  He has published sixteen books as a poet, editor, essayist and translator, his most recent being Crucifixion in the Plaza de Armas. Meehan has published six collections of poetry and has received many awards for her work, including the Denis Devlin Award.  Her most recent collection is Painting Rain (2009). Creedon is a playwright, novelist and a documentary maker. His play, When I was God, featured in the 1st Irish Festival New York last year. Also acclaimed is his Second City Trilogy (2007).

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

Cork and Tipperary writers reading in the Spring Literary Festival themed 'Dinnsheanchas: Lore of Place'.

Leland, shortlisted for the Davy Byrne Award, is a journalist, novelist, short story auteur and non-fiction writer. Her most recent publications include The Lie of the Land- A literary history of County Cork and That Endless Adventure- A history of the Port of Cork. Coady has won numerous prizes such as the  Patrick Kavanagh Award, the Listowel Writers' Week award and the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Award. His most recent collection is Going By Water (2009).

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at Tinahely Courthouse Arts Centre, Main Street, Tinahely, Co. Wicklowon Fri 19th February at 8:30 PM. Tickets priced €16 / €15 / €14 (friends) are available at 0402 38529. This concert is promoted by Tinahely Courthouse Arts Centre and Music Network.

Seabright Productions Presents:
NUN THE WISER

Time: 8pm
Price: €15/ €13

Written and performed by Triona Adams, Directed by Owen Lewis

Based on the true story of a theatrical agent sho swapped premiers for prayers.  Giving up a glitzy showbiz career Triona Adams attempted to make it as a nun in an enclosed Benedictine convent with only Spam Fritters and repeats of Dad's Army for salvation.  It turned out she was not a natural.  A Year later she left - wiser, slimmer, but with really bad hair.  Sister Triona recounts the bittersweet, comic story of a modern, emancipated woman answering 'The Call' and reveals what really goes on beneath the habit.  Her story was first heard as a BBC Radio 4 afternoon play, which aired as 'The Lemon Squeezer'.

"Well observed and funny, its community of elderly eccentrics is fondly brought to life." The Scotsman ****

"I prayed for a Fringe miracle and here one is.  Adams is a superb performer, clearly in her element under the spotlight, commanding the stage with faultless skill and a charming calm." Three Weeks ****

For more info please visit www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

The Portico Quartet are a jazz combo that are both ground-breaking and breathtakingly original. Their album "Knee Deep In The North Sea" was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize. If you're not already a fan: this band are quite unlike anything you've ever heard before.
If you are, you'll know to book early!

Susannah De Wrixon Dates: 19th February 2010 to 20th February 2010 Starts at 8pm Tickets: €15/12 THE GIRLS OF SUMMER with Susannah De Wrixon and Conor Linehan Directed by Sue Mythen Susannah De Wrixon is one of our finest Cabaret performers with a string of successful shows to her name. Fever the story of Peggy Lee, being one of the most notable. Susannah is also a formidable stage actress . Recent work includes The Comedy of Errors and An ideal husband at the Abbey Theatre. Other work includes I Keano and extensive touring with The Nualas. "A blazing young talent…" Gay Byrne, Sunday Independent Born in Dublin, Conor Linehan is one of Ireland's most remarkable musicians. Displaying an astonishing versatility and wide ranging musicianship he is renowned as a pianist in concerto recital and chamber music and as a composer of concert, film, theatre and dance music.

Susannah De Wrixon Dates: 19th February 2010 to 20th February 2010 Starts at 8pm Tickets: €15/12 THE GIRLS OF SUMMER with Susannah De Wrixon and Conor Linehan Directed by Sue Mythen Susannah De Wrixon is one of our finest Cabaret performers with a string of successful shows to her name. Fever the story of Peggy Lee, being one of the most notable. Susannah is also a formidable stage actress . Recent work includes The Comedy of Errors and An ideal husband at the Abbey Theatre. Other work includes I Keano and extensive touring with The Nualas. "A blazing young talent…" Gay Byrne, Sunday Independent Born in Dublin, Conor Linehan is one of Ireland's most remarkable musicians. Displaying an astonishing versatility and wide ranging musicianship he is renowned as a pianist in concerto recital and chamber music and as a composer of concert, film, theatre and dance music.

Date: Friday 19 February         Time: 8.00pm

Company Gavin Robertson & BEX Productions in Association with makin projects

"2010: A Space Oddity" takes us into the world of science fiction, cult movies, and spoof!

Two men are trapped in a kitchen in a HAL of their own devising. Together they rage against the machine that rules their existence. Arthur C. Clarke is nowhere on the horizon and in space, no-one can eat ice cream! Two men, one kitchen, and every cliché you can imagine under the sun.

Tickets €15/12 concession/ 046 909 2300 /

Susannah De Wrixon Starts at 8pm Tickets: €15/12 THE GIRLS OF SUMMER with Susannah De Wrixon and Conor Linehan Directed by Sue Mythen Susannah De Wrixon is one of our finest Cabaret performers with a string of successful shows to her name. Fever the story of Peggy Lee, being one of the most notable. Susannah is also a formidable stage actress . Recent work includes The Comedy of Errors and An ideal husband at the Abbey Theatre. Other work includes I Keano and extensive touring with The Nualas. "A blazing young talent…" Gay Byrne, Sunday Independent Born in Dublin, Conor Linehan is one of Ireland's most remarkable musicians. Displaying an astonishing versatility and wide ranging musicianship he is renowned as a pianist in concerto recital and chamber music and as a composer of concert, film, theatre and dance music.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

Cartoon Saloon Illustration and Design Workshop:
DESIGNING CHARACTERS FOR ANIMATION

Time: 10am - 12.30pm
Price: €15 (Suitable for 7yrs and older)
*Free admission for participants to the secret of kells at Riverbank Cinema at 2pm.

The multi-award winning Cartoon Saloon, producers of The Secret Of Kells, will visit Riverbank Arts Centre to host a very special illustration and design workshop.  Fabian Erlinghauser: Animation Supervisor at Cartoon Saloon will give participants an introduction to designing characters as well as a brief introduction to storyboards, composition and animation techniques. 

For more info visit www.cartoonsaloon.ie

For booking info visit www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

Two Irish poets reading in the Spring Literary Festival themed 'Dinnsheanchas: Lore of Place'.

Aosdána member O'Grady is among the major figures of contemporary Irish poetry, and is a well-known translator of poetry. His most recent publication is The Wandering Celt, republished in 2008. Novelist and poet Martina Evans is a Cork native who makes her home in London, where she teaches creative writing. Her most recent collection is Facing the Public (2009).

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

Founded three years ago, the NYPB features both Scottish and Irish Traditional music and dance. This will be their first concert in An Grianán Theatre.

More info

Fiction writers from Ireland and America reading in the Spring Literary Festival themed 'Dinnsheanchas: Lore of Place'.

Johnston was born in Dublin and is now based in Derry. Her work has been shortlisted for both the Daily Express book of the year and the Booker Prize. Her most recent novel is Truth or Fiction (2009). Denyse Woods was born in Boston and settled in Cork after travelling extensively. She has won many awards including the Irish Times short story award. Her most recent novel is If Not Now (2008). Adam Johnson is from the USA and is a Senior Jones Lecturer in creative writing at Stanford University. His most recent novel, Parasites Like Us, won a California Book Award and he is currently working on a novel set in North Korea.

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at Riverbank Arts Centre, Main Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare on Saturday 20th February at 8:00 PM. Tickets priced €12 /€10 are available at 045 448327. This concert is promoted by Riverbank Arts Centre and Music Network.

Following the phenomenal success of You Won't Get Away With That Here, Pat Shortt returns with his hilarious new live show, The Hall.  Set in the community hall of a small rural town, The Hall features an array of madcap characters brought to life in Pat Shortt's inimitable style.  When the local drama group stage a gala fundraising concert to raise money for their latest production, things don't quite go to plan with hilarious consequences!

Tickets €31

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

PORTICO QUARTET (UK)

Time: 8pm
Price: €12/ €10

"Warm, Chiming, ponderous and uncommonly beautiful" - Time Out

A jazz combo thats groundbreaking and wildly popular - isn't that illegal?  The Porticos hit the headlines in 2008 when their debut album Knee Deep in The North Sea was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.  Critics began to think the unthinkable: could a jazz album take on the pop might of Radiohead and The Last Shadow Puppets - and win?  To make matters worse, the group already had the sort of word-of-mouth cult following normally associated with the likes of Pete Doherty.  Whats going on?

The answer is simple: music that is breathtakingly original yet chock-a-block with hummable tunes and killer hooks.  Theres more - busker attitude, great grooves, atmospheric soundscapes and the silvery tones of something once described as "two woks glued together". Both rhythm and melody instrument, the "hang" is a jazz natural in the hands of the Porticos.

If you're not already a fan: this band are quite unlike anything you've ever heard before.  If you are, you'll know to book early!

Please visit www.riverbank.ie for further details and booking info.

200 Euro prize!

Participants sign up on the day with a €5 entry fee; maximum 20 entrants, first come, first served. Prose or poetry welcome, limited to 3 minutes of performance time. The judge is Fish Prize winner Ian Wild.

Event FREE to spectators.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

THE SECRET OF KILLS

Time: 2pm
Price: €3

Dir: Tom Moore / Ireland / 2008 / 75mins / Cert: PG

Adventure, action and danger await 12-year-old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells.  Brendan is hard at work with his uncle, Abbott Cellach, and the other monks, helping to strengthen the abbey walls as protection against the Viking raids.  But a new life of adventure begins with the arrival of Brother Aidan, a celebrated master illuminator who initiates Brendan into the art of illumination, awakening his hidden but extraordinary talents.

In order to finish the magnificent book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him for the first time ever beyond the abbey walls into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide.  It is here that he meets the fairy Aisleng, a mysterious white wolf/girl, who will become his closest friend and helper.

But with the terrifying Viking hordes closing in, will Brendan succeed in his quest to illuminate the darkness and prove that enlightenment is the best fortification against barbarians?

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

THE SECRET OF KELLS

Time: 2pm
Price: €3 (Free admission for workshop participants)

Based on the origins of Irelands most famous illustrated manuscript, The Book Of Kells, this film is an animated escapade created by Cartoon Saloon.  It has won acclaim across the world including the 2009 Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival

Please visit www.riverbank.ie for further information.

Two Irish poets reading in the Spring Literary Festival themed 'Dinnsheanchas: Lore of Place'.

McCarthy was born in Waterford but has lived in Cork for many years now where he works as a librarian. Recognitions for poetry include the Kavanagh and O'Shaughnessy Awards, and his most recent collection is The Last Geraldine Officer (2009). Ní Chuilleanáin is an award-winning poet who was born in Cork, and currently edits Cyphers. Her most recent book is The Sun-Fish (2009).

This event is FREE with a suggested donation of €5.

For more information about the authors and events in the Spring Literary Festival, please visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Spring_Literary_Festival.html

The Thomas Moore Festival presents an evening of Moore's Irish Melodies, including such favourites as The Minstrel Boy, The Meeting of the Waters and Tis the Last Rose of Summer, interpreted by a selection of Ireland's finest young vocalists.

Performed by Aoife O'Sullivan (soprano), Dean Power (tenor), Rachel Kelly (mezzo soprano) and Katy Kelly(soprano), the singers areaccompanied by international pianist, Una Hunt.

This concert forms part of a short Irish tour ahead of the artists' debut performances at Carnegie Hall, New York and in Washington DC.

For further details, please visit  www.thomasmoorefestival.com

 You have always wanted to write? You want to take up writing again? The "Writers Boot Camp" with Brendan Nolan is for you! You will be able to free your creative mind with writing exercises, readings and discussions. In a friendly atmosphere, you can write about anything you like, get advice on how to achieve what you want and network with like-minded people.

This one-day workshop will take place on Saturday 20^th February from 10.30 am – 4.30 pm at the Irish Writers' Centre. For more information visit www.writerscentre.ie. 

The Joe Dolan Band is hitting the road for a show honouring the late, great Joe. In a career which spanned almost 50 years, the iconic Irish singer was rarely off the stage or out of the charts.

From humble beginnings as a music-mad teenager playing a homemade guitar to becoming one of Europe's biggest stars in his own right, Joe truly lived the dream.  The evening will include projected images of Joe and fond stories told by his loyal band members and brother, Ben.

Tickets: €28, €31, €33  booking fee may apply

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at Lab na Mainistreach, Sráid Eoin, An Daingean, Co Chiarraí on Sunday 21st February at 8:00 PM. Tickets priced €15 / €10 are available at 087 8546572. This concert is promoted by Ann Óg and Music Network.

The legendary Nanci Griffith got an early start on
her path to performing and songwriting. At the
age of six she began to write songs and recalls that
"the first original song my mother commented
on…was a song about Timothy Leary." At fourteen,
she was on her way. Having recorded 18
albums, it's safe to say that she's never looked
back. Support will be provided by Chet O'Keefe
who has backed Bo Diddley, and opened for the
likes of Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, Magic Sam,
and many others. Unmissable! Early booking
recommended. See www.nancigriffith.com and
www.myspace.com/chetokeefe.

www.iontascastleblayney.ie

€38.50

Hosted by Leo Rickard (Uilleann Pipes) and Raphe Doyle (Guitar), this month features Darach deBrún (Pipes) and Gerard Bynre (Flute).  Adm:  €5

A day of fibre craft. Learn knitting, crochet, drop-spindle spinning and wet felting, in an all-day haven for yarn mavens and wannabe woollies alike. €55 for the day. For more information visit our website: www.tinahely-courthouse.ie

Centre Stage Theatre Co

Adapted from the novel December Bride.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a young servant provokes an independent Irish farm community by her relationship with two brothers. Pregnant, she refuses to reveal the name of the father.

The cast includes Roma Tomelty, Gordon Fulton as well as Derek Lord (best known as Sneddon in STV's Take the High Road) in a guest appearance as Matt Crockart.

The Thomas Moore Festival presents an evening of Moore's Irish Melodies, including such favourites as The Minstrel Boy, The Meeting of the Waters and Tis the Last Rose of Summer, interpreted by a selection of Ireland's finest young vocalists.

(afternoon concert: 4pm)

Performed by Aoife O'Sullivan (soprano), Dean Power (tenor), Rachel Kelly (mezzo soprano) and Katy Kelly(soprano), the singers areaccompanied by international pianist, Una Hunt.

This concert forms part of a short Irish tour ahead of the artists' debut performances at Carnegie Hall, New York and in Washington DC.

For further details, please visit  www.thomasmoorefestival.com

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

Splodar Theatre Co

Pre-show cream tea and show: only €20 per person. Very limited places available.

Brian Friel's classic drama set in 1930s Donegal tells the story of a bitter harvest for the Mundy sisters.

More info

Date: Monday 22 February                  Time: 8.00pm

Nanci Griffith's musical journey has taken her from folk and country roots, to her own brand of "folkability"; from Austin's Hole In The Wall bar to New York's Carnegie Hall, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and London's Royal Albert Hall. Griffith has penned such classics as "Gulf Coast Highway" (duet with Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson), "Love At The Five And Dime" and "Outbound Plane". In turn, she was the first to record Julie Gold's Grammy winning classic "From A Distance". She has also been honoured with five Grammy nominations, three as a solo artist (winning once) and twice for performances on albums by The Chieftains (winning once).

WEB: http://www.nancigriffith.com/

TICKETS :  €38.50 / 046 909 2300 /

The Hilarious Celebration of Women and The Change.

The smash hit comedy is back! After its 22 week sell out Dublin season and sell-out Irish tour in 2007/8 this smash-hit show is back for its final Irish dates.

With a script packed full of memorable one-liners backed by an instantly recognisable soundtrack of 25 parodied versions of 60s, 70s and 80s pop classics, the hilarious and uplifting Menopause The Musical is heading to Cork Opera House!

The all-singing, all-dancing comedy is set in a department store, where four women with seemingly nothing in common meet by chance at a lingerie sale. The all-female cast makes fun of forgetfulness, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats and chocolate binges. A sisterhood is created between these four women as they realise that menopause is no longer "The Silent Passage", but an unavoidable stage in every woman's life.

Since March 2001, the hilarious "Menopause The Musical" has entertained and inspired audiences across the world. Grab your coat, your menopause medication and your friends for a fabulous and funny night out at Cork Opera House for Menopause The Musical.

'it's impossible not to laugh' – New York Times

'A warm-hearted show, bouncy and frivolous… the women who packed the Shaw loved it'. – Sunday Times

Tickets: €28, €31, €33  booking fee may apply

Robert C Kelly and Michael Harrison Present

My First Time

Written by Ken Davenport and People like

You! Directed by Michael Scott. Starring Leigh Arnold, Alan Shortt and Claire Tully

Don't miss the Irish Premiere of the longest running play to open Off-Broadway in years. The show features four actors in hysterical and heartbreaking stories about first sexual experiences written by real people ... just like you. In 1998 a website was created allowing people anonymously to share their own true stories about their "First Times". It became an instant phenomenon as over 70,000 stories poured in from around the globe. And now, these true stories and unique characters in them are brought to life in this acclaimed 90 minute show. MY FIRST TIME will have you laughing and reminiscing about your own first time. MY FIRST TIME ... I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours. You can go online now and tell your story and it may be featured (anonymously) in the show!

Go to www.myfirsttime.ie. This show is strictly16 +

Monday 22nd – Saturday 27th February @ 8pm 

Admission: €22 & €18 concession 

Main Auditorium

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE

Time: 8pm
Price: €6 (non-members)

Dir: Rebecca Miller / USA / 2009 / 98mins / Cert: 16

From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) leads a charmed existence.  An anchor of feminine serenity, she is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher (Alan Arkin) thirty years her senior, the proud mother of two grown children, and a trusted friend and confidant to all who cross her path.  But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test. - Distributor's synopsis

Please visit www.riverbank.ie for further details or call box office on 045448327

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE

Time: 8pm
Price: €6 (non-members)

Dir: Rebecca Miller / USA / 2009 / 98mins / Cert: 16

From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) leads a charmed existence.  An anchor of feminine serenity, she is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher (Alan Arkin) thirty years her senior, the proud mother of two grown children, and a trusted friend and confidant to all who cross her path.  But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test. - Distributor's synopsis

Please visit www.riverbank.ie for further details or call box office on 045448327

 This play, set in the crumbling home of District Justice O'Donnell, concentrates on the traditional aristocratic Catholic family. Three sisters and their 'peculiar' brother are home for a family wedding. An unexpected tragedy disturbs arrangements. Exploration of family and other relationships highlight the impact of unreal expectation in a home where they were 'different' from the villagers. Tickets € 15 / €10 concession

www.thesourceartscentre.ie 

Broken Embraces Dates: 23rd February 2010 Starts at 8pm Tickets: €6/€5 Dir: Pedro Almodóvar/Spain/2009/127mins/Cert: 15A Starring: Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar, Blanca Portillo, Jose Luis Gomez A man writes, lives and loves in darkness. Fourteen years before, he was in a brutal car crash on the island of Lanzarote. In the accident, he didn't lose only his sight, he also lost Lena, the love of his life. This man uses two names: Harry Caine, a playful pseudonym with which he signs his literary works, stories and scripts, and Mateo Blanco, his real name, but a name he has tried hard to forget.

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at the Bank of Ireland Theatre, N.U.I. Galway on Tuesday 23rd February at 8:00 PM. Tickets priced €20/€16/€6(students) are available at 091 / 705962. This concert is promoted by Music for Galway and Music Network.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.

Peggy O'Hegarty and her parents were packers.

Each day someone would call with a job and a time.

'I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast', said the caller and all of the packers said: 'fine'.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.

And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.

And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.

And she opened the curtains and found outside ...

nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore ...

Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Directed by Lynne Parker

Performed by Louis Lovett

Producer Muireann Ahern

Set Design Paul O'Mahony

Costume Design Joan O'Clery

Lighting Design Sinéad Wallace

Sound & Music Design Carl Kennedy

This production is part of The Ark's Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: Inspire new theatre for generations.

Following its success in 2009 the Kerry Playwriting Platform (KPP) continues in 2010.  Set up as an initiative to support and develop emerging playwrights and develop new writing for the stage, KPP has hosted three new plays by three new playwrights and provided opportunities for 12 actors and 2 directors as a direct result.
Please join us for a 'sneak peak' of the latest offering, another new play by an emerging and promising playwright!  The evening starts with a rehearsed reading followed by a Q and A session with the actors and playwright and lots of free tea and coffee on tap!  If you love drama and theatre, this is your chance to see behind the scenes and an opportunity to get involved in the making of the work.

Tickets: €6

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at Ballina Arts Centre, Ballina Civic Offices, Arran Place, Ballina, Co. Mayo on Wednesday 24th February at 8:00 PM. Tickets priced €12 / €10 are available at 096 73593. This concert is promoted by Ballina Arts Centre and Music Network.

The ResistIble Rise of Arturo UI Starts at 8pm Tickets: €15/12 Bruiser Theatre COmpany present THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI by Bertoit Brecht Directed by Lisa May 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 Fuhrer 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 the true Bruiser physical style. Unnerving and scathing; 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 – at a very large price.

Dates: 24th to 25th February 2010 Starts at 8pm Tickets: €15/12 Bruiser Theatre Company present THE RESISTABLE RISE OF ARTURO UI by Bertoit Brecht Directed by Lisa May 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 Fuhrer 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 the true Bruiser physical style. Unnerving and scathing; 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 – at a very large price.

Our popular regular showcase (much copied, never rivalled) of local artists and performers this month presents a tribute to Tom Waits. You never know who you will see! €6 and €5 for friends of the Courthouse. For more information visit our website on www.tinahely-courthouse.ie

The Liberties is the film equivalent of a portrait gallery.  A series of 15 beautifullly crafted short films, each focuses on a different character withing Dublin's Liberties community.  For more information: visit: www.seamusenniscentre.com  One day Temporary Film Club Membership: €6

Music Network presents the weird but wonderful sound of Mercury-prize nominated UK Portico Quartet, showcasing tunes from their recent album Isla which has been described by MOJO as a brew of, "… Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy …a chiming cavernous sound-world that is both exotic and hypnotic". The group will perform at The Factory Performance Space, Blue Raincoat Theatre Company,
Area 4 Studio, Lower Quay Street, Sligo, Co. Sligo on Thursday 25th February at 8:00 PM. Tickets priced €15 / €12 are available at 071 9170431. This concert is promoted by Itchy Feet and Music Network.

Seeing your photograph on your university bookmark
is food for thought. Best known as the star
of RTÉ's The Panel and Republic Of Telly, Neil
Delamere debuts his new show Bookmarks. TCD
has Oscar Wilde, DCU has Neil Delamere. Hmmm.
It is a sign. Life is just a series of bookmarks and
Neil considers how his photo appeared on one in
the first place. Oh yeah, we also get to find out
how long Neil will live.
See www.neildelamere.com.

€20

www.iontascastleblayney.ie

Brideview Players presents the Irish Premier of "Pied a Terre" by John Anastasi

Thursday 25th Feb - Sat 27th Feb at 8pm nightly
Tickets €15 (€12 Seniors / Students)
Call 021 4505624 for bookings

Starring Irene Kelleher, Vanessa Hyde & Eddie Kelly and directed by Jack Aherne

Pied a Terre traces the story of Katie, a nineteen-year old prostitute whose life is transformed by her relationship with fifty-year old Jack, a wealthy attorney who ensconces her in his lavish New York apartment. Things come to a head when Julia, Jack's sister unexpectedly arrives on the scene. Pied a Terre is a highly entertaining play; with both comedy and suspense it plumbs the mysteries of the human heart, revealing the ways in which tragedies of the past continue to impact our existence in the present.

Given the play's mature subject matter - Not suitable for children. 

After the success of The Tinker's Curse in 2007 nominated for Best New Play in Irish Theatre Awards, award-winning actor and Irish Times Columnist, Michael Harding is back on the road with a moving story about a travelling man who climbs Croagh Patrick to do penance for the sins of a lifetime.  It is a play of laughter and joy, brimming with fun and rich imaginative language, as Mikey reveals the sequence of tragic events that lead to his own ultimate destruction.  Accompanied by musician Finbar Coady, this is a funny and sad night in the theatre; a glimpse of the joys and sorrows that make up the life of an Irish Traveller.

Tickets: €16/€13

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

UNDER A GREY SKY
A solo exhibition of photographs by Simon Burch

Simon Burch has created an archive in this body of work that will in future years serve as a valuable visual record of lost landscapes.  This work of landscapes and portraits was taken over a period of four years and is located in the centre of peat production in Co. Offaly and parts of Co. Galway.  The harvested peat is used as fuel for power stations, to provide electricity for the National Grid and is also sold for domestic use in the form of peat briquettes.  The culmination of these commercial efforts is now represented in the black landscapes of developed bogs, but this natural resource is finite and production is estimated to cease in 15-20 years.  Simon's work focuses on the black landscapes of turf and the community and individuals who live and work there.

Simon Burch will be giving a talk on Saturday, March 13th, 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Please see riverbank.ie for further details and booking information

Riverbank Arts Centre Presents
GEMMA HAYES
with special guest Ann Scott

Time: 8pm
Price: €14/ €12

Gemma Hayes

Hailing from Tipperary, Gemma Hayes is a singer-songwriter and producer, known for her eclectic blend of folk, prog rock and electronica.
She burst onto the music scene with her debut album Night on my Side, which was nominated for the UK's prestigious Mercury Music Prize.  She won Best Femaile Artist at Irelands Hot Press Awards.  Since then Gemma has been garnering much international recognition, releasing two other albums and touring extensively.  She has written songs with Adam Durit of Counting Crows and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Balentine.  Her music has been featured on a multitude of films and TV shows, including Grey's Anatomy, ER, HBO's Bored to Death and Mr & Mrs Smith.

For further details please visit www.riverbank.ie or call box office on 045 448327

Don't miss a brilliant selection of anthems from everyone's favourite pop star, Hannah Montana and all your kids favourite sing-a-long songs from the phenomenon that is High School Musical 1, 2 and 3.  With a pumping soundtrack, the very best teenage performers you will find anywhere and plenty of audience interaction, this is truly a show that will have your children singing and dancing all the way home!

Tickets €15

For further information call 066 712 3055 or visit www.siamsatire.com

Director: Andrzej Wajda
Starring: Maja Ostaszewska, Artur Zmijewski, Andrzej Chyra, Danuta Stenka, Jan Englert
Poland - 2007 - 121 mins - 15A
Language: Polish
A story about the aftermath of Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland following the life of Ann, the wife of an Uhlan Regiment captain who appears to have been murdered by the Russians. For more information visit our website on www.tinahely-courthouse.ie

The Tyrone comic famous for his dry wit and surreal ramblings returns with his latest stand up show.

More Info

Linda Shevlin's artistic practice is concerned with the relationships between the built & the natural environment, how we historise and monumentalise the spaces we inhabit and engage with. What concerns her art practice also filters through to her curatorial selection where notions of time and place and our inhabitation in the world come into play. 

In this show, Shevlin is selecting work that is visually arresting with an emphasis on pieces with a strong aesthetic.  Using moving image and installation works to represent a "non-linear narrative", Minutiae invites viewers to engage with works which at first seem disconnected, yet on closer inspection share common themes. Shevlin's research on these themes titled "Re-imagining the Heirarchy of Monuments" has been published in the Architectural Association of Irelands journal "Building Material". 

Exhibition opened to viewing during centre opening hours. Check on www.roscommonartscentre.ie for hours.

Is genius flowering on the many courses at Íontas?  Tonight you get a chance to see the astonishing progress that Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann have made in recent years, to view the outstanding products of Carol Mary Fraser's piano lessons, Tommy Mc Ardle's and Richie Ball's Playing Shakespeare course, and the players of brass instruments fostered by Bernard O Connor.  We promise you an enlightening and an entertaining night.

www.iontascastleblayney.ie

€5

The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre is delighted to showcase four of Canada's most important emerging singer songwriters.  Terry Penny is an engaging storyteller with a social conscience; Dve Gunnin has won six Nova Scotia awards; Dave Carroll's warm vocl style has been compared to James Taylor and Christina Martin from Hallifax Nova Scotia has been performing with acts such as Wilco and Young Heart Attach on the Austin music scene.  Adm: €16

The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre is delighted to showcase four of Canada's most important emerging singer songwriters.  Terry Penny is an engaging storyteller with a social conscience; Dve Gunnin has won six Nova Scotia awards; Dave Carroll's warm vocl style has been compared to James Taylor and Christina Martin from Hallifax Nova Scotia has been performing with acts such as Wilco and Young Heart Attach on the Austin music scene.  Adm: €16

CoMA Concert Dates: 27th February 2010 Saturday 27th February from 11am - 3pm Tickets: Free Event The CoMA Limerick ensemble continue their residency at the Belltable for another season. CoMA Limerick meet once a month to play new music by living composers. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore contemporary music and to rediscover your instrument in a relaxed envoirnment. Musicians of all abilities are welcome to join. Some sight -reading experience is an advantage. Belltable's off-site venue, Red Cross Hall, Cecil Street, Limerick: Musicians interested in joining the ensemble are welcome to attend these rehearsals

Not too many Irish acts, let alone international ones, can boast of sharing the stage with music industry heavyweights such as Rod Stewart, John Legend, James Brown, Damien Rice, and The Chieftains. But that is exactly what the Dublin Gospel Choir has achieved over the last few years.

From their modest beginnings as a local school choir in Dublin's inner city 13 years ago, they have become a household name in Ireland, playing a host of concerts each year, plus a large number of corporate and charity events. Add to that their annual slot at Ireland's internationally-acclaimed boutique festival Electric Picnic (at which they played the Main Stage again in 2009) and a performance to a sell-out 82,000 crowd at Croke Park in 2008, and you have a group of people who are really going places.

The concert will also feature special guests The Inishowen Gospel Choir.

More Info

Discharge printing is a highly experimental technique traditionally used in the printed textile industry. It involves removing some or all colour from a dyed fabric or printed surface. This workshop will incorporate photo and mono screen-print techniques with dyes and discharge pastes. Participants will experiment with the removal and layering of imagery on paper and fabric. The course tutor is Debbie Godsell and the course is suitable for those with prior experience of screen-printing. The course fee is €195. For further information or to book your place, please contact us at: (021) 4322422 or email: infor@corkprintmakers.ie

Seminars and Lectures on Pipe-making

www.pipers.ie

The Mill Theatre in association with city theatre Dublin presents
LOVE LETTERS
by A.R. Gurney

Time: 8pm
Price: €15/ €12

Starring Bryan Murray & Una Crawford O'Brien, Fair Citys Bob & Renee, A.R. Gurney's Love Letters chronicles the relationship between Andy and Melissa solely through their correspondence.

The play tells the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd and Melissa Gardner, whose poignantly funny friendship and ill-fated romance takes them from second grade through adolescence, maturity, and into middle age.

Their words are both hysterical and moving and as the play unfolds the audience comes to know both of them intimately - from their strict WASP upbringing, through later life political aspirations, love affairs, military service and artistic ambitions.

A smash hit both off and on Broadway, Love Letters captures Andy and Melissa with a precision of detail and depth of feeling only Gurney can command.

Love Letters is funny, compelling, sad, poignant, and will prove to be an exhilarating and touching night of theatre that will stay in the memory long after the performance ends.

"****....stylish romance", Daily Mail
"****....Murray and Crawford O'Brien are a first-class combination.", Ireland on Sunday

Crimlin Community Arts is a community music collective of over 9 bands including Batafada, Bata Óg, Rockafada, Na Ciotógaí, The Banned Joe Band and Píba Ríba. They cater for local musicians of all tastes and ages. Genres include Samba, Rock, Folk, Traditional and Pipe Band Music as well as a fusion of all of these and more. Since forming in 2006, they have performed locally and at international festivals in Spain, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland and more recently at the Edinburgh  International Fringe Festival in Scotland. The Volvo Ocean Race Festival and the Mary from Dungloe International Festival were also major performances for the collective in 2009. The group recently received a Mayo People of the Year Award in 2009. From the Ocean to the Fringe showcases Crimlin Community Arts eclectic mix of musical styles and genres. Come on down!

Adm.: €15 / €12 (concessions)

Hosted by musician Helen Lyons, this months' Clanntrai features the Chambers Family with Tom on Bodhrán, Cormac on Fiddle, Feargal on the Pipes, Oisin on Flute and Róisín on Fiddle & Voice.  Adm:  €5

Ten hand-picked international dancers,  two new life-enhancing dances – one evening of entertaining dance.

'sophisticated and slick…captivating from start to finish" – Dance Europe

Tickets: €21 (Booking fee may apply)

Silken Thomas Players Present
THE HISTORY BOYS

Time: 8pm
Price: €12/ €10

An unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form boys in pursuit of sex, sport and a place at university.  A maverick English teacher at odds with the young and shrewd supply teacher.  A Headmaster obsessed with results, a History teacher who thinks he's a fool.

In Alan Bennetts new play, staff-room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence provoke insistent questions about history and how you teach it, about education and its purpose.  Brilliantly funny, with several show stopping vignettes and lines that will be quoted for years to come.

About Silken Thomas Players

Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, Silken Thomas are a group at the cutting edge of amateur Theatre.  Hailing from Kildare the group is best known for controversial plays such as Bent, Trainspotting, The Normal Heart (2007 All Ireland winner) and Equus with which they finished 2nd in last year's All Ireland in Athlone.  This is their 31st production.