Michael Gambon is great. He really is. I’d pay to watch Michael Gambon sit on stage for an hour. Hell, I’d pay to see Michael Gambon eat a banana, he’s that good. And, thanks to the Gate Theatre and Samuel Beckett, now I can.
A name like "Krapp" just invites punning...
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: beckett, dublin, gate, gate theatre, krapp, krapp's last tape, michael gambon, samuel beckett, the gate, the gate theatre | Leave a comment »
I love Gift Grub. I really do. Due to traveling arrangements to work, I seldom get to hear it on the radio any more, so I jumped at the chance to see it live in Drogheda. For those unfamiliar with the concept, they’re a series of softly satirical sketches which run on the commercial radio station Today FM, gently mocking all manner of high profile Irish figures – begining with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and gradually ballooning out to cover Ronan Keating, Roy Keane and even international celebrities like Jose Mourinho. The series of sketches have enjoyed all manner of successes, even releasing singles ‘Jose and his Technicolour Overcoat’ and Keane’s ‘I Think I’d Better Leave Right Now’. The audience last night was treated to fantastic renditions over both songs, including an encore of Technicolour Overcoat (with karaoke ‘woah-oh’ thrown in). It was a good night.
Infacta...
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: bertie, bertie ahern, drogheda, gift grub, gift grub live, keith duffy, liveline, mario rosenstock | Leave a comment »
Myself and the better half had the pleasure of taking in a show in the national theatre last night. Director Jimmy Fay has brought Shakespeare’s MacBeth, the play known in the industry as “the Scottish play”, to the stage. I studied MacBeth in secondary school, as one of the big four tragedies. I would have rather studied Othello or Hamlet, but at least it wasn’t King Lear. We had high hopes in settling into our seats for the full performance – Fay had brought The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui to the stage only last year in a show that remains perhaps my favourite of all the plays I have seen at the Abbey. Did MacBeth live up to those expectations?
"Something wicked this way comes..."
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: abbey, aidan kelly, dublin, eileen walsh, jimmy fay, macbeth, macbeth at the abbey, play, review, shakespeare, the abbey, the abbey theatre, Theatre | 3 Comments »
Yes, we occasionally do high-brow stuff here as well. I had the great joy of taking the better half to a performance of Swan Lake by the Russian State Ballet at the Grand Canal Theatre last night. It’s the first show to perform at Dublin’s newest and largest theatre venue and it was a great opening for the 2,100-capacity location. I’m still more than a little skeptical about the venue’s longterm prospects – is Dublin large enough to sustain a theatre of that size? – but there’s no denying it is simply jaw-dropping.
Just Swanning Around...
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: arts, ballet, dublin, grand canal dock, grand canal theatre, Ireland, national theatre, russian state ballet, swan lake, tchaikovsky, Theatre | Leave a comment »
Myself and the better half had a very… theatrical evening last night. First we stopped by Trinity to check out the up-and-coming talent during their “directors’ debut” season (running for the next three weeks, if you feel like taking a chance with your theatre-going) and then we went on to catch a performance of the HMS Pinafore playing at the National Concert Hall from the Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society (the people behind The Producers at the The Gaiety earlier this year). It’s rare that we get a Gilbert & Sullivan musical performed in full, so was it worth it?
Yes, this is the only photo we have...
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: dublin, gilbert & sullivan, HMS Pinafore, musical, National Concert Hall, pinafore, R & R, Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society, Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society, Theatre | Leave a comment »
It has been a while since I’ve worn my ‘theatre reviewer’ hat, but I’m blowing the cobwebs off on this one. My girlfriend is a huge fan of the Corn Exchange theatre group and we decided to give their new work, playing as part of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, a go. I’ve had very mixed luck when it comes to seeing performances in the project theatre, and while I was quite impressed with the technical aspects of the play – I couldn’t help feeling that something was missing.
Not quite a stroke of genius...
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: corn exchange, dublin, dublin theatre festival, freefall, play, project arts centre, stroke, templebar, the corn exchange, Theatre, theatre festival, Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival | Leave a comment »
Hey, I had the good fortune to jet off to the Edinburgh Fringe over the weekend. It was my first time to the festival – but not to the city (which is as beautiful as ever and seems particularly alive when populated with strange and wacky students and artistes from all over the world). I arrived after the travel-trip from hell on the Friday night and flew back last night, so I had just two days to spend at the world’s most renowned theatre/comedy festival. I am glad to report that not only have I returned with my sanity intact, but I actually had a pretty good run at the festival.
Best. Holiday. Photo. Ever.
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: After Dark, Cambridge Union Amatuer Dramatic Club, CUADC, doctor fautus, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Book Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Ernest and the Pale Moon, faustus, Foil Arms and Hog, Fringe, Fringe Festival, How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse, Les Enfants Terribles, Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company, the fringe, the Wind in the Willows, Wind in the Willows | Leave a comment »
We caught The Rivals playing at the Abbey last night. I’m not sure quite what to make of it. Featuring characters with wits as sharp as their swords, a fantastically ‘theatrical’ set design and a solid cast, I couldn’t help agreeing with the author’s opinion as I’d read it in the Prologue earlier that day: the play is just too long. Apparently when it first appeared, the play was less than a success with audiences – being considered too long. Apparently Sheridan went back and significantly re-edited the play, and that is the version we are left with today. I would suggest that it is still just a tad too long, but only a little bit. Still, it was an entertaining evening sparkling with humour, flair and vitality, and there have been far worse productions this year. So, what did I make of George Washington’s favourite play?
We know who wins on style...
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: abbey theatre, dublin, Ireland, play, play review, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the rivals, Theatre, theatre review | Leave a comment »
We caught The Shawshank Redemption as it was winding up in The Gaiety last weekend. I’ll come clean and admit that I am not as in love with the movie as most, but I did like it. I feel the same way about the stage adaptation – which got a standing ovation from our crowd. I was less convinced – I don’t particularly love it, I don’t particularly hate it. My opinion sits somewhere in the middle.
Reg. E. Cathey never thought that OZ would have prepared him for this...
Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: dublin, play, reg e cathey, the gaiety, the shawshank redemption, the shawshank redemption play, Theatre, theatre review | Leave a comment »
the m0vie blog 