Category Archives: The Arts

The Lion King Is Coming!

  By Micheál Murphy | December 10, 2012 - 4:45 pm | Featured Post, Performance Art, The Culch, Theatre
Leave a comment
TheLionKing001

Whether it’s Disney’s animated blockbuster or the world-renowned stage musical, everyone is familiar with the story and characters of The Lion King, as well as Elton John’s soundtrack with such memorable songs as ‘Circle of Life’, and ‘Can You feel the Love tonight’. The success story is such that 15 years later the stage musical is still running on both Broadway and the West End, and boasts being the highest grossing Broadway show of all time. AND IT’S COMING TO DUBLIN! Being a lover of musicals, I’ve tried to get tickets whenever I’m in London but it’s always sold out, which is a testament to its success and popularity. So when the tour comes to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre you can expect to find me begging, borrowing or stealing (albeit unlikely) a ticket from whatever source I can manage. If worst comes to worst, I might even buy one. … There’s more →

Fringe Preview : The Circus Of Perseverance

  By Andy Gaffney | September 10, 2012 - 10:12 am | Featured Post, The Arts, The Culch, Theatre
Comments Off
FeaturedAbsolutFringe001

The 8th of September brings the Absolut Fringe festival back into town for sixteen days of arts, music, comedy and theatre. A self-proclaimed “dream  factory”, it’s probably safe to say there is something for every taste on show from comedy about finding Fassbender to a showcase of photographs of everything tight jeaned in the brilliantly titled ‘Hipsters We Met and liked’. One such show that sums up this up is the highly ambitious ‘The Circus Of Perseverance’ starting from the 10th of September in The Back Loft.  Set in Dublin the play deals with the very real and common problem of feeling everything is a little bit rubbish at the moment and wanting to escape that. Using a series of interwoven stories the characters will break out from the crowd of negativity all set in a circus theme.   ‘The Circus of Perseverance’ is a rambunctious, highly profane production that … There’s more →

Theatre: Singlehood @ The Absolut Fringe

  By Peter | September 6, 2012 - 6:18 am | Events, Featured Post, The Arts
Comments Off
FeaturedAbsolutFringe002

I have to admit I’m not really one for theatre stuff. I am. But I am-ish, not. It’s a bit like, The Strokes are playing The O2. Yeah ? I’ll think about it. As versus Led Zep are playing. Yeah ? Mee meep. Roadrunner. I’m already there. Theatre, does that to me. Sometimes however you get a wee little kick in the wotsits. A good kick. A metaphorical one, so to speak and you think could this be the next example of hindsight I may use in a pub quiz ? Like the time The White stripes came to Ireland just after I saw them on Jools Holland and I never went and regretted it ever since ? What kind of play makes me say that ? One with comedian and actor legend Eric Lalor in it. Well, that’s how I cocked an eye and then watched this video below … There’s more →

Night of the Living Dead is…..uh, alive?

  By Anto | July 25, 2012 - 7:58 pm | The Arts, Theatre
Comments Off

You may remember that in May we asked you to assist in funding Devious Theatre’s production of Night of the Living Dead. Well, after months and months of script writing, set design, rounding up zombies, rehearsals etc, the production is running this week! As you read this, there are 3 performances left: Thursday 26th, Friday 27th and Saturday 28th. It’s in the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny and you can get tickets (€13) on 056 7761674 or book online at WatergateTheatre.com. Not convinced? Check out this feedback from last nights opening performance PLUS the prologue: Wow. Just out of #LivingDead by @devioustheatre at @watergateKK Smart, funny, bleak and bloody. – @niamhnic So @devioustheatre’s Night of the #LivingDead last night was brill. Very funny, great acting and writing – totally recommend it! – @niamhsmith We’ll be there Saturday. “They’re coming to get your Barbara”.

Event: Dr. Sketchy’s Dublin and Molly Crabapple

  By Kitty Catastrophe | April 20, 2012 - 1:44 pm | Events, The Arts
Comments Off

Molly Crabapple is an award-winning New York artist, author and all round kickass lady whose Victoriana-steampunk-Rococo work has appeared in places like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Marvel comics. Forever finding ways to fund and create personally fulfilling art projects, in September of last year she locked herself into a hotel room for a week, covered the walls in paper and filled every available square foot with her gorgeous, intricate brand of art. The project was called Molly Crabapple’s Week In Hell, it was funded by myriad backers on Kickstarter, and has since been turned into a book. Not one to stay idle for long, right now she’s in the middle of Shell Game, another Kickstarter-funded project, this time an art show inspired by Occupy Wall Street and the assorted global economic disasters, which will result in nine huge paintings that will deal with themes such … There’s more →

Event: Dublin Dance Festival 2012

  By Jen McShane | March 23, 2012 - 3:00 pm | Events, Performance Art, The Arts
1 Comment

  For those of you lucky enough not to be blessed with two left feet (yes, I’m talking about myself here), the artform of the dance is a wonder to behold. These super talented people can skip, dance, jump and move (like jagger, we’re told) with such effortless ease that it’s just not fair. Still, regardless of whatever credibility you have on the dance floor, you’ll surely love the Dublin Dance Festival.   The Dublin Dance Festival are delighted to announce their deadly dancing (see what I did there) programme for 2012, offering audiences a wealth of experiences from the diverse, creative, sensuous and adventurous worlds of contemporary dance. From May 11th – 26th in venues across Dublin, lovers of dance will be treated to an array of exciting festival shows that will definitely sweep you off your feet. Festival events will appeal to audiences of all ages and tastes in … There’s more →

Theatre Review: Improbable Frequency @ The Gaiety

  By Sinead Keogh | March 19, 2012 - 3:00 pm | Events, The Arts, The Culch, Theatre
1 Comment

Having debuted in 2004, Rough Magic’s Improbable Frequency is by no stretch a new production but its current run is our first time to see it. Although it was new to us we heard many good things before settling into Thursday night’s performance at The Gaiety. Set during World War Two, the production which describes itself as ‘a pulsating cabaret-style musical’ features a cast of characters imagined and real (John Betjeman and Myles na gCopaleen are written liberally for the stage) and tells the tale of a British spy in Ireland. With Peter Hanly reprising his original role as Faraday (the British spy), we open on the scene of the crossword enthusiast being recruited for his mission to Ireland. There he is to investigate O’Dromedary (Rory Nolan), a radio presenter whose song choices appear to be alerting the Germans to the weather conditions and aiding their air raids over Britain. … There’s more →

TV Review: Why You Should Have Watched Got To Dance.

  By Lisa McInerney | March 8, 2012 - 12:00 pm | Movies & TV, Performance Art, The Arts, The Culch, TV
4 Comments

Prodijig won Sky1’s Got To Dance last Sunday night, and half of Ireland was bewildered. “Another talent show?” the Paddies frowned. “With dancing? When did this happen? Sure I was watching The Voice Of Ir… I mean, I don’t be watching that kind of shite.” As is right and proper, until a TV talent show actually uncovers something of genuine cultural worth. Not all TV talent show contestants are of the same stuff. Once every fifty insipid, disposable talent show tryhards, you might chance upon a Susan Boyle, or an Ashley Banjo. How these stars are managed is quite another story, and there are occasionally ominous rumblings from those in the know about this casualty, or that binding contract, a cover-up here and a smoke-screen there. The fact remains that sometimes TV talent shows come up with the goods on every possible level. Got To Dance is one of those … There’s more →

Theatre Review: The Master Builder and The Goddess of Liberty

  By Darren Byrne | February 15, 2012 - 3:00 pm | The Arts, Theatre
Comments Off

I‘ve seen some fine theatre in the past week, including Bookworms in the Abbey, The Master Builder in The New Theatre and The Goddess of Liberty in the Project Arts Theatre. Below is my video review of the latter two plays. I’d love to hear what you think. Both The Master Builder and The Goddess of Liberty run until Saturday 18th February. For more information, click on the links below.

Review: Aladdin – The Pantomime @ Solstice Theatre Navan

  By Jenny Foxe | February 13, 2012 - 3:00 pm | The Arts, The Culch, Theatre
Comments Off

St Mary’s Musical Society present a fantastic panto and this year it’s Aladdin that gets the ultimate panto makeover. The show opens with the baddest of baddies, Abanezer (Rich Cullen) reciting his evil rhyming plot to get his gnarly, undulating fingers on the magic lamp. The audience was sold straight away. Rich plays a fantastically evil but lovable panto baddie. I wanted to cheer everytime he came on rather than the obligatory boo. The curtains open to reveal a North African souk and after the first energetic, well-choreographed and performed musical number, featuring what seems like a cast of hundreds, the audience is introduced to Aladdin (Ultan O’Cinneide), his brother, Wishy Washy (Matt McGuirk), the Princess Jasmine (Tracy Armstrong) and her lady in waiting, So Shy (Aoife Hoey). There follows a rather madcap, all singing, all dancing, all heart clutching and star gazing, child beating and knicker washing version of … There’s more →

Theatre Review: Bookworms in The Abbey Theatre

  By Darren Byrne | February 11, 2012 - 3:00 pm | Featured Post, The Arts, The Culch, Theatre
3 Comments

I went along to see Bernard Farrell’s Bookworms in The Abbey Theatre on Wednesday. Check out my thoughts on it below. Bookworms plays from February 9th until to March 17th in The Abbey Theatre, Dublin, and here’s a few links I mention in the video:

In Theatre: The Muse Unbidden by Roger Gregg

  By Peter | February 7, 2012 - 3:01 pm | Theatre
Comments Off

THE MUSE UNBIDDEN by Roger Gregg.  The Jack Burdell Experience. THE MUSE UNBIDDEN follows the journeys of self-discovery of several would-be poets enrolled in a Performance Poetry Workshop led by a charismatic unconventional Performance Poet.  Using music and dream diaries, the hapless participants  are cajoled into finding and surrendering to their personal Muses.  As their Workshop progresses they travel a rollicking Odyssey of confession and self-expression as they give voice to their obsessions, desires, wit, pain, and memories. For some their uninhibited revelry in self-expression leads to joyous catharsis, for others to grief and loss.  This innovative musical satire written and directed by Roger Gregg, features a live soundscore performed by a cast of mult-talented actor-musicians including Donncha O’Dea and Noni Stapleton.   Produced by The Jack Burdell Experience as part of their Collaborations Festival, THE MUSE UNBIDDEN runs for one week only Smock Alley Boys School Theatre from Monday 13 … There’s more →

Trailer: The Wheelchair on My Face

  By Sinead Keogh | February 4, 2012 - 12:00 pm | The Arts, Theatre
1 Comment

The ever-innovative gang over at axis theatre sent us their spring programme. It’s jammers with good stuff but the standout highlight for us is this offering from Fishamble: It’s running from February 27th to March 2nd nightly at 8pm. We may have picked it because we also look back on our nerdface childhoods through bottle-thick glasses, so in the interests of catering to the tastes of the many, we also recommend April’s lunchtime theatre offering Let’s Talk Dirty running from the 23rd-27th; the screening of Meet Me in St Louis on February 27th and Brian Friel’s The Loves of Cass Maguire from 8th-12th of May. Plenty more cultured goodness listed on their website which is linked above. Thanks for the heads up guys, we’re all whet about it.

Oscar Nominations 2012

  By Jen McShane | January 24, 2012 - 3:38 pm | Celebs, Featured Post, Movies & TV, The Arts
1 Comment

While I feel compelled to tell you that, yes, this year’s Oscar nominations have been announced (hurrah!), I also must tell you that all of us here at Culch are a little devastated. That’s right, The Fass has been over looked for an Oscar this year. *throws bricks at Academy members* And quite frankly, I just want to know why. To quote  Joey from Friends : “Why, God. Why are you doing this to us?!”  I have a feeling it’s to do with the Rated R aspect of the film but still. That’s no excuse. Anyway, the brick throwing much sums up our feelings on the matter. And while this means that I shall never again look at the Oscars the same way (EVER), I must press on and congratulate all the other nominees and films that did make the cut.