The trouble is you never can tell..

When a marketing push takes an unexpected turn..

You really never know just exactly how your content is going to be consumed do you? I found this gem on eMusic today. Beware it could happen to you. Maybe there should be a database of potentially hilarious truncated band names and album titles? Answers on a post card please…

To the Theatre James and don’t spare the horses (Part 3)

We saw Noel Coward’s play ‘Present Laughter’ in the Gate theatre recently. Totally loved it. If you are a fan of quick witted humour laced with acidic and (and timeless) observations of human mores and interactions then I cannot recommend this highly enough. I was in stitches. Fantastic set, costumes (by Peter O Brien) and brilliant deft performances by all involved. I love Coward’s work, so I may be biased. Margaret Rutherford in Blithe Spirit is one of my favourite all time ‘in front of the fire at Christmas’ movies. Pipped only by the Muppets Christmas Carol I may add.

The Abbey production is ending soon so do your self a favour and put down that remote control and go.

Art in Action

Myself, Lorraine and her brother Dave visited the excellent Art in Action last weekend at Townley Hall in Co.Louth. It is a great day out with live music recitals, lectures on Philosophy, great food and lots and lots of Art on display. Whether ceramics, watercolours etc are your thing you will find something there to amuse and often amaze.

The event is run by the John Scotis School of Philosophy so there is an emphasis on interesting lectures on a variety of subjects from Vedic Maths to the music of Leonard Cohen. If that is all a little cerebral you can relax by the beautiful fountain and take in the sun, munch on a samosa and soak up the atmosphere.

I was very taken with the work of Ghanesh Bhat with his beautiful hand carved sculptures in the style of traditional Indian devotional Art.

To the Theatre James and don’t spare the horses! Part 2

Arthur Millers “All my Sons” is just finishing a run at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. It features a stellar cast, beautiful set design and brings the period after the second world war to light in this very powerful portrayal of the family microcosm in the wake of the war. Miller is often an acquired taste as he pulls no punches in examining the dark underbelly of post war life and nor does he offer any easy solutions to the complex moral questions that run through his work.

This was an arresting, moving and very physical performance which distilled the loss, hopes, resentments and guilt of a generation that experienced first hand the trauma of industrialised war.
As always Miller engages and involves the audience in a way that can make you question how you live your life and the impact of your own small part in the wider world. This is truly the hallmark of great theater or indeed great Art in general. It is not a mere passive object that we casually observe but its resonances can be felt long after the curtain falls.

Miller’s plays can have you reaching for the Jack Daniels before you can say “existential crisis” so if you are expecting light entertainment, then horsemen pass by. However if you wish to see the work of a master craftsman brought to life – then I highly recommend this excellent production.

To the Theatre James and don’t spare the horses!

What a great weekend we had! Beautiful sunny weather, the French Open, the hissing of summer lawns and some theater. First off we saw “A Lady of letters” by Alan Bennett in the Solstice Arts Centre Navan, produced by Tall Tales Theatre Company with incidental music by Alun Smyth.

A “Lady of Letters” features a hugely engaging, funny and touching depiction of Irene Ruddock, an embittered old soul with a propensity for letter-writing, however her compulsion soon goes to extremes. This was a great performance from the enigmatic Clare Barrett who inhabited the part with gusto. The simple set and beguiling music and sound design wove a spell that drew the viewer in, quickly establishing an empathy with the audience. Through the next hour the excellent performace whisked the viewer through Irenes world, and her hilarious and thought provoking world view was beguiling. Recommended.