THE TOWN Hall has unveiled details of its programme for the next three months and, as ever, there is a wide variety of music, theatre, dance and -film from both home and abroad - to tempt our fancy.
July of course is dominated by the Film Fleadh (July 7 to 12 ) and the Galway Arts Festival (July 13 to 26 ) both of which will be covered in depth elsewhere in these pages but once the dust settles on those two jamborees there remains much to look anticipate.
Commencing with theatre, August kicks off with Druid’s Arts Festival production of Tom Murphy’s masterpiece The Gigli Concert transferring to the Town Hall for one week (August 4 to 8 ) following its festival run in the Druid Lane theatre.
Directed by Garry Hynes and with a cast of Denis Conway, Peter Sullivan, and Eileen Walsh, this production promises to be one of the highlights of the Irish theatrical year. Admirers of Murphy’s work can look forward to seeing another of his plays revived in August as local company Mephisto present their staging of his 1971 play The Morning After Optimism (August 13 to 15 ). An epic fantasy set in a fairytale forest, it’s a play that offers a probing exploration of innocence, illusion, and freedom.
Peadar de Burca brings us the final part of his trilogy examining men and relationships. Following the huge success of Why Men Cheat and What Men Want there is sure to be keen interest in the final instalment Why Men Marry which hits the stage from August 17 to 21 before heading to the Edinburgh Festival and embarking on a national tour.
The two other big August theatre shows see the Power twins bring JM Barrie’s timeless classic Peter Pan to life (August 12 to 16 ) in a magical family entertainment full of music song and dance, and the inimitable Twink returns in Dirty Dusting (August 25 to 29 ) in which three cleaning ladies set up a phone-sex service with hilarious results.
September’s theatre menu commences with two offerings from Mill Theatre Company. Fair City’s Bryan Murray and Una Crawford O’Brien feature in AR Gurney’s Love Letters (August 31 to September 2 ) an on-and off-Broadway smash hit that charts the decades-long relationship between Andrew Makepeace Ladd and Melissa Gardner entirely through their correspondence.
From September 3 to 5, Anne Gildea and Sue Collins from The Nualas star in Neil Simon’s female re-working of his classic comedy The Odd Couple.
Next up is the Town Hall’s major in-house production as it teams up with Cork Opera House to present a revival of Martin McDonagh’s hilarious, blackly comic drama of sibling rivalry, The Lonesome West which is directed by Andrew Flynn and runs from September 14 to 19.
Washington’s Keegan Theatre make their annual visit to these parts on September 22 and 23 with John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Argentina’s La Compania are here on September 24 and 25 with their award-winning production of Beckett’s Happy Days, and Lane Productions see out the month with a revival of Marie Jones’ West End smash Stones In His Pockets (September 28 to October 3 ).
Looking over the Town Hall’s other coming attractions, the vibrant young Irish music troupe The Cunningham Sound return by popular demand on July 30 for one night only. Brendan Grace brings his trademark brand of entertainment to the venue on August 22 and 23 in a show that celebrates his 39 years in showbiz and features both new and old material.
The Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra perform on August 24 with a programme featuring Vivaldi, Bach, Offenbach, and Mozart, and the Celtic Tenors return on September 26. There is also sure to be huge interest in the performance by Police Academy star Michael Winslow. Known as the “Man of 10,000 Sound Effects” for his ability to make realistic sound effects using only his voice, his live performances are unique events. His sole Galway performance is on September 21 and tickets are €25.
Further details of the above events and the rest of the programme can be obtained from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777 or www.tht.ie
