Described as “a work of genius”, Bruiser Theatre Company brings its dazzling production of Oh What A Lovely War! to the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Monday April 6 at 8pm.
On foot of last year’s unforgettable production of Candide, Bruiser is back with Joan Littlewood’s brilliant satirical musical that is one of the great landmarks of post-war British theatre. It is 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war. Armed with sketches, songs, and stories, a cast of Pierrot clowns mix their sombre buffoonery with the bawdy, tough, humour of the lads on the front line. Along the way the story is marked by a fantastic collection of songs from the Great War. Oh What A Lovely War! is a groundbreaking, moving, funny, lyrical evocation of the tragedy and pathos of World War I. A night of top musical theatre on the cards.
Mayo male voice choir
Mayo Male Voice Choir makes a welcome return visit to the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar for two concerts of choral music with special guests Donna Malone and David Durham, tomorrow (Friday ).
Since it was established in 2000, Mayo Male Voice Choir has grown from strength to strength and now boasts 48 members from all over Mayo, under the accomplished musical direction of Deirdre Lee. Featured guest on this occasion is Ballina native Donna Malone, who has been described as having one of the most astonishing and mature soprano voices of her generation, and has performed internationally with the Celtic Tenors. The concerts also feature regular guest baritone and international star David Durham, who recently played the lead role in The English Chamber Opera Co production of Don Giovanni. Enjoy an evening of mellifluous choral music, Mayo style. Mayo Male Voice Choir performs at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Friday at 8pm. Booking advised. Tel: 094 9023733
Will O’Kane at the Linenhall
The Lure of Presentiment, an exhibition of recent portrait-based paintings by Castlebar-born artist Will O’Kane, continues at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar for the month of March. In Will’s own words: “The artwork I make is focused primarily on the human figure. Although I create images based on the physical appearance of specific people I am also concerned with the notion of individuality, in a general sense. Inspiration for a painting can come about from myriad sources — newspaper articles, an interesting photograph of a person in a unique situation, or even just a person’s manner and body language. Once the painting is under way, what inspired the work becomes less significant and I consider more the aesthetic experience that will be put in place for the audience. Colour and balance become important and I hope that something new will come about that is not merely an illustration of the source material. I aim to keep an eye on how all the paintings fit together, so that a more general idea can be implied from the collection of work as a whole.” What is clearly evident in Will’s work is a combination of craft and aesthetic that is both engaging and confirmation of a potent and impressive artistic vision. The exhibition runs until Saturday March 28.
