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| THEATRE | January The Secrets of Primrose Square THEATRE Written by Claudia Carroll This project has been part-funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media from the Live Performance Support Scheme Cast Megan McDonnell, Clelia Murphy, Marion O’DwyerDirected by Mark LambertLighting by Brian MitchellDesign by Kate Moylan Welcome to Primrose Square, where life is like a cross between The Valley of the Squinting Windows and The Good Life. All human life is here; love and heartbreak, tragedy and loss, sex, lies and not forgetting outdoor Pilates classes on the Square, followed by chai lattes to go. At number eighteen, there’s Susan, who spends her nights standing out on the street in pitch darkness outside an eighteen-year-old boy’s home, staring, just staring up at his bedroom window. She’s no deranged stalker though. She’s just an ordinary woman dealing with the unimaginable the only way she knows how. Then there’s her daughter Melissa, fourteen years of age and desperately trying to keep up some semblance of normality at home. But with her mother acting like a crazy lady and the bitchiness of the bullies in school, what chance has she? Right next door is Jayne, sixty-something years young, Pollyanna-positive and determined to squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of life. Normally she takes a kind, almost grandmotherly care of young Melissa, but as the play opens, she has other matters on her mind. ‘I’ve got news,’ she tells her son Jason and his awful wife, over a family dinner. ‘Big news.’ She’s all excited and hopes they’ll be happy for her. They’re not though. Jayne drops the bombshell and the ensuing row can be heard from the far side of the Square. But she holds firm. Because you’re never too old to start really living, now are you? The Secrets of Primrose Square is three interwoven stories based on a simple quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. ‘A woman is like a tea bag. You can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.’ You will receive the link for the event from thtsales@galwaycity.ie approximately an hour before the scheduled start time. Don’t forget to check your junk/spam folder! | 27th - 28th Jan | ||
| MUSIC | The Raines | February The Raines MUSIC LIVESTREAM from Town Hall Theatre, Galway When three extremely well-regarded folk musicians came together to form The Raines, great things were bound to happen. Following a chance meeting on Inis Oírr, off the West coast of Ireland, Ruth Dillon, Yvonne Tiernan and Juliana Erkkonen - all talented musicians with eye-opening resumes - an idea to form The Raines was born. The chemistry was instant and fans are going wild over the mix of vocal harmonies, rhythmic strings, honest lyrics with an interesting Americana flavour added to the mix. “The Raines put me in mind of something from Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue from 1975 - particularly with the parts with Scarlet Rivera on violin opposite Bob - meets an edgy Emmylou Harris...” Barry Egan, Independent.ie The musical background and collective experiences of each musician lends itself to the individual sound of The Raines. Yvonne (vocals/banjolele) has toured as a singer with musical giants 'The Chieftains' since her early twenties, Ruth (vocals, guitar, ukulele) toured and recorded with the legendary vocalist Dolores Keane, is a former member of The Molly Hicks, and has three solo albums of her own, and Juliana, also a former member of The Molly Hicks (fiddle and vocals) has been at the fore front of the Americana musical scene in Ireland, where her fiddle playing has won over many a fan. Their debut single “Bare Feet on Grass” was recorded in the Black Gate Studio Galway by Liam King and then mixed and mastered by legendary award winning engineer Brian Masterson, famous for his work with The Chieftains, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson and The Bothy band, to name just a few. The Raines are currently writing and arranging songs for the recording of their debut album to be released in 2021. “The Raines new single Bare Feet on Grass is a cure for all that ails you”. Ronan Collins (RTÉ Radio 1) The Raines have created a unique and pure sound, writing strong and melodic songs where they weave in and out of vocal harmony and counter melody, interlaced with tender and rhythmic strings, which seem to connect deeply with the listener. The Raines recently stormed the charts with their debut single “Bare Feet on Grass” reaching No. 1 on iTunes Singer Songwriter Chart / No.12 on Main iTunes Chart and was chosen as RTE.ie Culture ‘Song of the Week’ as well as being featured on RTÉ Radio 1 Recommended Watch List for two weeks running. You will receive the link for the event from thtsales@galwaycity.ie approximately an hour before the scheduled start time. Don’t forget to check your junk/spam folder! | 20th Feb | Buy |
| MUSIC | The Way of Sorrow | April The Way of Sorrow Music for Galway & Galway 2020 present MUSIC Pärt’s setting of the St. John Passion is perhaps one of the best-known choral works of the late twentieth-century. The gospel narrative speaks with direct intimacy, through a small piquantly-voiced instrumental and vocal ensemble and rigorous patterning of simple ideas. Despite the economical means, the work has a breathtaking nobility equal to its subject matter, and offers us a chance to follow the via dolorosa in a new and powerfully immediate way. The lineup of performers includes Galway’s most wellknown players alongside some of the brightest young Irish singers emerging on the European scene. Brian McAlea bass (Christus) | Ciarán Kelly Pilatus Aisling Kenny soprano (evangelist) | Laura Lamph alto (evangelist) | Chris Lombard tenor (evangelist) Malachy Frame bass (evangelist) | Bogdan Sofei violin | Adrian Mantu cello | Matthew Manning oboe | Mariana Paras bassoon | Ronan De Burca organ | Collegium | Mark Duley director | 2nd Apr | Buy |
| MUSIC | May Rebecca O’Connor as Tina MUSIC Deferred until May 2022, new dates will be on sale from June 2021 Simply the Best! Back by overwhelming demand in the words of Tina Turner... “Rebecca is so good, it’s scary…’’ Be prepared to stand in your seats as Rebecca O’Connor delivers her flawless rendition of Tina Turner’s greatest hits including Nutbush City Limits, Proud Mary, River Deep, Private Dancer, When the Heartache Is Over, Better Be Good To Me, and of course her anthem, Simply the Best. A night you’ll never forget! Rebecca is the only artist touring in the world that is personally endorsed by the legend. And this show is perfectly summed up by living legend Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac stating that “Rebecca is an amazing singer and performer, I was mesmerized… a night you’ll never forget”. Deferred until May 2022, new dates will be on sale from June 2021 | 28th May | ||
| COMEDY | Des Bishop - Mia Mamma | September Des Bishop - Mia Mamma COMEDY I am often asked “where do you get your material from?” The truth is really that I try to see the funny in everything. My mother died in March 2019 and of course it was sad and grief can be tough sometimes but I saw a lot of funny in that too. Since death comes to us all and grief is something most of us will experience I thought there must be plenty of people who would like that funny to be shared. Also I did a show about my Dad being sick back in 2010 and I couldn’t face my mother in the afterlife because I know her first question would be “your Father got a show, how come I didn’t get one?” I think it’s tougher to lose your mum. My Dad was best supporting actor. My mother was the actress in a leading role. You are never ready when the star of the show dies. So this is a show about My mother. It’s a show about motherhood and sacrifice, anxiety and grief, the mistakes you make as a mother and a son and the hard road to forgiveness and finally it’s about loss, grief and the chaos that surrounds it. Where do I get my material from? Life and death! | 25th - 26th Sep | Buy |
| COMEDY | Milton Jones in Milton: Impossible | March Milton Jones in Milton: Impossible PM Live LimitedProudly Presents COMEDY Please note the change of date to March 2022 One man. One Mission. Is it possible? No, not really. Milton reveals the truth about being an international spy, before being given a disappointing new identity which forced him to appear on Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo. But this is also a love story with the twist, or even a really bad sprain. Just gloriously daft nonsense or is there a deeper meaning?Every man has his price. Sainsburys, where good food costs less. “He’s fast, absurd and very Funny” - Radio Times ‘No-one can touch Jones when he hits his stride’ The Guardian | 3rd Mar | Buy |
| THEATRE | Jason Manford: Like Me | June Jason Manford: Like Me Phil McIntyre Live ltd, by arrangement with Lisa Thomas Management Proudly presents THEATRE Please note the change of date to June 2022 He’s back! It’s been a busy few years for Jason since his last smash-hit stand up show but fans of his Absolute Radio show will know this nationally acclaimed comedian hasn’t changed a bit. ‘Like Me’ is Jason’s latest comic offering set to hit the road, and is sure to be ‘expert observational comedy’ (The Guardian) mixed with ‘comic gold’ (Mail on Sunday). Jason said: “After the fun we had on my last tour ‘Muddle Class’, I’m excited to get back on the road with my new stand up show, ‘Like Me’. In these trying times it’s always important to be able to get away for a couple of hours and exercise the old chuckle muscle! So I’m coming to a venue near you in 2021 so we can have a good laugh together. See you then.” ‘First & Last’ (BBC One), ‘The Masked Singer’ (ITV1), ‘What Would Your Kid Do?’ (ITV1), ‘Olivier Awards’ (ITV1), ‘Scarborough’ (BBC One), ‘8 out of 10 Cats’ (Channel 4), ‘The Nightly Show’ (ITV1), ‘Sunday Night at the Palladium’ (ITV1), ‘Live at the Apollo’ (BBC One), ‘Have I Got News For You’, (BBC One), QI (BBC Two) and ‘The Royal Variety Performance’ (ITV1) have all helped establish Jason as a nationally known comic. The Sunday Times “Engaging and Witty” The Times "Manford, in short, is a total pro." “Effortlessly entertaining” ★★★★ Evening Standard “He's blessed with the sort of laid-back charm and sharp turn of phrase you can't manufacture”★★★★ Daily Telegraph “Manford successfully straddles the line between contemporary stand-upand old-school mainstream entertainment.”The Guardian Manchester Evening News "…you'll doubtless love this show" | 16th Jun | Buy |
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