Latest news with #GaietyTheatre
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Jodie Comer says play Prima Facie makes men 'look back at their own behaviour'
Actor Jodie Comer has said Prima Facie, a play she is touring the UK and Ireland with next year, forces men to "look back at their own behaviour". The one-woman play, which saw a run in London's West End in 2022, follows the story of a barrister named Tessa, who specialises in defending men accused of sexual assault, and whose view of the legal system changes after she is sexually assaulted herself. Speaking about the reaction to the play from men, the 32-year-old said in an interview with British GQ:"I imagine it's quite confronting, I don't know. "Maybe also, when they read what it's about, they think, 'well, that's not something that's directed at me'. "I imagine, for a man, it will force them to look back at their own behaviour, which I imagine would be – or could be – potentially very uncomfortable. But (sexual assault) isn't 'a woman's issue', you know what I mean?" She added that a male police officer who had visited the show wrote a letter to the production afterwards. Comer said: "I don't think I've had a deep, meaningful conversation with many men about the play, actually. "I do know there was a male police officer that came in one night, and he wrote in to the production. "He was kind of saying, 'this is me – I see myself, and I recognise the kind of work that needs to be done as a police officer'." The actor, who is best known for playing Villanelle in BBC spy series Killing Eve, said many women had contacted the production after seeing it to share their personal stories. Speaking about the interactions, she explained: "It's so beautiful, and it's so rare, for someone to look you in the eyes and share something of themselves, and there's so much that isn't said, but even in just the briefest of moments, it's like, 'that was me, or, I feel that'." Prima Facie is set to play Dublin's Gaiety Theatre for five days in January 2026.
Irish Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Hundreds of former dancers turn out for launch of Riverdance's 30th anniversary show in Dublin
HUNDREDS of former Riverdance dancers came together this week to enjoy a special performance of the show in Dublin. Held at the Gaiety Theatre last night, some of the original stars of the show were in the audience for an alumni performance of the 30th anniversary show. Originally a seven-minute Eurovision interval act which impressed television audiences in 1994, Riverdance debuted in 1995 as a full-length musical and theatrical performance. Former Riverdance leads Breandán de Gallaí, Susan Ginnity and Pat Roddy pictured with Director John McColgan ahead of a special alumni event held at the Gaiety Theatre last night Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty, and directed by John McColgan, the original troupe was led by Michael Flatley and Jean Butler. Riverdance lead dancers Jean Butler and Micheal Flatley pictured in Dublin in 1995 To celebrate its 30-year milestone, Riverdance 30 – The New Generation has embarked on a special anniversary tour this year, which will see it visit 30 UK venues - one for each year of its history - from August to December. Current Riverdance leads Amy Mae Dolan and Fergus Fitzpatrick pictured on the Gaiety stage The production rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes and state of the art lighting, projection and motion graphics, the producers have confirmed. 'It is both a privilege and a delight to celebrate 30 years of Riverdance and the unique journey it has taken us on,' Riverdance director John McColgan said. 'In those 30 years the show has transformed from a spectacle into a global cultural phenomenon – continuously evolving yet remaining true to its Irish roots.' Former Riverdance leads Breandán de Gallaí and Susan Ginnity pictured with Amy Mae Dolan and Fergus Fitzpatrick He added: 'On this upcoming tour we look forward to welcoming 'the new generation' of artists while paying tribute to the talented performers, creators, dedicated crew, and the millions of fans who have made Riverdance a worldwide celebration of music and dance.' The original Riverdance cast pictured in Dublin in February 1995 Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan the 30th anniversary show will run at the Gaiety Theatre until September, when it will begin its UK tour. See More: Anniversary, Dublin, Gaiety Theatre, Reunion, Riverdance, Tour
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Reeling in the years -- The jig certainly isn't up as Riverdance celebrates three legendary decades
From a stunning interval act during Eurovision to a global phenomenon… Riverdance is celebrating a remarkable 30 years on the road tonight. As soon as the short–but–thrilling first-ever performance finished in the Point Depot in 1994, thousands in the audience jumped to their feet and erupted into ecstatic applause. The original producer, John McColgan, has recalled that he was in tears at the reception the seven-minute 'interlude' received and knew he had to give Riverdance its own Broadway-style show. Director of Riverdance John McColgan. Pic: SAM BOAL/Collins Photos. Just a year later, Riverdance was on the road and has been ever since, entertaining millions around the globe and bringing them a taste and flavour of the rich Irish culture that spawned it. In its 30 years on the road, the show has seen many romances blossom among cast members, producing 70 marriages and 130 babies. Riverdance 30 – The New Generation has kicked off a three-month stint at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, running until September 7. Original Riverdance. Pic: File A sign of its longevity is the fact that the entire cast is now younger than the show itself. Daragh Roddy, the son of a former Riverdance lead, Pat Roddy, is dancing in the show's Dublin debut. The show made careers of its original leads: US-born dancers Michael Flatley, 66, and Jean Butler, 54, both went on to individual global stardom. Overseeing rehearsals for the new show was McColgan, now 80, who produced the original performance with his wife, Moya Doherty, 68. Current Lead Riverdance dancers Amy Mae Dolan and Fergus Fitzpatrick on stage with Director of Riverdance John McColgan and (L) Former dancer Susan Ginnety and (R) Breandán De Gallaí. Pic: SAM BOAL/Collins Photos. He recalled: 'The Point Theatre: when Riverdance finished, 4,000 people jumped to their feet in unison, but I was in tears, I knew something special had happened.' A year later, McColgan had turned the interval act into a two-hour stage show, which opened in Dublin on February 9, 1995. Talking about the transformation, he said: 'I was a big fan of the Broadway musical, and I wanted to take Irish dance and the very strait-laced way it had been performed. We change it and polish it all the time. Former Riverdance dancer Pat with his son Darragh (20). Pic: SAM BOAL/Collins Photos. 'The fundamental show is the same, but you get new energy every time there is a new cast. They're like young athletes now, and they take it very, very seriously.' Anna Mai Fitzpatrick, who dances in the show with her brother Fergus, grew up in Meath thinking she wanted to be in Riverdance. She said: 'We absolutely feel the responsibility and we take that challenge completely positively and we see it more as an honour rather than a heavy weight. Riverdance was here before either of us were born.' Fergus described leading Riverdance along with his sister as a 'dream come true', adding: 'It's even more special to be able to have family on the road with you when you're traveling, getting to do what you love, getting to see these amazing places while taking care of the iconic show.' While Sheena McMorrow is too young at 17 to join the full cast, she took part in last night's special performance at the Gaiety, following in the dance steps of her parents, Fran and Jonathan McMorrow, both former Riverdance members. 'My parents met in Riverdance, and that just made it so clear Irish dancing was going to be a big part of my life,' she said. Dad Jonathan said: 'It's fabulous for her to be able to do this. She's looked forward to this day for a very, very long time.' Tickets for the Gaiety shows are priced from €36.55 to €61.10.
Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Opera review: INO take on l'Elisir d'Amore provides ridiculously good fun
l'Elisir d'Amore, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, ★★★★★ If you ever meet someone who claims opera is boring and unfun, send them to Cal McCrystal's wacky and wild (west) take on Donizetti's endearing love comedy l'Elisir d'Amore. Send them right now! His production for Irish National Opera is ridiculously good fun, and hasn't a boring moment across a riotous, good-humoured, saucy and physical two-and-a-half hours. We're used to classic opera getting far-flung, anachronistic settings. It's one of the main tools in the director's bag when it comes to reinvigorating or reinterpreting works we think we know all too well. An excellent 2013 Northern Ireland Opera version of this was set in a 1950s American highschool, for instance. Subtract about a 100 years from that, and you have McCrystal's time and place. Chorus numbers become hoedowns, Abraham Lincoln appears in the theatre (and even survives all the way to the curtain), while Claudia Boyle's Adina becomes a Scarlett O'Hara-type figure. But McCrystal doesn't stop there. He piles on the visual gags: there's a couple who've stepped out of American Gothic, pitchfork and all; a Laurel and Hardy japering about; and Keystone cops bungling in and out. Bass baritone John Molloy was a delight as the quack doctor Dulcamara in the 2013 staging. Here, his brand of sardonic, knowing humour is given even more rein as a Wild West snake oil salesman. He gets a speaking part too, where he introduces and comments on the action, ably assisted by his factotum Truffaldino. Ian O'Reilly brings great craft to that speaking role. His incarnation of a ventriloquist's dummy at one point is a real hoot. Gianluca Margheri, Claudia Boyle and Duke Kim in l'Elisir d'Amore. Picture: Ros Kavanagh It's exactly what you'd expect from McCrystal, whose physical comedy credits include the Paddington films and One Man, Two Guvnors. His brand of slapstick rather misfired in the Abbey's revival of Lennox Robinson's Drama at Inish in 2019, but he never misses a trick here. Of McCrystal's numerous movie references, the hardest to miss is Nemorino, Dulcamara's sucker for the titular love potion, and besotted with Adina. He's dressed precisely as Woody from Toy Story, with tenor Duke Kim following the cue of that getup. He accentuates his character's naivety all the way up to an innocently poignant take on the famed aria Una Furtiva Lagrima. The keen-eyed will spot not "Andy" written on the sole of his foot, but 'Adina', a typically acute detail in Sarah Bacon's superb costumes, which she casts against a relatively sparse, cactus-dotted set. Sara Jane Sheils' lighting is inspired by the shifting tones you'd see in the prairie sky, and neatly marks the progress of time in a plot that hinges on what will or won't happen today or tomorrow. Amid the uniformly excellent cast, Boyle shows her acting and singing chops to equal measure, delivering comedy, pathos, and sparkle as needed, and singing astoundingly throughout. Gianluca Margheri is charisma itself as Nemorino's rival Belcore, musclebound and really not afraid to show us! His interactions with a chorus full of delineated characters is great fun. Throughout, the words and lines bounce along as the score is deftly marshalled by Erina Yashima, leading the INO orchestra in lively form.
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
L'Elisir d'Amore review: A perfectly OTT Claudia Boyle sings thrillingly in INO's winningly slapstick take on Donizetti
L'Elisir d'Amore Gaiety Theatre, Dublin ★★★★★ Irish National Opera is closing its season with six nights – four in Dublin plus one each in Wexford and Cork – of comic opera, a genre in which the seven-year-old company already has a really good record. Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore feels like a ball not to be dropped. Its popularity and permanent place in the repertory have their roots in the fact that for an entire decade, from 1838 to 1848, it was the most performed opera in Italy. But comedy gives a ball a unique slipperiness – think about the unfunny flops of stage and screen that we've all cringed through or abandoned. Therefore, to complete the slam dunk that L'Elisir d'Amore promises on paper, INO has entrusted its season finale to Cal McCrystal , a director for whom comedy is a speciality. This is his first production for INO. He had never seen L'Elisir d'Amore before. And the audience laughs. I laugh. 'A good comedy,' McCrystal remarks in the production's programme, 'is where people laugh hard and a bad comedy is when they sit quietly tittering. I like big loud laughs.' And it's big laughs that he secures with a comic modus operandi that is unapologetically physical, visual slapstick. READ MORE Once or twice as I'm laughing I find myself wondering, Who isn't? Who is disappointed? Disgusted? And there are indeed moments when comic antics threaten to undermine the music and cross a line that McCrystal acknowledges but likes to approach. But those moments are seldom. Although McCrystal's relocation of the story to the American wild west has been done before, styling Nemorino as Woody from Disney's Toy Story is probably a first. When he first appears I think ahead to act two and wonder how the cartoon-cowboy look might diminish the emotional impact of the opera's most famous and non-comic aria, Una Furtiva Lagrima. But by then the agile and sweet-toned tenor Duke Kim has endeared himself as the story's lovable, love-struck hero. We don't care what he's wearing, and the song hits home. L'Elisir d'Amore: Claudia Boyle. Photograph: Ros Kavanagh L'Elisir d'Amore: Duke Kim and Claudia Boyle. Photograph: Ros Kavanagh L'Elisir d'Amore: Gianluca Margheri. Photograph: Ros Kavanagh American Gothic: L'Elisir d'Amore: Photograph: Ros Kavanagh Kim is surpassed in vocal agility by the neat and thrilling coloratura of the soprano Claudia Boyle , as Adina. Crucially, Boyle also brings an excellent comic presence as she flaunts her numerous costume changes, each more Scarlett O'Hara than the last. She is perfectly OTT, as is the bass Gianluca Margheri, as the alpha-male love rival Sergeant Belcore, the unabashed display of whose gym-chiselled torso makes us all wither with despair on Nemorino's behalf. Funniest of all is INO's always dependable funny man John Molloy, less than a year on from his hard-hitting depiction of the Older Man in Trade , Emma O'Halloran's gritty two-hander. As Dulcamara, the charlatan purveyor of the titular love potion, Molloy is consistently comic in gesture and inflection. Conducting, Erina Yashima keeps the music light-footed and lively, ably co-ordinating her large, busy chorus, where McCrystal has embedded so much funny dancing and caricature. He and the designer Sarah Bacon must have had a blast slipping in Laurel and Hardy, Abraham Lincoln, soldiers as Keystone Kops, and the grim-faced couple from American Gothic, Grant Wood's 1930 painting. L'Elisir d'Amore, staged by Irish National Opera , is at the Gaiety Theatre , Dublin, on Tuesday, May 27th, Thursday, May 29th, and Saturday, May 31st; at the National Opera House , Wexford, on Wednesday, June 4th; and at Cork Opera House on Saturday, June 7th
