Could peace come after? After what? Who will we be?
Easter morning, 1916. Gunshots ring out in the Dublin streets. In her suburban sitting room Hannah prepares for revolution. While Frank walks through the crowds calling for peace, John walks through his nightmares of the trenches, sees a city soaked in blood. 18-year-old William fearfully reports to the barracks for duty, determined to serve the British army with honour. But can honour survive the chaos of conflict, and once unleashed can violence ever be contained?
Inspired by true events, this absorbing production weaves movement and live folk song in to a stirring tale of militarism, corruption and the power of rebellion.
£10-20.
Showing Thurs 25, Fri 26 and Sat 27 Oct, the latter with post-show Q&A session.
THTSIM A5 flyer 03.
To Have to Shoot Irishmen is supported by Arts Council England, Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust and Unity Theatre Trust.
Two traditional fiddlers come together to celebrate the musical links between Ireland, Liverpool and Lancashire and a history of shared tunes and dances.
£10.
Set in the midst of ‘The Troubles’, Rat in the Skull centres on an interview between a Royal Ulster Constabulary inspector and a young Catholic man in London detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Told from the point of view of an Ulster Protestant, it casts a new perspective on the struggle. Their sectarian differences fall away when confronted with ‘casual loathing’ of their English counterparts.
See a feature in the Broadway World, here.
£15/£12.
The production is a partnership between Bardic Theatre (County Tyrone, NI) and the Liverpool Irish Festival and helps us to mark 20 years of the Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998. It has been supported by the Mid Ulster Council, Arts Council England and St George’s Hall.
It’s 2018. Stormont is down.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are tied up in government with the Tories. GB is about to crash out of the EU. Polls show London and Dublin would rather the other deal with Northern Ireland, whilst international headlines scream ‘medieval province’. Hardly great craic!
So, when an unexpected discovery changes the fortunes of Ulster, will people be ready for the emergence of Northern Ireland as a global superpower? Inspired by the infamous daily radio phone-in The Nolan Show, ‘The Biggest Show in The Country is a dark musical comedy that swaps guns, bombs and bullets for glitter, banter and ballads, whilst exploring what it means to be Northern Irish in 2018, 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement.
This is a rehearsed reading of the script, not a full production. It is an opportunity to see artists at work and get an early insight in to the theatre making process.
In a change to early listings- this event will now take place at 11am NOT 3pm. We apologise for any confusion.
£3.
IndieCork Film Festival is a platform for new and emerging filmmaking talent and these programmes are a useful showcase of emerging Irish voices.
In the first of two curated programmes, each direct from IndieCork 2018, this night of shorts shows a wealth of talented filmmakers and their current preoccupations , covering a range of genres; drama, comedy, documentary, animation and experimental film. There’s even a charming pop promo for Fan Liom (Wait With Me) sung by Lasairfhíona de Brún.
Mick Hannigan will host the evening and introduce a new filmmaker to talk about their work.
We also recommend booking for IndieCork: New Irish Shorts from Women followed by the IndieCork feature, on Tues 23 Oct 2018 (see listings).
Supported by the Culture Ireland GB18 programme and Arts Council England and presented in partnership with Picture House at FACT.
Image: still from Fan Liom (detail only).
Unhook your mindbras.
David O’Doherty is back on tour with a brand-new show made up of talking and songs played on a crappy keyboard from 1986. As seen on BBC2’s Live At The Apollo and Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
This event is presented by Liverpool Everyman as part of the Liverpool Irish Festival
Lankum return to the Liverpool Irish Festival having played as Lynched in 2016.
A four-piece traditional folk group from Dublin, Lankum combine distinctive four-part vocal harmonies with arrangements of uilleann pipes, concertina, Russian accordion, fiddle and guitar. Their repertoire spans humorous Dublin music-hall ditties and street-songs; classic ballads from the Traveller tradition; traditional Irish and American dance tunes and their own original material.
A feast for the ears, the quick banter and troubadour spirit is keen in this group.
£15 + 7.5% booking fee.
Presented by Liverpool Philharmonic for #LIF2018.
Image (c) Aidan Kelly Murphy, 2016 (detail only).
Following on from IndieCork: New Irish Shorts, this evening’s programme represents the best of the female led shorts at IndieCork Film Festival 2018.
Comprising mostly of work by new female directors, the selection also features Augenblick by Vivienne Dick, arguably Ireland’s best known director working in experimental film.
Mick Hannigan will host the evening and introduce a new filmmaker to talk about their work.
£7/£5 members.
The filmmakers presented at this event were supported by the Culture Ireland GB18 programme and Arts Council England and presented in partnership with Picture House at FACT.
Image: Sibéal Davitt & Máire Uí Fhinn i from Modh Rúin (detail only), Dir. Ríonach Ní Néill ©Luca Trufarell
Eamonn Hughes portrait
Drawing on his experience of working with Van Morrison, Hughes examines the ways in which Morrison’s representation of Belfast offers a different view of the city from ubiquitous images of it as a city of conflict.
In turn, you are offered an insight into the originality and innovation Morrison brings to the art of song writing.
Eamonn Hughes teaches at the School of English at Queen’s University Belfast. Specialising in Irish literary and cultural studies, his history of Irish literature was broadcast by BBCNI in 2009. He worked with Van Morrison on his selected lyrics Lit Up Inside (2014).
£8/£6.
This is a joint event between Liverpool Literary Festival and Liverpool Irish Festival, sponsored by The Institute of Irish Studies.
Making The Grade invites us into the world of the piano lesson.
Every year teachers and students throughout Ireland prepare for graded musical exams. These exams can be pleasing for some but daunting for others. Each student has a goal, but Grade Eight is the pinnacle. Endearing and uplifting, this documentary explores the bond between piano teacher and pupil as they struggle through these grades. This is a story of the transformative power of music and the pride and happiness it provides both the students and teachers. It may inspire us all to keep making the grade.
“The ultimate feel good film” The Sunday World.
“This is truly life-affirming filmmaking” The Irish Independent.
“One of the great, affecting films about teaching” The Irish Times.
£7/£5.
85 mins.
We’re delighted that award-winning director Ken Wardrop will be with us to introduce his latest film, supported by the Culture Ireland GB18 programme and Arts Council England.
We also recommend booking for IndieCork: New Irish Shorts before this feature and IndieCork: New Irish Shorts from Women on Tues 23 Oct 2018 (see listings).
Supported by the Culture Ireland GB18 programme and Arts Council England and in partnership with Picture House at FACT.
Image: still from Making the Grade, Ken Wardrop (detail only).
