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).
Does what it says on the pump-clip!
This Irish Craft Beer Festival, run by well-loved owners of Kelly’s Dispensary in their sister hostelry, will see a number of small Irish brewers represented. Served alongside traditional soft drinks -such as Cidona and Club Orange- and a menu including Irish stew, potato and leek soup and crisp sandwiches (with proper Irish bread)
A great band to spend the evening with, The Jesse Janes will wow you with powerful harmonies and sheer range of instruments!
The Jesse Janes -Helen Seymour, Kate McCusker, Mary Rose McCusker and Treva Goldup- are a Blues, Americana, Skiffle, Rock, Country, Bluegrass and Irish Trad band hailing from Omagh, Bristol and Liverpool.
They say of themselves:
This young 4-piece who started off singing Alison Krauss songs at the end of a Jack Daniels and Jeiger Bomb fuelled night on the tiles eventually developed into a harmonising outfit ready for the road! Their voices blend as if they are all sisters (when in actual fact only 2 of them are!). Their tuneful guitar and mandolin picking encapsulates a modern bluegrass tone with hints and splashes of folk, country, soft rock and POP! thrown in for good measure! The band has an ecclectic choice of influences from the likes of Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Burl Ives, The Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac and The Killers. Not only do they make their quirky choice of covers their own but they also write and perform their own music too.
As well as a gale or an argument, a ‘hooley’ is a big old Irish party with music, dancing and –most importantly- oodles of fun.
With live music, a warm Irish welcome and that Saturday Night vibe only a city centre location can bring, this is the best way of wrapping up a day at the festival, in the company like-minded party animals!
In a change to some listings, Wee Bag Band will headline. The Wee Bag Band’s raison d’être is to bring mad, bad, trad, ‘didly’, popular and contemporary Irish/Celtic music and song to the masses at pubs, clubs, dos and festivals in North West, North Wales, the UK, infinity & beyond… They say of themselves “We must be hitting the notes in the right order as, to date, our music has taken us to many parts of the world including the UK, France, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, USA, Cuba, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Honduras and even northern Greenland”. If there’s more info you’d like to glean, use these links: http://weebagband.co.uk/the-band/ and http://weebagband.co.uk/wiki/the-intangible/
This event is delivered in partnership with O’Neill’s (Wood Street) with support from the Culture Ireland GB18 programme.
