Upcoming Entertainment at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre in April 2015
Exhibiting in April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly – (057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
7th Annual St Brendan’s Community School Student Art Exhibition
Birr Theatre & Arts Centre is delighted to welcome back the students of St Brendan’s Community School for their seventh annual exhibition. This is a huge opportunity for young artists to experience the exhibition process and for the public to see the wonderful and varied work produced by second level students. The exhibition will run until the end of April.
Open Mon-Fri 1.00 – 5.30pm and during performances.
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Tuesday 7 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly –(057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
Film@BirrTheatre– “Human Capital”
We open on a dark, snowy night in northern Italy – and begin at the end. Approaching a stranger’s tragic death from three vastly different perspectives, the lives of two families, at first only loosely linked by their teenagers’ relationship, overlap in multitudinous ways to devastating effect. Valeria Golina and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, two of Italy’s leading actresses, star in a story based on Stephen Amidon’s best-selling book of the same name that twists love, class, and ambition into a singular, true-life story.
€5/€3
8pm
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Friday 10 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly – (057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
The Chronicle of Oggle by Peter Gowen
Asylum Productions
Meet Pakie. An orphan, a storyteller, an adventurer, a survivor. He may not be the sharpest sandwich in the toolbox, but Pakie knows a thing or two about the history of his native town – from the vicious Vikings, to the less-than Christian Brothers. Pakie’s a laugh a minute… but Pakie’s got secrets. Secrets the God fearing people of Oggle may not be ready to hear.
Written and performed by Peter Gowen (Charlie – George Colley, Love/Hate, The Butcher Boy), and directed by Donal Gallagher (Love All, Bedbound), this is a hilarious and heart-breaking story of small towns and even smaller minds.
“…a comic tale of our times – startling, enjoyable and sad – a sharply faceted performance” Irish Times ****
funny, lyrical … evocative… a timely piece of work. Irish Theatre Magazine
€15/€12 (Early Bird if booked before 1 April)
8pm
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Tuesday 14 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly –(057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
Callino Quartet
With Ailish Tynan
The Callino Quartet have been impressing international audiences and critics alike with their bold, imaginative and sensitive performances since 1999. On this tour they will perform quartets by Haydn and Brahms and are joined by the wonderful Irish soprano Ailish Tynan for the challenging but immensely rewarding Quartet No. 2 by Schoenberg, a quartet he dedicated to his wife at a particularly challenging time of their relationship. Mozart’s joyful ‘Exultate Jubilate’ will bring the concert to an exuberant close. Ailish Tynan enjoys a starry international career. She trained at Trinity College, the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was a Vilar Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, a BBC New Generation Artist and won the Rosenblatt Recital Prize at the 2003 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.
€16/€14
8pm
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Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 April 15 at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly –(057) 9122911 /www.birrtheatre.com.
Wild for the Wireless
A Radio Drama Project
Taking inspiration from the success of Scripts Ireland’s Playwriting Festival 2013 and the excitement generated by the production of a radio play (Meat and Blue Wicked by Irish Theatre Awards nominee Gillian Greer) that subsequently went on to achieve a Silver Medal at the PPI Radio Awards 2014 for Best Radio Drama, Scripts are now launching an entire new event dedicated to WILD FOR THE WIRELESS. Playwrights were invited to submit 15 minute Radio Plays on the theme “A Bump in the Road”. A number of playwrights will be selected to take part in a developmental process under the guidance of mentor, Eugene O’Brien, where they will have the opportunity to develop and fine tune their scripts over a three day process. Final drafts of the plays will then be performed as rehearsed readings for a live audience at Birr Theatre & Art’s Centre on Saturday 18 April. More information onwww.scriptsireland.com.
Tickets €10
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Sunday 19 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly – (057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
The Trench Awards
Musicians of the Future Gala Concert
A unique opportunity to hear some of the finest young musicians of the future perform a repertoire of solo instrument and song! Following on the success of last year’s inaugural event, Birr Theatre & Arts Centre has again sought submissions from musicians and singers with a midlands connection, who are pursuing a professional performance career in classical instrument or voice. Tonight’sconcert presents those chosen from many applicants throughout Ireland, one of whom will receive the Trench Award for 2015.
Selection Panel:
Fergus Sheil – Conductor/Artistic Director Opera Theatre Company and Wide Open Opera
John Molloy – International Bass-baritone
Enda O’Connor – M.A., H.Dip.Ed, G.D.P.E / Conductor / Board Member Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
Official Accompanist: Richard McGrath
Co-ordinator: Maureen deForge
€14/10
7.30pm
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Tuesday 21 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly –(057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
Film@BirrTheatre– “Mr. Turner”
Dir: Mike Leigh, UK, 2014, 149 Mins, Cert:12A, Language: English
Starring: Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Roger Ashton-Griffiths
Mr Turner explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout this, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty. (Entertainment One).
€5/€3
8pm
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Thursday 23 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly – (057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
Mundy
Carrig NS Fundraiser night
At the end of 2014, Birr’s popular artist gave us a taste of his sixth studio album, Shot in the Dark with the first track – the poignantWindow Shopping For Faith – exploring the loneliness that many of us feel around the festive season. For this new album Mundy has teamed up with Youth, who produced his debut album Jellylegs in 1996. Jellylegs yielded such hit songs as Gin and Tonic Sky, Life’s A Cinch and To You I Bestow which featured on the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet. Following Jellylegs, Mundy went on to release the multi platinum record 24 Star Hotel, followed by Raining Down Arrows and his first live album Live and Confusion. His 4th studio album, Strawberry Blood, followed in 2009 and saw Mundy touring Ireland, Australia and the UK once more. Shuffle was released in 2011 and featured his versions of songs by greats like Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Paul Simon andGillian Welch, to name a few. With his well-known anthems, July, Mexico, Galway Girl and tunes from the new album this promises to be a fantastic night.
€20
8pm
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Friday 24 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly – (057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
The Assassination of Brian Boru
Two brothers of conflicting ideals sail to Ireland to defeat the High King Brian Boru. Brodir and Ospak are respected warriors, two brothers of vastly different temperament who have fought side by side in many battles throughout their lives. On their journey toIreland they are plagued by omens, iron beaked ravens and showers of spears and blood. Cracks begin to scar their accord. The omens tell Ospak that they find themselves on the wrong side, but Brodir is dogged in his hunger for victory and power. The voyage breaks them as brothers and allies. Ospak deserts his brother to convert to Christianity and fight on the side of the good King. The brothers meet on the battlefield after Boru is killed, and in the bloodthirsty mess of the fight even the clarity of death is shaken.
€15/€12 (Early Bird if booked before 1 April)
8pm
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Tuesday 28 April at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly – (057) 9122911 / www.birrtheatre.com.
Film@BirrTheatre– “Boyhood”
Dir: Richard Linklater, 2013, USA, 163 mins, Cert: 15A, Language: English
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater
Every year since 2002 Richard Linklater has gathered together the same actors in front of the camera for this unique feature film project which enables the viewer to observe people living their lives – and all that goes with it – over a longer period of time. Candid and happy to experiment, Linklater follows the character of Mason from his early schooldays in Austin until he enters college. Mason has both an annoying sister and a pair of divorced parents to cope with. His freaky father, who might just grow up one day, is played by Ethan Hawke. Patricia Arquette embodies his single Mum who, besides trying to finish her studies, has a tendency always to fall for the wrong guy. At the hub of this chaotic emotional world is Mason himself (Ellar Coltrane) whose clever comments get cleverer by the year.
€5/€3
8pm
