The Guide: The events to see, the shows to book, and the ones to catch before they end

Event of the Week

Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival

Until Sunday May 7th, Belfast, various venues/times/prices cqaf.com

Is there a more comprehensive gathering of the arts over a two-week period than the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival? It seems unlikely, given the swathe of multi-strand events that the programmers have managed to squeeze in for its duration. Music is well catered for (The 4 of Us, David Kitt, Dark Tropics, Róisín O, Joshua Burnside, Kate Rusby, Susan O’Neill, James Yorkston & Nina Persson), while other areas include poetry (Brian Bilston), in conversation, readings and literature (Jude Rogers, Elaine Farrell, Leanne McCormick, John Robb, Fern Brady, Jon Snow, Zandra Rhodes), theatre (Not Now), and comedy (Anne Gildea, Sarah Firby, Janey Godley, Catherine Bohart). All details are via the festival website.

Gigs

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

Friday, May 5th, RDS Arena, Dublin; 5pm; €131 (standing) €96/€141/€156 (seated); sold out; ticketmaster.ie

You know everything has returned to normal when Bruce Springsteen turns up. Pandemic, masks, social distancing – what are they when they’re at home? In what is the first major open-air gig of 2023, Springsteen and The E Street Band settle down in Dublin for three shows (as well as this one, they also play the same venue on Sunday, May 7th and Tuesday, May 9th) that will, once again, surely, lay waste to the notion that old school rock’n’roll is a dying art form. What to expect is what we know: the E Street Band - which includes Patti Scialfa (Mrs Boss), Nils Lofgren, Steve Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, and Jake Clemons – is the well-oiled engine, and the chief engineer is Springsteen, match fit, motivated, involved, born to run and run.

James Vincent McMorrow

Saturday April 29th/Sunday April 30th, NCH, Dublin; 8pm; €40 nch.ie

It isn’t the first time that a musician has played a new album of songs in full before a live audience before they record them (in 2007, REM did something similar at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre, as it was then called, for their 2008 album Accelerate), but it is always a productive idea to do so. Dubliner James Vincent McMorrow has a new batch of songs ready to go and is, he says, willing to make them breathe in a room full of people (you’ll be lucky to get a ticket for either show) that will make him “realise things about them” that he wouldn’t have otherwise been aware of. More of this, please.

Dani Larkin

Saturday April 29th, Oriel Centre, Dundalk, Co Louth; 8.30pm; €18 orielcentre.ie; Sunday April 30th, The Cobblestone, Dublin; 8pm; €15 cobblestonepub.ie; Thursday May 4th, Monroes, Galway; 8pm; €16.50 monroes.ie; Friday May 5th, Upstairs at Dolan’s, Limerick; 8pm; €14 dolans.ie; Saturday May 6th, Levis Corner House, Cork; 8pm; €20 leviscornerhouse.com

Dani Larkin is one of the most assured solo live performers we have seen in years – she grabs the attention of an audience with equal parts ease and tightrope tautness, while her songs are steadfast and passionate. In advance of the release of her new EP, Walking with Natives, she undertakes an extensive Irish tour, the dates of which you’d be unwise to ignore.

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Ron Sexsmith

Saturday April 29th, Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick; 7.30pm; €35 dolans.ie; Sunday April 30th, St John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co Kerry; 8pm; €35 stjohnstheatre.ie; Monday May 1st, Sea Church, Ballycotton, Co Cork; 8.30pm; €35 seachurch.ie; Tuesday May 2nd, Theatre Royal, Waterford; 8pm; €36.50 theatreroyal.ie; Thursday May 4th, Town Hall, Galway; 8pm; €35 tht.ie; Friday, Set Theatre, Kilkenny; 8pm; €37.50 set.ie; Saturday May 6th, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin; 7pm; €42 ticketmaster.ie

Canadian songwriter Ron Eldon Sexsmith has written more than enough classic pop melodies to be considered Paul McCartney’s spiritual twin, yet he has always taken such care not to be swayed by praise. To promote his latest album, The Vivian Line (on which Sexsmith’s quality control levels haven’t moved a millimetre), he is embarking on a nationwide tour. In other words, you have no excuse.

Theatre

Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival

Monday May 1st-Sunday May 14th; various venues, Dublin; various prices/times gaytheatre.ie

Founded to celebrate the 150th birthday of Oscar Wilde, next year marks the 20th anniversary of DIGTF, which has grown to be the principal event of its kind in the world. Whatever surprises are in store for 2024, this year’s programme is quality. Highlights include Amanda Brunker’s camp thrill ride How to Leave Your Husband – The Mini Musical; Joe Leather’s one-man show Wasteman; Garret Baker’s witty play The War Wounded; and Rosalind Patton’s drama I Didn’t See That Coming. Further details from the festival website.

Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom

Thursday May 4th/Friday May 5th, Wexford Arts Centre; 8pm; €18/€16 wexfordartscentre.ie

Adapted from James Joyce’s Ulysses’ ‘Penelope’ episode (Chapter 18) by Aedín Moloney and Colum McCann, and performed by award-winning director, filmmaker and actor Moloney, this critically celebrated off-Broadway dramatisation is a tour de force. Lady Chatterley’s Lover author DH Lawrence described the episode as “the dirtiest, most indecent, obscene thing ever written”; many years later, the Wall Street Journal noted that Moloney’s performance “will enthral and transport you” with its “riot of sensuality”. Which side will you be on? Touring nationwide throughout May and June. Further details from yesreflectionsofmollybloom.com

Dance

A Call to You

Saturday April 29th, Siamsa Tíre, Tralee, Co Kerry; 8pm; €18.50/€16.50 siamsatire.com; Tuesday May 2nd, Town Hall Theatre, Galway; 8pm; €20/€18 tht.ie; Thursday May 4th, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Co Laois; 8pm; €18/€16 dunmaise.ie

Catherine Young Dance’s much-admired, politically attuned A Call to You, which is inspired by Ukrainian folk dance customs, premiered with two sold-out shows at the Dublin Dance Festival last year, but now reaches countrywide venues with a series of performances that conclude at Glór, Ennis, Co Clare on Saturday May 13th.

Comedy

Andrew Maxwell: Krakatoa

Saturday April 29th, Liberty Hall, Dublin; 8pm; €31.50/€28 ticketmaster.ie; Sunday April 30th, Limelight 1, Belfast; 8pm; £21 ticketmaster.ie

“Craicatoa”, surely, or has Andrew Maxwell missed a trick? It’s unlikely, as the Dublin comedian has been around for some time now (he began his career in 1992) and is most certainly experienced in the mechanics of stand-up comedy. His latest show pivots on the random nature of life, so prepare for the unexpected. Oh, yes, and a volcano.

Still Running

My Father’s Kind

Friday May 5th, Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co Dublin; Thursday May 11th, Glór, Ennis, Co Clare

In a show based on his suite of poems, Dermot Bolger tours with composer/fiddle player Danny Diamond, traditional singer Macdara Yeates and piper/flautist Sheila Friel. Also Friday May 12th, The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim; Saturday May 13th, An Droichead, Belfast.

Book It This Week

Abigail’s Party, Everyman Theatre, Cork; May 29th-June 2nd; everymancork.com

BellX1, Live at the Marquee, Cork; June 10th; ticketmaster.ie

SZA, 3Arena, Dublin; June 21st/22nd; ticketmaster.ie

Hamilton, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin; September 17th-November 16th; ticketmaster.ie