DETAILS of the 20th Galway Arts Festival, which takes place between July 13th and 27th, were given in Dublin yesterday.
The festival, widely regarded as Ireland's largest and most popular arts extravaganza, has been extended this year to two weeks and includes an expanded number of visiting theatre companies (12 groups from eight countries), including Australia, Poland and Bulgaria.
The festival begins with the annual Macnas parade, which takes place a week earlier than usual this year, and follows a longer route. "The parade is the festival opener this year," said the festival's director, Mr Ted Turton.
"It will be the fanfare to say we're up and running. It will be so huge that it has been rerouted and will end with a terrific finale outside the new Black Box Performance Space."
Theatrical highlights of this year's festival include the acclaimed Royal National Theatre's production of Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan, directed by Nicholas Hynter with an all Irish cast, in the Town Hall Theatre.
"From the sublime to the bizarre," commented Ted Turton, when he went on to mention the Dutch company, Vis a Vis, with its show, Drift. It involves over 60 000 litres of water, creating scenery through a combination of illusion and animation. Originally designed as an outdoor event, the show will be staged in The Big Top "because of the unreliability of the Galway weather", said Mr Turton.
The organisers must have some confidence in the weather because the Polish company, Teatr Biuro Podrozy, presents Carmen Funehre outdoors. This dramatisation of the war in Bosnia will be staged at the Spanish Parade.
There will be acrobatic theatre with the Australian company, Legs on the Wall, and a production of Pyramus & Thisbe by founder members of the distinctive Footsbarn Travelling Theatre. Adapted from Ovid's poem, the play is performed by Germany's Ton Und Kirschen Theatre Company.
Other highlights include English actress Judith French in My Solitary Elegance, based on the life of Jane Austen; Irish company, Corcadorca, with its award winning production of Disco Pigs; readings by Roddy Doyle and Pat McCabe; concerts with Sine ad O'Connor and The Beautiful South, and several events for children. Telephone 1890 575655 for further details.