Three world premières by Irish companies form the core of an impressive line-up of theatre for this year's Galway Arts Festival.
The festival's director, Ms Rose Parkinson, this year continues to innovate by commissioning and co-producing new work across a variety of disciplines.
The Drunkard, a new play by Tom Murphy - the first Murphy play to have its première in Galway since Bailegangaire in 1985 - is a b*spoke production in association with the festival, directed by Lynne Parker with a cast including Stephen Brennan and Pauline McLynn.
Galway company Macnas's The Mysteries, a reimagining of the biblical medieval plays in the grounds of NUI Galway, is a co-production with Coventry's Belgrade Theatre, which will take place outdoors in the grounds of Galway University.
Barabbas's Hurl by Charlie O'Neill, directed by Raymond Keane, is a spectacular hurling yarn of a different Ireland and has a cast drawn from all over the world.
Other theatre highlights in the line-up for the 26th Galway Arts Festival, launched last night at a party at the Village on Dublin's Wexford Street, include a return of Chicago's world-renowned Steppenwolf with Purple Heart, and a new play by Bruce Norris featuring Laurie Metcalf.
A high-energy physical show from Australia, Acrobat; The Junebug Symphony created by Charlie Chaplin's grandson, James Thiérrée, Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre's performance of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara; and Australian Stalker Theatre Company's stilted show on the streets of Galway will also feature.
There is an international line- up of music including Linton Kwesi Johnson with the Dennis Bovell Dub Band, the Waterboys and Arty McGlynn, as well as literature, children's events, comedy and the visual arts.
The festival is collaborating with the Galway Arts Centre to work with Bavarian artist Nils- Udo, featuring photographs of a series of his striking temporary installations created in Connemara this year.
Another festival collaboration is with French artist Bernard Pras, using the city's streets as an open-air canvas for his images of 20th-century icons from Hendrix to Einstein to Che Guevera.
Breaking Voices is a video installation by Icelandic artist Helena Jónsdóttir.
The festival runs from July 15th-July 28th. Booking opens next Monday at the box office at Victoria Place, off Eyre Square, (091) 566577. More details/booking on www.galwayartsfestival.ie
Galway 2003: Selected highlights
Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Dennis Bovell Dub Band concert - a festival debut
Steppenwolf's Purple Heart, by Bruce Norris
Actor Stephen Rea and musician Colin Reid celebrate Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman in words and music.
Premiere of Tom Murphy's new play, The Drunkard.
Nils-Udo's photographs of his Connemara installations
Composer/author/playwright Willie Russell performs new songs
Macnas's outdoor staging of The Mysteries
The Waterboys "tour" of Galway venues
Arty McGlynn concert with a huge line-up of guests
Writer and publisher John Calder talks about publishing Beckett, Ionesco, Pirandello, Duras.
Barabbas's Hurl, a multi-ethnic hurling story
Other music includes Boz Scaggs, Carlos Nunez, Ron Sexsmith, The Proclaimers, Emmett Tinley, James Grant, Sirens (Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dawn Kenny and Nina Hynes), Damien Dempsey, Erin McKeown and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh.