Dublin Fringe Festival
Saturday, September 10th, to Sunday, September 25th; various venues, times and prices; fringefest.com
The Fringe Fest is back after the break, with a full line-up of events featuring more than 430 artists, and the organisers are encouraging us to lose the run of ourselves after two years of restraint. With a dizzyingly varied calendar of events on offer over 16 days, there should be no problem dropping our inhibitions and getting completely immersed in all the festival has to offer. Among them are ThisIsPopBaby’s Wake, “a howling, raucous, soul-stirring celebration of community, regeneration and the magic of collective catharsis” (Thursday, September 8th, to Saturday, September 17th, National Stadium); Hive City Legacy: Dublin Chapter celebrating Ireland’s women of colour with help from the Australian troupe Hot Brown Honey (Friday, September 9th, to Saturday, September 17th, Project Arts Centre); Pig Brain, starring Emma Finnegan as a tech terrorist out to save the world from egomaniacal billionaires (Saturday, September 10th, to Wednesday, September 14th, Smock Alley Theatre); and The Rest Rooms, a gathering place for disabled, D/deaf, chronically ill, neurodiverse people who are fed up and exhausted by the constant battle with an Ireland that remains hostile to those who are differently abled (Saturday, September 10th, to Wednesday, September 14th, National Concert Hall’s Kevin Barry Room).
Shostakovich in September with the Irish Chamber Orchestra
Wednesday, September 7th, National Concert Hall, Dublin, 7.30pm, €25/€22/€10/€5; Thursday, September 8th, St Patrick’s Church, Newport, Co Mayo, 7.30pm, €20; Friday, September 9th, University Concert Hall, Limerick, 7.30pm, €25/€22/€10/€5; irishchamberorchestra.com
Nothing like a bit of Shos at the close of summer, and the ICO has teamed up with the pianist Fiachra Garvey and the trumpeter Colm Byrne for a joyous performance of the composer’s exuberant Concerto No 1 for piano, trumpet and orchestra in C minor, Op 35. London-based Garvey trained in veterinary medicine and when he’s not blowing audiences away with his pianistic virtuosity, he’s down on the family farm in Co Wexford mucking in and helping with the lambing, shearing and harvesting. Also on this programme of three concerts in three counties is a performance of Philip Glass’s Symphony No 3 and a world premiere of Trip by Paul Frost, part of ICO’s remit to champion new music by Irish composers.
Garth Brooks
Friday, September 9th, to Sunday, September 11th, plus Friday, September 16th, and Saturday, September 17th; Croke Park, Dublin; 5pm; from €81; ticketmaster.ie
It’s eight years since the “Garthgate” debacle, when the United States’ biggest country star cancelled his Croke Park concerts because the planners would only let him play three dates instead of five. Now Garth Brooks is finally getting to play those five shows, although for a while there both Brooks and his fans thought tomorrow would never come. These are the final dates on his stadium tour, which has seen him stuff big venues across the US over the past year, so this promises to be a grand old hootenanny for all the good ol’ boys and girls at Croker, and of course a bumper week for Stetson sellers.
La Traviata
Saturday, September 10th, Tuesday, September 13th, Thursday, September 15th and Saturday, September 17th; Grand Opera House, Belfast; 7.30pm; £17.50-£52; goh.co.uk
Northern Ireland Opera is not planning a slight return to the refurbished Grand Opera House — instead they’re loudly announcing their return with a stunning new production of Verdi’s much-loved La Traviata, which tells the story of the doomed love between hopeless romantic Alfredo and courtesan Violetta. Soprano supreme Siobhan Stagg takes the role of Violetta, and 24 singers have been handpicked to perform in the chorus, so this is one not to be missed. The production is recommended for all ages and if you haven’t had a night at the opera before this will be the perfect production to dip your toe into the delights of live opera.
Music in Monkstown
Friday, September 9th, to Sunday, September 11th; various venues, Monkstown, Co Dublin; various prices; musicinmonkstown.ie
Schubert, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Debussy, Chopin and Shostakovich are on the menu as the 2022 edition of MIM takes place in the south Dublin seaside suburb. The parish church and Knox Hall will be transformed into wonderful venues where the finest classical musicians will perform, including the renowned pianist Barry Douglas, festival founder and former National Symphony Orchestra clarinettist John Finucane, the Piatti Quartet, pianist Órán Halligan, Vox Amicum Brass and the harpists Séamus Ó Flatharta, Aisling Ennis and Aileen Kennedy. The harp music reaches heavenly levels with a performance by Cruit Éireann (Harp Ireland) and an incredible ensemble of Chinese musicians playing the guzheng, a sort of Chinese plucked zither.
