Gig of the Week: All the Angels

GIG OF THE WEEK

All the Angels (Handel and the First Messiah)
Tuesday, November 23, to Wednesday, December 22nd, 7.30pm (Saturday matinee 2.30pm ); Smock Alley theatre, Dublin; €22/€25;smockalley.com
Set in Dublin in 1742, this joyous production tells the story of how Handel staged the premiere of his Messiah in a city ravaged by famine and poverty. He's got the hall booked (the original Smock Alley Theatre), and he's ready to rock, but he's a bit stuck when it comes to singers. So Handel must work with the stage actor Susannah Cibber and try to draw a celestial sound from her untrained voice. Soon he is beguiled by the raw honesty of her performance. This festive coproduction with Rough Magic and Smock Alley is written by the British poet Nick Drake and directed by Lynne Parker. It stars Brian Doherty, Ross Gaynor and Rebecca O'Mara, with the soprano Megan O'Neill, the tenor Ross Scanlon and the baritone Owen Gilhooly-Miles. A dinner-and-show package includes a meal in the venue's gorgeously ornate banquet hall.

Ricky Gervais
Monday, November 22nd, and Tuesday, November 23rd; from €42.50; ticketmaster.ie
The comedian-provocateur is back in front of a live audience in this revival of his 2019 stand-up show Supernature, which he put on hold while Covid did its thing. Gervais is set for a busy time, with his hit Netflix series After Life being renewed for a third season, and a lot of touring to make up for lost time. These two dates, rescheduled from early October, will see Gervais toppling sacred cows, breaking taboos and getting us to laugh at things we never would dream of laughing about.

Glass Animals
Wednesday, November 24th, and Thursday, November 25th, 7pm; 3Olympia, Dublin; from €25; ticketmaster.ie
With Glass Animals' hit Heat Waves burned into the collective memory and refusing to budge from the Spotify global charts, everyone has been asking, Who are these mysterious creatures made of molten sand and limestone? The Brit electro/indie/pop band led by Dave Bayley have always been a bit of a mystery, but now they're playing two nights at the 3Olympia, so finally we'll get to see what these Oxford boys look like and find out what they can do in a live setting. They'll be playing tracks from their 2020 album, Dreamland, along with songs from their previous albums Zaba and How to Be a Human Being.

Gary Barlow
Saturday, November 27th, SSE Arena, Belfast; Sunday, November 28th; 3Arena, Dublin; 6:30pm; from €49.50; ticketmaster.ie
There's no question fans just want live music back for good, and they'll be welcoming the return of Gary Barlow to the stage this weekend, bringing his All the Hits solo tour to Belfast and Dublin to kick off his postponed UK and Irish tour. With the Covid situation on a knife edge, new restrictions could be announced at any time, but at time of writing these two shows are going ahead, with very special guest Leona Lewis. "I've missed performing so much, I'm just really looking forward to getting out there and seeing everyone again," says Barlow. "I'm excited to think about how the new songs on the album will sound live and with an audience. I can't wait to see you all!"

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Beatles Day at the Workmans Club
Saturday, November 27th; Workmans Club, Dublin; 2pm and 8pm; €11.29/€20; theworkmansclub.com
Organised by Dublin Beatles Festival, this one-day Fab Four extravaganza is a shot of instant karma for Beatlemaniacs. "I wasn't intending to organise one this year but could really do with a party after the last 20 months, so let's do it," says chief Beatlehead Stephen Kennedy. The day will come in two parts, beginning with the Afternoon Ticket, which will feature local ledgebag Fiach Moriarty crushing Beatles songs with his prodigious talent, and the world premiere of a new play about George Harrison's first girlfriend, George, I Can Still Feel Your Kiss in My Tummy, written by Kennedy and performed by Joan Fleetwood. And there's an extra treat in store: a live recording of the acclaimed Nothing Is Real podcast, presented by the hardcore Beatles experts Jason Carty and Stephen Cockcroft, who will talk about The Beatles in Ireland. The Evening Ticket will feature a rock'n'roll party to celebrate 60 years since Brian Epstein strolled into the Cavern Club in Liverpool and saw The Beatles in action. The Rockets will perform songs that would have been in the Fab Four's setlist at that time, including tunes by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Eddie Cochran, while Jon Ward will deliver a support set of songs from all stages of Beatles.