How to shorten these winter nights: This week’s best online events

Irish Times Winter Nights Festival
Thursday, January 28th, and Friday, January 29th, irishtimes.com/winter-nights
It's the home stretch on The Irish Times's fab feast of conversation, culture and ideas, and there's still plenty to immerse yourself in over the next two nights, including: Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon discussing life beyond Brexit with Fintan O'Toole (6.30pm); Taoiseach Micheál Martin telling Jennifer Bray how he intends to lead us through this latest lockdown (7.45pm); and Luke O'Neill reassuring Jennifer O'Connell that there is light at the end of this long Covid tunnel (9pm). It all wraps up tomorrow with the teen naturalist star Dara McAnulty, Irish acting royalty Gabriel Byrne and CNN anchor John King.

Tradfest@Home
Thursday, January 28th, to Sunday, January 31st, 8pm, tradfest.ie
Gather round the virtual snug for a good oul' online seisiún as Tradfest brings us four live gigs from Dublin Castle, staring with Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny (Thursday), continuing with Dervish (Friday) and Hothouse Flowers (Saturday) and wrapping up with Altan (Sunday). Each headliner will be joined by an array of excellent guests, and here's the real craic: each gig costs the princely sum of €4.99.

The Cinematic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall
Friday, January 29th, 8pm, southbankcentre.co.uk
On a Friday night, we like nothing better than to put on our hipster gear, trim our goatee and head out to catch a live jazz-electro-improv group. And we can still do that this Friday by simply logging on for this debut streamed event from the acclaimed British musical collective, straight from London's iconic Royal Festival Hall, accompanied by stunning visuals courtesy of film-maker Leander Ward.

Winter Nights

Vision @ Vicar St
Thursday, January 28th, 9pm, free, aikenpromotions.com
Over the past few weeks, Tommy Tiernan has hosted a series of online music and chat shows exploring the 22-year history of the Liberties venue in the (socially distanced) company of some of Ireland's finest bands and artists. The final show goes out tonight, and sees the bould Tommy chat with the even boulder Damien Dempsey, along with Denise Chaila, God Know and Murli, The Mary Wallopers and comedian Enya Martin. All episodes are available to watch on YouTube, so get catching up.

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A Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective
Friday, January 29th, $25, rufuswainwright.veeps.com
The fab Rufus Wainwright has taken the lockdown as an opportunity to look back online at his storied career. This latest edition sees him recruit pianist Scott Dunn to accompany him on songs from his 2010 album All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu, which features settings of Shakespeare sonnets to music, and Wainwright's own The Dream. And, unlike renting a video, you can rewatch the show all the way through to the end of February.

Happy Days
Saturday, January 30th, olympia.ie, ticketco.events
Let's face it, only Beckett can properly convey that existential claustrophobia sparked by Covid-19 lockdowns. Siobhán McSweeney, best known as the sarcastic and perma-exasperated Sr Michael in Derry Girls, digs deep for her role as Winnie, buried up to her waist in the burning sun, but doing her best to see the bright side of life, in this online event from Landmark Productions. Marty Rea joins McSweeney as Winnie's seldom-seen husband Willie. Caitriona McLaughlin directs this one-night-only live stream from the Olympia theatre, inviting us to experience it together while staying apart.

Mustard
Sunday, January 31st, 8pm, origintheatre.org/events/mustard
Eva O'Connor writes and stars in this one-woman show exploring madness and how to find solace in a popular kitchen condiment. Fishamble's award-winning production is directed by Hildegard Ryan, and is being streamed online as part of the 13th annual Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival in New York. O'Connor's performance has been called "fiery", "spicy", "piquant" and other mustard metaphors, and her character, E, has been described by The Irish Times as "part Fleabag, part Marina Abramovic".

Laura Marling at the Union Chapel 2020
Sunday, January 31st, 8pm, £10, dice.fm/event
Last June, English singer-songwriter Laura Marling performed a unique show at Union Chapel in London's Islington, just her and a guitar and a small camera, light and sound crew. The result was a stunning, restrained performance of some of her best songs, the Gothic splendour of the chapel neatly framing the lone, pale singer onstage. Here's a chance to catch the gossamer magic again, with a special "re-stream" for audiences around the world who weren't able to access the original stream.

A Night In with Marian Keyes
Thursday, February 4th, 6.30pm, €22.50 and €11.50, takeyourseats.ticketsolve.com
She's one of Ireland's most successful writers, initially written off as a purveyor of chick-lit, but confounding the critics by revealing a greater depth and humour to her writing, a keen mind tuned to contemporary issues, and a superb storytelling talent that has propelled her 14th novel, Grown Ups, to the top of the bestselling lists. This very special night in is to celebrate the paperback release of Grown Ups, and a full-price ticket will also get you a physical copy of the book, delivered to wherever you are.

A Night In with Bridgerton Author Julia Quinn
Sunday, February 7th, fane.co.uk/bridgerton
It's Netflix's fifth most successful debut series ever, a runaway success that has turned the traditional costume drama topsy-turvy, and shown just what you can do with a great story, memorable characters, superb actors and lots of frocks and frills. Julia Quinn has made period drama sexy again, and here she chats to Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in the series, about why romance novels are back with a bang, and how Quinn went from medical school dropout to hugely successful author, with 18 novels on the New York Times bestsellers list. But what we really want to know is, when will the next Bridgerton series land in our parlours?