Orfeo

On tour from tomorrow through Jun 30 01-6794962

POSSESSED,

EX/CAITRÍONA O’LEARY

Wexford Arts Centre Tonight 8pm €15 053-9123764; St Mary’s Cathedral, Tuam, Co Galway Tomorrow 8pm €15; Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin Sun Noon Adm free 01-2225550

KBC GREAT MUSIC IN IRISH HOUSES FESTIVAL

Various venues, Dublin

Tues Jun 12-Sun Jun 17 greatmusicinirishhouses.ie01-4170000

Opera Theatre Company returns to Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo this month with a new production by the company’s founding artistic director, Ben Barnes, and an ensemble of period instruments directed by Andrew Synnott. It should be quite a change from their last approach to this work, in 1995, when Monteverdi was given an electro-acoustic makeover by composer Michael Alcorn.

The new English-language production, with designs by Joe Vanek, features American tenor Oliver Mercer in the title role and Sadhbh Dennedy, and will open in Waterford before touring to Galway, Carlow, Limerick, Tallaght, Navan, Dublin (the Beckett Theatre), Bray, Ballina and Wexford.

The early music ensemble eX’s latest show, Possessed, promises to explore “the Strange Phenomenon of Possession Through Music, Dance and Theatre”. You can catch it in Wexford on Friday, Tuam on Saturday, and Dublin on Sunday.

The KBC Great Music in Irish Houses festival opens in Rathfarnham Castle on Tuesday with the Doric String Quartet playing Haydn, Korngold and Schubert. Highlights include a performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time with Carol McGonnell, Catherine Leonard, Guy Johnston and Finghin Collins (Smock Alley Theatre, Wednesday); a recital in Killruddery House by the rapidly rising Irish mezzo soprano Tara Erraught (Saturday 16th); and the Irish premiere of Steve Reich’s Drumming by the Colin Currie Group at the National Concert Hall (Sunday 17th), this last with a 7.30pm start.