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An opening to remember? Oh yes it is

There has been much speculation recently about whether the model Georgia Salpa is going to enter the Celebrity Big Brotherhouse. "Oh yes she is," said the theatre director Michael Scott at the opening of this year's Cheerios Christmas panto, Sleeping Beauty, in the Tivoli on Monday evening. Salpa was due to share the role of the Queen Kardashian with Michele McGrath but pulled out a couple of weeks ago.

Scott, who directs the panto, was philosophical about it on the opening night: “We got the publicity of her being in it and then the publicity of her pulling out of it.” A diplomatic Salpa turned up for the opening and cheered for McGrath, who now has the role of Queen Kardashian all to herself. McGrath told me she’s looking forward to going travelling after Christmas. Lots of her school pals from Skerries Community School have travelled, and McGrath is finally going to bite the bullet – for six weeks anyway – down in Oz and New Zealand. Michele’s pal Hayley Ryan, the model, was accompanied by her boyfriend, Dave Kearney, of Leinster rugby on Monday.

Former X Factorrunner-up Mary Byrne said the show was "absolutely brilliant. It brought me back to my childhood. It was great the way people interacted." Byrne will be busy after Christmas, when she will perform in Grease. "I'm off to Scotland for four weeks, then Belfast for two weeks and then Derry for a week."

Laura Woods told me she was going straight home to bed as she had an early rise. She had to be up at 4am to fill in for Alan Hughes of TV3, who stars as Sammy Sausages in the panto. She and her husband, Mark Arigho, were catching up with their friend the former model Louise Loughman-Byrne, her husband, Stephen Byrne, and children Sophie Byrne and Chloe Byrne.

Rory Cowan, who plays Rory Brown in Mrs Brown's Boys, liked the panto so much he's going back again "a few times". Brian Ormond and Pippa O'Connor – who don't do things by halves – celebrated their six-month wedding anniversary on Sunday. Brian was cheering on his friend Rob Ross, with whom he used to present Ice on RTÉ2. Ross, from Athlone, plays Prince Wills in the panto. He has returned from London – where's he's based with his girlfriend, Jenny Kavanagh, who used to play Cleo Collins in Fair City– to take the part. Noel Cunningham from TV3's Ireland AM is looking forward to watching himself on Celebrity Come Dine with Me, which "is being screened on January 2nd". He was talking to the PR consultant Astrid Brennan, who was looking forward to hosting her annual Christmas party at her Ballsbridge pad last night.

What we heardShouts of "He's behind you!"

Who we spottedModel and TV presenter Glenda Gilson and Rob Macnaughton; Karen Koster of TV3; the writer of the pantomime, Karl Broderick, who married Alan Hughes this year; Joe Duffy and his daughter Ellen; hair stylist Gary Kavanagh of Peter Mark; Brian Dowling and his boyfriend, Arthur Gourounlian.

Three sopranos bear musical gifts

On St Stephen's Day Cara O'Sullivan will be singing at Thomond Park for the Munster v Connacht rugby match, where former Ireland international John Hayes is due to bow out and retire. "I am going to dedicate There Is an Isleespecially to him," she said. O'Sullivan also told me she's really looking forward to singing O Holy Nightthis evening at St Francis's Church on Liberty Street in Cork and loves singing for the home congregation.

She was taking part in the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra's Three Sopranos Christmas Galawith fellow sopranos Regina Nathan and Celine Byrne in association with The John Murray Showon RTÉ Radio 1 on Wednesday. There were two performances, a matinee and an 8pm show.

Programme highlights included Gounod's Jewel Songfrom Faust, Mozart's Letter Duetfrom The Marriage of Figaroand a performance of The Night Before Christmasnarrated by the actor and comedian Risteárd Cooper.

Cooper was supported in the audience by his wife Suzanne and three children Evan (13), Sadhbh (nine) and Nora (seevn). Nora said she was looking forward to Santa’s visit tonight.

Marian McNally was unable to get tickets initially, but her persistence paid off, and she was delighted to hear the three sopranos. She was up from “Declan Nerney country”, she told me. The Drumlish mother attended with her daughter Siobhán McNally, who is doing a PhD in counselling psychology at Trinity College Dublin.

Also enjoying the concert were Ann Walshe from Rathfarnham and her friend Rita Stephenson from Rathcoole.

Turning the ignition

Camille O’Sullivan was out partying on Monday night at Anseo on Camden Street in Dublin, where The Walls were having their Christmas party. She didn’t get to bed until 4.30am but was looking refreshed by Tuesday afternoon in TCD’s Science Gallery for the launch of Sky Arts Ignition – The Futures Fund, an initiative for young artists. Five artists will each receive €35,000, as well as mentoring support.

O’Sullivan has been appointed its Irish ambassador. “I tour way more in England than here, so someone must have spotted me and said, ‘She’s a talker: we’ll ask her.’ ”

She is flying to New York on New Year's Eve for two shows. On her return she is releasing an album called Changeling.

Sky Arts director James Hunt was at the session on Tuesday, which was designed to help artists learn more about the fund and to give them guidance on how to create a winning project. A second round of applications has now opened to individual artists working in visual art, performance art, theatre, music, film, dance or literature. They must be aged between 18 and 30 on February 24th, 2012, and be based in Ireland or the UK.

Also enjoying the launch and Q&A were Meave Stone and Dan Colley of Spilt Gin Theatre Group. Their last production was their Fringe show You Can't Just Leave – There's Always Something.

What we heardEnthusiastic artists clamouring for a chat with James Hunt

Who we spottedActor Will Irvine, who is rehearsing Macbethwith Second Age Theatre Company; and Youth Theatre director Conor Hanratty, who has just returned from LA.

This is pop-up, baby

A pop-up event called T railblazers, Aha Moments and Sonic Wonder: Secret Acts of Non-Compliancetook place on Wednesday evening at Dublin's Smock Alley Theatre. Kathy Scott, who was programme manager at the Office of Non-Compliance during Dublin Contemporary 2011, said it was "all about introducing people from different sectors and popping up in unusual venues".

All the money raised on Wednesday went to Pieta House; its founder, Joan Freeman, was one of the 12 speakers at the event. Other speakers included Michael Kelly, a social entrepreneur and founder of Grow it Yourself, Michelle Darmody, who runs the Cake Cafe on Camden Street, and contemporary traditional fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.

Playwright Phillip McMahon, who also spoke, told me he was looking forward to his Alice in Funderlandmusical being staged at the Abbey Theatre in March.

The second half of the evening was dedicated to music and included Donal Lunny, who played a selection of traditional pieces, and Allison Sleator, who sang Silent Nightand O Holy Night.