Birr Theatre Nov - Feb 2020

NOV | DEC JAN | FEB 2019/20

O F FA LY ’ S C E N T R E F O R T H E A R T S

BOOKINGS 057 9122911 | www.birrtheatre.com

VISUAL ARTS

DECEMBER – JANUARY

MID-OCTOBER – NOVEMBER

CAROLE QUINLAN All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.

My exhibition is concerned with how we change over time and how we deal with these changes. As children, we are more honest and innocent, and do we learn to act a certain way as we get older, to protect ourselves or to be seen in a different light. When do we stop acting? How much of the person we show to the world is the real us. My pieces depicted several scenes from different stages of life shown as a scene from a play. I use high fired porcelain and mixed media in my work.

The exhibition runs until the end of November.

COMMON GROUND 2019 Climate Change The 12th annual Common Ground, referring to a group of artists coming together to exhibit, will take the theme, Climate Change. We are currently calling for local artists to submit work. The exhibition will be curated by a guest selector and it is intended the resulting exhibition will showcase the exceptional talent and diversity of visual artists in the Midlands today.

Please see www.birrtheatre.com for submission details.

Official Opening: Thursday 5 December, 7pm.

The exhibition runs for the months of December and January

FEBRUARY – MID-MARCH

LUCY BUTLER Lucy Butler is a sculptor and designer from near Ballina, Co. Mayo. She studied Model Making for Film and Media at IADT Dun Laoghaire. This collection took inspiration from Lucy’s combined love of architecture, history, folklore and stop-motion animation. It is inspired by the ruins of abbeys, churches and buildings that have outlived their original splendour to reside quietly in our landscape, slowly crumbling into grassy mounds as the crows reign from the towers that were once man’s realm. The edges of her work fade away without definition as the ruins seem to blend back into the earth from which they were carved. The stone existed before the building and will continue to exist after the building, bearing the scars of hundreds of years as man and nature shaped it into what still stands today.

The exhibition runs from February to mid-March.

NOV

S I G N U P T O D AY F O R O U R E - N E W S L E T T E R

B I R R S TA G E G U I L D

The BeautyQueen

of Leenane

by Martin McDonagh “BEAUTY QUEEN” is Martin McDonagh’s masterpiece

THURS 7 – SAT 9 NOVEMBER Director, Adrian Shine tells us that the play is “set in the west of Ireland in the 1990s, we meet Mag and her spinster daughter in their kitchen. Maureen is Mag’s carer. They do everything to be contrary with each other. Ray, a young man from the village, arrives to ask them out to a ‘do’. When Maureen finds out about the ‘do’ she immediately thinks ‘little black number’. She goes to the ‘do’ and falls in lust... With Pato, who we meet next morning in the kitchen.

Maureen, flaunts her lover, just to annoy Mag. Pato, emigrates, then writes to Maureen with an offer…”

Comic, Tragedy. Hard, Tender.

Real, Surreal. Sad. Funny.

A Night to Remember.

8pm • €16 (groups 10+ €14)

Film@BirrTheatre

TUCKED

Director: Jamie Patterson UK, 2018 | (English) 81 mins | Cert: 15A

TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER Starring: Derren Nesbitt, Jordan Stephens, April Pearson

*IMDb rating 6.4 8pm • €5/€3

Jackie, an 80-year-old Drag Queen, headlines at a rundown club and has just been told that he is dying. When Faith starts at the club, Jackie takes the newcomer under his wing and into his home. Faith, fun-loving and full of flare, encourages Jackie to open up and enjoy life, even if there isn’t that much of it left! s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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B U Y O N L I N E W W W. B I R R T H E AT R E . C O M

THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER

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Irish Country Artist and Dancing With The Stars contestant Cliona Hagan embarks on her headline Irish Concert Tour.

Cliona will perform hits from her latest album Secret Love including all the fan-favourites: Born To Run, 1-2-3, and McCarthy’s Party. A classically trained singer with a degree in Music, Cliona Hagan’s many accolades include Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.

8pm • €22

C’’ MERE

‘TIL I TELL YOU A GOOD ONE

A NIGHT OF STORIES & YARNS with Mick Creagh

SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER It’s often lamented ‘Ah, there are no characters anymore’. Well, Mick Creagh – singer, actor, poet and oh yea… farmer – does not agree! “There are characters everywhere” sez he. So tonight, Michael will regale us with ‘good ones’; songs and poems from and about characters from his native parish of Rathdowney/Errill in the south west corner of County Laois. “I’m huge in Rathdowney!”, sez Mick! So sit back, relax and as The Rustic Boy sez himself…”C’mere, ‘till I tell you a good one!”

8pm • €15/€12

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EVERYBODY KNOWS TODOS LO SABEN

Director: Asghar Farhadi Spain, 2018 (Spanish, English, Catalan) 133 mins | Cert: 15A

TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER Starring: Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Ricardo Darín

*IMDb rating 7.0 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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Asghar Farhadi’s (A Separation) intimately painful and powerfully acted drama centres on a shocking crime that interrupts a family wedding. Unburied secrets, lies and unhealed wounds spanning generations are brought to light, within a layered psychological drama. Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem are cleverly cast as former lovers whom must confront their own past within an overpowering climate of suspicion and tension.

NOV

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It’s A grand night for singing The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein W R I T T E N & D I R E C T E D B Y C AT H A L M c C A B E

SUNDAY 24 NOVEMBER It’s a Grand Night for Singing, with star singers Frank Ryan, Sarah O’Mahony and Noel Somers with accompanist Bethan Lee. Enjoy an afternoon of the wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals and singalong to their great songs – Oklahoma!, Shall We Dance, The Sound of Music, Nothing Like a Dame and lots more. This is one not to be missed!

3pm • €15

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Director: Sara Colangelo USA, 2018 | (English) 99 mins | Cert: 15A

THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER

Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gael García Bernal, Ato Blankson-Wood, Parker Sevak

*IMDb rating 6.7 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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Maggie Gyllenhaal, gives a stand out performance as Lisa Spinelli a Kindergarten Teacher who inadvertently discovers her fiveyear-old student, Jimmy (Parker Sevak) is a gifted prodigy.

Unfortunately for both, Lisa’s good intentions led to over protectiveness and erratic decision-making. Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the seemingly patient and caring Lisa is a remarkable portrait of the psyche of a disillusioned woman.

THURS 28 – SAT 30 NOVEMBER WORKSHOPS

THEATRE

Writing For You

Weekend Warrior

with Stella O’Malley

performed by Tony Doyle

Space Exploration: Building Monologues

Gone Full Havisham

with The Abbey Theatre

Scripts Spoken Word Soapbox

I Am Not a Robot with Gina Moxley

FAMILY THEATRE

Suzie & the Story Shredder

performed by Irene Kelleher

with Cormac Lally & Eimear O’Regan

Car Show with Bow Productions

Nurtured New Works with Cathy Belton, Diarmuid Noyse, Tony Doyle,Eugene O’Brien, Jim Culleton, Jesse Weaver

www.scriptsireland.com

DEC

S I G N U P T O D AY F O R O U R E - N E W S L E T T E R

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CAPERNAUM CAPHARNAÜM

Director: Nadine Labaki Lebanon / USA, 2018 | (Arabic, Amharic) 120 mins | Cert: 15A

TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER Starring: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shireraw, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Kanel Youssef

*IMDb rating 8.4 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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Director Nadine Labaki’s (Caramel), Capernaum is a powerful drama, chronicling the beleaguered life of 12-year-old Zain (Al Rafeea). Overcome with anger, when his 11-year-old sister is married off, Zain escapes from his parents and begins a journey that leads to him filing a lawsuit against his parents for giving birth to him. Capernaum stunningly portrays Zain’s anger, determination and courage.

STARRING: CONAL GALLEN, PADDY McMENAMIN, JACK QUINN

FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER Award winning Comedian, Conal Gallen is bringing his brand new Comedy Play, Caught In The Act, to theatres across Ireland this Autumn. Conal and his son Rory Gallen have teamed up once again and come up with a rib splittingly, fast paced outrageous comedy that will have you laughing out loud. Caught In The Act is a laugh a minute comedy play “filled to the hoozle” with laughter and craic with a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure! In true Conal Gallen fashion there is always a few surprises thrown in – most of the time the cast get the biggest surprise of all! Conal has kept the well-loved Bridie, Willie, Dick, Betty and the infamous Father “Big Mad Micky” O’Reilly and added a few new faces with a certain je ne sais quoi! Three actors playing the part of 9 characters, a hilariously funny plot, a night of laughter and craic not to be missed!

8pm • €26 • Age Recommendation 16+

B U Y O N L I N E W W W. B I R R T H E AT R E . C O M

CALLANAN MacCLOONE O’MEARA ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCING

SATURDAY 7 DECEMBER Dancers, from tiny tots to seniors, will perform a selection of dances in a variety of styles, showcasing our unique Irish dance heritage. Their most recent achievements include winning medals at the World Irish Dancing Championships in Glasgow last year. An enjoyable evening of dance for all the family.

2pm & 7pm • €11/€5

SUNDAY 8 DECEMBER Europe’s most popular ABBA show and we keep getting requests for their return.

SO BY HUGE POPULAR DEMAND, MAMMA MIA here we go again... MY MY how can we resist it!! After fantastic SELL OUT shows for the past 11 years across Ireland, we had no hesitation in inviting them back!! It’s always party time when ABBA comes to town but when it’s the Christmas Show, then that’s a real excuse to let your hair down! This happy sing-a-long event is pure escapism.

It celebrates ABBA’S MUSIC with a loud and proud production and terrific audio visuals. It’s the perfect way to start your Christmas celebrations! Bring your special Christmas Party along and you will have a ball at the biggest Christmas Party in the County!

8pm • €23/€21

DEC

S I G N U P T O D AY F O R O U R E - N E W S L E T T E R

THE TALISMAN THEATRE COMPANY

Everything good children’s theatre should be.

Sunday Times

TUESDAY 10 & WEDNESDAY 11 & SATURDAY 21 DECEMBER It’s Christmas Eve at the North Pole. Santa and his reindeer are getting ready to begin their magical journey around the world but when some fairytale villains show up to spoil the fun, things don’t quite go according to plan! Thankfully, Santa has some heroic fairytale friends to help him out but he needs your help too! Join in the fun and find out what happens in this totally tinsel adventure that’s sure to put the Ho, Ho, Ho in your holidays and remind you there’s room for everyone on Santa’s “nice” list!

Running Time: 55 mins (no intermission) • Suitable for little ones aged 3+ SCHOOL SHOWS Tues 10 & Wed 11th Dec: 10am, 11.30am & 1pm Tickets: €10 One teacher free with every 10 child tickets sold.

Booking: Our dedicated schools booking line 087-6363075 and ask for Olga.

Early booking is suggested for this BRAND NEW Live Show!

FAMILY SHOW Sat 21 Dec: 11am & 1pm All tickets €12 • Bookings: Box Office 057-9122911 or online at www.birrtheatre.com

Musical Director: ENDA O’CONNOR Production: TOMMY LYNDON

The Magic of

Christmas VI FRIDAY 13 & SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER Have yourselves a merry little Christmas! With sleigh rides through the snow, mistletoe and wine and the ghosts of Christmas past and present. A magical night of festive charm bringing you through a winter wonderland of seasonal songs and stories, new and old. Experience the warm spirit of Christmas with Birr Stage Guild, in collaboration with Birr Festival of Music.

8pm • €15 (Two nights only – early booking advised)

B U Y O N L I N E W W W. B I R R T H E AT R E . C O M

THE TALISMAN THEATRE COMPANY

SATURDAY 21 DECEMBER See 10th and 11th December for full details.

11am & 1pm • €12

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BOSCO S

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MAGICAL GARDEN & SLEEPING BEAUTY SUNDAY 5 JANUARY Bosco is Bosco, not a boy, not a girl, just a Bosco: a cheeky, lovely, funny, slightly-cracked, irrepressible, eternal five-year-old who lives in a box and who loves nothing more than to just be Bosco and meet all the boys and girls. After starring on Irish TV for three decades, you’ll see why Bosco remains a firm favourite for each new generation. Enjoy the enchanted story of Sleeping Beauty where an evil Fairy-Night filled with jealousy try’s to harm Beauty but luckily she has very good fairy friends. With its brilliant array of Characters, lots of fun and excitement through this completely interactive live experience with the absolute magic of Puppet Theatre 2pm • €11 (4 tickets for €39) • Running Time: 75 mins (no interval)

JAN

S I G N U P T O D AY F O R O U R E - N E W S L E T T E R

SOME SONGS AND STORIES

CHRISTY DIGNAM

WITH JOE JEWELL

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THURSDAY 9 JANUARY Aslan’s extraordinary singer and frontman Christy Dignam and his lifelong friend and co-founder of Aslan, songwriter/guitarist Joe Jewell perform together in this intimate acoustic show featuring the main hit songs of Aslan; Crazy World and This Is. The duo will also perform some very special cover songs by other artists such as David Bowie and Pink Floyd that inspired the duo throughout their rock n roll career with Aslan. Christy and Joe relate many great stories of the origin of the songs, and some stories of their good and bad times on the road.

Some Songs and Stories is a truly beautiful musical acoustic experience. If you love music and a good laugh, this is the real deal.

8pm • €25

Film@BirrTheatre

BALLOON BALLON

Director: Michael Herbig Germany, 2018 | (German, English) 125 mins | Cert: CLUB

TUESDAY 14 JANUARY Starring: Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, Alicia von Rittberg, David Kross

*IMDb rating 7.6 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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East Germany 1979. The Strelzyk and Wetzel families want to escape the strict Cold War regime under which they live, and experience a world of freedom. They come up with a daring plan...Based on true events, Michael Herbig’s thrilling drama recreates the incredible story of how two families planned to flee to the West in a homemade hot-air balloon.

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FUREYS THURSDAY 16 JANUARY

Legends of Irish music and song The Fureys, renowned for their hit songs I Will Love You, When You Were Sweet 16, The Green Fields of France, Red Rose Café, From Clare to Here, Leaving Nancy, Steal Away. The Fureys have been entertaining audiences worldwide for over four decades, including presidents, prime ministers and Pope John Paul II. 8pm • €30

Young Choon Park

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SATURDAY 18 JANUARY South Korean born pianist Young-Choon Park began the study of the piano at the age of four and gave her first full recital when she was seven. She studied at the Juilliard School in New York and later gained the highest masters degree at the Hochschule in Munich. She has toured extensively, giving over 50 concerts each year in Europe, Scandinavia, South Africa and the United States. She makes many return visits to major concert venues including the Birmingham Symphony Hall, St. David’s Hall in Cardiff, Belfast Waterfront Hall and many more. She has performed with many leading orchestras including the Stuttgart Philharmonic, Hungarian State Opera, Lithuanian National Symphony, National Philharmonic of Belarus, Filharmonia Lubelska, Slovak Philharmonic and the Warsaw Sinfonia. She is currently recording the complete Mozart piano concertos for Duchesne World Records in Belgium.

8pm • €15

…the piano technique was dazzling with its insatiable strength and energy, her technical skill and accuracy were shown to be irreproachable…”

La Libre Belgique

JAN

S I G N U P T O D AY F O R O U R E - N E W S L E T T E R

Film@BirrTheatre

DIAMANTINO *IMDb rating 6.3 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

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Directors: Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt Portugal, France, Brazil, 2018 | (Portuguese) 96 mins | Cert: CLUB

TUESDAY 21 JANUARY Starring: Carloto Cotta, Cleo Tavares, Anabela Moreira

When big-hearted but vacuous Portuguese soccer hunk Diamantino (Carloto Cotta) learns about the European refugee crisis, it shatters his sheltered worldview and drains him of the idyllic ignorance that fuels his athletic prowess. Becoming a national embarrassment overnight, he resolves to make amends by adopting an African refugee — only to find that his new “son” is actually an undercover lesbian tax auditor investigating him on the suspicion of corruption.

M O S A I C S AT T H E M I L L

Mosaic Workshop

1 day

With Ai dan Byrne SATURDAY 25 JANUARY Make your own personalized mosaic through this therapeutic, intuitive, fun and fulfilling process, in a friendly and easy-going atmosphere. Suitable for complete beginners and people with previous experience in mosaic and other crafts. Projects are made, grouted and ready to be brought home at the end of the workshop. There is a good variety of project options to suit all. Aidan’s workshops are very professionally run whilst being light-hearted, the atmosphere is friendly and easy-going. People have travelled from up to 3 hours away to attend workshops and left delighted with their mosaic and the experience.

10am–4.30pm • Max: 15 €95 (includes all materials and equipment)

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Anxo Lorenzo gaita/whistles

Dónal O’Connor fiddle

Jack Talty concertina

Jim Murray guitar

MUSIC NETWORK PRESENTS

Anxo Lorenzo, Dónal O’Connor, Jack Talty & Jim Murray ID

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SUNDAY 26 JANUARY Over the past ten years Anxo Lorenzo, Jim Murray, Dónal O’Connor and Jack Talty have been at the forefront of highly creative Galician and Irish music-making – as players, composers, arrangers, accompanists, producers and record label owners. Their individual talents as working musicians have seen them initiate hundreds of thoughtful and innovative projects, and the set list on this tour will include a Music Network commission from all four performers, their virtuosity and profound understanding of the music underpinning any daring off-piste exploration they might undertake. Add to that a sharp intelligence and gentle curiosity about where this music sits in the world, how it relates to the world outside and you have a quartet of artists who have made a massive contribution to music in both local and international arenas. Thrilling, soulful, sincere and highly communicative, theirs is a music of people and place, of stillness, of confluence and of us.

8pm • €16/€14 (Students: €8)

Film@BirrTheatre

TRANSIT TUESDAY 28 JANUARY

Director: Christian Petzold Germany, France, 2018 (German, French, French Sign Language) 102 mins | Cert: 12A

Starring: Franz Rogowski, Paula Beer, Godehard Giese

*IMDb rating 7.0 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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Like many others, German refugee Georg has fled Paris to escape the impending war. He has assumed the identity of a famous but deceased writer, and plans to use the man’s documentation to obtain a transit visa and immigrate to Mexico.

But when Georg encounters the dead man’s wife Marie in Marseille, he finds himself dangerously drawn to her.

FEB

S I G N U P T O D AY F O R O U R E - N E W S L E T T E R

The Great Singalong songBook series

Who’s Sorry Now?

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The story of

CONNIE FRANCIS

BOBBY DARIN

SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY The Great Singalong Songbook team kick off 2020 with a tribute to the fabulous Connie Francis and the love of her life Bobby Darin!

From her first big hit, Who’s Sorry Now? Connie Francis dominated the American charts in the 50’s and 60’s. Huge hits like Stupid Cupid, Lipstick on your Collar, Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool and Carolina Moon followed and Hollywood movies beckoned. Who’s Sorry Now? tells the story of Connie’s amazing career and her doomed love affair with singer Bobby Darin and features all their biggest hits!

3.30pm • €19 (includes tea/coffee/ biscuits at the interval) Early bird discount available.

Call box office.

A SUNDAY N AFTERNOONOT OF SINGING SED TO BE MIS

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WOMAN AT WAR TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY

Director: Benedikt Erlingsson Iceland, France, Ukraine, 2018 (Icelandic, Spanish, English, Ukrainian) 101 mins | Cert: 12A

Starring: Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, Jóhann Sigurðarson, Roman Estrada, Jörundur Ragnarsson

*IMDb rating 7.5 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

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Halla is a music teacher who leads a quiet, routine life. She is also a covert environmentalist who disrupts the operations of an aluminium plant in the Icelandic highlands by committing acts of industrial sabotage. When she receives an update on a long forgotten adoption application, she must choose between her activism and her dream of becoming a mother.

B U Y O N L I N E W W W. B I R R T H E AT R E . C O M

NOMAD PLAYERS

All The Ways to Say

I Love You

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by Neil LaBute

SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY

Performed by Maeve O’Donovan Directed by Eilish Rafferty Mrs Johnson is an English teacher in a loving marriage. As she recounts her experiences with a favoured student from her past, Mrs Johnson slowly reveals the truth that is just hidden beneath the surface details of her life. What we see on the surface does not necessarily reflect the truth or has the truth become lost in lies and self deception? Does the end justify the means but at what cost and for how long can outward appearances be maintained?

8pm • €12

Film@BirrTheatre

IN SAFE HANDS TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY Starring: Sandrine Kiberlain, Gilles Lellouche, Élodie Bouchez

*IMDb rating 7.3 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

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When baby Theo’s birth mother surrenders him to adoption, the 2day-old is entrusted to Jean, his initial foster parent, while his case worker and her team monitor his wellbeing and search for potential parents for the little boy. A warm, human drama about the adoption system in France and the people it touches.

Director: Jeanne Herry France, Belgium, 2018 (French) 110 mins | Cert: CLUB

FEB

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Director: SHI RLE Y K EA N E Pianist IRINA DERNOVA

AN EVENING OF OPERA SCENES & ARIAS

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Opera Workshop are troubled by Virtue. Or rather, by how to hold on to their virtue. They are rather a chaste lot... sometimes...

They play with and wonder at the battle between virtue and temptation; at the willful denial of passion and the ultimate fall from grace by so many characters from the world of opera. Is it one rule for men and another for women? Why is temptation so, well... tempting? Should they uphold Virtue, ignore it, mock it or value it? Is it all it is cracked up to be? Shakespeare, Wilde, Yeats, they all have something to say on the subject and their words and poetry are laced through this Opera Workshop production with the songs, scenes and arias of Mozart, Bizet and Saint-Saens among others, and with contemporary works by Limerick composer Fiona Linnane.

8pm • €20/€18 • Running time c.90 mins (no interval)

Film@BirrTheatre

MEMOIR OF WAR

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Starring: RUTH KELLY, KEVIN NEVILLE, SARAH-ELLEN MURPHY, EVE STAFFORD, CATRIONA WALSH

Director: Emmanuel Finkiel France, 2018 | (French) 127 mins | Cert: CLUB

TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY Starring: Mélanie Thierry, Benoît Magimel, Benjamin Biolay, Emmanuel Bourdieu

*IMDb rating 6.1 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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In 1944 Nazi-occupied France, young Marguerite Duras fights with the resistance alongside her husband Robert Antelme. When he is captured and deported to Dachau, she covertly be friends a local Vichy collaborator Rabier, taking a terrible risk to save Robert. Adapted from Duras novel La Douleur, Finkiel crafts an absorbing drama, anchored by Mélanie Thierry’s extraordinary portrayal of Duras grief and pain.

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DRESSING ROOM 1 PRODUCTIONS

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STARRING LINDA McCARTHY, NICOLE BANIM BUTLER, DAVID DELANEY AND X FACTOR’S MARY BYRNE FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY Hold onto your seats, arriving with a bang this wild new comedy about a trio of 70something cleaners facing the axe..! Well instead of taking threats of redundancy lying down, these game girls set up a phone sex service and that’s when the fun begins! These three girls will have you rolling in the aisles as they turn into ‘telephone belles’ – their bosses don’t know about it, their families would never guess and their very willing customers are none the wiser! Be shocked, delighted and amused by the only chat-line girls with dusters, attitude and their very own bus passes! Pure theatrical Viagra? It probably is for those who might just need the real thing! Crude? Yes! Funny? Absolutely! If you love Mrs. Brown’s Boys come and meet their match in this must-see comedy of the year!

Round up your friends for a hilarious night out 8pm • €21/19 • Ages 16+ • Strong Language Throughout

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VARIETY SHOW SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY Enjoy a night of music, song, dance and craic hosted by Joe Cooney (Midlands 103).

With Brendan Quinn, Sabrina Fallon, James Gallagher, Thomas Connolly, Marty Walsh and Joe Cooney. Don’t miss out on a great night with our country stars.

8pm • €21

FEB

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Director: Soheil Beiraghi Iran 2018 | (Persian) 85 mins | Cert: CLUB

Film@BirrTheatre

PERMISSION TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY Starring: Baran Kosari, Amir Jadidi, Leili Rashidi

Afrooz is the star player of Iran’s national indoor soccer team and is excited as they head to the Asian Nations Cup in Malaysia. But at the airport, Afrooz is turned away because her husband Yaser has refused permission for her to leave the country. Although Afrooz and Yaser have been separated and living apart for over a year, he still has legal rights he can exercise over her. Desperate to compete in the biggest match of her life, Afrooz tries everything to change her husband’s mind. But Yaser seems intent on taking his revenge, and with the law on his side, can Afrooz really stop him?Soheil Beiraghi’s gripping second feature is loosely based on a real incident.

*IMDb rating 6.2 8pm • €5/€3 s See 5 Film get 6th

FREE

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LUAN PARLE ID

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FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY

“Luan Parle is quite simply one of the most exciting singers to emerge from Ireland, or any other country for that matter! She is a superb songsmith as well” The Herald Meteor & Tatler Award winner Luan Parle has had numerous hits and accolades including Meteor Award for Best Irish Female. Her top 10 hit single ‘Ghost’ spent three months in the Irish Charts and was the most played Irish single of that year. Parle signed her first record deal at just 12 years of age before later signing with Sony Music and Elton John’s management company Twenty First Artists. Luan has written and recorded with some of the world’s most successful songwriters and producers including Grammy award winning Bill Bottrell (Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson, Prince, Travelling Wilburys, Elton John) and Billy Steinberg (Madonna, Roy Orbison, Cyndi Lauper, The Pretenders, Whitney Houston, The Bangles, Celine Dion). Luan will be playing songs from her new album which will be released February 2020. The album features 10 original tracks including two co-writes with Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes.

8pm • €16

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QUEEN OF

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The Story of

Maureen O Hara One-woman show celebrates 100 years of Maureen O’Hara who was born in 1920.

Written & Performed by Elaine O’Dwyer Directed by Gráinne Byrne

SATURDAY 29 FEBRUARY Star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the legendary Maureen O’Hara’s onscreen roles often mirrored her true persona as a tough, feisty and courageous woman. Blessed with flaming red hair and flashing green eyes, O’Hara’s stunning looks led Hollywood to dub her the ‘Queen of Technicolor’. The Irish actress held her own alongside Hollywood’s top leading men including long-time friend and frequent co-star John Wayne who called O’Hara “the greatest guy” he ever knew. A frontrunner of the #TimesUp movement, O’Hara stood up against the Hollywood studio bosses who often expected more from their stars: “I wasn’t a whore...I was unwilling to make that kind of sacrifice to get a part in a movie.” Portraying over twenty characters in this tour de force performance, Elaine O’Dwyer takes you on an intimate journey with Maureen, revealing the real woman behind the limelight. The vanity case used in the production is the original case which belonged to O’Hara.

8pm • €18/€16

Date for your diary...

BIRR STAGE GUILD ANNUAL MUSICAL

THE HIRED MAN MARCH 2020

BOOKING Tickets are non-refundable and must be paid for at time of booking.

Please have your credit/debit card ready. All ticket prices include €1 transaction fee.

Box Office: Open Monday – Friday: 1 – 5.30pm 057 9122911 Online: www.birrtheatre.com where you can select your seat (no additional charges).

Cheques payable to Birr Stage Guild CLG. In the final hour before a show only tickets for that performance can be processed. To comply with fire regulations children (even babies) must have a ticket.

CONCESSIONS We offer concession rates, where possible, to students, under 18’s, senior citizens, unemployed and disabled. Current I.D. is essential to avail of these concessions.

GROUP RATES Group rates are available. Please enquire at Box Office.

LATECOMERS All performances start at 8pm (unless otherwise stated). Doors open 30 minutes before performance. Performances will start on time – please don’t be late! Latecomers will not be admitted until there is a suitable break, which in some cases may be the interval.

DISABLED ACCESS Birr Theatre and Arts Centre is accessible for wheelchair users.

We also have a house wheelchair for your use. This can be booked for a performance or the chair can be used to bring you from your car to your seat (please note: there are two steps to the front row seats). Please make your requirements known at the time of booking. It is advisable to book in advance.

CHILDREN Children must be accompanied by an adult at all performances.

FOOD & DRINK Wine, beer, coffee and soft drinks will be available during the interval.

No food and drink permitted in the auditorium.

PARKING There is ample street parking. However we remind you we are located in a residential area and ask you to be conscious not to block private entrances.

PRIVACY POLICY We values our customer and staff data and will endeavour to keep this data safe at all times. We will never sell, share or use your personal information other than as described in our Privacy Policy. We operate in line with the EU GDPR (May 2018) data protection guidelines. You can opt out of receiving marketing information from us at any time. See our web-site for full details.

MAILING LIST Join our mailing list now by emailing info@birrtheatre.com or leave your details at reception. Ensure to leave your mobile number for regular text reminders.

FURTHER INFORMATION Birr Theatre & Arts Centre Oxmantown Hall, Birr, Co Offaly R42 X407 Box Office: 057 9122911 Email: info@birrtheatre.com Web: www.birrtheatre.com Venue Manager: Emma Nee Haslam

This project is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Pobal through the Community Services Programme.

Information correct at time of print. Sometimes changes are unavoidable and we apologise for same.

Call Box Office or check local press for further details.

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