2017 JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL
MErmaid INFORMATION BOOK YOUR TICKETS, HOWEVER SUITS…
01 272 4030 www.mermaidartscentre.ie 10am – 6pm Monday to Saturday or until 8pm on performance nights
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Please note, once purchased, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.
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There are no booking fees – at all.
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There are lots of ways to save when visiting Mermaid. You can bring nine of your friends and avail of our group discount, choose from our special offers, if you’re a student join Culture Club or become a Mermaid Friend.
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The Mermaid gallery is open from 10am – 6pm from Monday to Saturday and until 8pm on performance nights.
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The Betelnut Café serves breakfast, lunch, snacks and baked goods from 8am – 6pm Monday to Saturday.
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The theatre bar is open for pre-show and interval drinks.
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To join our mailing list, please contact the box office or join online at www.mermaidartscentre.ie
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Gift vouchers are available from the box office.
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For the comfort of patrons and performers, latecomers will not be admitted until the interval.
WELCOME As we start planning our 2017 programme we, the Mermaid team, know how important it is to take time to contemplate. We believe in remaining hopeful even considering the lack of economic recovery, homelessness, the refugee crisis, civil wars, political uncertainty to name only some of the things that worry us. Our question to ourselves is do we just react to these terrible things or can we respond in a way that might make a difference. We believe to make a difference requires thought, empathy and imagination. It requires creativity. In Mermaid we stand for human rights, democracy, collaboration, tolerance, solidarity and respect for diversity.You might well say these are just admirable abstract ideals. How can art programmes actually do something that makes a difference? How can the work of artists and cultural activists promote tolerance when forces are set against us? This is a complex question but our response is rooted in a simple idea: citizens can encounter each other in public spaces through art and culture.Through creating and sharing artistic work relevant to their own experience, they can understand one another better. Finding common ground in the emotional, intellectual and symbolic space of art, citizens can work towards respectful ways of living together. Mermaid offers interaction as an alternative to confrontation. curiosity not certainty, discovery not retrenchment, hope, not hate. This is not just a list of well-meaning platitudes. We work with artists who work with and want to speak to their own locality. We look at things that are important to friends and neighbours as well as visitors.We’re prepared to look at difficult, ugly and painful experiences, issues that provoke reactions which need responses. We encourage people to stop and notice one another; to meet, talk and listen.We try always to ensure we dismantle the idea that art is separate from the rest of society. We believe everyone is creative, not by training or status, but through their actions.We do not think we have answers to all difficult human experiences but our work is an antidote to political slogans and dangerous simplicities. Art does not change the world but It does change the people who change the world. Niamh O’Donnell & the Mermaid Team. 3
MERMAID SPACE Mermaid Space is our residency programme which helps us to ensure we’re not just a centre of presentation but a place for creation. It confirms our commitment to supporting the work of artists to research, make and produce work in Wicklow.This is how we keep artists at our core, because keeping them at our centre, at our heart, helps keep us as a space relevant. As we enter 2017, with a spring in our step we are very pleased to say we’re planning on building on some of our relationships with a number of local artists as well as introducing some new names and fresh faces to our portfolio and to you! Gap Day, an initiative led by Lian Bell (funded through the Arts Council Theatre Development Programme) is to continue into a second year. This initiative offers freelance theatre artists creative days where dreaming, thinking and planning time is valued. In 2016 we supported 15 artists in 13 different venues in 8 counties with 24 paid days. In 2017 we are being even more ambitious and plan on increasing our support to include 27 artists (12 more than last year) with a total of 54 paid working days. They will be selected from an open call (launched on December 1st) and over February to March 2017 work will start around the country. Check in on our website and we’ll let you know who they are and what exciting plans they have hatched.
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MERMAID SPACE In January we start work in the first week back with Noel Mac Aoidh and Shane Conaty who are creating an interactive virtual reality film called An Actors Kiss. Conventional virtual cinema is a linear narrative shot on a 360 degree camera which allows the audience to decide which bits are important by simply turning their heads. Bringing together new technology in 3D sound and virtual reality, this short film is going to explore this new medium by empowering the audience into shaping the film and therefore creating unique experiences.The audience will be like the film director, selecting the location and camera through which they view the story.This is not a game ... it’s not a film ... it will be a virtual film (and no – you don’t get kissed by the actor!). Also in January we are supporting the making of new theatre work with Talking Shop Ensemble, Shaun Dunne, Aisling Byrne and Lisa Walsh. The piece is called Displaced Family Project and it explores the experiences of single mothers locked in emergency accommodation in Ireland.The artists are interested in viewing this urgent subject through the space of one landing where a number of women are living side by side, with limited space, support and hope for moving on.Their ambition is to blend documentary material with new writing.They’re collaborating with artists Louise Lewis, Lauren Larkin, Charleigh Bailey, Kilian Waters and Cameron Mac Cauley and will work for two weeks with a free showing – please do come and join us (see page18).
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MERMAID SPACE In February Nyree Yergainharsian will work for a week to develop a new piece about her sister, Sona. In 2012 Sona was diagnosed with stage 2A Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkins Lymphoma, a rare cancer of the blood that took active residence in her for almost two years and quietly has her body for the rest of her life. Inspired by Sona’s blog during that time, Nyree has been developing the piece with a range of invited artists over the last two years. Currently she is writing it in collaboration with writer and maker Shaun Dunne.The pair will spend a week here with actors with the aim of creating a final draft.We hope to get the piece to the stage where we can apply for funding to go into production later in 2017. Our talented dance artists in residence; Karen Gleeson, Nick Bryson and Aisling O’Coineen, have been hatching expansive plans for a series of innovative performances, talks, workshops and off site work for 2017.With a particular focus on professional development they have huge ambitions; to establish a base for dance in the county, broaden relationships and supports with and for other dance practitioners in Wicklow and extend and deepen existing and new relationships with partners nationally and internationally; including BIFE, Commonground Bray and Greystones Studios as well as participating in a residency exchange in Dans Brabant in the Netherlands. Do come to their first workshop (see page 28) and keep your eyes open for dancing in the streets as part of International Dance Day with students from Bray Institute of Further Education (see page 55)
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MADE IN MERMAID Made in Mermaid is an initiative where we offer further support to artists (some of whom have had in residences) in the creation and production of work. In the first quarter of 2017 we are working with two incredible women. Actor, writer and theatre maker Louise Lewis and Eleanor Philips, visual artist, community and social activist and all round legend. Louise Lewis will be working over two months on the development of her piece called The Aid Worker and the Girl. Louise is an awarding winning writer, actor and theatre maker. In this new piece she is asking questions. What’s it like to love someone who travels to some of the most deprived countries in the world to do their job? What do you have for breakfast before you drop them to the airport? How many times is it ok to tell them you love them, without it sounding clingy? From the Ebola drenched graveyards of Sierra Leone to the isolation of the Congolese jungle, what’s it like to love an Aid Worker? Incorporating collected research from questionnaires from loved ones of aid workers worldwide alongside autobiographical material Louise aims to begin the journey to create a visually stimulating theatre piece around the lives of Aid Workers and the people they leave behind. Eleanor Philips is working on a new durational piece with a working title WITHHOLDING BLOOD. Like other markers of social difference, age is given meaning by a culture.Yet unlike gender and race, the subjects of age and aging have received little sustained attention. For women this lack of attention becomes a double bind as they experience a lack of representation within cultural production and a purely medical focus on a physical experience that is particular to their sex. Eleanor plans on inviting middle-aged and older women to take part in a consciousnessraising group sharing narrative around the experience of menopause and age, to share and respond to research on the historical and cultural experiences of menopause. She will work towards translating responses into a language of movement and visual performance.
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Creative Gatherings – wicklow artists wanted
Mermaid Arts Centre will host three creative gatherings in 2017. These gatherings are for Wicklow artists to come together, meet, talk and share. The gatherings will be informal. At each, four to eight artists will talk about who they are, where they work and give a brief outline of a new project or work that they’re involved in. Guests will be given some time to reply and respond. The ambition of these gatherings is to create connections amongst a range of people with a stake in the arts in Wicklow. It is also hoped it might become an informal network (beyond the standard, talking shop model). The ‘gathering’ has emerged from a broader trend in community activism that Peter Block, in a paper entitled ‘Civic Engagement and the Restoration of Community’, defines as: “We use ‘gathering’, because the word has more significance than what we think of as a ‘meeting’. A gathering is hosted; it is the product of an act of hospitality. Meetings are called or scheduled. They are intended for production rather than hospitality… They either review the past or embody the belief that better planning, better managing or more measurement and prediction can create an alternative future. In this way they become just talk, not powerful conversation.” The first Mermaid creative gathering is on 9th February (see page 26). There are limited spaces for 30 practicing artists across disciplines to attend – please join us and let’s get powerful conversations started in Wicklow!
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MERMAID CINEMA at a glance Our cinema programme brings you the best in international cultural film as well as some blockbusters and classics too.Thanks to Dermot Marrey, Róisín O’Grady and Stephanie Casey for selecting this season’s programme.
First mondays
Continuing our First Mondays series, where short films by emerging filmmakers are screened on the first Monday of each month, this season we’re presenting four contemporary short films.
Whistle–Blower by Cormac Breatnach MONDAY 2 January | Duration: 12mins Cormac Breatnach’s portrayal of the Sallins case evocatively captures that dark period in Irish policing and criminal justice, and its enduring ramifications for his brother, his family and himself. Geist by Sean Mullen, Ben Harper, Alex Sherwood
MONDAY 6 February | Duration: 11mins A shipwrecked fisherman takes shelter in an abandoned house on a remote island, but soon realises he is not alone.
City of Roses
by Andrew Kavanagh MONDAY 6 March | Duration: 10mins One Halloween night a smouldering suitcase was pulled off a bonfire in Dublin, saving a true story of love, loss and hope.
January Hymn
by Katherine Canty MONDAY 3 April | Duration: 12mins A reflection on the intangible experience of grief, January Hymn sees Clara return home for the first anniversary of her father’s death.
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MERmaid mix At Mermaid Arts Centre we really appreciate our regular customers and want to help you to see lots of different performances without breaking the bank. With our Mermaid Mix deal just pick three of the selected shows listed on these pages and get 20% off! Mermaid Mix is our way of thanking you for coming to three shows - please note the deal is not available for multiple tickets to one show – we want you to come to three different shows!
MERmaid mix SHOWS
THE BIG FELLOW
SATURDAY 4 February | page 24
THE Whistling girl FRIDAY 10 February | page 26
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BIG bobby. Little bobby FRIDAY 17 February | page 34
Francesco turrisi FRIDAY 24 February | page 36
To hell in a handbag SATURDAY 11 MARCH | page 41
ElEANOR MCEVOY SATURDAY 1 APRIL | page 48
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Light lines
Opening THURSDAY 8 December 2016 | 6pm | Free Exhibition runs FRIDAY 9 December − SATURDAY 28 January | 10am − 6pm Mermaid Arts Centre presents Light Lines, an exhibition of Black Church Studio members showcasing the very best of contemporary print in Ireland today. An extremely physical process, print is produced from a copper plate, or block, emerging from a chemical reaction or carving away at the surface and then pressed, the resulting image showcases all the risk, skill, talent and unpredictable outcomes involved in this process. Demonstrating the raw, visceral materiality of print, the slap, peel and press of the process, and how it reflects the diversity of experience of our times, both material and ephemeral, Light Lines seeks to represent the depth, complexity and diversity of contemporary print in Ireland today. Black Church Print Studio is an artistic collective and one of Ireland’s leading contemporary fine art print studios. Offering studio and print facilities in Dublin’s city centre, it supports over 70 members and promotes the development of fine art print as a leading art form.
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Bray camera club
Opening THURSDAY 9 February | 6pm Free | Exhibition runs FRIDAY 10 − SATURDAY 25 February | 10am − 6pm Photography is an important medium. Through photos we share so much about who we are: what we find beautiful, fascinating, funny, delicious, important and inspiring. What makes Photography most powerful is how democratic it is. It allows all of us to become artists. Photographs can be transformative as well as evoke nostalgia.They serve as a chronicle of our lives, where we’ve been, what we’ve done, who we were.They tell the story we don’t always speak. They’re a legacy we leave behind, offering a way to share our stories with generations to come. Since its foundation in 1971, the Bray Camera Club has provided a forum for its members to learn and support one another - a space for improving their photographic skills and developing their creativity. From their phones, compact cameras and digital SLRs, to film and large format cameras, Club members take a range of approaches to the creation of their work.The Club’s photography ranges through documentary, abstract, portrait and landscape. Now holding weekly meetings at Mermaid Arts Centre, this exhibition of selected works is an illustration of the photographic art explored by club members.
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MULTIFAITH, 2015, Béton Ciré, fabric concertina partition, wood, glass, neon, plywood, prayer mats, 600 x 400 x 300 cm.
taMSin snow & Sarah tynan
Opening THURSDAY 9 March | 6pm Free | Exhibition runs FRIDAY 10 March − SATURDAY 22 April | 10am − 6pm Tamsin Snow and Sarah Tynan’s collaborative work focuses on the architecture of transient spaces such as a generic bus stop [Fountain], corporate lobby [Lobby Part 1&2] and an airport Multi-Faith room [MultiFaith].These and other works derive from their on-going investigation into the legacies of modernist architecture as well as the examination of industrial materials and their historical origins. For this exhibition at the Mermaid Arts Centre,Tamsin Snow and Sarah Tynan will each present a newly commissioned body of the work supported by the Arts Council which will further explore this relationship between art, architecture and design. Tamsin Snow is an Irish artist living and working in London & Dublin. She completed a BA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths University, London (2008) and an MA in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, London (2012). Recent exhibitions include Buried Zine Issue’s 5 & 6, Xero, Kline & Coma, London; Dead Rubber, UEL Project space, London; Dazed X Confused Emerging Artist Award, Royal Academy, London (2015); Lobby Part I & II, Oonagh Young Gallery, Dublin (2015); Pavilion, Store, London; Notes on an Autobiography, Limoncello & ASC Gallery, London (2014). Sarah Tynan is an Irish artist living and working in London & Dublin. She completed a BA in Painting at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin (2009) and an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art, London (2012) Recent exhibitions include SWAP UK/Ukraine, British Council, Kiev, Ukraine; Dead Rubber, UEL Project space, London; Dazed X Confused Emerging Artist Award, Royal Academy, London (2015); Lobby Part I & II, Oonagh Young Gallery, Dublin (2015); Pavilion, Store, London; Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Spike Island, Bristol and ICA, London (2014); Notes on an Autobiography, ASC Gallery, London (2014). 14
Café society
(Cert: CLUB)
MONDAY 2 January | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 96mins | Language: English
New York in the 1930s. Bobby Dorfman has been putting up with his bickering parents, his gangster brother and the family jewellery store and needs a change of scenery! He decides to go and try his luck in Hollywood where his high-powered agent uncle Phil hires him as an errand boy. He soon falls in love but the girl has a boyfriend. Bobby settles for friendship –until the girl knocks at his door, telling him her boyfriend broke up with her. Suddenly Bobby’s life takes a very romantic turn. First Mondays short film Whistle-Blower will be screened prior to Café Society.
Frozen Sing along
(Cert: G)
THURSDAY 5 January | 2pm €5 | Duration: 107mins | Language: English
Come watch the movie and sing along to all your favourite songs from Frozen like “Let It Go” and “For the First Time in Forever”. Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey – teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom. 15
Goldilocks & The Three Bears Miriam Lambert Puppeteer
FRIDAY 6 January | 2pm & 4pm €8 | €30 (Family of four) Imagine a storybook that comes alive! Miriam Lambert, from the well-known Lambert family of puppeteers, brings to life Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the classic tale of a little girl who pays a visit to the home of the adorable baby bear. Devised, written and performed by Miriam Lambert. Miriam has developed her own unique signature shows which have taken her to Europe, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC. Her unique and creative style of puppetry is a theatrical joy for both children and adults.
Kíla
SATURDAY 7 January | 2pm (family show) & 8pm €18/16 | Family Show €8, €30 (Family of four) Kíla have long been considered one of Ireland’s finest and most innovative bands. The seven members come from different musical backgrounds to share a passion for creating great music and absorbing influences from across the globe. With its roots in traditional Irish, their music features strong percussive singing and gorgeous melodies driven by an unyielding rhythmical undercurrent. Expect theatre, spectacle and extraordinary playing! Kíla’s live performances are not to be missed! 16
Infinitely Polar Bear
(Cert: TBC)
MONDAY 9 January | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 90mins | Language: English
Boston in the late ‘70s; Cameron (Mark Ruffalo) is struggling with bipolar disorder; the future appears uncertain for his wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) and their two daughters when he is both fired from his job and hospitalised. When she is awarded a scholarship to attend Columbia University, Maggie convinces her reluctant husband to look after the girls for the eighteen months she’ll be in New York. A both poignant and humorous film, Infinitely Polar Bear is a refreshingly positive depiction of living with mental illness. Presented by First Fortnight in partnership with IFI National.
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (Cert: PG)
TUESDAY 10 January | 8pm (Doors 7.30pm) €10/8 Ziggy’s rise started in a London pub in front of 60 curious punters on the 10th February 1972; he fell, on the 3rd of July ‘73 at the Hammersmith Odeon when Bowie announced the concert as ‘the last we will ever do’. Two Beatles and a Stone attended the after show ‘party’. To them, this was ground-breaking, to David it was yesterday’s news. He was already tired of his most iconic creation. Join Ernie Gallagher for a special music and film event, celebrating this 1973 concert film as we remember the legendary David Bowie on the first anniversary of his passing. 17
Displaced Family Project FRIDAY 13 January | 7:15pm Free | Friends Selected Show
Exploring the current housing crisis in Ireland, Displaced Family Project is the beginning of a new work from Talking Shop Ensemble and Shaun Dunne where hotels, hostels and B&Bs are the new tenements of Dublin City… Fusing new writing, collaborative research methods, film and sound, the company are creating a new piece that ruminates on hope, class, motherhood & the moments of nothing that stretch into everything. Displaced Family Project is supported by The Arts Council, The Ark and Mermaid Arts Centre.
Declan O'Rourke SATURDAY 14 January | 8pm €22/20
2016 saw critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Declan O’Rourke release, ‘In full Colour’, a new full length record backed by a full 50 piece orchestra, which draws on material from across his career to date, along with some brand new material including the acclaimed ‘Children of 16’. Jon Pareles of The New York Times said there was virtuosity in his guitar playing, with ‘intricately contrapuntal picking and meticulous dynamics,’ and that his calling was as a balladeer. Paul Weller has said of O’Rourke’s song ‘Galileo’ that it’s possibly the greatest song written in the last thirty years. 18
Captain Fantastic
(Cert: TBC)
MONDAY 16 January | 8pm & TUESDAY 17 January | 2.30pm €8/6.50 | €5 (Matinee) | Duration: 118mins | Language: English Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self -created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he’s taught them. “What begins as Little Miss Sunshine for Marxist survivalists soon evolves into a subtly brilliant comedy-drama” – The Irish Times
The Fureys
FRIDAY 20 January | 8pm €25/23 For over 39 years, Ireland’s legends The Fureys have been selling out concerts worldwide.They return again for another great night of Irish music, songs and stories. Hear them sing their timeless classics including ‘When you were Sweet 16’, ‘I will Love You’, ‘The Green Fields of France’, ‘The Old Man’, ‘Red Rose Café’, ‘From Clare to Here’, ‘Her Father Didn’t Like me Anyway’, ‘Leaving Nancy’, ‘Steal Away’ etc plus songs from their new CD ‘The Times they are a changing’.Their emotive songs stir many emotions…. tears and laughter, sadness and joy. 19
Dublin Oldschool
SATURDAY 21 January | 8pm €16/14
A play about brothers, Dublin and dance music. Join Jason, a wannabe DJ on a chemically enhanced trip through the streets of Dublin as he stumbles from one misguided misadventure to another. Somewhere between the DJs, decks, drug busts and hilltop raves, he stumbles across a familiar face from the past, his brother Daniel. Daniel is an educated, homeless addict, living on the streets of Dublin.The brothers haven’t seen or spoken to each other in three years but over a lost weekend they reconnect and reminisce over tunes, trips, their history and their city.Two brothers living on the edge, perhaps they have more in common than they think, but how long can this the buzz last? Dark comedy, family drama and spoken word odyssey – Dublin Oldschool is a new play that snaps, crackles, raps and rhymes, with high octane performances by Emmet Kirwan (Sarah & Steve) and Ian Lloyd Anderson (LOVE/HATE), directed by Phillip McMahon. “Exceptional acting squared with exceptional writing … unmissable.” ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ – The Sunday Times “Kirwan’s late night trip through the city makes for incredible theatre” ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ – The Evening Herald. 20
Jazz Ensemble
SATURDAY 21 January | 11:30am − 1pm (runs for 10 weeks) €80 | 2 years playing experience & preferably be able to read music Music Generation Wicklow is delighted to partner with Mermaid Arts Centre in the creation of a new Jazz Ensemble for young musicians.The ensemble will initially meet for ten weeks playing Jazz and other music genre under the guidance of tutors Michael Nielsen and Paula McCarthy. We are seeking young musicians aged between 12 to under 18 years who are interested in playing and learning Jazz and improvisation. An ability to read music is an advantage, if you have a chromatic instrument better still! Drum kit and digital piano provided on site. Contact Box Office for details.
The Black Hen
(Cert: CLUB)
MONDAY 23 January | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 90mins | Language: Nepali (English subtitles) The year is 2001, the civil war between the Nepalese government and the insurgent Maoists is winding down, and a tenuous cease-fire is enacted. In a small war-torn village in northern Nepal, the village chief ’s grandson, Kiran, and his best friend Prakash, the son of a servant, just want to get their chicken back. Prakash’s father sold the chicken to an old man in the next village, but the boys need it to sell its eggs, hoping to save enough to pay for Prakash’s education. As they set out to retrieve their hen hostilities resume and the boys find themselves sucked into the chaotic events surrounding them. 21
40th
Anniversary
Bray One Act festival TUESDAY 24 − SATURDAY 28 January | 8pm €15/12
Bray One Act Drama Festival are celebrating their 40th anniversary and will be bringing a wonderful mix of comedy and drama to the stage. Performed by both newcomers and seasoned performers, these plays are sure to provide a night of entertainment, with all proceeds going to charitable causes. We look forward to welcoming Walker Ewart from Bangor, Co. Down as the adjudicator, and of course the loyal festival audience who support the Bray One Act Festival each year.
The Unknown Girl
(Cert: TBC)
MONDAY 30 January | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 113mins | Language: French (English subtitles) Dr. Jenny Davin (Adèle Haenel), runs a busy bare-bones medical clinic on the outskirts of Liege. Late one night, hours past closing time, Jenny ignores a buzz at the clinic’s door.The next morning she learns that this buzz came from a young woman in need of help, and that this unidentified caller is now dead. Weighed down by guilt and the thought of an unknown girl in an unmarked grave, Jenny applies her methodical, diagnostic mind to the case, making it her mission to find out who this woman was, and who, or what, was responsible for her death. 22
FABERGÉ :
A LIFE OF ITS OWN (Cert: TBC)
THURSDAY 2 February | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 87mins | Language: English
This documentary charts the rich history behind the House of Fabergé, from the monumental rise of ‘artist jeweller’ Peter Carl Fabergé in the 19th Century to the enduring legacy of Fabergé today.The special cinematic event will offer unprecedented access to renowned private collections, interviews with living descendants of the Fabergé family and insights from international Fabergé experts.The documentary also features exclusive access to two historic new pieces – the first new creation in almost 100 years, and a recently re-discovered lost treasure.
New Frontiers of Folk FRIDAY 3 February | 8pm €12/10 | Cabaret style seating
Now on its fifth run, New Frontiers of Folk returns to Mermaid Arts Centre on February 3rd.The contemporary folk revival in Ireland is a vibrant and evolving community of artists and this night spotlights some of the best acts Ireland has to offer. Since its inception, New Frontiers has become a word of mouth sensation. Curated by Gavin Mc Cabe this intimate concert is a must see for all song lovers.Three very special acts to be announced, keep an eye on mermaidartscentre.ie for further details. 23
The Big fellow
SATURDAY 4 February | 8pm €16/14 | Mermaid Mix Show (see page 10/11) This original play, based on the writings of Frank O’Connor, captures the life and times of the wildest boy of them all, Michael Collins, as he graduates from masterminding the most dare-devil raids, prison breaks and escapades of the War of Independence to commanding the official army of a newly-formed state. Greatness did indeed follow Collins but so too did division, torment and tragedy. No dull history lesson, “The Big Fellow” is an imaginative and entertaining piece of non-stop, high-energy theatre, from the action-packed opening images to the gripping conclusion.
The secret life of pets SUNDAY 5 February | 2pm €5 | Duration: 87mins | Language: English
(Cert: G)
Max (Louis C.K.) is a spoiled terrier who enjoys a comfortable life in a New York building until his owner adopts Duke, a giant and unruly canine. During their walk outside, they encounter a group of ferocious alley cats and wind up in a truck that’s bound for the pound. Luckily, a rebellious bunny named Snowball swoops in to save the doggy duo from captivity. In exchange, Snowball demands that Max and Duke join his gang of abandoned pets on a mission against the humans who’ve done them wrong. 24
Calamity Jane
(Cert: G)
SUNDAY 5 February | 4:30pm €5 | Duration: 101mins | Language: English
Doris Day delights in this classic musical comedy as tomboy Calamity Jane, who finds she must change her ways when she falls for Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel). The toe-tapping musical score includes the Oscar-winning Secret Love, which became a million-selling hit for Doris Day, as well The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away), Just Blew in from the Windy City and The Black Hills of Dakota. You’ll be singing for the rest of the day!
Anthropoid
(Cert: 15A)
MONDAY 6 February | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 120mins | Language: English, German Based on the true story of “Operation Anthropoid,” - the mission to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich - the main architect behind the Final Solution, the Reich’s third in command and the leader of Nazi forces in Czechoslovakia.Two soldiers from the Czechoslovakian army-in-exile, Josef Gabčík (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubiš (Jamie Dornan) are parachuted into their occupied homeland in December 1941. With limited intelligence, they must find a way to assassinate Heydrich, an operation that would change Europe forever. First Mondays short film Geist will be screened prior to Anthropoid. 25
Creative Gathering THURSDAY 9 February | 6pm €5
Mermaid will host three Creative Gatherings in 2017 for Wicklow artists to come together, meet, talk and share. At each, four to eight local artists will talk about who they are, where they work and give a brief outline of a new project or work that they’re involved in. Guests will be given some time to reply and respond. The ambition of these gatherings is to create connections amongst a range of people with a stake in the arts in Wicklow.There are limited spaces for 30 practicing artists across disciplines to attend – please join us!
The Whistling Girl
FRIDAY 10 February | 8:30pm (Doors 8pm) €16/14 | Mermaid Mix Show (see page 10/11) The acclaimed Irish duo of jazz singer and actress Honor Heffernan and composer/ keyboard player Trevor Knight proudly present their new Cabaret/Speakeasy-style show “The Whistling Girl”, featuring musical settings of the poetry of the great American wit, civil rights activist and author Dorothy Parker. Expect to encounter an evening with a darkly theatrical atmosphere in which Parker’s droll and sometimes heart-rending lyrics are transported into the 21st Century through newly composed songs and music. Supported by a band of top Irish musicians Ed Deane (guitar) Garvan Gallagher (bass) and Tom Jamieson (drums.)
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Andrew Maxwell – Yo Contraire
SATURDAY 11 February | 8pm €22/20
Andrew Maxwell is back in Ireland with a brand new show “Yo Contraire”, having performed it to sell out crowds at festivals in Edinburgh and Australia. For a comedian with a natural ear for the absurdities of our news cycle, 2016 has been a vintage year. If you want a sneaky taste check out AndrewMaxwellsLateAgenda on SoundCloud. Andrew is one of the biggest names in the history of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival having played to over 100,000 fans. “One of the most significant comedians working in the country today.” – Independent.
Lo And Behold, Reveries Of The Connected World (Cert: G)
MONDAY 13 February | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 98mins | Language: English Werner Herzog examines the past, present and constantly evolving future of the Internet. Working with NETSCOUT, a world leader in-real time service assurance and cybersecurity, Herzog conducted original interviews with cyberspace pioneers and prophets such as PayPal and Tesla co-founder Elon Musk, Internet protocol inventor Bob Kahn, and famed hacker Kevin Mitnick.These provocative conversations reveal the ways in which the online world has transformed how virtually everything in the real world works and the very heart of how we conduct our personal relationships. 27
Join us for a little dance TUESDAY 14 February | 1pm − 2:30pm €5
Mermaid Dance Artists in Residence, Aisling O’Coineen and Karen Gleeson are pleased to invite as many of you as possible to join them in a movement based workshop. No dance experience required (really this is fun and easy) and we would like anyone and everyone to come in and learn more about yourself and how to stretch and move. We hope you join us for a little dance!
When Harry Met Sally
(CERT: 15)
TUESDAY 14 February | 8pm €8/6.50 | €10 (With glass of Prosecco) | Duration: 96mins | Language: English Harry (Billy Crystal) meets Sally (Meg Ryan) when they share a car to NYC upon graduation from the University of Chicago. A few minutes into the trip, the question arises: Can a man and a woman be just friends? The two part ways but before long meet again and eventually decide to indeed be friends. As life’s mysterious coincidences pull Harry and Sally closer together, they share tender moments, console each other and do all the other things couples traditionally do. Can Harry and Sally remain friends, or will they fall in love? 28
JANUARY MONDAY 2
FILM
Café Society
pg 15
THURSDAY 5
CHILDREN’S FILM
Frozen Singalong
pg 15
FRIDAY 6
CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Goldilocks & The Three Bears
pg 16
SATURDAY 7
MUSIC
Kíla
pg 16
MONDAY 9
FILM
Infinitely Polar Bear
pg 17
TUESDAY 10
FILM/MUSIC
Ziggy Stardust and the pg 17 Spiders from Mars
FRIDAY 13
THEATRE
Displaced Family Project
pg 18
SATURDAY 14
MUSIC
Declan O’Rourke
pg 18
MONDAY 16 & TUESDAY 17
FILM
Captain Fantastic
pg 19
FRIDAY 20
MUSIC
The Fureys
pg 19
SATURDAY 21
THEATRE
Dublin Oldschool
pg 20
SATURDAY 21
MUSIC
Jazz Ensemble
pg 21
MONDAY 23
FILM
The Black Hen
pg 21
TUESDAY 24 SATURDAY 28
LOCAL ARTS
Bray One Act Festival
pg 22
MONDAY 30
FILM
The Unknown Girl
pg 22
29
FEBRUARY
30
THURSDAY 2
FILM
Faberge: Life of its Own
pg 23
FRIDAY 3
MUSIC
New Frontiers of Folk
pg 23
SATURDAY 4
THEATRE
The Big Fellow
pg 24
SUNDAY 5
CHILDREN’S FILM
The Secret Life of Pets
pg 24
SUNDAY 5
FILM
Calamity Jane
pg 25
MONDAY 6
FILM
Anthropoid
pg 25
THURSDAY 9
TALK
Creative Gathering
pg 26
FRIDAY 10
MUSIC
The Whistling Girl
pg 26
SATURDAY 11
COMEDY
Andrew Maxwell
pg 27
MONDAY 13
FILM
Lo And Behold, Reveries Of The Connected World
pg 27
TUESDAY 14
DANCE WORKSHOP
Join us for a Little Dance
pg 28
TUESDAY 14
FILM
When Harry Met Sally
pg 28
THURSDAY 16
TALK/ LITERATURE
Talking to Strangers: with Michael Harding
pg 26
FRIDAY 17
THEATRE
Big Bobby. Little Bobby
pg 34
SATURDAY 18 & SUNDAY 19
LOCAL ARTS
Honk! Jnr
pg 33
MONDAY 20
FILM
La La Land
pg 36
WEDNESDAY 22 LOCAL ARTS & THURSDAY 23
Songs from the Shows
pg 35
FRIDAY 24 & SATURDAY 25
LOCAL ARTS
All Shook Up (young@part edition)
pg 35
FRIDAY 24
OFFSITE MUSIC
Francesco Turrisi
pg 36
MONDAY 27 & TUESDAY 28
FILM
A Date For Mad Mary
pg 36
MARCH THURSDAY 2
DANCE
Jean Butler
pg 38
FRIDAY 3 & SATURDAY 4
MUSIC
Ladies in the Blues
pg 37
SUNDAY 5
CHILDREN’S FILM
Trolls
pg 39
SUNDAY 5
FILM
The Light Between Oceans
pg 39
MONDAY 6
FILM
The Fencer
pg 40
WEDNESDAY 8 FRIDAY 10
LOCAL ARTS
Coláiste Craobh pg 40 Abhann - Calamity Jane
SATURDAY 11
THEATRE
To Hell in a Handbag
pg 41
MONDAY 13
FILM
The Childhood of a Leader
pg 41
TUESDAY 14 & BIFE ARTS WEDNESDAY 15 FESTIVAL
BIFE Drama
pg 42
THURSDAY 16
BIFE ARTS FESTIVAL
BIFE Music
pg 42
SATURDAY 18
THEATRE
I Hear You and Rejoice
pg 43
MONDAY 20
FILM
Lovers and the Despot
pg 43
TUESDAY 21
BIFE ARTS FESTIVAL
BIFE TV & Film
pg 44
THURSDAY 23 & BIFE ARTS FRIDAY 24 FESTIVAL
BIFE Dance
pg 44
SATURDAY 25 & SUNDAY 26
LOCAL ARTS
Wicklow School of Dance
pg 45
MONDAY 27 & TUESDAY 28
FILM
I, Daniel Blake
pg 45
THURSDAY 30
SCHOOLS SHOW
Ger Carey
pg 46
THURSDAY 30
COMEDY
Foil Arms and Hog
pg 46
FRIDAY 31
THEATRE
The Successful TD
pg 47
31
aprIl SATURDAY 1
MUSIC
Eleanor McEvoy
pg 48
MONDAY 5
FILM
Valley of Love
pg 48
TUESDAY 4 SATURDAY 8
LOCAL THEATRE
Square One
pg 49
MONDAY 10
FILM
The Olive Tree
pg 49
TUESDAY 11
FILM
Queen of Katwe
pg 50
WEDNESDAY 12 DANCE
Wicklow Screendance Laboratory
pg 50
WEDNESDAY 12 CHILDREN’S & THURSDAY 13 WORKSHOP
Brickflicks
pg 51
THURSDAY 13
FILM/MUSIC
Grease
pg 51
SATURDAY 15
COMEDY
Pat Shortt
pg 52
MONDAY 17
FILM
American Honey
pg 52
WEDNESDAY 19 LOCAL ARTS - SATURDAY 22
Bray Musical Society
pg 53
MONDAY 24 & TUESDAY 25
FILM
Happiest Day in the Life of Oli Maki
pg 53
THURSDAY 27
THEATRE
Tom Crean Antarctic Explorer
pg 54
SATURDAY 29
DANCE
International Dance Day
pg 55
Bray Jazz Festival
pg 55
FRIDAY 28 MUSIC MONDAY 1 May
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Talking to Strangers: An Evening with Michael Harding
THURSDAY 16 February | 8pm €18/16 Michael Harding is one of Ireland’s most distinctive writers and storytellers and his recent memoirs Staring at Lakes and Hanging with the Elephant have touched a chord with audiences throughout the country. Now he returns to Mermaid Arts Centre with his latest book,Talking to Strangers and to ruminate on his life over the past 18 months, playing the Bull McCabe on stage in Dublin, struggling with self-doubt, faith, and psychotherapy, and the chaos of building an extension to his home near Lough Allen.
Honk! Jnr
SATURDAY 18 February | 7:30pm & SUNDAY 19 February | 3pm €15 | €50 (Family of four) Sheevawn Musical Youth Theatre (SMYTh) Junior aged 4-12 Present Honk! Jnr. A modern musical by George Stiles & Anthony Drewe based on the story of the Ugly Duckling, featuring a wonderfully funny and colourful array of characters.This musical tells children that it is okay to be “Different” and that you can still “Hold Your Head Up High” & “Warts and All”.
33
Big Bobby. Little Bobby
FRIDAY 17 February | 8pm €16/14 | Mermaid Mix Show (see page 10/11) | Friends Selected Show Big Bobby. Little Bobby is a twisted tender comedy; a one woman tour-de-force about keeping your demons sweet. Bobby has shared a bed with Mammy who sleeps in her tights, plays games in the night and guzzles bottles under the stairs. It’s time for Bobby to get out. Alone in the silence of Granny’s old house, Little Bobby appears, filling Bobby’s head with self loathing, filthy urges and occasionally a push in the right direction. A deliciously dark tale about inner critics, awkward romance and dealing with your dark side. This award-winning show has played sell out runs at Brighton Fringe, First Fortnight & Dublin Fringe. “Big Bobby, Little Bobby is a truthful play that doesn’t pull punches but it is also very funny, thereby joining the ranks of so much indelible Irish writing.... I believe Camille Lucy Ross and writer Kelly Shatter will surely be claiming a share of the plaudits as their wave continues to roll.” – BroadwayBaby
34
Songs from the Shows WEDNESDAY 22 & THURSDAY 23 February | 8pm €15
Sheevawn Musical Youth Theatre (Seniors 16+ yrs) present Songs from the Shows.This very talented crowd of young people present their annual concert of songs & dances from some of the best musical theatre shows including Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Oklahoma, Catch Me if you Can, Kiss Me Kate, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and many more. After a sell-out run last July with Les Miserables, they will be returning to the Mermaid this July with the very pink Legally Blonde the Musical!
All Shook Up – (young@part edition) FRIDAY 24 & SATURDAY 25 February | 7.30pm €17 | €60 (Family of four)
Sheevawn Musical Youth Theatre (INTERS 13-17yrs) present All Shook Up (young@part edition). Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, this musical features many of Elvis’ greatest hits. This relatively new musical comedy script by Joe DiPietro provides lots of laughs as well as the fast-paced song & dance routines. So “C’mon Everbody” and join us for a rockin’ mid-term treat.
35
La La Land
(Cert: PG)
MONDAY 20 February | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 128mins | Language: English An ambitious jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) fall in love while pursuing their dreams of stardom, in this dazzlingly stylized homage to the classic Hollywood musical. La La Land ushers the musical into the 21st century in all its brightly coloured, anamorphic splendour, telling the story of two star-crossed young dreamers determined to make it big on the silver screen. It’s either stardom or bust! But is their love strong enough to weather disappointment, compromise, and ever-burgeoning periods apart?
Francesco Turrisi – Alone Together
FRIDAY 24 February | 8pm €16/14 | Venue: The Town Hall | Mermaid Mix Show (see page 10/11) “Alone Together” is a concert series curated by Italian multiinstrumentalist Francesco Turrisi. For each concert Francesco and his two invited guests will perform a short solo set each, followed by a trio set with original music and improvisations. The first concert of the series will feature Marco Ambrosini, master of the Nyckelharpa, (a keyed fiddle traditional to Sweden), and Viola da Gamba (Baroque viol) virtuoso Rodney Prada. Join us for an intimate night of beautiful music and sounds from across the centuries. 36
A Date For Mad MarY
(Cert: 15a)
MONDAY 27 February | 8pm & TUESDAY 28 February | 2.30pm €8/6.50 | €5 (Matinee) Duration: 82mins | Language: English
‘Mad’ Mary McArdle returns to Drogheda after a short spell in prison - for something she’d rather forget. Back home, everything and everyone has changed. Her best friend, Charlene, is about to get married and Mary is to be her maid of honour. When Charlene refuses Mary a ‘plus one’ on the grounds that she probably couldn’t find a date, Mary becomes determined to prove her wrong. ‘A Date for Mad Mary’ is a tough and tender story about friendship, first love, and letting go of the glory days.
Ladies In the Blues FRIDAY 3 & SATURDAY 4 March | 8pm €20/18
Back by public demand after their sell out show for two nights only! Ladies In the Blues is a live music theatre show charting the journey of pioneering women in the blues such as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith & Maimie Smith who made early recordings.These women were instrumental in spreading the blues from the Vaudeville years to the Jazz era right up to the late 1970’s.The four Irish women of the blues - Flo Mc Sweeney, Clara Rose, Emma Nicolai & Jhil Quinn are accompanied by a cracking live blues band featuring Ireland’s greatest exponents of the blues including Ed Deane & James Delaney. 37
Jean Butler & Neil Martin – this is an Irish dance THURSDAY 2 March | 8pm €20/18
Butler’s new show, ‘this is an Irish dance’, created and performed with Belfast-based cellist Neil Martin, is inspired by the interdependent relationship between traditional music and dance and the formal spatial relationship between dancer and musician that characterizes her tradition. The movement and music, created simultaneously through improvisation, raises questions about who is leading and who is following. ‘this is an Irish dance’ explores the often-invisible interplay between dancer and musician in live performance revealing a dialogue between body and instrument, cello and cellist, cellist and dancer, and ultimately a man and woman. “Butler and Martin engage in an intense, affectionate, sometimes flirtatious musical conversation. Butler is an extraordinary dancer, the accent of her dancing is distinctly Irish. Her footwork is light and crisp — she skitters across the floor, like a butterfly skimming the surface of a lake.” – Marina Hass The New Yorker
38
Trolls
(Cert: G)
SUNDAY 5 March | 2pm €5 | Duration: 92mins | Language: English Trolls is a smart comedy about the search for happiness, and just how far some will go to get it. Be transported into a colorful, wondrous world populated by the overly optimistic Trolls, who have a constant dance in their step and a song on their lips, and the comically pessimistic Bergens. After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy (Kendrick), the happiest Troll ever born, and the overlycautious curmudgeonly Branch (Timberlake) set off on a rescue mission full of adventure and mishaps – trying to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done.
The Light Between Oceans SUNDAY 5 March | 4.30pm €5 | Duration: 132mins | Language: English
(Cert: 12a)
After serving in World War I, soldier Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) seeks the solitude of working as a remote lighthouse keeper to help him overcome the trauma of his experiences. When he meets the vivacious Isabel (Alicia Vikander), an unexpected romance and marriage follows. However their initial idyllic island existence is soon marred by tragedy, which leads them to make a decision that has far-reaching moral consequences. Director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine,The Place Beyond the Pines) has crafted a poignant adaptation of M.L. Stedman’s acclaimed novel. 39
The Fencer
(Cert: cLUB)
MONDAY 6 March | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 99mins | Language: Estonian, Russian, Armenian In the early 1950’s, champion fencer Endel Nelis, takes a teaching position in a remote Estonian School. Initially standoffish, he eventually warms to the traumatised children of the school, many of whom have been orphaned. Realising that the children need an outlet for hope and self-expression he decides to teach them how to fence and in doing so becomes their father. But Endel harbours a secret, he is on the run from the Soviet Police and he eventually has to make a decision-to stay and risk everything or to keep running. (English subtitles). First Mondays short film City of Roses will be screened prior to The Fencer.
Calamity JaNE – Coláiste Chraobh Abhann
WEDNESDAY 8 − FRIDAY 10 March | 8pm €15 Calamity Jane can outrun and outshoot any man in Deadwood. Hard, boastful and desperate to impress, she travels to Chicago on the Deadwood Stage to recruit a star, Adelaide Adams. But things don’t go too smoothly for Calamity, as everyone in town favours the new girl and she struggles to keep her jealousy and pride in check. It takes her long standing enemy Wild Bill Hickok to make her see sense, and realise her Secret Love. The musical includes some very famous numbers, including ‘Secret Love’, ‘Black Hills Of Dakota, ‘Deadwood Stage’ and ‘Windy City’. 40
To Hell in a Handbag
(The Secret Lives of Canon Chasuble and Miss Prism)
SATURDAY 11 March | 8pm €16/14 | Mermaid Mix Show (see page 10/11) | Friends Selected Show While others are preoccupied with cucumber sandwiches and railway cloakrooms, two minor characters from The Importance of Being Earnest are up to their necks in something else. A country rector and a governess, models of Victorian propriety in public. But in private? This is the play behind the play: a tale of blackmail, false identity… and money. Starring Helen Norton & Jonathan White. “✩ ✩ ✩ ✩” – The Irish Times. “Wickedly, side-splittingly funny …a joyous romp not to be missed” – Sunday Independent
The Childhood of a Leader (CERT: CLUB) MONDAY 13 March | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 115mins | Language: French, English (English subtitles) France, 1918, a US Diplomat (Liam Cunningham) is involved in the drawing up of the Treaty of Versailles while his wife (Bérénice Bejo), repressed and unhappy, is alarmed by their sons increasingly destructive behaviours. Rich in symbolism, with an oppressive, engulfing score by Scott Walker, we know from the outset that something is very, very wrong. Brady Corbets Directorial debut feature is a huge, meaty, European drama, a case study in domestic and political crisis’s, in the hypocrisy of adults.Tom Sweets performance as the young aggressor is chilling, menacing and brilliant. 41
BIFE DRAMA PRESENTS – The
Three Sisters
TUESDAY 14 & WEDNESDAY 15 March | 7.30pm €12/8
Bray Institute for Further Education Performing Arts Acting Students presents Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters.Three sisters and their brother live in an uninspiring environment and long for the adrenaline rush of life in Moscow.In a world of flux and transition where people feel cheated and confused, the Prozorov family examine how their past shaped who they are today, their dreams for the future, the choices they face, how they deal with failure and what gives them hope. This play speaks to our anxieties about politics and social change, as the characters attempt to reconcile their dreams with reality.
BIFE MUSIC GOES LIVE!!
THURSDAY 16 March | 8pm €12/8
Bray Institute of Further Education Music Performance Students Presents BIFE MUSIC GOES LIVE!! The NEW BIFE Diploma in Music Performance is up and running with a lively and talented group of students. Come and support the rising stars of tomorrow as they demonstrate their skills and talents.They are joined by wellknown teachers from BIFE Music Centre and our clarinet and piano duo whose recording went viral on Facebook recently. All styles of music are represented: from rock to classical; solos and groups. Expect to be entertained and amazed! 42
I Hear You and Rejoice – Mikel Murfi
SATURDAY 18 March | 8pm €16/14 Late in his life, Pat Farnon, a cobbler and all-round contented man, marries the redoubtable Kitsy Rainey. It’s a match made in heaven, in more ways than one. Written and performed by Mikel Murfi I Hear You and Rejoice is a tender and joy filled account of a most unlikely marriage. Meet Huby Patterson and Magic Mick as well as Sylvie, Eugene and Tony Cleary - the amazing no instrumental man. You may never look at life in quite the same way again.
Lovers and the Despot
(CERT: CLUB)
MONDAY 20 March | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 98mins | Language: Korean, Japanese, English
The history of Hollywood is replete with bizarre tales, but for sheer strangeness few can match the one recounted in this gripping film that illuminates a dark chapter of Korean cinema lore. In 1978 North Korean dictator (and movie buff) Kim Jong-il kidnapped a famed South Korean celebrity couple – actress Choi Eun-hee and director Shin Sang-ok – hoping their star wattage would invigorate his burgeoning moviemaking empire. A seamless blend of interview, recreation and archival footage, the film features rare recordings of the dictator, secretly taped by the captive lovers. (English subtitles) 43
BIFE TV & FILM PRESENTS – Shortcuts TUESDAY 21 March | 8pm €12/8
Bray Institute of Further EducationTV & Film Students presents Shortcuts. Shortcuts is a collection of student work created by BIFE’s graduating film students.This year’s show is a mixture of comedy and drama.The students have recorded in Ultra HD 4K for our best quality show ever. We hope you will join us in welcoming the next generation of Irish film makers in our Graduation Showcase.
BIFE DANCE PRESENTS – Always
Dancing
THURSDAY 23 March | 8pm & FRIDAY 24 March | 2pm & 8pm €12/8
Bray Institute of Further Education Dance Students presents Always Dancing, a sensational and invigorating performance of dance and movement. This performance will feature diverse classical ballet, explosive jazz, and exciting musical theatre. Well known repertoire and debut performances of original choreography by both students and tutors will also be featured. This is an excellent opportunity to see quality work and the talent of young dancers at BIFE. 44
A Night at the Movies
SATURDAY 25 March | 2pm & 6pm & SUNDAY 26 March | 1pm & 5pm €15/12 Wicklow School of Dance are proud to present “A Night at the Movies”. Enjoy an evening of dance inspired by all your favourite cinema classics. Featuring music from films such as Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter and Mary Poppins, this is a true silver screen spectacular, with something for all the family. The show features ballet, jazz and contemporary dance performances by students aged 3-18 from our Greystones, Rathnew and Wicklow branches.
I, Daniel Blake
(CERT: 15a)
MONDAY 27 March | 8pm & TUESDAY 28 March | 2.30pm €8/6.50 | €5 (Matinee) Duration: 100mins | Language: English Ken Loach and Paul Laverty are on familiar ground in this deeply moving, drama set among those who slip through gaping cracks in Britain’s benefit system. Daniel Blake, 59, who has worked as a joiner most of his life in the North East of England needs help from the State for the first time ever following an illness. He crosses paths with a single mother Katie and her two young children. Katie’s only chance to escape a homeless hostel in London is to accept a flat 300 miles away. Daniel and Katie find themselves in no-man’s land caught on the barbed wire of welfare bureaucracy. 45
Ger Carey – Talk to the Wall THURSDAY 30 March | 11am €10 (Teachers free)
Ger Carey is back with his stand-up for Transition Year Students. In “Talk to the Wall” Ger takes a hilarious look at how teenagers are influenced by Facebook,YouTube, television, film, pop stars, advertising and vampires. Does the media imitate teenagers or do teenagers imitate the media? Maybe it’s time they learned the truth!
Foil Arms & Hog THURSDAY 30 March | 8pm €18/16
Foil Arms and Hog are Ireland’s top comedy sketch group. Called ‘Pure Brilliant’ by Tommy Tiernan, the group have over four million hits on YouTube and have sold out five shows at Dublin’s Vicar street. With regular sketches on RTE, viral comedy hits like ‘How to Speak Dublin’ and over 70,000 online followers, Foil Arms and Hog have established themselves amongst the new breed of Irish comedy stars. ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ – IrishTimes ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ – Examiner ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ – Entertainment.ie
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The Successful TD
FRIDAY 31 March | 8pm €20/18 | Tickets go on sale 20 February 2017 THE SUCCESSFUL TD follows the Trials,Tribulations, misadventures and hilarious antics of TULL McADOO as he seeks re-election to the Dail in the “October Elections” Written by John B Keane in 1967 he displays his edge for humour and satire that are uncomfortably close to the politics of today… Peppered with Keane’s gallery of madcap characters this show will have you laughing at politics (in a good way) from the start. Tull has roped in the help of his faithful Daughter Kate while his wife nurses her various ailments in bed or Lisdoonvarna , but his arch enemy Flannery the local school teacher plans to scupper the election for Tull… Based on The Letters of A Successful TD and An Irish Minister of State by John B Keane. Adapted for the stage by Jon Kenny, Mary McEvoy and Michael Scott. Starring Jon Kenny and Mary McEvoy. Directed by Michael Scott.
47
Eleanor McEvoy
SATURDAY 1 April | 8pm €18/16 | Mermaid Mix Show (see page 10/11 ) Eleanor McEvoy continues her Naked... Live tour, through Britain, Europe, Australia and home. She walks into a single pool of light solo with her guitars, violin, piano and voice. Through song and story Eleanor takes audiences on an intimate magical journey with own compositions and by others interpreted in her own unique way. “Her voice is clear and potently charged, one hundred percent believable; when her songs are bitter the acid burns your eyes, when they are sad you can taste the tears.” – Irish Music Magazine.
Valley of Love
(cert: club)
MONDAY 3 April | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 91mins | Language: French, English (English subtitles) Valley of Love tells the story of two famous actors, Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert) and Gérard (Gérard Depardieu), a former couple who receive a letter from their son, six months after his suicide.The letter asks them to visit five places at Death Valley, which will make the son reappear.This posthumous rendezvous is orchestrated with precision for these two grieving parents who have not seen each other for years. First Mondays short film January Hymn will be screened prior to Valley of Love. 48
Square One Theatre Group present The Constant Wife by W Somerset Maughan TUESDAY 4 − SATURDAY 8 April | 8pm €18/16 Fiona Keane directs this social comedy full of marital manoeuvres. Set in 1920s upper class London we meet Constance Middleton who discovers her husband is having an affair with her best friend. Rather than humiliating herself, she denies the affair, defends them and sets about turning the situation to her advantage. Although this comedy was written almost 100 years ago, the witty dialogue and clever plot twists continue to entertain audiences today.
THE OLIVE TREE
(Cert: tBC)
MONDAY 10 April | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 100mins | Language: Spanish, German, English, French Alma’s family has been producing olive oil in Spain’s Castellón for generations.Yet changing pressures in the industry have made their traditional practices economically untenable, and the family is now in the mass-production poultry business. Alma’s grandfather has not spoken in years and no longer wants to eat. She realizes he has been grieving for a thousand-year-old olive tree that the family sold to pay some debts. Alma undertakes a mission to locate the tree and return it to the family orchard so that her grandfather may have peace in his final days. (English subtitles) 49
Queen of Katwe
(CERT: pG)
TUESDAY 11 April | 2.30pm €5 | Duration: 124mins | Language: English
Queen of Katwe is the colourful true story of a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion.
Wicklow Screendance Laboratory WEDNESDAY 12 April Full details closer to the time on www.mermaidartscentre.ie
This project is a week-long school/festival/symposium that will draw dancers, editor’s composers, writers and film makers together to create an exploratory laboratory experience working within danceand-film, in county Wicklow. The event will be led by choreographer/film maker Dr Adrienne Brown, with invited guest artists Marisa M Hayes and Franck Boulègue of Video Screen Dance, (Bourgogne, France) brought in as experts in the field to facilitate training in the area of dance and film. 50
Brickflicks
WEDNESDAY 12 & THURSDAY 13 April | 11am − 1.30pm or 2.30pm − 5pm €25 ( 2 day workshop) | Age suitability: Strictly 8 years + BrickFlicks are back this Easter so join them for some stop motion making mayhem. Participants will collaborate on designing their own set, scripting their own story and filming the results. Bring your favourite mini figure and they can be the star of the show or movie. Completed movies will be shared for family and friends on YouTube. The morning workshop is suitable for those new to stop motion or those looking to refresh their skills.The afternoon workshop is suitable for children who are currently making stop motion films and want to take their films to the next level. Equipment and materials supplied, bring along your own favourite mini figure
GREASE
(Cert: pG)
THURSDAY 13 April | 8pm (Doors 7.30pm) €8/6.50 | Duration: 110mins | Language: English Join Ernie Gallagher for a night of music and film in this tribute to the fabulous 1950s. As a new school year begins, wholesome Australian exchange student Sandy (pop star Olivia Newton-John) and duck-tailed, leather-jacketed Danny (John Travolta) parlay their summertime romance into an on-and-off attraction that may or may not cross clique lines. Sandy seriously cramps Danny’s style, so he dumps her. In response, Sandy begins dating a wholesome athlete, but, as a hedge, she also joins the gum-chewin’, tough-talkin’ clique known as the Pink Ladies. 51
Pat Shortt – How’s Tings? SATURDAY 15 April | 8pm €28/26
Fresh from the success of his award-winning show, Selfie, Pat Shortt returns with a brand new show called How’s Tings? In a night of music and mayhem, Ireland’s most popular comedian explores all sorts of tings. Big tings and little tings. Personal tings and tings that are not so personal. Important international tings and tings that only affect the parish. In Shortt, it’s a funny show about tings. “Dangerously funny.” – onstageblog.com, New York.
American Honey
(cert: 16)
MONDAY 17 April | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 163mins | Language: English
Troubled 18-year-old Star (Sasha Lane) doesn’t have much of a future to look forward to in dirt-poor Muskogee, Oklahoma. So when she meets up with a band of carefree misfits who offer her the opportunity for a fun-packed road trip, she abandons all her responsibilities to join them. Led by the charismatic Jake (Shia LaBeouf), they scratch a living by selling magazine subscriptions doorto-door across the US Midwest. Before long, Star is swept up in their petty crime-fuelled party lifestyle and falling for Jake - much to the fury of his hard-nosed girlfriend, Krystal (Riley Keough). 52
Bray Musical Society – Godspell WEDNESDAY 19 − SATURDAY 22 April | 8pm €20/18
Bray Musical Society return to Mermaid to present the hit musical Godspell. Based on the Gospel of St. Matthew, Godspell deals with the last days of Jesus, includes dramatised versions of several well known parables. It is something more, not just a religious experience, a demonstration of joy, but also a celebration of the family of man. The cast are conceived as clowns, improvising scenery costumes and using many well known theatrical devices, pantomime vaudeville and varied musical styles to interpret one of humanities greatest events.
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (Cert: cLUB)
MONDAY 24 April | 8pm & TUESDAY 25 April | 2.30pm €8.50/7 | €5 (Matinee) | Duration: 92mins | Language: Finnish, English 25-year old Olli Mäki, a European amateur boxing champion, is training for the match of a lifetime. As Olli struggles to balance his preparations with the pressures of being in the media spotlight, he also finds himself falling in love with local beauty Raija, much to the dissatisfaction of his ambitious manager Elis. Beautifully shot in black and white, and with quietly powerful performances, this charming portrayal of one man’s challenge to determine his life’s priorities is the most unconventional boxing film and feel-good love story you’ll see this year. (English subtitles) 53
Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer THURSDAY 27 April | 8pm €18/16
Tom Crean, the intrepid Antarctic explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung heroes, is brought to life in this dramatic and humorous solo performance by Aidan Dooley. Hear the riveting true stories of Crean’s Antarctic explorations as one of the few men to serve with both Scott and Shackleton and survive the three famous expeditions: Discovery, (1901 – 1904); Terra Nova (1910 – 1913); and Endurance (1914 - 1916). Crean’s story is a testament of human fortitude against all the elements of the Antarctic, his 36 mile, solitary trek to base camp during the Terra Nova expedition to rescue his comrades Teddy Evans and William Lashly has been described by Antarctic historians as “the finest feat of individual heroism from the entire age of exploration”. He was subsequently awarded the Albert Medal f or his bravery. This multi-award winning show has now played critically acclaimed sell-out performances throughout Ireland, USA, Australia, Europe and the UK. “This magnificent revelation of a fascinating character simply compels a standing ovation” – Gerry Colgan,The Irish Times, Dublin. “An unparalleled portrayal.” – Gina Bellafante, New York Times. 54
International Dance Day
SATURDAY 29 April Full details closer to the time on www.mermaidartscentre.ie To celebrate ‘International Dance Day 2017’, Mermaid Dance Artists in residence will resume their ongoing collaboration with the dance students of Bray Institute of Further Education. On Friday the 28th of April, we will be hosting a site-specific dance festival on the streets of Bray. ‘Our mission is to invite the general public of Bray to take a moment to witness an unexpected expression of freedom through dance, thereby strengthening the symbiotic relationship between the people of Bray, the local artists and the talented students of BIFE.’
Bray Jazz Festival
FRIDAY 28 April − MONDAY 1 May Full details closer to the time on www.mermaidartscentre.ie One of Ireland’s leading improvised music happenings, Bray Jazz has built itself a reputation as one of the country’s top boutique festival events, and has brought some of the best known names in international jazz to these shores. Bray Jazz Festival will again deliver more than 40 concerts, recitals and jazz trail shows across the town over the May Bank Holiday weekend (28th-30th April) in a festival that has been described as “one of the very best small jazz festivals in Europe” – All About Jazz & “a little gem” – The Sunday Independent. 55
Tim Crouch – I, Malvolio
THURSDAY 11 May 2017 Full details closer to the time on www.mermaidartscentre.ie Multi-award-winning playwright and performer Tim Crouch re-imagines Twelfth Night in this, his brilliant one-man show. In a charged, unsettling rant, Malvolio – a man ‘notoriously wronged’ – draws us into the madness of Shakespeare’s play and forces us to confront our own cruelty. I, Malvolio is Twelfth Night told from the loser’s perspective. It’s a show for anyone who has ever been told off, called a name, or fallen in love with the wrong person. “…a downright joyous celebration of theatre.” – The Guardian.
Brokentalkers – Have I No Mouth FRIDAY 12 May 2017 Full details closer to the time on www.mermaidartscentre.ie
Have I no mouth is a powerful piece of theatre exploring the changing nature of the relationship between a mother and son in the aftermath of a family tragedy. Written and performed by real life Mother and son Feidlim Cannon and Ann Cannon, the production takes a brave, unflinching look at their past and attempts to piece together the truth, whilst exploring different ways we heal ourselves after the unthinkable happens. Ann and Feidlim are joined on stage by professional psychotherapist Erich Keller. Directed by Brokentalkers’ artistic directors Feidlim Cannon, and Gary Keegan. 56
BECOME A MERMAID friend Mermaid Friends are people who support the centre and help us to create opportunities for artists. As a registered charity, each contribution to Mermaid makes a big difference, no matter how big or small. Mermaid Friend Level 1: €60 Mermaid Friend Level 2: €120 Mermaid Friend Level 3: €350 Mermaid Friend Level 4: €1000 Benefits include free tickets to selected shows. This season our friends selected shows are; Big Bobby. Little Bobby, To Hell in a Handbag & Displaced Family Project.
MERMAID friendS Jean MacGreevy Craft Picture Framing Gallery Cynthia & Patrick Moran Annick Smith Jackie Cullen Sean Leahy Neville Keery John Kelly Nanette O’Connell Daphne Millar Ann & Syl Holland Joan Davis Tanya Kiang Angela McQuilian Jean Duffy George & Joan Jones Patrick J Connolly Deirdre MacDonnell
John McCormick Phillip & Noelle O’Reilly Derek Pullen Ken Duff, Duff’s Lounge & Bar Beatrice Lasserre Don Bagley Martin & Patricia Davidson Yvonne & Jim Kidd Mary Doyle Pat Ralph Finola Murphy Bernie Chambers Alan & Marie Downes Marie Ryan Brian & Sheila Healy Jane Kierans Peggy Masterson
OUR funderS
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How to find us You will find Mermaid Arts Centre in the civic offices complex on Bray Main Street, between Bank of Ireland and Premier Arts & Crafts.
Parking
Mermaid has FREE underground parking for all evening and weekend shows.There is pay & display overground parking available.
Club Films Some of the films we screen here at Mermaid have not been certified by the Irish Censorship Office. In order to screen these films we need to operate as a film club.This nominal fee has been integrated into the ticket price for all CLUB films. Everyone over 18 years is welcome to attend club films.
Brochure Design by Rachel Sweeney
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Mermaid Arts Centre Main St., Bray, Co. Wicklow Tel: 01-2724030 www.mermaidartscentre.ie