Regular RTÉ Arena listeners will know that when January comes, the popular arts showcase teams up with TradFest to celebrate traditional music and culture across two nights of a hooley coming from Dublin Castle.
This is TradFest's 20th anniversary year, and Arena are getting ahead of themselves with an extra special pre-TradFest gig, this Wednesday night, January 8th in the Lark in Balbriggan, celebrating actor, artist, TradFest patron and living legend, Stephen Rea - listen above.
There is so much to celebrate and talk about when it comes to Mr. Rea's singular career on stage and screen, including his unforgettable partnership with filmmaker Neil Jordan in such films as Angel, Michael Collins. The Butcher Boy and The Crying Game.
Then there is his theatrical career as a founding member of Field Day, and his roles in works by Thomas Kilroy, Samuel Beckett, Brian Friel, Sam Shepard and David Ireland.
On Wednesday January 8th, Stephen Rea sits down with Arena's Kay Sheehy to talk about his acting career; joining him on the night is composer and cellist Neil Martin and piper Louise Mulcahy, along with Stephen’s fellow actor Sinead Cusack and fiddler Paddy Glackin.
If you would like to come along to the live Celebration of Stephen Rea, look up the TradFest website - or listen live to Arena on RTÉ Radio 1 this Wednesday January 8th at 7pm.
Listen to more from RTÉ Arena here.
