FILM: THE MUMMY
The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace - eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare... Fresh from the record-setting resurrection of Evil Dead Rise, Irish writer/director Lee Cronin (The Hole In The Ground) turns his twisted attentions to one of the most iconic horror stories of all time, with an audacious retelling staring our own Jack Reynor, who's shined in everything from What Richard Did and Sing Street to Midsommar. Possibly not one for the squeamish (Cinemas nationwide)
THEATRE: THE HOUSE MUST WIN
This gritty new musical-drama by singer-songwriter Mick Flannery (inspired by his debut album Evening Train) sweeps audiences into the emotional undertow of story and song. Comedian, actor and TV host Tommy Tiernan makes his musical theatre debut in the role of Ray, while rising Belfast actor and singer-songwriter Tabitha Smyth plays Grace, Ray's daughter. For this World Premiere production, Julie Kelleher directs an ensemble cast of seven that includes Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (Sing Street), Niall McNamee (Saipan), John McCarthy, Orlagh De Bhaldraithe and Damian Kearney. Tommy and Mick talk to Oliver Callan below (Pavilion Theatre, Dublin, from 17th April until 3rd May (preview 16th April), then The Everyman, Cork from 6th -16th May)
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MUSIC: AOIFE NÍ BHRIAIN & CORMAC MCCARTHY WITH THE RTÉ CO
For one night only, two of Ireland's most distinctive musicians, Aoife Ní Bhriain and , join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra to present a programme, fusing traditional, jazz and classical influences, informed by a shared musical heritage and transformed through a contemporary lens. Aoife Ní Bhriain, hailing from Dublin, has established herself as one of the most versatile musicians of her generation, while RTÉ lyric fm said that Cormac McCarthy, a pianist and composer from Cork, 'defies categorisation'. Featuring music from their acclaimed debut album, Cosán Casta, a daring new work for violin, piano and orchestra, and a guest appearance from the mighty Iarla Ó Lionáird, this promises to be a night to remember (The Helix, Dublin, Thursday 23rd April)
BOOK: FEW AND FAR BETWEEN
It's summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years. Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s; they've grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark, monitoring the mysterious Far Side, where ghostly figures linger and the land swallows secrets whole. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go? Jan Carson, author of The Raptures and The Fire Starters, returns with a magically surreal novel about history, identity and redemption - read Cristín Leach's review for RTÉ Culture here (Penguin, out now)
ART: WILLIAM BLAKE
Visionary artist and poet William Blake was a defining force in Romanticism, his imaginative and unconventional works continuing to inspire today. Blake's world was one of fantasy, imagination, and the ancient past, filled with fantastical creatures and visions of the underworld, expressed through a wide variety of media. This new exhibition, featuring over 100 works and curated by Tate in partnership with the National Gallery of Ireland, presents a selection of Blake's most iconic works of art, alongside paintings and drawings by his contemporaries. By placing him in context among the artists he admired and inspired - the exhibition offers insight into an era of extraordinary originality and innovation in late-eighteenth and early nineteenth-century art (NGI, Dublin, until 19 July 2026)
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