THEATRE: WAITRESS
Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of some happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated. With the support of her workmates Becky and Dawn, Jenna overcomes the challenges she faces and finds that laughter, love and friendship can provide the perfect recipe for happiness... The smash-hit Broadway musical returns to Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, with a killer score from Sara Bareilles and a cast that includes West End stalwart Carrie Hope Fletcher and UK TV legend Les Dennis (Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, May 19th - 23rd)
BOOK: OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES
As schoolgirls, Justine and her best friend Iseult dreamed of a future that revolved around marriage. They saw it as a happy ending, never imagining for a moment that the reality would be more complicated. Coming up to fifty, they're still best friends, with Justine married to Iseult's brother for twenty-five years. A forthcoming family wedding, however, brings up the ghosts of the past, testing their bond like never before... Kathleen Macmahon, the acclaimed author of Nothing But Blue Sky and The Home Scar, returns with a captivating story about the decisions we make in a heartbeat, and their lifelong consequences. The author chats to Miriam O'Callaghan below (Out now, Penguin Sandycove)
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FILM: THE CHRISTOPHERS
Steven Soderbergh is a filmmaker who doesn't like to rest on his laurels; his third movie in just over a year (after Presence and Black Bag) tells the story of the children of a once-famed artist (Ian McKellen) who hires a forger (Michaela Coel) to complete some unfinished, long ago abandoned canvases so they'll have an inheritance when he dies. Simply put, it's a celluloid dance between two extraordinary actors from different generations, in the hands of a master filmmaker smart enough to let them cut loose and do their thing. It should also be be noted that at 85 years of age, McKellen remains an absolute force of nature (Selected cinemas nationwide)
STREAMING: RIVALS
This gleefully silly adaptation of author Jilly Cooper's 80s bonkbuster was an unlikely critical smash and audience sensation - now we return to the fictional Cotswolds county of Rutshire for another round of shenanigans, shoulder‑pads, scheming and sexy times. One of the best ensemble casts on TV - David Tennent, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson - are having an absolute blast; kudos to homegrown heroes Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit, with Aidan back in the saddle and giving it the full Poldark. New cast members include Mission: Impossible star Hayley Atwell and - it had to happen - Rupert Everett. The first three episodes are now streaming on Disney+, and are not suitable for younger viewers.
WORDS & MUSIC: WE ARE AN ARCHIPELAGO
Poet Erin Fornoff's show is a performed epic poem-play-spoken-word-storytelling hybrid, telling the (semi-true) tall tale of ninety-nine year old Bill, who moves back to the little, Inis Oirr-esque island of his birth, where he meets Deena, a young pregnant woman fleeing a difficult past. Their gentle friendship sustains them as a hurricane and a baby arrive simultaneously. The production features a live score and songscapes by I Have A Tribe's Patrick O'Laoghaire and is touring nationwide as part of this year's Bealtaine Festival, with dates over the coming weeks in Loughrea, Ennistymon, Antrim, Clare, Dublin, Kerry and Bantry - find a date near you here.
EXTRA: THE BLEEDING PIG FILM FESTIVAL
From binmen and boobs to bad dates and bank robberies, the Bleeding Pig Film Festival returns to Donabate for its eighth edition. The 3-day event offers a vibrant mix of new Irish short films before closing with the acclaimed Irish-language thriller Aontas. Other festival highlights include Boobs, Nicola Leddy's documentary exploring Geraldine Carton’s project painting 100 nude portraits, and The Peculiar Saga of Gu Bu Man, about a writer living in digital exile due to severe LED sensitivity. Broadcaster Sinéad Brassil will host director Q&As across the festival, while audiences will also vote for their favourite short film, with winners receiving a €500 rental voucher for film equipment. Movie lovers will have a blast (St Patrick's Church of Ireland, Donabate, Dublin, 18th–20th May)
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