Monday - Friday 7-8pm
The 2009 film ‘Pontypool’ adapted from the Canadian Novel ‘Pontypool Changes everything’ is a horror movie for people who like linguistics. Yvonne Nolan has selected it as her Classic Movie tonight and joins Seán in Studio.
John Scofield and Vince Mendoza collaborated on the Grammy-award winning album ‘54’ with the Metropole Orkest. Combining Mendoza's stunning arrangements and some of Scofield's best playing in years, 54 is a milestone in both artists' discographies. They’re playing in the National Concert Hall this Wednesday and both Scofield and Mendoza spoke to Seán.
Darragh McKeon’s debut novel 'All That Is Solid Melts Into Air' looks at the subject of the dying days of the Soviet Union in the months following the Chernobyl disaster who also has a special realtionship with Chernobyl. 'All That Is Solid Melts' by Darragh McKeon is published by Viking Penguin.
Michael West’s play Conservatory at the Abbey opens with an old couple sitting together in a darkened house. He drinks. She knits and does the crossword. They’ve been married for more than forty years, and Michael joined Seán in studio to tell us more about this couple. Conservatory opens at the Abbey on Wednesday and runs to the 12th April.
Sinead Gleeson reviews Karen Joy Fowler's latest book 'We are all completely beside ourselves' which is published by Serpent’s Tail.
‘Father Ted’ and ‘The IT Crowd’ have a new sibling. Creator Graham Linehan has teamed up with the Irish comedy troupe ‘Diet of Worms’ to create a new sitcom for the BBC and RTE, called ‘The Walshes’ Our reporter, Abie Philbin Bowman spoke to several members from Diet of Worms, and he joins me now in studio
The Poets’ Wives is the ninth book by author David Park. Spanning different times and places, the book is a lyrical triptych of novellas about the widows of three famous poets— the first two historical, the third fictional. David joins Sean from the Belfast Studio to discuss
The Stag, Grand Hotel Budapest and 300: Rise of and Empire - Simon Maher & Roisin O’Brien join Sean to discuss
Joanne Spain has been shortlisted for Richard and Judy’s Search for a Bestseller competition for her crime fiction book, With Our Blessing
Colm Maher’s new comedy Cleaners opens at the Axis Theatre in Ballymun next week. It’s set in a high class Dublin hotel where customers leave wads of cash lying around but complain if the mini-bar is messy. Colm joins Sean in studio.
Director of the new Irish film The Stag, John Butler joins Sean in studio.
Declan Long remembers the artist Barrie Cooke who sadly passed away today.
With Bread is a visual art exhibition by sculptor and photographer, Abigail O’Brien. It’s currently on show in Leitrim’s ‘The Dock’ and next year it will be travelling to Limerick City Gallery of Art. The exhibition features photographs, sculpture and video
A new play called ‘Snow Angels’ opens in the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. Written by Christine Dwyer Hickey, it is her first play and it tells the story of three young men, who wake up hungover in an isolated house at the edge of the city. Evelyn O’Rourke went along to the rehearsals to find out more
Deborah Levy came to prominence when her novel ‘Swimming Home’ was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2012. Now her earlier work has been reissued by Hamish Hamilton an imprint of Penguin. Edel Coffey has been exploring Levy’s back catalogue
Tonight’ s film is ‘Baby It’s You’ a romance made by John Sayles in 1983 but telling a story of 1960s America - Diane Negra tell Sean why this is a classic.
Faith is a new play from Guna Nua Theatre. It deals with a man who has been made redundant and how he and his family cope with the challenges they face playwright Paul Meade who joins Sean. www.gunanua.com
This week marks the start of Seachtain na Gaelige and musician Enda Reilly has just released his first album of Irish language songs entitled, Ammhrain Nua i nGaeilge - he chats to Sean about his music and Seachtain Na Gaeilge
Bark is a new collection of short stories from American author Lorrie Moore. The eight stories deal with love, loss and middle age. Nuala Ni Chonchuir has been reading them for us and joins Sean
A play that opens in Dublin next week tells the story of a woman who suffers from depression following the death of her mother. It’s called Retreat and playwright Geoff Power is in studio. www.thenewtheatre.com
A Darker Shade is a collection of 17 short stories from some of Sweden's most accomplished and prolific authors, as well as some authors unheard of outside of Ireland, Arlene Hunt has read it and chats to Sean about it. Published by Head of Zeus
Abie Philbin Bowman gives a rundown on the career of Chris Morris
Brian Lloyd and Edel Coffey review Nymphomaniac Vol 1 & 2; The Book Thief and Non-Stop
The comedian Bill Hicks has remained a cult figure to comedy fans around the globe – the subject of several books and documentaries.
The play ‘The Rising: And By Way Of Interludes World War 1’ tells the story of the 1916 Rising in a way you’ve never heard before, through music, song and dance
Simon Parkes is the founder of the Brixton Adacemy which he owned and operated for 15 years after buying it for £1. He has written a book about his experiences there.
The much vaunted Matthew Bourne version of Swan Lake is currently playing at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre. It’s ballet but with men in the lead roles. Sophie Gorman was there for the first night.
Over the coming months HD simulcasts will bring the work of great operatic composers into local cinemas all around the country.
Once a month, the Gutter Bookshop in Temple Bar hosts an extremely lively book club as part of a ‘Get Active initiative for the active retired’ .
Craig talks to Sean Rocks about his new book Cataract City for which he learnt the art of boxing and took steroids.
This Friday at exactly 11.59 am, entries will close for a very special design competition. The winning entries will feature at this year’s Electric Picnic and the competition is to design and refurbish a unique vintage caravan.
John Byrne's choice of tonight's classic movie
“And Sons” is the latest novel from New York writer David Gilbert. Himself a child of the elite upper East Side of Manhattan, Gilbert tells the story of AN Dyer, a famous author and his adult children, reviewed by Edel Coffey
The 17th Annual Irish Times Theatre Awards took place last night. Sophie Gorman was there. Joining by phone is Tom Vaughan Lawlor who won the Best Actor award.
Lucy Hughes-Hallett has written about his life and the result is her prize-winning book, The Pike: Gabriele d'Annunzio, Poet, Seducer and Preacher of War, and she tells Evelyn about it. Published by Forth Estate
From Starsky and Hutch, Cagney and Lacey, television has always found a place in its scheduling heart for buddy detective pairs…But a new series on Sky Atlantic is breaking this cosy mould… Starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaghy, Cole and Heart appeal to Edel Coffey’s pessimistic side…as she explains..
Abie talks to Andrew Maxwell ahead of his new nationwide tour
Noel Coward’s 1924 play ‘The Vortex’ centres around a socialite mother’s difficult relationship with her drug-addicted son. Set against a backdrop of the roaring 1920s, it is currently showing at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Sophie Gorman joins Evelyn with her review. www.gatetheatre.ie
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the death of the writer Kate O’Brien. The Limerick born novelist’s work includes Mary Lavelle, The Land of Spices and That Lady and this weekend’s Limerick Literary Festival is being held in her honour. Eibhear Walsh chats to Evelyn
Roe McDermott and Chris Wasser review New York Winters Tale, Only Lovers and Stalingrad
Sophie Gorman reviews ‘Sive’. It is one of the best known and best loved Irish plays of the 20th Century. A new production of the John B. Keane play is playing now in the Abbey theatre
Evelyn Chats to author Glen Patterson about his new book The Rest just follows, published by Faber and Faber
On tonights Arena Evelyn O Rourke is joined by writers and musicians from Nighthawks. They share their latest, songs and poems. Corner Boy, Maeve O’Sullivan, Sinéad White, I’m Your Vinyl, Stephen Kennedy, Brian Kinealy, Edisons, Aiden O’Reilly and Tandem Felix all perform
The late Patrick Scott’s exhibition opened at the weekend at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Visual in Carlow. Entitled Patrick Scott: Image, Space Light, aims to be the most comprehensive representation of this remarkable artist’s 75 year long career. Declan Long is here to review the exhibition.
This Thursday night a new play called Care opens at The Project Cube in Dublin. It is about the carers who give palliatave care at the very end of life. Sonya Kelly is a member of the cast and she describes the experience of visiting a hospice to research her role and her personal reaction to the experience.
The Irish writer and journalist Audrey Magee has just published her first novel called The Undertaking. Set during the Second World War, the book tells the story of a German couple thrown together during the chaos of war. Mary Magill has been reading ‘The Undertaking’ and she joins us from our Galway studio.
Evelyn O'Rourke interviews Paul Michael Glaser ahead of his starring role in the production of Fiddler of the Roof in Dublin.
A new film from Irish director Mark O’Connor tells the story of Oliver, a disturbed homeless man who believes God wants him to clean up society.
Arts News with Alan Corr
Evelyn O'Rourke is joined by Darryl Jones to chat about this week's Classic Movie 'The Long Good Friday'.
Evelyn O'Rourke is joined in studio by Paul Whittington to review Hanif Kureshi: The Last Word
Evelyn O'Rourke interviews Emma Brockes Live from New York on her new book She Left Me The Gun
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Seán Rocks
