The Guide: The events to see, the shows to book, and the ones to catch before they end

EVENT OF THE WEEK

JOANNE McNALLY

Sunday, September 18th; Vicar Street, Dublin; 7pm; €26 (sold out); ticketmaster.ie

It’s been some time coming, but Joanne McNally is seeing the fruits of her years of labour, so to speak ( “I remain single and unfertilised,” she has said), explode in ways she had always hoped for. Unfiltered, relatable, smart and very, very funny, her series of Prosecco Express shows have been unmissable go-to comedy events for anyone who likes a blend of acutely confessional, scabrous observation and flawless comic timing. As each show has sold out, McNally has been adding more. New dates at Vicar Street this month are September 26th/27th, with more lined up in October and December. Looks like this express shows no signs of slowing down. A weak joke, but true. For further dates, visit joannemcnally.com

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GIGS

CLAIRO

Monday. September 19th/20th; 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin; 7pm; €24.90; tickemtmaster.ie

From a 13-year-old wannabe posting songs on Bandcamp and SoundCloud to 11 years later racking up over 80 million views on YouTube for the DIY video for the charming lo-fi pop song, Pretty Girl, Atlanta, Georgia’s Clairo (Claire Cottrill) has triumphed where far too many fail. Her most recent album, Sling (produced and co-written by pop technician du jour Jack Antonoff), brought her intelligent blend of baroque pop and chamber folk to the US mainstream by breaking into the Top 20 of the Billboard 200. Here for two nights, the first of which is sold out, our advice is to grab a (hot) ticket while there are still some left for Tuesday’s gig.

THE HANDSOME FAMILY

Saturday, September 17th; Liberty Hall, Dublin, 8pm, €25 (sold out); ticketmaster.ie

“We’re astonished to be breathing, let alone still be inspired to write songs and sing together,” says Rennie Sparks, one half of the odd but very entertaining Handsome Family. Based in New Mexico, like every other music act their skips have been skewed by Covid but now they’re back in a country that, they have said, understands their singular style of work and humour.

THE BLACK CROWES

Wednesday, September 21st; 3Arena, Dublin; 6.30pm; €40/€50/€60/€66; ticketmaster.ie

“The most rock’n’roll rock’n’roll band in the world” rings somewhat hollow in 2022, but 30 years ago US band The Black Crowes were the epitome of loose-limbed, good-time snake-hipped rockers, equal part Rolling Stones, The Faces and Lynyrd Skynyrd. With brothers Chris and Rich Robinson the sole remaining founding members, the band cruise along in the wake of at least three break-ups and reunions. The 3Arena show is part of the 30th-anniversary tour to celebrate (belatedly due to Covid) the 1990 release of their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. Expect bell-bottom blues, tambourines, and a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on.

FILM

IFI STRANGER THAN FICTION DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 2022

IFI, Eustace Street, Dublin, Wednesday, September 21st-Sunday, September 25th; five-day pass €100; ifi.ie

As per usual, there is an abundance of superb non-fiction films here, each one calling for your time. Top tips are subjective, but if you’re arm wrestling then we have to choose the following: Eastern Ukraine-based A House Made of Splinters (Thursday, September 22nd, 6.20pm), the Sinéad O’Connor documentary, Nothing Compares (Saturday, September 24th, 8.40pm), and The Peculiar Sensation of Being Pat Ingoldsby (Sunday, September 25th, 8pm). Multiple Q&As/interviews with the film-makers will also form part of the event.

GALLERY

JUNK ENSEMBLE, JESSE JONES, ALICE MAHER

Rua Red Gallery, Belgard Square, Tallaght, Dublin, September 23rd; 6pm; adm free ruared.ie

Visual artists Alice Maher and Jesse Jones are in conversation with the Red Rua Gallery dance artists in residence, sisters Megan and Jessica Kennedy of Junk Ensemble. The multi-award winning Irish dance company regularly liaises with artists from various disciplines, and this one-off discussion will focus on performance, practice and crossover collaboration. The talk will also include performance and film excerpts from their respective works and is followed by a drink/food reception.

ON STAGE

JOYCE’S WOMEN

Abbey Theatre, Dublin; Saturday, September 17th-Saturday, October 15th; 7.30pm (Saturday matinee, 2pm); €45/€38/€23/€20/€13; abbeytheatre.ie

The Abbey presents the world premiere of writer Edna O’Brien’s tangential perception of James Joyce — not through a personal or critical appraisal but rather the central female figures in his life — “mother, wife, mistress of a fleeting moment, his patron Harriet Shaw Weaver and his beloved daughter Lucia”. An exceptional cast (including Deirdre Donnelly, Hilda Fay, Genevieve Hulme Beaman, Bríd Ní Neachtain, Caitríona Ní Mhurchú, Ali White, and Stephen Hogan) is directed by Conall Morrison. As part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.

LITERATURE

WRITE BY THE SEA

Friday, September 23rd-Sunday, September 25th; Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford; various venues/times; €120 (all-access weekend pass, lunch included); €65 (Saturday or Sunday day pass); writebythesea.ie

This self-proclaimed “boutique literary festival” might be the last one of the year with a few rays of sunshine, so dip your toes into the water as well as into intimate venues where there will be talks, panel discussions and readings by guests that include Roddy Doyle, Lucy Caldwell, Kevin Power, Nuala O’Connor, Emilie Pine, Liz Nugent, Peter Cunningham, and Booker Prize-shortlisted writer, Claire Keegan. Also featured across the weekend are various workshops, for which there is a €5 surcharge to secure a place. Further details are on the festival’s website.

STILL RUNNING

DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL

Various venues, Dublin, until Sunday, September 25th; fringefest.com

Another week to go, and there remains several Fringe shows to seek out. Hot tips include We Are an Archipelago, a spoken word/theatre work by Erin Fornoff (Smock Alley Theatre, Boys’ School, September 19th-24th), and a solo dance performance by Mufutau Yusef — Òwe, which is inspired by meditations on Yoruba proverbs (Project Arts Centre, September 23rd/24th; 6.15pm; €18/€16/€14

BOOK IT THIS WEEK

Swallowing Geography Group Exhibition, Regional Cultural Centre/Glebe House & Gallery, Donegal; October 15th; regionalculturalcentre.com

1975; 3Arena, Dublin, January 29th; SSE Belfast, January 30th; ticketmaster.ie

Dry Cleaning, Vicar Street, Dublin, February 14th; Mandela Hall, Belfast, February 15th; ticketmaster.ie

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin; Thursday, February 23rd-Saturday, February 25th; ticketmaster.ie