David O'Doherty: Whoa Is Me
Whelans, Dublin; Monday, December 20th, Tuesday, December 21st and Wednesday, December 22nd, 7pm and 9.30pm; €22; whelanslive.ie
The man with the small keyboard and the big heart is back with a new comedy show, Whoa Is Me, and all is suddenly right with the world. O'Doherty is a legend of Irish comedy: shy, unassuming and devastatingly funny. He's performed around the world, he's written children's books such as the hugely hilarious Danger Is Everywhere series and he's won a bronze medal in the East Leinster under-14 triple jump, in 1999. A keen cyclist – he once considered it as a career: the Tour de France's loss is comedy's gain – O'Doherty has just made Along for the Ride, a series for Channel 4 in which he and a celebrity get on their bikes and go off for a cycle and a chat. Guest cyclists have included Richard Ayoade, Grayson Perry and Mel Giedroyc. At Whelans he'll be performing two shows a night to comply with Covid restrictions – hope DOD has extra batteries for the Yamaha.
Crawford at Christmas
Crawford Art Gallery, Cork; until February 13th, free, crawfordartgallery.ie
Looking for somewhere to rest up and gather your thoughts amid the Christmas madness? The Crawford, on Emmet Street in Cork, is inviting families to visit whenever they like and get a little warmth for the soul. There's lots of space to social distance, and it's open right up to and including Christmas Eve. On show at the moment is the always popular Phantoms & Phantasies, an exhibition of Harry Clarke's phantasmagorical watercolours and ink drawings. There's also a chance to catch the final weeks of the amazing Rembrandt in Print exhibition, featuring 50 works from the Ashmolean Museum's collection of etchings and drypoints. While there, you might even find the perfect stocking-filler from the bookshop, including a Tiny Crawford model-making set.
Staging the Treaty
Kevin Barry room, NCH, Dublin; Wednesday, December 22nd, noon, 3pm, 5pm and 8pm; €5; nch.ie, with livestream on rte.ie/history
Imagine being a fly on the wall during the Treaty Debates of 100 years ago. This long-form live production from Anu will bring you back to December 1921 and the most significant debates of the day. The show is written by Theo Dorgan, who spent three years poring over the original documents to put together this historical drama that also resonates with the Ireland of today. Louise Lowe directs a superb cast to bring to life these century-old texts, and the whole thing can be livestreamed for free. The show comes in two parts – the second is scheduled for January 7th.
Christmas Classics with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
National Concert Hall, Dublin; Friday, December 23rd, 2.30pm; €25; nch.ie, with livestream on rte.ie/culture
Here's a perfect last-minute event for Christmas: an afternoon of seasonal favourites from Hollywood, along with perennial classics and a few stocking surprises. David Brophy conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in a sleigh ride through some great Christmas music, with help from the acclaimed Irish jazz singer Cormac Kenevey. Among the delights on offer are movie tunes from Malcolm Arnold (Fantasy on Christmas Carols, from The Holly and the Ivy), Victor Herbert (March of the Toys, from Babes in Toyland) and Tchaikovsky (Waltz of the Flowers, March and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, from The Nutcracker), along with Christmas standards such as White Christmas, The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
