GIG OF THE WEEK
The Lion King
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin; Friday, December 31st to Friday, February 4th, 2022, noon/2.30pm/5pm; from €26; bordgaisenergytheatre.ie
Sometimes you really have to say "Hakuna Matata" just to keep from biting your own leg off in frustration at continuing Covid restrictions. The Lion King is the latest production forced to reschedule in the face of an ever-changing coronavirus landscape. It was due to open on December 23rd, but that has been moved back to New Year's Eve, and performances will be on earlier to comply with the 8pm-closing directive. Still, there's no guarantee that even these rescheduled shows will go ahead – so keep listening for the drums, watching for the smoke signals and checking the website for up-to-date details. If all goes well and the show goes on – the first Dublin visit for The Lion King since 2013 – then audiences are in for a treat, as Julie Taymor's primal reimagining of the Disney animation has captivated two-legged creatures all around the world, and now been seen by 100 million people. With 50 actors, singers and dancers on stage, using elaborate masks, puppets and costumes, and additional music by Tim Rice and Elton John, this is a dazzling spectacle to blow away those Omicron fears.
Aslan
Vicar St, Dublin; December 29th and 30th,2021, 6pm; from €45; ticketmaster.ie
We all want to protect each other in this crazy world, and the Dublin band are keen to keep their fans safe as they prepare to celebrate their 40th anniversary. They've had to chop and change this run of Vicar St shows to ensure all Covid restrictions are observed, and that means just one show each night, at 50 per cent capacity, with doors opening at 5pm. The band are looking forward to better times next year, though, when they celebrate 40 years sticking together through thick and thin. Guitarist Billy McGuinness will be appearing as one of the celebrities on RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars in January, and the band are playing a big 40th-anniversary gig at 3Arena on September 22nd, their first performance there since it was the Point Depot. "The gig in 3Arena will be the gig of our career, and we are pulling out all stops to make it an unforgettable night for all our fans who have supported us and kept us going through the good and bad times," says singer Christy Dignam.
Goodbye 2021: Last Stand-Up Comedy Show of the Year
4 Dame Lane, Dublin; Thursday, December 30th, 2021, 5pm; €15; eventbrite.ie
Four of the finest local comedians gather to bid farewell to a year that's been pretty meh, to say the least, in this early-bird gig in the lovely loft of 4 Dame Lane. Mike Rice, Emma Doran, Jim Elliott and Meabh Darmody will fetch 2021's coat, see it to the door, rough it up a bit, then kick it unceremoniously on to the street with a few sharp observations, cutting gags and killer one-liners.
Joanne McNally: The Prosecco Express
Vicar St, Dublin; January 2nd, 2022, 3pm and 6pm; from €26; ticketmaster.ie
The multitalented comedian has had to split her nightly shows into two half-capacity shows, but the new 8pm curfew means moving them to the earlier times of 3pm and 6pm. Don't worry: the shows will be just as funny as ever, with McNally showing the comedic form that has won her fans on both sides of the Irish Sea. The show revolves around that difficult time being a single woman in your 30s, guzzling Prosecco at your friends' engagement parties, weddings, baby showers and christenings, and feeling that you might be getting left behind. The Prosecco Express will rumble on into the new year, so check the interweb for details.
First Fortnight Mental Health Art and Culture Festival
Online; from January 2nd, 2022, from 2pm; firstfortnight.ie
First Fortnight has just launched its 2022 programme, under its new chief executive, Maria Fleming, and it's packed with imaginative and entertaining ideas, all with a goal of nurturing mental health and challenging preconceptions about mental illness. Hands Open (Sunday, Jan 2nd, 2pm) features Balbriggan Gospel Choir, in their first digital concert, performing pieces that emphasise the importance of openness and honesty in all areas of mental health. Embody (Jan 2nd, 7pm) sees Tobi Omoteso collaborating with a group of artists to create and shoot a dance film in Limerick, exploring the nonverbal ways you can embody someone's experience.
