The Belfast Festival reaches its final week, and the theatre highlights include the legendary dance work of Merce Cunningham, testosterone-fuelled tap and the RSC's Beckett Shorts. Bookings 08 01232 665577/ 666321.
THEATRE
Waterfront Hall: Ocean - inspired by James Joyce, and the final collaboration between choreographer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage. Performed by the Merce Cunningham Dance Co. Thursday-Sunday, 7.45 p.m. BT Studio, Waterfront: Hun- ger - devised work presented by New Production Company. Monday-Wednesday, 8 p.m. Lyric: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader by C S Lewis. From the Chronicles Of Narnia, the play brings to life the magical world of kings, queens, monsters and talking animals. Opens Thursday, 7.30 p.m. and continues until January 10th. Saturday matinees at 2.30 p.m.
Grand Opera House: Tap Dogs - testosterone tap by six blokes, set against a building site backdrop with scaffolding, girders, ladders, etc. MondaySaturday, 7.45 p.m. Tower Street Theatre: Beck- ett Shorts - six short plays by Beckett, directed by Kate Mitchell and presented by the RSC. Programme A: Out Of The Dark (Footfalls, Rockaby and Not I), Tuesday, 7 p.m. and Wednesday-Saturday, 1.45 p.m. and 7 p.m. Programme B: Over The Years (Embers, A Piece Of Monologue and That Time), Tuesday, 9 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday 3.45 p.m. and 9 p.m. Arts Theatre: House Of America by Edward Thomas. Presented by Welsh company Fiction Factory. Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2.30 p.m.
COMEDY
Arts Theatre: Arthur Smith, today, 11 p.m. Whitla Hall: Julian Clary, today, 8 p.m.; Bill Bailey, Graham, Norton and Tommy Tiernan, tomorrow, 8 p.m. Harty Room: Armando Iannucci, tomorrow, 6 p.m.
READINGS/TALKS
Elmwood Hall: Discussion with Hermione Lee and Michael Billington. Today, 3 p.m. Germaine Greer in conversation, today, 6 p.m.; Paul Muldoon and Ciaran Carson, tomorrow, 6 p.m.; Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting), Monday, 6 p.m.; Tim Severin, Tuesday, 6 p.m.; Claire Bloom, Tuesday, 8 p.m.; Beryl Bainbridge, Wednesday, 6 p.m.; Fergal Keane and Maggie O'Kane, Thursday, 6 p.m. and Brian Keenan, Friday, 6 p.m. Old Museum Arts Centre: Publisher John Calder draws on personal and professional experience to talk about Samuel Beckett. Thursday, 1 p.m. Campbell College: Reading by Dermot Healy and E Annie Proulx, introduced by Jennifer Johnston, Friday, 6 p.m. and fund raising evening of readings, recitals, etc. 8 p.m. Ulster Arts Club: Reading by Pat McCabe. Monday, 9 p.m. Ulster Museum: Reading by Paul Durcan. Friday, 7.30 p.m.
CLASSICAL
Saturday: Belfast, Elmwood Hall 11 a.m. Sophie Daneman (soprano), Nathan Berg (baritone), Julius Drake (piano). Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms. Belfast, Tullycarnet Library 11 a.m. Ricky Matson, Gareth Hop- kins, Michele Strong (double basses). Big Bad Bass. Belfast, Elmwood Hall 7.30 p.m. I Fagiolini. Lassus, Senfl, De Monte, Janequin, Monteverdi, Byrd, Morley, Adrian Williams, Michael Tippett, Poulenc, Flanders and Swann, William Brooks, Holst. Belfast, Grand Opera House 7.30 p.m. Charleston Opera.Gershwin: Porgy and Bess.
Monday:
Belfast, Waterfront Hall 7.45 p.m. Jiri Barta (cello), Czech National SO/Paul Free- man. Smetana: Bartered Bride Overture; Dvorak: Cello Concerto; Smetana: Vltava; Dvor ak: New World Symphony. Tuesday:
Belfast, Ulster Hall 1.15 p.m. Gerard Gillen (organ). Bach: Fantasia in C BWV573; Schumann: Four Sketches Op 58; Petr Eben: Hommage a Henry Purcell. Adm free.
Wednesday:
Belfast, Harty Room 10 p.m. Finghin Collins (piano). Bach: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue; Brahms: Piano Pieces Op 119; Liszt: Rigoletto Paraphrase.
Thursday:
Belfast, Waterfront Hall Foyer 5.45 p.m. Cage: Roaratorio. Adm free.
Friday:
Belfast, Waterfront Hall Foyer 5.45 p.m. Cage: Roaratorio. Adm free. Belfast, Ulster Hall 7.45 p.m. Nancy Argenta (soprano), Michael George (bass), Or- chestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Nicholas McGegan. Handel: Il Pastor Fido; Concerto Grosso in B flat Op 6 No 7;Concerto Grosso in D minor Op 6 No 10; Apollo e Dafne.
OTHER MUSIC
Today:
Sierra Maestra, Ulster Hall, 7.45 p.m. Deanta and Bumblbees, Fold Club, 8.30 p.m. Paul Weller Experience, Empire Music Hall, 8.30 p.m. Tomorrow: David Essex, Waterfront Hall, 8 p.m. Australian Pink Floyd Show, Empire Music Hall 8 p.m. Monday: Janis Ian, Dar Williams and Martyn Joseph, Whitla Hall, 8 p.m. Tuesday: Joseph & The Amazing Tech- nicolour Dreamcoat - popular music from a massed choir of young Belfast and the Ulster Orchestra, Shankill Leisure Centre, 7.30 p.m. (also tomorrow).
Wednesday: Stockton's Wing and Support, Empire Music Hall, 9.15 p.m. Swing is Here - Scot Hamilton, Jack Parnell, Keith Smith, Roy Williams, Dave Shepherd, Stan Greig, Harvey Weston, Stacey Kent, Whitla Hall, 8 p.m. Thursday: Eric Bibb with Goran Wennerbrant, Guinness Spot, 8 p.m. John Renbourn and Jacqui McShee, Folk Club, 8.30 p.m. The Charletans, Ulster Hall, 8 p.m. Neil Everett, BT Studio, 8 p.m. Niamh Kavanagh, Empire Music Hall, 8.30 p.m. Friday: Paul Monte, Guinness Spot, 8 p.m. Eleanor Shanley, Folk Club, 9.30 p.m. Altan, Whitla Hall, 8 p.m.