Monstrous illuminated orbs, munching cattle, magical Macnas and more will take to the streets of Galway over the next 10 days for the 27th annual arts festival.
A myriad of musical, comical, theatrical and visual arts events have been booked for this year's programme, which was opened in the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, last night by comedian Tommy Tiernan, with musical support from Frankie Gavin. Britain's leading new writing venue, The Bush Theatre, the Royal Court, and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company from the US are among the festival's "world voices".
It is also hosting Irish premières of the Beijing Dance Academy and Compagnie de Hanneton's La Veillée des Abysses, staged by the extraordinary actor, dancer and contortionist, James Thierree, grandson of Charlie Chaplin and great grandson of Eugene O'Neill.
The festival's own productions include the Icelandic-Irish dance, music and video art collaboration, Open Source, which has its world première tonight in the Black Box Theatre, and Trad, by writer and performer, Mark Doherty, in the Druid Theatre from Thursday.
New work from Galway will also be showcased, while street theatre will include the return of the Macnas parade - next Sunday, July 18th - after an absence of two years, the Australian Snuff Puppets Boom Family, lifesize cows, and Australia's Strange Fruit company.
There are several children's theatrical events, and literature includes Francis Wheen, diarist, journalist and broadcaster, Dave Eggers, Colm Tóibín, John Lahr, senior drama critic of the New Yorker and Russian poet, writer, actor, director and photographer, Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Music ranges from the former Rolling Stone, Bill Wyman, and his band, The Rhythm Kings, to Bob Geldof, former Talking Heads front man, David Byrne, Autamata, and Beth Nielsen Chapman. The Undertones and the Saw Doctors take to the stage for a double bill. Also booked are the US Cajun band, Beausoleil, and the Irish-US-Dutch- Hungarian troubadours, Mozaik.
Bookings for all events are "brisk", the festival says. Tickets are available from the Galway Arts Festival office at 12 Dockgate, Merchants Road, Galway, from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, or by telephone (091) 566577, or on the website www.galwayartsfestival.ie
