ArtScape: To further mark this celebratory year of marking births, deaths and other incidentals (Mozart, Shostakovich, Beckett, and the rest), yer man has not been forgotten.
Following last week's UCD seminar and RTÉ documentary marking the 40th anniversary of Myles na gCopaleen's death, AnneMarie Naughton of Park Films is producing two Flann O'Brien short stories, which have been adapted for the screen. John Duffy's Brother (about an anxious and insignificant man who has a sudden turn one day and believes he is a train) starts shooting on May 2nd in locations around Dublin. Adapted by Eoghan Nolan, directed by Mikel Murfi (whose riotous Druid production of Enda Walsh's The Walworth Farce is at the Helix at the moment), with Mark O'Halloran (Adam and Paul) in the lead, and cinematographer Brendan Galvin, it will be broadcast on RTÉ. The Martyr's Crown (a tall story about heroes and saints) is shooting shortly afterwards, adapted and directed by Rory Bresnihan. Coming on the back of a revival of interest in Flann O'Brien - internationally, partly on the back of Lost - these short stories are the only adaptations for the screen so far of any of his material in English (At Swim Two Birds was done in Austria in 1997). They'll travel worldwide as a pair, via cinema, television, the film and literary festival circuit and colleges.
In the meantime, the Dublin Shakespeare Society presents readings from Flann O'Brien/Brian O'Nolan's work tonight at the Teachers' Club, 36 Parnell Square West. Excerpts include the fake letters controversy from The Irish Times, The Third Policeman's atomic theory, the adventures of "the Brother" from Cruiskeen Lawn, and the famous sketch "A Bash in the Tunnel". (From 8pm; admission is free.)
AnneMarie Naughton is also producing (along with Mark Nolan) another project, 40 Myles On, which is happening in September. A bunch of Irish and international comics will each do their own spin on Flann O'Brien's work in front of an invited audience at Vicar Street, joined by actors performing excerpts from his work. They will be filmed by TV3. While they're still in negotiation with comedians, there are more than a few who spring to mind as perfect to bring their own angle to Myles's madness.
Also on a comedy theme, Easter weekend sees the first Galway Comedy Festival (GCF). From April 13th to 17th more than 30 acts from the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland will perform in the city, with guests including Tommy Tiernan, Deirdre O'Kane, Karl Spain, Boothey Graffoe, Lucy Porter, Kevin Gildea, Maeve Higgins, Tom Stade, Neil Delamere and Barry Murphy. Festival directors are ex-Saw Doctor Pearse Doherty and comedian Gerry Mallon, who promise to meet all tastes, from "bombastic in-your-face edgy satire, to laconic, cerebral, observational to stream of consciousness", and they plan to make it an annual event.
Mallon says, "They are all exciting, innovative, inspirational live performers who have been invited to play not for their list of TV credits but for their skills and acumen as the best live stand-up comedians on the circuit." Tickets from Redlight Records at 091-533888 or www.ticketmaster.com, 0818719300.
And further down the diary, the Bulmers International Comedy Festival in Dublin in September (with Ricky Gervais, Denis Leary, Dylan Moran, Jimeoin, Lee Evans, Bill Bailey, the Umbilical Brothers) has announced a fifth date of the Little Britain show at the Point. Which means they've already sold 25,000 tickets for the TV spin-off. Mind the crush.
Meantime, the daddy of them all, the Smithwick's Cat Laughs in Kilkenny, announces its June bank holiday festival line-up on April 24th. Producer Lynn Cahill and associate director Eddie Bannon have found some of the hottest New York club comics around, and six of them (two of whom are women) will perform in Ireland for the first time at the Cat Laughs. And apparently the comics' tip for this year's festival is another American, Doug Stanhope. Information on the festival, which runs from June 1st to 5th, at www.smithwickscatlaughs.com after April 24th.
No German dance in Cork
Last night in Oslo four Irish-based dance artists took part in a performance of German choreographer Thomas Lehman's Schreibstück, along with dancers from Austria and Norway, writes Michael Seaver. Choreographer Rebecca Walters and dancers James Hosty, Fergus Ó Conchúir and Katherine O'Malley also performed in Vienna last weekend, but not at a planned midweek showing at the Institute for Choreography and Dance in Cork. The performances were part of IDEE - a joint development programme by European dance houses - but since the Arts Council discontinued funding to ICD the Irish aspect of the programme, including the midweek Schreibstück performance, has been cancelled.
In response to pressure from Sigrid Garais of Tanzquartier in Vienna, the Arts Council provided €11,000 to enable Irish involvement in the Oslo and Vienna performances. A spokesperson said the council had no other comment to make in respect of this award. While the award is welcome, there are still no planned Irish performances of the production, described by Die Presse as "entertaining" and Wiener Zeitung as "an unusual, very interesting and intellectual approach to dance and performance".
Without an Irish partner, IDEE, which receives €1.5 million from the European Commission, has had to look elsewhere. Barcelona is a possible replacement, but Sigrid Gareis said IDEE would prefer to retain an Irish presence and acknowledges the input of ICD's Mary Brady, who is no longer at the centre because of the funding cut. The council was also unable to confirm when there will be an announcement on two tenders it offered after cutting funding to ICD: for a study on the building-based needs of Cork, and to provide choreographic research and practice.
Ballet company turns 10
Tonight the Irish National Youth Ballet Company celebrates its 10th anniversary by presenting Celebration at Liberty Hall Theatre, where 40 dancers, aged nine to 17, will perform pieces of the company's repertoire, writes Christie Taylor.
Ten years ago Anne Campbell-Crawford held the first audition for the company, launching a decade-long project to give ballet students a chance to perform. Despite Ireland's lack of ballet infrastructure in terms of performance space or educational support, she persists in running the company because she loves the art form. The show includes Campbell-Crawford's Games,
originally created for Florida's Tallahassee Ballet; Schubert Impromptu, by American choreographer Charles Czarny; and Birthday Celebration, a ballet connected with Sir Frederick Ashton's Covent Garden repertoire.
The young dancers learned the choreography over 12 Saturdays, which is as quick as many professional ballet companies work.
Campbell-Crawford says she met resistance when she first presented the idea for this company - one where students from all over the country audition and, once invited to join, continue studying with their own ballet teachers while they perform. She says some ballet teachers wondered if their students would leave their home studios, but 10 years later teachers and dancers see positive results.
"My proudest achievement would be in bringing these dancers out of their shells," she says. "Some of ballet's mystique is broken down, and through performing they see that ballet can be done, and it can be done in Ireland." There will be further performances at the Helix on May 13th and the Backstage Theatre, Longford, on May 20th.
Following the enthusiastic international critical response to Camerata Ireland's first commercial recording last year, on Harmonica Mundi, of the Beethoven Piano Concertos no 2 and 4, the chamber orchestra set up by pianist Barry Douglas is to record again. Concertos no 1 and 5 will be recorded tonight and tomorrow night at the Helix in Dublin with Piano Concerto no 3 and the Triple Concerto planned for 2007. The Gramophone said of their first recording: "Douglas sounds as though he's slept with the score and woken up loving it. Line and harmony are in perfect accord. On the back of the recording, Camerata Ireland is giving concerts in the Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris, Cadogan Hall in London and the National Concert Hall in Dublin in November.
