A song will surely come unbidden to one of those who stand outside the Pavilion Theatre on its "terrazzo". As the sun sets over D·n Laoghaire harbour, there is just enough time to relax and watch the world go by before the show begins.
It's the perfect bandstand, the perfect performance point from which to fill the lungs and sing Some Enchanted Evening or The (Wicklow) Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music.
But no one sings, the traffic doesn't come to a halt and the walkers carry on walking. The performers of A Dark River, an Irish premiΦre which is off to Edinburgh after this short Dublin visit, don't come out to perform in the evening light. They wait for us to seat ourselves in the auditorium. And a passionate tale of love and betrayal, inspired by the work of Federico Garc∅a Lorca, is about to be performed. For some theatre-goers, it's their first visit to the town's state-of-the-art theatre.
Rushing in just before the drama unfolds is Teresa O'Toole-Cahill and her husband, Patrick Cahill, from Theatre Space @ The Mint on Henry Place. They'll be launching a new programme as Gaeilge in September. Watch out for productions such as An Comhrβ, a translation of the Conor McPherson play The Conversation.
Adam Lawlor, box office manager of the Abbey Theatre, is here with his mother, Marie Lawlor, checking out the venue. It's their first visit and they're both "very impressed".
David Farrelly, vice-chair of the Pavilion Theatre board, and his wife, Mary Farrelly, introduce Derek Brady, county manager of D·n Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. He's "the driving force" behind the theatre's development, they say.
Be prepared for more excitment, warns Brady, because coming to D·n Laoghaire later this month are Mongolian throat singers, Japanese drummers, North American Apache Indians, Gospel, Cuban and African dance bands and much, much more. Mark the weekend starting Friday, August 24th in all diaries, he says, because the Festival of World Culture is coming to town - D·n Laoghaire, that is.
Caroline Lonergan and her boyfriend Michael Fox are two visitors from Cahir, Co Tipperary, who are also checking out the venue for the first time.
Two friends, Carol Hunter from Delgany and Gilly Carey from Enniskerry, are becoming regular attenders. Sisters Fionnuala and Catherine Downes are introducing their friend Gillian Conroy to the joys of theatre in D·n Laoghaire. They'll be back.