Glor Announces Autumn-Winter Programme

Arts and Entertainment - Theatre

Friday, 06 August 2010 15:38

Written by Denise Lyons

Glór’s September – November programme has been announced and it is jam packed full of the best local, national and international acts, and a huge variety of music, theatre, dance, drama, exhibitions, comedy and fantastic children’s entertainment.

To kick off the centre’s theatre programme, Glor once again plays host to Ireland’s best theatre company. Druid Theatre Company return to glór with Seán O’Casey’s The Silver Tassie, featuring a cast of 19, including budding Clare actors, Adam Bluett, Aoife Corry, Laura Keown, Oisín Ó Cualáin and Dalian Rynne in Garry Hynes’ epic staging.

Wild Swans Theatre, Gort, bring the hilarious A Wake in the West, which will have you splitting your sides with laughter. Remember Faulty Towers? Well, glór present this unique dining experience in The Old Ground from September 23rd, featuring Basil, Sybil and Manuel. But be warned…anything that can go wrong, will go wrong!! 

Calipo Theatre Company from Drogheda, makes its first visit to glór with its sell-out 10 Dates with Mad Mary. Mary McArdle returns to her home town after serving a six month stretch in Mountjoy prison, and searches for a 'nice boy' among the geeks, freaks and misfits of small town Ireland.

Dublin’s Gúna Nua Theatre Company join us in October with the award winning and much acclaimed Little Gem, which sees three generations of Dublin women on a wild and constantly surprising journey.

Five Lamps Theatre Company presents a story of Ireland’s iconic agony aunt, Frankie Byrne, in Dear Frankie. For over twenty years, Ireland tunes in, as Frankie solves the problems of a nation at lunchtime on Radio Eireann.  Lovelorn teenagers, jealous husbands, concerned mammies, all write in looking for an answer to their problems.  Frankie considers the burning social issues of the time - all the while, concealing deep sorrows in her own life.  

If music’s your thing, Glor has all kinds on offer at glór this season. Choose from classical, with the acclaimed Irish Chamber Orchestra, whose programme for the evening includes Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons, Folk/Blues with the smooth style of Jerry Fish and The Mudbug Club, and the blazing sounds of Bell X1 direct from a cracking main stage gig at Oxegen 2010. We’ve got pop, with the remarkable instrumental talent and sweet voice of Cathy Davey, we’ve got musical theatre with Rebecca Storm, playing excerpts from her many leading lady roles, the return of Mad About the Musicals, Hollywood Hits from Limerick Musical Society and the really, truly, joyful Ennis Gospel Choir, with music from the movies.

Glor’s signature First Friday series of gigs continues with Blazing Bows, featuring three fine fiddlers - Cathal Hayden, Dezi Donnelly & Tola Custy, and the wonderful Edel Fox & The Kane Sisters, with their gorgeous harmonious sound. Glor has got country, with Sandy Kelly singing the great songs of Patsy Cline, and the remarkable Preston Reed, who is not only a virtuoso guitarist, but has also created a legacy of unique recordings. To top that, Glor also hosts Clare’s favourite adopted son, Christy Moore, playing with his collaborator of many years, Declan Sinnott in their first Ennis gig since 2005.

Comedy buffs are spoiled for choice, with the return of one of Ireland’s best-loved comedians - PJ Gallagher in September, the high-energy lunacy of Jason Byrne in November and the fantastic threesome of Irish comedy that is Young, Gifted & Green in October. On a more sober note, Howard Marks makes a visit to glór after the film release of Howard Marks, aka Mr. Nice, to talk about his fascinating past career as a dope dealer, and his dealings with organisations as diverse as the CIA, MI6, the IRA, and the Mafia.

Glor’s September exhibition programme swings into action with Ennis’ own Mick O’Dea bringing his acclaimed exhibition Black and Tan to the gallery. O’Dea brings to bear his wealth of experience as a painter of the human face and body and throughout Black and Tan, previously inanimate faces are lit up by living warmth and personality as the artist re-captures a depth in light falling across shoes, buckles and straps in a Dublin street or a Cork Barracks.

In Summer Stretching Over Grass, Maurice Quillinan describes the experience of the dawn landscape as near to reality as is possible on the flat surface of the canvas’ which are worked over many times, to create provocative images. November sees a multi media, group exhibition inspired by food – Food Art, Glorious Food Art. From 17th century Dutch still life paintings to Andy Warhol’s tomato soup cans, to Cezanne’s apples, food has been a favourite subject for artists through the ages. This autumn, glór will exhibit a wide range of Irish artists’ work on the theme of food.

The kids are well catered for with Baboró Children’s Festival staging of that book that every home has – The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This stunningly beautiful Black Light Puppet production brings the hungry caterpillar to life, and will entrance your child. The Ark and Theatre Lovette presents the beautiful story of The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly. Louis Lovett leads you on an adventure that crosses snowy lands and wild seas as we learn about love, loss and the courage to sing gloriously on or off-key. In See-Saw let your child lead you in looking at dance. In an intimate and informal environment, with everyone on the floor together, you’re invited to sit down and stretch out as a beautifully intricate and quirkily abstract trio dances in front, behind, around, over – and maybe even with – you!

The usual wealth of Clare talent comes out to play for the autumn with the return of Banner Jigs ’n’ Reels. Many well known Clare personalities will dust off their dancing shoes and strut their stuff for their chosen charity and the winner will be decided by the audience on the night. The Clare Tourism Forum invites you to the gala preview of the first ever County Clare Live the Life tourism promotional DVD.  The night will showcase all that is wonderful in Clare, with music and food for all.

glór has a superb selection of evening classes on offer, beginning in September and running for six weeks. Many of the classes can also be booked individually and there’s a class to suit every interest. The Seed Savers are offering a Sustainable Living series, with practical classes covering Herbal Spa Products and Preparing your Kitchen Garden for Winter, to planting and maintaining apple trees, and Beekeeping for Beginners. Glor’s cookery course this year, focuses on local and seasonal cookery, with blackberries picked from hedgerows folded into smashed meringue and double cream, served with a scoop of Burren ice-cream…goat’s cheese from Ballynacally cosying up to caramelised pears…need we say more!

Glor has got practical DIY for Women teaching how to assemble flat pack furniture – invaluable for those IKEA trips! Life Drawing will teach the skills essential to drawing and painting the human figure expressively from life, using a variety of different media. Different styles of percussion are explored in our hand percussion class, including Middle Eastern, African, Latin and Irish rhythms, with a panel of expert teachers.

Meanwhile, Glor hosts Gentle Yoga with Susie McNaughton to help you wind down, we’ve got Kindermusik with Fiona Driscoll to help the kids wind up, and Glee Club with Suzanne Kenny for the teens to experience some more Glee magic.

For more see www.glor.ie