TheCity

Tag: entertainment

  • Cirque du Soleil returns to Dublin performing their 25th anniversary show, Ovo

    Cirque du Soleil returns to Dublin performing their 25th anniversary show, Ovo

    Ovo, the new show from Cirque du Soleil, opened to a packed house on Thursday night and once again the Cirque delivered the most unique display of human creativity and athleticism the world has to offer.

    The theme of this show is easy to decipher. The world of ants and other insects is brought to the stage in the most spectacular fashion, as the Cirque successfully portrays ‘The Enigma of Life’ through the weird and wonderful humans that make a circus … well, a circus.  

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    The unusual theme lends itself to some of the most provocative storytelling since the show’s creation // cirquedusoleil.com

    The Cirque provides a study of aesthetic. Beauty and taste being two of the most subjective ideologies; and while their successful coupling is not always agreed upon, I imagine most people who have witnessed Ovo will nod decisively at each other in admiration and silent agreement that it is moving art.

    Cirque du Soleil has been around for decades simply because it is one of the most beautiful exhibitions of human ability available.

    Grown adults ‘ooooh’ and ‘aaaah’ throughout the performance. Not only that but they laughed at the silent clowns’ antics, while those who didn’t were grinning like idiots.

    The Cirque drew in a mixed crowd with its moderately priced tickets (the cheapest of which will set you back roughly €54). Arty students, couples, parents with children and the lovely corporates who arrive 16 mins late to their free seats (a little too tipsy considering it’s 7pm) all crowded into the 3Arena.

    The opening act is hypnotic. A group of performers dressed as red ants lie on their backs and juggle abnormally large slices of cucumber with their feet in perfect synchronicity. The mesmerising movements capture imaginations, giving you no option but to provide your undivided attention.

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    An army of insects juggling inflatable kiwis with their feet // cirquedusoliel.com

    Never leaving character, the performers’ facial expressions are all unique and discerning. Even from a distance, the grasshoppers look curious. One of them plays with the floor lights as if they were ‘whack a mole’, as another stares wide-eyed at the main protagonist of the story, a blue bottle fly.

     

    The story is simple and effective. It takes the small, energetic world of insects and places the stranger (the blue bottle), who arrives with an egg strapped to his back, in the middle of their diverse community.

    The other creatures take him in and he falls in love with a ladybug. The show revolves around the humorous interactions that follow between them, interspersed with acts based around the theme of Nature.

    Many of the acts fall under this overarching theme, but take different angles like: ‘how delicate life is,’ ‘curiosity,’ ‘passion,’ and ‘anger’. One of the standout acts is the acrobatic duo who represent the butterfly, and both fly through the air with death-defying confidence.

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    Within this insectoid world, each display of athleticism is truly impressive // cirquedusoleil.com

    Another is the spider who tight-wire walks 4.5 meters above the ground, displaying amazing strength and balance, which culminated with him doing an upside-down unicycle across the wire not once, but twice.

    Each act showed a complete mastery in its respective field. A circus that can capture the imagination of adults through such an old art form, their creativity pushes the boundaries of what is possible to be humanly acted out, and the show still continues to surprise. Even the most cynical of us couldn’t say it’s predictable.

  • Vinyl comeback seen on Dublin streets

    Vinyl comeback seen on Dublin streets

    Dublin’s city centre has found itself inundated with the oddest of entrepreneurial ventures over the past few months. Apparently, Dubliners just can’t get enough craft beer, poké, expensive coffee and €3 doughnuts that are packed with enough sugar to induce Type 2 diabetes. However, while these have quickly flooded our shelves and (somehow) emptied our bank accounts, something which has been on the rise within our city, and globally, has been the purchasing of lovely slabs of analogue music. By that, I mean vinyl records.

    Vinyl has made a bold comeback, to such a point that it even nearly put itself out of business. However, that hasn’t stopped the fine people of Dublin from partaking in the age old tradition, an expensive one at that, of vinyl collecting. Although the pros tend to shop online for the best deals, there are still some digging die-hards who still opt to take a trip to their local record store. However, depending on your location that might be difficult.

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    Image: Conor Shields

    Blackwax Records is a new venture by seasoned Dublin DJ and collector, Willo, in the form of a single unit record store, buried within the heart of Windsor Arcade on Meath Street in Dublin. After being open for only three weeks, Willo has seen a rake of customers come and go, looking to peruse and purchase what he has to offer. Speaking to TheCity.ie, Willo explained how he got started with his store and why Meath Street?

    “It was the cheapest place! I was meant to open in Temple Bar but that fell through and this was the cheapest place going. I’ve been collecting records for years and I’ve always wanted to open a record shop. I used to tell people back at sessions that I would and one night, I just decided to go forward with it,” said Willo.

    After looking over his wares, it was interesting to see what kind of records he had for sale, considering the current size of his business. When it comes to selling vinyls, you really have to deliver to your customers. You have to know what they want, before they even enter the shop. I was curious to know what Willo’s selection process was.

    “I’m only learning but I’m quickly learning what’s selling now. At the minute it’s just hit and miss. I have nothing direct at the moment. I’m still trying to figure out the market. Some of them are my own records but I’ve also been buying other people’s collections. It’s all about finding the right collections,” continued Willo.

    He touched on his future plans before I left, commenting that he hopes to rent out a larger space in order to sell more goods than he can at the moment. I then left with my Kelis single in hand.

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    Image: Conor Shields

    At the moment, there are only a handful of record shops open for business in Dublin, with most following their own process of selection when it comes to picking which records to sell. It’s unlike your traditional business in which you can buy in bulk and hopefully sell enough to make profit. All records are hand-picked in the hope of being sold. It’s a delicate business, but one which I’m sure will be sticking around for future generations to have a nose at.

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    Image: Conor Shields

    Reporting and images by Conor Shields

  • Mic Christopher remembered

    Mic Christopher remembered

    On the 29th November 2001, Ireland lost one of its most eclectic and talented troubadours. Singer-songwriter Mic Christopher – aged just thirty two – died tragically after an accidental fall on steps in the Netherlands, the same night he opened for his musical heroes, The Waterboys.

    Now sixteen years later, Mic is remembered through the release of his debut album Skylarkin’ on vinyl for the first time.

    This feat was achieved through Born Optimistic, an Irish record label and concert promoter. Through the help of Born Optimistic’s founder and former friend of Mic’s, Donal Scannell, and by the request of the late singer’s family, the occasion was marked with the vinyl release.

    Andrew Gleeson, Assistant Promoter and Producer at Born Optimistic said, “Mic’s family ordered a substantial amount of his album on vinyl as it was approaching the anniversary of his death. Donal, who had been friends with Mic had also been thinking of doing something to mark the anniversary too and got in touch. Mic’s family then asked him to release it through Born Optimistic.

    “The family didn’t necessarily want to make a big deal out of the release, just enough to celebrate him so that fans could avail of the iconic album in a way they hadn’t before,” Andrew said.

    Michael “Mic” Christopher, born in 1969 in the Bronx, New York to Irish parents, moved to the then relatively new area of Clondalkin when he was a toddler. Mic’s family were self-proclaimed Elvis fanatics with music being programmed into the young Mic’s mind as a child. From the age of fifteen, Mic began making the trek into the city centre to busk on Grafton Street. It was there he met fellow busker Glen Hansard and the pair quickly became best friends. With their natural showmanship and powerful voices, the pair became a formidable duo act playing to the masses on Grafton Street. The two rented a flat on Harcourt Street for quick and easy access to their workplace.

    Last year for Mic’s 15 year death anniversary, Glen Hansard and several of Mic’s former busker friends performed a sold out show in Vicar St. titled “Glen Hansard and friends sing the songs of Mic Christopher” where they performed Skylarkin’ in full.

    Mic formed the band ‘The Mary Janes’ in 1990 and performed with the band up until their split in 1999. What Mic is known mostly for however is his posthumously released first and only solo album Skylarkin’, and its blissful songs that remain just as influential and significant as they did back on the album’s first release in 2002.

    The lead single of the album, “Heyday”, featured famously in a 2003 Guinness ad and would become an Irish anthem in the following years, with tracks such as “Listen Girl” and “Daydreamin’” fully encapsulating the singer’s writing talents and seemingly limitless future potential. The album achieved platinum status in 2004, selling 15,000 copies, and though sadly this was a feat that Mic did not live to see, the songs still resonate in Irish culture.

    The vinyl release of Skylarkin’ on what would have been the singer-songwriter’s 48th birthday is not just a remembrance of a true Irish talent, but a celebration of art and creativity living on long after death.

    Skylarkin’ is available for order here: https://bornoptimistic.com/products/mic-christopher-skylarkin-vinyl

    By Killian Dowling

     

  • Increase in female film production

    Increase in female film production

    Figures from the Irish Film Board have shown that the number of female producers involved in Irish filmmaking peaked in 2016, with 50 percent of film producing roles in 2016 undertaken by women.

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    This was a twenty percentage point swing from the previous year which saw just 30 percent of women involved in these production roles, while 2012 saw a mere 27 percent of films produced by females.

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    In the chart above we see female film producers on a par with male producers in 2016.
    This increase is in line with the IFB’s Gender and Diversity Policy which intends to adopt a more inclusive breakdown of creative talent, and that ultimately a 50/50 split of gender in creative roles on and off screen is achieved.

    Teresa McGrane, Deputy CEO for the Irish Film Board said, “We first noticed the divide in gender roles several years ago when we did a study regarding theatre production roles. We noticed women were few and far between in the production roles and we then carried this study over to Irish film, where we found much the same trend.

    “The main problem for the first few years leading into the 2010s was that we weren’t getting applications from female producers. As a result we couldn’t make much of an impact with no applications,” Teresa said.

    “So we invested in increased funding and set up a five year strategy that seeks to largely promote gender equality in film roles both on and off screen. This is largely in the form of working with production companies and funding with our public broadcast partners like RTÉ and TG4 and the BAI so that gender balance is promoted in publicly funding screen content.”

    Although female film producers have greatly increased, the share of female writers and directors hasn’t changed greatly over the past few years.

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    Male directors and writers still greatly dominate these roles.

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    By Killian Dowling and Jenna Cox

  • Oscar Wild: Best Animated Feature Film

    Oscar Wild: Best Animated Feature Film

    With the Academy Awards just around the corner, Clodagh Moriarty kicks off The City’s Oscar Wild series by taking a look at the contenders for the Best Animated Feature Film.

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  • Opinion: Keep politics out of awards shows

    Opinion: Keep politics out of awards shows

    In the wake of a politically charged SAG awards and Meryl Streep’s Trumbashing speech at the Golden Globes, Cormac Murphy awaits more of the same self-adulating politics at the Oscars.

    (more…)

  • It’s the story that really matters

    It’s the story that really matters

    Apollo Entertainment is a recent start-up entertainment company based in Dublin, which can attribute its name and brand to such shows as ‘Wake to Wake’ on Setanta Sports, and its follow-up TV series ‘Off the DOC’. We caught up with CEO/Producer Jonny MacCann.

    MacCann (23) began by explaining why he decided to set up the company. “I started Apollo Entertainment because I wanted to tell stories and entertain people, my way,” he said. “I’m mad into sports and love TV, so I found a way of combining the two.”

    With the company only just over a year old, it has made great strides in the industry already with wake-boarding documentary ‘Wake to Wake’ being featured on Setanta Sports and their cooking show ‘The Little Green Spoon’ amassing a wide online following. They are also creating content with popular Dublin based website ‘Publin’ and have more shows in the pipeline.

    “We’re only one year old, so it’s still early days, but the company has been growing constantly. Apollo Entertainment has now created TV content for RTÉ, TV3 and Setanta Sports, so it’s all go,” he said.

    “My next step is to finish this TV series ‘Off The DOC’, which is a wake-boarding reality series for Setanta Sports – it’s due to air the end of this year,” he said.

    “After that we’ve a couple of projects in development both for TV and online. The two online series that I produce that are really going strong at the moment are ‘The Little Green Spoon’ and ‘Publin’. They’re two projects I’m very proud of,” he added.

    With so many projects under the company’s belt so far, we asked what’s next for one of Dublin’s brightest media start-ups.

    “The next step for me personally? I don’t really know, because my company and I are one and the same. So I guess it’s just keeping on the way I’ve been going.” Well it seems to be a formula that has worked so far.

    He finished with a solid piece of advice for anyone looking to start out in producing and editing videos.

    “Go out and film something,” he said. “Cameras are so accessible and affordable now that you can film a short film on your phone. Just remember the important thing is not what you use to tell your story, it’s the story itself that really matters.

    “People will forgive poor quality or shaky video if the story and context is there. Don’t believe me? Nike’s most viewed commercial was shot on a $200 ‘point and shoot’ camera, so go out and tell a story you’d want to hear.”

    For more from Apollo, you can visit their website here.

  • Years and Years bring their infectious sound to the Olympia

    Years and Years bring their infectious sound to the Olympia

    At first glance, Years and Years don’t seem like the kind of band that will capture the hearts and minds of teenage girls. Their synth pop style is rooted in 90s R&B and they cite their influences as artists like Aaliyah and Blu Cantrell – a far cry from the cheesy pop sounds of the likes of One Direction.

    Yet no one mentioned this to the thousands of screaming teenage girls at Years and Years’ gig in the Olympia who began chants of “Olly, Olly, Olly”, calling for the band’s lead singer at various intervals before the band came on stage. And it is Olly (Alexander, the vocalist) who they came to see.

    Despite Y&Y being a three-piece group, Olly is the star. Bouncing and flailing around the stage as he croons through the band’s freshman album, Communion, he is seemingly boneless and much skinnier than the teen heart throbs of my youth. But he is also charming and talented so I can, to a point, see the appeal he holds for his fans.

    Years and Years’ songs all mostly sound the same, but when their sound is as infectious and boppy as it is, it’s difficult to mind. The only low point of the evening were the ballads, without the synth beats, the band’s lyrics aren’t strong enough to stand on their own.

    The highlights of the evening were Desire, and of course King, their debut single that everyone has had stuck in their head since the beginning of this year.

    Years and Years were supported by Nimmo, a London band, who were a wonderful surprise. With a slightly heavier dance style than Y&Y they were the perfect warm up act.

    Photo Credit: Siofra Dempsey 

  • Finally! Somewhere to go for non-coffee drinkers

    Finally! Somewhere to go for non-coffee drinkers

    It’s a common thing for a group of young people to meet up and go for coffee. But what happens when you don’t drink coffee or you just don’t feel like that energy boost? Well, here at The City we have you sorted. We’ve compiled a short list of places to go, all within a short walking distance of the city centre.

    Wall and Keogh

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    For all tea lovers out there, this is definitely a place to try. Located on Richmond Street South, this tea lounge gives customers the option of 150 blends of tea so there really is something for everyone. Even though the café itself is small in size it can be quite cosy for a small group of people to meet and try new teas.

    Alchemy Juice Co

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    Alchemy Juice Co is based above BT2 on Grafton Street. This cute juice bar overlooks one of Dublin’s main shopping streets and specialises in juices with every type of fruit imaginable. The juices will cost you around €4.50, but they do a loyalty system for buying four juices and getting your fifth one free.

    Accents

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    For anyone who loves a hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day, Accents is the place for you. Voted Dublin’s number 1 place for hot chocolate by Lovin’ Dublin; this lounge is the perfect spot to take a break from your hectic life and is located just off George’s Street. With comfy couches and late opening hours, their unique hot chocolate is the icing on the cake. Instead of giving you a mug of hot chocolate, the café gives you a mug of hot milk, and some chocolate buttons to blend your own chocolatey drink. They also offer student discounts, which makes life even better.

    Third Space

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    Third Space is a place for local people to gather and be social, serving everything from coffee, tea, chai lattes and smoothies to all sorts of cakes, breakfasts and lunches. They have cafes on Aungier Street and in Smithfield. The smoothies are great for when you need that energy boost minus the caffeine. The café on Aungier Street does daily smoothies including strawberry and banana flavour and mixed berry flavour.

    Lolly and Cooks

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    Finally, for someone with a sweet tooth, who just wants something nice to eat to brighten up their day, Lolly and Cooks is the place to go. This business has three cafés in Dublin; Merrion Street, Grand Canal Dock and George’s Street Arcade. They do every type of cupcake you can think of, including Red Velvet, Oreo and Strawberry and Vanilla. They also do hot drinks, salads and soup.

    Follow Rachael O’ Brien on Twitter @rachieobrien

  • Top three for free

    Top three for free

    Dublin is a city that’s always buzzing with things to do. Unfortunately, many events hosted in this fair city can leave you with empty pockets and a sore head. So if you’re feeling frugal, we here at The City have put together three of the best free things to do in Dublin for the coming week.

    Martcade Thrift Market

    190a Lower Rathmines Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6

    Open the first and third Sundays of every month and emulating the food halls and markets of Berlin, the Martcade Thrift Market is just the thing to blow away any lingering cobwebs from the previous Saturday night.

    With some of Ireland’s best vendors in attendance selling everything from fresh juice to repurposed furniture, handmade jewelry and local arts and crafts, this thrift market could be just the place to pick up a hidden gem.

    National Print Museum

    Garrison Chapel, Beggars Bush Barracks, Haddington Road, Dublin 4

    Meanwhile, over at the National Print Museum they’re hosting the Irish debut of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London touring exhibition, A World to Win, Posters of Protest and Revolution.

    The World to Win exhibition explores a century of protest posters which have encouraged the world towards social change and revolution from the votes for women campaigns of the early 20th century to the Occupy Movements of more recent times. This exhibit shows the evolution of protest literature and is well worth a visit.

    Be quick though, the exhibition is only running until the 8th of November.

    Science Gallery Dublin

    Naughton Institute, Trinity College, Pearse St, Dublin 2

    The Science Gallery has a wealth of interesting exhibits pretty much all year round and serves great coffee to boot, so if you want to pique your scientific curiosity and satisfy your need for caffeine at the same time this is a no brainer.

    Open 12-8 Tuesdays to Fridays and 12-6 Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday.