SUMMER SCOOP
Sunshine, ice cream, and endless evenings... Not sure how to fill them? MEG WALKER has your cultural highlights for July and August.
Your July/August cultural hit list
Summertime... For some, it means jetting off on holidays; for others, it can mean time spent catching up on all the wondrous arts events at our disposal. From music festivals to theatrical performances under the stars, July and August offer something for everyone. Grab your sunnies and get ready... 1 It’s been a very long 20+ months since Season 2 of Stranger Things was released on Netflix, and at long last, Season 3 will grace our screens on July 4, with Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max warding off demogorgons and rocking the ’80s look like they mean business. (Here’s hoping new cast member Maya Hawke – daughter of Ethan and Uma Thurman – will help mend the heart of poor jilted Steve). 2 Break Out Pictures, a new film distribution company founded by industry stalwarts Nell Roddy and Robert McCann Finn – who both worked on such Element Pictures films as Room, The Lobster and Song of the Sea – release Hugh O’Conor’s directorial debut, Metal Heart, on June 28. The teen coming-of age comedy scripted by Paul Murray stars the wonderful Jordanne Jones (pictured) alongside Leah McNamara and Moe Dunford. 3 Much has been speculated and written about Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, starring the superb Margot Robbie (pictured) as Sharon Tate; it finally lands in Irish cinemas August 15 – book the sitter. 4 The RHA’s 189th Annual Exhibition continues until August 10, so if you haven’t yet made your way to the Ely Place Mecca, be sure to plan a visit to see the works on view (pictured is Richard Gorman’s “Spun Spin”), rhagallery.ie. 5 The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta blows into the Dublin harbour July 11-14, with four days of racing on Dublin Bay, festival magic in the town and waterfront, and gatherings galore, dlregatta.org. 6 This year’s Galway International Arts Festival, July 15-28 once again promises to impress audiences with music performances by Macy Gray (pictured) and Two Door Cinema Club, plus Brian Watkins’ Druid
Theatre debut, Epiphany, directed by Garry Hynes, giaf.ie.
7 The Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival returns to the South East city August 22-25 for its fifth year, featuring the works of such artists as Samer, aka Curtis Hylton (pictured), waterfordwalls.ie. Want more? Here are just some of the other happenings over the next two months... SEE Deirdre Kinahan’s The Unmanageable Sisters at the Abbey Theatre, running until August 3; then Lisa Tierney-Keogh’s This Beautiful Village hits the Abbey stage August 31 running until September 14, abbeytheatre.ie. INDULGE AT The Wine & Cheese Festival at the Iveagh Gardens August 8-11, wine-n-cheese.com; The Big Grill Festival in Herbert Park August 15-18, biggrillfestival.com; Hillsborough Castle & Gardens’ inaugural Food Festival July 5-7, hrp.org.uk; and Castle Grove Country House’s Strawberry Festival in association with the Donegal Food Coast on July 6, irelandsbluebook.com. VIEW Oidhreacht: Transforming Tradition at the Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda July 13 to September 14, which brings together a range of works and objects from the 18th century to the contemporary moment exploring Irish traditional arts and culture, and coincides with the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, August 10-18, fleadhcheoil.ie; highlanes.ie; Wilhelmina Weber Furlong at the Irish Georgian Society City Assembly House August 1-29; In Pursuit of Perfection at the Science Gallery Dublin until October 2, dublin.sciencegallery.com; and Thai Buddhist Tales: Stories Along the Path to Enlightenment at the Chester Beatty, chesterbeatty.ie. BRING THE FAMILY TO Playstival at Airfield Estate, Dundrum August 10-11, offering fun for tots, tweens and grown-ups too; this year, the team worked with AsIAm – Ireland’s National Autism Charity to create autism understanding, inclusion and accessibility throughout the festival, playstival.ie; and the Laya Healthcare City Spectacular in Dublin’s Merrion Square July 12 to 14 and Cork’s Fitzgerald Park July 20 and 21, cityspectacular.com. CATCH The Kilkenny Arts Festival, August 8-18, kilkennyarts.ie; Cairde Sligo Arts Festival July 6-13, cairdefestival.com; Muldoon’s Picnic, a music and literature extravaganza from poet Paul Muldoon touring the nation August 2-11, poetryireland.ie; the Dublin Feminist Film Festival August 22-24, dublinfeministfilmfestival.com; and Chapterhouse Theatre Company’s open-air performances hitting various stunning gardens and estates throughout the country all summer long, chapterhouse.org.