7 Things to do this week...
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ROBIN HOOD: It’s panto season again in Blessington as the Tramway Theatre plays host to five productions of Robin Hood. Members of Blessington Musical and Dramatic Society have been busily rehearsing away in preparation for opening night. The show dates are Thursday January 16 at 8 p.m., Friday January 17 at 8 p.m., Saturday January 18 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday January 19 at 2 p.m.. Tickets are on sale now from The Office Shop and Next Door Off Licence. Tickets cost €12 each but for the Thursday night preview only they can be purchased for a bargain price of €10. Audience members can expect plenty of thrills as they follow the adventures of Robin Hood, Maid Marion, Friar Tuck, Little John, Will Scarlet and all the rest of Robin’s band of merry men, as they come up against the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham and his untrustworthy cohorts. Auditions took place in October and the cast have been hard at work rehearsing ever since. The Musical and Dramatic Society will be hoping to emulate the success of last year’s panto. Tickets have been selling quickly so the advice is to purchase your ticket as soon as possible.
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GREY GARDENS: A screening of the film Grey Gardens will take place at FilmParlour, 11 Eglinton Rd, Bray on Saturday, January 18, at 7 p.m. Tickets are free at eventbrite.ie./ Grey Gardens by Albert and David Maysles is fascinating documentary made in 1975 about an upper class mother and daughter who end up living in poverty in the derelict Grey Gardens mansion. The 1957 film depicts the everyday lives of the two reclusive women, both named Edith Beale, who live at 3 West End Road in the wealthy Georgica Pond neighbourhood of East Hampton, New York. The film was screened at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival but was not entered into the main competition.
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STRAVAIGER GOES BALTIC TALK: Charlie Kavanagh will give a talk on ‘Stravaiger Goes Baltic’ at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 17, in Wicklow Sailing Club. Last year Charlie, an avid sailor and former Commodore of Wicklow Sailing Club, headed on a five-month cruise of the Baltic. The talk, which will be in aid of Wicklow RNLI, will be about an adventure stretching from New Ross to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and others.
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BALLET: The Omniplex Cinema in Arklow will show a live broadcast of the Royal Ballet’s production of the Sleeping Beauty on Thursday, January 16 at 7.15 p.m. The classic ballet, featuring music by Tchaikovsky, is a firm favourite. Here, 19th-century choreography of Marius Petipa is combined with sections created for The Royal Ballet by Frederick Ashton, Anthony Dowell and Christopher Wheeldon. Ticket information is available from www.omniplex.ie.
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GALA CONCERT: A gala concert will take place on Saturday, January 18, in St Patrick’s Church in Greystones, featuring singers Dara MacMahon, Tony Norton, Kay Lynch and Dearbhla Walsh. The concert is arranged by Temple Carrig transition year student Kate Fennell for the school’s charity trip to Jamaica in April. The students will take part in the Mustard Seed charity ‘Children for Children’ programme. The evening will include opera, musical theatre, pop and jazz. Tickets are €10 or €5 for students and available at the door or from eventbrite.ie.
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OPERATION TRANSFORMATION: Wicklow walkers and runners are being encouraged to take part in the ‘Operation Transformation’ walks on Saturday, January 18. Walks are taking place in Bray, Blessington and Arklow at 11 a.m. Organised by the Wicklow Local Sports Partnership, the walks are part of a national programme to encourage healthy living. The meeting points for the walks are: Arklow Duck Pond, Shoreline Leisure Centre Bray and McGreals Primary Care Centre, Blessington. Registration takes place from 10.30 a.m. and all are welcome to take part in these free events.
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LUAN PARLE: Luan Parle will perform at Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray on Friday, January 17, at 8 p.m. Admission is €16 and tickets are available at mermaidartscentre. ie. Meteor and Tatler Award winner Luan Parle has had numerous hits and accolades including Meteor Award for Best Irish Female. Her top 10 hit single ‘Ghost’ spent three months in the Irish Charts and was the most played Irish single of that year. Luan has written and recorded with some of the world’s most successful songwriters & producers. She will play songs from her new album ‘Never Say Goodbye’, to be released on February 7. The album features 10 tracks including two co-writes with Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes.