Lyra, Brooke, Eoin Colfer and Strictly Ballroom – what’s on in Dublin this week
Lyra has curated the bill for this year's Rock Against Homelessness
Homegrown hits, award-winning cinema, and an audience with one of Ireland’s most successful authors. These are our top picks for the week ahead.
Rock Against Homelessness, Olympia Theatre
Since the first concert in 2016, the Rock Against Homelessness gigs have raised an astonishing €170,000 for Focus Ireland. Superstar Lyra headlines and curates this year’s show, presented by the Sunday Independent. Ireland’s premier electropop queen will be joined by Aimée, Bobbi Arlo, Toshin, Pastiche, Isaac Butler and Cork singer songwriter Jack O’Rourke with the awesome MayKay. Laura Whitmore hosts.
Friday, May 26. Doors: 7pm. Tickets from €27. For more, visit www.3olympia.ie/
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Brooke Scullion performing at the Eurovision Song Contest last year
Brooke, The Academy 2
It’s a big week for former Eurovision hopeful-turned-Dancing with the Stars runner-up Brooke Scullion, aka, Brooke. First, her new single - the infectious Being Alone - hit the airwaves on Tuesday. Next up, the singer performs a headline show at the Academy 2 this weekend, with special guest, DJ Claire Beck.
Friday, May 26. Doors: 7pm. Tickets: €16.50. Under-14s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more, visit https://mcd.ie/
Toucan, Whelan’s
Armed with a voice that could stop traffic, Conor Clancy, aka, Toucan, makes his long-awaited return to a Dublin stage. His last single, a cover of Bill Withers’ Lovely Day, was released in 2020, and we’d almost forgotten how good he is. Is there a debut album release on the horizon? We certainly hope so. In the meantime, do yourself a favour and pull up Toucan’s self-titled EP on Spotify - the sublime We Fell for Miles is still a banger.
Saturday, May 27. Time: 8pm. Tickets from €19.90. For more, visit www.whelanslive.com/
Eoin Colfer: From Artemis Fowl to the Apocalypse, Merrion Square Park
Now’s your chance to meet the man behind Artemis Fowl. The International Literature Festival Dublin rolls on in Merrion Square Park, and this Saturday morning, one of Ireland’s most successful authors sets up shop for a storytelling session like no other. Yes, Wexford’s Eoin Colfer has decided to lift back the curtain and share the magic involved in creating a beloved children’s classic. We can’t wait.
Saturday, May 27. Time: 10:30am. Suitable for ages 7+. Tickets: €6 (family €20). For more, visit https://ilfdublin.com/
Kevin Clifton and Faye Brookes in Strictly Ballroom: The Musical
Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 film debut started life as a stage play, and this exuberant new production goes back to its roots with a feast of original pop numbers, composed by Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect. Strictly Come Dancing ace Kevin Clifton portrays the rebellious ballroom dancer, while Corrie and Dancing on Ice star Faye Brookes is the plucky beginner he’s forced to pair with. Craig Revel Horwood directs.
Monday, May 29 – Saturday, June 3. Time: 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee, Thurs & Sat). Tickets from €20. For more, visit www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/
The Beasts, Pavilion Theatre
The Pavilion’s summer cinema programme is officially up and running. One Fine Morning (excellent), Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (an Oscar-nominated triumph) and Rye Lane (a modern rom-com classic) are just some of the titles headed our way between now and July. Next up, it’s Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabel Peña’s The Beasts, starring Denis Ménochet and Marina Foïs as a middle-aged French couple caught in a vicious land dispute with their horrid neighbours. You won’t forget it in a hurry.
Monday, May 29. Times: 5pm & 8pm. Tickets: €8 / €9. For more, visit www.paviliontheatre.ie/
