Dublin gears up for Fringe festival with circus acts, opera and swing
Emily Aoibheann from one of Ireland's most dynamic aerial performance companies, Dying Breeds rehearsing in St Anthony`s Hall Church Clontarf from their new show Object Piggy. Emily helped launch the 21st edition of Tiger Dublin Fringe which runs for two week city-wide from September 7th -20th, for further info on the festival go to www.fringefest.com. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland.
Al Porter at the Opening Night of the Vodafone Comedy Festival at the Iveagh Gardens Dublin
Al Porter
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Circus performers, a comedy swing show and a play about three students training at Templemore Garda College will all form part of the excitement at this year's Fringe Festival.
One of the more unusual performances of this year's Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival, which runs between September 7 to 20, is being produced by Trinity College graduate Louise White where her team will take over a disused commercial building in the city centre.
The building is turned into a living art instillation with performances in each room that the audience walk through.
However, with just weeks until the festival starts, Louise is still looking for a venue.
"My show is all about celebrating community and putting those themes into a big, empty commercial building that represents the economic failure of the past few years," she told the Herald.
"I would tell people to expect the unexpected - it's a theatre experience where you will see things you've never seen before.
"We're still working on a space, we had one but they pulled out.
Al Porter
"It's a frantic scramble now but we're totally used to that - this is the life of the artist.
"We're just planning ahead and starting rehearsals, we're positive we'll find a space."
Elsewhere, comedy king Al Porter will be teaming up with the Swing Cats - a six piece Irish swing band - for a night filled with music and laughter.
"It's going to be a bit of a change from my stand-up," Al said.
"It's going to be a night of music and stories - so funny stories and then me and the band are going to sing Louis Prima/Bobby Darin-style hits.
"People often say they didn't know I could sing and I say: 'I can't but it doesn't stop me.'
"I'm able to hold a tune and there'll be a really good singer who'll mask what I lack," he laughed.
Fans will also be in for a treat when Oscar winner Glen Hansard puts on a "one-night only spectacular".
Tony-nominated cabaret and drag artist Justin Vivian Bond will join the Frames frontman to perform the one-off show in the festival's Spiegeltent in Wolfe Tone Square off Jervis Street.
Festival director Kris Nelson is confident there will be something to entertain everyone at this year's Fringe with 80 different productions taking to venues across the city.
artists
"Without a doubt, this year's Fringe features some of Ireland's most engaging, adventurous artists; names you know and names you are about to discover," he said.
"In our 21st year, Fringe is at an exciting crossroads: we are coming of age and at the same time, disrupting things with a whole new generation of makers and ideas.
"As ever, Tiger Dublin Fringe is the festival for audiences to explore the performing arts and to tap into new ideas," he added.