The Insider

Rehearsals have started for Fiona Looney's new play Greener. Starring Pauline McLynn, Deirdre O'Kane and Lorcan Cranitch, producers have announced that Declan Conlon from The Tudors will also be joining the cast. A follow on to Looney's first play Dandelions, which first showed six years ago, it's the final instalment in the trilogy. Directed by Jimmy Fay, the curtain will rise on May 1 at the Gaiety Theatre and run until May 26. Tickets are on sale now.

•Musical fans will be beating a path to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre next month for Legally Blonde The Musical. The award-winning production will have a two-week run at the southside theatre starting on April 10 and will see Faye Brooke taking on the lead role of the Chihuahua-loving blonde. Her co-stars include X Factor finalist Ray Quinn and fellow stage star Niki Evans. A production which originally saw Dublin's own Susan McFadden in the leading role, it has picked up seven major awards including the Best Musical 2011.

•Chart-toppers Franz Ferdinand have just announced a whistle-stop Irish tour.

They'll be performing in three intimate venues as they preview their new material as well as performing some of their best-known hits. The Scottish band will take to the stage at Galway's Roisin Dubh on May 18 followed by Limerick the next day and Cork's The Pavilion on May 20.

Meanwhile, American legend Leonard Cohen has just confirmed he'll be returning to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham for another performance in Ireland. The last time the poet and songwriter took to the stage in Dublin in 2008, it was hailed one of his best gigs ever. Cohen himself said he was left in tears as the "reception was so warm". He'll take to the same stage on September 11 and 12 with tickets priced from €79.50 available from Friday.

•Good to see frugal airline boss Michael O'Leary has got a soft spot after all. The Ryanair tycoon has decided to donate his big Cheltenham windfall to St James's Hospital's Cancer Research programme. The multi-millionaire received a share in a €50,000 bonus from Boylesports while over at Cheltenham after his horse, Sir Des Champs, won the Novices Steeple Chase. The same horse won the Novice Steeplechase at Leopardstown and the bookmakers vowed to pay out the big bucks if he repeated the feat at the Prestbury course.

•Lenny Kravitz has revealed that he considers Jennifer Lawrence his "second daughter".

The American Woman rocker, who already knew the actress through his daughter Zoe, gets to work alongside her in The Hunger Games, where he plays stylist Cinna to Jennifer's heroine Katniss Everdeen.

"She's amazing, she's super-funny at all times -- she keeps you cracking up," he said.

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