The 35th Galway Arts Festival runs from Monday July 16th to Sunday 29th and features a wealth of theatre, music, comedy, visual art, dance, and literary events from artists from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and of course Ireland and Galway.
Amongst the highlights of this year’s programme is the world premiere of a new play ‘The Great Goat Bubble’ by Julian Gough, a Galway Arts Festival co-production with Fishamble: The New Play Company.
The Festival will also curate a new museum-scale exhibition ‘Precious Light’ by one of Scotland’s leading international visual artists David Mach in the new, specially commissioned ABSOLUT Festival Gallery.
Propeller, under the direction of Ed Hal, makes a welcome return to Galway with a hugely entertaining double-bill of Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ (the first professional production on an Irish stage since 1906) and ‘The Winter’s Tale’.
The streets of Galway will come alive with the world premiere of ‘This Thunderous Heart’ from the masters of Irish street spectacle Macnas directed by Noeline Kavanagh. Spain’s spectacular ‘Lo Monstre’, a six-metre giant dinosaur who will roam the streets of Galway, and the poignant and moving ‘Kamchàtka’ from Spain.
New theatre work from Galway includes ‘Last Shot Redemption’ from Catastrophe Theatre in collaboration with Chrysalis Dance; and Galway Youth Theatre.
Live at the Festival Big Top will see performances from James Vincent McMorrow and Lisa Hannigan with support from Elaine Mai; the legendary Christy Moore with Declan Sinnott and support from Four Men and a Dog; The Coronas with support from Bressie and The Kanyu Tree, and Chic, led by the enigmatic Nile Rodgers, with support from French New Wave group Nouvelle Vague and DJ Kormac.
A range of acts will also play in venues around the city including The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra, Kormac’s Big Band, Canadian virtuosic pianist Michael Kaeshammer, Jack L Damien Dempsey, Keywest and The Henry Girls.
Amongst the very best of Irish and international comics are Michael Winslow, Abandoman, Jason Byrne, Piff The Magic Dragon, Reginald D. Hunter, Terry Alderton and the daily lunchtime madness that is ‘Laughter Loft’ with Gerry Mallon.
The ABSOLUT Visual Arts Programme features solo exhibitions by Brian Maguire, Joe Comerford, leading international video artist Marina Abramovic in collaboration with Charles Atlas, and one of the greatest satirical artists of the 20th century, George Grosz.
Other Irish solo exhibitions include new shows from Mick O’Dea, Jennifer Cunningham and Ben Geoghegan.
For more information see www.galwayartsfestival.com
Information source: Galway Independent
