Smashing season at Draíocht

THERE’S an incredible line-up of top entertainment in the autumn programme of events at Draíocht, which was published last week.

Audiences can look forward to a whopping 70 events featuring everything from comedy to music and theatre to movies.

Looking at the theatre programme alone, there are top class performances covering  a range of topics presented through storytelling and drama.

Highlights include PJ Gallagher’s almost unbelievable true life story, ‘Madhouse’ (October 26). When PJ was ten, his ma, a nurse, moved six men with schizophrenia into the family home to care for them full time.

Many psychiatric institutions were closing down and there were few places for long term residents to go. She did everything for them from administering their medication to cutting their hair.

“It was like this,” he says. “When you went through our front door and turned right, you were in mad land, where the mad lads lived.

“And when you turned left – me, ma, da and the dog. And me like a little waiter running down with their pills and dinner, a plate in each hand. It was madness. Absolute madness.”

Following the sell-out success of The Matchmaker last season, Jon Kenny (D’Unbelievables) is back with his intimate one-man show, ‘Crowman’, a window into the soul of lonely bachelor, Dan.

Jon slips seamlessly in and out of numerous, uproariously funny characters with his own unique, hilarious humour (September 17).

‘Spliced' is an autobiographical multi-disciplinary piece from one of the country's most exciting upcoming writers and performers, Timmy Creed.

Hard-hitting, honest and brave, ‘Spliced’ (October 16) shines a light on the fragility of the sportsman behind the mask, and begins a conversation about identity and mental health in Ireland's largest sporting institution, the GAA.

Looking down the barrel of her final fertile years, one modern Irish woman (writer & actor Joanne Ryan) goes on a comical quest to uncover the ifs, hows and crucially the whys of reproducing her genes, in ‘Eggsistentialism’ (November 2).

This stand-up comedy monologue also features hilarious recorded interjections from Joanne’s mother!

What if Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom? What if Home Rule had passed? What if there was no War of Independence? No Civil War? No partition? What if the island had only one soccer team?

The year is 2019 and it is the eve of the Referendum. British Prime Minister Ursula Lysaght is returning to her hometown of Dublin to convince voters to Remain.

With the threat of chaos in the streets, and personal conflict behind the scenes, the final debate is set to begin at BBC Dublin: Should Ireland leave the UK? Fishamble’s ‘The Alternative’ is presented in Draiocht as part of Dublin Theatre Festival (October 4-5).

A parent-teacher meeting goes very wrong in an explosive triple confrontation in a classroom, in ‘CLASS’ – a new play about learning difficulties; in school, in life, wherever (November 29 & 30).

Come in from the cold and enter into the Christmas spirit as a dark and spectral woman tells haunting tales of the festive season, lighting a candle to the frailties of human nature and illuminating the cold and chilling depths of the bleak, wintry dark… ‘Christmas Gothic’ is ghostly, grisly and gorgeous! (December 10).

Find out more about all 70 Events in Draiocht on www.draiocht.ie or by phoning Box Office on 01-8852622.