Show celebrating its record-breaking 13th season runs at Cork Opera House this weekend

KEANE’S classic, The Year of the Hiker, is on at the Everyman next Tuesday, January 24, for one night only. Presented by Hunters’ Moon, it’s directed by Philip O’Byrne and starts at 8pm.

After that, on Friday/Saturday, February 3/4, Broken Crow stage Ronan Fitzgibbon’s new play, Our Tethered Kin. Described as a dark fairytale, it’s a story of two children and two paths through mysterious woods, one in the light, one through the dark. 7.30pm start for that one, please note.

Sunday February 5, Christina Rogers and her dynamic live band present One Night of Adele, with all those iconic songs. And don’t forget Irish National Opera’s production of Don Pasquale on February 7, another one-night- only performance, before INO head off to Limerick on February 9, and Tralee on February 11. Directed by Orpha Phelan, and conducted by Teresa Riveiro Böhm, it features Graeme Danby in the title role, with Kelli-Ann Masterson as Norino, Rhodri Prys Jones as Erneston, Ben McAteer as Malatesta, and Leanne Fitzgerald as the Notary. Booking for all Everyman shows on 021 450 1673 or www.everymancork.com.

Jon Richardson is onstage at the Opera House tonight with his new show, The Knitwit. Over 14s only, please. Then on Saturday and Sunday, it’s the return of the ever-popular Reeling In The Showband Years, now in its record-breaking 13th season here! Ronan Collins is once again the compere, introducing the greatest and the best to recapture those heady days. And the High Kings are back on Wed next, Feb 1. What more could you wish for? 021 427 0022 or www.corkoperahouse.ie for all bookings.

Here is some exciting news. Two of Cork’s best known actors, Fionula Linehan and Catherine Mahon Buckley, will star in a new production of Declan Hassett’s legendary play, SISTERS, opening at the Cork Arts Theatre Wednesday March 1, and running until Saturday March 11. The production will be produced and directed by Patrick Talbot.

SISTERS, you will of course remember, had its world premiere at The Everyman in 2005, with the unforgettable Anna Manahan (for whom it was actually created). It went on to play the Edinburgh Festival and had a long run off Broadway in New York. Eight years later, the late great Gerry McLoughlin recreated the role at the Arts Theatre, bringing her own very individual style to the part. Now it’s time to see it with not one person playing both sisters, but each taken by a separate actor. We asked director Patrick Talbot where this new and exciting idea came from.

“Of course we have the wonderful memories of Anna and Gerry doing the play, each taking both roles,” he agrees.

“But I thought it would be interesting to stage it this way, with two different actors playing the sisters. They are two very different women, whose lives took two very different paths, and when you break up their stories and have them overlap, as we will be doing in this production, their experiences are being told simultaneously almost, instead of the two consecutive monologues that were in the earlier productions. It’s going to work very well, I think.”

But he makes us promise not to reveal the shock ending, so we won’t, and if you’ve seen the earlier versions, don’t you spoil it for those who are yet to enjoy it, OK? Booking on 021 450 5624 or www.corkartstheatre.com.