It’s all about the jazz across Cork city's theatres this weekend
Amadou and Mariam are at the Opera House on Saturday night.
It’s the Bank Holiday weekend coming up, and that of course means the Cork Jazz Festival, with lively musical events all over the place.
One city, 5 days, 500+ artists, 100+ events, 99+ venues – aren’t you glad you live here?
From today until Monday, the place will be jumping. Headliners Gregory Porter, Mary Coughlan, Buena Vista All Stars Presents: One Night In Havana, Les Amazones d’Afrique Le Boom, Orchestra Baobab, Takuya Kuroda, will be joined by even more new acts, both international and home-grown in over 70 venues across the city as well as out in Kinsale.
Gregory Porter tonight (Thursday) at the Opera House is already sold out, but there are still tickets at time of going to press for the Hot Chip late night DJ set tomorrow (Friday) and (we think) for Amadou and Mariam on Saturday night. Karen Underwood is also sold out for her Green Room Jazz events over the weekend, and One Night in Havana on Saturday night is booked solid.
At the Everyman tomorrow night (Friday), there are no more tickets for the legendary Mary Coughlan, but you still have a chance to see Luke Thomas and Una Healy on Saturday with Fly Me To The Moon, a celebration of the Great American Songbook, and Orchestra Baobab on Sunday.
Both Saturday and Sunday, Seun Kuti and Fela’s Egypt 80 are on stage at 10.15 pm, with doors open at 9pm on Saturday and 9.45pm on Sunday.
Far more events, including live music at both Barry’s and the South County in Douglas, and the great Festival Club for those who simply can’t get enough of the cool sounds.
And, of course, Kinsale, where they almost run their own jazz festival by this time, accompanied by scary and ghoulish events to suit the season. And a full jazz procession winding its way through those narrow streets on Sunday!
Really too many great things going on to list here in full, check out guinnesscorkjazz.com for all the details.
Conal Creedon’s witty but searingly observant play, The Cure, continues to Saturday at Cork Arts Theatre, and next Wednesday-Saturday you have a chance to enjoy the crazy Improvised Halloween Murder Mystery there, properly observing the official date of Samhain on October 31.
The popular Murder Mystery Gang (Laura O’Mahony, Laura Harte, Dominic Mac-Hale, John McCarthy, Annette Roche and Adrian Scanlan) will be giving of their best on a truly riotous night.
Call 021 450 5624 or see www.corkartstheatre.com for bookings.
Another venue observing the true date of Halloween is Crane Lane, where Monsieur Pompier’s Travelling Freakshow, a cabaret act and horror-rock band from Dublin, will be setting things spinning next Thursday, October 31. Prizes for the best-dressed ghouls attending, so check your wardrobes!
Tickets are always in great demand for the Freakshow, so don’t delay. See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/travelling-freakshow-halloween-show-crane-lane-tickets-1029048952117.
Plus, Nathan Carter is at The Arches in Mallow tomorrow night, in a fundraising concert for the Irish Kidney Association, Breakthrough Cancer Research, and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
Impasse by Mufutau Yusuf opens tomorrow night at Dance Cork Firkin Crane. The performance will be followed by a reception with Mufutau Yusuf and his team.
Impasse is a powerful, driving, high-speed piece that references African immigration, and celebrates the autonomy and self-determination of Black bodies. 7.30pm.
Call 021 450 7427 or see www.firkincrane.ie.
At the Briery Gap, Macroom, next Wednesday, Peter Gowen appears in the world premiere of Declan’s Got Talent, a dark comedy around an audition for a talent show, starring Peter himself and Jack Healy. 8pm start. Tickets on the door.
Finally, the wonderful voice of Mary Culloty O’Sullivan is at the Glen Theatre in Banteer this Sunday, Oct 27, in one woman musical Fifteen. 8pm start – booking on 029 56239.
