Theatre Nights: Classics galore at Bantry music fest, comedy, and drama

Tomorrow sees the eagerly-awaited opening of the 30th West Cork Chamber Music Festival in beautiful summertime Bantry.

This year’s programme, as eclectic as usual, presents much-loved favourites alongside world, and Irish, premieres until July 6.

Music-lovers have been coming here since the first festival in 1996, which had 13 concerts and three masterclasses over a week.

It now lasts 10 days, with close to 60 concerts, 30 masterclasses, fringe events, and Ireland’s only instrument exhibition and public artist talks - the West Cork Chamber Music Festival is a key date in the European classical music calendar.

Among the highlights: the two brothers and two sisters of the Tchalik Quartet will perform the world premiere of Sam Perkin’s Celebration Quartet in the opening concert in Bantry House tomorrow at 8pm.

Australian mezzo soprano, Lotte Betts Dean, joins her father, viola player and composer, Brett Dean, for a special recital on Monday, June 30, at 4pm in St Brendan’s Church.

Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud, no stranger to the festival, will be accompanied by his children, Alma, Franz and Hector, for a special family concert in St Brendan’s Church on Thursday July 3 at 2pm.

On Thursday, July 3, internationally renowned Irish pianist, Barry Douglas and star violinist Mairéad Hickey, will perform Brahms works, while soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon joins forces with her husband, pianist Ryan McCullough, on Friday, July 4, for the Irish premiere of Katherine Balch’s estrangement in the main evening concert in St Brendan’s Church. Plus, all the usual attractions and events.

This year’s festival is packed with national and international stars, and tickets are selling quickly. See www.westcorkmusic.ie or call the festival office at 13, Glengarriff Road, Bantry, on 027 52788

Elsewhere, Jarlath Regan is at the Opera House today and tomorrow, with his new stand-up comedy show. If you haven’t seen his viral hit Mammy translations clips on TikTok, Instagram & Facebook, then where have you been?

Katherine Ryan’s Battleaxe on Saturday is sold out, but there are still a few tickets left for Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice next Wednesday with Together Again.

Next Thursday, there is something more serious in Seconds, very definitely for over 16s. This work-in-progress show, on its way to the Edinburgh Fringe festival, delves into the complexities of heartache, loneliness and redemption via two women’s stories as they grapple with new beginnings.

Tomorrow night at Everyman, Gaggin Drama Group presents A Living Will, by Jim Keane, which tells the story of the cruel, money-hungry farmer, Fintan Flynn and his long-suffering family.

To Fintan, land and wealth are all that matter, but a letter from America threatens to dig up long buried secrets from the past. 7.30pm start, note.

And next Friday, July 4, we have the chance to see a revival of The Beacon by Nancy Harris, directed by Sara Joyce. Beiv, a celebrated feminist artist, is renovating a house on an island in West Cork. Her ex-husband died mysteriously a decade ago and the body was never found. Now her estranged son has returned from San Francisco with his new wife, looking for answers, but is forced to confront secrets from his own past.

This powerful play runs to July 19 at 7.30pm, with matinees, post-show talks, ISL and audio performances, plus a touch tour. See www.everymancork.com or ring 021 450 1673.

Finally, don’t forget Swarmfest 2025, celebrating youth bands and taking place tomorrow at the Kino Events House from 2-8pm by Honeypower Records. Seven youth acts. Tickets on Eventbrite or at Bunker Vinyl in town. Further info on the Instagram page of Honeypower Records, @Honeypower_Records.