Comedy, music and song galore in Cork's theatres

THE big seasonal show at the Opera House, Summer Revels opens on July 24. In some ways this new show, with its telling title, is a hark back to the great days of the 1970s and 80s when Michael Twomey devised and directed a Summer Revels for a staggering 22 years. Seven or eight week seasons were normal, and the house was packed out every night, with many coming to see the show a second or third time. The key to its success was Cork itself, Cork in its multiple manifestations of comedy, humour, music and song, performed by the staggering number of hugely talented people who called this city home.

Now creative directors of the new show, John O’Brien and Killian Collins, have taken the very best of the atmosphere and tradition from those shows and used them skilfully in putting together Summer Revels 2024 which promises all the delights of the past with a new and updated twist (a “show within a show” in fact). It should be a must for every Corkonian as well as visitors to Leeside, offering “de real Cork” and no mistake. Shows run July 24 to August 4, at various times. Tickets are already going fast, so make sure you get seats for the performance you want. Re-live the old days, enjoy the new! Booking on 021 427 0022 or www.corkoperahouse.ie.

At the Everyman tomorrow and Saturday, Mary Byrne, The X Factor star, returns in a brand-new stage show, Check Me Out, in which she shares her incredible story in her own words, live on-stage. It is a deeply moving and intensely honest portrayal of Mary’s life, from her humble beginnings at the checkout counter to her unforgettable journey through The X Factor. Her performance will of course include some of the classic songs associated with Mary’s career, including This Is My Life, This Is a Man’s World, and Always on My Mind.

But don’t forget to keep Sunday evening free as that’s when The Everyman Sunday Songbook family and guests come together for a very special evening to celebrate the late Alf McCarthy.

Broadcaster, writer, actor, producer, Alf McCarthy’s honey-coated voice was one of the most recognised on RTÉ Radio 1. For more than three decades, he dominated our radio waves with his warmth, energy, and intelligence. These skills transferred effortlessly to The Everyman stage when he ed his beloved Sunday Songbook family in 2017, attracting legions of new fans. His ing, just 10 days after he and his colleagues celebrated the story and songs of Burt Bacharach on The Everyman stage, shocked all who knew and loved him.

On Sunday July 7, The Everyman Sunday Songbook team, ed by some very special guests, will share memories and celebrate Alf, with a hit parade of songs from over a dozen shows they shared together. Songbook stalwarts Linda Kenny, Damian Smith, Alan Carney, with the Songbook band, will be ed on the night by showband legend Art Supple, the brilliant Ryan Morgan, Conor O’Shea AKA The Loungeman, Sinatra aficionado Jim O’Mahony, and Lyric FM’s Evelyn Grant (MC) for a Sunday Songbook like no other. Be there, and be prepared to sing your hearts out! In the immortal words of Burt Bacharach, “That’s what friends are for.” 7.30pm start for that, don’t forget. 021 450 1673 or www.everymancork.com for tickets.

One performance only of a new piece at the Cork Arts Theatre this coming Saturday. That’s when Cork Penny Dinners and High Hopes Theatre Group stage the powerful play Stirrings, shedding light on the complexities of mental health while challenging stigma, and igniting conversations. Through authentic dialogue, memoir and poignant monologues, the characters reveal their vulnerabilities and resilience. This show evolved from Stagecraft & Creativity Workshops facilitated by Marion Wyatt, at Croí Na Laoí, Wellness Centre, when workshop participants discovered, the therapeutic value of storytelling. Books tickets on 021 450 5624 or www.corkartstheatre.com