Galway Arts Festival 200511th July - 24th July 2005For full programme details, click here...Galway Arts Festival, Ireland's largest and most prestigious annual arts festival will this year feature over 400 writers, artists, performers and musicians from Chile, England, France, Malta, Romania, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Tibet, the USA and Ireland. The 28th Galway Arts Festival celebrates artistic innovation from around the world, with a programme of theatre, spectacle, dance, visual arts, music, literature and comedy. 
Festival 05's theatre and dance programme features some of the most extraordinarily ambitious and innovative projects to be seen in Ireland this year and includes 4 Irish and 4 World Premiere events. In one of the most ambitious undertakings in Irish theatre for many years Druid Theatre Company present, together for the first time ever, all of J.M. Synge's work. This landmark tribute, directed by Garry Hynes, involves a company of actors performing 6 plays in rep throughout the Festival in a historic celebration of one of Ireland's dramatic giants. In parallel with the presentation of the classic DruidSynge, Festival 05 highlights new work by some of Ireland's most innovative contemporary artists. Enda Walsh's The Small Things, presented by leading UK theatre company Paines Plough, receives its Irish premiere in a production directed by the National Theatre of Scotland's Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Leading Irish actor and writer Garrett Keogh presents the world premiere of his new play Dog Show, while Dublin's Operating Theatre present a live installation Here Lies, performed by Olwen Fouere. Here Lies traces French actor/writer Antonin Artaud's journey through Ireland, taking place in Galway's Imperial Hotel where he stayed for a time ? without the means to pay his bill. A triple bill from the UK's Phoenix Dance Theatre features three of the world's most exciting choreographers, Rui Horta, Henri Oguike and Darshan Singh Bhuller in a programme featuring exhilarating movement, intricate choreography and raw physicality. Other international work includes the spectacular Aurelia's Oratorio created by Victoria Thiérrée Chaplin with Aurelia Thiérrée (sister of James, whose Junebug Symphony and La Viellee des Abysses both received their Irish premieres at Galway Arts Festival). A particular coup for the Festival sees Teatro Del Silencio present the World Premiere of their latest work, Mother Courage and her children in Purgatory. Based on Brecht's landmark anti-war drama, Silencio have collaborated with Spain's Karlik Danza Teatro to create an event that will break down the barriers separating acrobatics, mime, dance, music and drama. Folk, rock, blues, jazz, classical and a vivacious blend of traditional and contemporary Irish music from international and Irish musicians are all form part of Festival 05. Featuring a host of world renowned and emerging Irish artists join together with an exciting line-up of musicians from around the globe including Marianne Faithfull, Michelle Shocked, Mavis Staples, The Proclaimers, June Tabor, Django Bates, Yann Tiersen, Yuncheng Lahmo, Damien Dempsey, Sharon Shannon, Toasted Heretic and Cora Smyth & Breda Smyth amongst others to perform in venues throughout Galway. Cutting-edge comedy has been at the forefront of contemporary Irish culture for much of the past decade. Galway Arts Festival highlights some of the very best of Irish comics this year, with Tommy Tiernan, Barry Murphy, Dylan Moran and Jon Kenny, whose work is uncompromisingly intelligent and unfailingly funny. Literary events at Festival 05 focus on discussion and debate with leading cultural and political commentators. Critic John Carey is joined by a panel of Irish arts practitioners, including Garry Hynes, Stuart Carolan, Pat McCabe, Donald Clarke and Stephen Dee, in a timely discussion of the issues raised in his latest book What Good are the Arts? Political cabaret Leviathan comes to the Festival to celebrate Sebastian Barry's remarkable new novel A Long Long Way and will include an interactive discussion of the book and its historical, political and social themes, culminating in a magical musical finale, while renowned comic book artist and writer Joe Sacco comes to Ireland for the first time to discuss his unique glimpses into the complex issues of global politics. The programme of visual arts will include new exhibitions from Richard Billingham, Michael Kane, John Coll, Corban Walker, Margot Quinn and Joe Sacco. French artist and sculptor Claude Merle's life-size puppets will appear in the most unexpected places throughout Galway city centre. Children's events include new shows from performers and writers Barry Murphy and Mark Doherty and a magical water-theatre show from Northern Ireland's Big Telly Theatre Company - The Little Mermaid takes place in the most unusual venue of Festival 05, Leisureland Swimming Pool. With over 400 writers, artists, performers and musicians from all over the world joining those from Ireland in creating theatre, spectacle, street art, comedy, literature and music the 2004 Galway Arts Festival promises an extraordinary fortnight of cultural activity. Galway Arts Festival Box OfficeGalway Arts Festival Box Office Online Booking from Saturday June 11th www.galwayartsfestival.ie. In person or by Phone from Monday June 20st |
