The Arts Review​

David James Whelan and Molly Lynch in Oklahoma! Image, Marcin Lewandowski *** I have to confess to an abiding love for Oklahoma. I'm also very fond of Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s 1943 musical of the same name. A slice of Americana, as any Boomer from the Sooner state will tell you, that serves as a proud, if imperfect celebration of a people, a place and a time. A work whose classic songs have endured, immortalised onscreen in 1955, and have been revived onstage to internation

1975//Naoi Déag Seachtó Cúig by Teac Damsa. Image, Emilija Jefremova ***** What can you say about Teaċ Daṁsa’s excellent 1975/Naoi Déag Seachtó Cúig? Well, it’s a dance conversation with the iconic album by Irish traditional group The Bothy Band entitled 1975, originally released in 1975. Yeah. But that’s just facts, it speaks nothing to the truth. How about, 1975/Naoi Déag Seachtó Cúig sees dancers respond to music from the past rather than crafting something physically insp

The Lost Tapes of Lydia Howell. Image, Ros Kavanagh. *** If you were to outline a theme for Cork Midsummer Festival 2026, it might be artistic almost rans accepting their fate or rediscovering their mojo. Often blushed with a touch of rediscovered art. Ray Scannell’s meditative and moving The Lost Tapes of Lydia Howell embodying all of the above. Beguilingly simply, Scannell’s story within a story results in leaden storytelling theatre offset by beautiful, musical interludes.