Arts Week with Judy Murphy

Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, who works across film and theatre, explained in last Sunday’s Observer, why she loved theatre so much. Answering a question from director, Sam Mendes, she said it was because of its “right-here, right-now immediacy, which is addictive”.

And in a world where AI is becoming more important, Kidman expressed her belief that theatre “is the future”, because of its “deeply human” nature.

Let’s hope she’s right. And for those who want to experience that immediacy, the city’s Town Hall and Black Box theatres are offering a busy drama programme between now and the end of March, alongside music, film and children’s shows.

First up on Thursday, January 30, is the one-man show Paddy – The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong. It stars Don Wycherley as Paddy Armstrong, one of the Guilford Four, who were wrongfully convicted in 1975 for pub bombings carried out by the IRA in Woolwich and Guilford in 1974. The play, which Wycherley co-wrote with Mary-Elaine Tynan and Niamh Gleeson, is directed by Tynan and was inspired by Paddy Armstrong’s memoir, Life After Life: a Guildford Four Memoir.

Tipperary actor Cathal Ryan was most recently seen in Galway in Druid Theatre’s production of Tom Murphy’s The House at the Town Hall. Now he’s back with his own one-man comedy show, Pucked, which premiered at Clonmel’s Junction Festival in 2022 and which tells the story of young, ambitious hurler Matty Daly who has been immersed in the GAA since childhood. Matty’s one dream in life is to play on the senior team . . . until he realises that senior hurling isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s on Tuesday, February 4

There’s musical drama at the Black Box Theatre from Tuesday to Saturday, February 4-8, with the Broadway hit, Guys and Dolls. This high-energy romantic comedy with its well-known songs and lively dance routines is presented by Galway Musical Society.

Irish National Opera will bring Johann Strauss’ Fledermaus to the Town Hall on Tuesday, February 11, with a cast that includes sopranos Jade Phoenix and Sarah Shine, and mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty. This well-known, upbeat opera offers hilarious twists and turns, complete with disguises, double crossings and much Champagne.

Mark O’Rowe’s three-hander, The Approach, got rave reviews when it premiered at Dublin’s Project Theatre in 2018, presented by Landmark Productions.

Pictured: Don Wycherley in the one-man show, Paddy –  The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong. It’s in the Town Hall on January 30.