1 RIOT Revival
RIOT was the talk of the GCN offices last September, when it literally took the Dublin Fringe by storm. Selling out an eleven-night long run at the Spiegeltent, it wowed audiences with a quirky and quintessentially queer cornucopia of circus, all overseen by mistress of ceremonies, Miss Panti Bliss (who was in a leg cast at the time, but carried it off with style, grace and very good face).
The craic is kind of a mix between Fosset’s Circus and the Kit Kat Klub in Cabaret, Weimer Republic meets the Irish Republic. Our favourite was the hot GAA player turned acrobat in skintight pants, but there were plenty of other acts to feast our senses upon, including unhinged contortionists, Lords of Strut, state of the nation spoken word maestro, Emmet Kirwan, and wisecrackin’ Dub duo dancers Up & Over It. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s up producers THISISPOPBABY’s sleeve for the new run, and crossing our fingers Panti won’t break a leg at this year’s rehearsals.
RIOT runs at Vicar Street from July 6 to 8,
www.thisispopbaby.com
2 Queer at the Galway Film Fleadh
Some top-notch documentaries make up the core of the queer offerings at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh, including The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin (pictured above), which not only delves into the life story of the creator of Tales of the City, but charts how sexual politics have radically transformed in the 40-plus years since the author began his series.
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson centres on the legendary ‘street queen’ who co-founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), a trans activist group based in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village.
We think the most intriguing of the docs is Chavela, a movie that follows the life of trailblazing Mexican singer, Chavela Vargas, who died aged 93 in 2012, and whose appetite for tequila and women was as legendary as her stunning vocals.
The 29th Galway Film Fleadh takes place from July 11 to 16,
galwayfilmfleadh.com. Keep an eye on gcn.ie for updates and film timings
3 Sheridan Smith in Funny Girl
Nobody thought anybody could ever trump la Streisand, but Sheridan Smith made the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl totally her own in the West End revival last year. And lo and behold, we’ll get to see her do it in Dublin this month.
Sheridan proved her singing chops when she played Cilla Black in the 2014 ITV bio-drama, Cilla, but in Funny Girl she’s in showstopper mode for the duration, so much so that she had to take a two-week break for exhaustion during the first run. Life’s candy and the sun’s a ball of butter when she’s lifting the roof with the big tunes, you’ll cheer each toot when she’s nailing down the comic timing, and just wait ’til you experience her performance of ‘People’. You’ll be the luckiest people in the world.
‘Funny Girl’ is at the The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from July 11 to 15, bordgaisenergytheatre.ie
Dancing Home
Queer West Cork native and internationally renowned dancer, Tara Brandel is no stranger to these pages, but if you’re a stranger to her work, this month you might get the chance to get acquainted with it, especially if you live west of the Shannon.
Her stunning solo show, Cappaghglass is named after the coastal valley she lives in, and it’s a response to the refugee crisis, using an Irish rural setting as a metaphor for the universal need for home. Mixing dance, spoken word, live projections and vocals, Cappaghglass is showing as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival at Firkin Crane, Shandon on June 17 at 8pm, and then travels to Echo Echo Derry in Derry on June 27, and the Ballina Arts Centre on June 28.
5 Club Classic
Midweek clubnights come and go in Dublin, but we’ve got our fingers and toes crossed for adam, a brand new queer offering in the basement bar at The Chelsea Drugstore on Wednesdays. According to co-creator Jordan Boguus, “it’s just a celebration and an embrace of who we are, past present and future, and the music will reflect that; think Janet, Gwen and Ariana, to name few.” Think classics, hits, deep cuts and Japanese bonus edition iTunes tracks, and you’ll see why we’re rooting for adam. Dublin so needs a good old tradtional pop club for the gays and their mates, and this looks like it’ll fill the gap.
adam at The Chelsea Drugstore every Wednesday
six Bird’s the Word
“I was so proud when I first made the cover of GCN,” the inimitable Wallis Bird told us last year. “There was a time when I would roll it up because I was afraid someone would see me. Then I was on the cover and I was holding it so proudly, being able to see myself and read my thoughts in its pages.”
Well, we’re totally proud of her too, and what’s more her 2016 album, Home, dedicated to her girlfriend, is dear to our queer hearts. Wallis will be singing songs from Home, and some of her hits too, during the Galway International Arts Festival this month in the Roisín Dubh. If you haven’t seen her live, it’s the perfect opportunity!
Wallis Bird at The Galway International Arts Festival, Roisín Dubh on July 24, giaf.ie