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2019 MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST

SEATING PLAN

BOOKING YOUR TICKETS

We have no booking fees - at all, so book how you wish!

- PHONE: 01 272 4030 | ONLINE: www.mermaidartscentre.ie - IN PERSON: Pop in to us at box office during our opening hours. - Please note, once purchased, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded. - Our wheelchair accessible spaces are located in the front row on the ground floor. Please note, it is not possible to book specific wheelchair seating online, please contact the box office to arrange.

Tel: 01-2724030 WWW.MERMAIDARTSCENTRE.IE

WELCOME

'To be creative you must be brave’ - Claude Monet The summer season, at last! We’ve the new programme scheduled, and it has us full of enthusiasm and energy. Each season we co-plan and co-design our programme. All the activities and events we create and present are about shared experiences. When people share we build social bonds and trust. People develop shared values which in turn leads to a stronger sense of community. We share ownership of our work and for us ownership isn't a binary value. It's an increasing scale. We believe in democracy, tolerance, solidarity and diversity. We programme with a priority placed on equity. We value collaboration and we partner, support and work with as many likeminded people, groups and organisations as we can. Our aim is to build connections between people and communities, to get people involved and to participate because we believe in the power of the arts and in active citizenship. Samual Beckett once said, ‘You’re on Earth, there is no cure for that’ but we feel we’ve an effective salve. Our salve is our work. Through our work we encourage people to stop and to notice; to meet, to talk and to listen. We tell stories. Human stories help to shatter stereotypes and build understanding. A question often asked of art is ‘does it change anything?’ the ability of art to bring joy and to move and change people might be mysterious, but it is unmistakable. We work with artists who work with, and who want to speak to, their own locality and neighbourhood with a national perspective and international intent. Our artists entertain but they also look at difficult issues and painful experiences. Their work provokes reactions when we need responses. In Mermaid we offer interaction and discovery as an alternative to confrontation, curiosity not certainty, hope not hate. We do not believe we have all the answers, but we know culture precedes change. A cultural shift preceeds all societal strides. A collective motion that engages the public’s imagination drives citizen participation and citizen power. Culture changes people. People create change. We do our best to support an inclusive pluralist society. A society, a community and a neighbourhood in which we are proud to work and live. Niamh O’Donnell (Artistic Director) and the Mermaid Team

MERMAID SPACE

GAP DAY 2019

Whether working to make ends meet or squeezing in creative time at the kitchen table, space to work and space to dream is too often the scarcest commodity available to freelance theatre-makers. The fact is that directors, devisers, dramaturgs, designers, production managers and creative producers working independently all across the country need both physical space and dedicated time to bring the seeds of their ideas to the next level and create great work for audiences. In many industries development of ideas is highly valued and is fostered through investment. Yet, for freelance theatre-makers who are hopping relentlessly from project to project, taking unpaid time out for research and development to get their ideas off the ground seems like a luxury many cannot afford. Through the Gap Day Programme 2019, a project funded by the Arts Council Theatre Resource and Development Scheme and facilitated by Lian Bell and Mermaid, 36 freelance theatre practitioners were offered the necessary support to take some rare time out, in order to put creative time in. Running for the first three months of the year, Gap Day 2019 gave participants all across the island of Ireland access to a room in a creative space local to them where they were free to devote their Gap Day to reading, writing, thinking, drawing, planning, walking, or dreaming - whatever they needed. The programme received incredible support and a total of twenty-two venues hosted Gap Day participants.

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MERMAID SPACE - GAP DAY

GAP DAY PARTICIPANTS FOR 2019

Áine Moynihan, Aine Ni Laoghaire, Aine O'Hara, Annie Keegan, Aonghus Óg McAnally, Carla Rogers, Charlene Craig, Clare Monnelly, David Fennelly, Emma O'Grady, Eoghan Carrick, Erica Murray, Grace Kiely, Grace Morgan, Hanna Slattne, Hannah Mamalis, Ita Morrissey, Jeni Roddy, Joanne Ryan, John Dennehy, Laura Perrem, Louise Holian, Lucy Ryan, Mags Keohane, Megan Riordan, Molly O'Cathain, Niamh Lawlor, Peter Shine, Philip St John, Priscilla Robinson, Ronan Leahy, Sarah Bacon, Sarah Jane Shiels, Steve Blount, Tara Breathnach & Veronica Dyas.

VENUES HOSTING GAP DAYS 2019

Siamsa Tíre (Tralee, Kerry), Draíocht Arts Centre (Blanchardstown, Dublin), Ballina Arts Centre (Ballina, Mayo), Town Hall Theatre (Galway City), Axis (Ballymun, Dublin), Irish Theatre Institute (Dublin City), An Grianán Theatre (Letterkenny, Donegal), Dunamaise Arts Centre (Portlaoise, Laois), Gate Theatre (Dublin City), Belltable (Limerick), Druid (Galway City), Mermaid Arts Centre (Bray, Wicklow), Wexford Arts Centre (Co. Wexford), Everyman Theatre (Cork City), Rua Red (Tallaght, Dublin), Abbey Theatre (Dublin City), Droichead Arts Centre (Drogheda, Louth), Temple Bar Gallery & Studios (Dublin City), Glór (Ennis, Clare), Virtual Reality Ireland (Tallaght, Dublin), Dublin Theatre Festival (Dublin), Monkeyshine Theatre (Callan, Co. Kilkenny).

MERMAID SPACE

RÓISE GOAN - THEATRE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Mermaid is delighted to have Róise in residence for four months. Over the course of her residency, Róise will work on two initiatives. The first, the development of a new work, Don't Throw Out Your Fat Pants. Róise has gathered partnering organisations; Pentabus, Rural Theatre Co (UK), Cork Midsummer Festival (Cork) and Mermaid Arts Centre (Wicklow). This work will look at our relationship with our bodies. A quick Google search shows us that two thirds of people are on a diet for most of their adult lives. Set against the backdrop of the global 150+ billion diet industry and our cultural and medical preoccupation with body weight and image, we will take a closeup look at dieting as we experience it as individuals, communities and societies. As well as personal testimonies and scientific research, the project will draw on cultural theory and criticism, from Susie Orbach’s seminal 1978 Fat is a Feminist Issue, through the contemporary writing of Journalist Lindy West and academic novelist Roxane Gay, and others. Rather than following the hackneyed ‘fat to thin’, ‘sad to happy’ weight loss narrative, this new musical performance work will explore the topic via a more nuanced approach, reflecting competing and oppositional health research, the obesity epidemic, the role class plays in how our bodies are shaped and read, media saturated body politics and the emerging body-positive movement. Do please join us to see the work in progress (see page 34 for details). The second is an action research project working with a group of Irish and EU artists. They will research peripheral ideas and practices and how they are and could be presented in rural or suburban contexts, and particularly in Bray. Róise and her colleagues will spend a week in Bray investigating and discussing opportunities for excellence in performance with and within our communities.

MERMAID SPACE

Chaos Factory

PARTNERSHIPS - CORN EXCHANGE

Mermaid is a well networked arts centre because we fully understand the importance of interconnectivity and partnership in making work happen and ensuring success. Duality of support from arts organisations is an important part of ensuring sustainability for artists and their practice and in enabling us to bring new artists and new kinds of work to our audiences. This season we are partnering with four different kinds of organisations to support the creation of new work and the presentation of that work in Wicklow and further afield. The first partnership is Mermaid working again with Corn Exchange and Chaos Factory. Corn Exchange’s Director, Annie Ryan worked in January 2019 in Mermaid with Fionnuala Gynax, Danielle Galligan, Rachel Bergin and Venetia Bowe (pictured above). All five will again join forces in July for a week with dancer Justine Cooper and performer and artist Una Kavanagh to work on further exploring and developing new narratives for this dynamic group of women.

PARTNERSHIPS - SOLAR BONES

Mermaid are also working, in association with Kilkenny Arts Festival, with Playwright Michael West, Actor Stanley Townsend and Director Lynne Parker on an adaptation for the stage of Mike McCormack’s great novel Solar Bones, supported by Rough Magic Theatre Co. This ongoing partnership will see the artists working in development in Mermaid for a week in June and then again at the end of July, before a ‘work-in-progress’ presentation here to Wicklow audiences on Thursday August 1st at 8pm (see page 43 for more details).

MADE IN MERMAID

PHOTO CREDIT ’Neil Harrison photography.

ANNA NEWELL

Partnership; The Civic, Draiocht and Mermaid County Wicklow Arts Centre. Funded by Arts Council of Ireland. Mermaid believes in enticing and engaging children and young people in arts and culture. We truly value children’s equality and diversity and understand the role art plays in active learning, relationship building, language and communication. We believe access to the arts is a fundamental right of every citizen. Anna Newell is a bray-based Theatre Artist. She has been making theatre adventures for people of all ages to watch and to take part in since 1989. In 2011, whilst Artistic Director at Replay Theatre Co., she also started to make work for young children with PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties) the first homegrown Irish work for this audience. As a result of the quality and the impact of her work on babies and parents The Civic (Tallaght), Draiocht (Blanchardstown) and Mermaid Arts Centre started to work in partnership in 2018 and through 2019 to support the development of four new pieces of work by Anna. In 2018 she developed and presented in all three centres, Baby’s First Xmas and Little Tiny Xmas, a sensory seasonal adventure for children up to 5 years with complex needs. We are delighted to announce in 2019 all three centres will present two new theatre shows by Anna; Sing Me To The Sea, made in collaboration with composer David Goodall is a new hydropool adventure for children and young people with complex needs which Mermaid will present with the support of Enable Ireland Wicklow in July (see page 38 for details) This work was developed in 2018 supported by Wicklow County Council Arts Office and Riverbank Theatre. The second show is BigKidLittleKid, a new show for audiences aged 3-6 which will be presented in September 2019 in Mermaid. Details will be in our Autumn Season Brochure .Have a look at Anna’s other works here www.annanewell.co.uk Mermaid is working in partnership with Enable Ireland Wicklow. 8

CINEMA AT A GLANCE

Our cinema programme brings you the best in international cultural film as well as some blockbusters and classics too. Thanks to Róisín O’Grady and Dermot Marrey for selecting this season’s programme.

CLUB FILMS

Some of the films we screen here at Mermaid have not been certified by the Irish Censorship Office. In order to screen these films we operate as a film club. A nominal fee has been integrated into the ticket price for all CLUB films. Our CLUB films are open to anyone over 18 to attend, there is no membership of any kind. All of our foreign language films have English subtitles.

MAY FILMS NIGHTS | 8pm

JUNE FILMS NIGHTS | 8pm

JULY FILMS NIGHTS | 8pm

AUGUST FILMS NIGHTS | 8pm

GALLERY

ANN MARIE WEBB -

DANCING WITH THE SEMI-GODS

Opens THURSDAY 28 March 2019 | 6pm | Free Admission Exhibition runs FRIDAY 29 March − SATURDAY 11 May | 10am − 6pm Through paint Ann Marie describes opposing actions that play against each other to describe space that both dislocates and locates. The landscape is used as a tool to explore a sense of belonging, she sees it not just as a geographical study but as a layered field of activity. Stratified by human presence, Ann Marie searches to find interactions that become a vital part of self-identity. What borders us, plus the boundaries we create can locate and also dislocate us. Using paint Ann Marie explores the act of creating spaces. She searches for form through the contrast of materials and the ways of mark making. Her work becomes sculptural by abandoning the traditional frame. Merging spaces and fusing them together, the image becomes an active area of exchange. Ann Marie Webb completed an MFA in Painting at NCAD, and BA in Visual Arts Practice IADT Dublin. Winner of the Peter O’Kane award-RDS, Ann Marie was also shortlisted for the Most Promising Graduate award,Talbot Gallery, 2011. Solo shows include, Pallas Studios, Dublin, Dun Laoghaire Art Gallery 2016 and Cavanacor Gallery Lifford N. Ireland. Collections include OPW and Europe and America. Most recently her work has been featured by Saatchi Art and secured representation with Artpistol, Glasgow. 10

GALLERY

JAMES HORAN, HELEN O'CONNELL, MARTHA QUINN & DAVID MCGLYNN

CONSPICUOUS 4ms

Opens THURSDAY 23 May 2019 | 6pm | Free Admission Exhibition runs FRIDAY 24 May − SATURDAY 13 July | 10am − 6pm An exhibition of three-dimensional artwork. Mass, weight, volume, composition and balance. Forms. Separating sculpture from twodimensional artwork, sculpture exists in real space. The beauty of a sculpture does not come only from visual stimulation. Sculpture has a tangible, tactile quality which pulls the viewer toward and, importantly, around an object. In Conspicuous 4ms we find the work of four different artists: James Horan, Helen O’Connell, Martha Quinn & David McGlynn. Influences are found in all aspects of life. Nature, science, social observation, travel. It is the artists unique experiences and observations that led to a diverse selection of striking sculpture. This exhibition is at once figurative, abstract, organic & geometric.

VISUAL ARTS

DENIS BUCKLEY -

THE ERASED HEADS OF EUROPE 25 - 29 March 2019 Free

Over the week leading to the Brexit deadline, starting Monday 25th artist Denis Buckley painted a mural on the side of Mermaid completing it by Thursday evening. Once it was completed the artist systematically painted out the work, returning the wall to its original colour before the expected deadline on March 29th. Brexit has become many things for many different points of view. What is clear is the UK’s decision to leave the EU closes a chapter in European history. It's this epoch passing that Kerry born London based artist Denis Buckley marked. The large mural depicted the 11 founder members of the EU arranged in the manner of Frans Hal’s Banquet of the Officers of the St George Civic Guard (1616). The eleven men were arranged based on the tradition of Dutch History Painting where local power displays celebrated global expansion. The artwork showed the founders in suits and ties of their day with the 12 starred European standard above and behind. The mural, The Erased Heads of Europe, sought, from its unique viewpoint in the centre of a town on the Irish Coast, to remind our neighbours of the capacity of history to illustrate that all great epochs eventually succumb to erosion. 12

VISUAL ARTS

CLÉA VAN DER GRIJN ON TOUR -

JUMP

Mermaid Arts Centre On Tour Mermaid was established to create and deliver cultural programmes for the citizens of Wicklow. Our role is to serve artists and audiences by building content, capacity, interest, understanding, participation and engagement. We support local artists and present them alongside a programme of national and international work. We do this by working collaboratively to ensure we are innovative and ambitious. We have a county wide remit with a national profile and an international intent. In 2018, Mermaid partnered with two other arts centres and two galleries to commission artist Cléa van der Grijn (funded through an Arts Council of Ireland Touring Award) to make a body of new work. JUMP, the exhibition, consists of a series of new paintings by Cléa as well as an ambitious film work written and directed by Cléa and created with collaborators; Joseph P. Hunt, Michael Cummins and Ciaran Carty. For the first time Mermaid Arts Centre has created (in partnership) a touring visual arts exhibition and has presented the exhibition in 5 counties, Wicklow, Mayo, Clare, Dublin and Sligo over 8 months. You have only a short time left to see the show see our web-site for details. 13

GALLERY

ELEANOR PHILIPS AND EMMA FINUCANE -

OUTPOST STUDIOS

The Gallery is not open to the public (appointments can be made to meet the artists through Box Office) | 18 July - 17 August Bureau for Creative Communities is a month long research residency which will map the creative well-being of Bray. Using the gallery as a health monitor centre we will explore, map and activate ideas in our intention to contribute to the artistic health of our town.Research will include invitations to the people of Bray to join us to create, discuss and suggest well-being poultices for sore spots and preventative remedies for creative blocks. Eleanor works within a collaborative framework where outcomes are informed by the processes that take place through conversation and exploration with others. Eleanor studied Fine Art in NCAD 2002, H.Dip Community Arts Education, NCAD 2005 and MA Art in Public Ulster University Belfast, 2009. Emma develops artwork through dialogue, process based, participatory and collaborative practice. Emma completed a BFA (1997) and MFA (2006) at NCAD. Conference presentations: Art&Health, The Model Sligo (2017); Motherhood&Creative Practice, London Southbank University (2015) Emma initiated an interdisciplinary research project in UCD School of Nursing and Midwifery (2014). 14

BRAY JAZZ FESTIVAL

BRAY JAZZ FESTIVAL FRIDAY 3 - SUNDAY 5 May 2019

It's hard to believe that Bray Jazz Festival will mark it's 20th anniversary this May Bank Holiday weekend. A mainstay on Mermaid's calendar since we opened our doors, Bray Jazz brings a stellar roster of international name jazz artists to our theatre each year, and 2019 will be no exception. Bray Jazz has been described as “one of the very best small jazz festivals in Europe,” and it just keeps on getting better. Check out details of what Bray Jazz Festival will bring to Mermaid on the following pages, and visit the festival's website at www.brayjazz.com to find out all that's happening across the town and further afield, for the 20th anniversary festival, this May Bank Holiday weekend.

BRAY JAZZ FESTIVAL

(USA)

FRED HERSCH FRIDAY 3 May | 8pm €26

Fred Hersch is a brilliant solo artist, a player who takes his listeners into an enchanting world of teeming melodies, rich colours and criss-crossing stories. Understated, cliché-free, the Ohio born pianist is a deep and thoughtful composer and performer who strikes that elusive balance between soul and skill every time he touches the keyboard. Revered by an impressive alumni of former students who include Brad Mehldau and The Bad Plus’s Ethan Iverson, Hersch’s concerts can be revelatory experiences. 63 year old Hersch has earned a whopping 14 Grammy Award nominations in a remarkable and prolific career. 15

BRAY JAZZ FESTIVAL

(USA)

JOHN SCOFIELD COMBO 66 SATURDAY 4 May | 8pm €32

John Scofield is one of those timeless jazz greats, a unique guitarist, composer, band leader, and a true heavyweight. He’s a multiGrammy Award winner, winning an album of the year prize in 2016, and collecting two awards from the Grammy judges just a year later. Scofield’s output spans bebop, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock, and has seen him play with a dizzying array of jazz luminaries, Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny to name just a few. Combo 66 sees Scofield in the company of his longtime drummer, Bill Stewart, and two new collaborators, pianist/ organist Gerald Clayton and bassist Vicente Archer.

BRAY JAZZ FESTIVAL

(GERMANY/FRANCE)

ANJA LECHNER & FRANÇOIS COUTURIER SUNDAY 5 May | 8pm €26

Celebrated German cellist Anja Lechner and French pianist François Couturier traverse a wide musical arc with a chemistry that most duos can only aspire to. Virtuoso players who approached music from different vantage points: Lechner, is the classical soloist with an uncommon interest in improvisation, while Couturier, is a jazz musician prepared to travel far beyond the genre. Together they bring out the warmth, sincerity, and vibrant colors across an expansive repertoire that hints at folk, spiritual and eastern music, as well as jazz. 16

FILM

THE LONELY BATTLE OF THOMAS REID (CERT: 12A) MONDAY 6 May | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 76mins | Language: English

Thomas is a 55 year old Irish farmer who lives and works the farm of his ancestors. His next door neighbour is the world’s largest manufacturer of computer microchips; their site is almost fully developed and rumours abound that more land is required for expansion.Thomas refuses all approaches to sell his farm but finds his world in turmoil as forces conspire to remove him. After he fails in a court action to overturn the compulsory purchase of his house and lands, we follow him to the final court of appeal where he stands on the brink of losing everything.

BIFE ARTS FESTIVAL

BIFE

ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF MUSICAL TALENT TUESDAY 7 May | 8pm €12/8

Come and hear some of the wonderful talent we have in Bray. As well as the winners of BIFE College of Music scholarships, cups and trophies, we also have groups to entertain you, such as guitar ensemble and junior choir. If you are lucky you might even hear the tutors playing! Formerly known as Bray Music Centre, the College of Music has been providing quality music education to the Bray area for over 30 years and offers classes for individuals, groups, children and adults in classical, popular and jazz styles. 17

DANCE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH DUBLIN DANCE FESTIVAL:

LIV O'DONOGHUE - AFTER THURSDAY 9 May | 8pm €16/14

This is it. It’s over. The end of days. Humanity and the world as we know it are ending and we’ve stared deep into the abyss to make a documentary for you. It’s a rough cut, but it’s the best we could do under the circumstances. Using live-stream film, physicality and performance, we see the stages of the breakdown, the fallout, all that passed. AFTER will take you into the beyond, the bit after the end, when it’s already over. It’s a relief... almost.

COMEDY

ENYA MARTIN - GIZ A LAUGH FRIDAY 10 May | 8pm €20

Stand-up comedian Enya Martin, writer and creator of the comedy video Facebook page “Giz a Laugh”, returns to Mermaid this May. Enya is the best-selling female comedian in Dublin’s Vicar Street, having sold out 3 shows in 2018. She has performed in the Laughter Lounge, Vodafone Comedy Carnival, Vodafone Comedy Festival and also sold out at this year’s Jest Fest in Wexford. Enya’s stand up show is pure comedy dynamite. Family, boyfriends, shop assistants, self-serve scanners and taxi drivers are on her hit list... plus many, many others. Treat yourself to this brilliant stand-up comic. 18

FILM

GREEN BOOK (CERT: 12A)

SATURDAY 11 May | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 130mins | Language: English Green Book tells the true story of the unlikely friendship of Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, who takes on a job as a chauffeur for Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a world class African-American classical pianist. The pair embark on a two-month concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, relying on The Green Book to guide them to the few establishments that are safe for African-Americans to frequent. In the racially charged deep south they are confronted with bigotry, hypocrisy, humanity and humour. Winner of three Oscars at the Academy Awards 2019 including Best Motion Picture.

LOCAL ARTS

JUNIOR AND YOUTH MUSICALS PRESENT:

OMIGOD YOU GUYS

SUNDAY 12 May | 1.30pm, 4.30pm & 7.30pm €18 | €65 Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children U12) Limited Availability Junior and Youth Musicals proudly present "Omigod You Guys", their summer show bursting with talent and colour. This show features vibrant excerpts from "Legally Blonde", "Oliver", Hip hop routines to the latest chart hits, choral singing by the Junior Musicals Theatre School Choir including an excerpt from "A Star in Born" and the tots will have you in stitches with their very own original version of "Sleeping Beauty". Join in the fun with audience participation and our live band. Entertainment for all the family. 19

THEATRE FILM

THE HOUSE BY THE SEA (CERT: CLUB)

MONDAY 13 May | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 107mins | Language: French, Arabic When their aged father suffers a stroke, his three adult children reunite to spend his final days together. By a little bay near Marseilles lies a picturesque villa, their childhood home and the small family restaurant. Armand, the one son who stayed to help run the restaurant is joined by Angele, a successful actress living in Paris, and recently retired Joseph, who has just fallen in love with a girl half his age. As the estranged siblings reconnect they consider what they have inherited of their father’s ideals and the community spirit he created. ✩✩✩✩ "A treat for fans of French art house movies" The Independent

LOCAL ARTS

ACTION ARTS

WED 15 - SAT 18 | 7.30pm & SAT 18 May | 2.30pm €16 Adults | €13 Children & Students | €53 Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children) Action Arts are proud to present, a wonderfully entertaining variety show for all the family. This years production includes extracts from Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Matilda and A Dogs Life, as well as modern routines along with songs from popular musicals. We hope you will enjoy watching these talented students aged 4 -12 years from Bray, Greystones, Wicklow Town and surrounding areas.

LOCAL ARTS

THE ACTION ARTS TEENS PRESENT

CLASS ACTS

SUNDAY 19 May | 7.30pm €10 | €50 Group Booking (6 tickets) The Action Arts teens take to the stage with their end-of-year showcase, CLASS ACTS - an evening chock full of classic drama, comedy and musical excerpts. They're all there - Shakespeare, Molière, Dickens, Wilde, Miller, Friel, Willy Russell, Alan Menken, Sondheim - to name but a few! Go on - treat yourself!

FILM

GIRL (CERT: 16)

MONDAY 20 May | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 109mins | Language: French, Flemish, English 15 year old Lara wants to become a ballerina. She auditions for a ballet school and when accepted, her family relocate to facilitate her attendance. Not only is Lara facing the rigors of ballet training and general adolescent turmoil, she is also dealing with the stress of other physical transitions…because Lara is a girl born in the body of a boy. Newcomer Victor Polster gives an astonishingly nuanced performance as Lara, whose punishing ballet practices and selfimposed physical adaptations reflect her courage and resolve but also her frustration with her body. Winner - Camera d'Or, Best first feature and FIPRESCI Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival 2018 21

LOCAL ARTS

STAGEDOOR IRELAND PRESENTS:

THE LAND OF PIRATES AND PRINCESSES TUESDAY 21 May | 7.30pm €15/12

Jane is a young girl who is tired of how complicated life is. She faints while out with one of our friends, and wakes up in a world not populated by men and women but Pirates and Princesses. Join her adventure as she finds her way through this land of Pirates and Princesses and dance and songs from well known movies.

THEATRE

THE MATCHMAKER THURSDAY 23 May | 8pm €20/18

Following its sell-out performance in 2016 The Matchmaker returns to Mermaid. The play follows the efforts of Dicky Mick Dicky O'Connor to make matches for the lonely and lovelorn from all parts of the country. At the centre of this celebrated production is John B Keane’s marvellous and mischievous wit coupled by his unparalleled way with words. John B. Keane takes us back to a simpler time, when even phones were few and far between and the only web was one left behind by spiders. 22

MUSIC

ABBEY ROAD 50TH ANNIVERSARY -

THE CLASSIC BEATLES FRIDAY 24 May | 8pm €23/21

The only Beatles tribute act endorsed by Sir George Martin, and the stars of the multi-award winning ‘Get Back’ show, the Classic Beatles are set to go on the road in 2019 to celebrate the iconic Abbey Road album as it reaches the 50th anniversary of its release. The band will play the album in its entirety, featuring memorable songs including ‘Come Together’, ‘Something’, ‘Golden Slumber’ and ‘Here Comes The Sun’. This is a show not to be missed by any Beatles fan, so come together and join us for what promises to be a memorable fab four experience.

FILM

AT ETERNITY’S GATE (CERT: 12A)

MONDAY 27 May | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 111mins | Language: French, English Julian Schnabel’s ravishingly tactile and luminous new film takes a fresh look at the last days of Vincent van Gogh, and in the process revives our sense of the artist as a living, feeling human being. Schnabel; his co-writers Jean-Claude Carrière and Louise Kugelberg, and cinematographer Benoît Delhomme strip everything down to essentials. And the pulsing heart of At Eternity’s Gate is Willem Dafoe’s shattering performance: his Vincent is at once lucid, mad, brilliant, helpless, defeated, and, finally, triumphant. With Oscar Isaac as Gauguin, Rupert Friend as Theo, Mathieu Amalric as Dr. Gachet, Emmanuelle Seigner as Madame Ginoux, and Mads Mikkelsen as The Priest. 23

MUSIC

MUSIC NETWORK RESIDENCY CONCERT:

CONCERTOS PARA BEBÉS

SATURDAY 25 May | 4pm €10 Adults | €8 Babies | €30 Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children) A very special concert for babies and children under 36 months, their siblings, and their adults. If you look after a young child (or ever were a young child!) this concert is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to see the acclaimed Portuguese group, ‘Concertos para Bébes’, as they make a rare visit to Ireland. ‘Concertos para Bébes’ are Europe’s leading exponents of concerts for the very young and over the course of their three-decade long career have performed around the world with orchestras and every possible type of musician. For these concerts Mermaid Musician-in-Residence, Eamon Sweeney, will join the group – performing music that crosses genres from traditional to baroque, classical to pop, as well as improvisations that will involve the whole audience. The gentle skill and experience of the musicians will be palpable throughout, and all too soon the concert will be over....

VISUAL ARTS /TALK

OUTPOST STUDIOS: ART, READING & DISCUSSION EVENING TUESDAY 28 May | 7pm Free (Booking Required)

Gendered space; what is it and how does it relate to art? Like looking at art but want to know a little more about the ideas behind the work? Join Outpost Studios for their Art and Theory reading and discussion group. In this informal group we look at diverse practices within the art world and the thoughts and theories behind them. Short texts are a starting point for wider discussion, reviews of current shows and debate of hot topics! No previous reading necessary - all discussion welcome. Please email outpostartiststudios@gmail.com if you would like a reading list in advance.

THEATRE

AN GRIANÁN THEATRE PRESENTS

THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING BY CAROL MOORE THURSDAY 30 May | 8pm €18/16 | €12 (Early Bird Ticket Price - Book by FRIDAY 10 May)

An Grianán Theatre presents The Experience of Being Written and performed by Carol Moore. An empowering story of a woman who decides to take back control. On her 60th birthday Cathy should be celebrating but it rapidly goes downhill. “In the shop they didn’t see me. They saw a warm cardigan and sensible shoes woman. An insignificant woman.” The Experience of Being is a funny, absorbing and moving one-woman play about dwindling power, how to challenge it and why ageism makes growing older far harder than it needs to be. Directed by Patrick J. O’Reilly. Development choreography by Oona Doherty. Music score by Conor Mitchell. Saxophone – Kevin Lawless. 25

FUNDRAISER

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF

PERFORMING ARTS FUNDRAISER FRIDAY 31 May | 8pm €20/18

Hollywood! L.A.! WCOPA! Join select members of Team Ireland in an evening of wonderful music and arrangements from every genre. From madrigals to modern, there’s something for everyone. All funds raised will go towards sending a team of amazing talent to represent Ireland at the World Championships of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles in July this year. Classic Harmony from Wicklow will be joined by well-known Bray soprano, Sarah Power.

FILM

MONSTERS AND MEN (CERT: 15A)

MONDAY 3 June | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 95mins | Language: English The debut feature from Reinaldo Marcus Green, Monsters and Men is a powerful exploration of race, family and consequence in the aftermath of a police shooting of an unarmed black man in a tight knit Brooklyn community. Focusing on three characters, young father Manny who witnesses the shooting, conflicted NYPD officer Dennis and Zyrick, a high school athlete on the brink of a major college scholarship as they struggle to make sense of what has happened. Questions of moral action, provocation, race and justice are all considered and while each man is very different the conflict is endemic. Winner - Special Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival 2018.

THEATRE

NATIONAL THEATRE WALES PRESENTS:

COTTON FINGERS

SATURDAY 1 June | 8pm €18/16 | €12 (Early Bird Ticket Price - Book by FRIDAY 10 May) Aoife is hungry and in need of something to do. Cillian makes a mean cheese toastie. As Aoife’s boredom and hunger are satisfied by half an hour in Cillian’s bed, her life changes forever. As social and political upheaval grips the country she loves, can Aoife regain control over her future? Written by award-winning writer Rachel Trezise at the time of the historic referendum of the 8th amendment in Ireland, Cotton Fingers takes us on journey from Belfast to Wales. This bold coming of age story was originally commissioned as part of National Theatre Wales’ NHS70 Festival in July 2018, performed in Aberaeron, Ceredigion, and Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. Written by Rachel Trezise. Directed by Julia Thomas. Cast: Amy Molloy.

LOCAL ARTS

IN CONCERT -

VOICES OF BRAY COMMUNITY CHOIR THURSDAY 6 - SATURDAY 8 June | 8pm €15

The choir is looking forward to presenting its new concert programme with songs from Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Radiohead, Rodgers & Hammerstein, ELO (and many more), and from musicals such as The Greatest Showman, South Pacific and My Fair Lady. There will be something for everyone in what promises to be a great evening of fun and uplifting entertainment. Concert proceeds in aid of the Shauna Kavanagh Foundation.

LOCAL ARTS

ENCORPS STAGE SCHOOL SUNDAY 9 June | 5pm €15 Adults | €10 Children

Encorps Stage School is delighted to hold its annual performance again this year in Mermaid Arts Centre. Students from our Blackrock and Ballinteer classes will perform a variety of routines from both musicals and the charts. This years performance includes excerpts from Mamma Mia, Peter Rabbit, The Lego Movie and songs by Ariana Grande and Sam Smith. At Encorps we want every student to feel like a star and our classes promote confidence, friendship and fun! For more information on our classes please visit our website www.encorps.ie. 28

FILM

3 FACES

(CERT: CLUB)

MONDAY 10 June | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 100mins | Language: Persian, Azerbaijani Jafar Panahi is eight years into this filmmaking ban by the Iranian government. This latest film, which won the Best Screenplay Award in Cannes 2018, is another mischievous and perceptive story about the contradiction within contemporary Iranian society. After receiving an apparent suicide note from a girl whose family oppose her decision to study drama, actress Behnaz Jafari (playing herself) and Panahi travel by car to the rural, Azeri-speaking Northwest of Iran, to seek her out and to discover the truth of the matter. 3 Faces is an oblique contemplation of the patriarchal customs that impact women in all areas of Iranian society. Quietly effective and moving, Panahi’s generosity of spirit prevails throughout.

LOCAL ARTS

LAKERS PRESENT

THE WIZARD OF OZ

THURSDAY 13 & FRIDAY 14 June | 8pm €15/10

Summer is on its way which means it’s time for Lakers annual show! This year the immensely talented group will be putting on a show based on The Wizard of Oz, a classic tale of adventure and friendship. As always, the group will put their own twist on things and the show will be full of dancing, singing, laughter and music. Make sure you book early so you don’t miss out on the chance to join Dorothy, Toto and all their friends on their trip to Oz!

FILM

CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? (CERT: 15A) SATURDAY 15 June | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 108mins | Language: English

Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy, is perfectly cast in this true-life comedic drama about the writer Lee Israel. When Lee finds herself castaway from the literary world, struggling to make rent, she turns her considerable talent to the forgery of literary correspondence. With the help of a rambunctious new acquaintance Jack Hock (Oscar nominee Richard E Grant), Lee, surreptitiously finds a new voice and together they find a fleeting happiness and a new sense of purpose. ✩✩✩✩✩ “…McCarthy and Grant deserve the Oscars for which they are nominated ... It’s a great New York movie. It’s a great film about friendship. It’s also a great cat movie…” - The Irish Times.

FILM

SORRY ANGEL

(CERT: CLUB)

MONDAY 17 June | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 132mins | Language: French From writer-director Christophe Honoré, comes a mature and deeply emotional reflection of love and loss. Jacques is a semirenowned writer and single father from Paris in his late thirties trying to maintain a sense of romance and humour in spite of the turmoil in his life. While on a work trip to Brittany, he meets Arthur, a 20-something aspiring writer, igniting a spark. Jacques and Arthur will like each other. Just like in a lovely dream. Just like in a sad story.

LITERATURE/ TALK

THE WRITING LIFE:

LIZ NUGENT

THURSDAY 20 June | 8pm €12/10 In the latest of our unmissable series of discussions about literature and life, our guest Liz Nugent talks to writer Philip St John. Liz Nugent is a writer of award-winning psychological suspense novels Unraveling Oliver (2014), Lying in Wait (2016) and Skin Deep (2018). All three books topped the Irish bestsellers list and have won multiple Irish Book Awards. They have also been optioned for screen adaptations. Liz’s books have been translated into 14 languages. In October 2017, Liz won the Irish Woman of the Year Award for Literature. Liz has also written extensively for radio and television.

COMEDY

DAVID O'DOHERTY - YOU HAVE TO LAUGH FRIDAY 21 June | 8pm €18/16

New date added by popular demand! Unhook your mindbras. David O’Doherty is back in Mermaid with a brand-new show made up of talking and songs played on a crappy keyboard from 1986. As seen on BBC2’s Live At The Apollo and Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

THEATRE

VERDANT PRODUCTIONS PRESENT:

BROTHERS OF THE BRUSH BY JIMMY MURPHY SATURDAY 22 June | 8pm €18/16 It’s exactly twenty five years since the original production of Brothers of the Brush appeared in Dublin. A new production of this classic, tells the story of three house painters, making a meagre living, overseen by an arrogant and shifty boss who is running a small business. Underneath the humour and playfulness of the relationships, a tough world is emerging, where workers are losing faith in old ways. Set just at the dawn of the “Celtic Tiger”, it is now interesting to note that Heno and Lar have returned from London as work is now readily available in Dublin as the onset of apartment building kicks off in the city. The need to survive has become far greater than anything else in their lives and the manipulation of each is now the new order of the day where fragile loyalties are tested and taken to the limit. Brothers of the Brush is both entertaining and thought provoking. Starring Stephen Cromwell, Stephen Jones, Gerard Byrne and Luke Griffin. ✩✩✩✩ “Brothers of the Brush” still retains the power to incite outrage while making you laugh out loud, packing a huge, bowlyou-over punch as it does so … a deeply moving, hilariously funny, irresistibly powerful experience - The Arts Review 32

LOCAL ARTS

URBANX

SUNDAY 23 June | 3.30pm & 7pm €15 Adults | €8 Children UrbanX are proud to present their 4th annual end of year showcase in the Mermaid Arts Centre. We are delighted to be back to perform our favourite dances of 2019.Our show consists of fun, energetic, upbeat dance routines, performed by our wonderful cast of 4-18 year olds who have been working so hard for this, and whose talent excels itself each year. We promise to entertain you with our exciting choreography, enjoyable music, and our passion for dance. Come join us and celebrate our favourite day of the year!

FILM

COLETTE (CERT: 15A)

MONDAY 24 June | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 112mins | Language: English Keira Knightley stars as Colette, the daring and brilliant French novelist, whose provocative debut became the toast of Paris in the 1900s. A ghost-writer for her charming husband, the renowned Parisian publisher Willy, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, soon finds herself testing the limits of the social and gender conventions, and sexual taboos of Paris. Having to subsume her identity as a writer under the name of her husband, Colette is energetic, fearless and unapologetically feminist in fighting for love, creativity and equality. “The life of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette makes for fascinating drama in a nuanced and inspiring film with a luminous central performance.” - The Guardian 33

VISUAL ARTS

OUTPOST STUDIOS: FILM & DISCUSSION EVENING TUESDAY 25 June | 7pm Free (Booking Required)

Outpost Studios will be hosting one of their famous film and discussion nights this month. Which lucky film will be selected? Keep your eyes on our Outpost Studios Facebook page to find out or email outpostartiststudios@gmail.com for more information. All are welcome. There may also be ice cream.....

THEATRE

DON’T THROW OUT YOUR FAT PANTS TUESDAY 25 June | 8pm Free (Booking Required)

Come along and see this show in development. Roise Goan (Theatre Artist in Residence at Mermaid) working with Cork Midsummer Festival, Pentabus Theatre (UK) and Mermaid, are making a new work about dieting as we experience it as individuals, communities and societies. We won’t be taking the hackneyed ‘fat to thin’, ‘sad to happy’ weight loss narrative. Made by a team with a lifetime of experience with this topic and combining differing experiences and perspectives, this show is for anyone who has counted calories, or wondered what the hell a Weight Watcher’s point, or Slimming World’ sin is actually worth. 34

FUNDRAISER

ut es o ach C o m munity re

COMMUNITY REACHES OUT PRESENTS:

"LET'S TALK "

FRIDAY 28 June | 8pm €20 "Let's Talk " presented by Community Reaches Out. An evening of great music and comedy in aid of Living Life Counselling and other local charities. Featuring musician/songwriter Robbie Doyle and friends and musician/songwriter Danny Tobin and friends. Comedy from the very funny Adam Burke. So come along and enjoy an evening of Folk, Rock, Blues and laughter all the while helping some great local charities.

MUSIC

THE LIBERTIES PRESENT

ALL FOR ME GROG: THE SONGS & STORY OF THE DUBLINERS SATURDAY 29 June | 8pm €20/18

The Liberties are back at Mermaid this summer with All For Me Grog, the show that brings you the songs and story of Ireland's most successful folk band - The Dubliners. The original line-up of Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna, Ciaran Burke and John Sheehan is brought to life with the exact same instrumentation, songs and close as you will get vocals, bringing to the stage a show in sound and appearance of uncanny accuracy of the internationally renowned Dubliners. You’ll be clapping your hands, stomping your feet and joining in the much loved songs at this uplifting and exciting show. 35

LOCAL ARTS

DRAMTECH PRESENTS:

WESTWOOD

SUNDAY 30 June | 2.30pm €15/12 Come along to Dramtech's production of Into the Woods and Westside Story. Double the performance means double the fun, from a magical forest with fairies, wolves and witches, to the streets of New York when two gangs fight for territory. So come along, there is something for everyone.

FILM

EVERYBODY KNOWS (CERT: 15A)

MONDAY 1 July | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 133mins | Language: Spanish, English, Catalan Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s intimately painful and powerfully acted drama centres on a shocking crime that interrupts a family wedding. Laura (Penélope Cruz) returns to her family village with her children for her sisters Ana’s wedding. There she is reunited with her former lover Paco (Javier Bardem) now happily married and running a successful vineyard on land once owned by Laura’s family. Whilst Laura’s husband, Alejandro stayed behind in Argentina, an old rumour of her jilting Paco reignites. A seething mystery unfurls as unburied secrets; lies and unhealed wounds spanning generations are brought to light.

MUSIC

JACK LUKEMAN FRIDAY 5 July | 8pm €25/23

Singer-songwriter, performer, raconteur and a whole lot more besides, Jack Lukeman is back at Mermaid this summer. Incorporating the theatrical and romantic sensibilities of the likes of Jacques Brel, but with genuine melodic appeal and a knack for creating his own ‘magic realist’ world that is peopled by all manner of unusual, picaresque characters, Lukeman is a rare, unusual brand of performer. From clubs to concert halls, theatres to festivals, Lukeman has the performing power and compelling presence to win over any crowd.

FILM

SINK OR SWIM (CERT: 15A)

MONDAY 8 July | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 122mins | Language: French A group of 40-something men, all on the verge of a mid-life crisis, decide to form their local pool’s first ever synchronized swimming team – for men. Braving the skepticism and ridicule of those around them, and trained by a fallen champion trying to pull herself together, the group set out on an unlikely adventure, and on the way will rediscover a little self-esteem and a lot about themselves and each other. Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Guillaume Canet, Benoit Poelvoorde, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Virginie Efira 37

OFFSITE / CHILDREN'S THEATRE

PHOTO CREDIT ’Neil Harrison photography.

ANNA NEWELL

SING ME TO THE SEA MONDAY 8 - FRIDAY 12 July | 10am, 11:30am & 2pm €10 Child (Accompanying guardian in water - free) Book through Box Office SING ME TO THE SEA is a multisensory adventure for children and young people (ages 1 - 12 years) with complex needs created by Bray-based theatre director Anna Newell in collaboration with composer David Goodall. SING ME TO THE SEA is performed in hydropools with 3 audience members per show, each with an adult companion – with everyone in the water! Three performers take the audience on a magical journey of exquisite harmony singing and gentle water play designed especially for children with complex needs that embraces and celebrates the sensory dialogue that they have with the world around them. SING ME TO THE SEA was created in 2018 funded by Wicklow County Arts Office with design funded by Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge. 2019 tour funded by Arts Council Ireland. Duration – 20 mins followed by up to 20 minutes of freeplay time. Mermaid is working in partnership with Enable Ireland Wicklow.

THEATRE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROJECT ARTS CENTRE

POP UP MERMAID SATURDAY 13 July | 8pm €12/10

Take a leap of faith into the unknown with Mermaid Arts Centre this July where, for one night only, POP UP MERMAID will present a line-up of delectable bite-sized performances across theatre, dance and film. Curated by Nyree Yergainharsian and Shaun Dunne, and featuring a series of post-show conversations that bridge the gap between artist and audience. So, pop up, chill out, have a drink and get familiar with some of the amazing artists that inspire Mermaid Arts Centre.

FILM

THE DIG (CERT: 15A)

MONDAY 15 July | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 97mins | Language: English After serving fifteen years for murder, Callahan returns home to find Sean, his victim’s grieving father, searching for the body on an endless bog. When Callahan asks the local police officer to remove the man from his land, he soon realizes that the police officer and community want the killer in their midst gone for good. With no memory of the murder and no way of stopping Sean, Callahan’s only option is to join The Dig. Sean’s disapproving daughter Roberta watches this uneasy alliance unfold and, as they dig closer to the truth, Callahan hopes he will soon find the closure he has been searching for. Starring: Moe Dunford, Francis McGee, Emily Taaffe, Lorcan Cranitch. 39

CHILDREN'S THEATRE

POP UP PICNIC BY HELIUM ARTS

SATURDAY 20 July | 11am, 1pm & 3pm Free (Booking Required - through box office only) Suitable for children with complex disabilities aged 5 years and under. Helium in partnership with Mermaid is delighted to invite you to join us for Pop Up Picnic. Friendly buzzy bees … dancing oranges … fluttering songbirds … a picnic full of magical delights! Helium Arts’ Pop Up Picnic is a feast of multi-sensory play, relaxation and surprise for young children with complex needs and their families. A soothing world of music, sound, puppetry, movement and tactile fun is waiting to be discovered in this enchanting, interactive performance. See page 46 for further information. ‘A wonderful, magical experience that helped to stimulate my daughter in a multi-sensory way.’ – Parent.

FILM

BORDER (CERT: 16)

MONDAY 22 July | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 104mins | Language: Swedish Customs officer Tina is known for her extraordinarily heightened sense of smell which can detect guilt, fear and unease, making her an invaluable border guard. But when Vore crosses her path, Tina senses something she hasn’t come across before. Although unable to discern Vore’s true motives, Tina instinctively finds herself drawn to him. As she pursues a relationship with Vore, her sense of self is irrevocably changed, as she uncovers terrifying secrets about the world around her. Based on a short story by the writer of Let the Right One In and winner of Cannes 2018 Un Certain Regard, Border conjures an unsettling comtemporary folk tale, about love, difference and identity.

LOCAL ARTS

SHEEVAWN MUSICAL YOUTH THEATRE PRESENTS:

WEST SIDE STORY

WEDNESDAY 24 - SATURDAY 27 July | 8pm €20 Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Leonard Bernstein & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Entire Original Production Directed & Choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Performed by Sheevawn Musical Youth Theatre (Seniors) Following their previous sell out performances of Les Miserables, Legally Blonde and The Addam’s Family this very talented stage school is back with their production of the timeless classic musical West Side Story. Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, this 1950’s musical, depicts the tragic consequences of racist tension between two rival communities, a topic still very relevant in today’s society.

OFFSITE THEATRE

TREASURE ISLAND AT POWERSCOURT GARDENS SUNDAY 28 July | 2.30pm (Gates 1.30pm) €19 Adults | €16 Child | €56 (2 Adults & 2 Children) Under 5's Free

Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company for this brand-new adaptation of everyone’s favourite swashbuckling pirate adventure: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. When he stumbles across a coveted treasure map, young Jim Hawkins finds himself on an epic adventure in the hope of finding Treasure Island. But not everyone is to be trusted, and a dark secret is lurking on board the ship... Don’t miss this much-loved story, adapted for stage in among some of the most beautiful open-air venues the UK and Ireland have to offer. Performance will proceed no matter what the weather, please bring appropriate clothing and your own rugs or low-backed seating. 41

FILM

TIGERS (CERT: CLUB)

MONDAY 29 July | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 94mins | Language: Hindi, English, Urdu, German A based-on-fact drama from Academy Award-winning director Danis Tanovic (No Man's Land). Inspired by a true story, the film features Emraan Hashmi in the leading role as a young salesman in Pakistan who discovers his new company's baby formula has killed hundreds of children, after which he begins a lone and dangerous battle taking on a multinational corporation.

FILM

MAIDEN (CERT: 12A)

MONDAY 5 August | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 97mins | Language: English Maiden is the inspirational story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989. Tracy’s dream was opposed on all sides: her male competitors thought an all-women crew would never make it, the yachting press took bets on her failure, and potential sponsors rejected her, fearing they would die at sea and generate bad publicity. But Tracy refused to give up: she re-mortgaged her home and bought a second-hand boat, putting everything on the line to ensure the team made it to the start line.

THEATRE

SOLAR BONES BY MIKE MCCORMACK THURSDAY 1 August | 8pm €10/8

Something Different, in association with Kilkenny Arts Festival and Mermaid Arts Centre, presents: Solar Bones by Mike McCormack Supported by Rough Magic Theatre Company. Marcus Conway has come home to his kitchen in Louisburgh Co. Mayo. Everything seems normal, yet he is haunted by the feeling that nothing is quite right. Poring obsessively over the details of his relationships, his world and his work as an engineer brings him closer to an understanding of how the things and people he loves have come together, and how they have and must inevitably come apart. Winner of the Impac Dublin Literary Award 2018, Solar Bones is Mike McCormack’s multi-award winning elegy to the merits of an ordinary life, spoken from an intermediate state between memory and nothingness. It is adapted by Michael West and directed by Lynne Parker and features Stanley Townsend as Marcus. Funded by the Arts Council’s Project Awards Scheme. Please note this is a 'work in progress' presentation.

MUSIC

LONDON ASTROBEAT ORCHESTRA SATURDAY 3 August | 8pm €24/22

'London Astrobeat Orchestra' perform songs from the iconic Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' movie, live. Focusing on tracks from the cult classic albums ‘Remain In The Light’ and ‘Speaking in Tongues’ the ‘London Astrobeat Orchestra’ are a funky, rhythmic, hypnotic, anthemic, uplifting, groovy, percussive, smack on point, earth-shatteringly tight, live band. When you consider the afrobeat vibes, that run through all the best Talking Heads albums, it's both appropriate & correct that this collective of musicians, from West Africa, Europe & beyond should offer this completely unique, razor sharp, liquid funk & jawdroppingly tight take, on the finest of Mr David Byrne & Co's timeless compositions. They comprise, quite honestly of the finest West African session musicians alive on this planet today... With legendary band leader & Bassist 'Edd Bateman' hosting rhythmic influences from Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Mali, Cameroon and Congo. Featuring Lingala singer and soukous aristocrat ‘King Fire’, blues rock and astropheric soundscaping guitarist and vocalist ‘Julian Burdock’, Guinean Master Griot kora player ‘Mosi Conde’ and the mbalax rhythm machine 'Badou N'Diaye'. 44

MUSIC

CHRISTY MOORE

FRIDAY 9 (SOLD OUT) & SATURDAY 10 August | 8pm €42 This summer, we are delighted to welcome back to Mermaid one of the most accomplished and gripping performers Ireland has ever produced. Christy Moore will perform at Mermaid for two incredible live performances. ‘...he is a fine storyteller with a glorious, soulful voice and the ability to make other people’s songs his own.’ - The Guardian

FILM

THE SISTERS BROTHERS (CERT: 15A) MONDAY 12 August | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 122mins | Language: English

Charlie and Eli Sisters live in a wild and hostile world. They have blood on their hands: the blood of criminals and innocent people alike... They have no scruples about killing. It’s their job. Charlie, the younger brother, was born to kill. Eli, however, dreams of living a normal life. They are hired by the Commodore to find and kill a man. From Oregon to California, a ruthless hunt begins, an initiatory journey that will test this insane bond between the two brothers. A path that leads to their humanity? Based on the novel by Patrick deWitt. The film stars John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed.

CHILDREN'S THEATRE

HELIUM ARTS POP UP PICNIC www.helium.ie See page 40 for public event at Mermaid

Helium Arts, is the national children’s arts and health charity. They provide transformative healthcare experiences for children and teenagers in Ireland through art, imagination and play. Helium Arts’ Pop Up Picnic is a multi-sensory performance experience created for families with young children who have complex disabilities. Artists visit families in their homes, using music, sound, puppetry, movement and tactile environments to provide families with new ways of bonding with their child. Helium in partnership with Mermaid is delighted to announce over the months of August and September, working in partnership with the Jack and Jill Foundation, we will host three home visits for two families with children with complex needs specifically designing the performance for the children and playing with them at their own pace. Public performances take place in Mermaid on Saturday 20th July (see page 40). ‘This should be everywhere – all of our children should get to experience this.’ – Liaison Nurse, Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. Pop Up Picnic is a Helium Arts production created in partnership with the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. Devised by musician Thomas Johnston, puppeteer Niamh Lawlor and director Joanna Williams, and now also featuring performer Roseanne Lynch and musician Julie Tiernan, the project development phase was mentored by Tim Webb of Oily Cart. 46

FILM

WOMAN AT WAR

(CERT: CLUB)

MONDAY 19 August | 8pm €8.50/7 | Duration: 101mins | Language: Icelandic, Spanish, English, Ukrainian Meet Halla, a music teacher in her forties. She is a happy, upbeat woman who leads a quiet and routine life. But unbeknownst to most she is also ‘The Mountain Woman’: a lone wolf environmental activist who disrupts the operations of an aluminium plant in the Icelandic highlands, by cutting power supply and damaging pylons in acts of industrial sabotage. As the authorities intensify their campaign to catch her she receives an update on a long forgotten adoption application so she must choose between her activism and her dream of becoming a mother. A funny, moving and utterly unique film. Winner - Best Screenplay, Critics’ Week, Cannes Film Festival 2018.

FILM

THE WHITE CROW

(CERT: 15A)

MONDAY 26 August | 8pm €8/6.50 | Duration: 122mins | Language: Russian, English, French The third directorial endeavour from actor/director Ralph Fiennes explores the incredible life of Rudolf Nureyev, the most celebrated ballet dancer of the 20th century. The film centres on the events that took place during a trip to Paris in 1961 at the height of the Cold War where the Kirov Opera Ballet were performing, which culminated in Nureyev’s defection to the West. Moving from this pivotal event back to his impoverished childhood and through to his training under ballet master Pushkin (Fiennes), the film examines Nureyev’s rebellious determination and infamous single-mindedness to overcome all obstacles. 47

BECOME A MERMAID FRIEND

Become a Friend of Mermaid and help us to support artists and projects in our community. All income from donations to Mermaid Arts Centre is allocated for the creation of new work and the support of artists. Mermaid Arts Centre is a charity and your friendship makes a huge difference. Benefits include complimentary tickets to friends selected shows each season and 10% off in Betelnut Café at Mermaid.

MERMAID FRIEND LEVELS MERMAID FRIEND LEVEL 1: €60

- 1 free ticket per season to a friends selected show - 10% off at Betelnut Café - Invitations/Special Offers

MERMAID FRIEND LEVEL 2: €120

- 2 free tickets per season to a friends selected show - Concession rate on all film screenings - 10% off at Betelnut Café - Invitations/Special Offers

MERMAID FRIEND LEVEL 3: €350

- 4 free tickets per season to a friends selected show - 10% off at Betelnut Café - Unlimited concession rates for all film screenings & shows, if available - Invitations/Special Offers

MERMAID FRIEND LEVEL 4: €1000

All of the above perks along with tailor-made promotion and partnership opportunities to meet your needs.

OUR MERMAID FRIENDS

Alpha CC

Margaret Jameson

Key Plastics

Sally & Sean Clifford

Craft Picture Framing Jean & Ian MacGreevy

Alan & Marie Downes

Frank Duff’s Lounge Jean Gibson Cllr&Mrs George & Joan Jones Ian & Christine Scott Carolyn MacDonnell Peggy Masterson Beatrice Lasserre Philip & Noella O’Reilly

Annick Smith Brendan & Jane Newsome Jane Kierans Sean Leahy John Kelly Daphne Millar Nanette O’Connell Don Bagley

Martin & Patricia Davidson

Rick Caldicott

Derek Pullen

Joan Davis

John McCormick

Shireen Fisher

Yvonne & Jim Kidd

Catherine Kelly

Mary Doyle

Raymond Comyn

Pat Ralph

Claire Maguire

Bernie Chambers

Lee Donnelly

Marie Ryan

Des & Ita McGarry

Helen McAllister

Teresa Kehoe

Finola Murphy

Maureen Concannon

Kathleen Connolly

Marie & Martin O’Brien

MERMAID INFORMATION BOOKING YOUR TICKETS

We have no booking fees - at all, so book how you wish!

- PHONE: 01 272 4030 - ONLINE: www.mermaidartscentre.ie - IN PERSON: Pop in to us at box office during our opening hours. - Please note, once purchased, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded. - Group discount available for groups of 10 or more for selected shows, please contact box office for further details. - Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the performance. - For the comfort of patrons and performers, latecomers will only be admitted at the interval. Please note visiting companies may have differing policies in this regard.

OPENING HOURS - BOX OFFICE

We are open Monday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm and up until 7.30pm on performance evenings. For Sunday and Bank Holidays performances we are open 1 hour before the performance time.

- GALLERY

Mermaid gallery is open Monday - Saturday, 10am – 6pm and until 8pm on performance nights.

- BETELNUT CAFÉ

The Betelnut Café serves breakfast, lunch, snacks and baked goods from 8am – 6pm Monday to Saturday. The theatre bar is open for pre-show and interval drinks.

GIFT VOUCHERS

Gift vouchers can be purchased online at www.mermaidartscentre. ie and printed at home or alternatively drop into us or call our box office team on 01 272 4030 to purchase a voucher. They can be made up for any amount and are valid for 2 years. They can be used to enjoy any performance at Mermaid from cinema to theatre and everything in between!

KEEP IN TOUCH

To join our mailing or email list, please contact the box office or join online at www.mermaidartscentre.ie. For any other queries please phone us on 01 272 4030 or email info@mermaidartscentre.ie.

ACCESS

Mermaid is a fully accessible venue. If you are planning on visiting Mermaid and have special requirements please contact the box office. Our wheelchair accessible spaces are located in the front row on the ground floor. Please note, it is not possible to book specific wheelchair seating online. Please contact the box office on 01 272 4030 to arrange. 50

MERMAID INFORMATION HOW TO FIND US

Mermaid Arts Centre, Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow, A98 N5P1. We are located in the civic offices complex just off the Main Street, left, before the Bank Of Ireland if you are coming up the town.

PARKING

Mermaid has FREE underground parking for all evening and weekend performances. There is also parking available in the overground car park but this is pay and display and is not associated with Mermaid.

OUR FUNDERS

Brochure Design by Rachel Sweeney.

Tel: 01-2724030 WWW.MERMAIDARTSCENTRE.IE