• Don’s Plum: behind the banned Leonardo DiCaprio film.

    March 16, 2016 - By 

    ‘It breaks my heart to inform you that on January 27, 2016, Leonardo DiCaprio once again blocked only American and Canadian audiences from being able to enjoy Don’s Plum.’ So begins filmmaker Dale Wheatley’s latest chapter in the ongoing saga of his aforementioned movie. Shot and edited from 1995 to 1996, Don’s Plum is a low-budget indie film featuring a cast of yet-to-be stars including Tobey Maguire, Kevin Connolly, Amber Benson, and, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio who play a lewd crew of 20-somethings spending a night in their favourite hangout, Don’s Plum. Rolling with an improvised script, the movie is…

  • New Beginnings for the Innovative Block T

    February 3, 2016 - By 

    As recession turns into a gloomy memory of Dublin’s past, development designs once shelved are being retrieved across the city, including former visions of grandeur for Dublin 7’s Smithfield. Development brothers Joe and Patrick Linders stand poised to helm the projects along the storied streets, having bought up properties throughout the area since before the crash years ago. In 2011, Dublin City Council denied them their plans to demolish the old Irish Distillers HQ and turn it into a corporate high rise. Now five years later, with reformed plans in hand as well as debt relief from a 2014 refinancing…

  • 16 For ’16: Margie Jean Lewis

    January 29, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of 16 For ’16 – our feature looking at sixteen Irish (or Ireland-based) artists we’re convinced will do great things in 2016 – Joe Madsen introduces Dublin-based, Australian born classically trained violinist and jazz vocalist Margie Jean Lewis. Photo by Aoife Herrity Riding a reputation as an infrequent but exhilarating performer, Margie Jean Lewis is set to drop her debut EP this year, marking a formal foray into the land of recorded artistry. The Australian-born musician – boasts a lovely voice with bewildering compositions to match – has developed quite the mystique in the Irish electronic circuit,…

  • 16 For ’16: Anna-Mieke

    January 25, 2016 - By 

    As we approach the half-way point in our 16 For ’16 feature – in which we handpick sixteen Irish acts we’re certain are set for great things in 2016 – Joe Madsen introduces Wicklow singer and multi-instrumentalist Anna-Mieke. Photo by Pedro Giaquinto Slowly emerging as a new-age rustic folkstress, Wicklow musician Anna-Mieke plays an enchanting set that’s delighted small crowds since her first shows in 2013. A flexible talent on vocals, guitar, and cello, Anna-Mieke blends styles to craft a product that’s all her own, supplying wistful finger-picking like Paul Simon and subdued jazzy pitch like Regina Spektor. She’s an artist…

  • Wretched Little Brat @ Sean O Casey Community Centre, Dublin

    November 25, 2015 - By 

    Premiering just two decades after decriminalisation and less than a year after marriage equality, Brian Merriman’s Wretched Little Brat marks a dramatic shift in Irish attitudes toward homosexuality. In a recent interview with Dublin Inquirer, the founder of Dublin’s Gay Theatre Festival remarks how years ago, straight performers balked at the idea of taking on queer characters. Reflecting on the eclectic makeup of his cast, Merriman notes that now ‘they’re delighted to play gay roles’. Wretched Little Brat explores an area central to 20th-century homosexuality, and Merriman’s own fascinations: the life and lovers of the flamboyant Oscar Wilde. While innovative…

  • Beowulf: The Blockbuster @ Project Arts Centre, Dublin

    November 20, 2015 - By 

    Donning the name of one of literature’s most famous epic poems, Bryan Burroughs’ Beowulf: The Blockbuster packs its quaint tale with an emotional punch worthy of the title.  Burroughs, the playwright and star of his own one-man show, premiered this one act two years ago at Dublin’s own fringe festival before taking it on the road across Ireland, the UK, France, and even as far as Australia during which time he’s claimed several honours and esteemed recognition.  Now the work triumphantly returns to Dublin for another limited and popularised engagement. The show begins with a small spectacle of lights heralded…

  • The Matchmaker @ The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin

    November 16, 2015 - By 

    Showcasing two talents of Ireland’s most celebrated comedic actors, the Gaiety’s production of John B. Keane’s The Matchmaker delights audiences in its old-school, but enduring comic tropes. Adapted from Keane’s novella by Phyllis Ryan, the play tells the story of Kerry-raised matchmaker Dicky Mick Dicky and the would-be romantics seeking his help to find a partner. Each character is given a series of letters performed in monologue throughout the two acts, with Dicky and the males played by funnyman Jon Kenny and Dicky’s sister Marge and the females by boisterous leading lady Mary McEvoy. This elderly array of rustic Irish…

  • Magic and Loss: A Tribute to Lou Reed

    October 28, 2015 - By 

    Two years ago, the musical world lost one of its own gentle giants.  Lou Reed, the Brooklyn-born poet, musician, and artist, died of liver disease at the age of 71, leaving behind a profoundly lasting legacy that’s transformed countless lives, careers, and artistic endeavours.  Some of the 20th century’s most iconic artists cite Reed as a notable influence.  And yet the waves made by this larger-than-life presence often go unnoticed by modern music consumers.  Taking risks held a constant stay throughout the corpus of Reed’s work, lending an evolutionary quality to decades of his music, and likewise influencing decades of…

  • Graham J (Wild Is Launch) @ Sugar Club, Dublin

    October 19, 2015 - By 

    Following more than a year as an emerging live cabaret act, local Dublin singer Graham J. Norton took the Sugar Club’s center stage Wednesday evening to launch his debut album Wild Is.  Known simply as Graham J. to avoid confusion with TV personalities, this countertenor’s act arranges an eclectic mix of operatic, jazz, musical theatre, and pop genres, with original and covered work scattered throughout to create a thorough medley. The swarthy showroom space of Leeson Street’s Sugar Club proved an ideal venue for this variety act.  Decked in velvet red curtains and fairy lights, the dimly lit stage hosted…

  • DIY Dublin: Mish.Mash

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    In the latest instalment of DIY Dublin, Joe Donoghue chats with the guys behind Dublin cafe and gallery Mish.Mash. Photos by Abi Denniston. So tell us a bit about how Mish.Mash got started? Who’s idea was it? Had either of you worked in service or hospitality before? The idea for Mish.Mash was always somewhere in the air. We both knew what atmosphere we would like to have in our café and what kind of café culture we would like to show and sell. Our experience was more than enough to start finally something without a “boss”. How is it running…