Theatre Review: Improbable Frequency @ The Gaiety

Having debuted in 2004, Rough Magic’s Improbable Frequency is by no stretch a new production but its current run is our first time to see it. Although it was new to us we heard many good things before settling into Thursday night’s performance at The Gaiety. Set during World War Two, the production which describes itself as ‘a pulsating cabaret-style musical’ features a cast of characters imagined and real (John Betjeman and Myles na gCopaleen are written liberally for the stage) and tells the tale of a British spy in Ireland. With Peter Hanly reprising his original role as Faraday (the British spy), we open on the scene of the crossword enthusiast being recruited for his mission to Ireland. There he is to investigate O’Dromedary (Rory Nolan), a radio presenter whose song choices appear to be alerting the Germans to the weather conditions and aiding their air raids over Britain. … There’s more

Titanic Festival Belfast

A horrific disaster that took the lives of over 1500 souls isn’t exactly the ideal inspiration for a festival of events. To many, the treatment of the RMS Titanic can often make the teeth itch, particularly if you are from Belfast, the city in which it was built. Belfast may not be the only city to take a connection to the ship, however loose, and milk it dry (see Southampton, Liverpool and Cork for reference) but it may be the only one to permit itself to be defined by it. Personally I would have hyped up our excellent soda bread but sadly I’m not in charge. Yet. 14th April 2012 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic disaster and so to mark the occasion, Belfast is hosting the Titanic Festival – a series of events across the city. Think what you want about the ship, the politics and the hype … There’s more

Movie Review: The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists

At last Hugh Grant plays a likeable character! The Pirate Captain is on a quest to win the Pirate of the Year Award with the aid of his motley crew of pirates that includes Brendan Gleeson and Martin Freeman. They are as adventurous and plunderous as any pirate crew worth its salt and they think they’re in with a good chance. Their confidence starts to waiver however when rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and bad-to-the-bone Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) ride in on a wave of booty with their steels flashing. The Pirate Captain and his crew take to the high seas in an effort to get some serious pirating done to catch up with his competitors. Along the way they plunder a science ship where they find no gold but manage to pick up Charles Darwin (ooh David Tennant) and his very clever butler monkey. Darwin points out that there … There’s more