About ekilko

Eoin is usually back stage at most gigs and shows. Sometimes because hes working on them and sometimes because they wont let him in. Eoin works in the Music and Theatre industry but comedy and musicals are his real passion.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Preview

Last year I did some posts from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and this year in an aim to get ahead of myself this is the list of shows I am looking forward to seeing this August. I’ve inserted links to the show details where possible. The Vaudevillians, The Sun Also Rises, Assembly 30th Anniversary, Jimmy Carr, Divine Comedy, Adam Hills, Andrew Maxwell, Andy Zaltmen, Axis of Awesome, BBC Comedy, Betrayal of Penguins, Bo Burham, David O’Dotherty, Dead Cat Bounce, Des Bishop, Foil Arms and Hog, GB 25th, Jarlath Regan, Jason Byrne, Maxwell Fullmooners, Newsrevue, Paul Merton, Penny Dreadfuls, Political Animal, Stand Up for Freedom, Two Episodes of Mash, Wittank, Duke Special, Eels, Magnets, Modest Mouse, Fame, Hairspray, Spring Awaking, The Author, Flesh and Blood, Freefall, Girl Yellow Dress, Breakfast @Traverse, Daniel Kitson, Ladder and Moon, La Locandiera, My Romantic Histrory, Newsrome, The Not So Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo, While … There’s more

Best Plays Of The Last Decade?

Recently while at the bookshop of the National Theatre in London I noticed this bookshop display. It claimed to be the Best Plays of the Decade. Given that its 2010, it did get me thinking of what the best plays since the millennium were. Included on their list were Plastcine The Seafarer Pornogrphy Stockholm blue/orange The Pride Our Crisis Taking Care of Baby August On Stage Country Obviously these are taken from a UK point of view but I really agree with The Seafarer (National’s Production at least) and Pornogrphy. I would also include Freefall ( Best Irish show of last year imo) The Pillowman, Improbable Frequency, The Wallworth Farce and Seawall. So what do you think? What have you seen that has blown you away?

Choose your music!

Two opportunities have come up in the last week to make upcoming gigs more interactive! MCD have announced that you can have a chance to choose songs that Muse will play at the Oxegen Festival this year. The band will endeavour to play at least one from the top 5 songs at Oxegen! Fans can vote once and choose the three songs they most want to hear the band play at Oxegen… Click here to vote. However if choosing just a few songs isn’t enough then how about choosing who plays the gig. Irish band CODES. are looking for a band to support them playing their Academy show on June 26th. this is what the lads have to say:

An Earnest Cast

As reported on DublinTheatre.ie, there is an amazing cast line up to accompany Stockard Channing - as we mentioned here - for Rough Magic’s Importance of Being Earnest in Gaiety Theatre. The Line up is as follows: Rory Keenan as John (Jack/Ernest) Worthing, Rory Nolan as Algernon Moncrieff, Aoife Duffin as Gwendolyn Fairfax and Gemma Reeves as Cecily Cardew, along with Peter Daly as Merriman, Darragh Kelly as the Rev. Canon Chasuble,Eleanor Methven as Miss Prism and Arthur Riordan as Lane. The production will be directed by Rough Magic Artistic Director Lynne Parker This has to be one of the most spectacular theatre line ups in Dublin in a long time, all the actors being highlights of previous Rough Magic (and many other) shows but rarely have they all come together in one show! Its booking now. GAIETY THEATRE, South King Street, Dublin 2 Box Office 01 677 1717 24 hour Ticketmaster 0818 719 388 www.gaietytheatre.com www.ticketmaster.ie … There’s more

Competition Closed: Win Tickets to Jarlath Regan

Culch.ie has a pair of tickets to give away to Jarlath Regan in Sugar Club, Dublin. Its to the launch of his new show. Jarlath always puts on a fantastic show and with this being the launch of his new show “Not So Common Sense” its bound to be a good one. He will go on to perform this show around the world so to be one of the first to see it just leave a comment, tell us why you would like to go, below before Thursday 15th at Midday and a winner will be selected at random. (You must be able to pick up the tickets in Dublin City Centre on Friday or Saturday!) You can read the blurb below to find out more!

Culch.ie meets Oliver Cole

Culch.ie went to meet former Turn front man Oliver Cole on the eve of the launch of his new solo album – ‘We Albatri’. Culch.ie - Its been almost 4 years since Turn, how did the album come about? Oliver Cole - I started recording straight after Turn – I sent a girl in Germany a copy of a Turn album as she couldn’t get it there. She was asking me what I was doing now and I told her I wanted to do a solo album but I don’t have any money. She said she had a friend in Raymon (one of the biggest bands in Germany) and he is going on tour, maybe I could record there. So, ‘yer man’ phones me up a few days later and I met him in Dublin and he invited me to Frieberg, which is the most beatuiful place. I had a … There’s more

Grand Canal Theatre Opening

A new point on the Irish cultural map was created yesterday with the opening of the new Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin. The largest capacity purpose built theatre opened with a performance by the Russian State Ballet of Swan Lake to a packed house. Among that house President Mary McAleese, Harry Crosbie, Paul Mc Guinness, Brenden Gleason, Daniel Libeskind (who designed the venue) and Paul Brady (who will perform there later in the year).

Upcoming at National Concert Hall

Two items really interest me upcoming at the NCH: On April 8th the RTE Concert Orchestra with the fantastic David Brophy conducting will perform with the River Tenors otherwise known as Apres Match. This is what the RTE website has to say. A very special evening of musical guests and comedy with Après Match stars Gary Cooke, Risteárd Cooper and Barry Murphy who will entertain us with their tenor creations, The River Tenors, live with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. ‘.the writing is superb and savagely funny’ Evening Herald re Après Match

Stockard Channing in Earnest

Taken from my post at DublinTheatre.ie As a huge Rough Magic and West Wing fan I am thrilled that this rumour has proven to be true! Stockard Channing is to star in Rough Magic‘s upcoming production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Gaiety Theatre. Channing (65) who will play the part of Lady Bracknell is probably most know for her roles as Rizzo in Grease and Abigail Bartlet in the tv series, The West Wing. Artistic Director of Rough Magic Lynne Parker who will direct the production was quoted in today’s Irish Times, saying “this Earnest will be faithful to the original”. The production will open on June 2nd and run for 3 weeks.

Comedy for Haiti

A stalwart of the summer and the Edinburgh previews the “No Pricks Comedy Show” is making a special outing in aid of charities working in Haiti. The gig is on tonight (sorry for the late notice!) in Slattery’s Bar, Rathmines at 8pm. The gigs are organized and MC’d by Jarlath Regan and the line up remains a secret until you get there. There is however some clues on the facebook page to some of the 12 amazing guests on tonight. The simple rules are no admission fee, some of the best and popular comedians in the country, don’t be a prick and collections afterward, and given the cause I beg you to give generously. Here’s what Jar had to say: At the shortest of notice, some of the biggest names in Irish and International comedy have rolled in to help raise much needed funds to help the victims of this … There’s more

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Aftermath

This is just a round up of my month in Edinburgh. More of a photo blog of my time there recapping the best shows and how we in the traverse put it all together in the annual turnaround movie. First up we have the 50 show and around 500 euro worth of tickets. What was the best? The best comedy show out there was without a doubth Dead Cat Bounce – and your lucky they are playing the Bulmers Coamedy Festival this month. Other notable mentions go to the brilliant Jarlath Regan and exciting Neil Delamare and the most promising Betrayal of Penguins. From the theatre, the best show out there was Simon Stephens emotional roller coster performed by Andrew Scott. It was spellbiding. Other notable mentions go to the ever exciting Luck, Been So Long and the fantasticly intriguing Daniel Kitson In the traverse we got over 50 4 … There’s more

Edinburgh Fringe Reviews Week 3

Apologies for the delay in these reviews. Things at the traverse have been hectic as we gear up for the final day. That involves the 10 shows we have going, being disassembled and loaded out as well as maintaining a full day of shows going up on time. You’ll find me collapsed at 3am in Edinburgh sometime tomorrow! But for now I will get to tell you about David O’Doherty, Neil Delamere and my series of covers. O’Dotherty shows no complacency from having won comedy’s top prize last year with another amazing show. No difference in the quality of the comedy only the size of the room! On the night in question the musical whimsy is top notch as well as the more regular stand up. Tonight he does go off script to look at a copy of Donegal Democrat and Warlords of Pez as prompted by the audience. This … There’s more

Edinburgh Fringe Reviews Week 2

Week Two and there is shows coming and going with lots more to see! This week at the Traverse we have welcomed three new shows. We say goodbye to three of the easier shows and hello to The Doubtful Guest, A Life In Three Acts and If That’s All There Is. The crew were just finding our rhythm in the turnarounds and now this will tip this slightly but we will press on. However the most important arrival or creation is that of our gaff ball. All discarded gaff tape for the last week is being put together to create a gaff ball/man! One reason to see the Betrayal of Penguins is that you can say you saw John Gallagher and Matt Smyth’s first show. (To be correct it’s the second but the first stand up!) so you can brag to your friends when they become really big ala arcade … There’s more