How To Catch A Star at the Galway Arts Festival

-
The Galway International Arts Festival will soon be upon us offering two weeks of music, art, theatre, street performances...you name it, it will be happening in Galway. There will be something for everyone!
But there is one production that I am particularly excited about. Branar Téatar do Pháistí will be presenting (a World Premier, thank you very much!) How To Catch A Star, based on the beloved picture book by Oliver Jeffers.
Branar is a locally based theatre production company for children. In their own words,
"We strive for a simple, elegant form of theatre for young people, that achieves intricacy through the creative use of few means. A style that stimulates the ability to imagine and challenge, while opening a dialogue with our audiences and providing a catalyst for education."
http://branar.ie/
Their production of How To Catch A Star combines puppetry with an
original musical score to bring Oliver Jeffers first picture book (originally published in 2004) to life. Once there was a boy who loved the stars very much. One day, he decides to catch one and make friends with it. This is the story of his adventure and reminds us all to keep following our dreams, wherever they may lead. This is a non-verbal production and is recommended for audiences aged 4 +.
How To Catch A Star will be at the O'Donoghue Theatre NUI Galway from 18 through 28 July (no shows on 22-24 July). Check out the programme for times and booking information. And while you're at it, have a good look through the entire programme....as I said, something for everyone.
http://www.giaf.ie/events/howtocatchastar

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rights of the Reader

-
Image
The Rights of the Reader; Daniel Pennac, illustrated by Quentin Blake Summer is here and we do encourage summer reading with numerous incentives and programmes. It is important for children (of all ages) to 'keep their reading up' outside of school time. This is the time when kids develop their own taste in books and can be free to read books of their own choosing. And this is the single most important factor in young people developing a lifelong reading habit. But how do we, as the 'gatekeepers' of kids reading, encourage them properly without running the risk of thrusting pressure and our own ideas on them? Do that and you'll run the risk of pushing them away from reading, and there are already so many distractions for the young reader to contend with that can tempt them elsewhere. Published by Walker Books; 9781406300918 In 1992, French writer Daniel Pennac originally published this little gem of a book; The Rights of the Reader. I highly recommend
Read more

The Summer of Lily and Esme by John Quinn....25 years

-
Image
This year marks the anniversary of the publication of an extraordinary book. In 1991, Poolbeg published The Summer of Lily & Esme by John Quinn and in the 25 years since, it has never been out of print. The Summer of Lily & Esme tells a quiet story, filled with compassion, friendship, memory and heart. It is the story of Alan, an 11-year-old boy who has moved from the city into a house in the countryside; in the middle of nowhere.The house is old and extremely large and immaculate; and there is a locked, boarded over attic room that is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young boy who died tragically. Alan is not too pleased with this move and becomes even less thrilled when he discovers his closest neighbours, in fact his only neighbours, are a pair of elderly sisters, Esme and Lily, who seem to be suffering from dementia.  When Alan falls down a hill of brambles and weeds, the sisters, who believe they themselves to be children, mistake Alan for their
Read more

Launch of Genesis by Eilis Barrett

-
Image
A week ago, I played a small part of the launch of Genesis , the much-anticipated sequel to Oasis by Eilis Barrett; this time at Charlie Byrnes Bookshop in Galway. Vinny Brown introduces Eilis Eilis is a remarkable young woman, as you might imagine since she is 18 years old and this is her second book. ( Oasis was published when she was 16.) Articulate and accomplished, it is a real privilege to know her, to hear her speak and to read her writing. Genesis author: Eilis Barrett publisher: Gill Books (8 September 2017 ISBN: 9780717174355 Genesis picks up the story of Quincy Emerson. She now finds herself a captive once again, in the maximum-security prison, the Colosseum as a security risk. Held in deplorable and brutal conditions in the prison, where anarchy rules and rival gangs wage a 'street war' of sorts, Quincy takes care to not make an enemy of either gang boss, while holding allegiance to no one but herself and her comrades on the outside. Food is scarce an
Read more