DISCOVER Doctor Atomic, which is taking place at the Portaferry Hotel in Co Down on 24 March as Opera Film Club is back with a bang. This opera performance by the contemporary American composer John Adams tells of the longing to overcome human boundaries which led physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to begin an experiment that formed a threat to the whole of humanity. Doctor Atomic is the fifth work to result from almost 20 years of collaboration between the American composer and his fellow American director and Erasmus prize-winner Peter Sellars. For more details, see www.portaferryhotel.com.
IMMERSE yourself in the tales of Ireland’s greatest storyteller, Eddie Lenihan, on 23 March at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar. If you fancy an enchanting night out with a difference, this event is a must as Eddie returns with Tales of Magic, Myth and Mystery. He has told his stories in schools, prisons and at gatherings of storytellers all over the country, and has been proclaimed a national treasure. With an international reputation, Eddie is renowned for his talents, which entrance listeners, inviting them on a journey into a fantastic world of magic and mystery. For more, see www.royaltheatrecastlebar.ie.
ENJOY the Fresh Film Festival, an event where young filmmakers create, exhibit and share movies. The festival, which began as the Irish School’s Video Competition in 1997, incorporates Ireland’s young filmmaker of the year awards and has received almost 1,500 submissions for this year’s festival, which is the highest number of submissions in the festival’s 22-year history. The event encourages and supports young filmmakers aged seven to 18 to tell their stories through the medium of moving pictures. Films shortlisted for the final will be screened at the Fresh Film Festival 2018 in Limerick on 25 March. For more details, see www.freshfestival.net.
EXPERIENCE the multi-award-winning comedy Art, running at The Gaiety Theatre until 24 March. Featuring an all-star cast of Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tomkinson, the play centres on three best friends who disagree over one of them buying a very expensive painting, with hilarious consequences. David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers are the producers of the 2018 UK and Ireland tour of the play, written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. Art is an Olivier, Tony and Moliere award-winning production. Tickets range from €21-€51 and are available on www.ticketmaster.ie.
INDUGLE in the exhibition of Difference and Repetition, which is the second instalment in a series of workshops designed and implemented by artists Karl Burke and Padraig Cunningham, along with Roscommon-based Brothers of Charity groups. Taking place at Roscommon Arts Centre until 23 March, the workshops are primarily concerned with material making and focus on a hands-on approach. This method covers a range of artistic practices, including music, drawing, painting, collage, clay modelling, performance and video. For more information, visit www.roscommonartscentre.ie.
Shane Finn, the fitness mad Kerry man who ran 24 marathons in 24 days