Soundscapes

The Contemporary Music Centre are pulling out all the stops in celebration of the 60th birthday of the grandaddy of Irish electronic music Roger Doyle. Running each afternoon from Oct 22-31 as part of DEAF, Soundscapes features a dramatic outdoor sound gallery playing electronic and piano music that spans Doyle’s prolific and frequently award-winning career. Among the works you can hear are tracks from his new CD Cool Steel Army and excerpts from the fake radio station featured in his magnum opus Babel. Admission is free, more info @ www.cmc.ie

Knives in Hens

Coming up soon, Landmark Productions are at Smock Alley Theatre with a new production of David Harrower’s highly acclaimed first play Knives in Hens, previewing from Wed 4 and opening on Mon 9 Nov. The line-up is something of a dream team, with Alan Gilsenan in the director’s chair, design by Joe Vanek, and a cracking cast that features Lorcan Cranitch, Vincent Regan and Catherine Walker. Set in a God-fearing, pre-industrial rural community, this fierce and uncompromising play about love, desire and the power of words sees a young woman growing in awareness of her place in the world, as she comes to terms with an ancient hatred and an unexpected betrayal. www.landmarkproductions.ie

Clowning Around

Following last year’s utterly delightful Circus, Barabbas are back in town with another circus-based show, Johnny Patterson, The Singing Irish Clown which plays at Project from November 4-14. Directed by Raymond Keane and written by Little John Nee, who also plays in the show alongside Roger Gregg and Bryan Burroughs, it pays homage to the forgotten genius of once celebrated circus performer Johnny Patterson from Co Clare, who started his circus life as a humble drummer boy and went on to achieve great things across the Atlantic, becoming one of the highest paid entertainers of his time. It wasn’t all plain sailing though, and Patterson met with a sorry end. Charting the highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies of an extraordinary life, the show was originally inspired by an exhibition of circus paintings by Jack B Yeats at the National Gallery. www.project.ie