Marjorie Brennan: Irish Examiner arts journalists pick their highlights of the year
Marjorie Brennan enjoyed Luke Murphy's Volcano, and the Beautiful South in Killarney.
My year was bookended by two spectacular productions in London. My Neighbour Totoro in January was a spine-tingling stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli movie from the Royal Shakespeare Company masterfully combining acting and puppetry. Nicholas Hytner’s immersive production of Guys and Dolls in November was a triumph of stagecraft, along with standout singing and choreography. But the year’s standout production for me was much closer to home. Volcano at the Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival showcased the phenomenal talent of choreographer and director Luke Murphy. The Cork native didn’t put a foot wrong, literally or otherwise, in this flawlessly executed masterpiece.
The Beautiful South at the INEC in Killarney in February was an absolute joy, Paul Heaton and his band offering up a masterclass in songwriting and performance — and reduced ticket prices for fans. Also at the INEC, Hozier’s performance in June showed me how there is much more to the singer than the iconic Take Me to Church. English singer Maisie Peters was a ray of light and joy at her sold-out gig in the Olympia. One to watch.
There was one show that soared above all others for me again this year. After a sublime finale in the first season, I wondered if The Bear could keep up the momentum, and the second season didn’t disappoint. The ‘Forks’ episode, where Cousin Richie, played superbly by Ebon Moss Bacharach, comes into his own, was a work of art.
It was a great year for cinema, even if people’s movie etiquette makes it an increasingly nerve-fraying experience. Luckily, the mobile phones were not in evidence at All of Us Strangers, which Cork Film Festival nabbed for an Irish premiere. Andrew Scott was incredible with fantastic support from Paul Mescal and also Claire Foy. Hearing the sniffles multiply around the auditorium was a real goosebumps moment. This is going to be huge when it goes on wider release in the new year and Scott deserves an Oscar (sorry, Cillian).
I’m afraid I couldn’t drink the Kool Aid on Barbie. After a promising start, the plot went all over the place, and the much-lauded speech on ‘feminism’ by America Ferrera was cringeworthy in the extreme. I expected much better from Greta Gerwig after Ladybird and Little Women. The only redeeming feature was a brilliant performance from Ryan Gosling.
I’m looking forward to the nostalgia hit from Take That and the genius songwriting of Neil Finn and Crowded House at Musgrave Park but the icing on the cake has to be the Eras tour by the all-conquering Taylor Swift. Bring on the fun and friendship bracelets.
