Irish Examiner arts journalists picks of the year: Marjorie Brennan chooses her highlights
Marjorie Brennan is looking forward to seeing CMAT play in Cork next year.
They were supporting Fontaines DC at the Finsbury gig (see below) just a couple of months after this but City Hall was a great showcase for the Belfast band’s combustible energy and their Cork fans certainly made the most of it.
: It was a great year for Ireland’s biggest group since U2 (how quickly they forget) as they toured on the back of their most successful album yet, This was their biggest headline gig to date and the triumphant performance was lapped up by the English fans, and plenty of Irish imports.
: I went as a reluctant chaperone and left a diehard fan, the British group having won me over with a brilliantly bombastic and musically accomplished performance.
: The irrepressible artist’s massive retrospective at the sleek Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, designed by Frank Gehry, lived up to its billing and more. The famous American architect recently departed this mortal coil but 88-year-old Hockney is still thankfully bestowing us with his genius, showcased to perfection in this absolutely joyous exhibit.
Besieged as it was, I was lucky enough to be briefly on my own in the room that contained his Normandy iPad pictures created during lockdown and found myself bursting into tears. It got even better with the immersive installation of his opera designs on the top floor. Art at its most life-affirming.
Jonathan Bailey’s stage presence was off the charts in this lesser-known Shakespearean saga at Nicholas Hytner’s Bridge Theatre.
The documentary which premiered at last year’s Cork International Film Festival went on wider release in January. It would prove to be a fitting tribute to the iconic writer who died this summer, expertly capturing her intelligence and ferocity but also her vulnerability.
After a strong start and a winning partnership in Richard Osman and Marina Hyde, has fallen off in terms of engaging content and those endless embedded ads masquerading as chats have become increasingly tiresome.
I took refuge once again in old favourites and where Michael Sheen was, unsurprisingly, a standout guest. Worth it alone for the anecdote about his dad impersonating Jack Nicholson on the red carpet.
How could a show that delivered countless delicious moments over two glorious seasons collapse like a soggy soufflé? Much to my disappointment, I couldn’t even get past the first episode of , season four. No, chef.
: One of the most aesthetically distinctive filmmakers of his generation gets the deep dive treatment, from those Adidas tracksuits to an intricate model of the Grand Budapest Hotel.
: Dunboyne Diana brings her effervescent personality and infectious tunes to Cork; boo-hiss to all the big boys and the Berties.
