Opera: The Invader

When an Irish composer with stacks of choral works to his credit and an enviable international reputation announces he is composing his first opera, it generates a wave of interest that reaches beyond the confines of new music cognoscenti.

THE fallibility of memory is one of the themes of Shelagh Stephenson’s play, The Memory of Water, which opens at Cork’s Everyman Theatre this evening and runs until Nov 23. This Theatre Royal production, directed by artistic director, Ben Barnes, is about three sisters on the eve of their mother’s funeral.

'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair' will be adapted for the big screen.

Based on the 2006 French farce Mon Frere Se Marie, ‘The Big Wedding’ chronicles the trials and tribulations of a fractured family on the biggest day in one young man’s life.

“Gather me into the artifice of eternity,” pleads the narrator of WB Yeats’ ‘Sailing to Byzantium’, but Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) and Clara (Gemma Arterton) are struggling to cope with the reality of a rather prosaic immortality in Byzantium (15A).

Mark O’Regan tells Colette Sheridan how he relishes playing a philandering husband in Marina Carr’s acclaimed play, Woman and Scarecrow

Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) suffer a miserable stay with stuffy cousin, Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter).

A cautionary tale of misplaced rivalry, based on the real-life story of Dublin brothers Neill (Barnes) and Ivan (Sheehan) McCormick’s attempts to emulate the rise and rise of Bono and U2.

Pete Postlethwaite's involvement in the last film he made - new comedy 'Killing Bono' - was an "amazing honour" for all those who took part, its director said tonight.

A fourth 'Chronicles of Narnia' film is to be made, based on the C.S. Lewis novel 'The Magician's Nephew'.

DAVID BECKHAM’S eight-year-old son, Romeo, Prince Harry and Prince William have made their debuts on a list of Britain’s Best-Dressed “men”.

NARNIA is by any reckoning a strange place.

A welcome return to the Pevensie children and their fantastic adventures in Narnia, the magical land created by Belfast-born C.S. Lewis … and this is the best of the bunch.

This is a new version of Oscar Wilde’s classic tale of the handsome young man of the title (Barnes) who sells his soul for an eternity of staying handsome and living a life of debauchery while a portrait in the attic turns ugly and terrifying.

Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), heir to the Telmarine throne, escapes an assassination attempt orchestrated by his despicable uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) and sidekick General Glozelle (Pierfrancesco Favino).

Based – though merely in the most vague of terms – on the 1920s Noel Coward play, this up-date – though still set in the 1920s – falls flat because Elliot seems unable to understand the master’s brittle humour.

Certain to be one of the summer’s blockbusting hits is the second Narnia film, based on the muscular Christian works of Irish-born C.S. Lewis.

LIAM NEESON was joined by a host of stars last night to celebrate The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in what was billed as “Britain’s biggest film premiere”.

All set for the much-awaited release of the second Narnia film, based on the book by Belfast-born C.S. Lewis:' The Chronicles of Narnia': 'Prince Caspian' arrives on June 26.

Stand by for the summer’s major blockbuster, the second Narnia film from the books by NI-born C.S. Lewis.

British filmmaker Michael Apted will direct The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third instalment in the series, Disney Pictures and Walden Media announced.

SWEEPING changes are to be made to the funding and membership of the board of the Abbey Theatre following the emergence of hidden losses of almost €1 million last year.

The Arts Council has expressed its concern at recent developments that have seen two of the Abbey Theatre's directors resign from their position.

Two leading members of the Abbey Theatre's board of directors have resigned amid revelations the company's deficit for last year was double what had been forecast.

THE artistic director and managing director of the Abbey Theatre are to step down as the national theatre spirals further into deficit, it emerged last night.

THE adviser to the Minister for Arts Fiach MacConghail is to be the new director of the national theatre.

The new director of the Abbey Theatre, Fiach Mac Conghail, vowed tonight to create a shared vision for the future of the historic venue.

AFTER 12 months of high drama - as much off-stage as on - the Abbey Theatre lightened up yesterday with a day-long programme of events to celebrate its 100th birthday.

The artistic director of the national theatre will remain in his post despite criticising the theatre’s board in an email, it emerged tonight.

THE odds are that Ben Barnes didn’t plan to leak his ‘longest suicide note in history.’

A new location for Ireland’s premier arts venue should be decided upon by the end of the year, a Government minister said tonight.

The artistic director of the Abbey Theatre has survived a motion of no confidence put forward at an extraordinary general meeting of the National Theatre Society last night.