Annie opens at the Opera House next week. Ciara McDonnell joins the cast in rehearsals to see what it takes to bring the musical to the stage

F EW debutant novelists try their hand at a sprawling, 620-page epic about family, identity, protest and lies so whatever about how well Nathan Hill pulls it off; The Nix cannot be faulted for a lack of ambition.

In his first interview since finishing up the longest inter-county career since Christy Ring, quiet man Tony Browne opens up to Kieran Shannon about pride and anguish and the medal that got away.

A young father with severe headaches who was sent home from hospital three times in three weeks diagnosed with migraines died days later from a brain bleed.

The couple met while they were both starring in a touring production of Legally Blonde and began dating in 2013.

“I had come to believe more and more in the virtues of passivity,” claims the narrator of Rachel Cusk’s Outline, “and of living a life as unmarked by self-will as possible.”

ROBERT PATTINSON has said it is “weird” that the lead character in Fifty Shades Of Grey is based on his Twilight alter-ego.

Manchester United stepped in to tell three-year-old Lilly Rae Doyle it’s ok to wear blue after seeing this video of her sobbing in her new school uniform.

Hull 5 Sheffield United 3

Manchester United took on Norwich at Carrow Road without England forward Wayne Rooney, who did not travel to Norfolk.

Darren Fletcher was handed his first Manchester United start in over a year at Hull to cap his comeback from a chronic bowel condition.

RTE News: Six One co-anchor Sharon Ní Bheoláin, believes in giving back.

A woman is so "terrified" of vegetables she has lived off a diet of chips for 16 years.

Everton 2 Hull 1

Everton 2 Hull 1

Hull 1 West Ham 0

Hull 1 Huddersfield 0

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew named an unchanged team for the clash with Hull as he looked to secure a third successive Barclays Premier League victory.

Michael Jackson's stylist told jurors that she tried to warn the singer's manager that concert promoter AEG Live would look responsible if the superstar died because of numerous signs his health was declining.

Michael Jackson’s long-time make-up artist told a court she overhead an executive for concert promoter AEG Live insist that the singer rehearse, despite signs of his declining health.

A mother’s instinct has been credited with saving her little girl’s life after she rushed her to hospital in the middle of the night when she spotted an unusual strawberry-coloured mark on her side.

A six-storey office building that collapsed and killed 115 people in New Zealand’s devastating earthquake last year was poorly designed, inadequately constructed and should never have been issued with a building permit, a government report said today.

Shayne Ward is engaged, it has emerged.

The father of a toddler who escaped virtually unscathed from a car which turned into “a ball of tinfoil” in a horror crash remains shocked his daughter was not killed.

A toddler had “a miraculous escape” from a crash which claimed the life of her grandmother on a notoriously dangerous section of road in North Cork.

West Ham 3 Birmingham 3

It’s been a decade, but Steps are back together and will tread the stage in Cork this summer, writes Tina O’Sullivan

A six-storey building that collapsed and killed 115 people in the New Zealand earthquake was made of weak columns and concrete and did not meet standards when it was built, the government says.

Horrified 'Coronation Street' viewers have complained about a recent episode which depicted a child being slapped.

FAMILY size should dictate the amount of water a house is allowed without charge when metering is introduced, a pair of researchers has found.

The 30-year-old lothario beat Jay, Alex and Louise in tonight’s final of the fly-on-the-wall reality TV series, to claim the remaining £50,000 left in the prize fund.

Five housemates face the chop from 'Big Brother' this Friday.

One of the biggest pop bands of the 1990s takes its first steps towards a reunion, in a 'Steps Reunion' reality show starting tonight.

A series of arguments erupted on 'Big Brother' after Aden angered Maisy by saying she has spots on her face, with Tom calling Faye a "d**khead", and Rebeckah and Heaven - who are both up for eviction tonight - taking part in yet another slanging match.

A Harry Potter extra, a teenage female wrestler and a vegan holistic healer were among the contestants to enter the 'Big Brother' house last night.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis hopes key men Matthew Etherington, Jermaine Pennant and Robert Huth will be fit for selection in Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash with Wigan at the Britannia Stadium.

Roberto Mancini has made three changes to his victorious FA Cup final line-up as Manchester City looked to leap into an automatic Champions League spot by confirming their superiority over Wembley opponents Stoke.

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey was named in the team to face Stoke on his return to the Britannia Stadium – the same venue where he horrifically broke his leg last season.

On-loan Stoke striker John Carew will be hoping for another run-out against Arsenal on Sunday after recovering from a back problem.

Stoke will be without striker Ricardo Fuller for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League derby clash with visiting Wolves.

Stoke have no fresh injury concerns ahead of tomorrow’s league trip to Aston Villa and boss Tony Pulis will select from the same squad which thrashed Bolton last weekend.

Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen will be recalled for Stoke’s FA Cup semi-final against Bolton on Sunday at Wembley.

Stoke will be without Danny Higginbotham for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Tottenham after the defender sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury.