County Kildare News

Riverbank Arts Centre is hosting a remarkable array of events over the coming weeks with everything from wonderful Irish music, theatre and original comedy to children oriented workshops, movies and film.
 
Oscar Wilde's Salomè will be an exotic cocktail of music, theatre and silent cinema. It will be an evening of spectacle, something quite different from the usual night out at movies. The production brings together a screening of the 1923 silent film, Salomè based on Oscar Wilde’s play, with a live performance of the new score specially written for the film by Charlie Barber. This music is performed by four percussionists, playing from two giant alloy towers placed on either side of the screen. The use of the towers adds a real theatrical and dramatic twist to the evening.
 
The Orchestra of percussion offers a rich mix of the familiar (bass drums, cymbals etc) and the more exotic, including the Sistra (originating from the ancient Egypt), the Djembe (a traditional African drum) and Tibetan singing bowls. It will be quite a spectacle – something quite different from the usual night out at the movies.
 
The line up of cinema screenings until the end of the season is brilliant, with a mix of humor, wit, charm, and some golden oldies. Screening tonight is Sensation staring Domhnall Gleeson (Brendan Gleesons son) a comedic drama that tells a love story of two lonely people from opposite sides of the social divide.
 
St Patrick’s Day is one to look forward to; the town parade followed by a screening of Darby O’Gill and the Little People at 2pm with Neil Delamere taking to the stage that evening, his Friday night show is SOLD OUT, so get in quick to get one of the last remaining tickets for Saturday March 17th.
 
We have some great theatre to end the season, My Brilliant Divorce; wittily observant comedy, The End by Samuel Beckett with some wondrous acting & the rarely performed Bag Lady by Frank McGuinness.
 
LAU will close the season with what most of us think will be a BANG! They have been hailed as the ‘Best Band in the World’ by Channel 4. They combine stunning musicianship with a ground-breaking yet playful approach to traditional music that transcends the music they hold dear, creating a cutting edge sound which garners praise from far beyond the roots scene.
 
This season will be coming to a close at the end of March and we will be hightlighting some of the events for April - June 2012 on our website. RTÈ's Vanbrugh Quartet are coming to us in early April. They are widely regarded as one of Europe’s most successful string quartets and we cannot wait for them to come to Riverbank Arts Centre. Keep an eye on our website www.riverbank.ie  for any other events that will be launched in the coming weeks.