Author: whatsonni

The Puppets return to Newtownards!

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Newtownards is preparing for a puppet invasion next month when the Ards Puppet Festival returns to Ards Arts Centre and Conway Square.

Ruby and Daniel Bingham, catch up with some quirky characters at the launch of Ards Puppet Festival 2019. The festival will be held in Ards Arts Centre and Conway Square on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May. Characters from The Beat Hotel, kindly lent by Filmtrip Ltd.

The popular festival which is taking place on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May presents a full-programme of puppet mayhem and will be fun for all ages!

popular festival which is taking place on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May presents a full-programme of puppet mayhem and will be fun for all ages!

The popular festival which is taking place on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May presents a full-programme of puppet mayhem and will be fun for all ages!

Over the two days, Ards Arts Centre and Conway Square will be buzzing with an eclectic mix of scheduled performances, free puppet workshops and plenty of madcap puppet shenanigans! Expect puppets in all shapes and sizes, from socks to strings and even glow in the dark!

The Festival is thrilled to welcome Lyngo Theatre to this year’s programme to perform their ‘Tom Thumb’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ shows at Ards Arts Centre. Not your usual puppet shows – these classic fairy tales will be brought to life with fascinating and magical performances by Patrick Lynch of Cbeebies fame. The whole family will be entertained!

Clydebuilt Theatre will make a welcome return to the festival with their adorable ‘Lost Bear’ production and the much-loved Banyan Theatre will also return with their enchanting show ‘The Hedgehog Prince’. All scheduled shows cost £3 per ticket, advanced booking is required.

There’s lots happening outside in Conway Square too with a full-programme of street-theatre, walkabouts and puppet workshops. Watch the ‘Billy Goats Gruff’ as they tussle with the grumpy troll, queue up at the ‘Rat Choc Chip’ ice-cream van and get more than you’ve bargained for, enjoy a ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ or traditional ‘Punch and Judy’. More creative visitors can get stuck into puppet making at the free interactive workshops where children can build their very own puppets, with help from professional artists.

One of the programme highlights will be performances by the Budapest Marionettes. Performing for the first time in Northern Ireland, Bence Sarkadi is a Hungarian marionette artist / puppeteer who travels the globe, entertaining crowds with his award-winning, one-man show. Prepare to be amazed as Bence’s mastery brings his puppets to life. All Conway Square performances are free of charge.

From 13 – 24 May, the Puppet Scavenger Hunt will take place around Ards Town Centre. Follow the clues and spot the crazy characters to win a prize and be in with a chance of winning a Family Pass to the Black Adventure Zone at the Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex.

Speaking about the festival, Amy McKelvey, Community Arts Development Officer with Ards and North Down Borough Council said; “As always, we are thrilled to be launching our programme for Ards Puppet Festival 2019 with plenty of unique performances to entertain the whole family. Alongside festival favourites like Banyan and Clydebuilt Puppet companies, we are very excited to be welcoming the Budapest Marionettes and Beautiful Creatures to the festival and to Northern Ireland, for the first time.”

Ards Puppet Festival takes place from 26 – 27 May in Conway Square Newtownards. Copies of the Puppet Festival programme are also available from Ards Arts Centre, North Down Museum or any of the Council’s Visitor Information Centres.

For more information, to book tickets or to download the programme go to: www.ardsarts.com

THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY – 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

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Join us on Friday 7 June at Theatre at The Mill, Newtownabbey for the Simon and Garfunkel Story – 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Has it really been 50 years since the most successful Folk/Rock duo of all time recorded their first no1 hit single ‘The Sound of Silence’?

Direct from a week long run in London’s West End and performing to SOLD OUT audiences in over 50 countries worldwide, The Simon & Garfunkel Story is back.  This show is currently the biggest and the most successful theatre show celebrating the lives and career of Folk/Rock sensation Simon and Garfunkel.

Featuring a cast of talented West End actor- musicians, their performance will take audiences back through the Groovy times of the 1960’s. It tells the story of both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel from their humble beginnings as Rock n Roll duo ‘Tom and Jerry’, right through to their massive success, dramatic break-up and finishing with a stunning recreation of the 1981 Central Park reformation concert.

The show features 1960’s photos and film footage whilst a full live band perform all their hits including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, Sound of Silence and many more!

From Sydney to Seattle and now set for Newtownabbey, this is an evening not to be missed!

Tickets from Box Office T: 028 9034 0202 or online theatreatthemill.com

“FOR ONCE, YOU CAN REALLY BELIEVE THE HYPE” – British Theatre Guide

www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com

Jacqueline shares her pick of what’s on this week across NI

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Down

Isosceles Theatre Company returns to Bangor’s Studio 1A this Thursday after a sell-out performance of Murder, Just What The Doctor Ordered in 2018 for this fast-paced adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel that has enthralled audiences throughout Britain and Ireland, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Armagh

Egg and Spoon is an interactive romp through the seasons where you come in and out of a magic circle and get to open all the gifts of nature. Percy and April get you settled on comfortable cushions and introduce you to Birdy, still hiding in his glowing egg. Market Place Theatre, Saturday 27th April.

Fermanagh

Fundraising choir Caritas will perform at the Ardhowen Theatre this Friday 26th April, singing a variety of works from classical to pop, Abba, Disney, Musicals…music for every taste! Caritas will be joined on the night by Claire McGrath (traditional Irish tutor) and her Grúpa Ceoil from St Aidan’s Derrylin.

Tyrone

Learn with Revolve Comics how to tell your story through comics this Saturday at Ranfurly House Dungannon. Hints and tips that all the top professionals use. How to draw, how to layout a story, and bring it to life with colour! If you are interested in comics or storytelling then this is right up your street for a taster of how to make awesome comics.

Derry

Run DC returns on Sunday 28th April at The Workspace Recreation Centre in Draperstown with a 10k run, a 5k run and a 5k walk.  Every runner will receive a medal and every runner registered before 24th March will also get a race vest.  Every walker gets a medal. Every pre-registered runner will get a goody bag thanks to O’Kanes Chemist and Revive Active. Limited entries are available on the day so arrive early!

Antrim

Join RSPB NI warden and islander Liam McFaul to explore the Roonivoolin reserve on the southern arm of Rathlin Island this Saturday. You’ll enjoy stunning scenery as far as the eye can see, including views of Fair Head and the Mull of Kintyre, and with a bit of luck you’ll also spot Irish hares.

Belfast

DU Dance (NI) are once again delighted to present Unanimous – the eighth platform event showcasing great new youth dance theatre at The MAC, Belfast Sunday 28 April 2019.  This event brings together some of the best youth dance groups from across the island of Ireland with other inspiring companies in a non-competitive arena.

For more details on these events and to add your events free go to whatsonni.com. Follow us on twitter @whatsonNI and on facebook at fb.com/www.whatsonni for news, competitions and what’s on near you.  

Jacqueline McGonigle

REASONS TO CHOO CHOOSE WHITEHEAD RAILWAY MUSEUM THIS EASTER

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This Easter Whitehead Railway Museum will be open for an extended run including both Easter Monday and Tuesday. Opening times each day are 10am to 4pm with conducted tours at 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm. Self-guided tours are also available.

Whitehead Railway Museum will be playing host to the Easter Eggspress special from Belfast. The RPSI steam train, hauled by recently restored engine No. 131, will be operating Monday April 22, making two round trips from Belfast. The train departs Lanyon Place at 11.30am and again at 2.30pm and will be at Whitehead Railway Museum for 45 minutes from 12.15pm and again from 3.15pm.

An extra attraction for people living in the East Antrim area is the Belfast Shopper – a trip by steam train that gives you a full day in Belfast – where you can shop, visit some of the attractions and have a leisurely lunch. The train leaves Whitehead Railway Museum at 9.55am on April 22 and returns from Lanyon Place at 5pm, and you can sip a cup of coffee as the train skirts the shoreline of Belfast Lough. The train calls to collect passengers at Carrickfergus at 10.10am.

Acting General Manager at Whitehead Railway Museum, Siobhan Dillon, said: “We are thrilled to announce our timetable for the Easter weekend at Whitehead Railway Museum. Any time where we can open our doors to the public for an extended period feels special, and we wanted to mark the occasion with as many activities as possible.

“We had a record number of visitors on April 6 when we held a 100th birthday party for our little blue shunting engine No. 3BG Guinness. Now we’re keen to build on that memorable occasion and have a record Easter. We are offering lots of different attractions which will appeal not just to railway enthusiasts but to the public looking for a day out with a difference.”

The highly acclaimed Edwardian Tea Room will be offering a special Easter menu with a range of new dishes over the weekend. The Tea Room opens from 10.15am serving homemade lunches, snacks and teas and coffees. For more information about the Museum and to book tickets for the Easter Eggspress steam train, visit https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/

OFFERS OF THE WEEK

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Northern Ireland boasts an irresistible collection of places to stay including beautiful B&Bs, luxurious spa hotels and great value self-catering properties. Discover NI has selected the best offers of the week to help you plan a short break.

  • One night B&B, Ashbrook House B&B, Co. Tyrone from £45 per person sharing.  

Enjoy a romantic getaway to the quiet countryside for a break to relax and recharge. A friendly welcome awaits you at Ashbrook House, a family-run, new build Bed and Breakfast offering a very high standard of accommodation.  Stroll around the grounds and meet the alpacas Tom and Teddy as well as miniature horses and chickens.  The B&B is nestled in a tranquil rural setting and conveniently located just 15 minutes from the historic town of Dungannon.  This package includes bed & breakfast, a bottle of Prosecco and a cream tea on arrival and full use of the lounge. To book call 028 8555 7158.  Offer available until 30th April.

  • Two nights B&B, Armagh City Hotel, Co. Armagh from £245 per room

Enjoy an Easter break with the family at the Armagh City Hotel.  With panoramic views over a historic landscape, the hotel is perfectly positioned as the ideal place to soak up the sights and sounds of Ireland’s oldest city.  Guests can enjoy delicious modern Irish cuisine in the Friary Restaurant and unwind in the state of the art health and leisure club.  This offer is based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing and includes a two night stay with full Irish Breakfast each morning, use of the hotel’s Leisure facilities, a £50 meal voucher, and a family ticket to either Armagh Planetarium or Navan Centre & Fort. To book call 028 3751 8888.  Offer available until 26th April.

  • One night B&B ‘stay and play’ deal, Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Co. Down from £125 per room

Just a short distance from the scenic Mourne Mountains, Millbrook Lodge is a family owned hotel, where the charm of a beautiful Georgian building has been carefully integrated with modern comfort and amenities. The sixteen individually designed bedrooms offer superior comfort and convenience, while the surrounding six acres of beautifully landscaped gardens provide a setting of perfect tranquillity for photographs. This package is based on two persons sharingand includes a one night stay with breakfast as well as one round of golf in either the Spa Golf Club or St Patrick’s Golf Club. To book call 028 9756 2828. Offer available until 31st December.

things to do in Northern Ireland (22 – 28 April 2019)

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  1. World Tattoo Festival, Lisburn, 26 – 28 April. Celebrating tattoo culture both nationally and internationally, the festival at the Eikon Exhibition Centre will feature over 300 leading international and local artists, including celebrity tattooist Megan Massacre, world famous multi-skilled performance group the Fuel Girls, international performers,  musicians, art exhibits, and much more.
  2. The Belfast Music Tour, Belfast, 27 April. The Belfast Music Tour is a journey across the city revealing the music, the artists and the landscape that help bring Belfast’s unique character to life.  The two-hour bus trip starts at the beautifully restored Ulster Hall, home to the Ulster Orchestra and host to many iconic acts over the years, including Led Zeppelin’s first ever performance of Stairway to Heaven in 1971. This is definitely a tour that anyone interested in music will want to know about.
  3. Easter Fun Day, Limavady, 22 April. Experience a fun and unique family day out this Easter at Foylehov Activity Centre. There are some great prizes to be won in our Easter Egg Hunt and lots of fun Easter themed team and mini-games. Take part in action-packed activities including Laser Combat, Laser Clay Pigeon Shooting and Football Golf.
  4. Pizza and Pottery Night, Bangor, 25 April.  The popular Pizza & Pottery nights begin with a class where a potter will give a demo of throwing a pot on the wheel before teaching a hand building class. After making your very own pot you will be shown through to the café, to enjoy handmade artisan pizza. Bring your own bubbly or wine too!
  5. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Omagh, 25 April. ‘On Your Doorstep’ is a very special opportunity to catch a full symphony orchestra in the intimate surroundings of your local arts theatre. Featuring pieces by Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and Bruch, the programme brings the Ulster Orchestra’s passion and magic to every corner of Northern Ireland. With world class soloists and guest conductors, there’s no better time than to give the Orchestra a go.
  6. Rampage, Magherafelt, 27–28 April.  Jungle NI host their third “Rampage Weekender” event, one of Ireland’s coolest obstacle adventure races.  Get ready to leap into some gut busting obstacles, lashings of mud, with a fantastic picturesque location, followed by an awesome after party and camping.
  7. Easter at HMS Caroline, Belfast, 19-28 April. Explore the famous ship through the exciting Easter Trail inspired by Blücher the Bunny, a naughty rabbit who lived on board during the First World War.  Find out more about life at sea for the men who lived on board, test your skills with the interactive exhibits and visit the Mess Deck Café for some tasty treats.
  8. Easter Celebrations at the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, 21–23 April. Stallholders, shopkeepers, travelling journeymen and a host of characters will keep you amused for hours on end this Easter as you stroll down Ulster Street witnessing the sights, smells and sounds of a busy market day in late 19th century Ulster. Try your hand at traditional crafts, enjoy storytelling sessions, taste seasonal treats, giggle at Punch and Judy, have a go at egg and spoon races or take horse and cart rides.
  9. Cruise the Lough at Crom Estate, Enniskillen, 22 April. See a different side to the spectacular Crom Estate from the waters of Lough Erne.  Cruise around in Crom’s 100 year old traditional craft, taking in the beauty and serenity of the Fermanagh Lakelands.  This event is weather dependent and booking is essential.
  10. Bubble Show Milkshake And The Bubble Flower, Belfast, 22–23 April. A brand-new show, combining bubble skills and theatrical storytelling, featuring Dr Bubble and Milkshake.  Every year tens of thousands of families and children flock to revisit their favourite characters in their latest adventures in different cities all over the globe. It’s the ideal family show, perfect for all ages.

For more information on these events or to plan a short break in Northern Ireland, visit www.DiscoverNorthernIreland.com.

#BangorsBigEaster is rolling into town!

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The sun is set to shine on Bangor this Easter weekend with lots on offer to excite and entertain all the family.

Easter Saturday will be the biggest day of the weekend with Peter Rabbit making appearances throughout the day at the Town Hall where children can take part in crafts and workshops, a warrior assault course and lots more activities to entertain kids of all ages.

At Ward Park’s Bandstand Hotch Potch Tiny Tours will celebrate the magic of nature with installations and storytelling and stilt walking like you’ve never seen it before. Just cross the lawns from at Band Stand at Bangor Library, storytelling sessions will take place throughout the day.

You’ll be able to get your skates on for the roller disco at Project 24 starting at 1pm and running throughout the day until 5pm. Roller skates are provided and Queen’s Parade will come alive with the sounds of disco!

On Easter Sunday, the Ulster Youth Orchestra will set-up their instruments at the Band Stand at Ward Park putting on a performance between 3-5pm. Bring along a picnic and enjoy the music al fresco!

Peter Rabbit returns to Ward Park on Easter Monday making appearances throughout the day alongside Hotch Potch Tiny Tours and interactive dance fun and exercise with Jump, Jiggle and Jive. ‘Shed of Stories’ pop-up library will be bringing books to life with storytelling.

The pop-up roller disco will open once again at Project 24 skating to the sounds of the 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties while an Easter trail and crafts will take place at North Down Museum.

Throughout the weekend Main Street and High Street will have Easter themed fun in conjunction with Bangor Chamber and Main Street My Street.

There’s a packed line-up of events taking place throughout Easter weekend in Bangor. For full details go to www.visitardsandnorthdown.com

THINGS TO DO IN BELFAST: BELFAST ONE EASTER EGG HUNT

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BELFAST CITY CENTRE EASTER EGG HUNT

Explore Belfast City Centre with the kids this Easter and hunt down 10 coloured Easter Eggs hidden in local shops, cafes and restaurants, for a chance to win a family prize package worth £300*. The Easter Egg Hunt runs from Friday 12 to Sunday 28 April.

The Family Prize Package includes £150 toy shop vouchers, restaurant vouchers and cinema passes and, for your chance to win, all you have to do is find six or more Easter Eggs and tell Belfast One what colour they are by posting your entry, available online or at any one of the 10 egg locations, in a Belfast One post box located around the city centre, by emailing your entry to info@belfastone.co.uk, or by posting it to Belfast One BID Ltd, Scottish Provident Building, 7 Donegall Square West, Belfast, BT1 6JH.

If you share your pictures of the Easter Egg Hunt on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #BelfastEggHunt you could be in with the chance of winning one of two £50 vouchers for a shop of your choice in the Belfast One area.

Download your Easter Egg Hunt sheet at www.BelfastOne.co.uk/Easter or pick one up at any of the egg locations!

Winners will be chosen at random by Belfast One on 2 May. For more information and to download your clue map visit www.belfastone.co.uk/easter, www.facebook.com/belfastone, www.instagram.com/belfastone_, www.twitter.com/belfastBID

Award-winning performer returns to the MAC

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Renowned writer, director, actor and musician, Cora Bissett returns to the MAC on 1-5 May for her latest show, What Girls Are Made Of.

Following an award-winning, sold out premiere at Traverse Festival 2018, What Girls Are Made Of comes to the MAC as part of a UK and worldwide tour, before heading to Brazil and the USA.

Written and performed by Cora Bissett, co-creator and director of the acclaimed Glasgow Girls, which visited the MAC in 2017, What Girls Are Made Of  takes audiences back to 1992 to tell the autobiographical story of Cora’s rollercoaster journey from Fife schoolgirl to indie singer.

Directed by former Traverse Artistic Director, Orla O’Loughlin, the show celebrates the euphoric highs (touring with Radiohead, partying with Blur) and epic lows (untrustworthy managers, £40,000 debt) of Bisset’s young life, poignantly interspersed with the personal losses and gains of her adult life.  Now a mother herself, Bissett draws from her own teenage diaries to question what wisdom we should pass on to the next generation, and which mistakes we should let them make for themselves.

Performed with a live backing band and packed full of 90s indie tunes from Nirvana, Blur, Sultans of Ping, Radiohead and Throwing Muses, What Girls Are Made Of  promises to be a fun night out,  bringing audiences on a trip down memory lane and giving them an insight into what life in the music industry is really like.

Speaking about the show, Cora Bisset said: ‘I never imagined that last year when I started wading through the old diaries and piecing together this story into a play, that we would end up this year with a tour traversing Scotland and Northern Ireland and ending up in Brazil and the USA! I’m really excited to take the show on the road and particularly back to my old home turf in Fife, where I was born and went to school.

The play starts in Glenrothes and charts my teenage self, looking for the big adventure that life might hold. I was overwhelmed by the response we got in Edinburgh last year, where it seemed to resonate with everyone from teenage girls, to middle-aged men and women with teenage kids, and to older people who felt that teenage self rekindled. It seemed to be everyone’s story. 

It tickles me that a story about an indie kid from Fife somehow clicked with theatre programmers in Sao Paulo and South Carolina, who want to share it with their audiences.  Maybe that’s because, although it speaks in broad Fife-isms, it also speaks in universalities. It’s about growing up, and not wanting to be anyone’s puppet. It’s about making big leaps of faith and failing monumentally. It’s about searching in the dark for years for what the hell you’re meant to be doing. It’s about losing loves, losing faith, losing parents, losing weight, hitting the depths and working out how you build yourself back up again. It’s about being a girl, bringing up a girl, trying to be a woman, and trying to work out how to pass something on that is actually useful. It’s about celebrating imperfection, not homogenisation. It’s human, it’s truthful, it’s a total ‘riddy’, but it’s life, and it seems to be a bit about us all. Maybe that’s why we are touring from Fife to far, far away. I can’t wait to see how audiences take to the show in different corners of the world.’

Tickets for What Girls Are Made Of at the MAC are on sale now at themaclive.com or call the box office on 028 90235053.

Jacqueline shares her pick of what’s on this Easter weekend across NI

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Down

Bangor’s BIG Easter weekend will feature some of your favourite storybook characters, Mr McGregor’s Garden, children’s workshops, Hotch Potch Tiny Tours, the Easter Bunny, storytelling, Puppet Shows and more!  The highlight of the weekend will be Milkshake Live! Monkey’s Milkshake Musical on Saturday 20th April at the McKee Clock Arena.

Armagh

Join the living history team at the Navan Centre’s live action interpretation of the Three Billy Goats Gruff 20th to 23rd April  – the perfect Easter experience for all the family!  Trip-trap went the Three Billy Goats Gruff on their adventure to find some lovely green grass! 

Fermanagh

On the 20th and 21st April Share Discovery Village invites you to join them on their Happy Easter Family Cruise.  Come on board the Inishcruiser for a 1.5 hour cruise on Upper Lough Erne, while cruising enjoy light refreshments and Easter themed entertainment.  A perfect Easter day out.

Tyrone

On the 20th April, drop in to Ranfurly House, Market Square in Dungannon and create a cute little bunny this Easter. Using lots of collage materials and your imagination, you will create a colourful bunny to take home. 

Derry

Join resident sand sculptor Tony on Portstewart Strand Saturday 20th April, as he demonstrates the art of sand sculpting. Have a go at creating your own! The theme is ‘creatures of the sea’. Usual National Trust site admission charges apply.

Antrim

Hop aboard the Easter Eggspress for an egg-citing adventure from Belfast to Whitehead this Easter, 20th to 22nd April. You’ll be greeted by the bouncing Easter Bunny and made comfortable on board the steam train. With fun for all the family and, of course, lots of yummy Easter eggs for those egg-cellently behaved little ones, it’s a trip that you won’t want to miss out on!

Belfast

Hop on over to Belfast Zoo this Easter for a ‘zooper’ day out from 20th to 28th April.  Visit all your favourite animals for their Easter treats at feeding times and call by the keeper talks to find out more about the species that the zoo cares for.  Don’t forget to search high and low for the Easter egg trail to be in with the chance of winning a special prize, and pose with our mascot characters for a seasonal selfie.

For more details on these events and to add your events free go to whatsonni.com. Follow us on twitter @whatsonNI and on facebook at fb.com/www.whatsonni for news, competitions and what’s on near you.  

Jacqueline McGonigle

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