Having sold out last time at the MAC, Looking Deadly is back in Belfast next week for 2 nights only.

The Mac caught up with actor Keith Singelton to chat about the show, the laughs and the love of acting!

How did you come up with the show concept?

Niamh came up with the idea for the show. Niamh is full of ideas. Most of them are good. Niamh worked at a Funeral Directors many moons ago. She used to make the wreathes and apply the make-up to the deceased. It was during this time that the first seed for ‘Looking Deadly’ was sewn.

What can we expect on the night?

I’d say expect a whole heap of laughs, bags of characters, a top storyline and two performers sweating as if they were doing a marathon, but in fact, they are just spinning a coffin.

Tell us a little about your character. 

Which one? We both play many. I’ll tell you about Paddy & Eddie. I love them in the play. They are two oul lads who have got one eye on the free bar and one eye on the widow. Old and decrepit, that won’t stop them from getting the most out of a sad occasion, even it means fighting each other to the death!

Do you find it hard to keep a straight face when acting such hilarious scenes?

We pull so many faces during the show and hardly any of them are straight! I think the show moves at such a pace that there’d be no time for finding ourselves hilarious. Niamh is the funniest person I know and I’m constantly laughing with / at her, but once the show starts we are in the zone! And by zone, I mean, biting our lips works well.

What do you love most about being an actor?

The attention. My Girlfriend gives me none. She did at the start but I’m cursing the day she learned how to ‘switch off’. Ah no, I love the variety. One week I could be Peter Pan (admittedly a fairly old looking Peter Pan), the next I could a Funeral Director. I still find acting so exciting. I’m at it fifteen years now and I’m like a kid at Christmas when a new job is about to start.

Why should people come see this show?

Because it is unofficially the greatest show EVER! Or, because it’s no fun performing to no people. Ahem, or…. It’s superbly entertaining. Jam packed with the craic but also full of heart. It’s only an hour long but you might be wondering how we get so much into the hour. Sometimes, we do the show in fifty seven minutes, but that’s only when Niamh has been eating Pick ‘n’ Mix.

One of music’s true legends, Sir Van Morrison, returns to the Millennium Forum on Sunday 6 May as part of The City of Derry Jazz Festival

 

The multi award winning singer, composer and performer will be showcasing songs from his most recent studio albums Roll with the Punches and Versatile – as well as dipping into some of his greatest and best known hits from undoubtedly one of the most revered back catalogues in music history.

Late last year Van Morrison released two albums, Roll with the Punched and Versatile, positive proof that Van Morrison is built differently to other artists. One of very few British recording artists to warrant the description ‘living legend’, Van is currently working at a rate to put musicians a third of his age to shame; an ethic that harks back to his early days as a recording artist who’d easily release multiple brilliant long players within the space of a year.

While Roll with the Punches saw Van revisit many of the definitive rhythm and blues records that have stayed with him all his life, Van’s latest album Versatile, sees him delve further back into recorded music’s archives to interpret some of the 20^th century’s greatest vocal jazz standards.

“Recording songs like these – especially the standards – gave me the chance to stretch out vocally and get back to the music that originally inspired me to sing – jazz!” – Van Morrison

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr. Maolíosa McHugh said he is delighted Van Morrison is making a long awaited return to the City of Derry Jazz Festival in 2018 saying it was a huge coup for the festival. He said:

“The Council, as organisers of the City of Derry Jazz Festival, is delighted to be working alongside the Millennium Forum & MCD to secure this top quality act for the festival. The last time Van Morrison performed as part of the Jazz Festival was back in 2012 and we are delighted to have him back this year. We are confident he will be a huge draw for jazz and blues music fans from all over the island of Ireland and are looking forward to another hugely successful May Bank Holiday weekend of festival fun.”

Don’t miss this very special performance by one of music’s most inspirational artists at this year’s City Of Derry Jazz Festival.

Tickets go on-sale this Friday, 19 January at 9am and are priced £64.50 and £70.50.  Telephone the Box Office on 71 264455 or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.

A sea of red runners & walkers to take over Stormont

Northern Ireland’s only ‘Red Dress Run’ is set to return for the second year to Stormont Estate this February. Chris Henry, local and international Rugby Player joined in on the launch alongside Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke to encourage the public to dress in red and take part in the event at Stormont Estate on 10^th February 2018.

This year’s event will see hundreds of flamboyantly dressed men, women and children take part in a 5k or 10k walk or run.  The event, which was launched last year, aims to raise awareness of, as well as funds to help combat, the biggest single* killer of men and women in Northern Ireland – heart disease.

Jackie Trainor, Director of Fundraising at Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke said:  “We’re delighted to see the return of our Red Dress Run following the huge success of last year’s event.  We are calling on all men and women to join in and take part and wear anything red to walk, run, or even crawl and join in the fun.  All runners and walkers of all abilities are welcome and each will receive a medal, hearty bowl of veggie soup and fun morning out with the best craic!”

Jackie continued.  “Taking part in the Red Dress Run and raising vital funds will ensure that Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke will be at the forefront in raising awareness on heart disease.  85% of our work relies on donations from the public, without your support we couldn’t be here making a difference!”

Those who register before 15^th January will be automatically entered into a draw to win a midweek overnight stay for two at the award winning four star Clandeboye Lodge Hotel, including dinner at the Coq&Bull brasserie and a full English breakfast.

Registration is now open.  Enter online now to receive early bird rate of £10 per entry.  Register online at www.nichs.org.uk/reddressrun  for more information visit ‘Red Dress Run’ event on Facebook.

Local singer songwriter Janet Dowd returns to The Market Place Theatre in Armagh on Friday 19 January, following the success of her latest release ‘Home’.

 

All three of her albums to date have taken the Number 1 spot in Irish Music Magazine’s Top 10 Folk Albums and the track ‘John Condon’ was named ‘Song Of The Year’ on BBC Radio.

Over the years Janet has shared the stage with legends such as Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie [Fairport Convention] and Tom Leary [Lindisfarne].

Janet will be joined by her band for an evening of folk ballads and foot stomping tunes.

Tickets for this concert are priced £10, and can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre

And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has launched its new Arts Guides for the spring season.

Featuring a wide range of artistic workshops, exhibitions and theatre, the new guides have lots to choose from over the next couple of months.

The launch was attended by the Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Joan Baird OBE, who said: “I would encourage adults and children to start the New Year by visiting our fantastic cultural venues. We are so fortunate to have Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart and Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady, and with a wide variety of events taking place from now until March it is a great opportunity to make a visit and see what is on offer.”

Event highlights at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre include the return of the World Illustration Awards exhibition from Saturday 10^th March until Saturday 7^th April. Local artist Amanda Walker will exhibit her work until Saturday 24^th February alongside pieces by Derry print workshop artists.

Theatrical highlights include performances from the Kabosh Theatre Company and Cahoots NI whilst music fans are in for a treat with concerts from The Fureys on Friday 23^rd February and The 4 of Us on Saturday 3^rd March.

Events at Flowerfield Arts Centre include the acclaimed O Duo! Musicians who will present a unique family event on Sunday 18^th February. Internationally acclaimed musician Jim Mullen will perform on Thursday 1^st March alongside the Ronnie Greer Organ Band. Art exhibitions include the Northern Ireland Photographic Association whose prints will be on display from Saturday 24^th February until Friday 23^rd March. Following this, a series of new paintings by local artist Sarah Carrington will run from Saturday 31^st March until Saturday 26^th May.

Call into your local Council venue to pick up your guide or download it directly to your smartphone, tablet or computer from the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, Flowerfield Arts Centre and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council websites

As people across Northern Ireland are already fledging on their New Year’s Resolutions an online learning and training platform has set the “Learn 31 New Things In January” challenge.

TrainingMatchmaker.com, founded by Belfast marketer Christine Watson, has launched it’s #LearnuaryNI campaign encouraging people to share one thing they’ve learned or can teach to others each day.

Research states that January is more often than not the most depressing month of the year.  Not just that, it’s also the one month every year where most people try to change their lives for the better.   From New Year’s resolutions about health, wellbeing and career choices to pledges of sobriety, ambition and learning, Christine believes January is the perfect month for people to “try something new”.

Her company TrainingMatchmaker.com offers trainers and learners a place to congregate, to search for and list training opportunities across Northern Ireland and beyond.

She said: “We’re really excited about our TrainingMatchmaker.com soft launch this month and #LearnuaryNI is the perfect opportunity for people to take the plunge and think about what they want to learn or teach in 2018.

“We’re encouraging people to join the conversation on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat.  Whether people are making observations about their day and what they have learned along the way or whether they are offering snippets of learning from their online training courses or face to face workshops we hope they will use our #LearnuaryNI hashtag to inspire others taking part in the campaign either as learners, educators or spectators.”

She added: “Don’t panic if you were not on board from January 1st or if you can’t commit to a daily learning or teaching. The campaign will run until February 14 to give people the opportunity to share 31 individual posts.”

 

To get people ready for their #LearnuaryNI campaign here are Christine’s top 3 social media sharing tips:

1. Challenge your creativity

When creating your #LearnuaryNI posts don’t forget to use all the formats available for creating content.  From sharing photographs, word based statuses and memes to gifs, video and Live. Being diverse with your content will help capture the attention of your followers. Most social media platforms have their own free online training courses from Facebook Blueprint to Google Digital Garage and Snapchat Explore all of which you can find links to on TrainingMatchmaker.com.

2. Don’t break the rules

Each social media platform has its own set of rules that, if broken, can penalise your profile or page and your content in terms of its visibility on users’ newsfeed’s.  For example, late in December Facebook announced new penalties for users requiring shares and tags in posts.  You can find more information on how to keep your digital skills up to date on TrainingMatchmaker.com throughout January.

3. Cramming is ok

If you have a big contract, holiday plans or are worried about being present on social media every day in January think about using scheduling tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer and even Facebook’s pre-scheduled post options to fill in the blanks.  To learn more information on scheduling tools and how to use them check out TrainingMatchmaker.com throughout January.

For more information log onto www.TrainingMatchmaker.com/LearnuaryNI or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn or SnapChat.

 

Titanic Belfast is again opening its doors to help locals beat the January blues by giving away complimentary tickets for local residents for the 14^th January 2018.

Titanic Belfast’s NI Citizens’ Day event on 14^th January will provide the opportunity for over 2,000 locals to visit or re-visit the world-class landmark right on their doorstep. Golden ticket winners will get the chance to enjoy the Titanic Experience, which tells the story of the Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to her famous maiden voyage and tragic end, as well as SS Nomadic, free-of-charge.
Judith Owens, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, said, “At Titanic Belfast, we have continued to go from strength to strength, having been awarded the title of World’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the prestigious World Travel Awards last year and are currently experiencing our busiest year to date – we know we couldn’t have done it without local support. To say thank you and to show our appreciation, we are throwing our doors open for ‘golden ticket’ winners on 14^th January to encourage those who have or haven’t visited to be a tourist at home and enjoy the world-class experience on their doorstep!”

Tickets will be allocated via a prize draw. To enter to win these golden tickets to beat the January blues and experience one of the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction, visit www.titanicbelfast.com/citizensday and register before midnight 7^th January. Winners will be notified week commencing 8^th January 2018.

Described by The Guardian as “an inspiring testament to the Titanic and the city that built it”, more than four million people from around the world have already visited Titanic Belfast since opening in 2012. For more information, visit www.titanicbelfast.com.

BANISH THE WINTER BLUES AT THE EUROPA HOTEL FROM ONLY £95 PER ROOM

Includes overnight accommodation for two and full Irish breakfast

The Europa Hotel has launched a fabulous flash sale giving people the chance to enjoy an overnight getaway in January from only £95* per room.

This great price includes luxurious overnight accommodation for two people and full Irish breakfast the following morning.

The Europa Hotel is superbly located in the heart of Belfast city centre, boasts a delightful choice of dining options for guests and is the perfect base to enjoy a spot of sightseeing, shop ‘til you drop or a night at the theatre.

This fantastic offer is available on selected dates in January and can be booked by calling the Europa Hotel on 028 9027 1066 and quoting FLASHBB.

 

*Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply. Based on two people sharing a classic room.