Pick of the Festival: week 1

Well, it's festival time! We are finally here. We've been cooking it up for the last 12 months and it's finally about to begin.

At the beginning of each week I will give you my personal recommendations of how to get the best out of the festival programme and pack the most in. One of the reasons we expanded the festival to 3 weeks this year was so there would be fewer programme clashes and the audience could see as much as possible.

Festival highlights in week1 include The Lord Mayor's Picnic in the Park, Spencer Tunick, the Abbey Theatre's production of The Seafarer at Cork Opera House, two amazing pieces of site-specific theatre Braakland and Sensazione and ends with the start of this year's superb Irish Examiner Spiegeltent programme. But with so much else going on this week how do you even begin to choose what else to go and see? Here's my ultimate guide to getting the best out of the festival programme this week:

SUNDAY
Festival time is all about bringing people together so get down to Fitzgerald's Park with family and friends for the biggest lazy Sunday of the year at The Lord Mayor's Picnic in the Park. The action starts at noon and there's loads of fun to be had. Bring your own picnic or fill your face with the fantastic produce on sale from local Cork food producers. We can't guarantee the weather but we can guarantee there'll be a great atmosphere and that you'll bump into loads of old friends. Maybe you'll even make plans for what you'll see together during the festival...

MONDAY
Start the day by taking the Audio Detour - a fantastic alternative guided walk of Cork. Audio Detour starts at the box office in Merchant's Quay Shopping Centre, it lasts 30 minutes and starts throughout the day from 11am till 5pm. It's the perfect thing to do with a lunch break or for an afternoon off and it runs for the entire festival.

At lunchtime have a look in at Rory Gallagher Place. We've got a great street theatre act called The Duke's Box. It's a giant jukebox with a real Country & Western group inside. Choose a song from the menu (all songs cost 1 Euro - which goes to charity) and enjoy The Duke's Box unique country-style rendition!

At 7.30pm get along to the Granary Theatre to catch the first preview performance of End of the Line - it's a great new play from Romania and stars renowned Romanian actor Dan Tudor (he's also very good-looking girls!) and Cork born actress Jody O'Neil. You'll be sure to laugh and cry. Tickets are only E10 on Monday. It's just over an hour long so there'll be plenty of time to get to the Cork Arts Theatre to catch Snatch Comedy Improv at 9.30pm. These guys are great and this year they are improvising an entire play from scratch each night! You the audience get to decide what the play will be about and each night will be totally different. So why not take advantage of this special offer - if you come back to see Snatch Comedy on Tuesday or Wednesday just show your ticket stub from a previous night and you'll get a 50% discount!

TUESDAY
Yes, it's here folks! Those of you brave people who have signed up for Spencer Tunick will be setting the alarm early to take part in the biggest participatory art event that Ireland has ever seen. If you're not making this piece of art history then you're sure to see it in the press later on in the day.
After Spencer Tunick get some sleep so you are nice and fresh for the first night of The Seafarer at Cork Opera House. It's a great new play by Conor McPherson in a stunning production from the Abbey Theatre.

WEDNESDAY
Stuck for something to do at lunchtime? Then get yourself along to the Unitarian Church on Princes Street for Life Shop Till You Drop - a girl's guide to lifestyle shopping, it's the perfect piece of lunchtime theatre.
There's loads more on that evening. If you've already caught The Seafarer, then why not try Earthangel/Lake Time - a double bill of two new theatre pieces also at the Unitarian Church. After that you can catch Generic at Patrick's Street Art Gallery (just above Schuh) - this is a durational performance and you are free to come and go at any time (free but donations welcome). You can catch this and then pay a return visit to the Cork Arts Theatre to see what Snatch Comedy are up to tonight.

Meanwhile... on Emmet Place a lorry has arrived and something is being built...

THURSDAY
2 great shows open on Thursday. If you live near Youghal then come down to St. Catherine's Street car park for the Irish premiere of Sensazione - the theatrical funfair. It's a great high-octane show for all the family (height restrictions apply on certain rides) and when bring 2 children and the second goes for free! There's also the opportunity to catch Sensazione in Cork city in week 2 of the festival.
For an amazing and intense theatre experience go and see Braakland. Set in an enormous industrial wasteland you get to the secret location on a bus leaving Pope's Quay. Anyone who is a Corcadoraca fan will love Braakland.

And on Emmet Place a strange and rather beautiful tent has been erected...

FRIDAY
If you're out and about on Grand Parade at lunchtime look out for The Bicycle Ballet at 1pm.
On friday evening you're going to be spoiled for choice. You could catch up on shows you've missed from earlier in the week - perhaps End of the Line, The Seafarer or Braakland.
Or... get yourself down to Emmet Place for the first night of the Irish Examiner Spiegeltent! There are 2 gigs on tonight: at 8pm Cork Meteor Award nominated Indie Rockers Stanley Super 800 play a fantastic evening of Country music cover versions with guest stars a-plenty - Super Stan Goes Country. Come dressed country-style as there are prizes for the best costumes.

At 11pm there's the first night of The Last Resort - our nightly live chat show/cabaret with the fantastic Mr. David Hoyle. You can sing karaoke with the live backing band, enjoy guest appearances but be warned David Hoyle can be truly shocking! One of the most brilliant and acerbic comedians I've ever met, he's sure to be a legend in Cork by this time next week - no sacred cow will go unmolested! His humour is like Eddie Izzard meets Lenny Bruce and he looks like a cross between Alice Cooper and Bette Lynch.


SATURDAY
Saturday is an absolutely action-packed day. Whether you head down to Youghal for Sensazione or pack a few shows in back in Cork city there's something for everyone. If it's your first day at the festival there's loads of the 1st week programme still playing: Braakland, The Seafarer, End of the Line and Snatch Comedy.

The Irish Examiner Spiegeltent goes full throttle today. There's a great family-friendly circus show Circo-Copia at 2pm, followed by what's sure to be one of the most exciting gigs of the year when the legendary Faust play there first Irish gig in nearly a decade (doors 8pm). That's followed at 11pm by The Last Resort. It'll be one cracking night!

Check my blog daily over the next 3 weeks as I give you my festival experiences and daily recommendations. I'll be giving you my exclusive guide the porgramme at the beginning of weeks 2 and 3 as well.

Enjoy the festival!