Riverbank Arts Centre

13/02/2025

Zervas & Pepper Presents
The Songs of Joni Mitchell

Friday 28 February, 8pm
Tickets €25
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873648008/events

Acclaimed singer/songwriters Zervas & Pepper present 'This Flight Tonight'
an intimate five-piece acoustic live tribute to the music of Joni Mitchell.

Featuring songs such as 'California', 'Blue', 'Woodstock' 'Both Sides Now', 'Coyote', 'Big Yellow Taxi', 'A Case Of You', and many more..
Acclaimed UK singer/songwriters Zervas & Pepper present what they consider to be the nucleus of Mitchell's work, that pivotal break-out period 1968-1976 with the voice, guitar and piano front and centre. Zervas & Pepper’s five piece band perform an intimate acoustic concert that evokes the feeling like the audience is having a private listening session at Joni's house in Laurel Canyon during the summer of love.

13/02/2025

Shane Daniel Byrne
Trouble Denim

Saturday 15 March, 8pm
Tickets €24
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873649921/events

This Irish fella is back after BURSTING onto the Irish scene in 2024. Shane Daniel Byrne is on fire; fresh from sell-out touring in Ireland, UK and Australia.

Pop in and join him for his spicy new show about Jeans, Jackets and Jesus Christ. Expect honey-sweet and coffee-bitter from this award winning comedian.

“Shane Daniel Byrne is very, very funny.”- Broadway World.

“My favourite new Irish comedian for many years.”
David O’ Doherty
“Shane Daniel Byrne is my favourite”
Irish Examiner
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Broadway World
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“Superb as always”
GCN Magazine

13/02/2025

Wildwood

Friday 7 March, 8pm
Tickets: €18/€15
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873651295/events

Bass clarinettist, Deirdre O’Leary, and percussionist, Alex Petcu came together in 2021 to create programmes of funky rhythms and wildly beautiful sounds, full of eccentricity and wit. A new duo with big plans, Alex and Deirdre have played together for many years in Crash Ensemble and other groups. They share a dynamic energy and a passion for innovative performances.

An Irish musician of Romanian origin, Alex Petcu has quickly established himself both nationally and internationally as a percussionist of the finest calibre. His recent appearances as a soloist with both RTÉ orchestras and Irish Chamber Orchestra are some of his main highlights so far.

An active freelance musician, Alex performs with a wide variety of ensembles and in a range of settings including the Crash and Hard Rain Ensembles, Bangers and Crash Percussion, the professional orchestras in Ireland, as a soloist at various festivals, as a theatre musician and much more.

His debut album, Alex Petcu: In Time has recently been released on the RTÉ Lyric FM label.

Clarinet and bass clarinettist, Deirdre O’Leary is best known for her energy on stage and her sensitivity as a chamber and orchestral musician. She was a member of Crash Ensemble from 2003 to 2022, touring internationally and recording. She was a founding member of Prey Trio, touring, commissioning, arranging and devising with them, and subsequently cofounded Cassiopeia Wind Quintet in 2010 with whom she has played many international chamber music festivals and toured Ireland. She has also toured internationally and recorded with Berlin-based s t a r g a z e, and has performed, filmed and recorded two albums with the medieval jazz group Anakronos. She plays regularly with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Irish National Opera orchestra and is working on an ongoing project for the outreach dept. of the National Concert Hall.

Wildwood will host a Graphic Notation Workshop at 6pm on Friday 7 March. Workshop attendees can avail of a complimentary ticket to the live performance.

13/02/2025

An Evening with Michael Harding

Friday 9 & Saturday 10 May, 8pm
Tickets €25
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873648142/events

As he walks the Camino and talks to his father.

Michael Harding’s father had a profound effect on his life. In 2023 Michael walked the Camino de Santiago, and wrote a volume of memoir entitled I Loved Him from the Day He Died. Join Michael as he brings to life the Camino walk and the father who shaped his life.

12/02/2025

The Devil's Spine Band
with Honor Heffernan

Friday 14 March, 8pm
Tickets €20/€18
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650728/events

Leaning heavily into the genre of ‘Dark Cabaret,’ (previously explored with “The Whistling Girl”- settings of Dorothy Parker’s poetry with Honor Heffernan), The Devil’s Spine Band takes its’ lead from Oscar Wilde’s 1882 trip to Leadville Colorado, then explores all things ‘Cowboy’ and ‘Wilde-West’ in an Americana explosion heavily tinged with Trevor Knight’s unique innovative flair. The music features settings of a number of Wilde’s poems together with original lyrics- It’s edgy stuff; improvisational, rockin’; by times ambient electronic and by times a whoopin’ and a hollerin’ kind of an affair, that will take the audience on a unique journey with some of Ireland’s finest musicians and performers.

We encourage dancing of all types and put on that crazy cowboy outfit you’ve always wanted to wear! Much of the music was co-written with Ireland’s finest living blues guitarist Ed Deane (Skid Row. Frankie Miller Band, Dana Gillespie). Ed has featured in all incarnations of The Devil’s Spine Band.

Honor Heffernan (Vocals), Ed Deane (Guitar), Garvan Gallagher (Bass), Tom Jamieson (Drums) and Trevor Knight (Keyboards).

12/02/2025

The opening of Beauty Myths by Olga Anacka takes place Saturday 15 February at 6pm.

Beauty Myths is a collaborative project between Olga Anacka and Riverbank Arts Centre, which invited the artist to undertake an Art Residency, Open Studio, and Exhibition at the McKenna Gallery.

All welcome to attend.

McKenna Gallery
15 February–19 April
Monday-Friday 9.30am-5.00pm | Saturday 10am-4pm
Admission Free

12/02/2025

Anora

Monday 17 February, 8pm
Tickets €7 (early bird) / €9 (on door) / €5 (student)
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650475/events

Charismatic Anora "Ani" Mikheeva lives in Brooklyn and works as a stripper. When Ani meets Ivan - the young, party-loving son of a rich Russian oligarch - Ivan is smitten. He starts paying Ani to become his live-in partner. After a whirlwind few weeks of excess, they get married in Vegas. Everything changes when Ivan’s parents find out and send henchmen to arrange an annulment. Things swiftly turn chaotic, and Ani finds herself dragged along on a bumbling chase across New York City.

The Palme d’Or-winning Anora is the uproarious new comedy-drama from acclaimed filmmaker Sean Baker (The Florida Project). The film mixes farce and sharp class commentary to giddy effect – solidified by Mikey Madison’s magnetic lead performance.

Directed by Sean Baker | 140 mins | Cert 16 | English language

Screenings are presented in association with access > CINEMA and Europa Cinemas

12/02/2025

The Wild Robot

Saturday 22 March, 2pm
Tickets €4
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650710/events

From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot.
The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

Directed by Chris Sanders | 101 mins | Cert PG | English language

This screening is presented in association with access > CINEMA and Europa Cinemas

11/02/2025

Nature Boy: a journey of birdsong & belonging with Seán Ronayne

Saturday 14 June, 7:30pm
Tickets: €16/€14
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873652102/events

How do we protect something we do not love or understand?

Ornithologist Seán Ronayne from Cobh, Co. Cork is on a mission to record the sound of every bird species in Ireland – that’s nearly 200 birds. Often joined by his partner Alba, he travels to some of the country’s most beautiful and remote locations to capture its most elusive species and soundscapes: the busy seabird colony of Skellig Michael; a native woodland free from road noise in the Burren; the corncrake stronghold of Tory Island; a solitary nest in the Donegal uplands.

In this sound-packed, illustrative talk, Seán will bring you on a beautiful journey through Irish birds, sharing their sounds, stories and struggles. Along the way we get to know Seán, whose hypersensitivity to sound has proven both a struggle and a strength. At once inspiring and cautionary, Seán’s journey illustrates the beauty and importance of sound, and what listening can tell us about the state of our natural world, and how it can also heal and nourish the soul.

Expect laughter, expect tears, and expect the unexpected. Not to be missed - you will never look at the world around you in the same way again.

11/02/2025

Gemma Hayes

Thursday 6 March, 8pm
Tickets €25
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873651177/events

2020 saw Gemma Hayes and her family to relocate from London to West Cork in her native Ireland. It was here that she reignited her passion for song-writing that provided the spark for what would become her sixth studio album Blind Faith. “Songs began to murmur, distil and rise up in my mind,” she explains. “I would lock myself in the room, usually late at night when the world was asleep. I knew I needed to capture them before they left me.”

Blind Faith, released in late September 2024, to great acclaim, with Mojo Magazine hailing it as “.. the album of her career..” has delighted old fans and won new followers.

The critics have been universally generous in their praise of Gemma’s new work.

The album’s cover art, designed by the German artist Dirk Wüstenhagen, suggests an artist diving back into her art with conviction and a newfound sense of freedom, perhaps even a bit of reckless abandon.

Hayes’ songs have always drawn their power from her lyrical intimacy and lucidity, juxtaposed with her penchant for experimenting with various sonic textures that embrace both the quiet and the loud.

These hallmarks are on riveting display throughout Blind Faith’s nine compositions, produced by Hayes herself alongside Karl Odlum, David Odlum & Brian Casey.

10/02/2025

Chicken

Thursday 27 March, 8pm
Tickets €20/€18
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650430/events

Don Murphy is a proud Irish man, a hopeless ketamine addict and one of his generation’s greatest actors. He also happens to be a chicken. Across one fateful night, the feathered Oscar winner shares his star-studded story with an intimate audience - from getting his big break, to his first bird on bird sexual experience, to navigating life in the celebrity spotlight. But along the way Don will be confronted with some harsh truths about himself, chicken kind and humankind.

"This show where a woman who plays a chicken who thinks he's an Irishman
is unlike anything you've ever seen." Playbill.

Winner of Best Performer Dublin Fringe 2024, Lustrum Award Edinburgh Fringe 2023, and Filipa Braganca Award Edinburgh Fringe 2023.

Presented by Fringe First winning Irish company Sunday’s Child.

Age restriction: strictly 14+ years
Duration: 1 hour

10/02/2025

Bernard O'Shea
Desperate House Husband

Saturday 22 February, 8pm
Tickets €22
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873648480/events

Bernard O'Shea, the 'Desperate House Husband,' invites you on a hilarious escapade into the stay-at-home parenting world. Brace yourself for comical tales of domestic appliances with sinister intentions, yearning for a peaceful night's rest, and even covert playground reconnaissance operations. It's a laugh-out-loud journey through the trials and tribulations of modern family life!

10/02/2025

TONIGHT

Route 66 Big Band

Saturday 15 February, 8pm
Tickets €22/€20
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650676/events

Route 66 Big Band return to Riverbank Arts Centre. The sixteen-piece band has captivated audiences all over Leinster with their distinct musical style. Their repertoire spans from timeless 1940’s numbers to contemporary hits, all delivered with a vibrant big band flair that promises to ignite the stage. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the magic of Route 66 Big Band live – it's a spectacle that will have you tapping your toes and swaying to the rhythm all night long!

10/02/2025

TONIGHT

Power Alley

Monday 10 February, 8pm
Tickets €7 (early bird) / €9 (on door) / €5 (student)
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650474/events

This p***y and electrifying debut feature from Lilah Halla sees 17-year-old volleyball player Sofia – who is about to be offered a dream scholarship to a college in Chile – discover she is pregnant. She attempts to access an abortion, which is illegal in Brazil, but becomes the target for a religious fundamentalist group who attempt to stop her at all costs - including making her situation public.

Sofia experiences hate crimes and sees her life and her family’s livelihood threatened, but neither she nor those who love her are willing to surrender. As Sofia and her allies resist and challenge an oppressive present, they create a path toward a free future. Together they are powerful in this rebellious triumph.

Directed by Lillah Halla | 92 mins | Cert CLUB | Spanish & Portuguese with English subtitles

Screenings are presented in association with access > CINEMA and Europa Cinemas.

10/02/2025

Kyle Riley Little Folk - On The Road

Saturday 15 March, 12pm
Tickets €10/€36
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650125/events

Kyle’s back with his wildly popular family concert for young children!

Little Folk- On the Road is perfectly suited for 2-7yr olds and their adults. Featuring his award-winning children’s music, catchy kids tunes and proper sing-a-long songs, it’s super fun for the whole family.
It’s a foot stomping, hand clapping, and jumping good time!
The fun doesn’t stop when the show ends, each child gets a little musical goody bag so they can join in during the show and then take some of the experience home.
Kyle’s been writing and performing children’s music for over 10 years. He’s toured Ireland and abroad bringing his entertaining and engaging show to thousands of families.
So bring your rock toddlers, your little boppers, and cool kids to Kyle’s one of a kind family concert.

09/02/2025

Emma Doran
Dilemma!

Wednesday 26 March, 8pm
Tickets €27
Book: https://riverbank.ticketsolve.com/shows/873650661/events

It’s the post-apocalyptic world. There’s only one contraceptive pill left. Do you give it to your 19-year-old daughter or keep it for yourself? Is it better to be a 40-year-old grandmother or a 40-year-old new mum?

These are the dilemmas facing Emma Doran aged 39 and 7/8s, even though the most obvious outcome is neither. If turning 40 is the start of something new, what is it the end of? ... ah here, where’s me v**e?

Emma Doran is one of the most exciting stand-ups to emerge from these shores in years. She’s crammed so much into the last 20 years of her life that she is now officially the voice of 3 generations.

"You’d be mad to miss her"
THE EVENING STANDARD

"Pleasing streak of wickedness"
THE GUARDIAN

09/02/2025

REMINDER

Open Call for Emerging Artist/Group Performance - Kildare Jazz Festival 2025

Are you an emerging artist or group ready to take the stage?
Kildare Jazz Festival is seeking fresh, talented voices in jazz to perform on Friday 4 April 2025 at 7pm in Riverbank Arts Centre.

What we offer:
● A performance slot at Kildare Jazz Festival 2025
● A stipend of €500 / total
● Full house tech support
● Access to all Kildare Jazz Festival performances

Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your talent at one of Ireland's leading jazz events. Apply here: https://forms.gle/uumNpTdCJ9mrys3U6

Applications are open until 5pm on Thursday 20 February. The Open Call is open to Irish or Ireland-based artists. Following a selection process, the successful act will be notified no later than the Tuesday 25 February.

Kildare Jazz Festival is funded by The Arts Council and supported by Riverbank Arts Centre and Kildare County Council Arts Service.

Are you an emerging artist or group ready to take the stage? Kildare Jazz Festival is seeking fresh, talented voices in jazz to perform on Friday 4 April 2025 at 7pm in Riverbank Arts Centre. What we offer: ● A performance slot at Kildare Jazz Festival 2025 ● A stipend of €500 / total ● Full...