Theatrical Dublin

In between our cultural and historical trail of Dublin, we somehow managed to fit in a musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The tickets which, we bought during a coffee break, on one of our cultural packed afternoons. The seats we got were amazing three rows from the stage. I met Niamh after work and we had pre-theatre meal near the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, in a restaurant called Herbstreet, literally a stone throw away. We both agreed that we must make a return visit. Then we hopped, skipped and jumped towards the theatre getting into the mood for Priscilla. We had enough time and all to order our intermission drinks and a programme. Jason Donovan was playing the lead character of Tick/Mitzi. The atmosphere in the audience throughout the show was amazing, the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. The show was full of energy, fun, hilarity and the amount of costumes at 500 was unbelievable. Both Niamh and I agreed it was the most over the top, camp yet party filled night out in ages.

Another random fun night out was after our day at the Museums, we decided last minute to do the Ghost Bus of Dublin. We booked online, where we saved 20% off the cost of the ticket. We got collected from Dublin Bus HQ on O'Connell st leaving at 8 pm. The bus had a Gothic interior, with blood red velvet curtain, our driver Francis "Blood-on-the-tyres" Schumacher',and tour guide Nick are in tune with the afterlife. On route we visit certain seedy and creepy buildings, beginning at the College of Surgeons, and a certain Dr Samuel Clossey who is still said to roam the corridors carrying a bucket of human entrails. Here we glimpse the beginning of tonight's major topic of Body Snatching. He operated his school of anatomy, apparently between 1786 and 1803. A tall, mean, overbearing individual, who it seems had eschewed the frivolities of religion and emotion, to revel in the delights of shocking his students - slicing up bodies to show that we are little more than meat. He obtained the majority of his speciems by paying young children to collect bodies buried in fresh graves.     

Next we pass the Shelbourne Hotel, where, in room 526, 'psychic' Sybil Leek allegedly contacted the ghost of one 'Mary Masters' in August 1965. Apparently it happened one night when Sybil was lying in bed and heard a noise that sounded like a little girl crying. She responded to the noise, saying "What is the matter?" and the small child's voice replied "I'm frightened". The  child was Mary Masters who was seven and looking for her bigger sister Sophie, is said to have died from cholera in 1846 and believed to have lived in the buildings which now house the Shelbourne. Legend has it that she refuses to leave.

Our first stop off the bus was at Christchurch Crypt, a part of Dublin so charming in days of auld that it was referred to as Hell. So while we were in Hell,  to the rather startled bemusement of some in the tour, our guide demonstrated using tools and gestures, the practice of body-snatching, whether it was of full bodies for sale to the medical community or merely the removal of teeth and hair from the corpses. While in the crypt, we were told about a prisoner of the name Dr Olocher and he was imprisoned, due to be hanged, for the murder and rape of 35 women. But he was never hanged. In fact, he took his own life within the jail, but that was only where and when the trouble started. When one of the guards was found bloody and unconscious at his post, he came to and told everyone that he was attacked by a monstrous black dog. Soon after, tales of the black dog spread through the taverns and soon these tales escalated after the phantom dog struck again. Therefore the myth of the werewolf began. After hopping back on the bus, we made our way towards St Patricks Cathedral. It's here where we heard the story behind the Lady in White, who it's said still stalks her cruel husband at the Cathedral's graveyard. We jump off at our last port of call, St Kevin's Park formerly St. Kevin's Cemetery where members of Thomas Moore family, the poet, are buried. The ivy-laded church ruins in the centre of the park, apparently houses the ghost of Bishop Dermot O'Hurley executed in Penal Times. High season for bishopric apparitions is said to be July and his feast day been June 20th, the day he was executed. The Bishop was beatified 1992 by Pope John Paul II. After our last hop back on the bus, we exited the bus and tour in Temple Bar. Niamh and Me, both agreed, the tour was great fun, creepy, dark and well worth doing.        

For Halloween, I had tickets for West Side Story in the Bord Gais Theatre. Although only booked since Monday, as happens with life, wasn't sure if I could go, with my usual theatre companion recovering in hospital. I managed to get a last minute replacement Micheál. So with the tickets collected from the box office, we headed for pre-theatre food and drinks at Ely gastro pub, located adjacent to the theatre. We both agreed the food and wine was scrumptious and would have to make a return visit. We strolled over after to the theatre, with perfect timing. West Side Story is based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, in 1950's New York. The musical explores the rivalry between 2 teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The musical contains some of most recognised musical songs including Maria, America, Tonight, and One Hand, One Heart. This particular cast, were amazing and had the ability to flawlessly, incorporate the complex dancing and broadness of the vocal range required. The actor playing the protagonist Tony, Luke Maskell, had an unbelievable voice, which I've rarely heard in any medium or arena.

The actress playing the role of Maria, was the understudy, Charlotte Baptie, in particular in the finale, where Tony get shot, she was just superb. The cast performed this musical to the end, with such, passion, emotion and conviction, making the show such a pleasant yet an emotional one to witness. No wonder West Side Story is regarded as a timeless classic.