Set your brows to high for the literary stage, get your slam-poetry kicks or have a Jamaican feast with the Electric Picnic's non-musical offerings, writes ROSEMARY MAC CABE
ELECTRIC PICNIC is, without a doubt, the most eclectic of Ireland’s summer festivals, providing music, food, comedy, theatre, poetry, literature readings, debates, demonstrations, workshops and various other off-programme events.
For those of you who fancy a little distraction from the great outdoors of Stradbally, the cinema tent has a weekend-long programme of films. If you have children in tow, Alvin and the Chipmunks is the perfect choice. Burn After Reading is definitely a good option, Audrey Tatou’s adorable turn in Priceless (Hors de Prix) will add some sunshine to proceedings, and you can end the weekend with Heath Ledger’s star turn (left) in The Dark Knight. Films are shown at various times and repeated over the weekend.
This year’s Arts Council literary stage is curated by Dermot Bolger, and includes treats from a selection of literary giants. Drop in for Roddy Doyle’s appearance (Saturday, 3.30pm), or on Sunday at the same time for a discussion with author and historian Diarmaid Ferriter: Occasions of Sin: Sex and Society in Modern Ireland. Our top literary pick? Take a moment to absorb the lyrical prose of Man Booker prize winner John Banville (Sunday, 2.45pm).
For those of you whose literary love extends about as far as a trip to the café in Waterstone’s, why not broaden horizons at The Word, the slam poetry stage? Poetry Ireland will be making its presence known with readings from Gerry Murphy, Máighréad Medbh and Michael Kearney (Saturday, 3.15pm and Sunday, 3.30pm), or check out the Slam contest (Sunday, 4.30pm).
Bring your patriotism to the picnic with a trip to the Irish language stage, An Puball Gaeilge. But don’t expect recitations from Jimín; instead, take in some sexy sean nós on Saturday evening or Irish drama from Manchán Magan, Broken Croí – Heart Briste (Sunday, 6pm).
If you missed Waiting for IKEA (left) in 2007’s Fringe Festival, here’s a chance to catch it again (Friday, 7pm), one of many shows on the theatre stage. Moonshine Travellers (Saturday, 5.45pm) will give you a look at life as a festival roadie, and you can appreciate the relative calm of being at the Picnic strictly as an observer.
If that sounds a little too tame, however, take a wander over to Thisispopbaby, a combination of music, theatre and art, at Stradbally for its second year. This year it’s Poptopia, billed as blurring the lines of gender and genre and guaranteed to be worth seeing. Our recommendation? Transmission Panti – Dublin’s favourite drag act (below) presents a live TV chat show with guests including Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh.
When you find yourself feeling peckish, you’re in luck. Trenchtown, a Jamaican village in the heart of the festival grounds, will provide a range of Caribbean products, from tropical fruit to jerk chicken.
As for Sunday brunch, look no further than Eat In (Sunday, 1pm), organised by the Slow Food movement.
If all that eating has you in the mood for movement, why not indulge in some yoga in the Body and Soul area, put yourself through a gruelling routine with Bootcamp Ireland, or learn some MTV-style street dance moves with dance instructor Jane Shortall? Or exercise your vocal chords; the spoken-word segment will host debates on popular topics, presented by David McWilliams: what could go wrong? Thankfully, lots. Expect heated discussions on the value of Europe, capitalism and gay marriage: Culture Wars: The Final Front? Gay Marriage and Adoption (Sunday, 5pm).
This year’s comedy stage sees star turns from a variety of Irish comedians, but the main draw for many is Tommy Tiernan, below, (Saturday, 8pm) at the Stradbally Laughs stage.
If that’s not enough to whet your appetite, check out the goings-on at the Global Green, a place “to relax, explore and reflect on critical issues and ponder how we might green up our lives”. Play Bingo with Amnesty International (below), learn about ethical fashion with Re-Dress, and rethink your old electric waste with WEEE Ireland, along with a host of other ethically-themed events.
And how about some science to liven up your Sunday? Trinity College Dublin’s Science Gallery will be running workshops over the weekend ranging from bubbles (what makes the perfect bubble?) to mind-control games and space (the final frontier).
Check out the Stardome (Sunday, 1pm-6pm), an inflatable planetarium, in conjunction with Blackrock Castle Observatory, for some chilled-out science.
Taking a break from the music is well worth it, not only for your eardrums but also to give you a chance to explore the world of live performance and arts assembled in Stradbally.
Go to a poetry reading, attend a lively debate, check out some of our home-grown comedians or just take a few minutes to lie back and look at the stars before emerging rejuvenated, and ready for the next event.
