What’s At The Whale?

Get in!

iven that there are new acts being added pretty much daily, we thought it wise to start pulling together all The Whale’s new shows in one place.

Because there’s very much something for everyone – including you – it’s good to know what’s on that ever-expanding menu.

You can, of course, jump straight to the source here.

And find out what’s rockin’ all over de town here.

For now though, here’s the latest Whale wonders…

THURS16MAR23 8PM €12/€10 Mr Sands Youth Theatre The Heights
Bray’s fine, upstanding youth theatre Mr Sands will be performing ‘a play about stories’, The Heights, at The Whale on March 16th, centred on Lillie, who lives on the Heights Estate, locked away in her room, imagining the world and its people outside. Fantasy and reality have a tendency to blur and blend in such circumstances though… You can find out just how much right about here.

THURS23MAR23 8PM €20 Delgany National School Variety Show
The talented kids of Delgany National School are putting on a show at The Whale that promises to be something special. Opening with Stephen McLoughlin and Diarmuid Cullen’s 30-min warm-up The Small Hours, the night will include Lucy Nyland delivering some stand-up, Mairead & Lynne O’Connor as The Happy Piano Pear, and past pupil David Pritchard accompanying singers Mary Miles, Janet Clarke and Jamie Lyon on guitar. Plus, of course, a few surprises. Details here.

FRI24-SAT24MAR23 8PM Sold Out Emma Doran Mad Isn’t It
Having played The Hot Spot last year, Emma Doran brings her new show, Mad Isn’t It, to The Whale for two nights. Given that Doran came to comedy relatively late (with over 30 years and three kids under her belt), it’s mad indeed just how quickly the Dublin comedian has risen to, well, selling out two nights at The Whale. Then again, she is one funny fecker. Waiting list here.

SUN26MAR23 11.30AM & 2PM €14 (Family of 4: €50) The WhistleBlast Quartet If You Go Down To The Woods Today
A sell-out at the National Concert Hall’s Family Series, The WhistleBlast Quartet are bringing their latest show full of classic favourites and well-loved characters to sunny Greystones. With a chance for the audience to interact and become part of the show, this should delight any fans of concert music, young and old. Musicians include Mary Curran on French horn, Conor Linehan on piano, Ken Edge on saxophones and clarinets and Oonagh Keogh on violin. Suitable for 4-to-12-year-olds, you can find out more here.

THURS30MAR23 7PM €17.50 National Theatre Live The Life Of Pi
Having made it from best-selling book to award-winning film, Lolita Chakrabarti’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s Life Of Pi is now an Olivier Award-winning play, with puppetry, magic and storytelling combining to produce one of the West End’s biggest hits of recent years. And you can catch the National Theatre production in the comfort of your own local theatre on Thursday, March 30th. Details here.

FRI31MAR23 8PM €15 Best Man
Written by Dublin comedians Mikey Fleming and Colman Hayes, with Best Man, A Few Words Theatre present the story of thirtysomething Cathal, who has spent the last two years watching his friends all settle down. And just as he’s about to give a best man’s speech, Cathal loses it. And then, well, he loses it. Described as ‘funny, dark and maybe a little too real’ by HeadStuff, you can join this big, fat Irish wedding on Friday, March 31st – interview here, details here.

SAT1APR23 8PM €22 Síomha
You can tell a lot about someone by the company they keep. Take Irish singer-songwriter Síomha, for example. For her debut album, Infinite Space – described by The Irish Times as ‘seriously accomplished and self-confident’ – the lady got Grammy-nominated Tyler Duncan behind the desk, and out on the floor, musicians such as Vulpeck’s Joe Dart, Snarky Puppy’s Louis Cato, Toucan’s Martin Atkinson Borrull and Bela Fleck violinist Jeremy Kittel. Which means you’d be a fool to miss Síomha’s gig at The Whale on Saturday, April 1st. Tickets here.

SUN2APR23 1.30PM 4PM Sold Out Joe The Magician It’s Magic!
Having sold out on his visit to The Whale in February 2022, Irish magician Joe Daly has pulled the same trick for his April 2023 shows. The fact that kids tend to walk away gobsmacked and giggling might have something to do with the man’s popularity. You can find out how he keeps it all in pocus with our interview here, and go join that waiting list over here.

THURS13APR23 8PM €12 Greystones Film Club The Whale
It’s the small details about being this big, this helpless, this frightened, this alone, that The Whale (USA/16/116mins) captures so well. Brendan Fraser has deservedly won two major awards for his performance already, and just added an Oscar on March 12th. Having long been off Hollywood’s radar (hitting hit the box-office heights with 1997’s George Of The Jungle and The Mummy franchise soon after), the man cried when he got a standing ovation at the film’s premiere in Venice last September. For some, Fraser’s return is a big part of The Whale‘s appeal, but the entire cast (Samantha Morton also swings by) is uniformly wonderful. Feature here, tickets here.

SAT15APR23 8pm €18 Julie Jay Oops, This Is Toxic
Searching for parallels between her own life and her teen idol Britney Spears throws up some ugly truths and some serious belly laughs for Irish comedian Julie Jay in this trip – and occasional fall – down a blurred memory lane. As the poster says, ‘Warning: This show may contain images of nineties and noughties fashion which some audience members may find upsetting‘. With hoorays from Joanne McNally and Tommy Tiernan, Julie Jay is clearly on her way. So, catch her while you can still afford it. Tickets here.

FRI21APR23 8PM €18 Stephen Mullan Ouch!
Making the move from acting (Love, Rosie, Charlie), Stephen Mullan has a brand new stand-up show, Ouch!, all about dating, Love Island and life as a single dad. Jason Byrne reckons the lad is “Beautifully goofy and electric”, whilst Joanne McNally rates the man as “Seriously funny”. You can find out if they’re lying when Stephen Mullan takes over The Whale on Friday, April 21st – tickets here.

SAT22APR23 8PM €18/€16 Kinda Mental with Keith Walsh
Five years of breakfast radio gave DJ Keith Walsh a strong taste of madness in his mouthing off, and when he handed in his mic, the first thing that benefitted greatly was his mental health. And so it was that Pure Mental was born, as Walsh confronted his demons and traumas in order to try and find the real person underneath the fuzzy mess of stress. You can relate to that, right? Tickets for this unplugged show here.

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THURS27APR23 8PM The Whale €25 Social Fabric: Against All Odds
Andrea Splendori is back in the house for his latest Social Fabric podcast, Against All Odds celebrating those who have managed to make it to the top of their professions despite having the cards stacked very much against them. Revealing just how he got from way over there to here is filmmaker Paddy Slattery, who made the move from directing pop videos and award-winning shorts to the hit Netflix feature Broken Law, despite being confined to a wheelchair, whilst cyclist Richael Timothy has respresented her country at the Paralympic Games and won a bronze medal at the 20220 World Track Championships. So, come along, and be very inspired. The night is a very special fundraiser to purchase a racing handbike for Greystones cyclist Galen, who suffered a paralysing accident in Australia. Whale tickets here, Galen’s GoFundMe here.

FRI5MAY23 7PM €17.50 NT Live: GOOD
David Tennant leads the cast in this acclaimed production of C.P. Taylor’s GOOD. Directed by Dominic Cooke, this is a reimagining of one of Britain’s most powerful political plays, as one German professor is pulled into a movement just as World War 2 looms. Filmed at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London, the cast also includes Elliot Levey and Sharon Small. Details here.

SAT6MAY23 8PM €15 SAL & David Hope
Two indie hearts beat as one at The Whale for a special double-header night, as two Clare-loving cats currently on a nationwide tour together hit sunny Greystones. Young Dave is from West Clare, the self-confessed troubadour having just released his fifth album, The Sea, whilst Cork-based SAL recently released her fourth single, Red Wine, which hit the top spot in the Irish iTunes charts – giving The Artist Formerly Known As Sara Ryan two no.1s here in the space of six months. You can find out what the fuss is all about on Saturday, May 6th – tickets here.

SUN14MAY23 4PM €10/€8 The Barn Ensemble
Having grown out of the lockdowns, when Music Network got together with Sonamus (the Wicklow teaching residency at Poulaphouca House) to invite people over 55 to learn an instrument. And now, nearly two years later, it’s led to baroque, traditional, film and world music all coming together for one glorious afternoon. Join in the revelatory fun on Sunday, May 14th at 4pm -tickets here.

FRI26MAY23 8PM €20 Fabian Willmann Trio feat Jeff Ballard
With their 2022 debut Balance being described by All About Jazz as one of the year’s ‘most unassuming albums’ as well as, quite possibly, ‘one of the best of the year‘, the Fabian Willmann Trio boasts not only the eponymous Berlin saxophonist but also Arne Huber and Mehldau and Corea collaborator Jeff Ballard. So, these jazz heads have pedigree. And prestige. Respect! Tickets here.

FRI2JUNE23 7PM €17.50 NT Live: Best Of Enemies
In the latest live offering from the National Theatre, David Harewood (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) play feuding political contenders for The White House. It’s 1968, and on TV, the right-wing William F. Buckley Jr. is battling it out with the wily liberal Gore Vidal, their debate echoing the divisions across America. Filmed live in London’s West End, James Graham’s play was inspired by the eponymous 2015 documentary by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon. Details here.

FRI9JUNE23 8PM €20 Niamh Dunne
Having performed around the world as a founding member of Beoga, singer and fiddle player extraordinaire Niamh Dunne is stepping out on her own to mark her first solo album in ten years, Tides. That this is the first album of entirely self-penned songs makes Dunne’s latest foray into the world a deeply personal one, with one half of the album exploring her traditional roots whilst the other examines feminism, family and the future. You can find out where Niamh has been, and where she’s going, at The Whale on Friday, June 9th – tickets here.

THURS22JUNE23 8PM €10 Unsinkable
Having made 15 festivals across 8 countries and won 5 awards, Unsinkable traces Alan Corcoran’s 500km swim from Antrim to Waterford, raising €30,000 for cancer and stroke charities in memory of his late father. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Swimming World and Outdoor Swimming magazines both loved it, whilst the land-based Film Carnage gave it 4/5. You can find out more here.

THURS6+FRI7JULY23 8PM €26 Jason Byrne Live
He’s becoming something of a regular fixture at The Whale, having brought his Paddy Lama show and his latest stand-up to town last July. And now, comedy’s favourite Energizer bunny is back with an entirely new set, and with a new lease of life, thanks to some soul-zapping heart surgery. Interview here, tickets here.

FRI21+SAT22JULY23 8PM €30 Mary Coughlan
Having aged like a particularly potent fine whiskey, young Coughlan’s voice gets deeper and sweeter as the years roll by, making her particular brand of love hangover blues all the more enticing. And inviting. Playing The Whale on Friday, July 21st and Saturday 22nd, you can find out more here.

SAT23SEPT23 8PM €18 John Colleary: Loud & Colleary
One of Irish comedy’s most familiar faces of recent years – thanks largely to his sterling work on the likes of The Savage Eye and Irish Pictorial Weekly – John Colleary brings his latest stand-up show to Greystones for one night. Having spent last year touring with Tommy Tiernan, the IMRO Award-winning comedian now steps out on his own for a nationwide trek which will see him hit everywhere from Ballyshannon to Ballina. Still, there’s only one date that really matters on this 2023 tour, and you can grab your seat for it right here. And you can explore John’s comedy inspirations here.

FRI1+SAT2DEC23 8PM €20 Chris Kent Back At It
Having made his Greystones debut at The Whale in February 2022, Cork’s finest Chris Kent is back with a brand new show at the beginning of December. And the show is a new beginning too. Since that 2022 show, the man went back to his regular job as an electrician, but, hey, he just didn’t feel that all-important spark. And given that there’s no future in electricity, the man is back on the road. Fully charged. Interview here, tickets here.

Explore The Whale’s full upcoming line-up right here, and the town’s coming weeks right over here. And The Hot Spot here.