Edwardian dress is the order of the day as the city’s literati don their glad rags and come out in style to celebrate the anniversary of the date immortalised in Joyce’s epic novel. This year’s festival features a week long jamboree of eclectic events in the build up to the big day, and with so much to experience we’ve put together some Joycean highlights for your consideration.
The Citizen’s Breakfast
This year’s festival sees two iterations of The Citizens’ Breakfast a play written by Gráinne O Kelly and Tara Derrington that celebrates the immortal day on June 16th 1904, when James Joyce first set off from his lodgings at No. 60 Shelbourne Road to go on his first date with Nora Barnacle.
Act 1, consisting of five vignettes, takes place outside on the street and is free for all, following which the action moves to local hostelry Slattery’s Pub for Act 2, with ticketed entry only. Taste a morsel or two and sup awhile with Joyce, Bloom, and other characters, accompanied by harp music, light refreshments, concluding in time honoured fashion with a good old sing-song in Slattery’s.
Proceedings get underway on Shelbourne Road on Sunday June 15th, with one performance at at 11.30am, and another at 3.30pm, following which Joyceans are encouraged to continue their odyssey with more shenanigans at Sweny’s Pharmacy, the chemist shop immortalised in Lotus Eaters, the fifth episode of Ulysses.
Breakfast, Burgundy, Gorgonzola…
On Blooomsday itself, a packed programme sees early birds getting proceedings underway at James Joyce Tower in Sandycove, with a number of Bloomsday Breakfasts taking place at a variety of venues in the heart of the city. These include Kennedy’s of Westland Row from 10am.
Later on, a pit stop at Davy Byrne’s for a glass of burgundy and a gorgonzola sambo is pretty much de rigueur, with revellers encouraged to save some space for a unique afternoon tea as The James Joyce Centre teams up with Vintage Tea Tours for two special departures at 1.15pm and 3.30pm.
Strolling Through Ulysses At IMMA
A 75-minute one-man show that tells the fun-filled story of Bloomsday. Written and performed by the inimitable Robert Gogan, the play guides you through the curious events and quirky characters of Ulysses in a humorous (bawdy), entertaining (irreverent) and informative manner.
The play takes place at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) on the eve of Bloomsday, Sunday June 15th at noon.
Admission is free, with no booking required.
Counterparts and A Little Cloud
Joyce’s collection of short stories provides vivid slices of life of early 20th century Dublin. Against the backdrop of a society in paralysis, a pair of Dublin lives are revealed in stark, sometimes brutal, scenes.
The Volta Theatre Company’s production of two short stories from Joyce’s Dubliners for Bloomsday sees performances by actors, Jim Roche and Liam Hourican. Audiences can look forward to an exquisite, intimate study of Joyce’s Dublin and its lives of quiet desperation.
It runs at Bewley’s Cafe Theatre until June 16th, with an extra show at 3pm on Bloomsday, Monday, June 16th (Tickets €15) (No show on Sunday, June 15th) Mon-Sat at 1pm (doors open at 12.50pm)
Booking via bewleyscafetheatre.com
Bloomsday Film Festival
The Bloomsday Film Festival may be billed as the most literary film festival in Ireland, but in true Jocyean fashion, it goes way beyond that. The packed programme of events moves beyond narrative films and documentaries to encompass experimental material and other forms of artistic expression, including dance, theatre, music, poetry and literature.
For further details, check out our interview with Festival Co-Producer Emma Fagan here.
Bloomsday Film Festival takes place from Monday 11th to Monday 16th June, further information and tickets can be found here: bloomsdayfestival.ie/
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Bloomsday Garden Party at MoLI
Wrap it all up with a glass of something lovely and some great tunes at the lively Bloomsday Garden Party, in the scenic surroundings of MoLI, the literary museum named after the legendary Molly Bloom.
After all that, there can be little doubt that the ‘longest way round’ is most definitely ‘the shortest way home’.
Words: Martina Murray
Bloomsday takes place on Monday June 16th, with a week-long series of festivities and shenanigans leading up to the day itself. The Bloomsday Festival takes place at various locations throughout the city from Monday June 11th to Monday June 16th.
For full Festival listings and ticket info visit bloomsdayfestival.ie
