The Open House Festival is back in Bangor for the third year running and it’s bigger and better than ever. Taking over the entire month of August from the 1st – 31st, Bangor will be filled with all things music, art and culture.
There’s all sorts going on and you can see the full line-up here. But, if you can’t be bothered, here’s a few of the things that we’re looking forward to most.
– Music –
The five piece Prison Love perform a riot of barn-storming Bluegrass, outrageous Old Time and confounding Cajun music. And it doesn’t matter if you’re dancing or listening, you’ll enjoy a swig of some real deal American roots music. All that foot-stomping is bound to make you hungry, so the fine folk at Coffee Cure, known for their hearty home-cooked fare, will provide a good ole Southern inspired supper of pulled pork in a bun, with Cajun slaw and sides. For more info click here.
Cambridge born Nick Mulvey is a musical adventurer whose unique style of songwriting and guitar playing draws on his time studying music in Havana, Cuba. In 2014 Nick’s debut studio album First Mind earned him a Mercury Music Prize nomination, and the single Cucurucu brought him recognition among younger audiences and serious music fans alike. His guitar playing mixes Latin-style finger picking with a rhythmic strumming style, and pays homage to musicians such as Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and African guitarist Kawele. For more info click here.
Following its outstanding success during the last two years, Open House has commissioned Rachel Coulter, artist, singer-songwriter and member of local band Farriers, to develop a third Bangor’s Ghost event. This special and unique evening about Bangor’s past will this year take place in the very site where much of Bangor’s Ghost’s material has been inspired – Bangor Abbey. Rachel first developed Bangor’s Ghost using stories from the head stones in the Abbey graveyard. This merry band of musicians, writers, poets and performers have gathered a wealth of true stories from Bangor’s fascinating history and woven them into a production of original pieces for this intimate show, which is truly unique to Bangor. For more info click here.
– Theatre & Comedy –
Pintsized Theatre makes its Open House Festival debut in 2015 with the hugely successful Pintsized Surprise Production, after a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Feile an Phobal and Belfast’s Pick ‘n’ Mix festival at the MAC. Pintsized Surprise combines the magic of theatre and the excitement of mystery, inviting you to see a surprise play in a bespoke location right here in Bangor. All we’ll say is that you’ll be treated to a comedy short, just long enough to drink a couple of pints! We hope this show will remind you that it’s OK to go and see something you know nothing about. It’s fun to take a chance, who knows, you might like it. Pintsized is all about emerging professionals collaborating with established artists and engaging audiences. Creating Pintsized projects in alternative venues showcasing exceptional talent. For more info click here.
Following rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe, Nuala McKeever brings her 5-star one-woman black comedy to the Open House Festival Theatre in Bangor. Life hasn’t turned out the way Margaret dreamed. She’s lonely as hell, in a house that won’t sell, with no kids, no husband and a job that’s deathly boring. So tonight, she’s got a date with a bottle of fizz and a bowl of pills and she’s going to go out in style. But her romance with death is rudely interrupted by an intruder, a nosy neighbour and a tall, handsome policeman. Northern Ireland’s Queen of Comedy, delivers a poignant, hilarious, disastrous cocktail that’s to die for. For more info click here.
– Film –
Where better to watch a classic courtroom drama than in a former actual courtroom? Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his brilliant performance as the Southern lawyer who defends a black man against rape allegations by a white woman in this film version of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize- winning novel. The evocative way it captures a time, a place, and above all, a mood, makes this film an enduring masterpiece. For more info click here.
It’s back to school for this one. Where else could we send you for a special 30th anniversary viewing of the iconic 1985 Brat Pack depiction of American high school life, The Breakfast Club? When Saturday detention started, they were simply delinquent students; the Jock, the Princess, the Brain, the Criminal and the Basket Case. But by the end of the day, drawn together by their individual insecurities and mutual contempt for adult society, they had become and would always be The Breakfast Club. Featuring an all-star 80s cast, this compassionate coming-of-age film helped define an entire generation. You’ll be seated at individual desks in the Assembly Hall at Bangor Academy. School uniform isn’t required and 80s gear is optional – but bad behaviour may result in detention! For more info click here.
For 25 years, 3-star-Michelin chef Sergio Herman strives for perfection. At the height of this culinary career, Sergio decides that in order to further pursue his dreams, he must close his famous 3-star restaurant Oud Sluis. This 2015 documentary film is an honest and intimate portrait that shows the struggles of a man in transition. How will Sergio deal with the existential questions and doubts that many of us identify with in life? F***ing Perfect is an intense story of perfectionism, ambition and sacrifices. The film is followed by a 3-course one-off gourmet meal inspired by Sergio Herman, the 3-star Michelin chef at the heart of this film, and the culinary hero and fellow countryman of Joery, co-owner and chef of the Boathouse Restaurant. For more info click here.
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