Homer’s Odyssey, Ovo, Calendar Girls
Homer’s The Odyssey – tour starts 10 August
There is a "mini tour" as part of the Lughnasa FrielFest, a festival inspired by the literary heritage of Irish dramatist Brian Friel.
It sees open air presentations of Homer’s The Odyssey starring Frances Barber, Natascha McElhone, Maxine Peake and Imogen Stubbs.
The text adopted for the production is the first English translation of the work by a woman and is by Emily Wilson.
The performances will be staged in pavilions on nine beaches sited on the Atlantic coast between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the events will include Greek food and live Greek music.
The Festival also sees Belfast actor Niall Cusack leading a reading of Homer’s The Iliad in English, Greek and Gaelic to the live soundtrack of the annual Apprentice Boys marching bands marking the city’s own siege in 1689.
The readings will take place across three nights along the Walls of Derry-Londonderry. FrielFest includes other readings in various venues. It is presented by Arts Over Borders.
The Odyssey runs in County Derry-Londonderry at Downhill Beach, Portstewart Beach and Magilligan Beach, in County Donegal at Killahoey Beach, Narin Beach Portnoo, Carrickfinn Beach, Magheroarty Beach and Lisfannon Beach, and in County Anterim at Ballycastle Beach.
Ovo – tour starts 16 August
Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo is on an arena tour from August to October.
The show is a celebration of nature and co-existence suitable for all the family.
It features 50 performing artists from 17 countries; the artistic guides are Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix; the director of creation is Chantal Tremblay and the acrobatic performance designer is Philippe Aubertin. Cirque du Soleil's first female director Deborah Colker has written the piece and also choregraphs. The composer and musical director is Berna Ceppas.
Ovo visits Echo Arena Liverpool, Fly DSA Arena Sheffield, Metro Radio Arena Newcastle, SSE Hydro Arena Glasgow, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, First Direct Arena Leeds, Manchester Arena and Arena Birmingham.
Calendar Girls The Musical – tour starts 16 August
Award-winning musical comedy Calendar Girls The Musical, written by long time friends Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, embarks on a two-year national tour now that its West End run has come to an end.
The show is based on the film and play, The Calendar Girls.
The new tour will star novelist and television presenter Fern Britton, on stage for the first time in 30 years, Anna-Jane Casey, Sara Crowe, Karen Dunbar, Ruth Madoc, Rebecca Storm and Denise Welch
They are joined by Phil Corbitt, Ian Mercer, Sebastian Aberneri, Alan Stocks, Pauline Daniels, Ellie Leah, Catherine Digges, Danny Howker and Tyler Dobbs.
Calendar Girls The Musical is directed by Matt Ryan with comedy staging by Jos Houben and is produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers and The Shubert Organization.
Calendar Girls The Musical visits Leeds Grand Theatre, The Marlowe Canterbury, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Festival Theatre Edinburgh, Leicester De Montfort Hall, Venue Cymru Llandudno, The Lowry Salford, Stoke Regent Theatre, Hull New Theatre, Liverpool Empire, Mayflower Theatre Southampton, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Dublin, Norwich Theatre Royal, His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen, The Orchard Theatre Dartford, Sunderland Empire, New Victoria Theatre Woking, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and New Theatre Oxford.