I'm partial to a good cabaret/burlesque show from time to time, so while I was searching for such…read moreevents here in Dublin, I came across the Irish Burlesque School. My first thought was "I'll never be able to strut around graciously wearing heels!" but then I found out about their Beginners class and I decided to sign up. Find a comfortable - I know, I know - pair of heels and something you'd wear for a dance class, like a playsuit, leggings, shorts or even a dress, and you're set! All you need is something that shows the line of your leg. On the first class nobody knew exactly what to expect, but Lisa, our teacher, has a very friendly character and she immediately put everyone at ease. It's hard work from day one, we do a good warm up with music, and then we go straight to learning the new steps or routine. It all looks very easy and simple, but getting it right AND walking on high heels is somewhat hard at first. Eight weeks later I couldn't believe how much we had progressed! Everything worked out. We all learned the steps, I had a lot of fun and, even better, I now walk effortlessly on a pair of heels! The class was made up of girls of different ages, backgrounds and with different expectations. So don't worry, whoever you are, you'll certainly fit right in and feel welcome. I think the most common objectives there, besides learning how to dance burlesque, were learning how to walk more confidently and also giving a bit of a boost to your sexy side. The classes are held at the modern Dance House, so the facilities are very good and you can even rent a locker there. I know some people are a bit afraid of this inner city area, but seriously, there's nothing wrong with it, and besides the Dance House controls who goes in and out of the building. I can't recommend this enough!

I suppose I'm a bit addicted…read more.. It began on a rainy, lonely night last March, I did an internet search of my favourite, sexy woman - Dita von Teese. I watched her fabulous Martini glass routine and thought, "Man, I wish I could move like her." A quick internet search later, and I had the name of Lisa Darling, founder of the Irish Burlesque School. I nervously signed up for an 8 week "Flirting with Burlesque" course, knowing full well my new heels would betray me for the clumsy, bumbling dancer I am. I received an email after a few days confirming my spot, and telling me to wear whatever was comfortable, but no platform or wedged heels. Deep breath...I could do this! The first class was, as predicted, clumsy. We were all clumsy, tottling about on our heels, teeth clenched in seductive/terrified grins as we hoisted our boas into the air. And you know what? It was fab! I have never felt so safe as when I am in that classroom. Lisa Darling is an amazing teacher. She has a background on the West End and dancing burlesque in London for several years. She breaks the ice with some jokes and goes right into the lesson. 8 weeks later and I have already signed up for the "Noveau" class, a more fast-paced, hip hop inspired burlesque. The venue itself, The DanceHouse on Foley street, is perfect. The sound system is fantastic and the rooms are huge, which allow the dancers to spread out and see themselves in the mirrors. My only complaint: class length. An hour, to me, seems a bit short to warm up and get into things. Since I'm already changed into my workout clothes and sweaty, I would prefer a 2 hour class or a 2 day/week class, which would allow more time to get into the routines. My self-confidence has shot up since I started. The school has managed to pull in women of all ages and skill levels - it's all about having fun. Highly recommended for women of any skill level...sorry, no guys allowed! *I changed my mind from 4 stars to 5 stars...I would give it 4.5 if it was an option, but I think the experience makes up for the class length

The O'Reilly Theatre presents a premium, varied and innovative programme within its auditorium with…read morean emphasis on multi as well as inter cultural presentations with both Irish and International artists performing. The space comprises of one sizeable theatre space. I recently went to see a Christmas pantomime in the auditorium and got to witness first hand the considerable seating capacity, outstanding acoustics and high-tech art staging and lighting apparatus, all working to ensure no production fails to disappoint. With fully retractable raked seating and a mechanical stage platform, the auditorium is an exceedingly malleable space and boasts one of the widest stages in Dublin that can accommodate 590 people seated or 1000 people standing. However for more intimate presentations, the motorised stage platform raises from the ground to any preferable height up to stage level, creating a more enclosed stage area, with the bigger stage curtained-off. Moreover, the O'Reilly Theatre boasts broad backstage amenities and dressing rooms, meeting rooms, a bar/refreshment area and a lecture theatre. Situated in the foyer, adjoined to the theatre is the bar that is appropriate for any conference registration, refreshments or drinks reception. Seating can be set in an abundance of ways to suit your requirements from theatre to boardroom style or possibly in a more unceremonious, candlelit nightclub style.

For my birthday my wonderful friend treated me to probably one of the most amazing performances…read morethat I have ever seen. I had chills coupled with pumping adrenalin watching it. But I'll get back to that later. The venue itself looks unremarkable from the outside; I didn't even realise that we have a Great Denmark street in Dublin. The venue has a large coffee and tea area, which is always good. We arrived for the performance exactly on time but they would not allow us in, there was a crowd of us. All hell broke loose, it was really ridiculous because the show had not even started and all the commotion ended up disturbing the performers more. The manager came out at the interval and after the show to apologise profusely for some of her over zealous staff. Good PR points there. The production company was DV8, and the production was, 'To be straight with you.' I beg you please, please, please try to see if this show is coming to a place near you - you simply must see it! The venue did an amazing job with the art direction, the stage was revolutionised. The performers; did the most physically demanding dancing and acting that I have ever seen. Shocking violence of true stories of gay people being persecuted in third world countries coupled with pure comedy and all through dance. It received a standing ovation. Afterwards a few of the audience got to go to the Q&A with the director and a panel of other important folks. It was broadcast on national radio. Most of the participants asked intelligent questions about religion & sexuality. I just wanted to know how the hell the genius director (Lloyd Newson) came up with the dance routines... OK I am gushing now, but it is that good - really. Kudos to the venue too for hosting this production and doing such a great job. I will be back!

I found this venue to be clean and easy to access. Inside there are main stairs and sets on each…read moreside. I love this. It prevents a bottleneck of people thru a main stairway which is usually the case in older venues. We sat all they way up high. 4 tickets. Took our kids to Aladdin. No problems at all with hearing the actors or seeing them. The bathrooms were completely clean. The drinks were reasonably priced. Drink are not allowed into the searing area. Only outside before the play begins or at intermission.

Beautiful theater. Great place to check out if coming from out of town and looking for theater…read more They present big shows here. We happened to catch Angela's Ashes, the musical. Had a wonderful evening. It's a bit sways from downtown Dublin, so you'll have to drive here. Buses won't be operating by the time you get out.

The teachers club has many functions, but I think the most interesting and exciting is its…read moreTheatre@36. It's a small, intimate space theatre that exhibits small theatre companies on a rotating basis. It's definitely worth popping by to see what is on offer as it's always something topical and definitely a nice change from the bigger productions at the Abbey. There's a one man play on now until the 20th. In it he explores child abuse in the industrial school system. While this might be quite a grim topic it's quite intriguing to see what the playwright has done with the material.

Went there for a performance for the Dublin Gay Film Fest - cute little place tucked away off…read moreParnell St. There was a bar upstairs although the average age there is about 45! Still a nice enough place to grab a drink before the show. The theatre itself is very intimate with about 7 rows and seats about 50 people. I thought the stage was used to very good effect or maybe the production team for this play was just excellent! Definitely will keep an eye out for future performances in this venue!

It would be easy to be a bit cruel about the ark, it feels a bit basic and the staff are mostly the…read morearty type who are overly zealous proponents of "worthy" pursuits and they dress funny. The above is probably all true too... but that is not the point of the ark. For a start, I'm not the target audience; it doesn't cover the ethos of the place as a whole nor indeed does it even scratch the surface of the imagination, hard work, dedication and creativity of the staff. They seem to be able to tap into those parts of a child's brain that brings out the creative and possibly undoes some of the damage caused by too much spongebob. Brilliant place, I love it.

This is a wonderful place to inspire young children mostly interested in the arts…read more It boosts an indoor and also an outdoor theatre, gallery and workshop. The programmes are apparantly organised by children-and obviously for children. But trust me, you might doubt that once you've seen their work. A very educational centre definately worth visiting for the kids.

This was a must while visiting Dublin for us! It's near the Ha'penny bridge and lots of bars…read morenearby. It's A bit on the pricey side, but includes 3 meals and a live show. I personally was not a fan of the entree but the dessert was delicious. There's also an option to order food that's not included in the ticket. The dancers and singers are so talented. The waitress we had wasn't the friendliest, but we had so much fun interacting with the entertainers! The inside is huge and very clean. No matter where you sit you will see the dancers perform and see and hear the singers and musicians. The entire experience was worth the price!

I booked a solo ticket the afternoon of the show and not sure if that is why I got a seat at the…read morerear of the restaurant or luck of the draw. I booked a 7pm dinner reservation for the 8pm show. The staff are motivated to move you through your dinner quickly, but once desert is served you are mostly forgotten the rest of the night. I recommend getting a 730 reservation as that is more than enough time to eat before the show begins otherwise you are just sitting there. The food is mass produced and was not particularly tasty. I was shocked at home small the soft drinks were- only 125ml for 3.80 pounds. It was hard to get a waiter to get a water or water refills. Even though my seat was on the raised part of the rear of the room, my view of the front of the stage (where the dancers feet would be) was obscured by diners' heads and the right side of the stage was obscured by a large pillar. The show is 75% music and 25% dancing. On three occasions the musicians said dancers were now coming out, then told dancers needed more time, so musicians played another tune till dancers came out just killing time. Dancers did change outfits between each performance but not sure why they needed more than the 4-5 minutes most songs took to do that. I enjoyed the musicians and dancers as each were talented, though I wish I could have seen the feet of the dancers more than just occasional views when someone in front bent over or moved their head far to one side. For the price paid for the ticket I recommend going to a local pub that has music and dancing and enjoy a good meal rather than the bland and mass produced food here.

I had such an amazing time at this theater while seeing the band, Run the Jewels…read more This is a fairly small theater, which I love. Every seat is a good seat. I enjoy and prefer a more intimate setting during a concert! My friend and I were on the middle level and we had a terrific view. The sound was also great. We had such an amazing time. I would definitely come back to this theater to see another concert. I highly recommend it.

We went to see the LOL Podcast live, and unfortunately it was one of the worst shows I've…read moreexperienced. The ending in particular. including the unexpected preaching, felt completely out of place. It's genuinely concerning to see this kind of content being marketed to younger audiences. This isn't something I'd want my kids exposed to. I take full responsibility for buying the tickets! 3Olympia Theatre is capable of hosting much better-curated shows. I'd strongly encourage more careful vetting of performances in future.

I attended the Tango Fiesta Milonga (Argentine tango dance) last night for their "Valentines"…read moredance. The event was well-attended, with perhaps 50 or 60 people dancing in a space that featured ample floorspace and enough seating for number of people rotating on and off the dance floor. Charmingly, admission included both light snacks (done up a little extra, I expect, because it was a special holiday dance). I have danced at milongas in a number of countries, and only in Ireland have I been offered a hot cup of tea! Very lovely. The experience of dancers followed the usual range, with about a 1/3 at the level of inexperience/beginner who have danced perhaps 6 months or less, a handful of dancers who were quite good, and the rest in between. I learned that there is usually about a dozen couples who attend this particular milonga, and so the more crowded floor was a challenge for many leaders. Still, people were polite and accommodating when dancing, and, this being the friendly city of Dublin, people were friendly when taking a break between dances. If you go, wear dance-friendly shoes. People wear a range of clothing for milongas, from casual jeans/tees to suits or lacy little numbers (again, because this was Valentine's, there were probably a few more in sexy little numbers than might be typical). It's typical to dance a set of 3 songs (which usually are organized in a theme of dance style or musical period, composer, etc.) with one partner - or at least the rest of a set - before switching. At this dance, i only saw male-female couples dancing (m-m or f-f is common in some countries or regions; I'm not sure yet about Ireland), but both men and women initiated dances. You don't need to attend with a dance partner; tango dancers tend to dance with many people during an evening, but you should probably at least know some basics that you can pick up at a dance school or workshop. This milonga, sponsored by the Tango Fiesta dance school, is held every other Saturday from 8:30 pm to midnight (see website for dates). Entry fee €5.