The fruitful relationship between Patrick Mason, Tom Murphy and the Edinburgh International Festival looks set to continue this year, as the playwright's Too Late For Logic is programmed for a festival production at the King's Theatre in August, directed by Mason. Two years ago, the Abbey's production of The Wake, directed by Mason, was a huge hit in Edinburgh, where Tom Murphy's reputation continues to grow. Too Late For Logic will be designed by Francis O'Connor - whose beautiful set for Iphigenia at Aulis can currently be seen at the Abbey - and will be lit by Paul Keogan, who has collaborated with Mason in Opera Ireland's thrilling production of The Silver Tassie at the Gaiety this week.
The Edinburgh programme looks considerably more exciting than those of the recent past: highlights include a concert performance of a new work by James McMillan, Parthenogenesis, Messiaen's Saint Francis d'Assise, and Rameau's Zoroastre. Merce Cunningham will perform in the first stage version of John Cage's radio play, An Alphabet, while Zaha Hadid, the architect whose ambitious design for the Cardiff opera house was rejected, will collaborate with choreographer Frederic Flamand to create an exploration of the city of the future, Metapolis - project 972. Further information from: www.eif.co.uk
In Handel's footsteps
The bells of Christ Church Cathedral will form a traditional accompaniment to the innovative sounds wafting from the Contemporary Music Centre from now on. On Monday, President McAleese officially opens the centre's new home at in the west end of Temple Bar, at No 19 Fishamble Street, near the site of the Messiah's premiere. Restored jointly by the CMC and Temple Bar Properties, with capital funding from the Arts Council, the building dates from the 1820s and incorporates the remains of a late 18th-century house. It has been installed with new computer and communications systems, providing increased access to the CMC's extensive collection of music by Irish composers. The first-floor library provides integrated access to scores and recordings as well as databases. Performers, composers, students, promoters and interested members of the public are all welcome. Further information from: www.cmc.ie
Call of the wild
The Dublin Fringe Festival is now calling for submissions for this year's three-week event, which will run from September 24th-October 13th. Interested companies are invited to send the following by May 31st at the latest: a synopsis of the proposed piece/production; a copy of the script (if it's new writing); an idea of the style/vision for the production; company background and/or cast biographies; press reviews of previous productions (if applicable); any particular production requirements; a video (if available). All the above should be sent to the festival director, Ali Curran, at 5 Aston Quay, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6792320. Fax: 6792790. Email: fringe@eircom.net Website: www.fringefest.com
La nostra bella Trieste
Twelve full or part-time scholarships are available to the Fifth Annual Trieste Joyce School, which runs this year from July 1st-7th at the University of Trieste. Among the participants are Anne Fogarty of UCD, Edna Longley of Queen's, Michael Longley, Fritz Senn from Zurich - a regular at the James Joyce Summer School in Dublin - and John McCourt, programme director of the school and author of The Years Of Bloom, Joyce in Trieste 1904-1920 (Lilliput Press) and James Joyce: A Passionate Exile (Orion). Information from: Dipartimento di letterature e civilta anglogermaniche, University of Trieste, via Lazzaretto vecchio 8, 34137 Trieste, Italy. Email: mccourt@univ.trieste.it Website: www.univ.trieste.it/nirdange/school/index.html
