Arts Rundown

Play of the month for August is at Belfast's Lyric Theatre, where Punk Rock by the English playwright Simon Stephens hits the main stage for an extended run of performances (10 August - 6 September).

Stephens is a hard-hitting writer of the so-called "in-yer-face" generation, and Punk Rock garnered strong reactions from the critics when it was first seen five years ago. Hailed as a "remarkable new play" by the Guardian's Michael Billington, the action is set in the sixth form library of a grammar school as pupils revise for mock A levels.

Sex, bullying and class are among the combustible mix of teenage issues confronted - "I hate normal people. Normal people should be eviscerated" is one choice quotation - as the interactions of the seven young people involved spiral towards a violent conclusion. The dog days of August can be a lean time theatrically, but here's a play which bristles with energy and provocation, a perfect way to shake off late-summer torpor. lyrictheatre.co.uk

Also at the Lyric is Mozart's The Magic Flute, the first production in NI Opera's 2014-15 season.

This new staging by Oliver Mears, artistic director of the award-winning Belfast-based company, was premiered at Nevill Holt Opera a year ago, and praised for its "breathtakingly high directorial standards".

It's particularly exciting that the cast includes members of a new, rising generation of young Irish classical singers, spearheaded by Aoife Miskelly in the lead role of Pamina, and the hugely promising Newry baritone Ben McAteer, in the comic part of lovelorn birdcatcher Papageno.

The opera is one of Mozart's finest, combining elements of pantomine and profundity with some of the composer's most tuneful and alluring music. The Lyric dates are September 10-11, but the show is also touring, and can be seen in Armagh, Omagh and Derry~Londonderry. Visit the company's website for further details. niopera.com

The one event I won't personally be missing this month come hell or high water is the visit of Irish actress Lisa Dwan to the MAC in Belfast, for her hugely acclaimed evening of one-act theatrical pieces by Samuel Beckett.

This unique trilogy, combining Not I, Footfalls, and Rockaby is a transfer from the Royal Court Theatre in London, where the reviews have been uniformly ecstatic – "profound and deeply moving", according to the Daily Telegraph; "totally gripping" and "unforgettable" in The Independent's estimation.

Dwan is increasingly viewed in Beckettian circles as heir apparent to the great Billie Whitelaw, Beckett's favourite actress, so here is an opportunity to watch her star ascending to the theatrical firmament. themaclive.com

Finally, the best-kept classical music secret in Belfast – the string of free invitation concerts played by the Ulster Orchestra every August, for broadcast on the Radio 3 network.

This year they focus on Nordic and Baltic repertoire, including composers such as Berwald, Alfvén, Grieg, Tubin and Sibelius. All four are worth attending, but the pick is probably the evening concert on 15 August, when the outstanding Sharon Bezaly plays the Nielsen Flute Concerto. waterfront.co.uk

Tarry Blian

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