German Expressionism, contemporary Scottish figurative painting and 17th century religious imagery all inform Canavans vibrant works on canvas which address the Irish experience, from emigration to the Celtic Tiger Tonight until Oct 9, Dublin City Library, 138-144 Pearse Street D2, from 6pm (preview), Mon to Thu 10am to 8pm, Fri to Sun 10am to 5pm, free. Tel: (01) 674 4800. www.bernardcanavan.com Bernard Canavan The Big Interview Maria Tecce Hail Maria, so full of metro Arts & Entertainment All Of Human Life Is Here In Town Tonight A security guard with an inflatable girlfriend, a Dutch cannibal mountaineer, a time-traversing Louis Theroux and Irelands first Traveller Taoiseach collide in this comedy sketch show from Irish troupe, Volta, who created 2007s Fringe hit Gerry And The Peace Process Tonight until Sat, Metro Bosco Theatre, Georges Dock, IFSC D1, 7pm, 14 to 16. Tel: 1850 374 643. www.fringefest.com Astronomy Ireland Talk Dr Chris Watson explains in this informal public lecture how the Irish are world leaders in discovering new extrasolar planets, and how high-tech equipment at Queens University, Belfast, is being used to seek out such significant celestial bodies Tonight, Trinity College, Fitzgerald Building D2, 8pm, 5 to 7. Tel: (01) 847 0777. www.astronomy.ie life aria Tecce laughs out loud when asked about a recent review in which she is described, rather over-heatedly, as: Audrey Hepburn channelling Eartha Kitt. I think it was because I used to have this fringe I looked very Audrey, she says with a self-conscious chuckle. The Eartha Kitt thing was because I was singing very sensual music at the time. Sensuality is something youll also find lots of in tonights show Very Viva!. Channelling a life-long passion for Latin culture Boston-born Tecce has Italian blood the Absolut Fringe Fest revue sees the singer interpreting old Spanish, Italian and Argentine songs of love and loss with devastating eloquence. The music is inherently passionate, she says. The stories in the songs are all about the juicy stuff, like love and pain. The thing that attracts me to the songs is that each has a very strong narrative. In a way, each number is like a vignette with its own plot and its own characters. These are exciting times for Tecce. Like her contemporary, Camille OSullivan, she has over recent years re-introduced Irish audiences to some of the greatest torch songs ever written (whilst also writing and releasing her own material). Now she is wooing audiences overseas, too. A month-long residency at Edinburgh was a triumph; she has also delivered ecstatic turns at arts and theatre festivals across the continent. And, this winter she will fulfill a lifetime dream when she plays at New Yorks prestigious Lincoln Center. It took me three or four years to get my permission to live and work as an artist in Ireland, she remembers. When that happened, things started to M move a bit. I got a radio programme on RT and I started doing international festivals. Ive now begun to spread my wings outside of Ireland. Its been a roller coaster. As life is anyway. She fell in love with this country at once when she became romantically entangled with an Irishman while living in Scotland. He brought me over here and I adored it. I went back to America to finish my degree and, about eight years ago, I returned to Ireland and wanted to stay because I love the music, in particular Irish traditional music. It reminds me of the folk and blues tradition I grew up with at home, where everyone sits around and plays together. Everybody sings a song or contributes. I love that. T ecce doesnt go into specifics but when she says her life is a roller- coaster, its clear there have been downs as well as ups. For many years, she was, she says, adrift. The wisdom and perspective that comes with growing a little older has been her salvation. I feel younger now than I ever felt in my 20s, she says. I was very old in my 20s. I wanted to be older, taking on more responsibility. I was very shy when I was younger. I got into a little trouble, and for ten years I dont think I played or sang a note of music. Youve got so much great music in Ireland. It inspired me to try and move on. There is another reason to appreciate Ireland, she says. Audiences here tend not to stand on ceremony. If they dont like Irish audiences are some of the most straight-up that I know. They dont suffer fools. I really appreciate that The sultry chanteuse tells Eamon De Paor about Fringe show Very Viva! and her upcoming gig at New Yorks prestigious Lincoln Center Book Now Morrissey Morrissey albums are like buses these days: Years Of Refusal was released in February and next up is Swords on October 23 - a fairly swift turnaround for an artist who took seven years between Maladjusted and You Are The Quarry. But rest assured, Moz isnt spreading himself thinly, since Swords is neither a) a hymn to the North Dublin suburb nor b) a studio album. It is in fact an 18-strong compilation of B-sides collected from the last three Morrissey albums, and sure to inspire some good old-fashioned gladioli-wafting at this upcoming Dublin concert Nov 23, National Stadium, South Circular Road D8, 6.30pm, 68.20. Tel: 0818 719 300. www. itsmorrisseysworld.com FIVE QUESTIONS FOR... Actress na Kavanagh, starring in one-woman site-specific play Black Bessie 12 metrolife Monday, September 14, 2009 Who is Black Bessie? Black Bessie is a homeless woman who begs and travels around Dublin on her black bike. When darkness descends, she returns to her home; a makeshift imaginary world in the heart of Dublin. Here she recreates her memories, her past, her loves and her losses. She walks a ritualised path of memory and keeps herself alive by doing so. Her greatest comfort are her imaginings and they keep away the ache of loneliness. So come along and meet her... The location for Black Bessie is a bush in Merrion Square. Will there be anything untoward going on? The meeting point is at the Oscar Wilde sculpture in Merrion Square. There the small audience 16 per night will see a glimpse of Bessie as she cycles by them. The audience will then follow her and the play begins. How interactive is the show? The audience are invited straight into Bessies home, an encampment of buried treasures and precious memories. The audience is very close to her at all times. Youre an accomplished sculptor. Which celebrity would you most like to make a cast of? Thats a difficult one to answer but I would probably cast Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world for the sheer athleticism of his physique. I would also love to cast Nelson Mandelas hands. Which Fringe show are you most keen to catch? Ive tried to catch as much as possible in the first week In Conversation With: Elbow, for instance as Im a performing now until Saturday. But Im looking forward to seeing Basin. Black Bessie runs until Sat as part of the Absolut Fringe. Tel: 1850 374 643. www.fringefest.com The hoTTesT TickeTs in Town We have a pair of tickets to see MORRISSEY Nov 23 at the National Stadium, 6.30pm For a chance to win, e-mail your answer to the question below to life@metroireland.ie by noon today with Hot Tickets in the subject line. With your answer please include your name, address and a number where you can be contacted between 1pm and 3pm. Strictly one entry per person; entrants must be age 18+. Q. In 1981, Morrissey wrote a book about which tragic movie star? A James Dean B Jayne Mansfield The winner of Fridays tickets to see Julie Feeney is: Terry Ng index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html