metro Arts & Entertainment Stanley Kubrick: Taming Light In Town Tonight A group exhibition of 25 new works from Irish and international artists paying tribute to the life and work of Stanley Kubrick (pictured), marking the tenth anniversary of his death Until Oct 31, Light House Cinema, Blackhall Walk, Smithfield Market D7, 1pm to 9pm, free. www.kubricktaminglight.com Elegies For Michael Hartnett Poetry Ireland presents an evening of elegies for bilingual Limerick-born writer Michael Hartnett who died in 1999. Contributors include Theo Dorgan, Nuala N Dhomhnaill and Mary OMalley, with Peter Browne (piper) and Seosaimhn N Bheaglaoch (sean ns) providing music Tonight, Unitarian Church, 112 St Stephens Green West D2, 6.30pm, free. Tel: (01) 478 9974. www.poetryireland.ie Frank Turner Former vocalist with punk-rock outfit Million Dead, Turner now plies his trade as a folk troubadour whose sound owes more to Billy Bragg than Black Flag Tonight, The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street D1, 7.30pm, 13.50. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.frank-turner.com life Book Now Mika Second albums commonly display a new-found maturity. Not so Mikas The Boy Who Knew Too Much, which is even bigger, bolder and more hyper than his ebullient multi- platinum-selling debut Life In Cartoon Motion. Still channelling Freddie Mercury, Scissor Sisters and, er, Justin Hawkins, the young ham has again thrown together kids choirs, orchestral embellishment and Eurovision-style anthems and some of it sticks, thanks to killer hooks. But its on stage that Mika really shines, his natural-born entertainer skills catnip to his equally excitable fans Feb 15 2010, Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street D2, 7.30pm, 39.20. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.mikasounds.com Restaurant Review The Cheese Pantry Going Out Food & Drink Whosforfromage n Upper Drumcondra Road is a petit slice of France: The Cheese Pantry which, fortunately, you can see before you smell its green, delicatessen faade a welcome addition to a hotchpotch commercial strip featuring a pizza parlour, a debt collectors and an older-ladies boutique. And because the ambrosial stash is tucked away in a refrigerated room a sort of humidor for fromage theres no odour. It is, in equal measure, a deli, a cheesemongers, a wine shop and a restaurant and, judging by the cup-of-coffee-with-the-broadsheets clientele, it has a local fan base. The frieze of dismantled wooden wine crates on the bijou diner walls are a nice touch, while the tiled image of a pig in the front section not only enhances the boulangerie appeal but also harks back to the buildings previous incarnation as a butchers. Meanwhile, the Impressionistic paintings of Dublin are appropriately Gaellic-Gallic fusion, though not terribly pretty. There are no starters apart from soups and the French onion wouldnt win the Trs Bon Consomm award. Bread should have been dry and crusty but this soggy slice mopped up the bland stock like a kitchen towel. Furthermore, because the dish hadnt been introduced to the grill at the crucial final stages, the scanty gruyre cheese topping was more anaemic than golden brown. Its saving grace was the onions, which were soft and sweet to perfection. Main courses were better. Plucked from the daily specials menu, the well- presented lamb tagine was deliciously fresh and oozing with flavour, a faint waft of cinnamon, cardamom and coriander O rising from the plate and invigorating the senses (and his blocked nose). The lamb itself, cut into delicate pieces, was melt- in-the-mouth tender, while the accompanying plump, sticky rice had obviously been prepared specially for this dish, not stuck in a pan under dry heat for half the day. I chose the pesto penne, a comme ci, comme a concoction of pasta lightly coated in a creamy white wine and pesto sauce, and punctuated with firm florets of broccoli nothing I couldnt quickly rustle up at home but palatable nonetheless. The desserts, though, were off the scale. Both were earth-movingly brilliant. His pear and toffee crumble with a glaze of warm custard and a dollop of fresh ice- cream was a delicious, bittersweet end to the affair and could easily have served as a filling snack on its own. My chilled banoffee pie was all thick biscuit base, sticky toffee, sliced fresh bananas and fluffy fresh cream absolutely flawless, and a good choice from an extensive The lamb itself, cut into delicate pieces, was melt-in- the-mouth tender, while plump, sticky rice had obviously been prepared specially for this dish The award-winning Dublin-born comedian and co-author of 100 Facts About Pandas discusses his love of the endangered bear When did your love affair with pandas begin? I would like to make it clear that I have never had a love affair with a panda. This is a rumour that has dogged my co- authors and I throughout this project. For one thing, pandas are notoriously reluctant lovers, and while we enjoy making up facts about them, thats as far as we have gone. I have, however, liked pandas for a very long time. Who doesnt like pandas? Ill tell you who: bamboo industrialists. And poachers. And Bjrn Borg. Whats the most unusual fact you discovered about the bears? In an effort to reduce casualties, Pamplona town council contemplated changing the annual Running Of The Bulls to The Running Of The Pandas in the mid-1980s. After purchasing the pandas for the yearly ritual, the authorities were informed that pandas rarely move faster than a brisk walk, so extensive studies were conducted to discover what would provoke them to run. These studies found that the most effective way to make a panda run is to have it chased by bulls, so the pandas were sent back to China. How should someone respond if approached by a panda? Pandas are generally placid creatures, but can become aggressive if they think you are trying to steal their fax machines (pandas love fax machines). The standard procedure in the event of a panda attack is to wrap the animals torso in a towel, and slap it hard across the face. Another option is to sing a sad song to it. Pandas are incredibly easily emotionally manipulated. A word of warning though, dont sing that song from Titanic. Pandas hate Celine Dion. Youre planning a tour of the UK. Sample material? If you shave a panda, and weave the fur into a fabric, that fabric is bulletproof. The Shanghai police have been wearing FIVE QUESTIONS FOR... David ODoherty 12 metrolife Tuesday, October 13, 2009 The hoTTesT TickeTs in Town We have five pairs of tickets to see SPANDAU BALLET tonight at The O2, 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. Tony Hadley won which reality TV show? A. Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! B. Reborn In The USA The winner of yesterdays tickets to see Russell Brand is: ine Lahert index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html