Preview:Events in Waterford this week

Denise Quinn is Baglady

 Play and a Pint :  Mon -Fri 6.30pm Fri 8pm Central Hall
A new Red Kettle Theatre Company production launches this week. Baglady by Frank McGuiness should prove an antidote to the tinseled jollity of the season.  The production features a triumvirate  of Waterford theatrical talents. The monologue stars Denise Quinn in her debut role  for the Waterford company.  It is directed by Frieda Ryan in her second directorial role for Red Kettle following the well received Perfidia.  Also on the team is
choreographer, Libby Seward. Baglady opens this evening and runs nightly at 6.30pm at the Central Hall on the Quay and is  terrific value at €10 for play and a festive beverage in next door Jordan's Bar.

WIT Ensembles Showcase: Good Shepherd Chapel Thurs 5th Dec 7pm
The various ensembles made up of students on WIT's degree programmes and the associated music school .  The WIT Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble are among the groups featured.

Winterval Singing Tree 

Waterford has again mounted a 'Winterval Festival' a concerted effort to inject a turbo boost of jollity to gee up  the retail heart of the city. Some ideas from the German Christmas market tradition have been imported to add some festive cheer. The olde world charm of a carousel organ sounds pervade John Robert's Square.  A pair of  magnificent looking shire horses  garlanded with jingle bells  pull a carriage along the circuit of the Mall and the Quay. Amid a proliferation of wooden huts at Cathedral Square is the Singing Tree. A set of choir steps camouflaged as a Christmas tree will see as a platform for numerous local choirs on weekends  and Wednesday evenings. There are still a few slots left on the platform Contact Jack Stephenson jack.choirs@gmail.com for more details.

Acoustic Gig at Garter Lane: American singer songwriter, Josh Ritter is in Garter Lane on Thursday.  It is encouraging to see this billed as an acoustic gig. Hopefully there will be in trend to unamplified gigs in the smaller venues in 2014.

Copper Coast Art Group Christmas Exhibition : The exhibition opened yesterday at the Coastgurad Station Tramore and runs for the next fortnight or so