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Festival Bram Stoker After a Covid hiatus, Bram i
s back to its ghoulish ways serving up mesmerising Illusions, deliciously dark treats and spooktacular surprises. Its centrepiece is Dan Archer’s Borealis which marries light and sound to magic up the illusion of an aurora borealis in Dublin Castle’s Upper Courtyard every night of the festival. Other highlights include Motherfoclóir, the Irish language podcast which is back from the dead for a once-off special live edition at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks (Saturday 29 October). In a special screening, Nosferatu100 celebrates this iconic film’s centenary with the live performance of a new score written by composer and musician Matthew Nolan (Saturday 29 October) while the 1931 Spanish version of Drácula which was filmed on the lot of the original at night-time gets an Irish debut screening in the Lighthouse (Friday 28 October). October 28-31 bramstokerfestival.com EXHIBITION Arthur Jafa - Love is the Message, the Message Is Death “A head-spinning seven-minute compilation of joy, pain and harsh fact” is how the New York Times described Arthur Jafa’s Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death, a video work by artist, director, and award-winning cinematographer Arthur Jafa which first premiered in 2017 and receives its Irish debut in partnership with the Form Foundation. Set to the searing highs and lows of Kanye West’s gospel-inspired hip-hop track, Ultralight Beam, it is a masterful convergence of found footage that traces African-American identity through a vast spectrum of contemporary imagery. From photographs of civil rights leaders watermarked with “Getty Images” to helicopter views of the LA Riots to a wave of bodies dancing to ‘The Dougie,’ it suspends viewers in a swelling, emotional montage. Douglas Hyde Gallery until November 8. Opera William Tell It’s fair to say Dublin has been waiting for a staging of Rossini’s opera, waiting since 1877 actually. Famous for the use of part of its spectacular overture as the signature tune of The Lone Ranger TV series, William Tell is considered to be one of the most demanding operas ever written including 90 high notes for the tenor. The Irish National Opera’s co-production with Nouvel Opéra Fribourg sees its 11 roles shared between 14 singers over five performances. Gaiety Theatre, Tuesday November 8 to Sunday 13, €15 to €85. 61