Let's Make It Happen...

Si's Sights And Sounds looks forward to the City Of Culture 2013, offering a handful of suggestions for improvement while remaining cautiously optimistic

"We can deliver and we will."

-- Colum Eastwood MLA, former Mayor Of Derry-Londonderry, writing in 2010

It's hard to believe it's only a matter of hours until the City Of Culture officially begins.

Oaky Doakes!

The old Culture Office may have died, but the spirit of the city hasn't died with it. In many other parts of the town, there's been a rebirth. Ebrington Square is a sight to behold, as is the Peace Bridge. There's now a lovely walkway along Queen's Quay (admittedly at the cost of extra parking, but that's a small price to pay). Both Watersiders and Citysiders have a larger selection of coffee houses, both local and franchised, to attend (which will get even larger with the arrival of Caffè Nero in the New Year) and Brunswick Moviebowl is every bit as special a cinema as we hoped it would be. Shame it is so far out of town.

However...

If there's one thing that really, truly needs improving, it's the transportation system. While the Peace Bridge has made the Cityside that much more accessible for Watersiders, and vice versa, we are still living in a rather remote city with amenities that can be rather difficult to reach. There is no motorway running in to the city to cater for the largest "extravaganzas" at the new Vital Venue in Ebrington. With a brand new ASDA supermarket set for Crescent Link Retail Park, additional traffic congestion looms. In fairness, Brunswick Moviebowl can be reached by bus, but with its popularity increasing by the day, why not change the service slightly and ensure that buses can access the cinema directly for special blockbuster or gala screenings? And while Translink got it right with their bus stops near the DW Fitness Centre, that service is not coming often enough. Derry's best known gym is open until 10 pm on weekdays and not everyone has the luxury of the car. Which only reminds us that we'll be without a train line for a third of 2013.

Lisa Hannigan

Arguably, the arts and entertainment scene, as happy as I am with it, needs a little tinkering with too. What happened to the joyous musical nights in Magazine Street? I still have great memories of enjoying Ocean Colour Scene, Lisa Hannigan, The Divine Comedy and the Super Furry Animals in Derry's small (in terms of size) yet massive (in terms of heart and cultural effect) venue, The Nerve Centre. Is it inconceivable that our projected success for next year can convince similar artists to return? We should also utilise Mason's and Sandinos - through hosting artists such as Gemma Hayes, Duke Special and Two Door Cinema Club, they have proven themselves to be very effective gig venues. And imagine what the Millennium Forum could still hold, let alone the Vital Venue. I've a sneaking feeling that we could still learn more than a thing or two from our neighbours up the A6, and what's been staged at the likes of the Mandela Hall, Spring & Airbrake and the Waterfront.

When we won the City Of Culture honour, we were naturally basking in an optimism akin to Obamamania while being rather apprehensive over what was to follow. Essentially, "Just Say Yes" was our "Yes We Can" - except we haven't. Not yet.

Of course we cannot forget that the economy and troubles threaten to undermine our hopes. But, to paraphrase the only US President who has ever visited Derry, there is nothing wrong with our city that cannot be cured by what is right with our city.

This article isn't so much a criticism of what's to come as a passionate call to really, truly do things right. We've spent two and a half years preparing for this moment. Do we want it to go off with a bang, or with a whimper?

Let's make it happen...

(UPDATE, 01/01/13: And it's gotten off to the perfect start - watch a short clip of last night's celebrations below! Thanks to Rory McSwiggan for the video.)

FILM REVIEW: Ashes/Jump/Bogland

Si's Sights And Sounds looks at a series of independent "issue" films that gain resonance through their highly personal nature

Legendary sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison once argued that "we're all the same person under different skins" and his point is very well illustrated in a recent series of character-based movies where every single person is mixed-up and uncertain. Now, you might think that a film about Alzheimer's disease, like Ashes, would have nothing in common with the more "Tarantino-esque" (an overused adjective, in my humble opinion) Jump and the genuinely gritty Bogland, but you'd be surprised. All three of these films are about individuals that carelessly neglect the potentially great ramifications of what they do, and pay the price on all levels. They're not just about sufferers, but "sufferees" – a spin on the "old chestnut" of one person's story interlinking with others, towards a conclusion that you may choose to see as hopeful. Or not. One man's death can be another man's awakening in a world of families, murders, drugs and flashbacks, all converging into an intriguing, thrilling mosaic.

  Click here to read a Q & A with "Ashes" director Mat Whitecross and star Ray Winstone

The sight of a young man running through the rain – Rain Man, geddit? – during the opening minutes of Mat Whitecross' Ashes should give you an idea of what to expect from the film. Except while Ashes is a little like Barry Levinson’s Oscar winner, it's also something less epic, iconic and straightforward, but more intimate and forensic. It retains Rain Man's road movie aspect while arguably entering less clichéd territory. It is an exceptionally well-researched drama-cum-thriller, featuring the great Ray Winstone in yet another fine multi-faceted turn as Frank, a former gangster suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Jim Sturgess is almost equally as good as Frank's son Jamie, who finds himself dealing with an unexpected need for readjustment after capturing his father from hospital and going on a typical "road trip". Cue hi-jinks, horror and the odd moment of hilarity, and not necessarily the kind you'd expect.

The post-modern grit and brutality of Ashes can make it a painful experience for some, especially those who have lost or currently have a relative dealing with Alzheimer's. But Whitecross' realist and occasionally humourous approach helps make the whole thing oddly heart-warming. You can never really tell what's going to happen next, either. Yet what really elevates Ashes above the stereotypical road movie, even Rain Man, is that it gets right to the heart of Frank’s character, to the point where we feel less like passive observers and more like fully-fledged participants in his life. Ashes is about more than Jamie's development as a person; it’s about whether both Jamie and Frank, who have more in common with one another than either would surely like to believe, will truly lay the demons that haunt them to rest.

Click here to read a Q & A with "Jump" director Kieron Walsh and producer Brendan Byrne

Equally grim existential demons haunt our central characters in Kieron Walsh’s Jump. Both Greta Feeney (Nichola Burley, looking and acting like a more world-weary Jayne Wisener) and Pearse Kelly (Martin McCann, excellent) are literally "on the edge" on New Year’s Eve in Derry. They are miserable people looking for meaning, or a means to an end, in a miserable world. And in Jump, they and their inevitable chemistry are the centre of a twisty-turny narrative featuring numerous confused souls, both young and old. The film clearly owes a debt to Pulp Fiction, but to these eyes, the film is more reminiscent of the ambience and character dynamics of the likes of Lost In Translation and Collateral, in that the "buzz" and "excitement" around our protagonists isn't enough to drown out the lifelessness and soullessness they clearly feel.

The film is highly effective as a "mood piece", where the hustle and bustle of Derry City Centre and landmarks, especially the Foyle Bridge, are repeatedly used to create a spectacularly gloomy atmosphere. But, like Ashes, this is one of those films where the characterisation, and in this case, black humour, transcend the film's visual appeal. Greta and Pearse aren't Juno characters – they're not quirky for quirky's sake, they are genuinely closed off in a world that only appears dangerous to them. If the connection they make is predictable, the movie certainly isn't.

Click here to read an interview with "Bogland" star Ekaterina De Rossi

Similar things can be said about David Harkin's Bogland, which creates its own gritty mood via a much less ambitious but no less resonant tableaux. The film’s sonic, in-your-face, glamour-free approach is highly commendable. With no budget to work with, Harkin must rely on a solitary camera, thumping imagery, locations, sound and his cast to create some sort of atmosphere. And within that, he creates something memorable, a no-holds-barred illustration of the consequences of involvement in the local drug culture on all sides. It's a very claustrophobic, haunting picture, one that might even cause some viewers to turn away from the screen in fright, but that, presumably, is the intended effect. Its handful of shocking moments and strong character acting will remain with you after you have finished watching – and as a side note, Ekaterina De Rossi, the most human performer in the film, and Shauna Lawson are definitely two to watch out for.

Si's Sights And Sounds Meets: Ekaterina De Rossi

"Sometimes, (a) leap of faith is all we need to step out of our comfort zone..." – The star of independent film Bogland tells us about the experience of making the film and her own acting career

Tell us how it all began for you.

I've always wanted to act, however, wanting to do something and actually doing it are completely different things. I was studying abroad, at the University of Missouri in the United States, where the theatre department were holding auditions for Pride And Prejudice. Having had no prior acting experience, I took the jump and auditioned with one hundred theatre students – I got the part of Lydia Bennet. Subsequently, I was assigned the role of assistant vocal coach within the play. To further my experience with coaching and speaking I ventured into online TV presenting upon my return to Lancaster University. Sometimes, that leap of faith is all we need to step out of our comfort zone.

How and why did you choose to get involved with Bogland?

For any actor, the process is always an audtion. I tirelessly searched for auditions within my locality, and came across Bogland. As a young actor starting out, it's important to choose projects that genuinely interest you, otherwise that passion for the project will not translate onto the screen. Being in Bogland gave me the perfect opportunity to showcase what I had to offer as an actor; the chance to portray someone who was striving to maintain the balance between domestic and social normality against a criminal underworld.

Tell us more about your character...

Amongst all the bloodshed and criminal dealings in Bogland, Andrea Connelly serves as an archetype of normality. We have a young girl who's torn between the criminal activities of her dying father and psychotic brother, yet strives to maintain the balance between good and bad in a highly domestic setting. She is the moral focal point of the film, which serves as her connection with the viewers.

How did you approach playing Andrea Connelly?

Before you can approach a character, you need to understand the character. Every actor has their own method; I tend to envisage, or more simply, imagine, what's happening to that character in that situation. Doing this gives you a certain type of perspective so that you can see their life from the outside looking in. Once you've done that, you can then place yourself within their situation. Upon first impressions, Andrea didn't seem like a major character in the film; however, as filming progressed, the significance of Andrea became more apparent to me, thus, reminding me of the power of empathy in any portrayal.

What was director David Harkin like to work with?

David is a real team player. The success of any project depends on the strength of a team. While David was overseeing and essentially directing what happened on set, our input as a team was important and that was something David appreciated and integrated on set.

What was the atmosphere like on location?

Contrary to the tone of the film, the atmosphere on location was very positive. It is important to take into account that Bogland was filmed with little to no budget; however, that was a factor that never concerned us. With limited means, we became more resourceful, and more dependent on one another to work together as a creative unit, while at the same time fostering friendships in a situation where we were all working towards a project together.

How, in general, was the experience of making Bogland for you?

Making Bogland served as a raw introduction into the world of independent film making. When you can make a film on no budget, you learn that it's the common goal of the team that will get you to the finish line.

What's next for you?

I hope to hone in on the skills I've learnt from theatre and film acting at the Rose Bruford College Of Theatre And Performance in London. For now, it's finding the right role that will stir my interest but most importantly, ignite my passion as a performer. An actor never stops learning; it's all about the doing and it's all about the practise.

To read our review of Bogland (part of a larger review) click here.

FILM REVIEW: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey/Life Of Pi

Si's Sights And Sounds measures up two "great adventures" against one another

Come on Bilbo, we're getting bored...

It used to be that grand, epic adventures, with their brave new worlds and iconic characters, really were everything in cinema. The joy and charm of these films lay in their deceptive simplicity, how their extremely effective technique truly made the big screen big. Think Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders Of The Lost Ark - literally dubbed "The Return Of The Great Adventure" on release - or the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Films like these can be a nice alternative to Batman-and-Bond-esque "serious spectacle", but neither The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (hereafter The Hobbit I) nor Life Of Pi are the answer. Unnecessary 3-D? Check. Overly long? Check. Pretentious? Check. Seen-it-all-before feel? Check...

The only thing unexpected about The Hobbit I is just how much of a self-satisfied bore it is. As if stretching a three-hundred page book out to three films and over nine hours wasn't a barmy enough idea, Peter Jackson has taken everything we disliked about his career-defining saga and amplified it to unwelcome proportions. The story of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his "thrilling" quest to help some dwarves retrieve gold stolen from them by a dragon is told in a shockingly laborious, pointless and empty manner. It's a desperate work by a desperate man trying to relight his directorial fire after his not-so-Lovely Bones misfired with the critics three years ago. Excepting Andy Serkis, who is as lively as ever as the schizophrenic Gollum, the entire cast is off their game. Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving look tired, Richard Armitage is no Viggo Mortensen, James Nesbitt feels out-of-place, and Martin Freeman never looks like he is playing a major fantasy character. It's rather sad to contrast Freeman's Bilbo with the wide-eyed vulnerability and soulfulness of Elijah Wood's Frodo and realise how far the Lord Of The Rings saga has fallen.

With its 48 frames-per-second 3-D, The Hobbit I looks like a video game where the viewer wishes he or she could have control of the participants, but doesn't. Some scenes, especially those featuring Gollum, are quite entertaining, but have been done better before. And there's no sense of progression, no feel that the journey will amount to anything – just one repetitive battle scene and fake looking creature (or vista) after another. The very bad slapstick humour (it feels offensive to watch McKellen and Nesbitt laugh and belch at Bilbo’s table near the beginning and realise that they are getting paid a lot for simply going through the motions), pompous dialogue and deus ex machina eagles (naturally) exacerbate things.

Anyone who argues that the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy was any better only because we were "younger" and "more naive" is missing the point. Peter Jackson's transition from cult filmmaker to Oscar-winning director has drained all the heart, energy and ingenuity out of his work, the same things that made his previous journey to Middle Earth, like Star Wars, a true bonding experience. To this day, I will never forget the joy of watching The Two Towers in a packed field at the Oxegen music festival; the same joy that The Hobbit I has tried so desperately, but failed, to reproduce. It's as obvious a cash grab as anything in cinemas these days. Why bother with this bloated pantomime when you can hear Leonard Nimoy tell the whole story in less than three minutes?

What now, Richard?

Less of an unexpected journey and more of an expected one can be found in Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's Life Of Pi, a simple story of a boy, a boat and his tiger lost at sea following a storm. Piscine, or Pi (his preferred nickname, since his actual name sounds like another word for urinating when spoken) is the prototypical Spielbergian dreamer or idealist, someone who can't fully grasp responsibility until his eyes are open to the outside world. His titular life, told in flashbacks, is a conventional voyage of both survival and self-discovery, and quite an entertaining one at that. It's a shame, then, that the two-hour running length, religious references and detailed imagery – which does not need 3-D to be beautiful – lead us to believe that there will be much more to the film than this. Because there really isn't. For all Lee's skill with sight and sound, the film fails to be truly fulfilling. I personally expected something heavier than an enjoyable riff on Cast Away In A Boat with a tiger standing in for Wilson.

Still, Life Of Pi retains a certain appeal. Most, if not all, viewers will relate to Pi getting bullied at school and finding (then losing) his first true love. One also feels for him when his father smirks after a calculated exercise in showing Pi that tigers aren't quite as nice as he thought they were, and when he is later forced to form an understanding with a tiger – who he nicknames "Richard Parker" – at sea. The "bond" between Pi and Richard is an effective centrepiece for the film, a human alternative to all the images Lee flings in our face; some of which carry more weight than others. Ultimately, though, it's too much of a visual showcase and not enough of a visual story. Too much style, and not enough substance.

Q & A: Mat Whitecross and Ray Winstone

Mat Whitecross and Ray Winstone talk about their new film, Ashes, following its Irish premiere at the 25th Foyle Film Festival

Mat, you have a tremendous CV for such a young director. What was it like directing something of this magnitude?

Mat Whitecross (hereafter MW): I drew from my personal experience. My father had Alzheimer's, and while he was going through the last few years of his life, I wrote down everything that happened along the way. What I wanted, in the end, was a third person presentation of the disease based on his experience, but made a bit more palatable on screen. And when Ray arrived to record some dialogue, I thought he would be perfect for the role (of Frank, the Alzheimer's suffering ex-gangster). He has such range, and he's played a lot of "hard" people.

Ray, what was it like to have a part like this come your way?

Ray Winstone (hereafter RW): At first, you find yourself really flying. Truly good roles come along once in a blue moon; a lot of other roles just pay the rent. But there's also the fear factor; you do doubt yourself during the process. Being an actor is a schizophrenic profession, where you're always dressing up pretending to be someone else.

To me, you've got to approach a movie about Alzheimer’s as if it were a thriller; otherwise, it can turn into a documentary. It's the kind of movie in which you can do nothing for the other actors who are with you. It was upsetting. It increased my awareness. It really brought it home.

Mat, when directing Ray, did you just let him "go with it", or did you approach it through your father's experience?

MW: We looked at what happened to Dad, and I got the idea of how to portray Alzheimer's at its various stages. Then we read a script and spent a day with the Alzheimer's Society. The big decision was: at what stage would we take it from? Where would we start?

It must have been fairly challenging for you, Ray...

RW: I don't think there are any rules to follow with a portrayal like this. Your character, for example, is the sort who can play the piano when he least expects it. It's like being a layman; looking in from the outside. In a way, it kind of reflects real life, because of the clarity of it all. I think that, at times, you have to break out and truly show the monster that lies underneath. There was a bit of improvisation involved, and I found myself using muscles that I hadn't used for years. It was a very demanding part to play.

It was also kind of difficult getting into character, quite terrifying really, because you need to know if you're "doing it right". When I do a film, any film, I always like to feel like I'm finding my way.

Was it therapeutic for both of you?

MW: I think the "therapy", as such, came from getting something positive out of such a negative experience, from watching Ray playing Frank, and from realising that there is an audience out there for films such as this one. It's been very moving for me to show the film to all of you. We had such a great time on set. We need to vote with our feet to ensure these kind of films continue to be made, because even though they've gotten easier to produce, they’ve become harder to distribute.

RW: It reminds me of when I made The War Zone (another film with frightening subject matter) and wondered, "Why am I doing this?" But then, you speak to the director and realise that you are doing it for the right reasons. That helps.

MW: Having Ray on board also helped – immensely. Ashes would never have happened without him. It takes a certain kind of actor to say "I believe in this project no matter what the finances". That's how small films get made these days.

Did you draw inspiration from other films, Mat?

MW: I did. My dad used to love gangster films, and I tried to draw from those kinds of thrillers. I was particularly influenced by David Lynch and especially Lost Highway, my favourite film. But I personally feel that if you keep looking at specific shots from specific films, you're in danger of borrowing them unconsciously. What Ashes did was act as an antidote to the more "musical" films I’d been doing. It saved me from being typecast as a director.

And then there's the inevitable comparison to Rain Man...

MW: It hadn't occurred to us, really. But it is one of the most popular films of all time. So rather than specifically borrow from it, I decided to do a little variation on it. The worse Tom Cruise feels at the beginning, the more he redeems himself later on. And with Jim Sturgess's character feeling so vulnerable at the start of Ashes, the inspiration worked well for me.

There were flashes of humour in the tale of a guy "losing his faculty". Were you at all conscious that you may be "treading the line" a little?

MW: When you watch Ashes, you're not laughing *at* someone, but at how surreal the scenario is. The film contains the sort of gallows humour that helps you get through difficult situations. It's about more than laughter; it's about recognising the reality of it all. It's not about cruel humour, but a cruel part of life, and the only way to deal with it is to laugh. There's something beautiful and heroic, also, about the "little moments" that occur during Alzheimer's.

Ashes was made on a low budget with a tight schedule. Do you favour small films like this one, Ray, or bigger films like The Departed?

RW: It's a shame, really.  Most of the films you truly want to make have low budgets and don’t pay very well. But making Indiana Jones 4 and The Departed has given me the chance to make these films in the first place. I've been fortunate to make my name in a game where I've met people from all over the world. It's been an educational experience.

Mat, how did you find directing a character you knew really well to someone you didn't know at all?

MW: I've been very lucky. Ray has the patience of a saint. His portrayal, amazing, emotional and very tough at the same time, really brought it home.

In closing, Ray, what's the best advice you can give to actors?

RW: To me, it's like anything you do; it's all about observation. I wouldn't really know where to start. But I know that if someone is making a film for the right reason, then that makes it easier for any actor.

To read our review of Ashes (part of a larger review) click here.

Q & A: Kieron Walsh and Brendan Byrne

Following a screening of Jump at the 25th Foyle Film Festival last month, director Kieron Walsh and producer Brendan Byrne were more than happy to spill the beans...

Was the adaptation process, from stage to screen, a difficult one?

Kieron Walsh (hereafter KW): Brendan read the play seven years ago, and he thought it might make a good film. But making it was difficult - it went through two rewrites and we had to tinker with and add in certain elements, such as a reimagined opening voiceover. I knew that a "too happy" ending with our central characters running off into the sunset together would have been ridiculous. You can get away with something like that on the stage, but not in film, where you have to eradicate the theatrical sensibility. There were some nice scenes in the play that worked well on their own, but they added nothing to the play itself.

Watching the film reminded me of Pulp Fiction. And I remember Quentin Tarantino saying that he wrote it in a linear manner first before making it non-linear. Did you use the same approach here?

KW: No, it was written as non-linear to begin with. We kind of followed Jean Luc Godard's quote, “Films should have a beginning, a middle and an end – but not necessarily in that order.” TV is linear, but you can mess about a little with movies, and that’s exactly what we did.

Brendan Byrne (hereafter BB): Although I do believe Lisa McGee, the playwright, was inspired as a 15-16 year old when watching Tarantino.

Were you well received in Derry?

BB: We were very sensitive about filming in Derry, but we were welcomed well. Our connection with the area helped us, as did a documentary about suicide I had made. And seeing the film again, I think that there's something really positive for anyone who has contemplated taking that "jump". It's one of the stronger interpretations we've had of a live issue.

KW: Nothing in the play spoke "Derry", but I felt that filming it there was important because of how both the city and the Foyle Bridge could be presented on the big screen. It's a beautiful place, and the bridge was just asking to be displayed in cinemascope.

What kind of approach did you go for when making Jump?

KW: We wanted to put an anti-suicide message out there without being too heavy-handed. The approach we wanted, and the approach we took on in the end, had some kind of magical quality - not Ken Loach, more fantastical.

Should dramatists write their own screenplays?

BB: I think it depends on the medium. In TV, or theatre, I would say "yes". But filmmaking is a vastly collaborative medium. There's many more individually nuanced things you can fit into your film, to create something more visual.

Where's the film going now?

KW: It will be released in March 2013. Be sure to keep in touch with how things are going on Facebook.

To read our review of Jump (part of a larger review) click here.

Carols By Candlelight

Si's Sights And Sounds revives some old memories and makes some new ones at a Christ Church charity service

Remember when, as a child, you looked forward to both watching and performing in Christmas concerts along with and in front of the rest of your family? Carols By Candlelight is a great excuse for this writer to feel young again by joining in congregational hymns, and to be enlightened by a series of very talented performers, some more familiar than others. It's an intriguing mix of earnestness, joviality, professionalism and all round musicality, ideal for warming the cockles on a chilly weekday night.

Children of all ages from the Hickey School Of Music offer a punchy, gutsy and varied selection of Christmas carols, with their brief but bouncy "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" impressing most of all. No jazzing up here, just an exceptionally determined "what you see is what you get" performance from everyone involved – and the Christ Church audience truly appreciate this. Even more appreciated is the presence of Derry tunesmith Eoin O'Callaghan, aka Best Boy Grip, and a rendition of "Monster And Me".

Alas, the acoustics of the church aren't really suited to his strong piano ballads, but the congregation don’t mind. It’s clear that even if O’Callaghan hasn't quite got a grip on this venue, he's still one of Derry's best boys in the eyes of us all – and in the season of goodwill, little else matters.

More novel and interesting is Anne Marie Hickey & Caroline Millar's duet, "Silver Bells". Hickey's understated tone dovetails nicely with the strident, controlled operatics of Millar.

If the Foyle U3A singers, conducted by Jim Goodman, aren't quite as vibrant as Hickey's "children", they succeed in their own professional manner. To Derry eyes, it's a case of playing "spot the voice", with the past and present (and future?) of the Londonderry Musical Society – including Denise O'Boyle, Rionach McGlinchey, Caroline Millar, Colin Clarke, Richard & Elizabeth Charlesson and Donald Hill – lending a helping hand, with Hill's booming, reassuringly recognisable voice leading the way on at least two of their three songs.

Eireann Hickey's harp solo, "A Christmas Lullaby", is beautiful enough that the music speaks for itself – gorgeous in its deceptive simplicity. It's followed by Meabh McGinley's strikingly soulful performance of "The Night Before Christmas", a song that is definitely worth listening out for. McGinley, who shot to fame during the successful City Of Culture campaign of 2010, is clearly back in the limelight with a bang. If only she had picked a better song than Robbie Williams' "Angels" to play next – years of overplaying have turned what once seemed like a classic pop tune into something extremely irritating. To McGinley's credit, though, she warbles with a regretful, world-weary feeling (a sign that she's as weary of hearing the song as I am, perhaps?), ensuring that one sort of warms to it as it goes along. Her jazzy vocals and passionate piano playing elevate the rendition.

A gentler tone is required after McGinley's energetic musical displays, and we get it thanks to both another pitch perfect Rionach McGlinchey solo (this time, it's "In The Bleak Midwinter"), and a soothing collective performance from St Eugene’s Cathedral Choir, featuring the talents of event organiser Denise O'Boyle. Her solo vocals for "O Holy Night" pack quite a punch.

After a final congregational carol, it's home time for all. It's been a calming, ceremonial, charitable affair, and everyone's spirits have been raised for the holiday season.

Legenderry Warehouse No. 1

The latest Legenderry development is open for business. Si's Sights And Sounds went to check out the City Of Culture's newest "coffee corner"

Free of the commercialism of a Starbucks, a Costa or even a Caffe Nero, Christmas music gently plays in the background as we are blind to the hustle and bustle of even the popular Continental Market. The barista and waitresses wear stylized T-shirts advertising "Great Coffee In The Heart Of The City". Having now tasted one of their cappuccinos (not to mention their delicious spiced organic carrot soup), I can safely argue that this claim is justified.

It's been a bit of a wait, but Derry-Londonderry might finally have a coffee house truly worthy of its cultural title. Situated at 1 Guildhall Street, the Legenderry Warehouse No. 1, converted from... well, a warehouse, has attracted customers by the bucket load on its opening day with its retro décor, comforting ambience, and, of course, their menu.  And with full backing from the Culture Company, not to mention a perfectionist approach to service, who's to say it won't get even better?

The idea for Legenderry Warehouse No. 1 evolved from talking to other local business people who wanted to do something for the City Of Culture year. Co-founder Karen Duncan, owner of Bang On The Door, says: "The ideas spread from simply selling merchandise to opening somewhere that would sell both good local food and inform everyone of what's going on in the City Of Culture year. We also wanted somewhere that would make people aware of what’s available in the arts and crafts that maybe people don’t know about."

Indeed, the feeling persists that there are lots of things happening in Derry-Londonderry that people still aren't aware of, and Duncan believes that this opens a terrific opportunity for a friendly promotional initiative like the coffee house.

"We're aiming to create a really friendly vibe. Something a little different, with excellent coffee and food, and where the customer will always feel welcome and comfortable."

The designers have retained more than a little bit of the "warehouse" aspect of the building, making it look similar to Belfast's Clements' coffee houses before their noughties makeover. In other words, "part warehouse, part coffee house" – a unique look that Duncan hopes will sell to both tourists and citizens.

"We want people to come in and get a feel for the locality of Derry and what it's truly about. And this is only the beginning. We'll be opening a retail space next door, for City Of Culture merchandise, a lot of local craft, local art, local photography and all sorts of things. More than that, we are aiming to have a presence at the big events going on throughout the year, so that people can buy Legenderry coffee there too."

A Legenderry Coffee House, a Legenderry Mall and Legenderry Gallery... basically a case of using the identity of Legenderry to create something even more "Legenderry" than Derry itself! And you can't say fairer than that.

"The reaction's been really, really good," adds Caroline Gilliland of Bang On The Door. "And even if there's something that people don't like, we're looking to find out about it. That way, we can look to make the experience perfect."

Mayor Of Derry Kevin Campbell says, "When you walk in, you feel like you're in London. It's going to have a massive footfall, too, because of how close it is to both the shops, Ebrington Square and the Peace Bridge. The location really couldn’t be any better."

For more on Legenderry Warehouse No. 1, visit their official site, or check out Legenderry Warehouse No. 1 on Facebook.

THEATRE REVIEW: Farewell/Half A Glass Of Water

Stephen Rea brings his considerable screen skills to the Derry stage in a pair of dialogue-driven, character-based thrillers

The cast and crew of "Farewell" and "Half A Glass Of Water". Also included are Culture Company CEO Shona McCarthy and David Alderdice, Director, British Council Northern Ireland. Photo: www.cityofculture2013.com. 

Much has been made of Field Day Theatre Company's "historic" return to the Derry Playhouse this week, and with very good reason. Their most recent productions, Farewell and Half A Glass Of Water, are an exceptionally edgy pair of plays, sometimes humorous but never flippant and always focused. They primarily seek to examine the underestimated effects of denial, and how one attempts comes to terms with his or her mistakes in an increasingly demanding and troublesome social landscape. They're plays both for our time and the ages, featuring men who find themselves prisoners both in a cell (sometimes, literally so) and out of it.

The central characters in each play, John in Clare Dwyer Hogg's Farewell and Eli in David Ireland's Half A Glass Of Water, strongly resonate thanks to the efforts of Belfast's own Stephen Rea, who also directs Farewell. An astonishingly subtle and forceful actor, capable of dissolving into any role, Rea is the sort of performer we are fascinated by no matter how many riddles his characters talk in or how reprehensible they seem.

And we immediately sense that there's plenty of the latter in Farewell, when he enters to something even more haunting than the sound of silence; the ghosts of Paddy (a creepily understated Charlie Bonner) and Mark (Eugene O'Hare, coming across like a less in-your-face Red Hand Luke). We realise that he has murdered both men, and is facing having to deal with the prospect of telling his wife Ann (a dynamic Brid Brennan) the whole truth about his violent past, all while contemplating its negative impact on his fatherhood. There's far more to this than your run of the mill "daddy issues" – when John expresses regret, you genuinely feel it. It's a tribute to Rea and his cast that John's constant wallowing in self-pity is interesting, rather than tiresome.

The performances and direction give Farewell an extremely intense feel – in particular, I applaud the decision to have John turned away from the audience while Paddy is lecturing him about the ghosts of his past, as we can tell it’s almost too much for John to bear – but I must also credit Dwyer Hogg’s strong scripting. The dialogue and characterisation consistently keep you guessing: who is the "farewell" of the title really intended for, John's victims, John's son, John's wife, or John himself? And she's done it without offering any one of her characters the pat closure they are clearly looking for.

Similar things can be said of Half A Glass Of Water (hereafter Half A Glass), but if Dwyer Hogg has successfully grounded her play in a contemporary, local, familial reality, David Ireland has gone for a seemingly more minimalist, but no less rich, approach.

As with Farewell, one's perception of the two-person Half A Glass consistently changes as it moves along. We initially side with Rea's Eli as he is forced to deal with twenty-year-old Whitney (the excellent Conor MacNeill) and his inconsistent, naive, wrong-headed ramblings. Eli's not only trying to teach Whitney about the inappropriateness of the words he uses – the young man talks in a blackly funny manner that's even quite disturbing at times – but also about his actions. It is thus a relief to hear Eli's wise, world-weary words of wisdom: "What you say and how you say it says a great deal about you as a person", but he has a shocking revelation in store for us that almost entirely turns the tables. What we have here is an exceptionally clever "opposite sides of the same coin" dynamic where we never know if the metaphorical glass of water is half full or half empty for our characters. Like Farewell's John, Eli and Whitney have created a criminal past laden with demons that they may never be able to put to rest.

Both Farewell and Half A Glass are clever illustrations of how one man's selfishness (John claims he is out for the good of his family, Eli puts it down to frustration) can have more of an impact on the society around him than he may have bargained for. The misconceptions of Ann and the naïveté of Whitney are no less compelling and fascinating than the shame of both John and Eli.

The final performances of Farewell and Half A Glass Of Water will take place tomorrow night in Derry-Londonderry's Playhouse Theatre at 8 pm. For more information, click here.