:: Poetry and Politics: An evening with Michael Longley in conversation with William Crawley, March 22, Canada Room, Lanyon Building, QUB, 7pm.
THE celebrated poet will be interviewed live on stage by the BBC's William Crawley in an examination of the relationship between poetry and politics and the challenges of addressing contentious political and cultural issues within art.
This interview will be interspersed by poetry readings: Longley's new collection, The Slain Birds, will be published in September this year.
:: Nuala McKeever: Is It Over Yet?, March 22, Crescent Arts Centre Cube Theatre, 7pm.
BELFAST comedian Nuala McKeever explores the fall-out from the previous two years of Covid by "finding the funny in adversity", from politics to personal growth – with songs and possibly a joke competition to boot.
:: This Sh*t Happens All The Time, March 22-27, Lyric Theatre, 8pm (Saturday and Sunday matinee 3pm)
A BRAND new play written by Amanda Verlaque, directed by Rhiann Jeffrey and starring Caoimhe Farren, This Sh*t Happens All The Time is set in 1992 and uses personal experience to explore misogyny, coercive control and queer-baiting to ask why the privileges and protections granted to most of society remain out of reach for Northern Ireland's LGBT+ community today. The March 24 performance will feature a panel discussion after the show, How To Stop This Sh*t From Happening.
:: Tony Law: A Now Begin In Again, March 27, The Black Box, 8pm
RECENTLY sober/50 surrealist comedian Tony Law brings you his "half-baked thoughts on the last couple of years, plus a little time travel to boot". The London-based Canadian comic of Irish/Trinidadian heritage is a three-time Chortle Award winner, and thus will most likely be quite decent.
:: Bill Neely: 40 years in TV News, March 24, Crescent Arts Theatre, Cube Theatre, 7.30pm
THE Glengormley-born journalist and former chief global correspondent for NBC News will discuss his career from covering the Troubles and wars further afield, to earthquakes and US presidential elections.
A graduate of Queen's University Belfast, Bill Neely has been a broadcaster since 1981 and spent 25 years at ITV News before retiring from NBC last year. He has won four Bafta awards, an Emmy and was named Broadcasting Journalist of the Year in 2011.
:: Picturing the Strand, March 24-27, Strand Arts Centre, 6pm
A NEW multi-media exhibition presenting multiple perspectives and interpretations of this iconic east Belfast landmark, which opened in 1935. It will include photographs, drawings, paintings, film and audio, plus the debut of a recently commissioned 3D model re-imagining the Strand as a single screen picturehouse.
Visitors will also have a chance to contribute their own memories, stories and interpretations of the Strand in this exhibition which is part of the Strand Stories project managed by the Strand Arts Centre and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
:: Tickets and full programme information at Imaginebelfast.com
