Matilda is ‘the most original British musical of the last decade’Roald Dahl’s novel may be 30 years old, but this adaptation from the Royal Shakespeare Company resonates chillinglyWed Apr 11 2018 - 11:00
Children’s books round-up: fizzrockets, coral reefs and talking dogsSara Keating selects the best new books for childrenSat Mar 31 2018 - 06:00
Girl power: how the new feminism has embraced children’s literatureFrom picture books to YA fiction, it’s a great time to be a girl who loves to readThu Mar 08 2018 - 05:00
Looking for an answer to the national questionThis month sees Ireland’s national theatre playing in London, and its British equivalent coming to DublinMon Mar 05 2018 - 06:00
Odd things afoot in children’s fictionMythical beasts lurking in the ocean; an anxious panda bear; a lone wolf on the run; raggedy witches rustling through the trees; and mankind’s mechanical futureSat Mar 03 2018 - 06:00
Women don’t write national plays? ‘Well they can, and they do’In 2018, a diversity of Irish women’s voices will take their place on the national stageMon Feb 19 2018 - 06:00
Children's books round-up: sky-high adventures and spidery talesSara Keating selects the best new books for childrenSat Feb 03 2018 - 06:00
Why is Ireland so badly served when it comes to theatre for children?Wide Eyes Festival brings performing arts into the hearts of the very youngFri Feb 02 2018 - 10:27
Write stuff: How authors are boosting creativity in the classroomAn education scheme is helping children see writers as living, breathing people rather than mythical beatsTue Jan 30 2018 - 00:00
‘You never know whether a play works until the actors are on the stage’Mark O’Rowe’s latest play ‘The Approach’ was triggered by three women in his headSat Jan 20 2018 - 05:00
The Ice Sea Pirates and other children’s books reviewFrida Nilsson’s great Arctic tale unfolds packed ice and inky skiesSat Jan 06 2018 - 06:00
Review: The Sound of Music is a refreshing reminder of its theatrical originsIrish stars Lucy O’Byrne and Celine Byrne shine in the iconic storyWed Jan 03 2018 - 16:32
What are the best pantomimes this Christmas?Here’s our first look reviews at the early season showsFri Dec 15 2017 - 14:03
Christmas themed books for childrenFrom the moral to the humorous, there’s plenty of seasonal books to choose fromSat Dec 09 2017 - 06:00
Christmas pantos, musicals, concerts and festivalsA round-up of events for families and children during the festive seasonThu Dec 07 2017 - 05:00
Books for children: voiceless gorillas, grumbling dragons and the refugee crisisThese books for children of all ages are beautifully illustrated and touch on a number of issuesSat Nov 11 2017 - 06:00
Harry Potter: A World of Magic – celebrating 20 years of the boy wizardA new British Museum exhibit places Rowling’s fiction beside the cultural traditions that inspired itSat Oct 28 2017 - 06:00
Children’s book reviews: From picturebook heaven to a subversive universeThere are no parents in ‘The Wonderling’, a stand-out debut by Mira BartokSat Oct 14 2017 - 06:00
Children’s Books Ireland conference: five authors speakSara Keating asks five debut authors appearing at this weekend’s 20th anniversary event five questions about their workFri Sept 22 2017 - 12:59
Books of the month for children: A boy refugee and the experience of changeSara Keating picks her favourites for children and young adultsSat Jun 24 2017 - 06:00
Girls in fiction: not just a fairy princessWhat does it do girls’ ambition if they they are reduced to silent ciphers or pretty princesses? Several new books for young readers challenge the cliches and raise the barTue May 30 2017 - 12:56
New children's books cover terrors and ticklingOne new title is an instant classic from two giants of the genreSat May 27 2017 - 06:00
Children’s books: from JFK in Ireland to Norse legendsA collaboration between PJ Lynch and Ryan Tubridy serves up JFK’s visit with Swiss rollSat Apr 29 2017 - 06:00
Tim Crouch: ‘We are using play to explore a darker world’Children are interested in the same ideas as adults, the director of ‘Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore’ says. You just have to present them the right wayThu Apr 20 2017 - 05:00
Silent Books: wordless picture-books for refugeesAn initiative to help refugee children on the Italian island of Lampedusa is now a touring exhibition in IrelandFri Apr 14 2017 - 09:50
The Cows review: to breed or not to breed?Dawn O’Porter’s novel about feminism in the age of social media will appeal to millennialsSat Apr 08 2017 - 06:00
Afterplay review: Brian Friel taps into his inner ChekhovDerbhle Crotty and Denis Conway reach deep for this portrait of middle-aged despairMon Mar 27 2017 - 09:53
One for the Road review: A miniature study of terror and tortureHarold Pinter’s vicious play is all about the oppressors. How can cruelty and civility sit so comfortably together?Fri Mar 24 2017 - 16:13
Dystopian times breathe new life into the monsters we createImage enhances wordplay in two revamped classics and a multilingual haiku meditationSat Mar 04 2017 - 06:00
Judith Kerr: the only bedtime story my children liked was about a tigerArchive: A 2017 interview with the late, much-loved creator of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the Mog picture-books,who wrote about escaping the NazisTue Feb 21 2017 - 05:00
'Sacred Prostitution': An ancient tradition based on respect for the womanSusie Lamb’s show ‘Horae’ asks whether an ancient tradition can be comprehensible to a 21st-century crowdMon Feb 20 2017 - 05:00
Once We Sang Like Other Men review: The 12 as ordinary peopleDisciples of a martyred leader hold fast to ‘fairytales and bullshit’ in John MacKenna’s storiesSat Feb 11 2017 - 06:00
Hold Back the Stars: A space romance with a political edgeKatie Khan’s debut novel charts plight of lovers cast adrift in space from utopian homeSat Feb 04 2017 - 06:00
The Stolen Child by Lisa Carey review: in the doorway between worldsAn eerie tale set on a fictional Irish island casts a spell that never loosens its gripSat Jan 14 2017 - 06:00
Navigating the labyrinth to find highest quality ebooksAlexi app invites well-known authors and critics to choose favourite digital booksSat Jan 07 2017 - 06:00
Big the Musical review: the harsh side of growing upA huge encore and digital momentum add colour and noise but children might struggle to see anything fun about being an adult in this adaptationMon Dec 19 2016 - 11:53
Robin Hood review: Maid Marian still the show from the thigh-slapping outlawThe Gaiety delivers top-notch performances and production standards in a show that’s not afraid to take risksMon Dec 19 2016 - 11:29
Aladdin review: supporting cast shine, with costumes made of magicDisney’s lawyers might want to challenge TheatreWorx to a dance off to settle their scoresMon Dec 19 2016 - 11:18
Anna Karenina review: A riveting 3½ hours of TolstoyA fresh adaptation by Marina Carr offers an ensemble piece rather than a star vehicle and is all the better for itWed Dec 14 2016 - 17:12
A Christmas Carol review: ghosts of Christmas classicThe invention at the heart of this show makes it an excellent way to introduce the spookiest of seasonal storiesFri Dec 09 2016 - 14:50
Oh yes it is: your comprehensive guide to Christmas events for kidsFrom panto to ice skating and from circuses to concerts, here is your guide to the best children’s entertainment this winterThu Dec 08 2016 - 05:00
Waking The Feminists supporters say ‘one more thing’To mark first anniversary of Waking The Feminists, Gender equality campaigners add 10 points to debateWed Nov 16 2016 - 05:00
The Ark: Theatrical treats, and where to find themThe Dublin centre has been providing arts for children for more than 20 yearsTue Nov 15 2016 - 05:00
Feminist pressure group holds theatre organisations to accountWaking the Feminists slate theatre organisations for below-par gender equality recordMon Nov 14 2016 - 18:28
Ebooks: Super-duper ‘Game of Thrones’ gives fans the run of Westeros‘A Game of Thrones: Enhanced Ebook’, ‘The Hobbit (Enhanced Edition)’, ‘Eoin Doherty and the Fixers’Sat Nov 12 2016 - 05:00
Shakespeare meets George Orwell meets the KardashiansAdaptation of Shakespeare has 17 cast members who have an intellectual disabilitySat Nov 05 2016 - 05:00
Lyrebird review: Cecelia Ahern’s sophisticated new story is rooted in romanceCecelia Ahern’s fans will expect the development of an unlikely love affair and a happy ending; they will also get a study of a raw, intelligent rarity and a meditation on the world through soundSat Nov 05 2016 - 05:00
‘Just because you have great hair doesn’t mean you can’t kick ass’Sarah J Maas secured a publishing deal in 2008 and has published eight novels sinceThu Nov 03 2016 - 05:00
The Commitments review: full of heart and soul, but not dramaThe tremendous ensemble cannot be faulted but the abundant musical numbers overpower the thin storylineFri Oct 14 2016 - 21:44
Children’s theatre reviews: A revamped fairy tale and a stone-cold classicHansel and Gretel as adults and a boy who befriends a stone are among the highlights of the children’s strand at this year’s Dublin Theatre FestivalFri Oct 14 2016 - 14:15
