Pussy Riot (Button Factory, November 23)

Pussy Riot, Russia’s number one feminist art collective, are coming to town this month for a riotous reading at Dublin’s Button Factory.

The group gained global notoriety in 2012 when five members of the group staged a guerilla performance inside a Moscow cathedral. The whole event was a protest over the Orthodox Church leaders’ support for Vladimir Putin during his election campaign. Two members of the group ultimately served 21 months in prison over the stunt.

Pussy Riot: Riot Days merges punk, electronica, theater, documentary footage and protest and is the stage accompaniment to founding member Maria Alyokhina’s memoir of the same name.

With “fevered monologues” underpinned by real footage and frenetic noise-punk, Riot Days takes the audience back to the events of 2012, as Alyokhina and Pussy Riot ascend the altar of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour for a guerilla performance protesting the Orthodox Church’s support for Putin during his election campaign.

The group have just released their latest song Police State to mark the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s election win. The video features Chloe Sevigny as a vicious cop.

Pussy Riot play The Button Factory on November 23, special guests Pillow Queens and Alien She.

Simon Amstell (Vicar Street, November 24)

Comedian and former Never Mind the Buzzcocks host Simon Amstell brings his ‘What is This?’ tour to Vicar Street this month.

According to organisers, “‘What Is This?’ promises to be a deeply personal, funny exploration of beauty, intimacy, freedom, sex and love.”

In ‘What Is This?’Amstell talks about his coming out, and the difficult process towards self-acceptance that inevitably followed. Last month The Guardian called it “a lovely hour that strikes a beautiful balance between perky and pained, anxious and ironic.”

Simon Amstell brings his What is It tour to Vicar Street on November 24.

[bsa_pro_ad_space id=6]

Queen and Adam Lambert (November 25, 3 Arena)

When Adam Lambert was a contenstant on American Idol way back in 2009, he met and performed with Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. And what fortuitous meeting it would be: eventually in 2014 the guys asked Lambert – who sang Bohemian Rhapsody at his Idol audition – to tour with them as lead vocalist.

It’s no easy feat to replace a frontman as epic as Freddie Mercury but Lambert’s unashamed flaymboyance and phenomenal vocal ability make him more than equal to the task.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEBhpiT-V4g

Catch Adam Lambert and Queen at the 3 Arena on Saturday, November 25

Margaret Cho (November 26, Tivoli Theatre)

Author, actress and activist, Margaret Cho has been a fearless free-spirit and a tireless advocate for LGBT+ rights for over a decade. As well as touring with her new show Fresh Off The Bloat, Cho has co-written and stars in Highland, a comedy series about two dysfunctional Korean families who run a weed dispensary, due to air next year.

In this month’s GCN, Cho talks about her first Irish gig, the Harvey Weinstein allegations, and the campaign to Repeal the 8th amendment. You can read the full interview here.

It contains fun Cho trivia, like the fact that she visited Ireland once, missed U2 “by a day” and was sad about it for some reason.

Cho’s Fresh Off the Bloat pulls into port at The Tivoli Theatre on November 26.

Cabaret (November 28, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre)

Cabaret hits the Bord Gais Energy Theatre this month for one week of sassy performances, starring Will Young (reprising his Olivier Award-nominated performance as the enigmatic Emcee) and Louise Redknapp in her stage debut as Sally Bowles.

Expect “show-stopping choreography, dazzling costumes and some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre including ‘Money Makes The World Go Round’, ‘Two Ladies’ ‘Maybe This Time’ and of course ‘Cabaret’.”

Cabaret runs at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from November 28 – December 2