Cork’s Midsummer Festival opens next Tuesday (the 19th) and there are a lot of good plays in it this year.

I went into their box office on Patrick’s Street - opposite HMV - and found that there was some confussion over the dates of They Never Froze Walt Disney. The play runs from Monday the 25th to Saturday the 30th at 1pm. The information in the programme is incorrect and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Trust me, they’ll try.

They Never Froze Walt Disney is a chilling tale of romance, remorse and refrigeration in rural Ireland, written by Jody O’Neill and directed by Jack Healy. It is a Theatre Makers Production.

Jody was kind enough to let me read an early draft of her play and trust me when I say that anyone who doesn’t go to see it will be missing out on a very good play. Jody is also co-staring with John McCarthy, and any play this good that gets two of Cork’s finest actors in it’s cast has to be essential viewing.

It is a lunchtime show at 1pm daily in the Unitarian Church, Princes Street. Go book now!

There are another few plays worth considering and, as always, the big draw is Corcadorca. They have mixed things up a bit by doing Voyzeck instead of their usual Shakespearean play, but if what I have heard is true it will be an amazing production. It runs from Wednesday 20th June - Sunday 1st July @ 10pm, except Monday 25th & Tuesday 26th, with previews: Monday 18th & Tuesday 19th June.

Meat is another one worth a look. Director Donal Gallagher has put a great cast together and without knowing much about the play itself I’m sure it will be one that will still be talked about for a few weeks after the festival finishes. Trust me I missed Gallagher’s Pondlife Angels and people are still talking about it today! Meat runs from Thursday 21st June - Saturday 30th June (no performance Sunday) @ 7.30pm Previews: Tuesday 19th & Wednesday 20th June @ 7.30pm. You can meet the writer, director, cast and creative team of MEAT on Friday 22nd June after the performance. Nice poster too, designed by our very own Frank.

Raymond Scannell’s Mimic is a play I hadn’t heard about until I went into the box office today. Scannell is writing and acting and if his previous outings in each are anything to go by this will be another play not to be missed. It runs from Thursday 21st - Saturday 23rd, Monday 25th @ 9pm and Sunday 24th @ 6.30pm.

While not listed with the Theatre on the festival site, I still think of the Threat of Humour as Theatre. Yes, that’s right, Hammergrin are bringing the Threat of Humour back to Cork, and having seen it on it’s last outing I would recommend everyone gets a ticket for this a.s.a.p. It runs from Thursday 28th - Saturday 30th June @ 9pm in the CAT club. You can also win tickets here!