The Theatre festival versus Hard Working Class Heroes is a death match this week! Who will win?

Music –  Temper Trap play the Academy on Tuesday, with Chris Isaak in the Olympia. The John Cale, yes, that one, plays the Button factory on Wednesday. Damien Dempsey launches his new album on Thursday at the Button Factory. Julie Feeney has a show in the project at lunch time, as part of the theatre festival. HWCH kicks into high gear on Thursday night and continues over the weekend (which I’ll deal with in more detail later in the week). Marc Almond plays Vicar on Thursday also. Sunday sees David Kitt playing Whelans, reliving his small moments era!

Movies – The IFI starts it’s Lenny Abrahamason season, which features screenings of the legendary Adam and Paul, and his RTE series Prosperity  and there’s also a public interview. The Lighthouse continue their Hitchcock season with Notorious.

Theatre – The Theatre Festival kicks into high gear, with the corn exchange’s The Dubliners, Pan Pan’s Everyone is King Lear in their own home and Anu’s The Boys of Foley Street continuing. Out of the new additions this week, I’d go for the wooster groups Hamlet.

Art – Clare Carpenters exhibition starts is at the Cross Gallery. Otherwise, Similar enough to last week with the Keith Wilson show at the Oliver Sears gallery, and RHA’s new exhibition of bright young things ‘Future’s 12′. Callum Innes continues at the Kerlin.