Yes, it’s that time of year when the border between this world and the next becomes slightly blurred, and the streets of Dublin are filled with ghosts, ghouls, zombies, even if they are just for fancy dress parties. Yes, there’s lots of junk on to celebrate Halloween, which isn’t actually this week, but the Bram Stoker Festival runs from the 26th to the 29th.  It’s a welcome addition to the Dublin Festival scene, and includes a Movie festival, talks readings and theatre around the city.

There’s also a the Festival of Light at Croke Park Conference on the 27th of Oct.

Theatre

The Hanging Gardens by Frank McGuinness is at the Abbey – our review is here.

Three Penny Opera is at the Gate – our review is here.

It’s a quiet week at the Project Arts Centre.

Dorset Street Toys, Bram Stoker Festival, and Daylight Robbery are at Smock Alley.

Counter Culture is at the Viking Theatre in Clontarf, until Oct 21st – 26th.

Waking Nosferatu is at the New Theatre from 21st Oct – 2nd Nov

Save the last dance for me (until 26th Oct 2013) is at the Gaiety Theatre

Memory of Water (22nd to 26th) is at the Civic Theatre

Scenes from the Big Picture (17th to the 23rd) at the Lir Theatre.

Movies

Horrorthon is at the IFI form the 24th to the 28th at the IFI

Kim Newman curated Bram Stoker Film Festival at Meeting House Square.

HAMLET (ENCORE)– Starring: Rory Kinnear, Ruth Negga, Directed by: Nicholas Hytner – 19:00, Tuesday 22 October

Film Fatale – Evil Dead 2 has been cancelled!

Gigs

No monsters in this section, but one of the best weeks for music in recent times. This is one of those weeks you could happily be out every night, with Wilard Grant Conspiracy, Chic, Agnes Obel, Tindersticks, Sam Amidon, Efterklang and Primal Scream, You’d be a bit exhuasted to do them all, but really, they’re all pretty fantastic.

Mon 21 Oct

Willard Grant Conspiracy – The Grand Social

Travis – The Olympia Theatre

The Black Twig Pickers – Whelans

A night for Elliott Smith – Whelans

Tue 22 Oct

Chic feat Nile Rodgers – Vicar Street

Peter Hook and The Light – The Academy

Airbourne – The Academy

Loop Culture – Whelans

Hannah Wants – The Twisted Pepper

Wed 23 Oct

Agnes Obel – Vicar Street

When Saints Go Machine – The Button Factory

Nina Nesbitt – The Academy

Awna Teixeira – Whelans

Hermitage Green – Whelans

Méav – The Sugar Club

Will Saul – The Twisted Pepper

Thu 24 Oct

Tindersticks – Vicar Street

Local Natives – Olympia Theatre

Booka Brass – Whelans

Biggles Flys Again – Whelans

Hermitage Green – Whelans

Booka Brass – The Twisted Pepper

Redinho – The Twisted Pepper

Fri 25 Oct

Sam Amidon – Whelans

Bastille – The Olympia Theatre

Lissie – The Academy

Preachers Son – Whelans

Mark Mulcahy – Grand Social

2minutes2midnight – The Academy

Caspian – The Village

Lona & Webber – The Twisted Pepper

D-Riculous All Stars – Whelans

Masaki Batoh – The Workman’s Club

Fabio & Grooverider – The Twisted Pepper

Marc Kinchen (MK) – The Button Factory

The #1s – Whelans

Sat 26 Oct

Efterklang – The Button Factory

Waxahatchee – The Workman’s Club

Drenge – The Academy 2

Zedd – The Academy

Karenn – The Twisted Pepper

Mano Le Tough – The Button Factory

Sun 27 Oct

Primal Scream – The Olympia Theatre

Hot 8 Brass Band – The Sugar Club

Russian Circles – The Button Factory

David Rodigan – The Twisted Pepper

Paul Van Dyk – The Academy

Talks/ Lectures

JFK Ireland and the World – Tuesday 22nd Oct at 7pm – National Library of Ireland

Grow your own, Curators Talk – Friday, October 25th, 2013 – 18:30 – Science Gallery

Dracula: Life after Death – Little Museum of Dublin – Oct 25th at 9.30am – Part of the Bram Stoker Festival

An Evening with Elizabeth Gilbert in conversation with Sinéad Gleeson – Liberty Hall – October 23rd @ 7:30 pm – €12 / €10

Stewart Lee – Vicar Street – Monday 21st Oct

Art –

IMMA – Leonora Carrington: The Celtic Surrealist – until 26th Jan (Image Above)

– Eileen Gray – IMMA Kilmainham – until Jan 19th

RHA Gallery – Tony O’Malley, Joanna Kidney – until Dec 20th

Douglas Hyde – Gallery 1 – Francis Upritchard Mandrake, Gallery 2 – Ema – Votive plaques from Japan – Until 6th Nov

Dublin Divided is at the Hugh Lane Gallery until 2nd Feb.

General Exhibition at the National Gallery

General Exhibition at the Chester Beatty

Private Galleries:

A bunch of new shows in the Private Galleries around Dublin.

RHA Ashford Gallery – Bennie Reilly – Rara Avis  – until October 27, 2013

Peppercanister Gallery – Neil Shawcross– until 26th Oct

Kerlin. – Sam Keogh – until 9th Nov

Oliver Sears – John Kelly – opens the 21st Nov

Kevin Kavanagh Gallery  –Vanessa Donoso Lopez – until 26th Oct

Cross Gallery – shelter belt – Michael Wann – 2nd Nov