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 Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:19 am Post subject: NIGHTLIFE IN UK (WALES & NORTHERN IRELAND) |
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NIGHTLIFE IN UK (WALES & NORTHERN IRELAND)
WALES (Cardiff)
There's no Soho in Cardiff, but you can find many interesting places to go after dark.
St. David's Hall is one of Britain's leading centers of music, offering an extensive program, including visits by international conductors, soloists, and orchestras. Top rock and pop artists also appear there. The most outstanding local troupe is the Welsh National Opera, which Punch magazine acclaimed as "the world's best opera company."
For information abut After Dark diversions, pick up a brochure from the Cardiff tourist office (Cardiff 2004), revised annually. In it you'll see a selective rundown of the city's most worthwhile entertainment.
Performing Arts
The most innovative space for musical presentations in Britain -- outside London, that is -- is St. David's Hall (or Neuadd Dewi Sant in Welsh), The Hayes (tel. 029/2087-8444; www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk). Designed in an octagonal format of shimmering glass and roughly textured concrete, it is the most comprehensive forum for the arts in Wales. A number of world-class orchestras appear regularly, along with popular music stars -- everybody from Tina Turner to Welsh-born Tom Jones. Dance, films, and classical ballet, among other events, are also presented.
The hall maintains an information desk for the sale of tickets throughout the day. It also has dining facilities, plus a changing exhibition of art. Prince Charles laid the hall's cornerstone, and the Queen Mother officially opened the arts centre in 1983. The top-notch acoustics are attributed to its interior arrangements of a series of interlinked sloping terraces, any of which can be opened or closed for seating depending on the size of the audience.
Instant confirmed bookings for events can be made by phone with a Visa or MasterCard daily from 10am to 6 or 8pm, depending on the concert schedule. The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm (but only until 6pm on days when there's no performance). On Sunday, hours are from 10am to either 6pm or until 1 hour before the start of a scheduled performance. Ticket prices depend on the event. Bus: 1 or 2.
A charming Edwardian building from 1906, the New Theatre, Park Place (tel. 029/2087-8889; www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk), is the city's second cultural venue, seating 1,000 patrons for major productions of drama, ballet, contemporary dance, and pantomime. As of this writing, it is also the home of the Welsh National Opera, although this troupe may one day move to a newer building. Many theatergoers often enjoy shows here before they head for London's West End. The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm. If there's no performance scheduled, the ticket office closes at 6pm. Most tickets generally cost from £7 to £24. Bus: 70, 78, 80, or 82.
Cardiff's main repertory theatre, Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road (tel. 029/2064-6900; www.shermantheatre.co.uk), is on the campus of the University of Wales. It has two auditoriums -- the Main Theatre and the more intimate Arena Theatre. More than 600 performances a year are staged here, including drama, dance, and Welsh folkloric performances. The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm (until 6pm if no performance is scheduled). The cost for most tickets is £9 for adults or £6 for students and children. Bus: 70, 78, 80, or 82.
Finally, Chapter, Market Road, in Canton (tel. 029/2030-4400; www.chapter.org), is an arts centre complete with a theatre; two movie facilities; three galleries and artists' studios; video, photography, and silk-screen workshops; a dance studio; a book shop; two bars; and a restaurant. Its box office is open Monday through Friday from 11am to 8:30pm, Saturday from 2 to 8:30pm, and Sunday from 3 to 8:30pm. Take bus no. 17, 18, or 31.
Dance Clubs
Try The Clwb lfor Bach (The Welsh Club) at 11 Womanby St. (tel. 029/2023-2199), reached by turning left on the road from Castle Street. On most nights this is a rocking venue. Bus: 50, 51, 52, 70, 71, or 72. Its competitor, which is a bit more fun on most nights, is Blah Blah's, 114 St. Mary St. (tel. 029/2034-45110), which stays open later than most places in the centre -- that is, until 1am, late by Welsh standards. This is one of the city's most popular clubs, attracting crowds in the 20-to-35 age range (as does The Welsh Club) to its split-level floor.
Pubs and Bars
A local favourite, Angel Tavern, in the Angel Hotel, Castle Street (tel. 029/2064-9200), is still charming after all these years. Ales are drawn by hand-pumps from the cellars of this traditional tavern, walled with red brick, its ceiling supported by heavy wooden beams. Facing Cardiff Castle, it is on the corner of Castle and Westgate streets. Bars meals are served at lunch -- not in the actual tavern but in the street-level cocktail lounge of the hotel. Take bus no. 1 or 2.
Another traditional favourite is The Park Vaults, in The Thistle Hotel, Park Lane (tel. 029/2038-3471), a cozy pub and bistro format. Stained-glass windows evoke Victorian nostalgia. You can also come here for a pub dinner. Bus: 1 or 2.
More modern and attracting a younger crowd, Bar 38, Stuart Street, Mermaid Quay (tel. 029/2049-4375), is a two-story bar that serves some of the best mixed drinks in town -- from champagne cocktails to red wine. Bus: 8.
A hangout for rugby fans, City Arms, 10 Quay St. (corner of Quay and Womanby sts.; tel. 029/2022-5258), attracts sports enthusiasts, and is the most likely venue for any pop star or celebrity likely to be visiting Wales. Bus: 50, 51, 52, 70, 71, or 72.
Gay Clubs
If you're dreaming of gay love with a Welsh accent, head for Exit Club, 48 Charles St. (tel. 029/2064-0101), a hot spot which is usually crowded and cruisy. Its precincts accommodate the young Richard Burton or Dylan Thomas types of the 21st century. Surveying the dance floor of heavy drinking hot guys, one patron claimed, "You want to get 'em before they're too pissed." There's no cover before 9:30pm; after that hour, you pay from £2 to £3. Open Monday through Saturday from 6pm to 1am, Sunday from 6pm to 2am.
NORTHERN IRELAND (Belfast)
Belfast has a plethora of historic pubs where the crowds tend to be local and friendly, but the big news here in recent years has been its fast-growing new generation of hip modern bars geared at the young and trendy. The late-night places are mostly clustered in the University Quarter, while the pubs are spread around town. If you're drawn to traditional pubs, several of the best are hidden away in the pedestrian lanes off High Street. Pub hours are generally Monday to Saturday from 11:30am to 11pm and Sunday from 12:30 to 2:30pm and from 7 to 10pm. Bars stay open later, and nightclubs tend not to get busy until after the pubs close; admission ranges from £3 to £10 depending on the night.
The Performing Arts
For up-to-date listings of shows and concerts, there are several sources. That's Entertainment is free and widely available at tourist offices and pubs, as are the Big List and Artslink. And there's always the Belfast Daily Telegraph and the Irish News. You could also try www.gotobelfast.com and www.belfast.net (which inexplicably plays very annoying Muzak).
With its distinctive bronze dome, the Waterfront Hall dominates the Lagan skyline (Oxford St., Laganside, tel. 028/9033-4455 for credit card reservations or 028/9033-4400 for program information; www.waterfront.co.uk). The state-of-the-art conference centre and concert venue attracts international performers. On the Golden Mile near the Europa Hotel, the Grand Opera House first opened its doors in 1895. A central part of Belfast's cultural scene it offers the finest opera, drama and musicals in town (Great Victoria St., tel. 028/9024-1919; www.goh.co.uk). The Ulster Hall hosts touring music groups, comedy, and drama, and is home to the Ulster Orchestra (Bedford Street, tel. 028/9032-3900; www.ulsterhall.co.uk). The Odyssey is the latest addition to the city's crowded performing arts roster. The massive complex on the waterfront has a 10,000-seat arena where touring rock groups from Oasis to Destiny's Child have performed. The complex also holds dozens of restaurants and bars, so there's plenty to keep you busy before the show (2 Queen's Quay, tel. 028/9073-9074; www.odysseyarena.com).
Theatres include the Lyric Theatre, Ridgeway Street (tel. 028/9038-1081; www.lyrictheatre.co.uk), for new plays by Irish and international playwrights; and the Group Theatre, part of Ulster Hall on Bedford Street (tel. 028/9032-9685), for performances by local drama societies.
For stand-up comedy, head for the basement of the Empire Music Hall, 42 Botanic (tel. 028/9032-8110). It's home every Tuesday at 9pm to The Empire Laughs Back. If you'd rather sit down than stand up, get there at least an hour early.
Tickets, which cost £8 to £30 for most events, can be purchased in advance from the Virgin Ticket Shop, Castle Court, Belfast (tel. 028/9032-3744), or online at www.ticketmaster.ie. (You can always arrange to have tickets purchased online delivered to your hotel.) |
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