Next week Kent audiences are in for a real treat, as ‘Seven Drunken Nights: The Story of the Dubliners’ is coming to the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone. The coastal venue will host the narrated concert for one performance only on Wednesday 9th April, with the show including many of the group’s renowned songs, including ‘The Irish Rover’, ‘I’ll Tell Me Ma’ and ‘Dirty Old Town’ to name but a few. I have always enjoyed Irish music, ever since I first watched Riverdance as a child, and The Dubliners’ songs are some of the most memorable. I had the opportunity to hear more about the show from Dublin-born writer, director and frontman Ged Graham, who is clearly very passionate about the group and enthusiastic to keep their legacy going.
What is it about The Dubliners that inspired you to create a show celebrating their long-running career?
I have been a lifelong fan of The Dubliners and their music has been the soundtrack of my life growing up in an Irish family in England. When The Dubliners retired in 2012 I wanted to keep their music alive and allow future generations to experience the unbelievable back catalogue of music.
What can you tell me about the format of the performance? How did you approach combining the group’s memorable songs with tales about their musical journey?
It is a narrated concert told in the third person, describing the history and timeline of the group. We start in 1962 and take the story up to 2012 highlighting the milestones in The Dubliners career.
How do you bring the spirit and energy of the band to the show night after night?
Because we are so passionate about the music, the energy just flows through us. We are not a lookalikey, soundalikey version of The Dubliners, we dig deep and look at the spirit of the music and how it affects us and in turn the audience. Sometimes over time music becomes jaded and sterile and by going back to the source we have captured the essence of what The Dubliners were about.
What are your favourite songs to perform and why?
The rousing ‘pub’ songs because that’s where the energy is – songs like ‘Rocky Road to Dublin’ and ‘Hot Asphalt’.
You will be performing at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone. What are you most looking forward to performing at the seaside venue?
We always love the Fish & Chips!!!
2025 is an exciting year for the show, with you touring for 42 weeks. What do you hope audiences around the world take away from the production?
That they will go away with a smile on their face and a spring in their step and be a little happier than when they came in.
Watching ‘Seven Drunken Nights’ in Folkestone
‘Seven Drunken Nights’ certainly sounds like a celebration of The Dubliners’ career, taking audiences back to the source of their success. It is sure to be a toe-tapping evening of Irish classics! The performance starts at 7:30pm and tickets can be purchased via the ATG Tickets website. A huge thank you to Ged for taking some time out of the company’s busy tour schedule to share some insights into the show.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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