Arena
Arena is an arts, culture and entertainment programme from RTÉ Radio 1. Presented by Rick O'Shea, it covers what's happening in the world of arts and culture, including interviews, reviews and features. The show offers a weekly look at the latest developments in these fields.
Episodes
Film reviews - incl Klara and the Sun
Hilary White and Arlene Hunt review the new films Klara and the Sun, Fatherland and Possible Love.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Choreographer John Scott on the new Irish Modern Dance Theatre production
Choreographer John Scott chats to Rick about the Irish Modern Dance Theatre production 'Physical Landscape' coming to the Project Arts Centre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
RTÉ Short Story Competition - John Armstrong and Alison Jameson
John Armstrong and Alison Jameson, both finalists of this year's RTÉ Short Story Competition, chat to Rick about their work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gulliver: A Choral Symphony - Shaun Davey
Ahead of the 300th anniversary of the publication of Gulliver’s Travels, composer Shaun Davey discusses his Gulliver: A Choral Symphony.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Galway DJ Count Skylarkin
Galway DJ Count Skylarkin chats with Rick about his upcoming gig at the Lú Festival of Light in Drogheda.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Grand Theft Auto still relevant?
Ahead of the release of its sixth iteration, we’ll be discussing the global pop-cultural phenomenon that is Grand Theft Auto.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ralph McTell plays live in studio
Ralph McTell chats to Rick and plays live in studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fiddle player Clare Sands
Fiddle player and RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards nominee Clare Sands chats to Rick about her new album and performs live in studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Macnas at 40
As Macnas marks 40 years of creating extraordinary public art, Rick look back at the history of the company with Galway theatre-maker James Riordan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hilma af Klint: Artist and Visionary
Jess Fahy discusses the National Gallery’s new exhibition, Hilma af Klint: Artist and Visionary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Niall Williams
For over twenty-five years, novelist Niall Williams has been crafting some of the most lyrical and resonant of Irish stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Opera festival review
Wexford Festival Opera marks its 75th anniversary. From its modest beginnings in 1951, it has grown into one of the world's most respected opera festivals, earning an international reputation for reviving neglected masterpieces and nurturing new talent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
TV reviews - incl VisionQuest
Chris Wasser and Louise Bruton review VisionQuest (Disney+), Crystal Lake (Sky) and The Party (Virgin).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Album reviews - incl Fontaines DC
Zara Hedderman and Nadine O’Regan review new releases from Fontaines DC, Arborist and Declan O’Rourke.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Faber to stop supplying Rooney's books in the UK
Martin Doyle, Books Editor of The Irish Times chats to Rick about Faber confirming it will stop supplying Sally Rooney's books in the UK. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Luke Grimes on the latest series of Marshals
Actor Luke Grimes chats to Rick about the latest season of Taylor Sheridan's American neo-Western Marshals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Film reviews - incl Forever Is Now
Donald Clarke and Sarina Bellissimo review survival thriller Whalefall and documentaries NAZA and Forever Is Now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Whozyerman? live in studio
Ahead of the release of his new album, Belly of the Beast, Whozyerman? chats to Rick and performs live in studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Disco Pigs at 30
Playwright and director Enda Walsh and actors Séamus McLean Ross and Aoise Meaney discuss the major new production at The Everyman marking three decades of the play.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Maya Libbey live in studio
Singer-songwriter Maya Libbey performs live in the studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cork's most iconic music venues
Ashley Keating of The Frank and Walters chats to Rick about Cork's most iconic music venues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Strange Boy performs live in studio.
Limerick artist Strange Boy performs live in studio and chats to Rick about his recently released second album, Say Nothing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Circling the Square Festival - Vona Groarke and Martina Evans
Poets Vona Groarke and Martina Evans discuss this year’s Circling the Square Literary Festival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Marathon Man at 50
Paul Whittington discusses Marathon Man at 50.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
TV reviews - inc Celebrity Traitors
Jenn Gannon and Chris Wasser review Mike Flanagan’s reboot of Stephen King’s Carrie and Channel 4's comedy series It Gets Worse, and discuss why The Celebrity Traitors is so compelling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Album reviews
Graham Smyth and John Meagher review new releases from Troye Sivan, Morgana and Pet Shop Boys. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Extra: Anne Carson - Arts Tonight (2011)
A look back into the RTÉ Archives to mark Anne Carson winning the Nobel prize in Literature, 2026. The Canadian poet joined Vincent Woods in studio in March 2011, on a visit to Dublin as a guest of the Poetry Now festival in Dún Laoghaire. In the interview, she discusses her work translating from the Greek classics, and her own poetry and criticism, including her books The Autobiography of Red, Er
Film reviews - including The Social Reckoning
John Maguire and Cara O'Doherty review Aaron Sorkin’s new Facebook film The Social Reckoning, Andrew Garfield in The Uprising and new Irish documentary Lesbian Lines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From Out My Heart - Sue Rainsford
Sue Rainsford discusses her new novel From Out My Heart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Baboró International Arts Festival for Children - A Teen Odyssey
Jenny Vila, founder and Creative Producer of La Mecànica chats to Rick about A Teen Odyssey an immersive and highly original production at this year's Baboró International Arts Festival for Children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NŌS by Luail - Akram Khan
Choreographer Akram Khan discusses his work Kaash, which will be part of a landmark triple bill of internationally acclaimed contemporary dance works coming to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre as part of NŌS by Luail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Side Stage - Ben Barnes
Acclaimed theatre and opera director Ben Barnes chats to Rick about Side Stage, a collection of his writing about theatre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
John McGahern: Writer & Archive - Dr Barry Houlihan
Dr Barry Houlihan chats to Rick about a new exhibition marking 20 years since the death of John McGahern, which has opened at the University of Galway.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Irish premiere of Goebbels' Songs of Wars I Have Seen at the NCH
German composer Heiner Goebbels and internationally acclaimed violinist Claire Duff of the Irish Baroque Orchestra discuss the Irish premiere of Goebbels' landmark music-theatre work, Songs of Wars I Have Seen, at the National Concert Hall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan on Bizet's Carmen
Mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan on Irish National Opera's upcoming production of Bizet's Carmen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chasing Millions - Christopher Eccleston and Madeleine Madden
Christopher Eccleston and Madeleine Madden discuss Chasing Millions - the upcoming heist comedy about the 2004 Northern Bank robbery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Wran perform live in studio
Ahead of the release of their debut album, The Stone Man, The Wran perform live in studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Uprising - Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield discusses his upcoming role as a rebellious farmer in the historical action drama, The Uprising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The greatest Austen adaptations
Paul Whitington discusses our obsession with Jane Austen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
TV reviews feat East of Eden
Chris Wasser and Dee Molumby review War (Sky/Now), Kill Jackie (Prime) and East of Eden (Netflix).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Album reviews feat Johnn Marr
Louise Bruton and Cian Sullivan review new releases from The Whileaways, Johnny Marr and Blossoms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Director Tom Creed on his new production of 4.48 Psychosis
Director Tom Creed discusses his new production of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis starring Marty Rea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Film reviews
Paul Whittington and Ruth Barton review Digger, Verity, The Weight and Knife, a new documentary about Salman Rushdie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Diveboy perform live in studio
Cork band Diveboy chat to Rick and play live in studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edged in Blue: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey with Rory Gallagher - Dónal Gallagher
Dónal Gallagher, brother of the late Rory, discusses his memoir, Edged in Blue: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey with Rory Gallagher. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ballybeg Goes Global — A Celebration of Brian Friel's International Legacy
Dr. Sinéad McCoole, Head of Exhibitions, Learning and Programming at the National Library, discusses Ballybeg Goes Global, a celebration of Brian Friel's international legacy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who is Lawrence?
Zara Hedderman on Lawrence, the iconoclastic frontman of the English indie pop band Felt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The O’Connell Women at Derrynane
Jess Fahy discusses the portraits of the O’Connell women that hang on the walls of Derrynane House. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Canadian pianist Carter Johnson performs live in studio
Canadian pianist and winner of the 2025 Dublin International Piano Competition, Carter Johnson, performs live in studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mary and Padraic Colum: The Lives and the Dream - Margaret Kelleher
Author Margaret Kelleher discusses her book Mary and Padraic Colum: The Lives and the Dream. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
David Lynch's Blue Velvet at 40
Steven Benedict looks back at David Lynch's Blue Velvet 40 years on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
RTÉ Short Story Competition at 40
Rick is joined by former judge and writer Neil Hegarty, former competition winner John O'Donnell, and the Short Story Series producer, Sarah Binchy, to celebrate 40 years of the RTÉ Short Story Competition and discuss this year’s shortlist.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Colm Ó Foghlú and Aoife Ní Bhriain discuss their new works
Colm Ó Foghlú and Aoife Ní Bhriain discuss their Stiúideo Cuan–commissioned works, plus a live studio performance from Aoife.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
TV reviews
Chris Wasser and Jenn Gannon review Brothers (Apple TV+), Monster: Lizzie Borden (Netflix) and Tall Tales and Murder (RTÉ).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Album reviews
Eamon Sweeney and John Meagher review new releases from Gilla Band, Beck and Gurriers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Airport Chaplain - Hugo Weaving
Hugo Weaving discusses his latest film, The Airport Chaplain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Visions by Eoghan Quinn
Director Claire O’Reilly and actors Oliver Flitcroft and Ghaliah Conroy discuss Visions, a new Abbey Theatre production written by Eoghan Quinn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Film reviews
Justin Mac Gregor and Tara Brady review Hope, Sense and Sensibility, Her Private Hell and The Lost Children of Tuam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sense, Sensibility & Sisters
Caitríona Balfe discusses the new big-screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility, her role as Mrs Dashwood, and working alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles and Fiona Shaw.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A.S. Fanning: Taking Us Back to Nowhere
A.S. Fanning discusses his latest album Take Me Back To Nowhere, his first headline tour in Ireland in nine years, and his dark, atmospheric sound.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Long Live the Library!
Martina Devlin and Irish Fiction Laureate Éilís Ní Dhuibhne celebrate the joy of public libraries, from borrowing and reading to the enduring magic of books and stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New exhibition at IMMA - Technologies of Peace
Mary Cremin, co-curator of Technologies of Peace, takes us through the new exhibition at IMMA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
No Vacancy - Jan Carson
Jan Carson discusses No Vacancy, her new collection of microfiction about staying in hotels around the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Lost Children of Tuam - Liam Neeson and Monica Dolan
Liam Neeson and Monica Dolan discuss The Lost Children of Tuam, the new drama about historian Catherine Corless and her research into the former Mother and Baby Homes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dublin Theatre Festival 2026 - Dignity
Amanda Coogan and Leanne Quigley discuss a new performance of Teresa Deevy’s play Dignity by Dublin Theatre of the Deaf. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dublin Theatre Festival 2026 - Lourdes! The Musical
Xnthony chats with Rick about the world premiere of Lourdes! The Musical at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Mann’s Manhunter at 40
Paul Whittington discusses Michael Mann’s Manhunter at 40. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Arena Culture Night Special
A special broadcast live from Studio One to celebrate Culture Night. Featuring performances from Lasairfhíona, harmony vocal group Landless, concertina virtuoso Jack Talty, uilleann piper Mark Redmond, and guitarist Michael McCague, alongside poetry readings from Martin Dyar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Film reviews
Hilary White and Sarina Bellissimo review Queen At Sea and Bad Apples. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
TV reviews
Chris Wasser and Dee Molumby review the latest series of Slow Horses and Sharon Horgan’s new series Youth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creative Journeys - Dave Haslam
Dave Haslam discusses his new book Creative Journeys: Intimate conversations with artists, actors, writers and musicians. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NUALA - Hugo Hamilton
Hugo Hamilton on adapting his novel Every Single Minute into the new stage production NUALA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Katherine Priddy
English folk singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy performs live in studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matilda The Musical - Dennis Kelly
Writer and producer Dennis Kelly on adapting Roald Dahl’s Matilda into a musical. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Love Between Men - Pádraig Ó Tuama
Poet Pádraig Ó Tuama discusses his new collection, Love Between Men.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
the olllam - European Tour 2026
Michael Shimmin of transatlantic folk-fusion collective The Olllam discusses the group's upcoming Irish tour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Farewell to Eden – Sebastian Faulks
Sebastian Faulks on Farewell to Eden – his new novel set after the second world war about a returning British soldier haunted by his time in Palestine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mansfield Park Opera
Composer Jonathan Dove and theatre director Patrick Mason discuss Opera Collective Ireland's production of Mansfield Park.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Thought Without Collision - Adrian Duncan
Author Adrian Duncan discusses his latest novel, A Thought Without Collision. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As One: Remaking Suede
Eamon Sweeney discusses As One: Remaking Suede, a new biography of the band by Suede's biography by Roger Glass. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
