Irish National Opera’s touring production updates the action in Smetana’s opera to Big Tom’s Ireland of the 1970s

Theatre: Louise Lowe’s returning production honours Joyce without embalming him, letting his world breathe again

Is this Christmas Carol suitable for smaller children? The tiny me would have savoured the horror as much as the joyful denouement

Loughlan Prior moves the tale to the 1950s, when the heroine leaves her family in Ireland to emigrate to New York

State Ballet of Georgia’s colourful production remains tethered to the original narrative

Susanne Colleary’s play features the most romantic depiction of expedition in any of Blue Raincoat’s plays about explorers

Theatre: Brokentalkers developed their illuminating work about psychosis with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Katerina Petrova, Tsetso Ivanov, Francesc Saura and Shin Kurokawa shine under Alan Foley’s crisp direction

Theatre: Liath Hannon is remarkable as a trans girl who masks her desperation for acceptance and experience with dark humour

In Irish National Opera’s Puccini staging, Celine Byrne’s character is assured and forward-thinking rather than naive and vulnerable

Belfast International Arts Festival: Patrick O’Kane and Anna Healy star in John Morton’s dark comedy for the Lyric Theatre

In Emma Martin’s restaging of her choreography, the dancers become one with Andrew Hamilton’s music