Red Lamp Black Piano

Roll up, Roll up! Come to where a red lamp glimmers atop a black piano, lit at the beginning of each show to announce an evening of magic. The Cáca Milis Cabaret has been running as a “vaudevillian evening of the Arts” in Ireland's Wexford Arts Centre and further afield since it kicked off in in 2009. Adapting the old Music Hall format to present original work from contemporary musicians, poets, writers, songsters, mime and circus performers, film-makers, comedians and dancers, it has thrived – presenting around 400 artists thus far. To mark its five-year anniversary, a splendid anthology of writing and poetry is published by Tara Press – presenting a selection of work from the writers and poets who have participated in the Cáca Milis Cabaret down the years. The dazzling gamut of writing, from short fiction to poetry, humour, sci-fi musings and satire makes it an eclectic and entertaining read. The range of contributors also adds to its attraction, featuring both local and international, emerging and established contributors, from established Irish authors like Dermot Bolger, Eoin Colfer, Emer Martin or Peter Murphy, to emerging authors like Susan Lanigan and a first fiction piece from popular comedian, Paul Tylak. Finally, the fabulous introduction by internationally-renowned writer Patrick McCabe ("The Butcher Boy"), captures the impromptu spirit of the Cabaret – which the reader may consider worth a visit after finishing the tome! Thirty-nine works feature, from Irish, international, emerging and established contributors. The anthology is edited by Helena Mulkerns, who is also the Hostess and Founder of the Cabaret itself.