Luke Haines & Cathal Coughlan for Sugar Club

Two of Hot Press’ favourite musical mavericks, Luke Haines and Cathal Coughlan, bring their new theatrical show to the Dublin Sugar Club on December 3, tickets for which are €20.

Developed in conjunction with journalist Andrew Mueller and cellist Audrey Ripley, The North Sea Scrolls features 14 new songs that recently took the Edinburgh Festival by storm.

“The truths contained in the scrolls are at once profoundly disturbing and peculiarly reassuring,” Cathal and Luke say in a joint communiqué. “Certainly, they answer many long-pressing questions. How did a Dublin criminal overlord become an imperial viceroy? Is England really just two counties – Northshire and Southshire? Could it be that the guttering violence of Northern Ireland is caused by terrorist tribute acts from Australia? Who is Tony Allen? How did Tim Hardin end up commanding a nationalist militia in Cornwall? Can it be true that Morris Men, far from the prancing buffoons of popular repute, are murderous vigilantes – a Cotswoldian thugee cult? Was Chris Evans really burnt at the stake? If not; why not? Is Jim Corr actually right about everything?”

Not, we suspect, your average gig.