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Something For The Weekend – Patrick Bergin’s cultural picks

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Over the past four decades, actor Patrick Bergin has been a welcome fixture on screens big and small, whether starring alongside Julia Roberts in Sleeping With the Enemy and Harrison Ford in Patriot Games, or stealing the show in soaps like Red Rock and EastEnders. He’s an accomplished songwriter, to boot!

We asked Patrick for his choice cultural picks…

FILM

My favourite film is one called The Fiend Who Walked the West, it is a gothic-horror. I like westerns ,that film had a profound, almost subliminal effect on me as a teenager. It starred Hugh O’Brian as a bank robber and Robert Evans, who provided the persona for the character I played in Sleeping with the Enemy. Don’t watch it on your own…

MUSIC

Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan and Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out by the Rolling Stones loom large in my favourites, as do Merle Haggard and Leonard Cohen. I sang Anthem for the pope at Croke Park. Kíla are my favourite Irish band, and Elanor Shanley is great! I’m always a sucker for a hairy Irish ballad, Liam Clancy being The Master.

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BOOK

The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell. Tressell is obviously a nom-de plume and the book was a definite step in my appreciation of social issues in literature and art. Fanny Hill as bedtime reading… nuff said! I’m currently reading Terror, Tears and Tragedy by Noel Howard is a fascinating book about my wife Helen Gold-Bergin’s grandmother Lady Louisa Morgan Mountcashel, one that encompasses the early suffragettes, the first divorce in Ireland and a court case that enthralled the world.

THEATRE

Philadelphia, Here I Come! by Brian Friel. This was one of the first plays I ever saw with my brother Emmet in it. He sadly passed last year, I had seen him perform in The Eblana, The Abbey and The Gaiety. He was a great and well-known actor. My mother worked in the Green Room at the Gaiety and my father, a Labour Senator helped start The Little Theatre In Carlow, and the theatre is still going strong today.

Playwright Brian Friel

TV

Like my hero Bob Dylan, I avidly watch Coronation Street and of course I’m loyal to Eastenders! I love Nationwide and travel programmes. High Road, Low Road is also entertaining. I love anything with a train. My grandfather was the signalman at Carlow Station.

GIG

Kíla at the Cloughjordan amphitheater were magnificent. Rónán Ó Snodaigh is simply the best bodhrán player I have ever seen, he literally makes it talk and sing with astounding rhythms. Go see him whenever you get a chance!

ART

I love to visit the Duke Gallery on Duke Street, Dublin. Norman Teeling, Guggi, Graham Knuttel, John Campion, Sarah Langham and Helen Costello’s sculptures are amoung my favourites.

RADIO

I will miss Joe Duffy, but I also love his namesake Louise Duffy, and I am hoping she will play one of my songs on her show someday! John Creedon is brilliant, and if I am away from home the BBC World Service’s Shipping Forecast is a great comfort.

TECH

Spotify, where I can check up on how my humble musical creations are doing, My duet with Eleanor Shanley, My Angel, gets a respectful number of streams every week, she is great. Simon Casey recorded my song The Tipperary Waltz, too.. Check it out! My music has also been used in a number of films.

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THE NEXT BIG THING…

Let me think.. I’m delighted to say I have two movies in this year’s Galway Film Festival: Sunphlowers, an Irish production, and The Captain, an English production for which I received a Best Actor award in the U.K. We are also working on the Lady Louisa film project, based on the book mentioned above.

All in all I have been busy – on August 8th, I open the King John’s Festival in Trim, Co Meath, and this September I am speaking at a brand new event, The Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival, the brainchild of Trudi Lalor, with various events across three days, including talks from myself, Noel Fitzpatrick (Supervet) and many more.

Now, it’s time to feed the goats!

The Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival runs September 5th – 7th – find out more here.

Culture

Giorgio Armani creations interplay with Italian masterpieces at new Milan exhibition

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“Giorgio Armani, Milano, for love’’ at the Brera Art Gallery opens today, mere weeks after the celebrated designer’s death at the age of 91.

Featuring 129 Armani looks from the 1980s through the present day, the exhibition places his creations among celebrated Italian masterpieces by such luminaries as Raphael and Caravaggio.

It is one of a series of Milan Fashion Week events that were planned before Armani’s death, to highlight his transformative influence on the world of fashion.

“From the start, Armani showed absolute rigor but also humility not common to great fashion figures,’’ said the gallery’s director Angelo Crespi. “He always said that he did not want to enter into close dialogue with great masterpieces, like Raphael, Mantegna, Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca.’’ 

Instead, the exhibition aims to create a symbiosis with the artworks, with the chosen looks reflecting the mood of each room without interrupting the flow of the museum experience – much the way Armani always intended his apparel to enhance and never overwhelm the individual.

A long blue asymmetrical skirt and bodysuit ensemble worn by Juliette Binoche at Cannes in 2016 neatly reflects the blue in Giovanni Bellini’s 1510 portrait “Madonna and Child”; a trio of underlit dresses glow on a wall opposite Raphael’s “The Marriage of the Virgin”; the famed soft-shouldered suit worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo, arguably the garment that launched Armani to global fame, is set among detached frescoes by Donato Bramante. Every choice in the exhibition underscores the timelessness of Armani’s fashion. 

Armani himself makes a cameo, on a t-shirt in the final room, opposite the Brera’s emblematic painting “Il Bacio” by Francesco Hayez. 

“When I walk around, I think he would be super proud,’’ said Anoushka Borghesi, Armani’s global communications director. 

Armani’s fashion house confirmed a series of events this week that Armani himself had planned to celebrate his 50th anniversary. They include the announcement of an initiative to support education for children in six Southeast Asian, African and South American countries. The project, in conjunction with the Catholic charity Caritas, is named “Mariu’,’’ an affectionate nickname for Armani’s mother.

In a final farewell, the last Giorgio Armani collection signed by the designer will be shown in the Brera Gallery on Sunday, among looks he personally chose to represent his 50-year legacy.

“Giorgio Armani – 50 Years” opened to the public today at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Italy. The exhibition lasts until 11 January 2026.

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The last day of doomsday: What is the viral ‘RaptureTok’ trend?

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If you’re reading this today, Wednesday 24 September 2025 could be the last day before the end of the world as you know it.

If you’re reading this tomorrow, you weren’t blipped out of existence and good luck with all the rebuilding. Please do better.

Confused? We’ve got you covered.

According to the more holy corners of TikTok, it has been prophesized that yesterday – or today, they couldn’t make their minds up on which one, so just go with it – is the day of the Rapture.

For the filthy heathens among you, that’s the long-awaited end-time event when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, resurrects all dead Christian disciples and brings all believers “to meet the Lord in the air.”

It wasn’t yesterday, clearly, so today’s the day… And turn off that R.E.M. song, this is serious.

This all stems from South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who claimed that the Rapture will occur on 23 or 24 September 2025. Mhlakela said that this knowledge came directly from a dream he had in 2018, in which Jesus appeared to him. Mhlakela reiterated all of this on 9 September in an interview with CettwinzTV and since then, the prophecy has become a viral sensation on TikTok.

Many individuals on the social media platform have taken this literally and very seriously, with more than 350,000 videos appearing under the hashtag #rapturenow – leading to the trend / popular subsection dubbed ‘RaptureTok’. 

Some videos mock the prophecy, but you don’t have to scroll for too long to find those who are completely convinced that it’s happening today.

There’s advice on how to prepare; tips on what to remove from your house should certain objects contain “demonic energy”; and testimonies of people selling their possessions. One man, who goes by the name Tilahun on TikTok, shared a video last month, in which he said he was selling his car in preparation for the big day. “Car is gone just like the Brides of Christ will be in September,” he said.

One woman in North Carolina was live recording yesterday from the Blue Ridge Mountains, fervently keeping an eye on any holy activity in the sky. Another claimed that her 3-year-old started speaking in Hebrew, thereby confirming that it’s all legit. 

Some more distressing videos include American evangelicals saying goodbye to their children for the last time… We won’t share those, as they’re actually quite depressing.

It’s hard to completely blame TikTok users for wanting the final curtain to drop, as things aren’t going too great down here on Earth. That being said, it’s worth noting that the Bible never actually mentions the Rapture; it’s a relatively recent doctrine that originates from the early 1800s, one which has gained traction among fundamentalist theologians – specifically in the US, where everything is fine, civil conversation is alive and well, no one’s worried, and they’re all enjoying their “God-given freedoms”.

So, if the Rapture does come to pass, we here at Euronews Culture will be eating a whole concrete mixer full of humble pie. If it doesn’t, see you tomorrow, and do spare a thought for those who are going to be very disappointed on Thursday 25 September. 

And if extra-terrestrial beings followed Tara Rule’s advice (see below), thank you alien visitors for joining in on the fun. And if you could provide some much-needed guidance on how to do better, that would be grand.

Only a few more hours left to find out…

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‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunion sees James Van Der Beek make surprise appearance amid cancer battle

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The cast of the hit TV show Dawson’s Creek, which ran from 1998 to 2003, came together earlier this week for a reunion charity event in New York City.  

The cast, including Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, took the stage at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Monday evening to read the 1998 pilot episode.  

The evening was to raise money for F Cancer and James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson in the show. Van Der Beek, 48, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer last year, and was unable to attend.

However, he shared that he had an understudy for the evening…

“I DO have an understudy. A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available),” he wrote. “Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient. The role of ‘Dawson,’ usually played by James Van Der Beek, will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that.” 

Additionally, a visibly moved Van Der Beek did appear on screen via video message. 

“I can’t believe I don’t get to hug my cast mates,” he said. “I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theater for being here tonight. From the cast to the crew to everybody who’s doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you – you are the best fans in the world.” 

During the event, Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly and the couple’s children joined the cast onstage to sing Paula Cole’s ‘I Don’t Want To Wait’, which served as the show’s theme song. 

Another surprise during the event was when Steven Spielberg – Dawson’s hero throughout the series – appeared on screen. Check out the director’s message below:

Van Der Beek has undergone chemotherapy and has continued to engage publicly, advocating for cancer awareness and the importance of early detection. He has promoted new screening options and teamed up with Guardant Health to raise awareness about colorectal cancer screening for people under 50.

The video message during the reunion show has sparked concern after fans noticed that the actor appeared visibly thinner compared to earlier public appearances.  

Messages of support flooded social media, with fans praising Van Der Beek’s resilience.

Elsewhere, Holmes and Jackson, who played Joey and Pacey respectively in Dawson’s Creek, are currently working together on a new project, Happy Hours

According to Deadline, the forthcoming trilogy is “a story about two people (played by Holmes and Jackson) navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life’s inevitable obstacles. It’s a character-driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope.” 

Holmes is directing, writing and starring in the movie – and the reunion between the two has sparked rumours about a possible romantic rekindling.  

Holmes and Jackson met in the 90s. They were an item and appeared close during the reunion evening. However, multiple sources clarified that Homes and Jackson aren’t back together and enjoy a longlasting and continuing friendship. 

Reflecting on the event, Holmes wrote on Instagram: “I will never find the words for what these three beautiful humans mean to me. For our shared journey. For our everlasting bond. James, Josh, Michelle… from April 1997 – I love you.” 

He added: “James, you got this. We got you. To everyone who supported us from the beginning and who continue to support James and his beautiful family, we thank you. Thank you for last night.”

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