Leonard Cohen's music and story to be celebrated in Waterford

The music, poetry and life of legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen will be celebrated in Waterford early next month with a show that has a particularly personal connection to the late musician. 

'Thanks for the Dance: The Leonard Cohen Story' will take to the stage at the Theatre Royal, Waterford, on Saturday, October 3, at 8pm. Tickets are priced at €32.

The show is presented by Cohen Unlimited, a group of Irish professional musicians brought together to celebrate Cohen's work through his music and poetry. 

At the centre of the production is lead singer Robert Doyle, whose admiration for Cohen stretches back decades. 

Doyle discovered Cohen's music at the age of 14 and has been singing his songs ever since. His connection with the musician became more personal in 1979, when he met Cohen following a concert in Zurich. 

According to the Theatre Royal, after discovering that Doyle performed his songs, Cohen asked him to sing for him and his band. 

It's a story which now forms part of a production dedicated to exploring not only Cohen's music but also the man and stories behind it. 

Throughout Thanks for the Dance, Doyle shares anecdotes about Cohen's life and discusses the stories behind his work between performances of his songs and poetry.

The production also takes visual inspiration from Cohen's final world tour, with imagery from throughout his life forming part of the performance.

There is another unusual chapter to Doyle's own musical story. Despite performing charity shows for around 40 years, he only became a professional singer in September 2021, the same month he received his pension.

He is joined in Cohen Unlimited by backing singers Louise Jameson O'Flaherty, Jhil Quinn and Emma Nicolai, bassist Ben Dunne, drummer Keith Pogue, keyboard player Chiara Brown and musical director and lead guitarist Fergal Canterbury. 

The musicians are all based in Wicklow Town. The Waterford performance offers audiences an opportunity to revisit Cohen's catalogue through musicians with a longstanding admiration for his work, while hearing some of the stories behind the celebrated songwriter.

Thanks for the Dance: The Leonard Cohen Story takes place at the Theatre Royal Waterford on Saturday, October 3, at 8pm. Tickets cost €32.