Be Amazing Arts’ poster for Disney’s Newsies Jr, playing at the JoRo in March
OPEN auditions are now live for Malton company Be Amazing Arts’ next production, Disney’s Newsies Jr, to be staged at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, from March 26 to 28.
Based on the hit Broadway show, Newsies Jr follows a spirited band of newsboys as they rally together to fight for what’s right against the powerful newspaper publishers of New York City. Filled with uplifting messages of courage and friendship, this family-friendly production will leave you cheering, dancing and believing in the power of standing strong together!
“This high-energy, feel-good musical is packed with unforgettable songs, dynamic choreography and an inspiring story about young people standing up for what they believe in,” says managing director James Aconley. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for performers to grow in confidence, develop their skills and be part of something truly special.
“We welcome performers of all experience levels. Whether this is your first show or you’re already stage-mad, we’re looking for enthusiasm and commitment, a willingness to learn and work as part of a team and a love of performing (singing, dancing and acting).”
Why take part? “Being involved in a Be Amazing Arts production means professional, supportive direction; high-quality training in a fun and encouraging environment; making new friends and creating unforgettable memories, and experiencing the thrill of performing on stage in a full-scale musical production,” says James.
What happens next? All audition information – including dates, age guidance, what to prepare and how auditions will run – can be found at beamazingarts.co.uk. To register for the auditions, go to https://beamazingarts.co.uk/newsies/.
“If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our team,” says James. “We can’t wait to meet the next generation of newsies and start this exciting journey together. Seize the day – and we’ll see you at auditions!”
Be Amazing Arts, Disney’s Newsies Jr, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, March 26 to 28, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01904 501395 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Scottish lutenist and guitar player Sean Shibe. Picture: Iga Gozdowska
THIS concert for the British Music Society of York opened with a request: none of the usual “Please switch off your mobile phones, emergency exits this way” stuff, but a call-out for a USB connector.
This set a tone of the unexpected, of unpredictability, and the concert was all the more refreshing for it.
Sean Shibe opened with a selection of lute pieces from the Rowallan and Straloch Manuscripts. The playing not only showcased his technical brilliance – each note plucked with surgical precision – but also the exquisite, expressive depth. I was drawn into a world which embraced a hypnotic, timeless quality.
I have never heard any of the music by Pierre Attaingnant, but it seemed to me that Sean Shibe approached the early 16th century-transcribed set of dances for solo lute, not as museum pieces but as vibrant living music. His tone was intimate and lucid, the ornamentation discreet yet expressive.
That said, I much preferred the following three unannounced Renaissance lute pieces by John Dowland: Prelude, Queen Elizabeth’s Galliard and Frog Galliard. They formed a delightfully compelling triptych, displaying the full expressive range of Dowland’s lute writing.
I loved the poise and courtly brilliance of Shibe’s Queen Elizabeth’s Galliard and the buoyant rhythm and sharply etched phrasing of its companion, Frog Galliard.
Having been forewarned that the first half was going to be short and the second half a ‘leg-crosser’ – my companion’s observation, not mine – we dutifully headed off to the proverbial refreshment rooms.
Not surprisingly, we were somewhat surprised to see the performer immediately returning with his guitar. Leaving our dignity at the auditorium exit, we quickly resumed our seats as if nothing had happened. And I’m pleased we did, as we were treated to a sublime performance of Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G major for cello, arranged, presumably by Sean Shibe, for solo guitar.
Shibe’s crystal-clear articulation of the weaving contrapuntal lines was not only technically remarkable but went way beyond virtuosity into a world of rediscovery, of genuine musical insight.
The second half should have opened with Sofia Gubaidulina’s short, three-minute solo guitar piece, Serenade (1960), only it didn’t. Instead, it was one of Harrison Birtwistle’s short guitar miniatures called Sleep Song.
Rather than the usual full-force, raw Birtwistle, the piece – as the title suggests – was quiet, introspective, and gently evocative.
The Gubaidulina was interesting in that it was quite traditional, even tonal. I also thought I detected a Spanish influence. Like the Birtwistle, it explored subtle timbres and mood. The performances were beautifully nuanced.
I was as delighted as I was surprised to see Frank Martin’s admirable Quatre pieces brèves for solo guitar – written for the great Spanish guitarist, Andrés Segovia, but premiered by (the even greater) Julian Bream – replaced by James Dillon’s Twelve Caprices for solo guitar.
Not surprisingly, these were characterised by extreme virtuosity: rapid changes from bass and treble (Caprice I); fast passagework (Caprice II); dynamic voice differences (III); crazy-fast stopped notes and harmonics (IV); left-hand extremes (VI); violent attacks (VII), through to a kind of recapitulation in the closing Caprice XII.
The musical as well as the technical demands on the performer are beyond anything I have heard for a solo guitarist, and the performance by Sean Shibe was unbelievably impressive.
For what it’s worth, it reminded me of a highly distilled version of the composer’s utterly magnificent Book of Elements – for solo piano. The problem for me was, unlike the Book of Elements, I really didn’t enjoy the ride; I just hung on for dear life: utterly exhilarating.
Sean Shibe closed the recital with Thomas Adès’ Forgotten Dances. Like the Dillon, the demands on the performer are considerable. Take the opening movement, Overture – Queen of Spiders, for example.
The fast alternation between the bright, metallic, glassy passages played very close to the bridge and the darker, chocolatey passages played very close to the fingerboard; the fast harp-like delicacy in the upper register and the jaw-dropping left-hand agility were delivered with a focus on musicality rather than display.
Was there any tone painting here? Not sure, but there was a brittle, skittering quality and a delightful winding-down of activity signalling closure rather than cadence. By contrast, in the sustained, quiet sonorities of Berceuse – Paradise of Thebes, Shibe conjured a timeless, haunting quality.
His playing in Here Was A Swift was brimming with a volatile, darting vitality. Were there echoes of Satie in Barcarolle – The Maiden Voyage? Absence of goal-orientated repetition, maybe? But the rocking motion suggests unease rather than Satie’s ironic calling card. Not sure.
Carillon de Ville came across as the most grounded, with Shibe marking a ritualistic 4/4 (to my ears) march, but one with nowhere to go. The suite closed with a homage to Purcell, Vesper – a movement signalling restraint, a quiet closing of the cycle rather than resolution. It was beautifully played.
I thought the performance of Forgotten Dances was inspired, and I left the recital believing that Forgotten Dances was the real deal: a masterpiece.
And there we have it: a one-off, truly remarkable programme and performance – a worthy tribute to Andrew Carter, president of BMS York, who died earlier this month.
Baz Warne: “Not just ‘a book tour’ and not quite ‘a gig’, hopefully Convivial is more than the sum of its parts,” he says
THE Stranglers’ longest-serving frontman, Baz Warne, will visit Pocklington Arts Centre on February 26 and Leeds Brudenell Social Club on March 8, the closing night of his 12-date Convivial tour.
Still out front for the “Men in Black” after more than 25 years, singer, guitarist and writer Warne has put together an evening of songs, stories and conversation as he embarks on such an itinerary for the first time, where all the unscripted, unconventional shows will be seated, topped off by ample opportunity for questions from the audience.
Last October, Warne launched his book No Grass Grows On A Busy Street, a charming collection of tour diaries, stories and reflections on a quarter of a century of fronting The Stranglers, the veteran British post-punk and New Wave band, as well as his time in The Toy Dolls and Smalltown Heroes.
After taking part in a Q&A at the Louder Than Words music/book festival in Manchester, curated by rock journalist John Robb, Warne was inspired to assemble a package of songs, stories and conversation that could be toured across the UK.
“I wanted to put together a unique event of entertainment and memories in a relaxed setting, not just ‘a book tour’ and not quite ‘a gig’, hopefully more than the sum of its parts,” he says. “Who knows how the evening might unfold? One thing is guaranteed: every night on this run will be completely different!
Convivial? “‘That’s a good word, we don’t use it enough anymore, let’s call it [the tour] that’,” says Baz Warne
“When I was describing my idea for the show to management, and used the word ‘convivial’, I stopped myself and said ‘that’s a good word, we don’t use it enough anymore, let’s call it that’.”
Published in hardback, No Grass Grows On A Busy Street is a retrospective compilation of detailed tour diaries, interviews and stories that give an until-now unrivalled level of access to The Stranglers.
As a proud son of the North East, Warne reflects poignantly on his life in music, from humble beginnings to the world’s biggest stages, not least joining The Stranglers at such a tumultuous time and later coming to terms with the loss of original bandmates and dear friends, keyboardist Dave Greenfield and drummer Jet Black.
Looking back on a career spanning five decades of music and popular culture, the book features untold anecdotes and newly written contemplative commentary from Warne that proves how time is often the best lens. Tickets for Pocklington Arts Centre (7.30pm) and Leeds Brudenell Social Club (doors 7.30pm) are on sale at crosstownconcerts.com.
The poster for Baz Warne’s Convivial tour, playing Pocklington and Leeds
David Pipe: Performing at public piano launch on York Station front foyer on Thursday afternoon
A PUBLIC piano is being installed at York Station in a collaboration between the Richard Shephard Music Foundation (RSMF), London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Piano Equals, the piano re-use initiative.
Trustees from the RSMF will gather at the piano on the front foyer on Thursday (15/1/2026) when David Pipe will play Richard Shephard’s Let Him Who Seeks for commuters, among other music.
This joyful piano installation will bring music to a public space while also supporting young musicians across Yorkshire and the North East and raising awareness of the RSMF charity’s work.
Founded in 2021 in memory of Dr Richard Shephard, church and secular music composer and Minster School headmaster from 1985 to 2004, the RSMF has celebrated its most successful year to date, when more than 8,685 children received weekly music lessons through partnerships with 34 schools in 2025.
This milestone marks significant progress toward the foundation’s goal of teaching 10,000 children every week by 2026: a target that will mean almost one in seven primary-aged children in the region will have regular access to high-quality music education.
“Music inspires, unites and empowers,” says Andrea Hayes, former head teacher and foundation trustee. “The foundation brings that power into classrooms, ensuring every child, whatever their background, can access high-quality music teaching.”
Key highlights from the Richard Shephard Music the Foundation’s 2024–25 Impact Report:
8,685 children received weekly music lessons, totalling 8,250 hours of high-quality musiceducation.
34 partner schools participated, including new additions in East Yorkshire, Saltburn, Darlington, Richmond, and Selby.
50 children joined the foundation’s biggest-ever Make Music Day, celebrating creativity and collaboration through live workshops and performances.
Ten free “Music Explorers” holiday clubs reached 263 children, with an average of 57 per cent eligible for Free School Meals, rising to 85 per cent in Scarborough.
1,943 children took part in foundation-led events, concerts and community performances.
Independent evaluations and teacher feedback revealed transformative results:
99 per cent of staff reported improved confidence among pupils.
97 per cent saw enhanced musical knowledge.
92 per cent observed improvements in wellbeing.
94 per cent said their school’s standard of music teaching had improved.
Reaching communities that need it most
HALF of the foundation’s partner schools have more than 30 per cent of pupils eligible for Free School Meals, 12 being based in Arts Council England’s Priority Places. By focusing on these areas, RSMF is ensuring access to the social, emotional and educational benefits of music for children who might otherwise miss out.
How you can be involved
WHETHER you are a parent, musician or member of the public passionate about music education, RSMF invites you to become a Friend of the Foundation by committing to a monthly donation, as small or large as suits you.
You will receive updates from the foundation and invitations to events. To join and donate, visit: donate.rsmf.org.uk.
“Research highlights time and time again that music education is not an equal playing field,” says foundation chief executive officer Cathy Grant. “The Child of the North report found that 93 per cent of children are being excluded from arts and cultural education due to a lack of funding in state schools, with almost half (42 per cent) of secondary schools no longer entering pupils for GCSE Music.
“The same report outlined how participation in arts activities also correlates strongly with socioeconomic status – with children from the most affluent backgrounds being three times more likely to sing in a choir or play in an orchestra than those in deprived areas.
“Our work directly addresses these inequalities,aiming to level the playing field for children across our region.”
York Printmakers: Tenth anniversary exhibition…with cake on Saturday
IN his third highlights package of the New Year, Charles Hutchinson picks out a riparian exhibition, a brace of pantos, murderous deeds in 1950s’ Italy and a transatlantic folk talent.
Exhibition of the week: York Printmakers, Rivers of York, City Screen Picturehouse, York, until February 7
CELEBRATING York Printmakers’ tenth anniversary, Rivers of York presents original hand-made prints inspired by the River Foss and River Ouse. Head to City Screen’s upstairs lounge today from 2pm and 4pm for Prints and Cake, a chance to share cake, find out more about the prints and meet the artists who created them.
On show are a variety of printmaking techniques, including etching, linocut, collagraph, monotype, screen print, solar plate, Japanese woodblock, lithography and stencilling, in works that explore the rivers’ place in the history, ecology and culture of York from Roman times to the present.
Paula Cook’s villainous Queen Lucrecia and John Brooks’s scheming Chamberlain in Pickering Musical Society’s Snow White
Panto time: Pickering Musical Society in Snow White, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, until January 25, 7.15pm, except January 19; 2.15pm, January 17, 18, 24 and 25
DIRECTED for the tenth year by resident director Luke Arnold and scripted by Ron Hall, Pickering Musical Society’s 2026 pantomime blends familiar faces with new turns, led by Alice Rose as Snow White in her first appearance since Goldilocks in 2018.
Local legend Marcus Burnside plays Dame Dumpling alongside mischievous sidekick Jack Dobson as court jester Fritz, his first comedic role. Company regular Courtney Brown switches to comedy too as Helga; Paula Cook turns to the dark side in her villainous debut as Queen Lucrecia; Danielle Long is the heroic Prince Valentine, John Brooks, the scheming Chamberlain and Sue Smithson, Fairy Dewdrop. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.littleboxoffice.com.
Jack Robinson’s PC World and Evie-Mae Dale’s Sergeant Pong in Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin – The Pantomime
Panto time too: Malton and Norton Musical Theatre in Aladdin – The Pantomime, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 1.30pm, 5.15pm; Sunday, 2pm; January 20 to 23, 7.15pm; January 24, 1pm, 5.15pm
BETWIXT York roles in York Shakespeare Project’s The Spanish Tragedy and Black Treacle Theatre’s Anne Boleyn, Harry Summers continues to corner the market in dark roles as wicked magician Abanazar in Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin.
Fresh from his villainous scene-stealing in The Spanish Tragedy, Thomas Jennings plays the Emperor. Further principal players in the mystical land of Shangri-La include Harriet White’s Aladdin, Isabel Davis’s Princess Jasmine; Rory Queen’s dame, Widow Twankey, Tom Gleave’s Wishee Washee, Mark Summers’ Genie of the Lamp and Annabelle Free’s Spirit of the Ring. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
The Steelers: Paying tribute to Steely Dan at Helmsley Arts Centre
Tribute show of the week: The Steelers, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday 7.30pm
THE Steelers, a nine-piece band of musicians drawn from around Great Britain, perform songs from iconic Steely Dan Steel albums Pretzel Logic, The Royal Scam, AJA and Goucho, crafted by Walter Becker and Donald Fagan since 1972.
Once described as “the American Beatles”, Becker and Fagan’s songs are noted for their clever lyrics and sophisticated arrangements. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Bruce Herbelin-Earle as Dickie Greenleaf, left, and Ed McVey as Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr Ripley. Picture: Mark Senior
Game of lies of the week: The Talented Mr Ripley, Grand Opera House, York, January 19 to 24, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees
BEFORE its West End run, The Talented Mr Ripley plays the Grand Opera House with a cast led by Ed McVey as Tom Ripley, Bruce Herbelin-Earle as Dickie Greenleaf and 2020 Strictly Come Dancing finalist Maisie Smith as Marge. Tom is a nobody, scraping by in New York, forging signatures, telling little white lies, until a chance encounter changes everything. When a wealthy stranger offers him an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy to bring home his wayward son, Dickie, Tom leaps at the opportunity.
In the sun-drenched glamour of 1950s’ Italy, surrounded by shimmering waters and whispered secrets, Tom is seduced by Dickie’s freedom, wealth and effortless charm. Fascination turns to obsession in Patricia Highsmith’s story, whereupon an innocent chance turns into a chilling game of lies, identity theft and murder. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Elanor Moss: Songs of the nuances of life lived in relation to others at Pocklington Arts Centre
Folk gig of the month: Elanor Moss, Pocklington Arts Centre, January 29, 8pm
ELANOR Moss, an “emotionally transatlantic” talent with family roots in Lincolnshire and Baltimore, Maryland, draws on influence from homes familiar and felt in songs that turn over the nuances of life lived in relation to others, taking inspiration from the British and American folk canons alike.
In keeping with such heroes as Judee Sill, Joni Mitchell, Sibylle Baier and Vashti Bunyan, her subject is “always people in all their lovely flawed-ness”. Ned Swarbrick supports. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
John Doyle: Returning to York Theatre Royal to direct The Secret Garden The Musical this spring
Welcome back to nature: The Secret Garden The Musical, York Theatre Royal, March 17 to April 4
TONY Award-winning John Doyle, artistic director of York Theatre Royal from 1993 to 1997, returns to his old patch to stage his trademark actor-musician interpretation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden in a new revival of the Broadway musical with a score by Lucy Simon and book and lyrics by Marsha Norman.
In 1906 North Yorkshire (North Riding, as was), newly orphaned Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her widowed uncle in a moorland house of memories and spirits. Determined to breathe new life into her aunt’s mysterious neglected garden, she makes new friends while learning of the power of connection and the restorative magic of nature. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Amber Davies in the poster for Legally Blonde The Musical, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York, in April
Casting announced for: Made At Curve presenting Legally Blonde The Musical at Grand Opera House, York, April 21 to 25, 7.30pm plus Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees, 2.30pm
STRICTLY Come Dancing 2025 finalist Amber Davies will play Elle Woods in the 2026 tour of Legally Blonde The Musical, joined by York Theatre Royal pantomime villain Jocasta Almgill as Brooke Wyndham, fresh from playing wicked fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty.
Davies had been set to appear as Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman The Musical at the Grand Opera House in February 2024, but Sydnie Hocknell understudied that week. Hannah Lowther, otherwise playing Margot, will step in for Davies at the April 23 matinee. North Yorkshireman Nikolai Foster directs the uplifting, totally pink tale of Elle’s transformation from ‘It Girl’ fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Pick Me Up Theatre’s poster for Next To Normal at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York
AFTER directing Cole Porter’s Anything Goes with such pizzazz, Andrew Isherwood takes the reins again for Pick Me Up Theatre’s spring production of Next To Normal at Theaytre@41, Monkgate, York.
Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt’s intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness.
Dad Dan is an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son, Natalie and Gabe, are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. Their lives are anything but normal, however, because mother Diane has been battling manic depression for 16 years.
Combining Yorkey’s book and lyrics with Kitt’s music, Next To Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting the family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
Isherwood’s cast comprises Monica Frost as Diane; Dale Vaughan as Dan; Niamh Rose as Natalie; Matthew Warry as Gabe; Fergus Green as Henry and Ryan Richardson as Dr Fine/Dr Madden.
Isherwood is joined in the production team by musical director James Robert Ball and producer/designer Robert Readman.
Pick Me Up Theatre in Next To Normal, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, March 25 to April 4; 7.30pm except March 29; 2.30pm, March 28, 29, April 4. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/seasons/eb56fa81-e805-45d4-99e5-81e3cdf15cf9.
Catrin Mai Edwards: Cast as Martha in The Secret Garden – The Musical
THE cast and creative team is in place for John Doyle’s revival of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical The Secret Garden – The Musical at York Theatre Royal.
Performed by a company of actor-musicians from March 17 to April 4, the show has music by Lucy Simon and book and lyrics by Marsha Norman.
Doyle, Theatre Royal artistic director from 1993 to 1997 and Tony Award winner, will direct a cast led by Catrin Mai Edwards as Martha; Joanna Hickman, Lily; Henry Jenkinson, Archibald; Elliot Mackenzie, Dickon; Ann Marcuson, Mrs Winthrop; Elizabeth Marsh, Mrs Medlock; André Refig, Neville, and Steve Simmonds, Ben.
Estella Evans: Sharing role of Mary Lennox
Estella Evans and Poppy Jason will share the role of Mary Lennox and Christian Buttaci and Dexter Pulling will do likewise as Colin. The ensemble is completed by Stephanie Cremona, Matthew James Hinchliffe, Lara Lewis, and Melinda Orengo.
Completing the creative team alongside director-designer Doyle are musical supervisor and orchestrator Catherine Jayes, co-designer David L Arsenault, costume designer Gabrielle Dalton, lighting designer Johanna Town, sound designer Tom Marshall and casting director Ginny Schiller CDG.
Adapted from American-English author Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 children’s novel, themoving and timeless story of love, loss, healing and hope is set in North Yorkshire (North Riding, as was) when newly orphaned Mary Lennox is sent to live with her widower uncle at the secluded Misselthwaite Manor, a moorland house inhabited by memories and spirits from the past.
Poppy Jason: Sharing role of Mary Lennox
On discovering her Aunt Lily’s mysterious garden, Mary is determined to breathe new life into its neglected greenery with the help of her new friends,as she learns the power of connection and the restorative magic of nature.
Director John Doyle says: “It’s such a privilege to bring the story of The Secret Garden back to its Yorkshire roots and to bring it to life on the York Theatre Royal stage with the support of this wonderful creative team. We have an immensely talented cast of actor-musicians on board and I can’t wait to start rehearsals next month.”
Theatre Royal chief executive officer Paul Crewes adds:“We are thrilled to be welcoming John Doyle, our former artistic director, back to York Theatre Royal for this incredible production of The Secret Garden – The Musical.
Director-designer John Doyle
“This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the spring season here at YTR and we are looking forward to York audiences experiencing this new take on such a beloved musical.”
The Secret Garden – The Musical, York Theatre Royal, March 17 to April 4; previews, March 17 and 18, 7.30pm, March 19, 2pm; press night, March 19, 7pm; March 20, 7.30pm; March 21, 2.30pm, 7.30pm; March 23, 6.30pm; March 24 and 25, 7.30pm; March 26, 2pm, 7.30pm; March 27, 7.30pm; March 28, 2.30pm, 7.30pm; March 30, 6.30pm; March 31, 7.30pm; April 1 and 2, 2pm, 7.30pm; April 4, 2.30pm, 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Harry Summers’ Abanazar with Thomas Jennings’s Emperor in Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin – The Pantomime
YORK Shakespeare Project regulars Harry Summers and Thomas Jennings often share the car journey from Malton to York for rehearsals and performances.
No such need – except for this interview, conducted at City Screen Picturehouse – applies to their participation in Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin – The Pantomime.
Thomas has been appearing in the Milton Rooms pantos for more than a decade; from Saturday, Harry will be in his third show after making his debut in Dick Whittington in 2024, opposite Thomas’s King Rat.
“I think I can claim that I got you involved,” says Thomas. “Rory [regular dame Rory Queen] rang me up to ask ‘Do you know anyone who could play Alderman Fitzwarren’, and I suggested Harry.”
“The Alderman was a very nice but not terribly intelligent chap, shall we say,” says Harry. “Then last year I ended up being the third level-rated villain, as Rancid, still two spots below the giant and the witch in the villainy pecking order.
“Thomas was the giant, Buster Gutbucket, who didn’t do any rehearsals and then turned up and got all the glory!”
Harry will be joined in the cast by 17-year-old son Alexander. “I remember when he came to see Thomas as Abanazar, so this year it’s come full circle as I’ll be playing Abanazar and Alexander will be the Executioner,” he says.
In keeping with his York Shakespeare Project performances, and indeed his work at York Dungeon, Thomas tends to be drawn to darker roles. “It’s been 99 per cent baddies, and one per cent kings and fathers to the romantic interest,” he says.
Thomas Jennings’s Emperor with Isobel Davis’s Princess Jasmine in Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin – The Pantomime
“Villains tend to be particularly enjoyable to play, but it’s also a challenge to find the darker elements within a good character, or the goodness in a dark character.
“This year I’m a goody, but still one who employs an executioner and orders his daughter to get married. He’s a little perplexed why she keeps refusing! In truth, the Emperor is a terrible, terrible person, but I love how panto glosses this over!
“The main thing that upsets him is Princess Jasmine getting kidnapped, but if Abanazar had come to him to propose a marriage for her, he would have been interested!”
Harry found himself recalling a past performance as evil magician Abanazar when rehearsing the role. “It’s an absolutely wonderful opportunity to play him. I saw Ian McKellen’s Widow Twankey at the Old Vic [in the 2024-2005 pantomime season], when Roger Allam was Abanazar, which was fantastic.
“In rehearsals, I was thinking ‘why does this remind me of Roger Allam?’, and then I remembered I’d seen him in the London show!”
Abanazar can be played myriad ways. “I find it interesting, having played Abanazar not that long ago, to be watching Harry now and seeing how different his interpretation is,” says Thomas. “When I approached the role, I wanted to make him genuinely dark, whereas what I’m finding interesting about Harry is the naughtiness and mischievousness that he’s bringing to the character.”
Harry, who has played such villainous roles as Shakespeare’s Richard III and Lucifer in the York Mystery Plays, rejoins: “If you play the baddie only one way – all-evil, all-angry, all-ambitious – you miss out on a lot of the jokes in there. There’s a huge enjoyment to be had in the evil in Abanazar, and it does help when you get lines like, ‘oh, I love being evil’.
“I prefer the ‘poetic justice’ that happens in panto. In this one, I don’t change my evil ways! I just get stopped from doing what I was doing.”
Harry Summers’ Abanazar with Harriet White’s Aladdin in Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin – The Pantomime
Thomas comments: “Abanazar is also the anti-dame. There’s a nudge and wink to the audience, and you always get a response out of the audience, just as the dame does.”
He loves playing to pantomime audiences: “It’s interesting how every night that audience can be different,” he says. “Sometimes you get an audience where they’re waiting for someone to give them ‘permission’ to laugh, and you only need one person to make a noise to set off the ripple effect.
“Then sometimes magic can happen when an error is turned into something that is then used every show. Different actors work in different ways, and for some if they have to veer off script, they’re gone, but Harry and I have both been actors at York Dungeon, where we can keep to the script but you should expect to go off script too.”
Coming next for Harry will be Black Treacle Theatre’s Anne Boleyn, playing the dual servant roles of Parrott and Simpkin in Howard Brenton’s exploration of Anne as a revolutionary figure through James I’s perspective, at Theatre@41, Monkgate, from March 3 to 7.
Thomas will be going on tour with Parrabbola, performing Shakespeare works. Watch this space for more details to follow.
Joining them in Mark Boler’s cast for Aladdin will be Harriet White’s Aladdin, Isobel Davis’s Princess Jasmine, Rory Queen’s Widow Twankey, Tom Gleave’s Wishee Washee, Mark Summers’ Genie of the Lamp and Annabelle Free’s Spirit of the Ring, among others.
“We’re also reliant on the army of volunteers who do the set building and back-stage work and make such an important contribution behind the scenes,” says a grateful Harry.
Malton and Norton Musical Theatre in Aladdin – The Pantomime, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 1.30pm, 5.15pm; Sunday, 2pm; January 20 to 23, 7.15pm; January 24, 1pm, 5.15pm. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
“If you play the baddie only one way – all-evil, all-angry, all-ambitious – you miss out on a lot of the jokes in there,” says Harry Summers, pictured in rehearsal for his role as Abanazar
A scene from a previous production of The Choir Of Man, whose first tour is bound for Grand Opera House, York. Picture: The Other Richard
FULL casting is in place for The Choir Of Man, whose first UK & Ireland tour will play the Grand Opera House, York, from June 30 to July 4.
Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award-nominated worldwide hit will take to the road from March 14, when it opens at the New Wimbledon Theatre.
The producers have confirmed the participation of the Jungle Choir Community Project, a new nationwide initiative that invites choirs to take part in the production on opening night in every touring city.
Set in The Jungle pub on stage, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have”, where the cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with world-class tap dance and soulful storytelling.
The tour cast will feature Gustav Melbardis as Maestro (The Choir Of Man NCL, Rent); Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet (The Second Woman, Young Vic, The Wind In The Willows, Shakespeare North Playhouse); Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man (The Choir Of Man, West End, Hamilton, UK & Ireland tour); Ben Mabberley as Joker (Calamity Jane, UK tour, Blood Brothers, UK tour) and Rob Godfrey as Beast (The Choir Of Leicester, Aladdin, Wolverhampton Grand).
In the cast too will be Joshua Lloyd as Barman (Chicago, The Lion King, UK & Ireland tours), Sam Walter as Romantic (The Choir Of Man, West End, Kinky Boots, NCL) and Aaron Pottenger as Bore (The Choir Of Man, NCL, Ragtime).
On swing duty will be Sam Ebenezer (TheChoir Of Man, West End, The Mousetrap, West End), Jared Leathwood(TheChoir Of Man, West End, Billionaire Boy, UK tour), Niall Woodson (TheChoir of Man, West End, Frankie’s Guys, UK tour) and Lewis Dragisic (TheChoir Of Man, West End, Twelfth Night, UK tour).
Featuring hits from Queen,Luther Vandross,Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii andKaty Perry, to name but a few, this uplifting celebration of community and friendship offers “something for everyone – including free beer”!
The Jungle Choir Community Project will involve a search for choirs in each touring city, who will be invited to attend the opening night performance and take part in the show’s final moments.
Participating choirs will be offered discounted tickets and rehearsal materials in advance and will be invited to experience the opening-night performance as part of a wider celebration of music and community. Interested choirs should email officeassistant@kennywax.com.
Nic Doodson, creator and director, says: “The Choir Of Man has always been about individuality, generosity, humour and the joy of making music together, and this company embodies all of that.
“As we take the show around the UK and Ireland for the very first time, it felt vital to open the doors even wider and invite local choirs to raise their voices with us. Every city has its own musical heartbeat, and welcoming those voices into the show on press night is a powerful reminder of why this piece exists: to celebrate community, connection and the extraordinary feeling of singing together.”
The Choir Of Man has played three sold-out seasons at the Sydney Opera House, Australia, and multiple sold-out American and European tours. The show is on its fourth North American tour, playing in 45 cities until March 2026, with the 68 shows including two residencies in West Palm Beach.
The Choir Of Man’s West End journey began in 2021 at the Arts Theatre, where it has enjoyed more than 1,000 performances with many sold-out shows and an Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play, before concluding its run on January 4 2026.
The Choir Of Man is created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay and directed by Doodson, with musical supervision, vocal arrangements and orchestrations by Jack Blume; movement direction and choreography by Freddie Huddleston; monologues written by Ben Norris; scenic design by Oli Townsend; lighting design by Richard Dinnen; costume design and co-scenic design byVerity Sadler; sound design by Sten Severson and casting by Debbie O’Brien.
The UK Tour is produced by HH Productions, Nic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Global Creative and Kenny Wax,whose collective credits include award-winning shows Six The Musical, Bluey, The Play That Goes Wrong, 42 Balloons,Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas and many more.
The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, June 30 to July 2, 7.30pm; July 3, 4pm, 8pm; July 4, 2.30pm, 7.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
IN his second guide to the New Year, Charles Hutchinson picks out upcoming highlights on January’s calendar and beyond.
Mike Newall: Topping Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club bill
Comedy gig of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 8.30pm
WHEN Mancunian Mike Newall appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, judge Simon Cowell said it was like an Oasis concert where the music ran out and Liam decides to tell a few jokes.
Now, this storyteller with a breezy, casual style headlines tonight’s Laugh Out Loud bill, joined by affable charmer Peter Otway, observational Pete Phillipson, with his tales of misfortune and frustrations at the minutiae of everyday life, and host and promoter Damion Larkin. Box office: https://lolcomedyclubs.co.uk.
Ilaria Passeri: Darkly comic storytelling show for grown-ups at Rise@Bluebird Bakery
Storyteller of the week: Ilaria Passeri in Under The Lamp Post, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, tonight, 8.30pm (doors 7.30pm)
MANCHESTER writer and performer Ilaria Passeri steps into the darkly comic world of Under The Lamp Post, a captivating storytelling show for grown-ups that undertakes a journey sparked by a gift bag of ashes and fuelled by the eccentricity of a unique family as poignant reflection combines with finding humour in unexpected places.
Imagine navigating grief with puppets, a particular kind of pickled onion and the sort of inappropriate fancy dress that becomes a cherished and weirdly unforgettable memory in a 65-minute exploration of life, death and the beautifully absurd, produced by sitcom veteran Michel Jacob. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.
John Mackay as Arthur Kipps, left, and Daniel Burke as The Actor in The Woman In Black, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Mark Douet
Ghostly return of the week: PW Productions present The Woman In Black, Grand Opera House, York, January 13 to 17, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday matinees
FIRST staged in 1987 in a pub setting by the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s ghost story returns to the Grand Opera House two years to the month since its last visit.
Elderly lawyer Arthur Kipps (played by John Mackay) is obsessed with a curse cast over his family by the spectre of a “Woman in Black”. Whereupon he engages a sceptical young actor (Daniel Burke’s The Actor) to help him tell his terrifying story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul, but as they delve into his past, the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to blur. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Cellist Eloise Ramchandani: Performing Saint-Saens programme with pianist Robert Gammon at St Chad’s Church
Dementia Friendly Tea Concert of the week: Eloise Ramchandani and Robert Gammon, St Chad’s Church, Campleshon Road, York, January 15, 2.30pm
ELOISE Ramchandani gives an all Saint-Saëns cello recital, accompanied by pianist Robert Gammon. The 45-minute programme includes the well-loved The Swan, the lively Allegro Appassionato and the beautiful Cello Concerto No. 1.
Ideal for those who may not feel comfortable at a formal classical concert, the relaxed recital will be followed by tea, coffee and homemade cakes in the church hall. Seating is unreserved; no charge applies but donations are welcome.
Death Of Gesualdo: Tableaux Vivants and The Gesualdo Six team up for world premiere at NCEM
World premiere of the month: Death Of Gesualdo, Gesualdo Six with Tableaux Vivants, National Centre for Early Music, York, January 18 and 19, 6.30pm
THE Gesualdo Six reunite with director Bill Barclay for the world premiere of a daring new successor to international hit Secret Byrd. Featuring six singers, six actors and a puppet, Death Of Gesualdo creates living tableaux that illuminate the life and psyche of madrigalist Carlo Gesualdo, a tortured genius most famous for murdering his wife and her lover in an explosive fit of jealousy, but revered among composers for anticipating chromaticism by 200 years.
This is the boldest look yet at how the life and sometimes chilling music of this enigmatic prodigy must function together for the true Gesualdo to emerge from the shadows. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Grace Petrie: Not the time for panicking at The Crescent. Picture: Fraser West
Comedy-folk combination of the month: Little Wander and Say Owt present Grace Petrie, This Is No Time To Panic!, January 18, The Crescent, York, 7.30pm
DO you like protest songs? Neither does Grace Petrie – and she has been singing them for 15 “politically disastrous” years. No longer able to meet the desperate hopes of left-wing audiences, the “British folk scene’s funniest lesbian” reckons there is no better time for a feel-good show.
After making her stand-up debut in 2022 with Butch Ado About Nothing, she combines music and comedy for the first time in This Is No Time To Panic! “I know folk songs can’t save the world, and neither can stand-up, but both at the same time?” ponders Petrie. “Read it and weep, Putin!” Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.
John Doyle: Directing The Secret Garden The Musical on his return to York Theatre Royal this spring
Welcome back for garden re-wilding: The Secret Garden The Musical, York Theatre Royal, March 17 to April 4
TONY Award-winning John Doyle, artistic director of York Theatre Royal from 1993 to 1997, will return to his old patch to stage his trademark actor-musician interpretation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden in a new revival of the Broadway musical with a score by Lucy Simon and book and lyrics by Marsha Norman.
In 1906 North Yorkshire (North Riding, as was), newly orphaned Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her widowed uncle in a moorland house of memories and spirits. Determined to breathe new life into her aunt’s mysterious neglected garden, she makes new friends while learning of the power of connection and the restorative magic of nature. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Amber Davies in the poster for her lead role in Legally Blonde The Musical, visiting the Grand Opera House, York, in April
Casting announced for: Made At Curve presenting Legally Blonde The Musical at Grand Opera House, York, April 21 to 25, 7.30pm plus Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees, 2.30pm
STRICTLY Come Dancing 2025 finalist Amber Davies will play Elle Woods in the 2026 tour of Legally Blonde The Musical, joined by York Theatre Royal pantomime villain Jocasta Almgill as Brooke Wyndham, fresh from playing wicked fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty.
Davies had been set to appear as Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman The Musical at the Grand Opera House in February 2024, but Sydnie Hocknell understudied that week. Hannah Lowther, otherwise playing Margot, will step in for Davies at the April 23 matinee (2.30pm). North Yorkshireman Nikolai Foster directs the uplifting, totally pink tale of Elle’s transformation from ‘It Girl’ fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
