The Gesualdo Six and Tableaux Vivants in Death Of Gesualdo
WE are witnessing the birth of a new art form. Bill Barclay’s “theatrical concert”, which he both created and directed, is by no means his first in this area – The Secret Byrd was seen here two years ago – but it is becoming a solid fixture in programmes worldwide.
Carlo Gesualdo flourished at the very moment when opera was beginning to take shape in Florence, although he had no direct contact with it, and wrote no operas himself. But the Baroque era loved theatrics and it makes sense to cloak Gesualdo’s colourful life in even more drama than is available through his music alone.
Gesualdo is regularly defined by the murder of his first wife and her lover, which he probably instigated, although may not have carried out personally. In his aristocratic circles it was classed as an ‘honour killing’ and he escaped punishment.
But it stained the remainder of his life and he descended into near-permanent melancholy and introversion – states of mind that may be heard in much of his later music, amply represented here.
His second marriage, into the musically adventurous Ferrara court, did nothing to improve his disposition, indeed it reinforced his penchant for extremes of harmonic dissonance.
Barclay uses six unaccompanied male voices and six Tableaux Vivants mute actors to convey the essence of the composer’s life, not only his death. He also works with a life-size child puppet, created by Janni Younge, through which he hints that Gesualdo’s boyhood was far from ideal.
The action was a series of tableaux, elegantly held but broken intermittently by sweeping gestures and even the occasional dance to Will Tuckett’s choreography. With rich costumes by Arthur Oliver straight out of the era – again, the very start of opera – the various scenarios evoked nothing so much as oil paintings, with poses just slightly exaggerated for effect.
Barclay’s own lighting, especially eerie during Gesualdo’s descent into drugs and women, often came from torches held by the cast themselves.
Deliberately jarring with the theatrical smoothness was Gesualdo’s music, some 30 extracts from his motets and madrigals, interleaved and distinguishable only by the Latin or Italian texts, with tingling harmonies that defied all the normal conventions: impossible dissonances that kept aural nerve-endings on edge until eventual resolution brought catharsis all the sweeter for being delayed.
None of this would have worked had the singers not maintained incredibly accurate tuning. Gesualdo’s chromatic lines are notoriously difficult and littered with pitfalls, but the Six – with two countertenors often extremely high in the range and all underpinned by director Owain Park’s sterling bass – took it all in their considerable stride.
The show was jointly commissioned and produced by St Martin-in-the-Fields, the NCEM and New York’s Music Before 1800. It proved beyond doubt that Barclay’s new genre is here to stay.
Let us hope that next time there will be printed programmes – ‘carbon footprint’ is a lame excuse for posting everything on-line – and that there is at least a skeletal synopsis (the five ‘acts’ had no stated setting). None of which detracts from what was a supremely memorable 75 minutes. I would gladly see it again. Others should be given the chance.
A scene from Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana, on tour at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Tristram Kenton
CUBAN dance luminary Carlos Acosta’s Havana reinvention of The Nutcracker tops Charles Hutchinson’s latest selection of cultural highlights.
Dance show of the week: Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana, Grand Opera House, York, Friday, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
CAST illness has put paid to tonight and tomorrow’s performances, but dance superstar Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana will still turn up the heat in his modern Cuban twist on the snow-dusted 1892 Russian festive ballet on Friday and Saturday. Built on Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s score, Acosta moves the celebration of joy, life, love and family to modern-day Havana.
More than 20 dancers from Acosta’s Cuban company Acosta Danza perform the familiar story of a young girl transported to a magic world, but one newly incorporating the culture, history and music of his home country. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Tim Delap’s John Middleton and Kara Tointon’s Constance Middleton in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Constant Wife. Picture: Mihaela Bodlovic; set and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle; co-costume designer Cat Fuller
Play of the week: Royal Shakespeare Company in The Constant Wife, York Theatre Royal,until Saturday , 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees
SET in 1927, The Constant Wife finds Constance as a very unhappy woman. “Nonsense,” says her mother, who insists “she eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances”.
Played by Kara Tointon, she is the perfect wife and mother, but her husband is equally devoted to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend. Tamara Harvey directs the new adaptation by Home, I’m Darling playwright and Rivals television series writer Laura Wade. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Mishmash’s Ruby’s Worry: Easing worries at NCEM, York
Family show of the week: Mishmash: Ruby’s Worry, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, Saturday, 11.30am and 2.30pm
RUBY had always been happy, perfectly happy, until one day she discovered a worry. The more she tries to rid herself of that worry, the more it grows and grows. Eventually she meets a boy who has a worry too. Together they discover that everyone has worries, and that if you talk about them, they never hang around for long! Mishmash’s Ruby’s Worry is told through live music, song, puppetry and physical theatre, taking the audience on a delightful musical adventure. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Talent showcase of the week: HAC Studio Bar Open Mic Jan 2026, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm
THIS social evening in Helmsley Arts Centre’s Studio Bar offers the opportunity to hear Ryedale musicians and artists perform. The bar will be open serving beer from Helmsley Brewery and Brass Castle Brewery, an assortment of gins, wines from Helmsley Wines and more. There is no need to book to listen or participate, just turn up.
Mountaineer Simon Yates, of Touching The Void fame, has sold out his My Mountain Life talk on Friday at 7.30pm. Box office for returns only: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Femme Fatale Faerytales: Telling Mary, Mary’s contrary tale
A homecoming, a haunting, a holy rebellion: Femme Fatale Faerytales present Mary, Mary, Fossgate Social, Fossgate, York, February 1 and 2, 8pm (doors 7pm)
MARY, Mary quite contrary, wouldn’t you like to know how her garden grows? Step into the fairytale world of Femme Fatale Faerytales as Sasha Elizabeth Parker unveils a dark, lyrical, feminist re-telling of an age-old classic. Part confession, part ritual, part bedtime story for grown-ups, Mary, Mary invites you to meet the woman behind the nursery rhyme in all her wild, untamed, contrary glory.
In her York debut, expect enchanting storytelling, poetic prophecy and a subversive twist on the tales you thought you knew on two intimate, atmospheric nights in one of York’s cult favourite haunts. Box office: wegottickets.com.
Packing in the acts for PAC Comedy Club line-up at Pocklington Arts Centre
Comedy gig of the week: PAC Comedy Club, Pocklington Arts Centre, February 5, 8pm
RICH Wilson, winner of the New Zealand Comedy Festival Best International Act award, tops the PAC Comedy Club bill next Thursday. He has performed at all the major UK comedy clubs, as well in New York and Las Vegas and at the Perth Fringe, Melbourne International Festival and Edinburgh Fringe.
Supporting Wilson will be Jonny Awsum, who shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent with his high-energy musical comedy, and Yorkshireman Pete Selwood, who specialises in observational material with killer punchlines, introduced by surrealist compere and BBC New Comedian of the Year regional finalist Elaine Robertson. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
The Yorkshire Gypsy Swing Collective: In full swing at Milton Rooms, Malton
Jazz gig of the week: The Yorkshire Gypsy Swing Collective, Milton Rooms, Malton, February 7, doors, 7.30pm
THIS gypsy jazz supergroup with musicians from all around Yorkshire plays music inspired by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli of the Quintette du Hot Club de France.
The collective of Lewis Kilvington and Martin Chung, guitars, James Munroe, double bass, Derek Magee, violin, and Christine Pickard, clarinet, remains true to Django and Stephane’s spirit while pushing the genre of gypsy jazz forward into a modern sphere. Expect fast licks, burning ballads and even some Latin-inspired pieces. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Liz Foster: Exhibiting at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, from February 12
Exhibition launch: Liz Foster, Deep Among The Grasses, Rise:@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, February 12 to April 10
YORK artist Liz Foster’s new series of abstract paintings, Deep Among The Grasses, invites you into rich, expansive imagined spaces where she explores memory, landscape and the childhood feeling of being immersed in wild places.
Full of colour, feeling and atmosphere, this body of work is being shown together for the first time. Everyone is welcome at the 6pm to 9pm preview on February 12 when Leeds-born painter, teacher and mentor Liz will be in attendance.
Joining the Later…With Jools Holland host on his 31-date itinerary will be special guest Roachford, the London soul singer and songwriter, now 61.
Since his chart-topping breakthrough hit Cuddly Toy in 1988, Andrew Roachford has recorded ten studio albums, been sought after as a songwriter by Michael Jackson, Joss Stone and Chaka Khan and built a reputation as an outstanding live performer.
Awarded an MBE for services to music, latterly Roachford has released Twice In A Lifetime and Then & Now.
Opening each night on tour will be Welsh jazz pianist and improviser Joe Webb, who has guested with Holland on several occasions and appeared on his latest BBC Two New Year’s Eve Jools’ Annual Hootenanny. His piano playing blends the flavour of Britpop with classic jazz idioms.
Holland’s exuberant live shows are built on the power and finesse of his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra as he delivers an evening of blues, swing, boogie-woogie and ska, packed with musical virtuosity and joyful spontaneity.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be heading out again with our big band,” says Holland, 68. “Having Roachford join us for every night of the tour is a real joy. He’s one of the great soul voices this country has produced, and every time he sings the room lights up. With the mighty orchestra, our wonderful boogie-woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows, we’re in for some very special evenings of music.”
Holland devotees will be delighted that boogie-woogie queen Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall, and Sumudu Jayatilaka will be on vocal duty again from October 29 to December 20. Further tour dates include Sheffield City Hall on November 18 (https://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk) and Bradford Live (trafalgartickets.com/bradford-live-bradford) on December 18.
SATURDAY’S concert opened with a focused, effervescent performance of Emil von Reznicek’s Overture: Donna Diana.
The first violins set the tone for the work, delivering a bubbly opening theme followed by a graceful lyrical secondary melody with the woodwinds – clarinet and oboe – and brass adding colour and dialogue to this musical party piece.
Not for the first time, this performance suggested echoes of English rustic, pastoral music: the country dance-like articulation, folk-like decorations of the woodwind and the slightly old-fashioned, genial humour – Eric Coates?
Maybe it’s just a senior thing. Nevertheless, the performance danced with joy as the couple in front of me could testify, bouncing away throughout.
This was followed by Delius’s rarely heard tone poem, A Song Before Sunrise. The playing was finely shaded in atmosphere, a real evocative sense of dawn. The woodwinds – oboe, flute and clarinet – deftly produced the characteristic ‘birdsong’ figures, which evoked the musical dawn chorus. Does the clarinet welcome the sunrise with a musical rooster call? Anyhow, the strings provided a lush background – warm violin and viola colours.
I love Delius, and I loved the way the piece had this searching quality that doesn’t actually seem to arrive at a particular destination, it just meanders beautifully. Again, the performance was very assured, convincing in fact.
I thought the performance of Carl Maria von Weber’s Symphony No. 2 in C major was utterly engaging. Although the opening Allegro is the most symphonically ambitious movement, it did feel like a kind of mini wind concerto.
The oboe tended to shape the lyrical themes with the bassoon active as a melodic partner. The fanfare- like horn calls were delivered neatly, but these seemed to add colour rather than any hint of heroics. The strings, carrying their fair share of the musical discourse, would retreat to allow the winds to shine.
The intimate lyricism of the Adagio came across as more chamber music in tone, rather than the customary symphonic rhetoric. Again, the oboe tended to stand out, Alexandra Nightingale playing the main cantabile melody beautifully.
There were delicate counter-melodies on bassoon – Isabel Dowell – and firm cello and flute contributions, while the strings provided a warm cushion of support.
The Menuetto was an all-round dryly comic experience, especially in its brevity. Here the rustic horns were rhythmically assertive, underpinning the dance character.
The issue for my ears was that the closing Finale, while engaging and driving, was simply too short to properly rebalance the symphony – the opening Allegro is about as long as the other movements in total. Indeed, you could feel the audience reaction ‘is that it’?
There is no doubt that where Haydn, Mozart, and earlyBeethoven aim for architectural balance, Weber pours nearly all the symphonic ‘argument’ into the first movement, leaving the rest as lighter dramatic appendices.
But an interval rethink suggested the work would make more sense when heard as early Romantic theatre dressed in symphonic clothing. Anyhow, the absence of the clarinet was also very noticeable, particularly as we associate the clarinet with Weber. But around the 1800s the core symphonic wind choir was two oboes, two bassoons and two horns. So there you go.
The second half belonged to Schubert’s Tragic Symphony No. 4 in C minor. And the performance was quite remarkable. I can’t really say I get the full majesty of tragedy when I hear this superb symphony, despite the forebodings suggested in the opening Adagio.
The orchestra’s dark, weighty C minor chords were followed by an almost funereal, inward-looking bassoon solo – well played by Isabel Dowell. But, after an assured tempo gear change into the Allegro, the movement does not embrace Beethoven’s sense of a heroic struggle.
What clearly came across in performance was a movement fuelled by restless energy rather than heroics: driven rather than confrontational, with quick tonal shifts providing moment. These were very well performed under the direction of conductor Alan George, as was the programme as a whole.
Further, Schubert transforms the woodwind-string relationship from conversation to commentary. The strings typically propelled the movement with flowing figures and rhythmic energy while the clarinets, Lesley Schatzberger and Andrea Hayden, and oboes, Ms Nightingale and Christina Young, echoed and subtly re-coloured the material. This is radically different from Beethoven.
Strong oboe and clarinet were also prominent in the Andante, a movement shiningwith lyrical grace. When the flute – an impressive Becky Jobling – takes over the line, often echoing the clarinet, the melody rises into a higher register and subtly changes character: what was warm and intimate on the clarinet becomes lighter and more distanced, with a hint of detachment replacing the clarinet’s warmth. Very rewarding.
The Menuetto bristled with energy, quirky off-kilter rhythms, pointed folk-like dialogue, orchestral shifts, and a convincing relaxation of tempo for the central section. Incisive woodwind writing: oboes and bassoons frequently stepped out of the texture with dry, slightly nasal interjections that sharpened the rhythmic outline, while the horns added a rustic edge in the Trio, reinforcing its dance-like, almost outdoor quality.
The pacing of the closing Allegro was pretty much on the money, with chamber-like sections dovetailed seamlessly; indeed, this sense of careful knitting together made the symphonic argument work coherently.
Brief woodwind and horn contributions –dry-edged bassoon figures, oboe-shaped phrase endings, and subdued horn colour – seemed to complement the familiar string–clarinet exchanges, acting more as timbral changes than as overt solos, while maintaining the movement’s momentum.
For a Winter Concert, it left me unexpectedly warm inside.
Kara Tointon as Constance Middleton in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Constant Wife. Picture: Mihaela Bodlovic; set and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle and co-costume designer Cat Fuller
LAURA Wade’s new adaptation of The Constant Wife for the RSC leads off Charles Hutchinson’s latest selection of cultural highlights.
Play of the week: Royal Shakespeare Company in The Constant Wife, York Theatre Royal,January 26 to 31, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees
SET in 1927, The Constant Wife finds Constance as a very unhappy woman. “Nonsense,” says her mother, who insists “she eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances”.
Played by Kara Tointon, she is the perfect wife and mother, but her husband is equally devoted to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend. Tamara Harvey directs the new adaptation by Home, I’m Darling playwright and Rivals television series writer Laura Wade. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Aesthetica Art Prize winner Tobi Onabolu’s Danse Macabre, on show at York Art Gallery
Last chance to see: Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, York Art Gallery, today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm
YORK arts movers and shakers Aesthetica present two landmark exhibitions, the 2025 Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, featuring large-scale immersive installations by prize alumni Liz West and Squidsoup.
On show among work by 25 shortlisted entries are main prize winner, London artist-filmmaker Tobi Onabolu’s exploration of spirituality, mental health and the human psyche, Danse Macabre, and Emerging Prize winner Sam Metz’s bright yellow structures in Porosity, reflecting his sensory experience of the Humber Estuary.
Squidsoup’s Submergence immerses audiences in an ocean of 8,000 responsive LED lights, blurring the line between digital and physical space, while Liz West’s Our Spectral Vision surrounds visitors with a radiant spectrum of colour in a sensory encounter. Tickets: yorkartgallery.org.uk/tickets.
Ceramicist Emily Stubbs, left, and seascapes artist Carolyn Coles showcase their new work in The Sky’s The Limit at Pyramid Gallery, alongside Karen Fawcett’s bird sculptures
Exhibition launch of the week: Carolyn Coles, Emily Stubbs and Karen Fawcett, The Sky’s The Limit, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, today until mid-March
SOUTH Bank Studios artist Carolyn Coles and PICA Studios ceramicist Emily Stubbs will be on hand from 11.30am to 2.30pm at today’s opening of The Sky’s The Limit, their joint exhibition with wildlife sculptor Karen Fawcett.
Like Carolyn, Emily has been selected to take part in York Open Studios 2026 on April 18 & 19 and April 25 & 26. Look out too for work by Pyramid Gallery’s Jeweller of the Month, Kate Rhodes, from Hebden Bridge. Gallery opening hours are: 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Anna Hale: Killer punchlines, musical flair and spiky resilience in Control Freak at The Crescent on Sunday
Comedy gig of the week: Anna Hale: Control Freak, The Crescent, York, Sunday, 7.30pm
ANNA Hale, comedian, singer-songwriter and unapologetic control freak, likes to write the jokes and the songs, plan the lighting cues and even sell the tickets for her gigs. When life spins out of control, however, can one perfectionist keep the show together, and, crucially, not let anyone else have a go?
Find out when encountering the killer punchlines, musical flair and spiky resilience of the 2024 Musical Comedy Awards Audience Favourite winner’s debut tour show. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Glenn Moore: So many Moore jokes at The Crescent on Tuesday
Show title of the week: Glenn Moore: Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore, The Crescent, York, January 27, 7.30pm (doors 7pm)
EDINBURGH Comedy Award nominee Glenn Moore has written too many jokes again, so expect a whirlwind of punchlines from the Croydon stand-up and presenter on Tuesday. Here comes more and more of Moore after appearances on Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, The News Quiz, Just A Minute and his own BBC Radio 4 series, Glenn Moore’s Almanac. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Snow and frost in Cuba: Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana brings heat and ice to the Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Johan Persson
Dance show of the week: Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana, Grand Opera House, York, now January 30 and 31, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
UPDATE 27/1/2025: Cast illness has put paid to January 28 and 29’s performances.
DANCE superstar Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana turns up the heat in his modern Cuban twist on the snow-dusted 1892 Russian festive ballet. Built on Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s score, Acosta moves the celebration of joy, life, love and family to modern-day Havana.
More than 20 dancers from Acosta’s Cuban company Acosta Danza perform the familiar story of a young girl transported to a magic world, but one newly incorporating the culture, history and music of his home country. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Mike Joyce: Tales from his drumming days for The Smiths at Pocklington Arts Centre
On the beat: Mike Joyce, The Drums: My Life In The Smiths, Pocklington Arts Centre, January 28, 7.30pm
DRUMMER Mike Joyce has been asked numerous times, “What was it like being in The Smiths?”. “That’s one hell of a question to answer!” he says. Answer it, he does, however, both in his 2025 memoir and now in his touring show The Drums: My Life In The Smiths.
To reflect on being stationed behind singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr from 1982 to 1987, Joyce will be interviewed by Guardian music journalist Dave Simpson, who lives near York. Audience members can put their questions to Joyce too. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
The poster for Country Roads’ celebration of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers et al at York Barbican
Country celebration of the week: Country Roads, York Barbican, January 30, 7.30pm
COUNTRY Roads invites you to a celebration of country superstar royalty featuring such hits as 9 To 5, The Gambler, I Walk The Line, Ring Of Fire, King Of The Road, Crazy, Rhinestone Cowboy, Jolene, Dance The Night Away, Walkin’ After Midnight and many, many more as the stars of fellow tribute show Islands In The Stream return in this new production. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Mishmash’s delightful musical adventure Ruby’s Worry, easing worries at the NCEM
Family show of the week: Mishmash: Ruby’s Worry, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, January 31, 11.30am and 2.30pm
RUBY had always been happy, perfectly happy, until one day she discovered a worry. The more she tries to rid herself of that worry, the more it grows and grows. Eventually she meets a boy who has a worry too. Together they discover that everyone has worries, and that if you talk about them, they never hang around for long! Mishmash’s Ruby’s Worry is told through live music, song, puppetry and physical theatre, taking the audience on a delightful musical adventure. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Snow and frost envelop Cuba as Carlos Acosta reinvents Nutcracker in Havana. Picture: Johan Persson
UPDATE 27/1/2025. CAST illness has put paid to January 28 and 29’s performances. January 30 and 31 performances will go ahead.
DANCE superstar Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana turns up the heat at the Grand Opera House, York, next week in his modern Cuban twist on the snow-dusted 1892 Russian festive ballet.
Giving a new spin to the Tchaikovsky/Petipa/Ivanov classic, built on Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s score, Acosta moves the celebration of joy, life, love and family to the Cuban capital, where he was born – full name Carlos Yunior Acosta Quesada – on June 2 1973 and trained with the National School of Ballet.
More than 20 dancers from Acosta’s Havana-based company Acosta Danza perform the familiar story of a young girl transported to a magic world, but one newly incorporating the culture, history and music of his home country.
Acosta invites you to join Clara in her humble home in Havana as she prepares to celebrate Christmas with her family. The beer cans are on the tree and Cuba is suitably hot. When Clara is gifted a Nutcracker doll, she embarks on the journey of a lifetime, to defeat the Rat King and enter into the world of the Sugar Plum Fairy accompanied by her Nutcracker Prince, as Cuba collides with the Land of Sweets, bringing snow to Havana.
Now artistic director of Birmingham Royal Ballet too after retiring from a globe-travelling dance career that took in 17 years with the Royal Ballet in London, as well as English National Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba, Houston Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, Acosta has choreographed Carmen and Don Quixote previously and deemed The Nutcracker ripe for re-invention next.
Nutcracker In Havana choreographer Carlos Acosta
“I have performed so many versions of The Nutcracker and I think that putting it in Havana creates a production which is totally different from any other production out there,” he says. “This is not going to be a European feel, where you are in a Victorian mansion and everything is period; this is much more Cuba now,” he says.
“When we started to work on the show, I started to play in my mind that we could re-work the score to incorporate Cuban rhythms. That was going to be a significant change because the audience will hear Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky in a completely different light with conga rhythms, guaracha, son – the music of Havana.”
The Nutcracker is set amid the excitement and anticipation of a family party on Christmas Eve, but as a child growing up in Havana, Acosta was unable to take part in such festivities. “I wanted to give the Cuban people the Christmas they never had,” he says. “We started to celebrate Christmas from the coming to the island of Pope John Paul II in 1998 because before that Christmas was banned.”
Acosta’s production touches on the Cuban diaspora, the thousands of people who fled the island into exile. “The magician, the Drosselmeyer character, is the uncle who left to Miami 30 years ago and has now returned to Havana with lots of presents and then he brings this kind of magic with him,” he says.
Co-produced by Norwich Theatre and Acosta Danza’s production partner Valid Productions, Nutcracker In Havana aims to draw new audiences to dance. “The show has been created to tour beyond just the largest theatres to audiences in places that don’t normally get the benefit of having a Nutcracker,” says Acosta.
“I hope everyone will come. I hope this production pulls from different sectors of the population, from the Latin world, the classical world, the contemporary world, because it’s a melting pot of everything.
A scene from Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana. Picture: Tristram Kenton
“There’s a lot of humour as well. It is different but it still does what The Nutcracker is supposed to do, which is fun and warm; it’s just a show about family and friends.”
Acosta’s production brings together video projection and set design by Nina Dunn, whose credits include Bonnie And Clyde, 9 to 5 The Musical and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Don Quixote, complemented by costumes by Angelo Alberto (Goyo Montero’s Imponderable and Raul Reinoso’s Satori with Acosta Danza and lighting by Andrew Exeter(Oti Mabuse: I Am Here, The Full Monty UK tour and Johannes Radebe: House of JoJo).
Norwich Theatre chief executive officer Stephen Crocker says: “At its heart, it is The Nutcracker story that you can expect with all of the magic and joy that goes with that. It is balletic at its core and it’s pushing the boundaries of ballet by bringing that Cuban feel into it.
“I’ve joked it’s the only Nutcracker I know where the corps de ballet becomes a conga line. It has a sense of fun and it’s also a spectacle – and theatre needs spectacle.
“It’s an intensely personal show to Carlos and it has been joyous to help him realise that. It’s a special moment for somebody whose career has been so ensconced in ballet and who has danced so many Nutcrackers in his life, and with him coming from Cuba there is real heart to this show.”
Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana with Acosta Danza, Grand Opera House, York, now January 30 and 31, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The poster for Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana, on tour at Grand Opera House, York, from January 28 to 31
Iain Harvey’s Jesus in Inspired By Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar. All pictures: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
YORK company Inspired By Theatre has released the first official promotional imagery for next month’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York.
The newly unveiled images form part of a cinematic campaign that reflects director Dan Crawfurd-Porter’s bold, physical and visual approach.
“Shot in a controlled studio environment, the imagery offers a stark and contemporary lens on the characters at the heart of the story,” he says.
Gi Vasey’s Annas and Joseph Hayes’ Caiaphas
Jesus Christ Superstar has taken the most preparation and development of any Inspired By Theatre show. “The stage work has been shaped over several years of planning and refinement,” says Dan.
“From the outset, I was determined that the show should be defined by a strong and distinctive visual language, closely aligned with abstract, physical and emotionally charged storytelling.”
The shoot was led by director and photographer Dan, with creative support from assistant director Freya McIntosh and production designer Gi Vasey. Hair and make-up was delivered by Chloe Pearson, Jasmine Barnard, Gi Vasey, and Freya McIntosh.
Mickey Moran’s Herod
“Central to the success of the imagery is the cast themselves, whose sustained character work and commitment to the production’s vision are evident throughout the final images,” says Dan.
“The photoshoot was conceived and executed with the same care as a full-scale production, treating the imagery as an artwork in its own right while remaining fully aligned with the vision of our stage production.
“Rather than functioning solely as promotional material, the images are designed to establish the cinematic world of our show in advance of its arrival on stage.”
Josh Woodgate’s Pilate
Dan’s radical new vision of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical is set in a shifting space, part temple, part battleground
The story unfolds through visceral movement, haunting imagery and a pulsating live score, capturing Jesus’s final days as loyalties fracture, followers demand revolution and rulers fear rebellion.
“Gritty, cinematic and unapologetically powerful, our staging pushes the boundaries of what local theatre can achieve,” says Dan.
Richard Bayton’s Peter
“What defines this production is its intensity. The staging is bold, the choreography demands everything from the cast, and the individual performances are so powerful. There’s no coasting, no safe choices.
“We’re embracing a visual and physical language that gives the story a new edge. It’s a Jesus Christ Superstar that commits fully to the story’s momentum and spectacle.”
Joining producer-director Dan in the production team are assistant director and choreographer Freya McIntosh; musical director Matthew Peter Clare; assistant producer Annie Roux; stage manager Steven Hibbs; production designer Gi Vasey; costume designer Molly Whitehouse; lighting designer Daniel Grey and sound designer Ollie Nash.
Rianna Pearce’s Mary Magdalene
In the cast will be Iain Harvey as Jesus; Kelly Ann Bolland, Judas; Rianna Pearce, Mary Magdaelene; Kailum Farmery, Simon Zealotes; Richard Bayton, Peter; Josh Woodgate, Pilate; Mickey Moran, King Herod, Joseph Hayes, Caiaphas, and Gi Vasey, Annas.
The ensemble will comprise Jack Fry; Charlie Clarke; Molly Whitehouse; Tiggy-Jade; Maddie Jones; Pete Stanford; Megan Overton; Anna Ashfield; Emily Pratt and Jasmine Barnard.
YORK theatre company founded in 2022, originally as Bright Light Musical Productions. “What began as a passion project has grown into a vibrant creative community with a distinctive artistic voice and a commitment to ambitious, impactful work,” says director Dan Crawfurd-Porter.
Previous productions, including Green Day’s American Idiot (2024) and RENT (2025), at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, have been praised for their energy, integrity, and polish. Jesus Christ Superstar marks the next evolution in the company’s bold storytelling, opening a landmark 2026 season that also will feature Spring Awakening at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from May 20 to 23 and Madness musical Our House at the JoRo in October .
“Inspired By Theatre was built on the belief that theatre can influence, uplift, and spark meaningful change,” says Dan. “The name itself reflects the countless productions, performers, creatives and audiences that continue to inspire and shape the company’s journey.”
Professor Phil Wood outside the National Centre for Early Music
PROFESSOR Phil Wood is the new chair of the National Centre for Early Music’s charitable arm, the York Early Music Foundation.
Phil worked for the National Health Service for more than 30 years as a doctor, consultant and medical leader in Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds, most recently as chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals and chair of the Leeds Academic Health Partnership.
He is a member of the international advisory board of the Business School at the University of Leeds, where he holds an honorary professorship, and a longstanding York resident with a passionate belief in the contribution of the arts and culture in enhancing societal wellbeing.
The NCEM, in the renovated church of St Margaret’s, Walmgate, stages a year-round programme of concerts and educational opportunities in York, three festivals of early music annually in Yorkshire (two in York, one in Beverley) and a nationwide artists’ development programme.
Representing UK’s early music scene on the European stage, the NCEM is a core member of the European Early Music Network, REMA, with established partnerships in Flanders, Spain and France.
Highlights of the calendar include the biennial York Early Music International Young Artists Competition and the annual NCEM Composers Award, run in association with BBC Radio 3.
NCEM director Dr Delma Tomlin says: “We feel very honoured to have Phil as our new chair as we begin an important year at the National Centre for Early Music, when we’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the creation of the York Early Music Festival.
“Phil brings with him a wealth of skills and experience and a great passion for our work promoting early music to the widest possible audiences and nurturing the development of emerging talent.”
Professor Wood says: “I’m thrilled to take on the role of chair at the National Centre for Early Music at this exciting time. This award-wining organisation is world renowned as a centre of excellence and innovation, celebrating not just early music but many different genres and with a broad commitment to community engagement and widening participation.
“I look forward to working with them as chair and of course enjoying some wonderful music with our audiences.”
Kara Tointon as Constance in The Constant Wife, on tour at York Theatre Royal
LAURA Wade’s new adaptation of The Constant Wife for the RSC leads off Charles Hutchinson’s latest selection of cultural highlights.
Play of the week: Royal Shakespeare Company in The Constant Wife, York Theatre Royal,January 26 to 31, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees
SET in 1927, The Constant Wife finds Constance as a very unhappy woman. “Nonsense,” says her mother, who insists “she eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances”.
Played by Kara Tointon, she is the perfect wife and mother, but her husband is equally devoted to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend. Tamara Harvey directs the new adaptation by Home, I’m Darling playwright and Rivals television series writer Laura Wade. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Jeffrey Martin: Blend of folk, Americana and literary short stories at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York
Folk gig of the week: Please Please You and Brudenell Presents present Jeffrey Martin and special guest Tenderness, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, Saturday, 8.15pm (doors 7.30pm)
PORTLAND musician Jeffrey Martin’s narrative-driven songwriting is a blend of folk, Americana and literary short stories with echoes of Raymond Carver. Before turning to music full time in 2016, he spent several years as a high-school English teacher, a profession he left to “chase his dreams at all cost.”
His lyrics are marked by his insight into the human condition, often focusing on the struggles and quiet dignity of people on the margins of society. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.
Emily Stubbs: Exhibiting ceramics at Pyramid Gallery, York, from Saturday
Exhibition launch of the week: Carolyn Coles, Emily Stubbs and Karen Fawcett, The Sky’s The Limit, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, Saturday until mid-March
SOUTH Bank Studios artist Carolyn Coles and PICA Studios ceramicist Emily Stubbs will be on hand from 11.30am to 2.30pm at Saturday’s opening of The Sky’s The Limit, their joint exhibition with wildlife sculptor Karen Fawcett.
Like Carolyn, Emily has been selected to take part in York Open Studios 2026 on April 18 & 19 and April 25 & 26. Look out too for work by Pyramid Gallery’s Jeweller of the Month, Kate Rhodes, from Hebden Bridge. Gallery opening hours are: 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Snake Davis and Sumudu Jayatilaka: Performing together at Helmsley Arts Centre
Jools’ partners of the week: Snake & Sumudu, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm
SAXOPHONIST to the stars Snake Davis and singer-songwriter Sumudu Jayatilaka often meet up to perform with Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra or to play together in arts centres.
Raised in Scunthorpe, now based in London, Sumudu has frequently toured as a backing vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and percussionist for Sir Van Morrison. At 15, she made her TV debut on BBCs Pebble Mill At One, performing her own composition, accompanied by Snake on sax and flute. Later they took part in a Royal Albert Hall concert with Burt Bacharach and Hal David. At Helmsley, expect classic pop, original compositions and a touch of soul and jazz. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Shakin’ all over: Rebel Dean in Whole Lotta Shakin’, his tribute to Shakin’ Stevens at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Tribute show of the week:Whole Lotta Shakin’ – The Shakin’ Stevens Story, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Sunday, 7.30pm
ENDORSED by members of Shakin’ Stevens own family, West End star Rebel Dean’s award-winning tribute to Great Britain’s biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s tell the story of the rockin’ Welsh boy and his rise to chart-topping superstardom.
Whole Lotta Shakin’ combines a live band with rare footage and images in a nostalgic night of Shaky hits, Green Door, Oh Julie, You Drive Me Crazy and This Ole House et al, complemented by Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Ritchie Valens and Elvis Presley numbers that he covered. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Anna Hale: Killer punchlines, musical flair and spiky resilience at The Crescent, York
Comedy gig of the week: Anna Hale: Control Freak, The Crescent, York, Sunday, 7.30pm
ANNA Hale, comedian, singer-songwriter and unapologetic control freak, has written the jokes and the songs, planned the lighting cues and even sold the tickets for her gigs. When life spins out of control, can one perfectionist keep the show together, and, crucially, not let anyone else have a go? Find out when encountering the killer punchlines, musical flair and spiky resilience of the 2024 Musical Comedy Awards Audience Favourite winner’s debut tour show. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Mike Joyce: Tales from his drumming days for The Smiths at Pocklington Arts Centre
On the beat: Mike Joyce, The Drums: My Life In The Smiths, Pocklington Arts Centre, January 28, 7.30pm
DRUMMER Mike Joyce has been asked numerous times, “What was it like being in The Smiths?”. “That’s one hell of a question to answer!” he says. Answer it, he does, however, both in his 2025 memoir and now in his touring show The Drums: My Life In The Smiths.
To reflect on being stationed behind singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr from 1982 to 1987, Joyce will be interviewed by Guardian music journalist Dave Simpson, who lives near York. Audience members can put their questions to Joyce too. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Neil Sadler: Leading his blues band at Milton Rooms, Malton
Blues gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club presents Neil Sadler Band, Milton Rooms, Malton, January 29, 8pm
NORTH Devon guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer Neil Sadler has worked with songwriters and composers Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett, Don Black, Leslie David Reed and Tony McCaulay and honied his guitar style with blues and rock artists Larry Miller, Mike Farmer, Dennis Siggery and Malaya Blue, as well as running No Machine Studios for 30 years
Sadler has led his present line-up since early 2024 featuring drummer Ray Barwell and bass guitarist Kev Langman. In January 2025, his Past To Present album was nominated for UK Blues Federation awards for UK Blues Traditional Artist of the Year and UK Blues Album of the Year. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
The poster for Country Roads’ celebration of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell et al at York Barbican
Country celebration of the week: Country Roads, York Barbican, January 30, 7.30pm
COUNTRY Roads invites you to a celebration of country superstar royalty featuring such hits as 9 To 5, The Gambler, I Walk The Line, Ring Of Fire, King Of The Road, Crazy, Rhinestone Cowboy, Jolene, Dance The Night Away, Walkin’ After Midnight and many, many more as the stars of fellow tribute show Islands In The Stream return in this new production. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Annabel van Griethuysen’s Miss Hannigan in York Light Opera Company’s Annie. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
YORK Light Opera Company will stage Annie for the first time in 25 years at York Theatre Royal from February 12 to 21 under the direction of Martyn Knight.
This heart-warming tale of hope, family, and second chances with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan is packed with such knockout songs as Tomorrow, Hard Knock Life and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.
Expect dazzling choreography, stunning costumes and a full live band, alongside a stellar cast of York talent, led by Annabel van Griethuysen as Miss Hannigan after her forgetful but unforgettable Sister Mary Amnesia in Nunsense: The Musical at Theatre@41, Monkgate, in Summer 2024 and hostess Marlene Cabana in Eurobeat: Pride Of Europe at the same theatre last summer.
Joining Annabel in the cast of 38 others will be Harriet Wells and Hope Day, sharing the role of Annie, Neil Wood as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, Sarah Craggs as Grace Farrell, Martin Lay as Rooster and Chloe Jones as Lily St Regis.
Annie at the double: Hope Day, left, and Harriet Wells sharing the title role in Annie. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
Neil Wood’s Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks and Sarah Craggs’s Grace Farrell in York Light Opera Company’s Annie. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
Assistant director Kathryn Addison says: “This production of Annie places special emphasis on the young performers who are the soul of the show. Through the casting process, the orphan casting for two teams of young people was developed first, fostering strong connections, confidence and ensemble storytelling before the final roles were assigned.
“Our energetic cast of young performers are joined by experienced adult performers and a creative team committed to storytelling. Annie promises to deliver a heartfelt and joyful theatrical experience for audiences of all ages.”
York Light Opera Company in Annie, York Theatre Royal, February 12 to 21, 7.30pm, except February 15 and 16; February 14, 15 and 21, 2.30pm; February 19, 2pm. The February 17 show will be British Sign Language Interpreted. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Back row: left to right, Olivia Watts, Rose Hirst, Phoebe Ellis, Emilia Heward, Sophie Helme, Elizabeth Reece and Lottie Barnes; middle row, Eliza Clarke, Eleanor Powell, Meredith Clarke, Belle Sturdy-Flannery, Bea Wells, Perdie Rolfe and Leonore Thornton; front row, kneeling, Olive Connolly, Hope Day, Harriet Wells, Emilia Cole. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
