Category: Theatre

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Jocasta Almgill takes shine to dark side as wicked fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty

Jocasta Almgill’s wicked fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography

WEST End star Jocasta Almgill has headed home to Yorkshire to patrol the dark side as villainous Carabosse, East Riding accent and all, in Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal.

One hundred years of sleep await Aoife Kenny’s Princess Aurora but there will be no rest for Jocasta’s wicked fairy until January 4 2026.

Originally from Hull and now based in London, she has appeared in such musical roles as Diana Morales in A Chorus Line (Curve Leicester/Sadler’s Wells/national tour) and Rizzo in Grease (Dominion Theatre, London), receiving nominations for the 2022 Black British Theatre Award for Best Supporting Female in a Musical and the 2023 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical.

No wonder York Theatre Royal creative director and Sleeping Beauty director Juliet Forster enthuses: “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Jocasta to York for this year’s panto. She is an incredible talent and audiences are in for a real treat.”

Amid her myriad credits, Jocasta has performed in York previously. “I was in the original tribute to The Blues Brothers, which came to the Grand Opera House years ago in my first job out of college [Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, from where she graduated in 2009 after three years of musical theatre studies],” she says.

East Yorkshire-raised actress Jocasta Almgill

“Then I came back on tour in 2018 with Hairspray, when I was Peaches, one of The Dynamites.” Watch this space for news of a possible return there in a “big musical” next year.

In the meantime, Jocasta is revelling in breaking new ground in Sleeping Beauty. “Carabosse is my first baddie. It’s such fun,” she says. “I always do the Fairy normally, and I love the Fairy in panto, but she’s there to tell the story.

“As Carabosse, I can just have fun and have a lovely time being bad, so I’m really enjoying playing the baddie. Basically Carabosse is so annoyed she’s not been invited to Aurora’s Christening that she casts a spell on her that, before her 18th birthday, she will prick her finger and then be asleep for 100 years.”

Such bad behaviour contrasts with Jocasta’s previous goody-goody pantomime roles for Evolution Productions, York Theatre Royal’s panto partners. “Last year I played Cupid the Fairy in Beauty And The Beast at Canterbury; prior to that, Myrtle the Mermaid in Peter Pan in St Albans.

“In 2020, for Evolution, I was at The Hawth Theatre in Crawley, when we were socially distanced with the tier system in place for Covid 19, and we managed to stay open through the run. It was called something like Dame Dolly Saves Panto!” Indeed it was.

Jocasta enjoys working with the award-winning Evolution team each panto season. “One hundred per cent! It’s why a lot of actors go back to work with them each year, having that security of a good show each winter, which frees you up to do other acting jobs over the rest of the year, knowing you have a job at Christmas.”

Jocasta Almgill’s Carabosse in her lair. “She’s my first baddie. It’s such fun,” she says. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography

This year took Jocasta to Japan to reprise her role as Diana Morales in A Chorus Line. “It started off as a Curve production in Leicester, then went to Sadler’s Wells, and then some Japanese producers picked it up,” she says.

“We were there for ten weeks, playing three cities, Tokyo, Sendai, Osaka and then back to Tokyo. Japanese is a tricky language to learn, but within the company there were lots of Japanese people, so I could practise my Japanese.”

How did that go? “Sometimes they would laugh at me! Like when I thought I was saying ‘That was delicious’ and in fact I’d said ‘Would you marry me’!”

She took the opportunity to go sight-seeing in each city. “There was more time than you might think to do that – and I’m quite the early bird, getting up early to see things. It was very special to be there; an experience I shall never forget.”

Jocasta had pinned her hopes on playing a panto villain  earlier than this winter. “At St Albans two years ago, I said ‘I want to play Captain Hook’, which would have been so much fun, but then they cast me as Cupid,” she recalls.

Jocasta Almgill in rehearsal for her villainous role as Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty

“I thought, ‘it’ll never happen’, but thankfully they offered me Carabosse this winter, and I told them, ‘I’d love to do that’.”

Jocasta is delighted to be drawing the boos in Sleeping Beauty. “It’s great to be working with Evolution again. We have a brilliant show on our hands that’s really exciting and is a real spectacle, as well as being funny. Visually it’s amazing, and I’m very happy with my costumes,” she says.

“I sing quite a few big numbers. Paul [Evolution Productions’ artistic director and York panto writer Paul Hendy] always has me doing some rocky numbers. I did Guns N’ Roses’ Welcome To The Jungle as Welcome To The Panto in Beauty And The Beast, and here I’m doing Hellfire, from The Hunchback Of Notre Dame musical.

“I get to open Act Two with Pinball Wizard, and I’ve got a duet with Jennie Dale’s Fairy Moonbeam where we compete with each other in Ugly Kid Joe’s Everything About You.

“The cast bounces off each other so well, and I love working with Robin [Robin Simpson’s dame Nurse Nellie], who’s hilarious. Luckily I don’t have too many scenes with him or I’d be giggling!”

York Theatre Royal and Evolution Productions present Sleeping Beauty until January 4 2026. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Jocasta Almgill in her poster portrait, announcing her appearance in Sleeping Beauty

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REVIEW: Red Ladder Theatre Company in A Proper Merry Christmess, Slung Low Warehouse, Holbeck, Leeds and on tour **

Under pressure: All in need of quick cash, can grotto department workforce Maryam Ali’s Rani, left, Charles Doherty’s Michael and Roo Arwen’s Red win the Christmas bonus in Red Ladder Theatre Company’s A Proper Merry Christmess? Picture: Robling Photography

LEEDS companies Red Ladder Theatre Company and Wrongsemble have joined together to tour the UK with a Christmas double bill this festive season.

The shows opened at fellow Leeds company Slung Low’s cavernous Warehouse, in Holbeck, before venturing out to Stockton Arts Centre, Wakefield Exchange, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle (December 19 to 21), the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (December 22 and 23), and Brighton Dome (hosting “chilled performances”, December 27 to 31).

CharlesHutchPress caught Red Ladder’s riotous, righteous  new comedy A Proper Merry Christmess, whose somewhat perfunctory set was surrounded to either side by presumably the designs for A Town Called Christmas, Wrongsemble’s family show for three year olds and upwards. The effect was to feel like being on one funfair ride, with prospective further rides all around that started to look more attractive.

Alas, Red Ladder’s lustily performed Christmas play turned out to be something of a bumpy ride, one where you could follow the words on a screen above the stage that revealed Charles Doherty’s anything but saintly Michael had developed a progressively worsening habit of adding swear words, as if putting the improper in A Proper Merry Christmess.

He delivers lines with an Australian accent as disdainful as Aussie bowlers and commentators giving their verdict on England’s kamikaze batting in the Ashes.

Roo Arwen’s Red makes her exasperated point to Charles Doherty’s Michael, the grouchy Santa in A Proper Merry Christmess. Picture: Robling Photography

Whether he or first-time playwright Seeta Wrightson and co-writer Leon Fleming called the tune on his potty mouth, who knows, but it had the look and sound of an actor striving too hard for a laugh.

Michael is the resident if reluctant Father Christmas at West Yorkshire’s cheeriest garden centre, where he is a rebel with a Claus, the grouchy Santa of attention, a cross between the Grinch and Billy Bob Thornton’s swindler, Willie Soke, in Terry Twizogg’s 2004 American movie.

As miserable as Ebenezer Scrooge before his Christmas Eve ghost tour, and drawing complaint after complaint for his treatment of children in his grotty grotto, Michael’s mood is only worsened by store announcer Katherine (Kathryn Hanke) declaring the £500 Christmas bonus will be given to only the best-performing department.

Michael needs the money urgently, having overspent massively on his daughter’s wedding, to the point that the four bailiffs of the apocalypse are about to knock on his door.

Doherty’s Michael is “working” with a “positive Christmas tree” and a stressed-out elf, as selfish meets elfish in the dysfunctional Team Grotto. Michael thinks only of himself; Roo Arwen’s Red, an overstretched single mum, is thinking “How can I afford the present” she so desperately wishes to give her young child; Maryam Ali’s Rani is a student, taking odds and sods of part-time jobs to meet the cost of her accountancy degree.

Maryam Ali’s stressed-out student Rami in Christmas tree mode in Santa’s grotto in A Proper Merry Christmess. Picture: Robling Photography

She’s thinking of changing her course to working with animals, as accountancy doesn’t add up to fulfilment and she is only doing it to please her parents.

In Red Ladder tradition, politics plays its part in Leeds writers Wrightson and Fleming’s story, one that evolved from workshops with BITMO (Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation) and St George’s Crypt, an award-winning charity that supports homeless people in Leeds.

The gig economy, the exploitation of workers, their dissatisfaction with the need to comply to ever-changing management rules, all play their part in the rising tensions of Christmas Eve in garden centreland.

Management is represented by the intrusive Tannoy voice of Hanke’s unseen but increasingly heard Katherine, at first jolly and encouraging in her Christmas sales pitch, but slowly turning to frustration then slurred panic, seemingly under the influence of more than a glass or two as dirty tricks consume the workforce.

All around her, the garden centre is collapsing into chaos in a mini-version of the Titanic going down, with friction to rival Shane McGowan’s tired and emotional lovers in A Fairytale Of New York, as Doherty’s Michael goes rogue and Ali’s Rani and Arwen’s Red grow exasperated, each having their monologue moment in the spotlight.

Be on Red alert: Roo Arwen’s elf loses her rag in A Proper Merry Christmess. Picture: Robling Photography

Red Ladder artistic director Cheryl Martin’s direction gathers ever more pace over the 75 minutes, but the humour does not match that acceleration, feeling too forced, like failed rhubarb.

Carrying an age guidance of 16-plus, A Proper Merry Christmess is billed as a “a chaotic Christmas comedy for grown-ups – an honest festive story, featuring the authentic heartbreak and humour that the Christmas movies usually leave out”. 

Chaotic? Yes. Honest? Earnest, certainly. Authentic heartbreak? Humour? The frantic pursuit of the latter undermines the former, riding roughshod over the pathos in both Rani and Red’s stories.

A Proper Merry Christmess ends up feeling exactly that.

Red Ladder Theatre Company presents A Proper Merry Christmess, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen’s Square, Queen Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, December 22 and 23, 6pm. Box office: 01484 430528 or https://www.thelbt.org/what-s-on/drama/a-proper-merry-christmess/.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 53, from Gazette & Herald

Emily Chattle’s Lowen and Ceridwen Smith’s Granbow in a magical scene in Next Door But One’s Christmas show with a difference, When Robins Appear. Picture: James Drury

FESTIVE shows, carol concerts, dancing with Anton and a musical aboard a Christmas steamer fill Charles Hutchinson’s in-box for December delights.

A different kind of Christmas show of the week: Next Door But One in When Robins Appear, Clifton Explore, December 18, 5.30pm; York Explore, December 20 and 21, 11am and 2pm

WRITTEN and directed by Next Door But One artistic director Matt Harper-Hardcastle, When Robins Appear follows two friends as they face the big changes of moving house, starting new schools and a first Christmas without Grandma, when the festive sparkle seems to be missing.

Helped by a magical Robin (played by Ceridwen Smith), 12-year-old Ellis (Annie Rae Donaghy) and Lowen (Emily Chattle) are whisked away on a heart-warming journey through their favourite wintery memories to find the magic again. Soon they discover that the real sparkle of Christmas will not be found under the tree, but in the laughter, love and unforgettable moments we share together and that can live forever in our hearts. Tickets update: Sold out, for returns only, go to: www.nextdoorbutone.co.uk.

Adam Price’s Billy Crocker, left, Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney and Fergus Powell’s Moonface Martin in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Full steamer ahead of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until December 21, then December 27 to 30

CLIMB aboard the S.S. American as it sets sail in Andrew Isherwood’s all-singing, all-dancing staging of Anything Goes, Cole Porter’s swish musical, charting the madcap antics of a motley crew leaving New York for London on a Christmas-themed steamer.

Meet nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather) and lovelorn Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price), who has stowed away on board in pursuit of his beloved Hope Harcourt (Claire Gordon-Brown). Alas, Hope is engaged to fellow passenger Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Neil Foster). Enter second-rate conman Moonface Martin (Fergus Powell) to join Reno in trying to help Billy win the love of his life. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Winter WonderBand: Performing Joy Illimited album at Helmsley Arts Centre

The cover artwork for Winter WonderBand’s Joy Illimited album

Christmas folk concert of the week: Winter WonderBand, Helmsley Arts Centre, tomorrow, 7.30pm

CHAMBER folk quartet Winter WonderBand comprises Saul Rose (from Faustus, War Horse and Waterson Carthy) on melodeon; Maclaine Colston (Pressgang and Kings Of Calicutt) on hammered dulcimer; Beth Porter (SpellSongs and Bookshop Band) on cello and Jennifer Crook (Broken Road and Cythara) on harp and guitar.

Together they play winter and festive-themed acoustic music and songs, traditional, modern and original, as heard on debut album Joy Illimited, released on December 1. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

The Icons Of Soul: In serenading mood at Milton Rooms, Malton, on Saturday

Christmas soul parties of the week: The Magic Of Motown, York Barbican, tomorrow, 7.30pm; The Icons Of Soul, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 8pm

ON its 20th anniversary tour, The Magic Of Motown travels down nostalgia avenue in celebration of  Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Mary Wells, The Isley Brothers, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie at York Barbican on Thursday. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Two nights later, direct from the United States, The Icons Of Soul serenade Malton’s audience with soul classics and slick dance routines as they celebrate 1960s and 1970s’ vocal groups such as The Drifters, The Temptations, The Stylistics and Tavares. Be prepared to dance all night long. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

The poster for Pocklington Arts Centre’s Christmas show, Elizabeth Godber’s Jingle All The Way

Deer double act of the week: Jingle All The Way, Pocklington Arts Centre, until December 23

FROM the team behind The Elves And The Shoemaker Save Christmas and Jack Frost’s Christmas Wish comes Elizabeth Godber’s latest Christmas family adventure, co-directed by Jane Thornton with musical direction by Dylan Allcock.

Reindeer siblings Rex (Emilio Encinoso-Gil) and Rosie(Hannah Christina) are reluctant to start at a new school just before Christmas, especially when that school is the East Riding Reindeer Academy, home of supreme athletes. Santa, however, has a position free on his sleigh squad; could this be Rex’s big chance? Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Eve Lorian: Conducting Prima Choral Artists’ Family Christmas Concert at St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York

Choral concert of the week: Prima Choral Artists, Family Christmas Concert, St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, Saturday, 4pm to 5pm

PRODUCED and conducted by Prima Choral Artists director Eve Lorian, Saturday’s concert unites her choir with the New World String Quartet, organist James Webb and pianist Greg Birch in reflective and cheerful Christmas celebrations.

Here come high-spirited festive classics, modern choral arrangements and string and organ repertoire, including works by Tchaikovsky and Rawsthorne. Box office: primachoral.com and on the door.

Festive song and dance with Anton Du Beke and terpsichorean friends at York Barbican

Dandy dancing of the week: Christmas With Anton Du Beke & Friends, York Barbican, Sunday, 5pm

EMBARK on a dazzling journey into a festive wonderland as Strictly Come Dancing judge and ballroom king Anton Du Beke joins forces with his dynamic live band, vocalist Lance Ellington and  troupe of dancers for a magical evening of cherished Christmas songs, captivating dance and festive humour. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Recommended but sold out already is Robert Plant’s Saving Grace gig, Ding Dong Merrily, at York Barbican on December 23 (doors 7pm), when Plant, co-vocalist Suzi Dian drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley and cellist Barney Morse-Brown showcase September 26’s Saving Grace album, “a song book of the lost and found”.

Pickering Musical Society in pantoland: Starting off the new year in Snow White at Kirk Theatre, Pickering

Booking recommended now: Pickering Musical Society in Snow White, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, January 14 to 25, 7.15pm, except January 19; 2.15pm, January 17, 18, 24 and 25  

INTEREST has been “extraordinary” for Pickering Musical Society’s January 2026 pantomime, directed for the tenth year by resident director Luke Arnold. More than 1,000 tickets have sold already; January 18’s 2.15pm performance has sold out and several others are close behind.

Written by Ron Hall, the show combines comedy, spectacle, festive magic, dazzling scenery and colourful costumes and features such principals as Marcus Burnside’s Dame Dumpling, Danielle Long’s Prince Valentine, Alice Rose’s Snow White, Paula Cook’s Queen Lucrecia and Sue Smithson’s Fairy Dewdrop. Audiences are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.littleboxoffice.com.

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REVIEW: Next Door But One in When Robins Appear, Explore York library tour until December 21 ****

Emily Chattle’s Lowen, left, Ceridwen Smith’s Robin and Annie Rae Donaghy’s Ellis in Next Door But One’s When Robins Appear. All pictures: James Drury

ACCORDING to British folklore, “robins appear when loved ones are near”.

The beloved Redbreast is omnipresent on Christmas cards, not least  on York printmaker Gerard Hobson’s exclusive illustration for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s 2025 charity card.

Mother Hutch had a corner devoted to each Yuletide’s new arrivals, and since her passing in September 2025, your reviewer has worn her favourite Robin badge on his lapel.

That lapel has a new addition, thanks to York community arts collective Next Door But One, whose cast of Ceridwen Smith, Emily Chattle and Annie Rae Donaghy hand out When Robins Appear badges at the conclusion to NDB1’s inaugural Christmas show (after 12 years of wholly inclusive, wholly accessible theatre-making for children and young people in and around the city).

Emily Chattle’s Lowen, left, and Annie Rae Donaghy’s Ellis experiencing “a different kind of Christmas” in Next Door But One’s When Robins Appear

Writer-director Matt Harper Hardcastle has penned “a different kind of Christmas show for those who have a different kind of Christmas”, in part inspired by the loss of his mother to cancer.

Enter the Robin, the harbinger of British winter birds, the messenger from the spirit world whose presence is deemed to be a comforting sign of a late loved one being close at hand.   

Here, the Robin takes the form of Ceridwen Smith in magnificent gold and red, topped off with feathery plumage and tailed with natty red and pink pumps. On occasion, her hand transforms into a bird-sized Robin, again bedecked in festive livery of gold and red.

On entering York Explore’s wood-panelled Marriott Room, eyes are drawn to Emily Chattle’s Lowen and Annie Rae Donaghy’s Ellis, each looking glum, avoiding eye contact, tucked away but still in plain sight behind wooden triangular shapes with numbers that evoke both Advent Calendars and decorations in Catherine Chapman’s child’s play of a set design.

Movement director Bailey Dowler, left, writer-director Matt Harper-Hardcastle, Ceridwen Smith, Annie Rae Donaghy and Emily Chattle in rehearsal for When Robins Appear

Lowen, 12, misses her late Gran, known to her as Granbow, on account of wearing clothing as colourful as a rainbow: a habit Lowen  seems to be mirroring in her get-up of pink, red, grey, amber and yellow stripes.   

Ellis, also 12, is looking after her ill mum, both uncertain of her future. She feels as blue as her clothing, a mood not enhanced by moving into a new home and being unable to find her phone charger.

Both she and Lowen are surrounded by boxes: in Lowen’s case, the boxes for packing away Granbow’s belongings with her Dad (played by Smith, denoted by a hat, either worn or held in her hand when this admirable multi-tasker is playing Ellis’s Mum with the simple symbol of a pair of glasses).

Facing a first Christmas without her cherished, shining grandma, Lowen needs to find one elusive box, in particular, the one with her Dad’s fairy lights that Granbow (Smith in role number four) used to transform the cupboard under the stairs where he would retire in shy childhood days.

Emily Chattle’s Lowen with Ceridwen Smith’s Granbow in the shadow-play light box scene in When Robins Appear

At the start, Chattle’s Lowen and Donaghy’s Ellis do not know each other, but each is facing the challenge of a “different kind of Christmas”, of dealing with grief or illness, of coming to terms with changing circumstances or a change of address, above all of feeling overwhelmed.

Who should bring them together but Smith’s chatterbox Robin, chirping away ten to the dozen. What then ensues is an invitation from Robin to, first, Lowen, then Ellis, to recall a past Christmas that made them happy and then to invoke the spirit of that story into Christmas this year.

Those fairy lights and Ellis’s Mac’n’Cheese Christmas Day lunch feature in stories told with delightful  interplay, typically imaginative direction by Harper-Hardcastle and highly engaging characterisation by Chattle, already such a whizz at children’s entertainment, and Donaghy, back home for Christmas in York after graduating with first class honours in contemporary theatre at East 15 Acting School and taking her first steps in London’s theatre jungle.

Joshua Goodman’s enchanting songs and Bailey Dowler’s less-is-more movement direction complement Harper-Hardcastle’s beautifully judged direction as the chameleon Smith and the Chattle & Donaghy double act – where they bring out the inner child in us all – hold the attention of children aged seven to 11 and their adults alike.

Emily Chattle’s Lowen, left, Ceridwen Smith’s Robin and Annie Rae Donaghy’s Ellis on Catherine Chapman’s child’s play of a set design

As ever with Next Door But One, whose research took in working with York Young Carers, this is a caring, considerate show, with British Sign Language to boot, that says so much in under an hour for those whose story is not the stuff of glitzy, wham-bam pantomimes.

What’s more, you will not see a better use of boxes this festive season, gradually transforming into a Christmas tree before your eyes, while an earlier shadow-play light box scene is wondrous.

NDB1 are taking When Robins Appear on the road for eight primary school performances as well as public shows in Explore York libraries that all sold out before the tour opened. The £3.50 ticket price makes When Robins Appear the best-value festive family show in York this Christmas.

It would be no surprise to see this magical Robin bobbing around again next winter.

Next Door But One in When Robins Appear at York Explore, at Clifton Explore, December 18, 5.30pm; York Explore, December 20 and 21, 11am and 2pm. All sold out. Box office for returns only: nextdoorbutone.co.uk.

On the Way Up as Emily Chattle’s Lowen and Annie Rae Donaghy’s Ellis find festive cheer in a different kind of Christmas

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Festive arts menu of the week: Navigators Art, As Yule Like It, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, Dec 20, 7.30pm

Weather Balloons: Boschian vignettes and betrayals of guitar music at As Yule Like It at The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse

YORK arts collective Navigators Art promises “All cracker, no cheese” at As Yule Like It, Saturday’s live, local and loud showcase of “some of York’s finest and most individual sounds”.

On the Musique en Croute menu are Beatbox In Blankets: University of York music student Cast Beatbox, racing up the ranks in national contests; Post-Punk Profiteroles: Knitting Circle, York’s socially conscious and urgent post-punk trio, and Folk & Figgy Pudding: York St John University folkies The Queeries, purveyors of fun, frolicsome fiddling.

Being served up too will be Singer-Songwriting Surprise: Tang Hall Smart tutor and passionate singer-songwriter Toemouse, offering an invitation to a mystical ride, and Renegade Rock-y Road: Weather Balloons, off duty from regular band Fat Spatula but here on soft-rock on duty with Boschian vignettes and betrayals of guitar music.

The Queeries: Fun, frolicsome fiddling

Knitting Circle: Urgent post-punk tunesmiths

Expect “all the trimmings to kick-start your festive week”. Please note, some material may not be suitable for young children. The Basement is fully accessible. Doors open at 7pm. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/navigators-art-performance.

Navigators Art’s regular Folk & Word open-mic session at  The Artful Dodger, Micklegate, York, returns on December 18. Further 7.30pm bills will follow on January 15 and every third Thursday of each month.

“We welcome writers and ‘wordful’ acoustic musicians who’d like to share their work in a warm and appreciative environment,” says co-founder Richard Kitchen. “We operate a safe and friendly ethos. Entry is free with a purchase from the bar. Access is by stairs only.”

Toemouse: Invitation to a mystical ride

One more date for the diary: Navigators Art will be hosting A Feast Of Fools III at the Black Swan Inn, Peasholme Green, York, on January 4 2026 at 7.30pm (doors 7pm).

“Welcome to our annual end-of-season celebration of Twelfth Night and Old Christmas, with a nod to the pagan and the impish,” says Richard. “On the bill are traditional song and contemporary treatments; hurdy gurdy, squeezebox and fiddle; harmonies, electronics and sound spells, headlined by York’s alt-folk legends White sail.” Access is by stairs only. Tickets will be available on the door, as well as at www.ticketsource.co.uk/navigators-art-performance.

Cast Beatbox: University Of York music student performing on Saturday’s bill for As Yule Like It

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REVIEW: Pick Me Up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, delightful, delicious, de-lovely till Dec 30 ****

Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney: Leading with pizzazz in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

IF your search is for anything but pantomime on the York stage over the festive season, then go full steam ahead for Cole Porter’s 1934 musical, one set on a Christmas steamer, it just so happens.

Pick Me Up Theatre supremo Robert Readman is on design duty (as well as in producer and co-choreographer mode), fitting out the Theatre@41 auditorium with blue-and-white seating on the deck of the SS American, the audience placed port or starboard side in a traverse setting.

The upper deck, as it were, likewise fills the mezzanine level with more seating in familiar sea-faring livery.

Add two white-frosted Christmas trees on raised platforms at either end that open up to turn into beds, and Theatre@41 looks a picture, a picture that has you wanting to join this fast-moving, fizzing, funny and fun party.

Susannah Baines’s Evangeline Harcourt and Mark Simmonds’s Elisha Whitney in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Andrew Isherwood is at the helm, steering Porter’s Anything Goes with a keen eye for comic as well as dancing rhythm, working in tandem with chief choreographer Ali Kirkham, whose CV reveals her past days on cruise ships.

On board is a cast that combines plenty of the cream of York’s theatre world with two new arrivals, Fergus Powell and Thea Fennell, who moved up from Cambridge only two months ago. Two classically trained voices are to the fore too: York Opera leading lady Alexandra Mather fronting a musical theatre production for the first time with aplomb as Reno Sweeney and University of York graduate Claire Gordon-Brown singing delightfully as Hope Harcourt.

As the SS American makes its stately way from New York to London under the ever watchful eye of Adrian Cook’s ship’s Captain, Mather’s nightclub singer-cum-evangelist Reno glides coolly hither and thither, as if Dorothy Parker were penning her lines.

Adam Price’s Billy Crocker, left, Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney and Fergus Powell’s Moonface Martin in Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Newly red-headed and looking every inch the Thirties’ part, matched by her Angels (Chloe Branton’s Chastity, Sophie Curry’s Virtue and Sophie Kemp’s Charity), Mather’s Reno is working with her forlorn buddy, Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price, lovely singing tone), the stowaway desperate to woo his beloved Hope Harcourt (Gordon-Brown’s role).

Porter, as elegant as eloquent in his writing, has such fun with Crocker’s character, who must take on myriad  disguises not to blow his stowaway status. Price, light of comic touch, is a joy, particularly when faced with that old Skakespearean comic device of the mistaken identity.

He works well not only with Mather’s Reno, queen of the acid comment, but also with Powell’s Moonface Martin, Public Enemy #13 conman, who joins Reno in backing Crocker’s cause, while also seeking to elude detection. Both have to keep their wits about them, and Porter gives them lines plenty to fit that bill.

Thea Fennell’s Erma Latour is given a lift-off by Charlie Fox, left, and James Robert Ball’s Sailors in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Taking on disguises: Fergus Powell’s Moonface Martin, left, and Adam Price’s Billy Crocker take on ever more extreme steps in Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Charlie Fox, in a break from cruise-ship engagements, bonds with the equally agile James Robert Ball as a brace of nimble sailors, while Ball has a second string to his comedic bow as the righteous Minister Henry T Dobson, something of a turbulent priest to rock the ocean liner.

Neil Foster first played Hope’s fiancé, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, the only Englishman aboard, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre all of 27 years ago, and the role fits him like a familiar glove, immaculately attired, thoroughly decent, delighted by American sayings. You might call Sir Evelyn nice bit dim in that Harry Enfield way, but Foster’s characterisation is more than mere caricature, and he revels in Sir Evelyn’s sudden revelation.

Susannah Baines’s grand mama Evangeline Harcourt (a role shared with Beryl Nairn), Mark Simmonds’s resolute Elisha Whitney and Leo Portal’s busybody Ship’s Purser are all in fine form too, and we are sure to see more of Pick Me Up debutante Fennell on the evidence of her Erma Latour, who’s a scream. Zachary Stoney and Reuben Baines, from Pick Me Up’s autumn hit production of Bugsy Malone, add a youthful spark here too as Spit and Dippy.

Fergus Powell’s Moonface Martin, left, with Reuben Baines’s Dippy, centre, and Zachary Stoney’s Spit. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Deputising for musical director John Atkin, who was on Father Christmas duty elsewhere on press night, Nigel Ball led the band as merrily as Porter’s wonderful tunes demanded, while Mather, Price and co delighted in his witty lyrics.

Kirkham’s choreography is playful, stylish, thrilling, making the most of the open deck with panache and exuberance, all enhanced by Julie Fisher’s fabulous costume designs. Throughout, Mather leads with pizzazz, hitting the heights with a knockout performance that affirms she is as much at home in musical theatre as opera. Cue a fight for her services! You’re the top, Miss Mather, as the opening number proclaims.

Does the director let anything go in Anything Goes? No, sirree, precision, precision, precision rules as he puts the swish into Isherwood, turning the madcap into the ever maddercap, the tap number into top of the taps, the romantic buds into full bloom.

All the while, the Porter hits keep a’coming: It’s De-Lovely, Let’s Misbehave, Bon Voyage, I Get A Kick Out Of You, Blow, Gabriel, Blow. Isherwood and his company get a kick out of every one of them, and so will you. Truly, it’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s de-lovely.

Pick Me up Theatre, Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Performances, 7.30pm, December 15 to 18, December 20 and December 27 to 30; 2.30pm, December 20, 21 and 27. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Do you bite your thumb at me, sir? James Robert Ball’s Sailor in Anything Goes

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as Carol concerts burst into festive song. Hutch’s List No. 53, from The York Press

Next Door But One movement director Bailey Dowler, left, with writer-director Matt Harper-Hardcastle and cast members Ceridwen Smith, centre, Annie Rae Donaghy and Emily Chattle rehearsing for their Explore York library tour of When Robins Appear

CAROL concerts, festive shows and a musical aboard a Christmas steamer fill Charles Hutchinson’s in-box for December delights.

A different kind of Christmas show of the week: Next Door But One in When Robins Appear, York Explore, today and tomorrow, 11am and 2pm; Tang Hall Explore, December 15, 5.30pm; Clifton Explore, December 18, 5.30pm; York Explore, December 20 and 21, 11am and 2pm

WRITTEN and directed by Next Door But One artistic director Matt Harper-Hardcastle, When Robins Appear follows two friends as they face the big changes of moving house, starting new schools and a first Christmas without Grandma, when the festive sparkle seems to be missing.

Equipped with the help of a magical Robin (played by Ceridwen Smith), 12-year-old Ellis (Annie Rae Donaghy) and Lowen (Emily Chattle) are whisked away on a heart-warming journey through their favourite wintery memories to find the magic again. Soon they discover that the real sparkle of Christmas will not be found under the tree, but in the laughter, love and unforgettable moments we share together and that can live forever in our hearts. Tickets update: Sold out. For returns only, go to: www.nextdoorbutone.co.uk.

Adrian Cook’s Captain, top, Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney and Leo Portal’s Ship’s Purser in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes

Full steamer ahead of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until December 21, then December 27 to 30

DITCH York’s December chills and climb aboard the S.S. American as it sets sail in Andrew Isherwood’s all-singing, all-dancing staging of Anything Goes, Cole Porter’s swish musical, charting the madcap antics of a motley crew leaving New York for London on a Christmas-themed steamer.

Meet nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather) and lovelorn Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price), who has stowed away on board in pursuit of his beloved Hope Harcourt (Claire Gordon-Brown). Alas, Hope is engaged to fellow passenger Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Neil Foster). Enter second-rate conman Moonface Martin (Fergus Powell) to join Reno in trying to help Billy win the love of his life. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Freida Nipples: Hosting tonight’s Baps & Buns Burlesque at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb

Dr Lara McClure: Weird and wonderful storytelling in Christmas Presence

Cabaret night of the week: Baps & Buns Burlesque, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, tonight, 7pm

YORK burlesque artiste Freida Nipples hosts her last Baps And Buns Burlesque of 2025 at Bluebird Bakery, joined by drag queens and acrobatic acts for a night of debauched and glamorous cabaret in Acomb. Sorry to raise hopes, but this one is waiting list only at bluebirdbakery.co.uk.

You may have better luck for Christmas Presence, Dr Lara McClure’s weird and wonderful stories for the festive season, on December 17 at 8.30pm. Tickets: bluebirdbakery.co.uk.

Jingle All The Way cast members Emilio Encinoso-Gil and Hannah Christina in rehearsal with musical director Dylan Allcock for Elizabeth Godber’s Christmas play at Pocklington Arts Centre

Deer double act of the week: Jingle All The Way, Pocklington Arts Centre, until December 23; relaxed performance on December 14, 1.30pm

FROM the team behind The Elves And The Shoemaker Save Christmas and Jack Frost’s Christmas Wish comes Elizabeth Godber’s latest Christmas family adventure, co-directed by Jane Thornton with musical direction by Dylan Allcock.

Reindeer siblings Rex (Emilio Encinoso-Gil) and Rosie(Hannah Christina) are reluctant to start at a new school just before Christmas, especially when that school is the East Riding Reindeer Academy, home of supreme athletes. Santa has a position free on his sleigh squad; could this be Rex’s big chance? Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Eve Lorian: Conducting Prima Choral Artists in Christmas concerts at St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York tonight and next Saturday

Choral concerts of the week: Prima Choral Artists, Family Christmas Concerts, St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, today and December 20, 4pm to 5pm; Choirs At Christmas, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, December 16 to 18, 7.30pm

PRODUCED and conducted by Prima Choral Artists director Eve Lorian, these concerts combine her choir with the New World String Quartet, organist James Webb and pianist Greg Birch in reflective and cheerful Christmas celebrations. Here come high-spirited festive classics, modern choral arrangements and string and organ repertoire, including works by Tchaikovsky and Rawsthorne. Box office: primachoral.com and on the door.

The Joseph Rowntree Theatre plays hosts to three magical fundraising evenings of Christmas classics from Tuesday to Thursday. The Shepherd Brass Band’s brace of Gala Christmas Concerts on December 19 and 20 at 7.30pm are fully booked. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Christmas Carols composer Don Pears, left, York Guildhall Orchestra leader Fiona Love, producer Bob Whitney and conductor Simon Wright

Album launch of the week: A Christmas Selection Box, A Music Night Production with Don Pears and Singphonia Singers, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow, 7pm

THE Singphonia Singers, a group of talented performers formed by York composer Don Pears, showcases Don and Jo Pears’ festive album Christmas Carols in A Christmas Selection Box. The album will be on sale at Sunday’s concert or can be downloaded from Spotify, Apple iTunes and Amazon Music. Box office: 01904 501935, josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk or on the door.

Steve Cassidy: Performing at York’s Annual Community Carol Concert at York Barbican

Family festive fun of the week: York’s Annual Community Carol Concert, York Barbican, tomorrow, 2pm  

SUNDAY is the time to don Christmas jumpers and Santa hats for York’s Annual Community Carol Concert, where Shepherd Brass Band, St Paul’s CE Primary School Choir, All Saints RC School Choir andAmber Ford join special guest Ken Humphreys for an afternoon of Christmas cheer.

Carol concert regular Steve Cassidy sings with the ensemble, while the community singing will be led by musical director Mike Pratt.  The Reverend Andrew Foster and Adam Tomlinson will be on hosting duty. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The poster for The Bootleg Beatles’ Monday concert at York Barbican, focusing on the Fab Four’s five biggest-selling studio albums

Tribute show of the week: The Bootle Beatles, 5: The Concert, York Barbican, December 15, 7.30pm

THE Bootleg Beatles follow up their celebration of songs from The Beatles’ quintet of films with another Famous Five. This time, the focus is on the Fab Four’s top five-selling albums, the Bob Dylan-influenced Rubber Soul, the experimental Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, heralding the Summer of Love and psychedelia, The White Album, with its glorious mish-mash of styles, and their grand finale, Abbey Road. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Recommended but sold out already: Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with special guests Imelda May, Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Sumudu Jayatilaka, at York Barbican on December 17, 7.30pm.

Jools Holland: Sold-out return to York Barbican on December 17

Festive folk concert of the week: Green Matthews, Midwinter Revels, National Centre for Early Music, York, December 16, 7.30pm

FOLK duo Chris Green and Sophie Matthews complete a hat-trick of festive visits to the NCEM on Tuesday, following up A Christmas Carol: In Concert and A Brief History Of Christmas with Midwinter Revels.

Spanning several centuries, this celebration of Yuletide Past promises to warm the cockles of even Scrooge’s heart with Christmas carols, winter folk songs, tunes and weird and wonderful instruments, all  complemented by Green Matthews’ trademark wit. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Chris Green and Sophie Matthews: Returning to NCEM full of Christmas cheer

Recommended but sold out alas: Chapter House Choir, Carols By Candlelight, The Nave, York Minster, December 19, 7.30pm

IN The 60th anniversary of the Chapter House Choir, the candlelit Nave of York Minster will play host to Carols By Candlelight, the York choir’s much-loved seasonal tradition, directed by Ben Morris.

A rich selection of carols both old and new will be complemente by the Chapter House Youth Choir, under Charlie Gower-Smith’s direction, alongside festive favourites from the Handbell Ringers. A new commission by French composer Héloïse Werner, marking the choir’s milestone, receives its world premiere. Doors open at 6.45pm.

Christmas stories of the week: John Osborne presents: There Will Be Tinsel, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, December 19, 7.30pm

STEP into the magic of the season with theatre-maker and BBC Radio 4 regular John Osborne, who bedecks the Rise stage in tinsel and Christmas lights for a night of festive poems and stories.. Box office: https://bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.

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REVIEW: 1812 Theatre Company in Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure, Helmsley Arts Centre, until Sunday ****

Knock, knock, who’s there? Writer Martin Vander Weyer’s Dame Daphne and Oliver Clive’s undoubting Thomas in 1812 Theatre Company’s pantomime Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure. Picture: Florrie Stockbridge 

MARTIN Vander Veyer is a British financial journalist, business editor of The Spectator and member of the British-American Project.

Polymath Martin is also a poet, playwright, amateur actor, former investment banker in London, Brussels and the Far East, ardent Francophile, music lover, proud Yorkshireman of Flemish ancestry and intrepid traveller to boot.

His Any Other Business column in The Spectator stirred Boris Johnson to crown him “the most oracular and entertaining business commentator in London”. And now, should you be wondering if he has room for any other business in his busy, busy life, Martin has added another string to his ever-expanding bow.

Already Helmsley’s fabulously high-brow, low-blow dame, with the delivery of Edith Evans by way of Victoria Wood, he has scripted 1812 Theatre Company’s properly traditional  pantomime for the first time. Where else would you find “the Coalition of the Willing” in a script that is so eloquent, erudite yet mischievously entertaining too?

“I gave up plans for retirement and decided not only to get the frock on again this Christmas but to have a crack at writing a script myself,” he says in his programme notes, adding that he “loves pantomime because its mix of saucy jokes, slapstick, song and romance transports us to a simpler world – and because it brings together so many different skills and talents”.

More fun and games for Martin Vander Weyer’s Dame Daphne and Oliver Clive’s Thomas in Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure. Picture: Oli Valenghi

Spot on, Martin, who captures the “theatre is a village” essence of a community pantomime, working in tandem with Helmsley Arts Centre artistic director and bracing panto director Natasha Jones to give so many their moment in the spotlight, while still being the leading light himself, except when he very noticeably scurries to the back in the song-and-dance ensemble routines.

From delayed grand entry to his obligatory tennis racket-projected rally of balls back and forth between dame and audience, to his meta-theatre commentary on the thin plotline, Vander Weyer’s classicist dame, amply bosomy Daphne, is an old-school theatrical delight.

His dame is a saucepot, but never crude. He gives you time to think where his punchline might land, then, like those tennis shots, having set up the double entendre, he volleys it away with panache.

This is typified by his third entry in the pick of Denise Kitchin’s exquisitely detailed designs for the dame’s frocks, throwing everything but the Kitchin sink at them. This one parades pink camouflage military jodhpurs,  chest bedecked in medals. “Privates on parade,” he quips.  Of course! What else could he say?! You’ll love his digs at neighbouring Pickering too.

Knock Knock jokes have become a staple of the Helmsley panto, along with the repartee, those bouncing balls and the singsong, and here panto daft lad Oliver Clive’s Thomas takes every opportunity to knock, knock out another one, while the audience is encouraged to send in its own suggestions in a Knock Knock competition. Don’t knock it until you have tried it.

Bec Silk’s Robin Hood and Martin Vander Weyer’s Dame Daphne promoting Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure

Knock, knock, who else is there? Bec Silk’s Robin Hood is a principal boy in the best tradition of thigh slaps, lusty singing and plucky leadership; Vicki Mason’s understated, girl-next-door Maid Marian has the weight of the world on her shoulders in the Sheriff’s captivity; Joe Gregory’s Sheriff of Pickering brings gravitas and a foie-gras thespian voice to the dark side.

Carolyn Potts’s Friar Tuck, forever nibbling from Tuck’s Tuck Bag, Robert Barry’s Little John, forever firing off his bow and arrow, Simon Read’s stoical Baron Robert of Helmsley and Sarah Barker’s declamatory Sharon, Town Crier of Helmsley, all relish their comic opportunities.

Meanwhile, Millie Neighbour’s Save The Planet Janet is forever popping out of a bin, making magic from her “rubbish” role. Lottie Robson and Daisy Lamb bring feisty bite to the Sheriff’s Savage Hounds.

Aided by Michaela Edens’ choreography, senior chorus trio Jeanette Hambridge, Edwin Youngman and Mani Brown’s Sheep are anything but sheepish in taking centre stage and the Green Team and Red Team’s duties as Maid Marian’s Animal Friends bring a smile to everyone’s face.

Set designer and scenic artist Holly Cawte maximises the compact space with plenty of colour and time-honoured panto structures, always with room aplenty at the front for Vander Weyer’s larger-than-life dame to poke fun, tongue ever further in cheek.

1812 Theatre Company in Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm; Sunday, 2.30pm. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

The military camp sight meets the dark side: Martin Vander Weyer’s Dame Daphne and Joe Gregory’s villainous Sheriff of Pickering in 1812 Theatre Company’s pantomime. Picture: Oli Valenghi
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Pick Me Up Theatre launches Anything Goes on Christmas steamer at Theatre@41

Full steam ahead: Fergus Powell’s Moonface Martin and Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

YORK, it may be cold outside, but why not climb aboard the S.S. American as Pick Me Up Theatre’s all-singing, all-dancing Christmas production of Anything Goes sets sail at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from tomorrow?

Directed by Andrew Isherwood, Cole Porter’s swish 1934 Broadway musical follows the madcap antics of a motley crew as they ride the waves from New York to London on a Christmas-themed steamer.

On board are popular nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney (played by Alexandra Mather) and her pal, lovelorn Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price), who has stowed away on board in pursuit of his beloved Hope Harcourt (Claire Gordon-Brown).

Hope, however, is engaged to another passenger, English gent Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, played by Neil Foster, reprising the role he first played 27 years ago. “It’s amazing how I’ve remembered so many of the lines and lyrics,” he says. “They must have been buried somewhere in my memory.”

Sailing to England too is second-rate conman Moonface Martin (Fergus Powell), aka “Public Enemy #13”. Cue song, dance, fabulous farce and “chooey”  Big Apple accents as Reno and Moonface try to help Billy win the love of his life.

Full steam a-redhead: Alexandra Mather in her first musical lead role as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Reno will be Alexandra Mather’s first lead in a musical after principal roles aplenty for York Opera. “Taking on Reno Sweeney is incredibly exciting for me,” she says. “I’m stepping into such a sharp and charismatic role, which is a dream come true.

“It’s an utterly terrifying prospect, if I’m honest. I’ve been really, really lucky doing lead roles for York Opera, feeling comfortable wrapped in a carpet of familiarity, but Anything Goes is a very different style.

“I’ve been obsessed with the music since 2013 when I bought the soundtrack of the Joel Gray and Sutton Foster production and I’ve listened to the album for years and years, so I’ve looked forward to doing the show for years, and now is the chance.”

Assessing the abiding appeal of Anything Goes, Alexandra says: “With Cole Porter’s music and the brilliant, witty script, the whole experience feels nostalgic, stylish and incredibly glamorous.

“The songs are just so beautifully written. For a singer, they’re just a joy to sing, as Porter worked with some of the great artists of the burgeoning musical theatre scene. The other thing that should be highlighted is the lyrical quality, done to perfection. For someone like me, who often gravitates to the comedy side, it’s irresistible.”

Pick Me Up Theatre’s poster for Anything Goes. All aboard at Theatre@41, Monkgate, but can you spot what’s missing?!

Alexandra has “usually played ingénues and usually with comedy in the role”, but there is room to be more serious in Anything Goes. “In opera, because you’re focusing on the quality of the voice, you’re allowed a broader style of performance as it’s based on waves of emotion,” she says. In musical theatre, seeking a core truth rooted in realism, “you have to have  a bit more sincerity,” she suggests.

Director Andrew Isherwood highlights what acting style is needed. “It’s the principle of doing less to get a true performance where they’re still acting but you don’t realise they’re acting,” he says.

“Some characters are larger than life, but Alex’s Reno has more vulnerability in a show where you want the audience to care, to want things to be resolved and to end up right.”

Alexandra adds: “We’re all trying to create these fully realised characters. For example, Andrew has said that I sometimes use an ‘actor’s voice’, so I’m trying to strip that back.”

Blonde-haired Alexandra will be wearing a redhead wig. “It wasn’t me who suggested it!” says real-life partner Andrew. “No, we spoke to Robert (designer Robert Readman) and Jo (wardrobe assistant Jo Hird) as we wanted a really distinctive look for Reno,” she recalls.

York actress and opera singer Alexandra Mather

“We talked about elevating her to a fiery redhead, not to play to clichés, but because it works really well  for me, because usually I’m the blonde one playing these blonde roles, but getting into character, suddenly seeing a different person in the mirror, really does help.”

Andrew is promising an immersive production “where we’re all supposed to be on this cruise ship together”, audience and cast alike.”Robert has devised the set with lifebelts, so it feels like you’re on the deck of a ship – and it’s meant to be luxury transatlantic travel, not a budget trip!” he says. As for the costume design, “Reno is in the 1930s’ style of Greta Garbo and Katharine Hepburn.”

On the surface, December 12 to 30 would suggest a busy Christmas season for director and cast, but there will be room for a Christmas break. “Because of the how the dates have fallen, they’re more forgiving than  they were for Oliver Twist last year,” says Andrew. “So we’ll have a good stretch of shows up to December 21, then time off from December 22 to 26, and then be back in action from December 27 to 30.”

Pick Me up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, December 12 to 30. Performances, 7.30pm December 12, December 15 to 18, December 20 and December 27 to 30; 2.30pm, December 13, 20, 21 and 27. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Thea Fennell’s Erma Latour, left, James Robert Ball, front, and Charlie Fox’s Sailors and Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

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Elizabeth Godber’s Christmas show Jingle All The Way opens at Pocklington Arts Centre as reindeers start sleigh school

Jingle All The Way cast members Emilio Encinoso-Gil and Hannah Christina in rehearsal for Pocklington Arts Centre’s Christmas show with musical director Dylan Allcock

TODAY is Angela Stone’s last day as artistic director at Pocklington Arts Centre before moving to Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands.

Her last task in post is to oversee this evening’s opening of PAC’s Christmas show in her capacity as producer of Jingle All The Way.

Scottish-born Angela, who took over as artistic director in October 2022, says of this winter’s festive production: “We’re so proud to be staging our third Christmas adventure for all the family at Pocklington Arts Centre this December! We can’t wait to introduce audiences to our fabulous cast and deliver our trademark festive cheer.

“We take great pride in producing inclusive and engaging stories, bringing magical Christmas spirit to our stage and welcoming returning and new audiences to PAC.”

Suffused with humour, Christmas tunes, original songs, local references and festive fun, Jingle All The Way is written and co-directed by Elizabeth Godber, with Jane Thornton, from the John Godber Company stable, working alongside producer Angela in the same creative team behind PAC’s previous in-house Christmas productions, The Elves And The Shoemaker Save Christmas and Jack Frost’s Christmas Wish. 

Dylan Allcock provides the musical direction for this new festive family adventure, wherein reindeer siblings Rex (Emilio Encinoso-Gil) and Rosie(Hannah Christina) are reluctant to start at a new school just before Christmas, especially when that school is the East Riding Reindeer Academy, home of supreme athletes.

The poster for Pocklington Arts Centre’s Christmas show Jingle All The Way

Although Rosie fits in quickly, Rex struggles to find where he belongs, but a school-wide competition might change all that. Santa has a position free on his sleigh squad; could this be Rex’s big chance?

“It’s our third year at Pocklington Arts Centre, and I absolutely love working at Pocklington at Christmas,” says Elizabeth. “The audiences are fabulous, and we’ve really started to establish creating new work for younger-year children: we’re solidly for ten year olds and younger. Some have even come in pyjamas!

“Also, one of the things we were really keen on was to make the shows really accessible by doing half an hour each act. It’s very theatrical with masks and multi-role playing, and we’re very much into wholesome theatre. We make something that’s a little bit different to panto.”

She talks of the responsibility to “make sure that a child’s first experience of theatre is a positive one”. “The first time I went to the cinema I got really scared, because it was dark and scary, so I didn’t go back for a long time,” says Elizabeth, now 30.  “But I did go to the theatre with my parents [John and Jane Godber]: there’s a photo of me in my mum’s arms in the auditorium when I was three weeks old!”

Summing up Jingle All The way’s story, Elizabeth says: “Although reindeer Rex is a bit of a nerd and not very sporty, he decides to train for the competition to join Santa’s sleigh squad, so it’s an underdog story with a sibling rivalry, as twin brother and sister Rex and Rosie don’t always get on!”

Jingle All The Way runs at Pocklington  Arts Centre from December 11 to 23. Performances: December 11,  7pm; December 13, 1.30pm; December 14, 1.30pm (Relaxed Performance) and 4.30pm; December 19, 7pm; December 20 and 21, 1.30pm. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Meet The Cast

Emilio Encinoso-Gil

Part-Spanish actor from Hull who trained at Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA North).

Theatre credits include Do I Love You? (John Godber Company), On Your Marks (Dramatic Theatre CIC), and Peter Pan (Tony Peers Ltd). Screen work: Right Here In Hull, The Memory Project (Smashing Mirrors Theatre) and Scones & Skates (Hull Truck Theatre).

Contributed  voiceover work for Storyboard Media, Stage Door Theatre and Middle Child.

Hannah Christina

2025 graduate from first Acting cohort at Performers College Birmingham, where she appeared in graduate production of Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls, portraying Angie and Dull Gret.

Member of the Godber Theatre Foundation, making her professional debut in Jingle All The Way.