Category: Theatre

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Fringe show of the week: Stephen Smith in A Montage Of Monet, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, July 8 and 11

Stephen Smith’s Claude Monet in A Montage Of Monet. Picture: Amie Barton-Young

AFTER last summer’s sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run, Stephen Smith’s solo show A Montage Of Monet plays York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, on July 8 at 7.30pm and July 11 at 3pm.

Joan Greening’s 55-minute play invites audiences to step beyond Claude Monet’s Impressionist paintings and meet the complicated, passionate and often deeply flawed man behind them.

A Montage Of Monet explores the extraordinary life of Normandy-born Monet, from his turbulent love affairs and artistic rivalries to personal tragedy, financial hardship and the failing eyesight that threatened to end his career.

“While millions recognise his iconic water lilies, few know the remarkable story behind the artist himself,” says actor and Threedumb Theatre artistic director Stephen Smith, whose production holds a special connection with York.

Actor Stephen Smith stands by Claude Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond on his visit to York Art Gallery in 2024

“While preparing for the original Edinburgh production, I made a pilgrimage to York Art Gallery to see The Water-Lily Pond during the gallery’s hugely successful National Treasures: Monet in York exhibition in 2024.

“Standing in front of one of his most famous paintings while developing the role was an unforgettable experience, and it’s incredibly special to now be bringing the show back to the city.”

Smith’s production combines live performance with carefully curated projections of Monet’s paintings and those of his contemporaries, allowing audiences with little or no prior knowledge of Impressionism to immerse themselves fully in the story.

Writer Joan Greening, whose work has been performed across the UK and internationally, created A Montage of Monet specifically with Stephen Smith in mind after she saw him perform at the Edinburgh Fringe.

In the frame: Stephen Smith in A Montage Of Monet. Picture: Picture: Amie Barton-Young

“I immediately thought this brilliant young actor could play Monet,” she says. “It has been an enormous pleasure working with Stephen, who is a dynamic performer with original and clever ideas.”

Produced by four-time OFFIE Award-winning company Threedumb Theatre, A Montage Of Monet continues the London-based company’s reputation for creating bold, imaginative solo theatre that tours nationally and internationally.

Stephen Smith in A Montage Of Monet, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, July 8, 7.30pm and July 11, 3pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: 12+.

Stephen Smith’s other Fringe shows of the week: One Man Poe at Ripon Theatre Festival, July 10, 8pm, and York Medical Society, July 11, 7.30pm

Stephen Smith in The Tell-Tale Heart in One Man Poe at Ripon Theatre Festival. Picture: Shay Rowan

THREEDUMB Theatre actor and artistic director Stephen Smith brings his gothic horror phenomenon One Man Poe to North Yorkshire for a special Ripon Theatre Festival performance on July 10 and the world premiere of an entirely new Poe double-bill in York the next night.

One Man Poe had sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 and 2025, winning both the Derek Award for Best Overall Show and the Spookies Award for Best Horror Solo Show.

London-based Smith now returns north with two distinct One Man Poe productions. Ripon’s audience will have the chance to experience the original One Man Poe, featuring Edgar Allan Poe classics The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and The Pendulum, The Black Cat and The Raven, while July 11’s York audience exclusively will receive the first ever public performance of The Business Man and The Case of M. Valdemar.

Anyone heading for Edinburgh this summer can catch all six stories, presented as three different shows, when Smith returns for another Fringe run.

The Ripon Theatre Festival performance presents the four-story gothic anthology that has toured internationally to Europe, Dubai, Malaysia, New York, Baltimore and beyond, earning acclaim for Smith’s virtuosic solo storytelling and atmospheric theatrical style.

Stephen Smith as The Mesmerist in The Case Of M. Valdemar, from One Man Poe, pictured at St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard graveyard in Edinburgh. Picture: Colin Hattersley Photography

Meanwhile, York becomes the first city in the world to see Smith’s newest Poe adaptations before they transfer to the Edinburgh Fringe later this summer for a 42-show run.

The Business Man concerns a corrupt, bullying American businessman who builds his fortune through ruthless scams and opportunism before deciding the time is right to enter politics.

The Case of M. Valdemar explores one of Poe’s most disturbing concepts: a mesmerist attempting to hypnotise a dying man at the precise moment of death itself.

Smith, who has committed more than 18,000 words of Poe to memory, says: “Every year I deepen the work, and these new stories allow us to explore Poe’s wicked humour and his darkest fascination with mortality. The horror in Poe is never simply monsters – it’s human nature.”

Stephen Smith in One Man Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and The Pendulum, The Black Cat and The Raven, Ripon Theatre Festival, Ripon Arts Hub, Allhallowgate, Ripon,  July 10, 8pm. Tickets: https://www.ripontheatrefestival.org/event/one-man-poe/. Age guidance: 12 plus.

Stephen Smith as The Politician / Businessman, pictured on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh. Picture: Colin Hattersley

Stephen Smith in One Man Poe, The Business Man and The Case of M. Valdemar, York premiere, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, July 11, 7.30pm, with post-show Q&A with performer-director Stephen Smith. Tickets: 01904 623568 or https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/one-man-poe-the-business-man-and-the-case-of-m-valdemar/. Age guidance: 16 plus.

Both shows contain distressing or potentially triggering themes.

For details of One Man Poe at The Fringe see https://www.edfringe.com

Stephen Smith and One Man Poe: back story

A HUGE fan of the late Roger Corman/Vincent Price’s Edgar Allan Poe-cycle when a child, Stephen Smith reignited his love of classical horror stories during the pandemic by creating online renditions of Poe’s work via Facebook Live.

When the theatres reopened, he combined four of Poe’s most popular pieces in a solo show and named the extravaganza One Man Poe. First performed in 2021 at Watford Palace Theatre, the show has had multiple runs in London  and on tour in the UK.

Poe is sometimes referred to as “America’s Shakespeare” and Stephen is thrilled to share the stories to UK theatre audiences. However, the show has toured internationally to Dubai, Malaysia, Off-Broadway in New York and the International Poe Festival in Baltimore, Maryland.

Stephen has had the pleasure of performing the show at the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, Poe’s cottage in the Bronx, New York, and even a special VIP catacomb performance at Poe’s burial site in Baltimore.

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REVIEW: Paul Rhodes’s verdict on The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, on song in the pub until Saturday ****

The Choir Of Man : “Give into your freewheeling side and ‘bring tomorrow on’ while this lovely blast is in York”. Picture: The Other Richard

IF you really want to know how a show was, ask someone (carefully) in the next cubicle or at the next urinal afterwards. This was a taste from the Gents: “Incredible”. “The best fun you can have on a Tuesday” (the night your reviewer attended).

The Choir Of Man performance doesn’t start with the lifting of the curtain, but begins with cast and audience together on the stage decked out with a real working bar. This is the audience’s introduction to ‘The Jungle’: an idealised pub that feels familiar to anyone of a certain age. The sort of place where people talk, share, open up, drink, sing and don’t appear to worry too much about what comes next.

This is a show where everything is tilted to ensure you have a good time, and the performers  look like they do too. There is a nod to a back story (based on the actor’s own) but their names, such as “Hardman” and “Maestro”, tell you all need to know.

But who really needs a reason to go to a bar? The emphasis is rightly on the songs, the musicianship and the nine voices. It’s a careening blast through some well-chosen songs from the 1980s onwards (and no room for Vera Lynn).

Choirs need voices that work together, not overwhelming the rest. On Tuesday’s opening performance, Sam Walter’s Romantic, Oluwalonimi ’Nimi’ Owoyemi’s Poet, Jack Skelton’s  Handyman, Joshua Lloyd’s Barman, Gustav Melbardis’s Maestro, Levi Tyrell Johnson’s  Hardman, Rob Godfrey’s Beast, Aaron Pottenger’s Bore and Ben Mabberley’s Joker all seemed to have come from some superhuman school of acting and music.

The audience joining the fun and pub games in The Jungle on stage at Tuesday’s performance of The Choir Of Man. Picture: Paul Rhodes

One where everyone can sing, play several instruments, dance when required and shake their thang with the best of them. Where do such people come from? Not likely headhunted from your average local.

The set-up is simple. There are a few heartfelt words, albeit sometimes a little rushed from Nimi, our narrator, but what little story there is always serves the song, spanning 15 numbers and a reprise over two hours.

It is exactly the life-affirming, joy-giving experience you hope for, and it is easy to see why the show has gathered such plaudits over the past ten years. While a few liberties are taken with The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), the emotion is raw for Luther Vandross’s Dance With My Father.

You do have to set aside any scruples about celebrating alcohol, and if toilet humour isn’t your thing, then there’s one (actually very funny) scene when you might want to take a loo break. Spoiler (free beer!) for those in the stalls and a greater chance of being whisked on stage by a handsome man, but go with it and you’ll wake up without regret. There are lots of laughs, with Lloyd’s Barman gamely mining the most.

While the idea of this sort of bar may be fading into folk memory, people no longer routinely gather around the “old Joanna” to sing together, the community and belonging these spaces create, and places like them still engender, live and breathe on.

Beers and cheers: The Choir Of Man cast takes in the applause at Tuesday’s performance. Picture: Paul Rhodes

The musical highlights are the a cappella choir numbers. They steal the show from some of the bigger and better-known hits by Bon Jovi, Queen and even Eagle Eye Cherry’s Save Tonight.

The wonderful interplay of nine voices is sensational. For the finale, the cast is joined by 102 local choir members from Some Voices, Stamford Bridge Community Choir and Sing Space Musical Theatre for Sia’s Chandelier. The standing ovation that follows is thoroughly deserved.

Much is made of the show’s invitation to enjoy life while we can, to raise another glass. There is always that drinker’s tension, held in the balance in the glass, between one sip and the next, revelry or regret. Fortunately for us, this show truly does go on.

Give into your freewheeling side and “bring tomorrow on” while this lovely blast is in York.

The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, 7.30pm tonight; 4pm & 8pm tomorrow; 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Saturday. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Review by Paul Rhodes

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REVIEW: The York Mystery Plays 2026, June 28, rolling out again on July 5

Wren Crawford’s Jesus in The Company of Merchant Adventurers’ Doomsday, staged with Ravens Morris & Haigha and the Northern Militia. Picture: John Saunders

YORK is the city that knows its waggon wheels from its Wagon Wheels, for so many years sent spinning towards theatregoers by pantomime dame Berwick Kaler.

Once every four summers, the York Festival Trust, the city Guilds and assorted theatre companies and community groups take to the city streets to revive the medieval texts of the York Mystery Plays, mingling with the Sunday shoppers and the aromas emerging from cafes, restaurants, stalls  and storied chocolate store over two weekends.

Ten of the 48 plays – the most complete set in the world – and a further extract are being staged at four stations, the wagons kept on the move from mid-morning at the Minster Refectory Gardens to King’s Square, St Sampson’s Square and the one seated, ticketed location, Dean’s Park, in the shadow of York Minster.

Being the city of festivals and home to the Jorvik Viking Centre, let alone stag and hen parties, York and dressing up go hand and hand, never more so than for the York Mystery Plays, where the sight of Angel 1 and 2 walking through Goodramgate, wings at full span, faces shielded by veils, separated from their fellow Doomsday performers, looked perfectly normal for a York Sunday rather than an act of divine intervention.  

It is easy to take such occurrences for granted in York, but it is all part of living with history and history being alive in a city whose present and future continues to be shaped by its past.

The Mystery Plays are steeped in tradition: plays being “brought forth” on waggons – always with  a double ‘GG’ – pulled by human toil rather than horses, led by drums and banners and the dignitaries of assorted guilds in full regalia.

Each set must fit on the waggon, calling for inventive, compact design, easy to assemble and take down. Some are humorous, such as Pip Cook and the Guild of Cordwainers’ The Shepherds, with its multitude of sheep; none is more impactful than the cross rising to the sky, bearing the pierced frame of Thom Feeney’s Jesus of Nazareth, pulled and pushed into position by the four jesting Workmen of York Settlement Community Players, performing a Pageant Waggon play for the first time in 12 years for the York Butchers’ Gild.

Faces familiar from the York theatre scene or from past productions share the spotlight with performers new to the declamatory demands of street theatre in a production that always reflects the changing community of York.

Bodhan Pitel’s Herod in DSpace Ukrainian Theatre and the Guild of Scriveners’ The Massacre Of The Innocents. Picture: John Saunders

Step forward DSpace Ukrainian Theatre, the company set up in York by artistic director and actress Daryna Klymenko, presenting The Massacre Of The Innocents, a title that could not have more resonance.

Writing in the York Mystery Plays Festival 2026 programme, Klymenko says: “Working on the tragic story of the Massacre of the Innocents, we could not ignore the parallels with the modern world – with the way dictatorship , violence and an unhealthy hunger for power and wealth become irreversibly destructive.

“Through this performance, we aim not only to tell a tragic story, but also to ask the question: why do similar tragedies continue to happen? And what has the power to resist them?”

DSpace specialise in physical expression, body language and hidden parallels, and their performance, led by Bodhan Pitel’s violent, gaudy Herod, is the essence of why these Plays continue to chime with the times.

Through the day’s perambulations, we encounter all manner of angels (Guiding/Herald/Fallen/Death/Hey-Hey Angel et al); seven iterations of God (including Daniel Wilmot’s Deus for the Guild of Building’s The Creation) and Jesus times three (the stripped Oscar Langford and Thom Feeney and a white-robed/Elvis-in-Vegas Wren Crawford).

Then add Adam & Eve, Satan, Satanas and Devils, Noah and Mrs Mrs Noah, a Forsaken Soul, shepherds, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Naughty Child 1 and 2, Saved Souls and Damned Souls, messengers, councillors and all manner of animals. All life – and one central death– is here and here to stay, you sense.

Pageant Master Dr Alan Heaven has overseen a festival with two Sunday performances, midweek Sunset plays in Shambles Market, walks and talks, pop-up shop and exhibitions, pipers’ performances and a Festival Fringe: a proper festival that celebrates York, street plays and the alliterative Yorkshire dialect, all while embracing history and Mystery with gusto.

The York Mystery Plays 2026, next performance, July 5. More details at yorkmysteryplays.co.uk.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 27, from Gazette & Herald

Christina Meehan, left, Karen Holmes and Pippa Duffy in rehearsal for Calendar Girls The Musical at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

THE York Mystery Plays on waggon wheels, Calendar Girls in the round, early music beyond borders and Jim Hacker’s lust hurrah promise high summer times for Charles Hutchinson.

Make a date with: Calendar Girls The Musical, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, until July 25

AS director Paul Robinson reveals: “Our new in-the-round staging of Tim Firth and Gary Barlow’s Calendar Girls brings the audience into the heart of the Rylstone Women’s Institute, making this true story of friendship and determination feel more personal and immediate.

“This intimate production will create a unique, shared experience, reminiscent of gathering around a community hall or a close friend’s living room, allowing for a deeper connection to the characters and creating a collective, communal atmosphere that fully immerses everyone in the moving story of these ‘ordinary women’ doing something quite extraordinary.” Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Cathy Sara’s Villeyn and Thomas Frere’s Jongleur in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s Mistero Buffo at Friargate Theatre, York. Picture: John Shepherdson

2026 York Mystery Plays Fringe play of the week: Riding Lights Theatre Company in Mistero Buffo, Friargate Theatre, York, today to Saturday, 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm matinees on Friday and  Saturday

TWO wild strangers roll into York for the 2026 York Mystery Plays Fringe to tell tales destined to turn the city upside down. Combining ferocious wit and fearless physical storytelling, Paul Birch’s two-hander production for York’s Riding Lights Theatre Company tears into faith, power, profit and hypocrisy by turning ancient Bible stories into urgent, humorous modern theatre with a clear spiritual heart.

Written by Nobel prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, translated by Ed Emery and performed by Yorkshire actors Thomas Frere and Cathy Sara, this 1969 take on the Mystery Plays will appeal to Fringe theatregoers with a taste for subversive and unapologetic comedy with bite. Box office: www.ridinglights.org.

Kirkgate in floral splendour for summer at York Castle Museum. Picture: Gareth Buddo

Flower power of the week: Summer at York Castle Museum, in bloom until September 6, open Mondays, 11am to 5pm; Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm

YORK Castle Museum is capturing the essence of ‘grand days out’ and celebrating iconic summers across two contrasting centuries this summer season.  Drawing on the breadth of the museum’s social history collection, Victorian York Galas and the Swinging ’60s are the programme’s key focus with games, crafts and seasonal decorations providing nostalgia and summer fun for visitors.

Further highlights include Last Stop Before Kirkgate, Novo Theatre’s immersive experience replicating a 19th century coaching inn and arrival into York, and Yorkshire artist Pippa Dyrlaga’s paper-cut hot air balloons, telling the story of balloon rides during the galas. Tickets: yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk.  

The Choir Of Man: “The best trip to your local you’ll ever have”…at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: The Other Richard

Foot-stomping musical celebration of the week: The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, today and tomorrow, 7.30pm; Friday, 4pm and 8pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

SET in the The Jungle pub on stage, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have” as a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with tap dance and soulful storytelling in an uplifting celebration of community and friendship.

The debut UK & Ireland tour cast features Gustav Melbardis as Maestro; Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet; Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man; Ben Mabberley as Joker; Rob Godfrey as Beast; Jack Skelton as Handyman; Joshua Lloyd as Barman; Sam Walter as Romantic and Aaron Pottenger as Bore performing Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry hits. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston: Presenting A Gentle Air with tenor Paul Agnew and lutenist Sergio Bucheli on July 9 at 2026 York Early Music Festival

50th anniversary event of the summer: 2026 York Early Music Festival, Beyond Borders, Friday to July 11

THE premier British early music festival marks its 50th anniversary with a celebration of “just how far early music has travelled – beyond the borders of the myriad historic venues of our city to a worldwide audience,” says director Delma Tomlin.

Opening with Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, presented by I Fagiolini, and closing with Solomon’s Knot’s rendition of Bruhns’s St Mark Passion, the festival welcomes The Sixteen, B’Rock Orchestra & Vocal Consort, Imago Mundi, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and NCEM Platform Artists Anacronia and Contre le temps, among others. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk/yemf.

Tribute show of the week: The Rat Pack, Las Vegas Live!, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, Saturday, 7.30pm

DIRECT from London’s Leicester Square Theatre, The 02 and a Royal Command Performance, David Alacey stars as Frank Sinatra alongside West End favourite Tim Harwood as Dean Martin and former Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star Ashley Campbell as Sammy Davis Jr in the original Rat Pack tribute show, now celebrating its 25th record-breaking year of re-creating their Las Vegas heyday at The Sands. BBC musical director Mac Shone will be at the piano alongside the Buddy Greco All-Stars. Box office:  01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk. 

Bodhan Pitel’s Herod in DSpace Ukrainian Theatre and the Guild of Scriveners’ The Massacre of The Innocents in the 2026 York Mystery Plays. Picture: John Saunders

Theatrical event of the week: 2026 York Mystery Plays, streets of York, Sunday, 10.30am to 4.50pm; Sunset in the Shambles Market, tonight, 7.45pm  

THE four-yearly staging on the York Mystery Plays on pageant waggons takes place at four locations across the city: free viewing at the Minster Refectory Gardens, Deansgate, (from 10.30am) King’s Square (from 11.10am), St Sampson’s Square (from 11.50am) and ticketed seats at Dean’s Park (from 12.30pm). Ten core plays will be complemented by further extracts to tell the story from The War In Heaven to Doomsday. For full details, go to: yorkmysteryplays.co.uk.

A special midsummer performances of five plays will be held in Shambles Market tonight, introduced by the York Waits musicians before Pageant Master Dr Alan Heaven guides the audience through each play, from the Creation sequence to the interactive show Doomsday. Tickets: ticketsource.com/york-festival-trust.

Clive Francis and Simon Rouse in I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, on tour at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Michael Wharley

Political drama of the week: I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, Grand Opera House, York, July 7 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees

JIM Hacker is back, older, but perhaps not wiser, and still utterly baffled by the real world. Hoping for a quiet retirement from government as the master of Hacker College, Oxford, Jim (Simon Rouse) instead finds himself facing the ultimate modern crisis: cancelled by the college committee. Enter Sir Humphrey Appleby (Clive Francis), who has lost none of his love for bureaucracy, Latin phrases and well-timed obstruction.

Can Humphrey and Jim outmanoeuvre the hostile students, the Fellows and reality itself? Or is it finally time to say “I’m Sorry, Prime Minister”? Brimming with wit, nostalgia and more double-speak than a press briefing, the final chapter in the evergreen comedy series is written and directed by Jonathan Lynn,co-directed by Michael Gyngell and presented by The Barn Theatre, Cirencester. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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Wharfemede Productions to stage The Addams Family Musical in Halloween week at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

Helen “Bells” Spencer: Director of Wharfemede Productions’ The Addams Family Musical

REHEARSALS are well under way for North Yorkshire company Wharfemede Productions’ staging of The Addams Family Musical for Halloween week in York.

“Following our critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning productions of Little Women and A Little Night Music, we are delighted to be bringing this hilariously spooky musical comedy to Theatre@41, Monkgate,” says director Helen “Bells” Spencer. “We look forward to seeing you at Halloween – if you dare – and until then, we wish you just the right amount of darkness!”

The Addams Family, a devilishly funny musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, will bring everyone’s favourite kooky family to the stage in spectacular fashion from October 27 to 31.

When Wednesday Addams falls in love with a “normal” young man and invites his respectable parents to dinner, chaos, secrets and macabre mayhem unfold in true Addams style.

“Packed with sharp comedy, dazzling dance numbers and a brilliantly witty score, this spooky celebration of family, love and embracing the wonderfully weird promises an unforgettable night at the theatre,” says Bells.

“We are thrilled to return with a show full of heart, humour and Halloween spirit, performed during Halloween week itself, when audiences can expect the perfect seasonal treat packed with gothic glamour, mischievous fun and spectacular entertainment.

“The Addams Family is darkly delightful, gloriously gothic and wickedly entertaining. Whether you’re a life-long fan of the Addams clan or discovering them for the first time, this is one family reunion you won’t want to miss!”

In the cast will be: Zander Fick as Gomez Addams; Henrietta Linnemann, Morticia Addams; Abbie Law, Wednesday Addams; Matthew Warry, Pugsley Addams; Nick Sephton, Fester Addams; Rosy Rowley, Grandma; Chris Gibson, Lurch; Steven Jobson, Mal Beineke; Connie Howcroft, Alice Beineke, and Dan Crawfurd-Porter, Lucas Beineke.

In the ghostly Ancestors ensemble will be: The Ancestors: Adela Barrett, Benedict Merry, Catherine Foster, David Copley-Martin, Freya McIntosh, Madeleine Jones, Rachel Merry and Rianna Louise.

“At its heart, this is a brilliantly funny show, packed with wit, warmth and wonderfully eccentric characters, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with such an exceptionally talented cast,” says Bells, who is joined in the production team by
musical director James Robert Ball, choreographer Connie Howcroft, wardrobe mistress Suzanne Perkins, light and sound designer Will Nicholson and production manager Nick Sephton.

“From our first read-through, the room has been filled with laughter, creativity and a real sense of ensemble. I cannot wait for audiences to meet this company and experience the energy, humour and heart they are bringing to the production.”

One reason why Wharfemede Productions picked The Addams Family for its autumn show was that, beneath its gothic exterior, the story celebrated difference and the importance of family and community.

“The Addams family may be unconventional, but they love fiercely, support one another and find strength in their uniqueness,” says Bells. “These are values that resonate strongly with us at Wharfemede.

“We believe that our differences should be celebrated, that everyone deserves equality and respect, and that we achieve our best work when we support and learn from one another. This production is, in many ways, a celebration of those ideals.”

Bells is particularly excited to be bringing elements of commedia dell’arte into Wharfemede’s interpretation of the show. “Having had the privilege of working with commedia companies in Italy, I have long admired the genre’s physical storytelling, heightened characters and joyful theatricality,” she reasons.

“Those influences feel perfectly suited to the world of The Addams Family, and I look forward to blending them with the musical’s unique humour to create something that is both fresh and deeply entertaining.”

Wharfemede Productions presents The Addams Family Musical, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 27 to 31, 7:30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: www.tickets.41monkgate.co.uk

Who are Wharfemede Productions?

CO-FOUNDED by Dr Helen “Bells Spencer, chief artistic director, and Nick Sephton, chief operating officer, who share a passion for bringing high-quality musical theatre and events to Yorkshire.

Since its formation just three years ago, the company has staged such shows as Little Women and A Little Night Music.

At the heart of Wharfemede is a commitment to artistic excellence, alongside a belief that theatre should be a place to learn, grow and have fun. The company prides itself on creating a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued and encouraged to develop their skills. Respect, openness and community are central to everything the company does.

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Jenny Gayner and Dean Whatton join York Theatre Royal pantomime cast for Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

Jenny Gayner in the guise of the Wicked Queen

YORK Theatre Royal has signed up two new pantomime recruits for Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs’ run from December 4 to January 3 2027.

West End star Jenny Gayner will take to the dark side as the Wicked Queen while Dean Whatton, from Game Of Thrones, will lead the ‘Seven’ in the role of Sarge.  

Jenny and Dean join Richard David-Caine (Horrible Histories, Swashbuckle, Horrible Science) and Theatre Royal panto favourites Robin Simpson and Tommy Carmichael, who return after delighting audiences in last winter’s Sleeping Beauty.  

Jenny Gaynor

Jenny has starred in a wide range of musicals, playing Baroness Bomburst in the UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Lina Lamont in Singin’ In The Rain (Sadler’s Wells Theatre and UK/international tour) and as Mum in Gangsta Granny (West End/UK tour).  

Jenny’s credits also include Annie (UK tour); The Girls (West End – Original London cast); Chicago (West End/UK tour); A Chorus Line (Lowry Theatre) and Monty Python’s Spamalot! (West End). Television credits include The Power (Amazon Prime), The Trial (Channel 5), Elysse – Entanglement (Amazon Prime) and Material Girl (BBC). 

After starting in the entertainment business while still at school, Dean will be appearing in his 18th pantomime this winter. His credits include See How They Run (UK tour), Love’s Labour’s Lost and Richard III (Northern Broadsides/UK tour) and Macbeth (Derby Shakespeare Company).  

Dean Whatton’s Sarge

Dean’s film and television credits take in Game Of Thrones (HBO), Call The Midwife (BBC), Life’s Too Short (BBC), Star Wars Episode VII The Last Jedi and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part II. 

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs is written by regular writer Paul Hendy, directed by Juliet Forster and co-produced with Hendy’s award-winning Evolution Productions, the team behind such Theatre Royal pantomimes as Jack And The Beanstalk, Aladdin and 2025’s Sleeping Beauty. 

Juliet Forster, creative director at York Theatre Royal, says: “Panto season is fast approaching and our cast for this year is shaping up to be truly amazing! Jenny and Dean are both super-talented and are fantastic additions to the show. Tickets are selling fast, with some performances already selling out, so make sure you book your seats early to catch the show.”  

Family tickets are available for all performances with savings of up to £61 on bookings with four tickets. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

 Dean Whatton

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Nick Jr’s Holly Atterton is Go! Go! Go! for Tinker Bell role in piratical Grand Opera House panto The Further Adventures Of Peter Pan: The Return Of Captain Hook

Holly Atterton’s Tinker Bell in the poster for The Further Adventures Of Peter Pan: The Return Of Captain Hook

NICK Jr’s Holly Atterton will bring an extra burst of fairy dust to UK Productions’ 2026 pantomime at the Grand Opera House, York, where she will play Tinker Bell in The Further Adventures Of Peter Pan: The Return Of Captain Hook, from December 5 to January 3 2027.

Holly has built her career on music, energy and feel-good family entertainment. Best known for her work with pop group Go!Go!Go!, as seen on Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr channel, she has lit up screens, stages and young imaginations across the country.

Holly has achieved a Top 75 album with Radio Go!Go!Go!, enjoyed two West End runs and toured the UK, crowning that success with a sell-out concert at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

All those credits add up to the ideal foundation for her Tinker Bell to deliver festive magic to Neverland. “This season will be my tenth year with UK Productions, and I can’t think of a better place to celebrate my ‘panto-versary’,” says Holly.

“York is a beautiful city that fully embraces everything about the festive season, so I can’t wait to experience the brilliant York audiences and bring some sass and sparkle to the Grand Opera House this Christmas.”

Theatre director Allie Long is delighted to welcome Holly to York. “We’re thrilled to have Holly join the cast of this year’s musical pantomime. We can’t wait to see her skate around the Grand Opera House stage, adding to what will undoubtedly be an unforgettable pantomime season filled with laughter, glee and musical magic.”  

UK Productions producer Martin Dodd says: “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Holly Atterton. She has the sparkle, charm and cheeky spirit to make a truly magical Tinker Bell. With a wave of fairy dust, she’ll have audiences flying high from the very first scene!

We’ve assembled a fantastic cast that’s sure to be shipshape, and this promises to be one of our biggest and most spectacular pantomimes yet. Second star to the right…and straight to the box office!”

Holly joins a blockbuster Grand Opera House line-up led by Emmerdale star and 42nd Street, Calamity Jane and Legally Blonde musical theatre performer Tom Lister as dastardly Captain Hook. Audience favourite Jimmy Bryant returns as Smee after delighting Grand Opera House audiences as Buttons in last year’s Cinderella.

Tickets are on sale at atgtickets.com/york. 

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Corrie star Mollie Gallagher to make stage debut as Clarice Starling in The Silence Of The Lambs. Grand Opera House awaits

Oliver Farnworth, left, Mollie Gallagher, John Partridge and Sam Jackson in the poster for the world stage premiere of The Silence Of The Lambs

CORONATION Street star Mollie Gallagher will make her professional theatrical debut as Clarice Starling in the world stage premiere of The Silence Of The Lambs, touring the Grand Opera House, York, from March 15 to 20 2027.

Mollie is departing the ITV soap after almost seven years in the role of Nina Lucas, long-lost niece of Roy Cropper, to tread the boards.

She joined Coronation Street straight out of drama school and has since been central to some of Corrie’s biggest storylines, including the Nina & Seb hate crime storyline, based on the attack of Sophie Lanacaster.

She won the Serial Drama Performance prize in the National Theatre Awards and took part in ITV’s Dancing On Ice in 2023, reaching the semi-finals.

Mollie will join the already confirmed John Partridge’s Dr Hannibal Lecter, Emmerdale soap star Oliver Farnworth’s Jack Crawford and Skins actor Sam Jackson’s Buffalo Bill (a.k.a Jame Gumb) in the spine-tingling psychological thriller.

Adapted for the stage by two-time Pulitzer finalist and Tony-nominated playwright Gina Gionfriddo from Thomas Harris’s classic novel, the touring production is directed by North Yorkshireman Nikolia Foster, artistic director of Curve, Leicester.

Produced by Curve in tandem with  Indigo Productions and Crossroads Live, the UK and Ireland tour of The Silence Of The Lambs will open at Curve on August 1 2026, featuring an ensemble of Minal Patel as Frederick Chilton; Jo Mousley as Senator Ruth Martin; Lottie Amor as Catherine Martin; Mark Peachey as Pilcher; Andrew Joshi as Peterson and Jonny Magnanti as Wertimer, with Mary Timbrell Hill completing the completing the company, all taking on a variety of roles.

Lancashire actor, singer, presenter, writer and director John Partridge is best known for his long-running role as Christian Clarke in BBC 1’s EastEnders and extensive range of West End credits, from Cats to Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

Now he will don the iconic mask as the refined and sadistic Dr Hannibal Lecter, the psychiatrist and infamous murderer who FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent to interview in the hope that his brilliant mind will help to catch Buffalo Bill, a sadistic serial killer still at large.

Another girl is missing, time is running out, but Dr Lecter has questions of his own, and now Clarice must decide: should she keep a safe distance or let Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ into her head?

Gionfriddo’s theatrical adaptation delves into the psychological tension of Harris’s novel, drawing the audience deep into Clarice and Lecter’s intelligent, intricate and bone-chilling game of cat-and-mouse as the FBI scramble to catch Buffalo Bill.

The tour’s award-winning creative team includes theatre designer Michael Taylor, whose credits include his Olivier Award-nominated design for The Ladykillers and Billy Elliot at Curve; sound designer Carolyn Downing, Olivier Award winner for  Chimerica and Tony Award winner for Life Of Pi, and projection designer George Reeve, 2025 Tony Award recipient for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending, with further credits for Disney’s Hercules and Oliver! (West End and Chichester Festival Theatre).

In the team too are Tony-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning composer Grant Olding, who has collaborated regularly with Nicholas Hytner at both The Bridge and National Theatre, including One Man, Two Guvnors, and Tony and Olivier-nominated lighting designer Howard Hudson (Starlight Express, Troubadour Theatre; & Juliet, Broadway, West End, international and UK tours). 

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, director Nikolai Foster grew up in North Yorkshire and trained at Drama Centre London and at the Crucible, Sheffield, going on to create work for many of the UK’s major producing theatres, touring houses and international venues.

He has been director on attachment at the Crucible, the Royal Court Theatre, London, and National Theatre Studio, London, and served as an associate director at Leeds Playhouse. In 2024, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of the Arts by Leicester’s De Montfort University for his contribution to theatre in Leicester.

At Curve, Nikolai has worked on numerous musical revivals, new plays and musicals and championed emerging artists. Many of the Made at Curve productions Nikolai has directed have transferred to London, toured the UK and internationally.

Tickets for The Silence Of The Lambs’ York run are on sale at atgtickets.com/york.

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Greg Doran returns to York after 26 years to stage Venus And Adonis at Theatre Royal

Greg Doran: Venus And Adonis director Greg Doran

GREG Doran, former Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director, York Millennium Mystery Plays director and renowned Shakespearean, brings his revival of Shakespeare’s narrative poem Venus And Adonis to York Theatre Royal tomorrow and Wednesday.

Narrated live by esteemed actor Simon Russell Beale and animated by world-class puppeteers Bartolomeo Bartolini, Edie Edmundson, Rachel Leonard, Lee Maeda and Sarah Wright with live musical accompaniment, this unique production blends comedy, tragedy and Shakespeare’s poetry to bring the story of Venus and her obsession with the handsome Adonis to life in a rich, captivating 60-minute theatrical experience.

Drawing inspiration from the bewitching artistry of Japanese Bunraku puppets and the Jacobean Court Masque, this spellbinding production tells the story using marionettes, rod, shadow and table-top puppets, designed and created by Lyndie Wright. 

Produced originally by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Little Angel Theatre, Doran’s staging of this powerful erotically-charged story of unrequited love marks his return to York 26 years since his 2000 production of the Mystery Plays in the Minster.

“I can recall being able to remember every member of the cast’s name because they had become so memorable to me, after pretty much everyone who auditioned got a part, especially the men, who are always in short supply,” he recalls.

“I remember being inspired by the Minster itself, like when Rob Jones, the designer, and I were trying to work out how to do The Flood [for Noah’s Ark] and we settled on two huge pieces of blue material filling the Nave.

“Then we thought, how do we do the rainbow – and I realised there were seven arches in the Quire, which Michael Gunning, the lighting designer, lit to create this wonderful Gothic rainbow.”

Venus And Adonis narrator Simon Russell Beale

Greg reflects: “The Mystery Plays remains not only a highlight of my career but my life too. I used to come to York every Corpus Christi day, from the Jesuit College in Preston, and it was a great occasion in 2000 to celebrate York’s two great cultural beacons: the Minster and the Mystery Plays.

“Brought up as a Catholic, I’m loathe to say I’m a lapsed Catholic, but I jumped away because of its position on homosexuality, but there’s something life enhancing and moving about these extraordinary Mystery Plays.”

Attention turns to Venus And Adonis, a production first staged when the Prince of Wales [now King Charles III], president of the RSC, invited the company to Highgrove House for a development event.

“Adrian Noble [RSC artistic director at the time] said to me, it won’t need to be very long, it won’t have many actors, and I thought, ‘rather than doing familiar scenes, why not do Venus And Adonis?’, which rather shamefully I’d never read. When I did, I just found it hysterically funny, and then it turns into a tragedy, and in that moment, I thought it would be great to do it.”

Toby Stephens’s Adonis and Alexandra Gilbreath’s Venus were complemented by Antony Sher’s Narrator.  “It went extraordinarily well,” Greg recalls.  “The next outing came at a villa garden in Florence where I invited Judi Dench, who is known for her love of Florence, to play Venus.”

Greg recalls Adrian Noble’s enthusiasm for Venus And Adonis. “He came up on stage at Highgrove to make his speech, then ripped up his notes, and said, ‘what this poem does is explain why Shakespeare is so great, with extraordinary characterisation, the most beautiful poetry and, with it’s wonderful fusing of comedy and tragedy, it’s Shakespeare in miniature’.”

Greg Doran’s 2017 production of Venus And Adonis. Picture: Lucy Barriball

After seeing the Bunraku Puppets, Greg was struck by the possibility of integrating puppetry into Venus And Adonis. “I just thought, this is a great opportunity to see if they could be involved after seeing these exquisite puppets manipulated by these master puppeteers, where the puppetry was of such a high quality,” says Greg.

“It became a company favourite and I put it down as one my favourite shows I did at the RSC because of the level of craftsmanship. I loved working with those puppeteers.”

This year’s revival was sparked by a call to Greg. “The RSC got in touch with me one day to say, ‘look, there’s still this great box of puppets…what would you like to do with it?’. I knew that meant, ‘can you clear it out, please, because we need the space’ and they’ve since taken puppetry to another level,” he says.

“What was lovely was that a whole series of people came out of the woodwork and said ‘we’d like to help you’, including the Backstage Trust providing seed funding and Mark Pigott coming on board as executive producer.”

Oxford Playhouse, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Europe’s biggest Shakespeare festival, in Craiova, Romania, and The Pit at the Barbican (London) were all confirmed for performances, along with York Theatre Royal. “Knowing that York has a proven interest in history and Shakespeare, it seemed a good place to bring it,” says Greg.

Better still will be the presence of Russell Beale, last in York for An Evening with Simon Russell Beale at the Theatre Royal in September 2024: “I was delighted when Greg asked me to join him in his production,” says the narrator. “I saw it just over 20 years ago and remember it vividly as a delicate and witty interpretation of this sexy, sad and funny poem.”

Venus And Adonis, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow, 7.30pm; Wednesday, 2pm (with post-show discussion with Greg Doran) and 7.30pm. Age guidance: 14 plus. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Greg Doran: back story

JOINED Royal Shakespeare Company as an actor in 1987; ,became its artistic director in 2012, stepping down a decade later. Directed every play in the First Folio. Notable productions include Antony & Cleopatra with Harriet Walter and Patrick Stewart; Hamlet and Richard II with David Tennant; All’s Well That Ends Well with Dame Judi Dench and a digitally pioneering production of The Tempest with Simon Russell Beale.

His production of Julius Caesar with an all-Black British cast was described by the Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington as one the ten best productions in the 60-year history of the RSC.

Greg’s long relationship with his late husband, Sir Antony Sher, produced many acclaimed productions, including Titus Andronicus, Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale, Othello, Henry IV (Parts 1&2) and King Lear.

He initiated the RSC’s Live From Stratford-upon-Avon programme, broadcasting to cinemas around the world and streaming into UK schools for free.

Honorary senior research fellow of the Shakespeare Institute; trustee of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust; honorary associate of British Shakespeare Association. Awarded Pragnell Shakespeare Prize in 2023; became president of Stratford Shakespeare Club on its 200th anniversary.

Knighted for his services to theatre in 2024.

Recent work includes Richard III, with Arthur Hughes, the first disabled actor to play the role for RSC; Cymbeline, marking 50th production for Royal Shakespeare Company; The Two Gentlemen Of Verona as Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor at Oxford University; Gogol’s The Government Inspector at Chichester.

Greg’s book, My Shakespeare : A Director’s Journey Through The First Folio, published by Bloomsbury is now out in paperback. His quest to see as many extant copies of the First Folio across the globe (2023/4) is the subject of his latest book, Walking Shadow: Love Loss And Shakespeare, published by Bloomsbury in April 2026.

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The Choir Of Man cast to perform stomping excerpts on Parliament Street on Wednesday to showcase York run

The Choir Of Man cast: Swapping The Jungle pub for Parliament Street on Wednesday

THE cast of The Choir Of Man will head to Parliament Street, York, at 1.30pm on Wednesday to give a one-off taster of live excerpts from this week’s production, running at the Grand Opera House until Saturday.

 Set in the on-stage pub The Jungle, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have” as a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with tap dance and soulful storytelling in an uplifting celebration of community and friendship.

The debut UK & Ireland tour cast features Gustav Melbardisas Maestro; Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet; Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man; Ben Mabberley as Joker; Rob Godfrey as Beast; Jack Skelton as Handyman; Joshua Lloyd as Barman; Sam Walter as Romantic and Aaron Pottenger as Bore performing Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry hits.

The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, June 30 to July 2, 7.30pm; July 3, 4pm and 8pm; July 4, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.