Anna Dennis as Susanna with Yasmina Patel from Phoenix Dance Theatre in Opera North’s Susanna. Picture: Tristram Kenton
HANDEL’S Susanna, billed as oratorio, might have been an opera but the Bishop of London banned staged performances of biblical topics not long before it was premiered in 1749.
Winton Dean even called it “an opera of English village life, and a comic opera at that”. Few these days would agree with him, given its tale of thwarted would-be abusers accusing their prey of adultery.
The story comes from ancient Greek sources via the Book of Daniel, where it is known as Susanna and the Elders. It’s not a comfortable topic but Opera North has never shied away from difficult issues.
Here that included its fourth collaboration with Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Theatre, adding a choreographic element not immediately evident in the anonymous libretto. That would seem to play into the hands of Dean’s vision of a pastoral idyll. In fact, Olivia Fuchs’s production, with choreography by Marcus Jarrell Willis, could hardly have treated such a serious theme with greater reverence.
Zahra Mansouri’s gantry set and modern costumes in pastel shades kept the focus firmly on the drama, with Jake Wiltshire’s lighting a constant ally.
Anna Dennis inhabited the title role to her fingertips. Her glorious tone gave life and substance not merely to Susanna’s happy marriage but to her painful trials, so that we felt every ounce of her desperation when she was falsely accused.
‘Crystal streams’ was sinuously luxuriant, while defiance was tangible in her final aria, as the Elders had their comeuppance, one debagged, the other receiving a painful kick. It was a sensational performance, riveting throughout.
Although given much less to do, James Hall as her husband Joacim was noble in support, with stunningly clear coloratura to match. Both ornamented their da capos appealingly.
Claire Lees as the young prophet Daniel – a role originally allotted to a treble – overcame the handicap of a comically androgynous costume to deliver a shining denouement with her ‘Chastity’ aria.
Fuchs resisted the temptation to make the Elders figures of fun: tenor Colin Judson and bass Karl Huml were well contrasted in both stature and temperament, the one with oily refinement, the other more impatient for conquest. Matthew Brook was firmly reliable as Chelsias, Susanna’s father.
The chorus was as forceful as ever and made more relevant with smaller gestures that chimed with the dance.
Handel provided an original overture, unusually devoid of borrowings, and the orchestra under Johanna Soller, conducting from the harpsichord, gave it fresh, enthusiastic treatment, with cleanly muscular lines in its fugue.
This set the tone for the evening, as the players gave every indication of knowing exactly what was required for a ‘period’ sound, not something you can expect from an opera orchestra. It led gracefully into perhaps the work’s greatest chorus, ‘How long, O Lord’, with the Israelites moping about their oppression – which is otherwise almost completely irrelevant to the story.
This was the first occasion where the choreography helped, with the writhings of the nine dancers enlivening an otherwise static scenario. This proved a telling feature throughout, particularly effective when the dancers acted in consort, thus reflecting the lines of the music.
At the other extreme, modern dance movements sometimes jarred with the Baroque underlay. When solo dancers acted as alter ego to a character delivering an aria, it added emotional depth; when they attempted to share too closely in the lovers’ idyll, for example, by providing an extra ring of embrace, it was intrusive, an invasion of personal space in modern parlance.
However, the continued collaboration between the two companies has undoubtedly benefited both, not least in broadening the limitations of each art form. We do well to remember that dance was regularly a component of opera from earliest times. The two need each other.
Anthony Ciaramitaro as Rodolfo and Olivia Boen as Mimì in Opera North’s La Bohème. Picture: Richard H Smith
PHYLLIDA Lloyd’s career as an opera director began here in 1991 and she is still around, in spirit at least, through this Bohème, which was here revived by James Hurley.
Now into its fourth decade, it keeps popping up every five years or so and has lost none of its pulling power. Lloyd’s dramatic instincts, honed in straight theatre, have had a ripple effect on this company in the way its singers interact. So much so, that when a principal fails to fall into line, it becomes all the more noticeable.
The four principal roles were double-cast. In this matinee we had two American newcomers to Leeds in Anthony Ciaramitaro as Rodolfo and Olivia Boen as Mimì, backed by the familiar Elin Pritchard as Musetta and Yuriy Yurchuk repeating his Marcello from 2019.
The tone was set early by Ciaramitaro’s Rodolfo. He was distrait even before his encounter with Mimì, concerned with getting his focus right rather than portraying a character. There was never any doubting his resonance, impressively ringing throughout the range, in traditionally Italianate style if with a tendency to dally at cadences.
However, he was also largely nuance-free. ‘Che gelida manina’, always the touchstone of Rodolfo’s tenderness, is marked dolcissimo and piano. This one was neither. There was later evidence of his ability to tone it down: he simply chose not to use it here.
Conversely, Boen’s Mimì was a model of restraint, with a comely diffidence in ‘Sì, mi chiamano Mimì’; she reserved her strongest emotions for Act 3, but always phrased intelligently. It was really not her fault that there was so little chemistry between them.
Yuriy Yurchuk as Marcello, Seán Boylan as Schaunard, Jeremy Peaker as Benoît, Anthony Ciaramitaro as Rodolfo and Han Kim as Colline in Opera North’s La Bohème. Picture: Richard H Smith
Yurchuk was a tower of strength and reassurance as Marcello, with a serious side to his leadership of the Bohemians’ hi-jinks. Seán Boylan’s flexible baritone suited Schaunard while Han Kim’s sterner bass as Colline contrasted well.
Elin Pritchard was quite the bossy man-eater as Musetta, hogging the spotlight at the café, but relaxing into sensitivity at the death.
Jeremy Peaker repeated his redoubtable double act as a put-upon Benoît and a henpecked Alcindoro. Act 2, with its ever-swivelling banquette, was a rowdy affair, teetering on the verge of ill-discipline in Maxine Braham’s revival choreography but entertaining for all that; it was good to have the involvement of so many children (some of whom had briefly invaded Act 1).
Act 3 continued to benefit from the intermittent visibility of the nightclub, whose warm lighting (revived by Richard Moore) made the outside air all the chillier in Anthony Ward’s set.
Garry Walker was thoroughly attuned to Puccini’s specific demands – thrilling trumpets in Act 2, for example – even if his general approach was less romantic than is customary. His players remained steadfastly responsive.
David Pipe: “Charismatic conductor with a knack for motivating his charges”
YORK Musical Society abandoned York Minster, the traditional venue for its autumn concert, in favour of a much cheaper option, St Lawrence on Hull Road.
The church’s acoustics are clearer than the Minster’s, but it meant squeezing 130 singers into the choir and chancel and leaving no room for an orchestra. So we heard Vivaldi’s Gloria in D, RV 589 and Haydn’s ‘Nelson’ Mass with accompaniment from organ and timpani.
The hero of the hour was certainly Shaun Turnbull, whose organ accompaniments were a sterling replacement for the tricky violin parts of both these works, demanding focus and stamina. The timpani were skilfully handled by Taneli Clarke, although at the front of the aisle he was too far forward for balance with the organ.
David Pipe is a charismatic conductor with a knack for motivating his charges. There was no lack of willing on their part. But there was a feeling on the night that several passages were not as assured as they might be.
The Vivaldi got off to a vivid start, but ‘Et in terra’ suffered from an unvarying dynamic, apart from the diminuendo at its close. In the ‘Domine Deus, Agnus Dei’, the choir’s responses to the alto soloist’s intercessions were too forceful, out of keeping with the prayerful mood. It takes a confident choir to sing softly.
Thereafter the choir was in good form, both in its brief ‘Qui tollis’ and especially in the fugal ‘Cum sancto spiritu’, which was pleasingly lively. The soloists, soprano Ellie Miles-Kingston and mezzo-soprano Holly Gowen, had blended neatly in ‘Laudamus te’ and the former’s straight tone was an asset in ‘Domine Deus, Rex coelestis’, but their diction was more or less non-existent. It should be a given that soloists use words as an aid to projection.
The Haydn gets off to a dramatic start. For all her bravery, the youthful Miles-Kingston does not yet have the weight of tone needed for the ‘Kyrie eleison’, perhaps the most taxing solo passage in all Haydn’s masses. It requires full-on operatic treatment with coloratura to match.
But her ‘Et incarnatus’ was effective and she led the solo quartet well; here it was tenor who needed to give more. The bass Dominic Rose might have been more convincing in ‘Qui tollis peccata’ had he raised his eyes from his copy more often.
The choir brought considerable conviction to the start of the ‘Credo’, with bold lines in all voices. ‘Hosanna in excelsis’ took off admirably. There were signs of sagging stamina in the ‘Agnus Dei’, with not all sopranos reaching the high entries cleanly. But given the cramped conditions the choir deserves congratulations for its perseverance.
James Swanton: Returning to York Medical Society with his Dickensian ghost stories
FROM Dickensian ghost stories and Gothic tales to mischievous mice and a festive talent showcase, ’tis the season to be out and about, reports Charles Hutchinson.
Storyteller of the week: James Swanton presents Charles Dickens’ Ghost Stories, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, until Sunday
YORK storyteller supreme and Gothic actor James Swanton returns to York Medical Society with two of Dickens’ seasonal ghost stories: The Haunted Man, a neglected Gothic classic (November 27, 7pm) and A Christmas Carol, Scrooge’s saga (November 28, 7pm, and November 30, 2pm and 6pm).
“Their words unlock a world teeming with chain-rattling spectres, with dark and shadowy doubles, with Ghosts of Christmases Past and Present and Yet To Come,” he says. “These tales chill the marrow and tickle the funny bone, but always they enchant, as only the works of a master storyteller can.” Box office for returns only: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Steve Tearle: Directing NE Theatre York in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Musical of the week: NE Theatre York in Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight to Friday, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
DIRECTED by Steve Tearle, this musical will take you to a world of pure imagination in Roald Dahl’s devilishly delicious tale of young golden ticket winner Charlie Bucket entering the scrumptious chocolate factory. There, he and his grandpa Joe, along with five more children, will meet the mysterious confectionary wizard Willy Wonka for an adventure like no other.
“The story of chocolate is at the very heart and history of this amazing city and it is only fitting that NE Theatre York brings Charlie And The Chocolate Factory to York,” says Tearle. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Rebecca Vaughan: Telling haunting tales of the festive season at Theatre@41
Frailties of human nature of the week: Dafyd Productions in Christmas Gothic, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Thursday, 7.30pm
REGULAR York frequenters Dafyd Productions return with Christmas Gothic, an invitation to enter into the Christmas spirit as spectral woman (Rebecca Vaughan) tells haunting tales of the festive season, lighting a candle to the frailties of human nature and illuminating the chilling depths of bleak wintry darkness. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Tucking into the cheese at A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House
Mischievous mice takeover of the week: A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House, Castlegate, York, until January 4 2026
FAIRFAX House’s much-loved Christmas display returns for 2025 with a new theme of A Christmas Mousequerade, combining more mice than ever before in the “ultimate 18th century house party”.
A multitude of mice is dressed in hand-crafted and exquisitely miniature Georgian finery, custom made by Fairfax House volunteers, as you step into the glittering world of Georgian York and join the Fairfax family’s preparations for the most spectacular ball of the season. Tickets: https://fairfaxhouse.co.uk/event/christmas-at-fairfax-house/.
Poetry gig of the week: Stairwell Books presents Poetry For All, National Centre for Early Music, York, Friday, 7.30pm
THIS annual event is designed to remove as many barriers as possible from enjoying live poetry events. All poems are projected on a screen, and BSL (British Sign Language) interpreted by Dave Wycherley and Vicci Ackroyd in a venue with fab acoustics and level access throughout.
Headliners Dominic Berry and Pete Kalu will be supported by five York poets, co-hosted by Fay Roberts and Rose Drew. Service dogs are welcome; entry for carers is free. VI tarot card reader Gillian Avart will read your potential future. Look out for special guests too. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Kevin Daniel: Relatable storytelling at Milton Rooms, Malton. Picture: Steve Best
Ryedale comedy gig of the week: Hilarity Bites Comedy Club, Kevin Daniel, Paul Tonkinson and Stephanie Laing, Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 8pm
KEVIN Daniel combines a commanding stage presence with relatable storytelling and jokes aplenty. Paul Tonkinson, Yorkshireman, marathon runner and two-time Time Out Comedian of the Year, is noted for his effervescent physicality and skilful impressions, bringing alive exuberant, tender comic reflections of love, family and the day-to-day idiosyncrasies of 21st century living.
“Goofy and peculiar” host Stephanie Laing, an Edinburgh Fringe regular since 2010, fuses silliness, filth and unusual observations, underpinned by a disarming honesty and charming vulnerability. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
The Catenary Wires team up with poet Brian Bilston at Pocklington Arts Centre
Poetry-and-song union of the week: Brian Bilston & The Catenary Wires, Pocklington Arts Centre, Friday, 8pm
POET Brian Bilston started out by sharing his brief, direct, and witty poems online and now has more than half a million followers on social media. The Catenary Wires comprise Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and Ian Button, who also play as Heavenly, whose T-shirt Bilston was spotted wearing at one of his gigs.
Word reached Fletcher and Pursey, introductions were made, friendships were formed, and the Sounds Made By Humans album took shape: a collection of songs, where words and music have become intertwined. Friday’s first half features a solo spoken-word set by Bilston and a music set by The Catenary Wires; in the second, they unite to perform tracks from the album. Box office: 01759 301 5 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Poet Brian Bilston
Talent showcase of the week:HAC Studio Bar Festive Open Mic, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm
HELMSLEY Arts Centre plays host to a cosy evening for creatives to share their talents in the relaxed and friendly environment of the Studio Bar. Mulled wine and mince pies are on the menu and festive tunes will be the order of the day.
This Open Mic is a comfortable space for both seasoned performers and those taking the stage for the first time, as well as anyone who wants to enjoy a drink from the bar and be entertained by Ryedale talent. No need to book to listen or perform, just turn up.
Jake Lambert: The Sunshine Kid with bright ideas at Pocklington Arts Centre
Debut tour of the week: Jake Lambert, The Sunshine Kid, Pocklington Arts Centre, Saturday, 8pm
RAPIDLY rising stand-up comic Jake Lambert has chalked up more than 500 million views of his online videos featuring his gag-filled storytelling. Having supported Michael McIntyre on his worldwide tour, he is undertaking his inaugural international tour with his show The Sunshine Kid, selling out across the UK, Europe and Australia. Box office: 01759 301 5 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Thornton Le Dale Ukuleles: Christmas concert at Kirk Theatre
Christmas Singalong of the week: Thornton Le Dale Ukuleles and Scoble and Friends, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, December 4, 7.30pm
THORNTON Le Dale Ukuleles’ Christmas Singalong is divided into two parts, kicking off with Scoble and Friends, a small group of talented singers and musicians.
Thornton Le Dale Ukuleles, the brainchild of leader John Scoble, will fill the stage with 40 players. Scoble provides tuition free of charge, while singer-songwriter David Swann gives lessons too. The group performs all genres of music, but virtually no George Formby, playing the melody as well as strumming and complementing ukuleles with other instruments. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.
Becky Unthank, left, Rachel Unthank and Niopha Keegan in harmony at All Saints Church, Pocklington. All pictures: Paul Rhodes
SHOWING no signs of slowing, this tour marks 20 years in showbusiness for the Unthanks. Mercifully, these North Easterners are the perfect antidote to the shallow and throwaway nature of much of what’s spun out for popular entertainment.
All Saints Church in Pocklington is an ideal intimate venue for them. All 200 seats sold out quickly, and the welcome and sound were both warm and inviting.
The Unthanks have been prolific, with a range of releases including lots of diversions to cover the works of others. It made for a really varied evening, with 19 tunes drawn from all corners of their repertoire.
The Unthanks’ musical director, Adrian McNally
The opening salvo of John Dead, On A Monday Morning and What Can A Song Do To You encapsulated this. The last of the three was a cover of Molly Drake’s home recordings (their last recorded diversion). Molly was the mother ofsinger-songwriter Nick Drake and an enormous musical influence on her son who took her inner journeys and piano tunings and made them darker, more abstract and universal.
With all its twists, the set was still steeped in the darkness that we have come to expect from the Unthanks. Their voices conjured a devastating account of The Trimdon Grange Explosion and it was a rare treat to hear Keen And Cry And Weep from the sisters’ musical score to the play Elmet (adapted and directed by Javaad Alipoor from York writer Fiona Mozley’s novel and performed at The Loading Bay, Bradford, as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture).
The Unthanks are one of many, many folk groups, so why are they so beloved? It’s partly their natural North Eastern authenticity (not weakened a jot by adding London Irish Niopha Keegan, who sang and played fiddle).
The Unthanks’ set list for their November 22 concert at All Saints Church, Pocklington
There’s definitely their canny knack of choosing and arranging songs, and their sharp ears for a good story that can last. Most of all, however, it really comes down to the voices and our love of siblings harmony. Becky and Rachel really know how to make the most of what nature has given them.
The goose bump moments also happen when, rarely, all four sing together, bringing in musical director Adrian McNally’s voice at the low end. A grand example was King Of Rome, majestic in its new brass-less arrangement, which brought the second set to life after a less than diverting start.
Twenty years not out, and comparative striplings still, we can hopefully look forward to many more evenings in the Unthanks’ fine company.
The Unthanks performing under the lights at All Saints Church, Pocklington
Jared More and Katie Coen in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
RIDING Lights Theatre Company launches its 2025 festive show, Christmas Inn Trouble, at St Peter’s Church, Malton, today at 5pm.
Billed as “a magical new twist on the Nativity”, the York Christian theatre practitioners’ follow-up to last winter’s A Christmas Cracker is written by Rachel Price and directed by artistic director Paul Birch.
Set to bring Yuletide joy to families in Yorkshire and beyond, Christmas Inn Trouble promises to “turn the traditional tale on its head”.
Bother aplenty is afflicting The Bethlehem Inn and Spa, where taps are leaking, the rats are squeaking and the rooms are fit to burst. So many guests have arrived that parking your camel is impossible and, if things were not bad enough already, a rascally Roman soldier has come to make sure everything is above board.
Management problems for Jared More in Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
“Join Riding Lights as we bring a Christmas comedy filled with silly shepherds, some very (un)wise men and a young family who have no idea what they have let themselves in for,” says says Oliver Brown, Riding Lights’ executive director and co-chief executive officer.
“Christmas Inn Trouble is a fast and friendly festive farce and the perfect way to start your holiday cheer! It’s a funny slapstick comedy perfect for telling the story of the Nativity to primary-school aged children and their families.”
Riding Lights is one of Great Britain’s most productive and long-established independent theatre companies. Founded in York in 1977, the company continues to take innovative, accessible theatre into all kinds of communities far and wide.
Katie Coen’s shepherd in Rachel Price’s play Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
“Our aim is to make theatre make a difference by creating unforgettable, entertaining theatre in response to current issues and the hopes and fears of the world we share,” says Oliver.
Christmas Inn Trouble will be performed by a cast of Jared More and Katie Coen, with set and costume design by Caitlin Mawhinney and compositions and sound design by Patrick Burbridge.
The tour will take in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria; Mold, North Wales; Bulwell, Nottinghamshire; Lliswerry, South Wales; Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Chiswick, West London; Hadleigh, Colchester and South Benfleet, all Essex; St Albans, Hertfordshire, and, closer to home, The Galtres Centre, Easingwold, concluding the travelling itinerary on December 13 at 2pm.
Behind you! Donkey brings a smile to Katie Coen’s (Un)wise Man in Christmas Inn Trouble. Picture: Tom Jackson, Jackson Portraiture
On the home front, Christmas Inn Trouble will play Riding Lights’ headquarters, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, on December 20, 1.30pm and 4pm, then December 21 to 24, 11am, 1.30pm and 4pm.
“We are so excited to bring this fantastically fun and joyful show to the Friargate Theatre this festive season,” says Oliver. “It’s jam packed with puppets, magic, song and story, bringing you the Nativity like you’ve never seen it before!”
Riding Lights prides itself on offering “affordable and accessible arts experiences to everyone”, so tickets for Christmas Inn Trouble are priced accordingly at £12.50 each or £40 for four people.
Christmas at The Bar Convent. Illustration by Nick Ellwood
CHRISTMAS At The Convent is running at The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, Blossom Street, York, until December 22.
In the convent exhibition visitors can uncover fascinating festive traditions through the centuries in a family-friendly activity trail.
Sister Ann Stafford says: “This year we are excited to launch a brand-new Christmas activity trail through the exhibition, which combines the history of the convent and the season of Advent.
Bar Convent marketing manager Lauren Mableson in the Georgian Parlour. Picture: courtesy of The Bar Convent
“Families can enjoy finding clues, making decorations, dressing up, discovering traditions from Christmas past and much more! This will include a traditional crib scene in the chapel, and the opportunity to pause and reflect in this busy world.”
The Christmas season is a chance to be immersed in the beautiful surroundings of Great Britain’s oldest living convent and one of York’s most significant heritage houses.
Sister Ann says: “Christmas is a very special time where we celebrate the birth of Christ here at the convent and it fills us with joy to see our house aglow with festive decorations.
The Georgian Parlour at The Bar Convent. Picture: Kieran Paul
“It is a wonderful place for family and friends to gather; whether this is for a traditional lunch, a staff celebration, to explore our exhibition or simply to take in the warming atmosphere, for which we are renowned.”
Bar Convent visitors can enjoy a warming Christmas lunch in the cafe, discover the Georgian Parlour, dressed in seasonal splendour, and find a peaceful sanctuary in the hidden chapel.
The Christmas trail is included in the exhibition, open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, last admission at 4pm. Booking is required for Christmas lunches at https://barconvent.co.uk/cafe/. Visit the website for more details on Christmas At The Convent at barconvent.co.uk.
Having a ball at A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
FAIRFAX House’s much-loved Christmas display returns for 2025 with a new theme of A Christmas Mousequerade, combining more mousechief than ever before in the “ultimate 18th century house party”.
A multitude of mice is dressed in hand-crafted and exquisitely miniature Georgian finery, custom made by Fairfax House volunteers, as you step into the glittering world of Georgian York and join the Fairfax family as they prepare for the most spectacular ball of the season.
Wandering through the house, you will find all manner of Georgian amusements brought to life: the excitement of the boxing ring, the bustle of a gambling den, classic Christmas parlour games, and a ballroom dressed for a truly grand occasion. You will discover fabulous examples of Georgian fashion throughout, offering a glimpse into 18th-century style.
Enjoying the party at A Christmas Mousequerade at Castle Howard. Picture: Christopher John Photography
As Ann Fairfax and the Viscount prepare to welcome their distinguished guests, keep your eyes peeled for the Townmice, who are determined to not miss out on the celebrations and may even cause a little festive mayhem along the way.
Suited to all ages, A Christmas Mousequerade offers an enchanting experience for families this festive season. Children will delight in spotting the mice in their elegant ballgowns and playful poses, while adults can revel in the beauty of Georgian Christmas traditions brought vividly to life.
Curator Dr Sarah Burnage says: “We absolutely love this time of year when the house is dressed for a Georgian Christmas and over-run with our mischievous mice.
Masking up at A Christmas Mousequerade
“It’s always a pleasure to imagine how the Fairfaxes might have celebrated Christmas over 250 years ago, especially when hosting such a big party. We really hope visitors enjoy what we’ve created this year; we’ve certainly enjoyed creating it.”
In addition, as a special seasonal highlight, visitors can experience A Christmas Mousequerade by candlelight on three magical evenings, December 17, 19 and 22, 5pm to 7pm.
A tall order for a mouse jockey, taking a giraffe for a ride in A Christmas Mousequerade
Last Christmas, more than 1,000 hand-crafted mice were sold during the exhibition run; this time, 2,000 have been ordered for sale in the shop.
Fairfax House, run by York Civic Trust, has been awarded the 2025 Historic Houses Collections Award, a prestigious annual award introduced in 2022 to honour the owners, curators and conservators who preserve, restore and interpret the beautiful and significant objects on show inside historic houses, enabling the public to understand and enjoy them and the stories that they tell.
A mouse making off with the cheese at A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
A mouse working out on the weights in A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
“We are deeply honoured to receive this award and thrilled that the creativity and dedication of the Fairfax team has been recognised,” says Dr Burnage.
“This award will make a meaningful contribution to the development of our ongoing work, and we are immensely grateful to the judges, Historic Houses, and sponsors Dreweatts for this generous acknowledgement.”
Fairfax House came out on top of a competitive shortlist, including Burton Constable Hall & Parkland, in Yorkshire, Browsholme Hall, in Lancashire, Chawton House, in Hampshire, and Scone Palace in Perthshire, all featured in standalone episodes of the Country House Podcast, hosted by judging panel member Geoffrey Heath-Taylor.
Fairfax House: back story
Fairfax House, 2025 Historic Houses Collections Award winner, looking resplendent for A Christmas Mousequerade. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
ONE of England’s finest Georgian townhouses, located at No. 27, Castlegate, York, near Clifford’s Tower and York Castle Museum.
Restored beautifully to showcase its exceptional architecture, period interiors and world-class collection of 18th-century furniture and decorative arts.
Offers immersive experience of Georgian life through its exhibitions, events and carefully preserved historic rooms. Run by York Civic Trust, chaired by Dr Delma Tomlin.
CharlesHutchPress entering into the spirit of dressing up at A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
Jonny Owen and Vicky McClure: Two of the co-founders of the Day Fever daytime dancing phenomenon that hits York Barbican tomorrow
LET Line Of Duty and Trigger Point star Vicky McClure introduce Day Fever, tomorrow’s disco-dancing destination of choice at York Barbican from 3pm to 8pm. Yes, you read that right, 3pm to 8pm.
“It feels like a massive house party at your nan’s. No drama, no egos, just people acting daft, getting dressed up, and having the best time,” says Nottingham actress Vicky, who launched this daytime clubbing phenomenon with filmmaker and broadcaster husband Jonny Owen, Reverend & The Makers frontman Jon McClure (no relation), his brother Chris McClure and Sheffield businessman James O’Hara at Christmas 2023.
From its debut in the Sheffield City Hall Ballroom to a nationwide tour that sees thousands hit the dancefloor each month, the message remains the same: people everywhere are craving a space to let loose, laugh and dance, all before 8pm
“It started as a WhatsApp idea,” says Jon McClure. “Jonny [Owen] just said, ‘A daytime disco, how good would that be?’ We’re all a bit nuts, so we just said, ‘Come on then’!”
What began as a spark of an idea among friends has turned into a full-blown national movement, and after a record-breaking September, the good times are rolling into November before the team turns up the tinsel for a Christmas takeover when Day Fever will transform into Sleigh Fever.
Should you feel that your clubbing days are behind you, think again with Day Fever. No dress code, no pressure, and the hangover is optional; just wall-to-wall feel-good tunes and an open invitation to dance like nobody’s watching.
Looking forward to this weekend, Jonny says: “It’s our first one ever in York. It’s been a city that we’ve been looking to come to for quite a long time. Jim (O’Hara), our business partner on this, has worked hard to make it happen. He was a big fan of coming to York. He said it’s a great city to go for a day out and a night out.
“Obviously a famous tourist city too; I’ve been there myself, so the idea was to take it to York and the ticket sales have been fantastic, so it was the right decision.”
Jonny partly puts Day Fever’s popularity down to Vicky’s impact. “She has an amazing following, because of her acting and the work she does with the Dementia Choir, so Vicky’s brought a lot to it and people trust her. It’s just something that’s really connected,” he says.
“There are a myriad of reasons, I think, why people really enjoy it, from people wanting to go out earlier in the day, if they’re a bit older, to the fact that you’re going out dancing and socialising and listening to great music, but I do think at the very apex of it all is definitely Vicky and her connection with people. Her mantra is always that music is medicine.”
Vicky says: “When we started, it was addressed to people over 30 but we very quickly scrapped that. People came and they came with their families, mothers and daughters and aunties and nieces. The thing is, the hits are still the hits today. Motown or disco, those kind of tracks, they’re known across the world as songs that will never die.
“Then we’ve got a great Nineties’ section as well, which hits a slightly younger audience, so from my nephew, who’s 18, to people in their late-80s; it really is for everybody.”
From Nottingham to Newcastle, Glasgow to York today, every Day Fever event has its own flavour. Local DJs who know their crowds keep the energy high with a nostalgic mix of Northern Soul, disco, indie and Nineties’ classics. “If Vicky’s there, we have to play Whitney, it’s non-negotiable!” says Jon.
“With our DJs, it sounds like a football team,” says Jonny. “We’ve got a stable of people who are very good and they do tend to be more localised; often we use local presenters…people who are very experienced, who know how to speak to a crowd, play the right music.
“We encourage people to come up on stage and dance, a bit like the old days on Top Of The Pops used to be, right in the centre of it. We know that these events are going to go off brilliantly if people play the right stuff.”
What you wear is all part of the fun. “What I love about Day Fever is that some people will get absolutely dressed up to the nines,” says Vicky. “Some people will do fancy dress; somebody came to Day Fever in London not so long ago in an inflatable giraffe! They got in without any bother!
“Basically, it’s not really got a dress code, and I think people love having the option of not being forced into feeling you’ve got to be dressed up. I always wear trainers, and I wanna dance, and I can’t dance in heels. So it’s joggers, a T-shirt, some trainers. I’m super-comfy.
“I don’t care if I look silly or people are taking pictures. I get lost in the music – and it’s not just me, it’s everybody getting lost in it.”
From December, Day Fever will don its festive finery for its rebrand as Sleigh Fever, a run of special Christmas editions that promise all the usual joy, dancing and daftness, sprinkled with extra sparkle, singalongs and seasonal surprises.
Expect glitter, Santa hats, Mariah moments, and maybe even a mince pie or two on the dancefloor. As Jon puts it: “It’s like a wedding party where everyone actually wants to be there, only this time, Santa’s invited too.”
Day Fever, York Barbican, tomorrow (22/11/2025), 3pm to 8pm. Box office: https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/day-fever/
A Winter Adventure: Receiving a frosty reception, but in a good way at JORVIK Viking Centre
SNOW outside, and now snow inside too, as Norse god Skadi brings snow and ice to AD960 Coppergate at the JORVIK Viking Centre, where sub-zero temperatures are forecast to take up residence until February 22 2026, the official end of the Viking winter.
A Winter Adventure brings a new wintery experience to the underground York visitor attraction, where the 10th century Vikings are preparing to celebrate Yule with natural decorations hung on their houses, mirroring modern York’s preparations for the festive season.
JORVIK Viking Centre is run by York Archaeology, whose director of public engagement, Gareth Henry, has directed this year’s displays and technological innovations.
“We changed the season inside JORVIK for the very first time last winter, and the public’s reception was amazing. Everyone loved seeing the 10th century inhabitants of Viking-age York coping with a cold winter, so we’ve brought it back for this winter season – and added more changes too” says Gareth.
“This year, our Ljósálfar – Norse elves – have a few more tricks up their sleeves to make the whole JORVIK experience even more immersive as we introduce a brand-new ‘wow’ to the experience.
“For the first time ever, visitors will be able to peer through a time portal, into the blacksmith’s house that we excavated on this site in the 1970s, seeing what it would have been like to live there, even before they get on board a time sleigh to travel back in time for themselves.”
Festive chat at A Winter Wonderland at JORVIK Viking Centre
York company Bright White’s new interactive Time Portal now opens the visit to JORVIK, once visitors have descended to stand at 10th century street level. This introductory show, using the most up-to-date time vortex technology, provides a window to the city populated by Nordic settlers 1,000 years earlier.
The portal takes visitors to the Viking-age dwelling on display under the glass floor beneath their feet when it was still the home and workshop of a 10th century blacksmith.
Visitors then alight a Time Sleigh for a tour around the backstreets, transformed into a winter wonderland by Wetherby set dressers EPH Creative, who have covered streets and houses in a thick blanket of snow. Cold blue lighting adds an extra frisson of excitement, as mist rolls in off the river and onto the quayside.
The Viking-age residents are wearing their extra-warm woollen cloaks and knitted hats, while the produce on the market stalls on Coppergate now offers winter fare for the residents’ stew pots.
“Once off the ride, visitors can warm themselves by the fare in our storytelling Skald’s house, to hear about how the hardy Vikings survived in the winter months, and hear sagas and tales of Yuletides past,” says Gareth.
In the cutting-edge upgrade to JORVIK’s existing time travelling technology, “time engineers” Bright White have worked with the JORVIK team since March to create the virtual world to be seen behind the interactive temporal portal, making the buildings and interiors of Viking-age Coppergate as authentic as possible.
No end to winter conditions at JORVIK Viking Centre until February 22
Research and development was conducted in the R&D lab at the Guildhall, in tandem with York company XR Stories, inviting schools and families to give feedback, complemented by the training of the JORVIK actors by Gordon Meredith that enables each live interpreter to bring their own interpretation to the Skald storytelling.
“Everything you hear and see at the Time Portal comes through our collaboration with the JORVIK Viking Centre team and York Archaeology,” says Bright White founding director Chris Walker.
“This is the first time we have worked with the trust [York Archaeology], but we have created other very popular attractions, such as Yorkshire’s Jurassic World at the Yorkshire Museum, which also uses XR [Extended Reality], combining Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.”
Pre-booking is essential for all visits to JORVIK at jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk. Tickets cost £17.50 for adults, £14, students, £12, children or £49 for a family ticket (two adults and two children) or £56 (two adults and three children), with under–fives admitted free of charge.
Tickets are valid for unlimited repeat visits for a whole year, enabling visitors to enjoy A Winter Adventure as well as a more conventional visit when the JORVIK snow melts away in late-February.
“This is a brilliant add-on for anyone visiting York for the Christmas markets, providing a winter wonderland experience to boost the Christmas spirit – and, of course, we also have a great range of wines and spirits, as well as unusual jewellery and drinking horns, that make perfect gifts,” says York Archaeology head of operations, Mark Jackson. “It’s also a brilliant option for children celebrating birthdays – a great treat for them and a group of friends.”
Keep an eye on what will be happening at JORVIK Viking Festival 2026
As ever, the 2026 Jorvik Viking Festival will mark the traditional end of winter, running from February 16 to 22 in the latest Viking invasion 1160 years after they first arrived.
For seven days, Norse influence will be spread across the city centre as Viking enthusiasts from around the country and beyond descend on York for Europe’s largest Viking Festival. Around 500 Viking re-enactors are expected to help welcome as many as 50,000 residents and visitors for living history, crafts and combat within the city walls.
“Funded by York Archaeology, JORVIK Viking Festival has become one of the anchor events in York’s tourism calendar, bringing in the crowds during what would previously have been a very quiet time for the city,” says Mark Jackson.
“We will be celebrating the end of winter with our traditional blend of February feasting and fighting – and invite everyone to come along to join us.”
Mark continues: “We know that there is always high demand when we release tickets, especially for events like the Feast, which make brilliant Christmas presents, so we’ll be releasing tickets for different events at different times over the coming weeks.
“Of course, there are a host of events at the heart of the festival – including a large Viking encampment in Parliament Street and the traditional March to Coppergate – which are entirely free to attend with no tickets required. But be sure to mark the date in your diary!”
For more details of JORVIK Viking Festival 2026, visit jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk. Please note, A Winter Wonderland was sold out for the 2025 festival week, so festival visitors are advised to book early for A Winter Adventure to avoid disappointment.
COPPERGATE takes its name from being the Viking street of cup makers.
Green Father Christmas on the Victorian street of Kirkgate at York Castle Museum. Picture: History Riot
In Focus: A Very Yorkshire Christmas at York Castle Museum, York, until January 4
YORK Castle Museum is brimful of festivity after opening its festive season, A Very Yorkshire Christmas, on November 15 with an invitation to “embrace the .
Inspired by Yorkshire Christmases through the ages, this year the museum celebrates Christmas from the 17th century to the 1980s, with period decorations and a packed programme of live performances, music and cookery demonstrations in the Castle Kitchen for all to enjoy.
Snowy scenes and festive delights await on Kirkgate, the famous Victorian street now lined with sweet-scented fir trees. Take a photo in the Kirkgate sleigh and take home a memory of 19th century Christmas.
Experience a Victorian Christmas with authentic decorations and live performances of traditional carols every Monday. Browse the shop windows to find a range of Victorian Christmas objects from the York Castle Museum collection. Play Victorian parlour games, such as the Grandmother’s Trunk memory game.
Beautifully decorated trees and twinkling garlands accompany the layer of snow on the cobblestones, transporting visitors to a Christmas reminiscent of Dickensian England.
The poster for A Very Yorkshire Christmas at York Castle Museum
Championing the ancient winter festival of the “Riding of the Yules” and carrying a leg of lamb spiced with rosemary, a tambourine and a bell, Green Father Christmas will be wandering the street on Saturdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until Christmas Ever, topped up with an additional appearance on Tuesday, December 23.
Green Father Christmas will be delighting visitors with Victorian games, songs and tales of winter feasts and traditions, climaxing with the Dance of Spring.
“I’ve been through plenty of names,” says Green Father Christmas. “I started out as Nicholas, Bishop Nicholas in the 4th century, Saint Nicholas, Sir Christmas, now Father Christmas. In 1616, Ben Jonson called me Old Christmas. I consider the Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to be me!”
The Ran Tanners and Paul the Historical Musician return for the much-loved Sunday Sounds. Throughout November and December, Sundays feature festive tunes played on traditional instruments throughout the museum.
Peer into the period rooms to see how some homes in the 17th and 18th centuries were decorated for Christmas. You might see familiar seasonal favourites in the 1940s’ and 1980s’ kitchens.
Chris Cade’s Scrooge on Kirkgate. Picture: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions
Storycraft Theatre’s Jane Bruce, left, and Cassie Vallance: Performing interactive stories of Ralf the Robin at York Castle Museum
Visit the Castle Kitchen on Thursdays and Saturdays until December 20 for live baking demonstrations of historic Tudor and Georgian mince pie recipes, the former made with meat, mace and cloves, the latter with almonds, rosewater, apple, prunes and currants. There will often be samples to try and recipe cards to take home.
The Sixties Street features festive decor, most notably tinsel trees, toys and Christmas songs straight from the 1960s.
In Kirkgate, Chris Cade’s Scrooge returns for one-man performances of A Christmas Carol, running on Fridays from today to December 12. His much-loved nighttime performance, An Evening With Ebenezer Scrooge, returns on Wednesday, December 10, with mulled wine and mince pies, complemented by musical accompaniment from the Ran Tanners.
In a new event for 2025, Ghost Stories for Christmas, by Edwrydian Tales, takes place on Sunday, December 14 at 7pm. This event takes visitors back to traditional practices of passing long winter nights in front of the fire sharing stories of the supernatural.
A range of activities will be taking place throughout the winter, for adults and children alike. Storycraft Theatre’s Cassie Vallance and Jane Bruce will be at the museum on Tuesdays to present interactive stories featuring Ralf the Robin and his puppet friends.
Christmas on Kirkgate at York Castle Museum. Picture: Anthony Chappel Ross
This magical storytelling experience is suitable for little ones, with 20-minute performances running three times a day until Tuesday, December 16. On Saturday, December 20, Thin Ice Press will be hosting a drop-in card making session. Visit between 10.30am and 3.30pm to design and print your own Christmas cards, inspired by the Victorian cards on display.
For more luxurious seasonal crafting, guided workshops are available for adults. Join Mandy on Saturday, November 22 or Wednesday, December 10 for wreath making, either for your door or as a beautiful centrepiece for your table.
Try your hand at lino printing and create your own Christmas cards and decorations. Led by artist Becky Long-Smith, the Christmas card workshop will take place on the Saturday, November 29 and decorations on Friday, December 12.
Saturday, December 6 provides the chance to make your own Christmas crackers, complete with printed jokes and a small gift, ideal for adding a handmade touch to your holiday table.
Have a go at bauble marbling on Saturday, December 13. Create beautiful patterns and take home a set of colourful decorations for your tree.
Bespoke Green Father Christmas hanging decoration at York Castle Museum. Picture: Anthony Chappel Ross
Materials and refreshments will be provided for these craft workshops. Head to the website for more details and to book your place on these Christmas workshops.
In the gift shop, look out for the bespoke Green Father Christmas bauble, designed especially for York Castle Museum.
For a full list of activities, head to yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk. Times for individual workshops and performances will be advertised online or at the museum on the day.
As a charity, all general admission and workshop tickets help York Museums Trust to care for its significant and varied collections and buildings.
Christmas at York Castle Museum: A Very Yorkshire Christmas runs until January 4 2026. For a full list of daily activities, seasonal workshops and events, as well as opening times and tickets, visit www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk.Open Mondays, 11am to 5pm; Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm.
Edwyrdian Tales to present Ghost Stories for Christmas at York Castle Museum
Edwyrdian Tales storyteller Matthew Wood
MATTHEW Wood, Edwyrdian Tales’ purveyor of particularly Victorian/Edwardian gothic, ghostly, spooky horror tales in the flesh and online, presents Ghost Stories for Christmas at York Castle Museum on December 14 from 7pm.
Frances Marshall, who runs historical researchers and performers History Riot, says of Wood: “He’s one of our freelance actors, who started his online storytelling in the 2020 Covid lockdown and now operates his Edwyrdian Tales company.
“He came to Barley Hall last year and this year I encouraged him to try York Castle Museum. His show really is something people will love at this time of year and Matt’s style is brilliant. It’s a bit like M. R. James and indeed uses a lot of his material.”
Edwyrdian Tales’ evening of haunting ghost stories set during Christmastide will feature bone-chilling tales from classic authors of the age, not only by James but by Marjorie Bowen too in a 90-minute performance designed to conjure the spirits of Christmas.
“With the world of Victorian horror to go at, Matt’s round-the-country tours could be a part of his life for many years, so while there’s only one performance in York in 2025, I suspect he will be back,” says Frances.
History Riot to lead family-friendly Tales From The Trail at York Castle Museum
HISTORY Riot will return to York Castle Museum daily from December 27 to January 3, except New Year’s Day, with an array of family-friendly Tales From The Trail performances throughout each day.
Join two madcap Victorian characters for an urgent shopping trip on the Victorian street of Kirkgate this festive season. “Prepare for mystery, silliness and stories about the variety of items that they pick up along the way,” says company director Frances Marshall.
“History Riot’s team consists of historical researchers, musicians, writers, directors, videographers, performers and educators,” says York actress Frances.
“We exist to connect people with the UK’s past, to inspire audiences to feel a fresh sense of identity with the place in which they live and the historical sites they visit.
“Our events are ambitious, accessible and inclusive, pushing the boundaries of historical interpretation while remaining mindful of the sensitive sites we work in.”
Explaining History Riot’s modus operandi, Frances says: “We started as a result of Covid. We’d all worked in the heritage industry for a while – for me it was my ‘muggle job’ when not acting, but I really grew to care a lot about it.
“Basically, we wanted to do history better! And to make it more accessible to everyone, so that it isn’t elitist or somehow removed from the people of the UK in 2025.
“We tell female stories – as unsurprisingly these still aren’t told or taught as much as they should be! – and stories of diverse heritage in Britain, LGBTQ+ history, but often we work these into any story we are telling, rather than one sole focus!”
History Riot work primarily with Historic Royal Palaces (Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace) but also with English Heritage.
“We hold the contract for schools at Historic Royal Palaces, providing education sessions across three sites from Key Stage 1 all the way up to A-level.
“York is quite new to us, but it’s what I’ve wanted for a long while. We’ve worked with York Museum’s Trust for a couple of years now and most recently on the Viking North exhibition, where we’ve provided live performance worked into the exhibition.
“We’ve found them to be really forward thinking when it comes to what we do and happy to embrace theatre in the midst of heritage.”
Frances concludes: “I would personally love to expand more in York. I’ve been slightly delayed by small child, and then also my own acting career, predominantly the siren call of Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.
“I do commute down to run our work in the south. But even though heritage is big in York, I think there’s a lot of room for really great professional performance and performers in it!”
Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees support A Very Yorkshire Christmas at Castle Museum
Mikey Arnold, Debbie Tabart and Louis Downes of Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees
COPMANTHORPE company Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees are supporting York Museums Trust by supplying the trees for the Christmas display in the Victorian street of Kirkgate at York Castle Museum.
Taking pride of place is the magnificent 16ft Nordman Fir, decorated beautifully with a mixture of baubles and Victorian-inspired paper decorations. The smell of the trees evokes nostalgia and immerses visitors in a Dickensian-style Christmas.
The team at Moor Lane Farm, friends Mikey Arnold, Louis Downes and Debbie Tabart, oversaw the installation of the grand fir tree at ahead of opening on November 15.
This hands-on approach is at the heart of everything they do, with the trio taking on all aspects of the business themselves from organising and selling, to packing and delivery and beyond.
Mikey and agricultural engineer Louis started the business as teenagers in 2017, aged 17 and 15 respectively, “when we couldn’t even drive and each put in £500”, since when the business has grown year on year to provide trees to places such as York Castle Museum, Shambles market, York Theatre Royal, Moxy York hotel and the Fox and Roman pub in Dringhouses, as well as donating trees to St Catherine’s Dementia Care Home in Shipton by Beningbrough.
Carla Starkey, immersive interpretation producer at York Museums Trust, says: “Christmas on Kirkgate has become a much-loved tradition at York Castle Museum, and we are so grateful to have worked with Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees to create an even more magical experience with the most beautiful fir trees lining the street.
“We cannot thank them enough for their support and were honoured that they were willing to hang the last bauble on the large 16ft tree as part of the installation.”
Mikey, from Moor Lane Farm, says: “We are delighted to support York Castle Museum this year with stunning Christmas trees from our farm. The business has grown over the last nine years from just a few trees to what we hope will be an amazing festive season this year.
“Christmas is something we are all extremely passionate about and we put our all into providing a magical experience for everyone when they are choosing a tree. It’s a privilege to see our hard work paying off and to display our incredible trees in prominent locations in York.”
As a charity, York Museums Trust relies on ticket sales and donations to care for the buildings and collections, but also on the generosity of businesses such as Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees. Through the support of visitors and York businesses, the trust can continue to provide magical Christmas experiences year after year.
Moor Lane Farm Christmas Trees is open daily for the festive season, from 8.30am to 6.30pm, offering complimentary hot chocolate while you browse for the ideal tree. For more information, visit www.moorlanefarmchristmastreesyork.co.uk.
