Author: Charles Hutchinson

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Wildflower Wildfire to make debut with Botanically Brontë, A Literary Cocktail Experience at York Food and Drink Festival

The poster for Wildflower Wildfire’s Botanically Brontë – A Literary Cocktail Experience. Artwork by Laura Crow. Calligraphy by Emily Hansen, Leaf on Letters

WILDFLOWER Wildfire invites you to step in the world of Yorkshire’s scribbling siblings, the Brontës, for Botanically Brontë – A Literary Cocktail Experience at Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, on September 25.

This original immersive theatre event blends storytelling, performance and botanical drinks in a journey through the seasons alongside Charlotte, Anne, Emily and Branwell Brontë, exploring their lives, relationships and literary legacy.

“Across the performance, audiences will be served four specially created botanical cocktails, each inspired by a different season and member of the Brontë family, from the bright florals of Elastic Springs to the bittersweet Last Winter Rose,” says event creator Xandra Logan, York actress, writer and producer – and barrister to boot – who has moved into theatre development to make this 90-minute piece for this autumn’s York Food and Drink Festival.

Miles John: Playing Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls

“Expect literature, atmosphere, storytelling and a little theatrical magic as the world of the Brontës is brought to life around you. No prior knowledge of the Brontës needed.”

Incorporating bespoke cocktails as part of the package, “there will be both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options to suit audience preference”.

The cast comprises Vicki Glover as Charlotte Brontë; Xandra Logan as Emily Brontë; Leah Paige as Anne  Brontë; Katie Leckey as Branwell Brontë; Adam Marsdin as Patrick Brontë; Miles John as Arthur Bell Nicholls; Laura Haynes Bury as Martha Brown and Molly Meleady-Hanley as The Phantom.

Xandra Logan: Founder of Wildflower Wildfire, who will play Emily Brontë

“The production is an ensemble piece and the characters all make up an important part of the Brontë story,” says Xandra. “The actors are largely based in this region or derived from here. The production is an ensemble piece and the characters all make up an important part of the Brontë story.” 

Drawing on her Yorkshire roots, Xandra is “delighted to portray Emily and explore her fierce imagination, independence and connection to the landscape that shaped her work.”

Her latest role follows screen appearances in Cut Deep, Closing Time and Before The Leaves Turn and the title role on stage in Mary Rose.

Vicki Glover: “Delighted to return to the Brontë world as Charlotte”

Vicki Glover trained on the RADA Foundation course and is completing her BA (Hons) Acting studies at Manchester School of Theatre. Acting professionally since the age of 14, her credits include Shrek 2, The Murder Trial Live, The Manson Family Massacre and Operation Sparrowhawk. “After portraying Emily Brontë, Catherine Earnshaw and Catherine Linton previously, I’m delighted to return to the Brontë world as Charlotte,” she says.

West Yorkshire actress Leah Paige, who has experience across stage and screen, will play Anne. “Passionate about bringing overlooked stories to life, I’m thrilled to portray the often-underestimated Anne Brontë, celebrating her quiet strength, kindness and unwavering principles,” says Leah, who will make her feature debut on Amazon Prime later this year.

Northern Irish actor and director Katie Leckey (they/them), who will play Branwell Brontë, holds an MA in Theatre-Making from the University of York and is co-founder and artistic director of York company Griffonage Theatre, for whom they perform, write and direct.

Katie Leckey: “Looking forward to giving a voice to the often-underrepresented Branwell”

Leah Paige: “Passionate about bringing overlooked stories to life“

Their credits include A Kingdom Jack’d (Merchant Adventurers’ Hall), Shakespeare and Rome (York Museums Trust/York International Shakespeare Festival), Queer Spaces (York Theatre Royal/Stephen Joseph Theatre), Dung Beetle Dan (Thunk-It Theatre, Deer Shed Festival) and The Courteous Enemy (Edinburgh Fringe).

“I’m looking forward to giving a voice to the often-underrepresented Branwell and bringing his poetry to life in Botanically Brontë,” says Katie.

Last seen on stage in York in Party Piece at Theatre@41, Monkgate. and as Dr Little in Goodnight Mister Tom at Harrogate Theatre, Adam Marsdin will play Patrick Brontë. Alongside numerous film credits across Yorkshire, he presents Pantheon Mythology, trains at NGA Leeds and is an Equity member.

“I relish exploring the warmth behind the disciplined Victorian father,” says Adam Marsdin of his role as Patrick Brontë

“I relish exploring the warmth behind the disciplined Victorian father: Patrick’s delight in his children’s imaginations, his love and pride in who they become, and the poignancy of a man who ultimately outlived them all,” says Adam.

Miles John, a professional actor raised in Scarborough and trained at UCA Farnham, is cast as Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls. Working across stage, screen and voiceovers, his credits include Watch Me Die (Edinburgh Fringe), Loot (York Theatre Royal), The Grieving Stones (feature film), For King And Country (short film) and Pipistrelle Pipistrelle (radio drama).

Laura Haynes-Bury’s role will be Martha Brown. “I have particularly enjoyed exploring Martha as the eyes and ears of the Brontë household, offering an intimate glimpse into the family’s lives,” says Laura, whose credits include Till The Stars Come Down for York Actors Collective and various site-specific theatre performances.

Molly Meleady-Hanley: Appearing as The Phantom in Botanically Brontë

After graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice, Sheffield-born actor and playwright Molly Meleady-Hanley will play The Phantom.

Her credits include Bigmouth at the Courtyard Theatre, London, as part of Camden Fringe, a self-written production at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, and feature film Fritz And Matlock with Invisible Engine Films. “I’m excited to explore the world of the Brontës and sisterhood in Botanically Brontë as The Phantom,” she says.

Wildflower Wildfire presents Botanically Brontë, Friargate Theatre, York, September 25,   6.15pm & 8.30pm. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/botanically-bronte-a-literary-cocktail-experience-tickets-1998250964426.

Laura Haynes Bury: “I have particularly enjoyed exploring Martha as the eyes and ears of the Brontë household”

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REVIEW: Sparks and Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer, York Barbican, August 25 ****

Fresh from releasing their lunar live album, Sparks’ Russell and Ron Mael land in York for their first concert in the city in 52 years, as captured on their Facebook site at 16.38pm. Picture: https://www.facebook.com/sparksofficial)

“YORK! See you tonight at York Barbican!,” posted Ron and Russell Mael at 16.38pm on Sparks’ Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/sparksofficial), accompanying a snap of the Californian brothers with York Minster looming in the background ahead of their August 25 gig.

The American tourist-style photo had been photobombed: clearly this photo opportunity wasn’t big enough for only the both of them.

In one of two late additions to their 2026 summer tour, Sparks made their return to York on Tuesday for the first time since their University of York Central Hall appearance on November 2 1974 on their Propaganda tour.

“We’re told we played York in the Dark Ages, but our brain cells are too fried to remember it,” Russell, now 77, informed the sold-out York Barbican audience. “But we thank you for your reception.”

That reception was one of delight, gratitude, joy, enchantment, in response to a band that is still squeezing out new Sparks after 54 years.

Outsiders and convention may have expected a greatest hits set on the heritage tour circuit, played to a seated audience. Instead, Russell and “my big brother” Ron, 81, constantly reinvent their wheel, defying age with whimsical imagination and smart, emotionally detached humour.

The majority of the crowd was only too happy to be gathered in the standing area, with a more sedate experience available on the balcony for the likes of your reviewer.

After a jaunty, jocund half-hour of banjo, badinage and rhythmic, witty wordplay from Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer, a jolly pucker chap in a linen suit and tie, promoting his B-Curious album, the mood was set, as perky as a macchiato, for Sparks to fly.

Three musicians – bass, guitar and drums – bounded on stage, much younger than the Mael brothers, who nevertheless appeared ageless on entry. First Ron, still pencil slim with the trademark moustache to match, hair still slicked back, his suit now baggy and free flowing, oversized like Talking Heads’ David Byrne in Stop Making Sense, as he took up his seat behind his “big synthesiser” on the front line.

Enter Russell in black-and-white polka-dotted suit, hair jet black and curly as ever, his style dandy, his body still bendy. From 8.30pm to 10.15pm, he never stopped moving, parading energy and jumps to rival the latterday Mick Jagger.

“So may we start?”, he asked, as the cue to kick-start the 19-song set with the song of such a perfect title for the opener. As bubbly as Aero, as urgent as a plea, as insistent as a repeated knock on the door, sung with heightened drama, it lay the template for an high-energy, often theatrical Maelstrom of a performance, with Ron’s keyboards ever to the fore, supported by the ballast of a flexible rock structure  underneath.

Like synth duo Pet Shop Boys, Sparks stay unmistakeably Sparks but move with the times too, reflecting on the changing world with wit and style. Rather than the big hits – they played only four of their ten UK Top 40 entries – they favoured an ever-changing roster of big hitters, this time with Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab, Music That You Can Dance To,  When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” and Devotion, the ballad from 2025’s Mad! album, being among the most impactful.

Not one of Beat The Clock, Number One Song In Heaven or This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us was held back for the encores; indeed ‘This Town’ – number two in 1972 – popped up without ceremony as the 14th song out of 16 before the break, as if it were nothing special. Truth is, it still sparkled above all else, on a night when the lighting was consistently spectacular too.

Further highlights? Ron stepping out from behind the keys to sing Let’s Get Funky, later topped by his brief burst of staccato dancing, followed by fanning his face with his fingers, as if in mock exhaustion.

Humour permeated not only Ron Mael’s lyrics, full of irony, satire and scepticism, but also Russell’s engagement with the audience, asking if we were known as Yorkers, Yorkians or Yorksters, before finally deciphering  “Yorkies” from the responses. Better still, he misheard Fat Rascals as “Pretzels” when enquiring what Bettys’ speciality is.

Come the encores, they wholly justified that status, from the maniacal political clout of (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country, through the gorgeous The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte, to the closing 2020 single All That: Sparks in rare sombre mood as Ron reflects tenderly and warmly on ageing and enduring partnerships: like the one with their ever-loyal audience.

After 28 albums, another is under way already. “See you next year,” said Russell, promising fresh Sparks will ignite anew.

Set list: Sparks, York Barbican, 25/8/2026

So May We Start; Do Things My Own Way; Reinforcements; Sherlock Holmes; Beat The Clock; Mickey Mouse; Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab; Let’s Get Funky (Ron Mael, lead vocals); A Walk Down Memory Lane; JanSport Backpack; Music That You Can Dance To; When Do I Get To Sing “My Way”; The Number One Song In Heaven; This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us; Whippings And Apologies; My Devotion. Encores: (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country; The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte; All That.

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Shed Seven to release A Maximum Lo-Fi exclusive album to complement A Maximum High tour of intimate venues

Shed Seven: new albums and tours at the double. Picture: Tom Oxley

YORK’S most successful band, Shed Seven, are to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their Britpop zenith, A Maximum High, on the road this autumn and next February.

October’s six-date tour comes in the wake of the Sheds’ sold-out open-air show at The Piece Hall, Halifax, on June 6, marking three decades since the April 1 1996 release of their second album, the one featuring five Top 40 hits: Where Have You Been Tonight?, Getting Better, Going For Gold, Bully Boy and On Standby.

Unlike this summer, no Yorkshire date will feature among the itinerary of intimate venues, some having played host to the Sheds during the album’s original promotion, some marking their return for the first time in more than a decade.

Frontman Rick Witter says: “After the incredible response to our A Maximum High 30th Anniversary show in Halifax, and after hearing that so many of you missed out, we’re thrilled to announce a special run of A Maximum High shows this October and in February 2027. 

“This time we’ll be taking things back to where it all began: smaller, more intimate venues, just like the ones we were playing back in 1996. We’ll be performing A Maximum High in full, followed by a second set of Shed classics, along with a few tracks from our forthcoming self-titled album, Shed Seven.”

Tickets are still available for Birmingham O2 Institute on October 15, but shows at Kingston-upon-Thames (October 16), London Scala (October 17), Northampton Roadmender (October 29), Manchester Academy 2 (October 30) and Glasgow Barrowland (October 31) have sold out, as have the Sheds’ Irish shows in Belfast on October 23 and Dublin the following night.

Shed Seven at the finale to June 6’s A Maximum High 30th Anniversary gig at The Piece Hall, Halifax. Picture: Ianthe Photo

Tickets for the 8pm Birmingham gig, promoted by Jacaranda Records, are on sale at https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Birmingham/02-Institute-Birmingham/Shed-Seven-Album-Launch-Show/42608885/. The February 2027 tour schedule is yet to be announced.

In conjunction with the 30th anniversary gigs, a new album variant, Shed Seven – A Maximum Lo-Fi, will be created exclusively for these shows as a special edition of the upcoming self-titled Shed Seven album.

Alongside the new album, it includes exclusive bonus tracks featuring re-imagined versions of some of the deeper cuts and B-sides from the A Maximum High era. Think stripped-back performances, acoustic guitars, lo-fi textures and a completely different take on songs such as Magic Streets, Where Have You Been Tonight?, Lies, Out By My Side , Killing Time and more besides.

Looking to notch a hat-trick of chart toppers after A Matter Of Time and Liquid Gold in 2024, Shed Seven’s seventh studio album – hence the title to honour that landmark – will be released on Cooking Vinyl on January 8 2027, preceded by its lead single, Stand Together.  

Rick enthuses: “We have taken great care in making this album what we believe to be our best yet, and we hope these songs are taken to people’s hearts. The comeback single Stand Together shows a statement of intent. It’s a call to arms and a rallying cry for some kind of unity in the world we live in today.”

The cover artwork for Shed Seven’s seventh studio album, aptly named Shed Seven, set for release next January

The Shed Seven diary for 2026 will conclude with the tenth edition of Shedcember, Shedcember X, their biggest winter tour yet, climaxing with two nights at Leeds O2 Academy. December 12 has sold out but tickets are still available for December 13 via ticketmaster.co.uk.

If A Maximum High was the maximum high of Shed Seven 1.0, Rick reckons Shed Seven 2.0 is “our second peak”. “What we’ve realised, in our early to mid-50s, is that not many get a second chance, but after dipping our toes in again in 2017 with Instant Pleasures, we knew we could still do it and we could enjoy it,” he says.

A Matter Of Time’s chart entry at number one in January 2024 and the brace of 30th anniversary concerts that followed at Futuresound’s Live At York Museum Gardens that summer gave impetus for Liquid Gold’s re-imagination of iconic Shed Seven tracks with orchestral arrangements, complemented by new recordings of Waiting For The Catch (featuring Issy Ferris) and All Roads Lead To You.

“We got to decide everything for that record, there was no pressure, and that comes through on the new record too,” says Rick. “We’ve recorded at it VADA Recording Studios, near Coventry, where we made Liquid Gold, working with Michael Rendall again, who’d engineered Instant Pleasures and moved up to producer for Liquid Gold.

“We recorded a song a day for A Matter Of Time, and this time me and Paul [guitarist Paul Banks] wrote the album over seven or eight months at Paul’s studio. Michael came in to whip the songs into shape, discussing how we could do something different out of the essence of what we’d come up with.

“We finished recording at the end of June for the first song, Stand Together, to come out in July, making the video on a boiling hot day in Wakefield, with Mr Paul Banks directing.”

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No 35, from Gazette & Herald

Dave: Headlining The Grid stage at Leeds Festival on Sunday. Picture: Leeds Festival

NOEL Coward at the double, Snake’s sax solos, Aardman model making and Leeds Festival’s summer serenade offer contrasts aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s choices for the days ahead.

Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, tomorrow to Sunday 

KASABIAN headline day one of Leeds Festival on The Grid stage, where The Lathums and Arkayla play tomorrow too. Friday’s line-up on The Grid includes Blossoms, Role Model, Florence + The Machine and headliners Chase & Status Live, while headline-grabbing Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap play The Gallery that night. Look out too for Westside Cowboy and Paris Paloma in The Ballroom.

Saturday serves up York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy (12.30pm to 1pm), James Marriott, Declan McKenna, Skepta, Charlie XCX and bill-topping Fontaines D.C. on The Grid. Catch Geese in The Gallery too. Sunday’s Grid finale features Absolutely, Slayyyter, Maisie Peters, Sombr, Raye and the festival-closing Dave. Box office: leedsfestival.com/tickets.

Justin Fletcher: Director of CBeebies House Party Live! featuring Mr Tumble at York Barbican

Children’s show of the week: CBeebies House Party Live!, York Barbican, today, 11am and 2pm

DIRECTED by CBeebies superstar Justin Fletcher, CBeebies House Party Live! is a fun-packed family stage show full of sensational songs, stupendous surprises and mega moments.

Throwing an epic party just for you will be Mr Tumble, Mister Maker, York Theatre Royal pantomime alumni Andy Day and Evie Pickerill, Duggee, Nigel Clarke and George Webster, who promise dancing, singing, streamers, giant jellies, bubbles galore and a CBeebies bedtime story. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Seascape artist Carolyn Coles: Hosting workshop for beginners at South Bank Studios, York

Workshop of the week: A Day At The Seaside with Carolyn Coles, South Bank Studios, Southlands Methodist Church, York, Friday, 10am to 5pm

SOUTH Bank Studios seascape painter Carolyn Coles hosts A Day At The Seaside, a workshop for beginners, in the Garden Room at South Bank Studios. “Start the day with the ‘Loosen Up and Feel The Flow’ workshop,” says Carolyn. “Then, in the afternoon, paint a panel and frame it.” Everything is included for £75. For more information and to book a place, email [email protected].

Looking ahead, Carolyn will take part in Staithes Festival of Arts & Heritage 2026 from September 11 to 13, when 113 artists will exhibit at 67 pop-up venues, alongside live music, heritage talks and outdoor screenings. General entry and the Artist Trail are free.

Lee Gemmell’s Egyptology student Edward Bellingham in Baron Productions’ The Mummy Lot No. 249

Thriller of the week: Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Mummy Lot No. 249, St Mary’s Church, Bishophill Junior, York, Friday and Saturday, 7.30pm

FOUNDED by Daniel Wilmot in 2015, York company Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1892 one-act play The Mummy Lot No. 249 as its 2026 summer show, in which Oxford student Abercrombie Smith discovers his neighbour, Egyptology student Edward Bellingham, has used ancient magic to reanimate a malevolent mummy to terrorise and attack his rivals.

Wilmot’s cast features Jack McAdam as Smith, Lee Gemmell as Bellingham, M. Alder as Peterson, Lauren Hegarty as Hastie and Ellie Guffick as Monkhouse Lee. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.com/baron-productions.

Matt Price: Outrageous stories at York Barbican

Comedy gig of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, York Barbican, Friday,doors 7.30pm for 8pm start

CORNISH comedian Matt Price tops Friday’s bill with his  extraordinary and outrageous stories drawn from the wilder side of life, bringing warmth and heart to the stage while finding audacious humour in unexpected places.

Irish storytelling comedian Jack Hester supports, along with force-of-nature surreal humorist Gary Jennison, who promises dance-offs, game shows and magic in his 100 per cent unscripted, unsupervised set, where the audience can try to steer the unbridled chaos with suggestions and participation. Box office: lolcomedyclubs.co.uk.

The poster for Queen Of The Night: Whitney in focus at York Barbican

Tribute gig of the week: Queen Of The Night, A Tribute To Whitney Houston, York Barbican, Friday,7.30pm

THIS touring production honours the music and legacy of Whitney Houston in an electrifying show that combines sensational vocalists with a full live band. Prepare to be captivated by a journey through three decades of hits such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody, One Moment In Time, I Will Always Love You, My Love Is Your Love, So Emotional,  Saving All My Love, How Will I Know, Million Dollar Bill and The Greatest Love Of All. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.  

Noël Coward double bill of the week: UK Foundation For Dance and Pickering Musical Society in Noël & Gertie and Red Peppers, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, Friday, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

TRAVEL back to the 1930s of Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence in this first co-production between Scarborough’s UK Foundation For Dance and Pickering Musical Society in a double-bill of Coward’s comedy, wit and music.

The first-half revue, Noël & Gertie, introduces the legendary stage partnership and lifelong friendship of Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence, with songs by Coward, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Bill Scott on piano accompanies Tim Tubbs and Rachel Anderson, co-stars of Pickering’s 2025 hit Hello, Dolly!

Then comes Red Peppers, a short play from Coward & Lawrence’s 1936 production Tonight At 8.30. This comic interlude with music, set in a northern town’s palace of varieties, features a feuding husband and wife in a corny song and dance double act, in the dying days of music hall. Pickering actor Paula Cook join five Scarborough actors in this amusing backstage bickering match, bookended by two corny song and dance routines. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

Aardman Animation: Model-making workshops at York Barbican

Activity of the week: Aardman In Concert: Model Making Workshops, York Barbican, Saturday, 11.45am, 2.15pm and 4.45pm

MAKE your very own Aardman character at one of three self-led model-making workshops, where you keep your creation to take home. Aardman Animations, creators of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Chicken Run and Morph, have created special instruction guides to enable you to create clay versions of their much-loved characters.

Choose between Gromit (11.45am), Shaun the Sheep (2.15pm) and Feathers McGraw (4.45pm). All materials will be supplied. The workshops are suitable for all ages from five upwards; children must be accompanied by a participating adult. Tickets: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The Dead South: Progressive bluegrass and alternative Americana at York Barbican

Recommended but sold out already: The Dead South, Europe 2026 The Return, York Barbican, August 31, doors 7pm

WHATEVER you call The Dead South’s music – progressive bluegrass, alternative Americana, country, folk or Western, people from different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, languages and ages love it, clubbing together as the cosplaying “Good Company” at gigs. 

Formed in 2012 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, the line-up comprises Nate Hilts, Scott Pringle, Danny Kenyon and Colton Crawford, always attired in bolo ties and custom brims. Carter Family meets Addams Family in songs that address themes of murder, disloyalty and ghosts while going from weepy to weird, wistful to wicked. Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra support. Box office for returns only: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Heather Leech in Gleowit Productions’ Anne Boleyn’s Mother

Play of the week: Gleowit Productions in Anne Boleyn’s Mother, Milton Rooms, Malton, September 3, 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY, October 13, 1537: another ordinary day, except that a new queen, Jane, has given birth to a son, an achievement beyond compare in Henry VIII’s court. Elizabeth, Countess of Wiltshire, feeling the loss of her son George and her daughter Anne, previous queen of England, struggles to find cause for celebration, wholly aware of the treachery within the English court.

On the path to greatness, her losses have been heavy. Were they worth it? She is Anne Boleyn’s mother and grandmother to the motherless future Queen Elizabeth I, her story now told by actor, writer and director Heather Leech. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Snake Davis: Celebrating the art of the sax solo at Pocklington Arts Centre

Saxophonist of the week:  Snake Davis Band, Classic Sax Solos, Pocklington Arts Centre, September 3, 8pm

AN instrumental solo can break hearts, lift spirits, even change lives. Saxophone is the favourite instrument of many folk, and for good reason; so emotional, so passionate; it sings, screams, whispers. Step forward saxophonist to the stars Snake Davis, leading his five-piece band through more than  20 classics, from Baker Street, Careless Whisper, Respect and Yakety Yak  to his own solos from Take That’s Million Love Songs, M People’s Moving On Up and Lisa Stansfield’s Change.

Davis reveals their background and history as well as playing them in context. What is their individual magic ingredient; what makes these solos classic? How did they emerge; how did the players produce that magic? Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk. 

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Festival launch of the week: York Jazz Fest, Thursday October 1 to Sunday October 4

York Jazz Fest: Four days, six venues, one city

THE inaugural York Jazz Fest will run from October 1 to October 4.

Spanning four days of live performances, discovery and community, the festival will highlight the full spectrum of jazz, ranging from timeless, classic standards to forward-thinking, contemporary sounds.

Designed to celebrate both Yorkshire and national talent and to promote grassroots venues, the new event will take place at five cultural and music spaces: The Phoenix, George Street; The Arts Barge, Foss Basin; Angel On The Green, Bishopthorpe Road; Young Thugs Studio,  Ovington Terrace;  The Winning Post, Bishopthorpe Road, and Pop-Up Festival Site at Bishopthorpe Road Car Park.

The festival will reach its climax on Sunday, October 4 with an all-day grand finale at the specially constructed Pop-Up Festival Site, transforming the car park into an open-air hub of live music on the main stage, complementing headline jazz acts with street food vendors, craft beers and wine and spirits bars.

“Our aim is to bring world-class live music directly into the heart of York’s community while showcasing the incredible heritage and intimate charm of our independent venues,” says festival  promoter Beppe Lombardo. “Whether you are a lifelong jazz enthusiast or just looking to discover something new, York Jazz Fest offers something for everyone.”

The full 2026 festival programme, line-up announcements and ticketing details will be released in the coming days. For updates, early access to tickets and venue information, visit: www.yorkjazzfestival.com or follow @YorkJazzFest on Instagram.

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Introducing: Hephaestus Theatre in debut show Richard iii Redux at The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, 10/9/2026

Louisa Ashdown, as The Actor, left, and Georgina Way, as The Presenter, in rehearsal for Hephaestus Theatre’s Richard iii Redux

YORK company Hephaestus Theatre will make its debut with Richard iii Redux in a bold performance at The Basement, City Screen Playhouse, York, on September 10 at 7.30pm.

Written by Kaite O’Reilly with Phillip Zarrilli, this play challenges the historical representation of Richard iii, examining what it is like to be a disabled actor while embarking on a journey to find who the real Richard iii was.

Formed by University of York theatre graduates and co-artistic directors Eleanor Doig and Louisa Ashdown, York company Hephaestus Theatre is dedicated to telling disabled stories and putting disabled and neurodiverse actors on stage and behind the scenes.

Richard iii Redux is the company’s debut performance after two successful fundraising opportunities through its Breaking Boundaries initiative, where disabled artists were invited to share their own work and showcase their talents.

“This play points out the absurdity of a character being evil because of this God-given disability,” says director and performer Louisa Ashdown

Utilising the play for the first time since its initial tour, next month’s production investigates the stereotypes of disabled bodies on stage and screen and seeks to understand why nothing has changed.

Through this dark comedy, the Actor explores their own views of their disabled body and how the body of Richard iii has been portrayed through Shakespeare for centuries.

Louisa, a disabled theatre-maker who has just finished her Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance studies at the University of York, will play The Actor. She has a background in design, producing, music and acting.

Although director-performer Louisa’s disability is hidden, she relates heavily to the themes of the play and is enjoying bringing the characters to life. “It has been exciting to explore all three personas within the texts and the differences between them,” she says.

The poster for Hephaestus Theatre’s debut production of Richard iii Redux

“I have focused on making these distinctions clear through vocal and physical skills and drawing on the differences between each character’s perspective and what they are trying to say.

“The dramaturgical work behind this play is absolutely fascinating. There is so much history behind this story and the play is written in a way that explores so much of the detail.”

Louisa continues: “This play is moving away from seeing Richard iii being portrayed as this evil monster and points out the absurdity of a character being evil because of this God-given disability.

“I hope that people who are not disabled leave this performance with a different perspective of this play and character which is so key in the theatre canon, while I hope people who are disabled come away and can feel themselves reflected on stage, even if their disability is different from the one being portrayed.”

Georgina Way in the rehearsal room

Georgina Way will take the occasional pop-up role of The Presenter, who contributes mostly filmed elements. “I’m delighted to be involved with this production as a person with a hidden disability,” says Georgina, who is studying History of Art at the University of York and enjoys acting and singing in her spare time.

“I am especially excited by the concept of changing long-standing views of certain historical characters and bringing them to life in a new light.”

The Basement has fully step-free access. For additional access information, go to: ttps://drive.google.com/file/d/19ifNiK1bF5P9a07KVGB-gTkJHfCcnKMU/view?usp=sharing. “The performance is captioned throughout so that we can open our doors to even more people and hopefully make it a inclusive environment,” says producer Eleanor Doig.

Looking ahead, Hephaestus Theatre is seeking to produce its own written piece about being a disabled artist.

Hephaestus Theatre in Richard iii Redux, The Basement, City Screen Playhouse, York, September 10, 7.30pm. Box office: : https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1996491477754?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond. Hutch’s List No 34, from The York Press

Mary Anning Rocks at Yorkshire Museum, York. Picture: Antony Chappel Ross

DINOSAUR adventures and the CBeebies house party, Sparks’ York return after 52 years and Leeds Festival’s summer serenade offer contrasts aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s choices for the days ahead.

Last-chance holiday activities: Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York, open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm

AS the school summer holidays enter their final fortnight, the Yorkshire Museum invites visitors to “make the most of the interactive activities, craft sessions and amazing exhibits before term starts again”.

Grab a dinosaur backpack to explore the Mary Anning and Jurassic galleries in dino-themed entertainment for younger ones, while spotting fossils and dino bones on their adventures on August 24 or 28. The final Melsonby Hoard treasure trove crafting session will be held on August 26, although Viking beaded jewellery and bug brooch making are available every day through the summer break. Pay once to receive all these free activities and unlimited return visits for a year. Tickets: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.

Nile Rodgers: Celebrating Good Times with CHIC at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Coastal gig of the week: Nile Rodgers & CHIC, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 22, gates open at 6pm

IN the final Scarborough Open Air Theatre concert of the summer, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner and composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers returns to the Yorkshire coast for the third time with CHIC, the New York City R&B and soul band he co-founded with Bernard Edwards.

Expect such disco dance-floor fillers as Le Freak, Good Times, We Are Family and I’m Coming Out. Acid jazz combo Brand New Heavies support. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Sparks’ Ron and Russell Mael: Returning to York after 52-year hiatus

York gig of the week: Sparks, York Barbican, August 25, doors open at 7pm  

NEXT Tuesday, cult Californian pop-rock pioneers Sparks play York for the first time since their November 2 1974 gig at the University of York.

Coinciding with their release of latest album Sparks Live On The Moon, the Mael brothers, Ron (keyboards), 81, and Russell (vocals), 77, are lining up a euphoric, career-spanning set, picking from such hits as This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us, Amateur Hour, Something For The Girl With Everything, The Number One Song In Heaven and Beat The Clock. Mr. B  The Gentleman Rhymer supports. Box office for returns only: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Justin Fletcher: Directing CBeebies House Party Live! at York Barbican, featuring special guest Mr Tumble

Children’s show of the week: CBeebies House Party Live!, York Barbican, August 26, 11am and 2pm

DIRECTED by CBeebies superstar Justin Fletcher, CBeebies House Party Live! is a fun-packed family stage show full of sensational songs, stupendous surprises and mega moments.

Throwing an epic party just for you will be Mr Tumble, Mister Maker, York Theatre Royal pantomime alumni Andy Day and Evie Pickerill, Duggee, Nigel Clarke and George Webster, who promise dancing, singing, streamers, giant jellies, bubbles galore and a CBeebies bedtime story. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

This Is The Kit: Through the round window at The Crescent, York

Recommended but sold out already: Please Please You & Brudenell Presents: This Is The Kit & Seamus Fogarty, The Crescent, August 27, 7.30pm

IN today’s fast-paced mid-apocalyptic world, it can feel like a waste of time to discuss time, but with This Is The Kit, alias songwriter/banjo strummer/pinhole camera lover/Winchester-born Paris dweller Kate Stables, time deserves a modicum of consideration. Why? Because Stables keeps making albums of cataclysmic honesty and welcoming tonal embraces.

Placing companionship at a premium, This Is The Kit welcomes you into its space, on record and in concert halls with Stables’supporting cast of Rozi Plain (bass), Jamie Whitby-Coles (drums) and Neil Smith (guitar). Irish-born, London-based alt-folk alchemist Seamus Fogarty supports. Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.

Dave: Headlining The Grid stage at Leeds Festival on August 30. Picture: Leeds Festival

Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, August 27 to 30

KASABIAN headline day one of Leeds Festival on The Grid stage, where The Lathums and Arkayla play too that day. Next Friday’s line-up on The Grid includes Blossoms, Role Model, Florence +The Machine and headliners Chase & Status Live, while headline-grabbing Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap play The Gallery that night. Look out too for Westside Cowboy and Paris Paloma in The Ballroom.

Next Saturday serves up York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy (12.30pm to 1pm), James Marriott, Declan McKenna, Skepta, Charlie XCX and bill-topping Fontaines D.C. on The Grid. Catch Geese in The Gallery too. Next Sunday’s Grid finale features Absolutely, Slayyyter, Maisie Peters, Sombr, Raye and the festival-closing Dave. Box office: leedsfestival.com/tickets.

Carolyn Coles: Hosting seascape painting workshop for beginners at South Bank Studios, Bishopthorpe Road, York

Workshop of the week: A Day At The Seaside with Carolyn Coles, South Bank Studios, Southlands Methodist Church, York, August 28, 10am to 5pm

SOUTH Bank Studios seascape painter Carolyn Coles hosts A Day At The Seaside, a workshop for beginners, in the Garden Room at South Bank Studios. “Start the day with the ‘Loosen Up and Feel The Flow’ workshop,” says Carolyn. “Then, in the afternoon, paint a panel and frame it.” Everything is included for £75. For more information and to book a place, email [email protected].

Looking ahead, Carolyn will take part in Staithes Festival of Arts & Heritage 2026 from September 11 to 13, when 113 artists will exhibit at 67 pop-up venues, alongside live music, heritage talks and outdoor screenings. General entry and the Artist Trail are free.

Lee Gemmell’s Egyptology student Edward Bellingham in Baron Productions’ The Mummy Lot No. 249

Thriller of the week: Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Mummy Lot No. 249, St Mary’s Church, Bishophill Junior, York, August 28 & 29, 7.30pm

FOUNDED by Daniel Wilmot in 2015, York company Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1892 one-act play The Mummy Lot No. 249 as its 2026 summer show, in which Oxford student Abercrombie Smith discovers his neighbour, Egyptology student Edward Bellingham, has used ancient magic to reanimate a malevolent mummy to terrorise and attack his rivals.

Wilmot’s cast features Jack McAdam as Smith, Lee Gemmell as Bellingham, M. Alder as Peterson, Lauren Hegarty as Hastie and Ellie Guffick as Monkhouse Lee. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.com/baron-productions.

The Snake Davis Band: Heading to Helmsley Arts Centre

Return upcoming: The Snake Davis Band, Everlasting Love Tour, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 12, 7.30pm

SAXOPHONIST Snake Davis is “so happy to be back at Helmsley Arts Centre yet again”, this time showcasing new tunes and his new album on the Everlasting Love Tour with his four-piece band featuring guitar, bass guitar and drums. 

The set list spans “floaty to danceable, soul and Northern Soul to pop, jazz to world”, embracing original material and classic sax pieces such as Baker Street and Night Train, as Snake swaps performing arena and stadium gigs with stellar acts for playing intimate venues with his own music choices and favourite musicians. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

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Gin up! Claire Sweeney to star as lush Miss Hannigan in Annie on tour at Grand Opera House. Tickets on sale from September 2

Claire Sweeney’s gin-guzzling Miss Hannigan in Nikolai Foster’s touring production of Annie. Picture: Paul Coltas

CORONATION Street and Brookside star Claire Sweeny will star as bitter, gin-drinking, child-hating New York City orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in Annie at the Grand Opera House, York, from January 12 to 16 2027.

Tickets will go on sale at atgtickets.com/york on Wednesday, September 2 at 10am for ATG members and 12 noon for general sales.

Sweeney last appeared at the Grand Opera House in April 2015, leading the cast as a relationship expert in Sex In Suburbia, an uplifting, revealing and raunchy comedy about dating disasters that she co-wrote with Mandy Muden.

Claire Sweeney, centre, in her last appearance at the Grand Opera House in Sex In Suburbia in 2015

In October 2010, she starred in a re-worked version of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s song cycle Tell Me On A Sunday, charting the romantic misadventures of a young English girl newly arrived in New York.

Next January, Claire arrives in old York in Michael Harrison and David Ian’s tour of Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan’s musical, set in 1930s’ New York in the mire of The Great Depression, where brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.

Her luck changes, however, when she is chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family.

Claire Sweeney’s Miss Hannigan on the orphanage rampage in Annie. Picture: Paul Coltas

Sweeney, 55, will be joined by Alex Bourne as Oliver Warbucks, Tanisha-Mae Brown as Grace Farrell, Christian Cooper as Rooster and Amber Kennedy as Lily St Regis.

In the company too will be Jack Buchanan, Harrison Burley, Zoë Canham, Sophie Elmes, Belle Kizzy Green, Issy Khogali, Yujin Park, Elliot David Parkes, Carl Sanderson, Michaela Stern, Matthew Sweet and Jessica Wright.

Victoria Alsina, Sophia Saravanan and June Young will share the role of Annie. The orphans will be Chloe Angiama, Freya Beer, Rachelle Bonfield-Bell, Olivia Brooks, Coco Chapman, Maddy Collings, Sienna Culm, Anna Deikalo, Dolly Ismail, Amber Koduah-Hutchison, Thandie Lalji, Jemima Lown, Kennedy-May McLeary, Mollie Moran, Myla Park, Blossom Rolston-Williams, Khit Thakhin and Marnie Rae Warren-Baker.

Amber Kennedy’s Lily St Regis, left, Claire Sweeney’s Miss Hannigan and Christian Cooper’s Rooster in Annie. Picture: Paul Coltas

Best known for It’s The Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow, the Tony Award-winning Annie combines Strouse’s music with Charnin’s lyrics and Meehan’s book.

The touring production is directed by North Yorkshireman Nikolai Foster, artistic director of Curve, Leicester, with set and costume design by Colin Richmond, choreography by Nick Winston, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Richard Brooker.

Sweeney, from Walton, Liverpool, is an actress, singer and television presenter. She plays series regular Cassie Plummer in Coronation Street and appeared in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside as Lindsey Corkhill on and off from June 1991 until the final episode, broadcast in November 2003.

Claire Sweeney’s Miss Hannigan making her point to the orphans in Annie. Picture: Paul Coltas

Her TV credits include roles in Clocking Off, Holby City, Merseybeat, Candy Cabs, Scarborough, The Good Ship Murder and Benidorm.

Claire’s many West End roles include Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, playing opposite Patrick Swayze, at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Claire’s further stage credits take in starring roles in national tours of 9 To 5 The Musical, Crazy For You, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Legally Blonde, Hairspray and September In The Rain and the title role of lippy Liverpool hairdresser-turned-Open University student Rita in Willy Russell’s Educating Rita, playing opposite Matthew Kelly’s cynical, alcoholic tutor Dr Frank Bryant.

Claire Sweeney in the tour poster for Annie

Sweeney has appeared in Willy Russell’s classic Shirley Valentine, White Christmas, Shout!, a world tour of Fosse and The Play What I Wrote too.

Tanisha-Mae Brown’s theatre credits include Singin’ In The Rain at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Guys And Dolls at The Bridge Theatre, Evita at Curve, Leicester, UK and Ireland tours of The Lion King and Chicago, A Mother’s Song at the Lowry, Salford, and Pippin at the Garden Theatre.

Christian Cooper played Rolf Gruber in The Sound Of Music at Curve, Leicester, directed by Nikolai Foster. Amber Kennedy’s theatre credits include the UK tour of Sister Act The Musical, UK and international tours of Joseph And tThe Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the international tour of West Side Story and the pantomimes Dick Whittington and Sleeping Beauty, both at Theatre Royal Windsor.

Claire Sweeney in the photoshoot portrait announcing her role as Miss Hannigan in Annie

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Gilbert O’Sullivan to mark 60 years of songwriting on autumn tour. New album On The Record to follow on November 6

Gilbert O’Sullivan: New tour, new album this autumn. Picture: Park Promotions

IN 1972 Gilbert O’Sullivan topped the American Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks with Alone Again (Naturally), a song later covered regularly by Morrissey in concert.

The Smiths frontman also has performed Nothing Rhymed and recorded I Didn’t Know What To Do, the B-side to somewhat obscure May 1971 single Susan Van Heusen, as the flipside to his 2018 single Back On The Chain Gang. “He sent me a recording with a full band – and he told me he liked my image too,” recalls Gilbert.

Dusty Springfield performed Nothing Rhymed on The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine on November 22 1971, while Alone Again (Naturally) has attracted at least 88 cover versions, from Nina Simone to Shirley Bassey, Neil Diamond to Pet Shop Boys & Elton John, Diana Krall & Michael Buble to Donny Osmond, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass to Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Mathis to Andy Williams. No wonder CMAT has called it “the greatest Irish song ever made”.

Born in Waterford, Ireland, and long resident in Jersey, triple Ivor Novello Award winner Gilbert will be turning 80 on December 1, but before then he will celebrate 60 Years Of Music on an autumn tour that will visit four Yorkshire locations: York, Bradford, Doncaster and Harrogate.

It will be a chance to revisit his UK chart toppers, 1972’s Clair and 1973’s Get Down, as well as such O’Sullivan favourites as No Matter How I Try, We Will, Matrimony, Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day, Why, Oh Why, Oh Why  and What’s In A Kiss?, the last of his 16 Top 40 entries from August 1980. 

Gilbert O’Sullivan in his early songwriting days. Picture: Park Promotions

Then add selections from his multiple studio albums that bear witness to his enduring gift for endearing tunefulness, unabashed sentiment and existentialist musings, with his last three reaching the Top Ten, Top 20 and Top 30 respectively.

60 years, Gilbert: where has all that time gone? “I guess I don’t think about it because I always look ahead, with the imminent release of a new album on November 6,” he says. “So we’ve been working on that. All new material, and there’s a duet with the lead singer from The Corrs, Andrea. A song called Is That You?

“On the last studio album [July 2022’s Driven], we had duets with Mick Hucknall [Let Bygones Be Bygones] and K. T. Tunstall [Take Love], which were rock songs, and this time there’s no piano, just acoustic guitar, like a folk song.

“We thought, ‘who could we have singing on this?’, and it was suggested Andrea would be a good choice. So we approached her and she did it in her own way in her own studio because technology is really good for letting you do that now. That will be released as a single, hopefully before the album comes out.”

“Without ever having bothered to look it up, I’m told it will be my 21st studio album,” he says. It will be entitled On The Record (a title shared with a 1976 spoken-word album by controversial British politician Enoch Powell, according to AI Overview). “Between my daughters, my management, my wife and my record company, all my possibilities were rejected,” says Gilbert. “If there were five people arguing about it, this one had three supporting it.

Gilbert O’Sullivan with guitarist Bill Shanley, who will join him for the 60 Years Of Music tour

“We did the album artwork in Nashville, where I was playing the Grand Ole Opry after they got in touch with us and I was asked to go there to perform three songs, What’s In A Kiss, Nothing Rhymed and Alone Again (Naturally), one with a band and two with Bill [guitarist Bill Shanley], who’ll be playing on tour with me.”

After working with producer Ethan Johns on his self-titled 2018 album, Gilbert recorded Driven with Andy Wright, . “I feel that by having a different producer, you get that difference you want. He’d worked with Simply Red and Simple Minds, so this was Simply O’Sullivan!” he says.

O’Sullivan and Wright then made Songbook, a collection of key songs from Gilbert’s expansive catalogue accrued over 55 years, recorded at Lafayette, King’s Cross, London in late 2023 for release in September 2024.

For On The Record, “I decided to go with Andy again, letting him choose the musicians, with some of them having played on the last album,” says Gilbert who recorded the 13 tracks over five days in Eastcote Studios in London. “They know how I work. I play the song to them on the piano, we rehearse it a few times, and then we do a take. No rocket science involved.

“There’s an element of a Sixties feel to a couple of tracks that I really liked, re-mixed with another producer in the USA, Tony Hoffer, who’s well respected in the production field, and it’s worked out really well on the album.”

The poster for Gilbert O’Sullivan’s tour, Celebrating 60 Years Of Music. Picture: Park Promotions

One song in particular addresses the ageing process. “We have a track called Growing Old Disgracefully, which I was anxious to get done before anyone else pinched it!” says Gilbert.

“We also have a song with a choir, made up of studio singers, to sing the chorus to See Us Gone. That song deals with the end of the world, Putin, and what’s going on now. That fear that one day someone is going to press that bl**dy button and we’ll all be gone.

“That’s what I like when writing songs. My songs are like newspapers with the common denominators as headlines, so you can incorporate things that are going on in the world, like on Nothing Rhymed too.”

Heading out on his 22-date tour from September 1 to November 8, pianist Gilbert travels with his own keyboard, rather than relying on each venue to provide him with a piano. “This keyboard allows me to face the audience, and the sound I get is proper sounding, with electric piano for a couple of songs,” he says.

“I have eight versions of one keyboard instrument now, including one in Nashville, one in Ireland and one in Denmark. They’re kept by people I’m working with, who are happy to put them up.

“In the beginning, of course, I used a grand piano – like I do when writing songs – and my voice could sing in concert pitch, then one tuned one below concert pitch, and now I have buttons on my keyboard that allow me to be one tone below concert pitch and a semi-tone below concert pitch.

“Morrissey told me he liked my image,” says Gilbert O’Sullivan, pictured in his trademark Charlie Chaplin-inspired garb when first making his name. Picture: Park Promotions

“It helps me because, as you get older, your voice drops and you have to drop your singing voice. I have a good voice but limited range so I make sure I’m in the right key.”

Gilbert conducts vocal exercises before each concert. “If you don’t have a good voice, forget it,” he says. “I look after my voice. I’ve had no issues, thank goodness.”

He has lived on the island of Jersey for more than 30 years, having moved there with his wife, Aase, to raise their two daughters. “I love it here. It’s just home,” says Gilbert, who has a studio there. “I’m not a social animal. I go on my walks; home life is great.

“My daughters look after the business for me. Tara is on the internet, doing the social media, which is so important for musicians now.”

Summing up 60 years of songwriting, Gilbert concludes: “Why are we able to keep doing it? You do it because of your love of music. You love what you’re hearing. You hear the chords of Burt Bacharach? You want that. I’m a rhythm pianist, I can’t tinkle the ivories, but we have the ability to write music because we love what we hear.”

Gilbert O’Sullivan, 60 Years Of Music 2026 Autumn Tour, Grand Opera House, York, September 22, doors 7.30pm; St George’s Hall, Bradford, September 27, doors 7.30pm; CAST, Doncaster, October 1, 7.30pm (sold out); Harrogate Theatre, October 30. Box office: York, 0333 009 6690 or atgtickets.com/york; Bradford, 01274 432000 or bradford-theatres.co.uk/st-georges-hall; Doncaster, for returns only, 01302 303959 or castindoncaster.com; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

The artwork for Gilbert O’Sullivan’s 21st studio album, On The Record, to be released on November 6 on BMG

What is the track listing for On The Record?

1. It’s Me

2. I Suppose

3. Growing Old Disgracefully

4. Go The Way I Came

5. I Must Be Going

6. Don’t Shout

7. She Never Ceases To Amaze Me

8. Our Love Is Gonna Grow

9. Is That You? (featuring Andrea Corr)

10. Wait

11. Minus Is A Plus With You

12. No Place Like Home

13. See Us Gone

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 34, from Gazette & Herald

Mary Anning Rocks at the Yorkshire Museum, York. Picture: Antony Chappel Ross

DINOSAUR museum adventures and the CBeebies house party, CHIC’s good times on the coast and Sparks’ York return after 52 years offer contrasts aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s choices for the days ahead.

Last-chance holiday activities: Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York, open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm

AS the school summer holidays enter their final fortnight, the Yorkshire Museum invites visitors to “make the most of the interactive activities, craft sessions and amazing exhibits before term starts again”.

Grab a dinosaur backpack to explore the Mary Anning and Jurassic galleries in dino-themed entertainment for younger ones, while spotting fossils and dino bones on their adventures on August 21, 24 or 28. The final Melsonby Hoard treasure trove crafting session will be held on August 26, although Viking beaded jewellery and bug brooch making are available every day through the summer break. Pay once to receive all these free activities and unlimited return visits for a year. Tickets: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.

No common ground: Pandora Clifford’s Mags and Liz Garland’s Liz in Handbagged at the SJT, Scarborough. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Political drama of the week: Handbagged, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, until August 29

MOIRA Buffini’s 2013 Olivier Award-winning play imagines what happened behind closed palace doors when two of the 20th century’s most powerful women, Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, locked handbags. Meeting once a week for 11 years, one believed there was no such thing as society; the other committed her life to serving it.

Spanning 1979 to 1990, Handbagged asks if The Queen and the Iron Lady ever found common ground or did their stiff upper lips reign supreme? Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder directs the SJT cast of Pandora Clifford, Liz Garland, Alexandra Mathie, Deven Modha, Simon Darwen and Meriel Scholfield. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

The Magic Numbers: Brothers and sisters in unison at The Crescent

Siblings of the week: An Evening With The Magic Numbers, The Crescent, York, Friday, 7.30pm

THE Magic Numbers combine two pairs of siblings, Romeo & Michele Stodart and Sean & Angela Gannon, who are known for their unique harmonies, melodic hooks, songwriting craftsmanship and timeless sound, exemplified by Forever Lost, Love Me Like You and Love Is A Game across five albums. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Nile Rodgers: Performing with CHIC at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Coastal gig of the week: Nile Rodgers & CHIC, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Saturday, gates open at 6pm

IN the final Scarborough Open Air Theatre concert of the summer, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner and composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers returns to the Yorkshire coast for the third time with CHIC, the New York City R&B and soul band he co-founded with Bernard Edwards.

Expect such disco dancefloor fillers as Le Freak, Good Times, We Are Family and I’m Coming Out. Acid jazz combo Brand New Heavies support. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Sparks’ Ron and Russell Mael: Playing York after 52-year hiatus on August 25. Picture: Munachi Osegbu

York gig of the week: Sparks, York Barbican, August 25, doors open at 7pm  

CULT Californian pop-rock pioneers Sparks play York for the first time since 1974 on their 2025-2026 world tour, coinciding with this month’s release of latest album Live On The Moon.

The Mael brothers, Ron (keyboards), 81, and Russell (vocals), 77, are lining up a euphoric, career-spanning set, picking from such hits as This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us, Amateur Hour, Something For The Girl With Everything, Looks, Looks, Looks, The Number One Song In Heaven and Beat The Clock. Mr. B  The Gentleman Rhymer supports. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The poster for CBeebies House Party Live! at York Barbican

Children’s show of the week: CBeebies House Party Live!, York Barbican, August 26, 11am and 2pm

DIRECTED by CBeebies superstar Justin Fletcher, CBeebies House Party Live! is a fun-packed family stage show full of sensational songs, stupendous surprises and mega moments.

Throwing an epic party just for you will be special guest Mr Tumble, Mister Maker, York Theatre Royal pantomime alumni Andy Day and Evie Pickerill, Duggee, Nigel Clarke and George Webster, who promise dancing, singing, streamers, giant jellies, bubbles galore and a CBeebies bedtime story. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Lee Gemmell’s Egyptology student Edward Bellingham in Baron Productions’ The Mummy Lot No. 249

Thriller of the month: Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Mummy Lot No. 249, St Mary’s Church, Bishophill Junior, York, August 28 & 29, 7.30pm

FOUNDED by Daniel Wilmot in 2015, York company Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1892 one-act play The Mummy Lot No. 249 as its 2026 summer show, in which Oxford student Abercrombie Smith discovers his neighbour, Egyptology student Edward Bellingham, has used ancient magic to reanimate a malevolent mummy to terrorise and attack his rivals.

Wilmot’s cast features Jack McAdam as Smith, Lee Gemmell as Bellingham, M. Alder as Peterson, Lauren Hegarty as Hastie and Ellie Guffick as Monkhouse Lee. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.com/baron-productions.

The artwork for the interactive Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote at Milton Rooms, Malton

Crime detection games ahead: Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote, Milton Rooms, Malton, September 2, 7.30pm  

HOSTED by super-fan, playwright and PopHorror  co-producer Tim Benzie, cult event Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote comes to Malton with an interactive screening of NBC Universal Television’s classic Murder, She Wrote episode A Fashionable Way To Die, wherein Jessica Fletcher visits Paris to support her friend’s fashion show, but soon a murder takes place that only she (or you) can solve.

Combining games, prizes and audience participation, Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote features a race to solve the crime, via the Fameometer and the Suspiciometer; a Cabot Cove quiz; a singalong to the theme tune with new lyrics, plus clips and biographies of the campy guest stars. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com. 

The Snake Davis Band: Heading back to Helmsley Arts Centre

Return upcoming: The Snake Davis Band, Everlasting Love Tour, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 12, 7.30pm

SAXOPHONIST Snake Davis is “so happy to be back at Helmsley Arts Centre yet again”, this time showcasing new tunes and his new album on the Everlasting Love Tour with his four-piece band featuring guitar, bass guitar and drums. 

The set will span “floaty to danceable, soul and Northern Soul to pop, jazz to world”, embracing original material and classic sax pieces such as Baker Street and Night Train, as Snake swaps performing arena and stadium gigs with stellar acts for playing intimate venues with his own music choices and favourite musicians.  Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Michelle Yim in The Ballad Of Mulan, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Malcolm Tam

Tour show announcement of the week: Red Dragonfly Productions & Grist To The Mill Productions present The Ballad Of Mulan, York Theatre Royal Studio, September 11, 7.45pm; September 12, 2pm & 7.45pm

COMMISSIONED and performed by West Yorkshire-born British-Chinese actress Michelle Yim, The Ballad Of Mulantells the story of the real woman behind the legendary Chinese female warrior who disguised as a man to join the Empire’s army – and inspired Disney’s animation and live-feature Mulan.

Woman, warrior, legend, for ten years Mulan has fought for the Chinese Empire. Now, after one last battle, she will be going home, but can she return to her old life, becoming a woman again? Yim’s hour-long The Ballad Of Mulan presents a search for identity in a violent world. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

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