Author: Charles Hutchinson

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More Things To Do in York and beyond. Hutch’s List No 36, from The York Press

Towering performances: Matthew Rutherford’s giant, Smog, and Jared More’s giant, Miff, in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s The Selfish Giant

A GIANT in a garden, Wendy turning piratical in a re-imagined Peter Pan, Alan Ayckbourn’s 92nd play and Wilko Johnson’s miraculous renaissance spark Charles Hutchinson’s attention in the week ahead.

Inspirational tale of love and generosity of the week: Riding Lights Theatre Company in The Selfish Giant, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, today, 1.30pm and 4.30pm

STEP into the magical world of the Giant’s garden, a place full of music, beauty, bird song and stories in Jon Boustead’s stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant. The Giant, however, is cross when he returns to find children – children! – playing happily in his beautiful orchard, whereupon he erects a big wall to terminate the fun.

Once winter seizes the garden in its icy fingers, will summer ever return? Through storytelling, interactive games, live music and puppetry, York company Riding Lights presents a 50-minute play for family audiences. Box office: 01904 613000 or friargatetheatre.co.uk. Age recommendation: Three upwards.

Neverland revamped: York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre in Wendy & Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal, today, 2pm and 7pm

YORK Theatre Royal Youth Theatre returns to the Main House stage for the first time since 2019 for 46 performers, aged eight to 19, to present Ella Hickson’s feminist take on J M Barrie’s Peter Pan in Lydia Crosland and Sophie-Jade Howell’s large-scale production.

A quiet sadness permeates the Darling household, until the unexpected arrival of a mischievous young boy called Peter and a rather sassy fairy, Tink, whereupon Wendy leads the rebellious lost boys, takes on the terrifying Captain Hook, finds the key to her parents’ lost happiness and discovers the power of being brave and strong. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

York actress Frances Marshall in rehearsal for Alan Ayckbourn’s first courtroom drama, The Trial Of Romeo Oscar. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Premiere of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, until October 4

ALAN Ayckbourn’s 92nd play is his first courtroom drama, one set in the future, as he explores the question that artists have been asking for centuries: what makes us human?

In 2194, humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on Earth looks very different. Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case. Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The evidence is polarising and selecting an impartial jury is proving a challenge. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Silky: Hooking up at York Barbican tonight

Comedy bill of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, featuring Silky and Dave Johns, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 8pm

SILKY, Liverpudlian-in-exile and international act, is joined by Dave Johns, North Eastern stand-up,  scriptwriter and stage and screen actor, and  Jimmy Shirley, whose material addresses growing up in Liverpool in the 1990s, the absurdity of being a Scouser in Greece and the everyday things that annoy him every day.

Completing the line-up will be Gary Jennison, a surrealist force of nature who brings unscripted, unbridled chaos to dance-offs, game shows and observations with a twist while inviting the audience to steer his performance with suggestions and participation. Box office: https://lolcomedyclubs.co.ukor on the door from 7.30pm subject to availability. 

See the world more curiously in: Be Like Blippi, York Barbican, today, 1pm and 4pm

JOIN Blippi and Meekah for a one-of-a-kind interactive adventure that inspires children to move, play and explore like Blippi in a new show packed with high-energy music and surprises, featuring fan favourites The Excavator Song, Monster Truck, Dino Dance and Curious Like Me.  

Equipped with Blippi’s signature mix of play, learning, and exploration, Be Like Blippi invites you to break out your orange Blippi glasses and ignite your spark of curiosity. Please note, Blippi and Meekah will be played by professional stage performers. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Andrew O’Neill: Charting the history of punk through the comedy lens. Picture: Andrew O’Neill

When punk rock meets comedy: Andrew O’Neill, History Of Punk, Theatre@41, Monkgate, tonight, 8pm

FRESH from asking “How do we get out of this mess” in his Halfway To Edinburgh preview of his surreal, political show Escape at Theatre@41 on July 24, cult comedian Andrew O’Neill returns to York, switching from suggesting ways we can find our way out of disagreements to refracting punk rock through stand-up comedy.

In the wake of A History Of Heavy Metal, he delivers a full-volume love letter to punk, from The Stooges to Pussy Riot, Amebix to X-Ray Spex. “Punk’s not dead,” says O’Neill, who has appeared on Good Omens, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Steve Coogan’s Saxondale. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

The Illegal Eagles: Checking in at the Hotel California

Tribute gig of the week: The Illegal Eagles, Hotel California Tour, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm

THE Illegal Eagles mark 30 years on the road in 2026 with their new Hotel California Tour.  Renowned for their vocal and guitar prowess and ability to re-create the legendary sound of the Eagles, the tribute act’s milestone itinerary features a full performance of the iconic Hotel California album, featuring Life In The Fast Lane, New Kid in Town and the unforgettable title track. Expect all the timeless Eagles greatest hits too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Jeanette Hunter’s Pearl, Jackie Cox’s Jan, Nicky Clay’s Shelley and Gemma McDonald’s Linda in MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines

Racing romp of the week: MARMiTE Theatre in Ladies Day, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 8 to 12, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

LIFE is one long slog for four fish factory packers from Hull, Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda, but their fortunes could change when they head to Knavesmire on the day Royal Ascot came to York in 2005.

Factory hairnets make way for fascinators as the friends hit the racecourse for an unforgettable day out. Secrets are spilled, along with copious amounts of champagne, as friendships are tested to the limits in Martyn Hunter’s s production of Amanda Whittington’s comedy gem. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Georgina Fairbanks and Johnson Willis in Jonathan Maitland’s Wilko: Love and Death and Rock’n’Roll. Picture: Nick Haeffner

Punk godfather of the week: Wilko: Love and Death and Rock’n’Roll , York Theatre Royal, September 10 to 12, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee   

WHEN Dr Feelgood co-founder and iconic guitarist Wilko Johnson faced a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2012, he was given only one year left to live. Declining medical intervention, Wilko chose to dedicate his remaining time to a meaningful farewell tour of the people and places that defined his life…only for an unexpected miracle to change the narrative entirely.

Jonathan Maitland’s Wilko: Love and Death and Rock’n’Roll examines the life of this punk-movement godfather, tracing a career that spanned Dr Feelgood, the Solid Senders, Ian Dury and The Blockheads and a late-career turn to acting in Game Of Thrones. Integrating live music and storytelling with Wilko’s own words, this show serves as a practical masterclass in living life to the fullest. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. 

Movies In The Moonlight in Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema’s season at York Museum Gardens

Cinema event of the week: Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema, Movies In The Moonlight, York Museum Gardens, September 11 to 13, 6.30pm

CITY Screen Picturehouse moves outdoors for three evenings of open-air screenings, comprising Grease (PG) on September 11, The Shining (15) and Evolution Of Horror podcast introduction on September 12 and Jurassic Park (12A) on September 13. Screenings start at dusk or as soon as darkness falls.

Blankets, cushions and small picnic chairs are allowed. A limited number of deck chairs will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis; rain ponchos can bought at the event, should the need arise Guests are encouraged to take away waste for recycling where possible. Box office: picturehouses.com/outdoor-cinema/venue/york-museum-gardens.

Uh Oh, here comes Phil Wang’s moustache, “bristling with wisdom” at York Barbican

New moustache of the week: Phil Wang: Uh Oh, York Barbican, September 11, 7.30pm

PHILIP Nathaniel Wang Sin Goi is a Malaysian-British stand-up comedian, comedy writer and member of the sketch comedy group Daphne, who co-created the BBC Radio 4 series Daphne Sounds Expensive.

Now comes his new stand-up show, Uh Oh. In the words of Phil, “he’s older than ever before. He’s got a moustache now. It bristles with wisdom. His eyes shine with good humour. His shoulders groan under the weight of being the only cool millennial left. Everyone’s an idiot but him. Nice is out. Right is in. The vibe shift is real. Old Wang’s riding it.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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REVIEW: York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre, Wendy & Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal ****

Agnes as Tiger Lily, left, Esther as Wendy and Lottie as Tink in York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s Wendy & Peter Pan. Picture James Drury

THIS large-scale production marks York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s return to the Main House for the first time since 2019.

In scratching that seven-year-itch, it must be hoped that such appearances become a more regular occurrence to complement the smaller shows performed by the various age groups each year.

No fewer than 46 performers aged eight to 19 are participating in head of communities Lydia Crosland and departing head of youth theatre Sophie-Jade Howell’s co-production, supported by seven young people working backstage.

As the title suggests, Wendy & Peter Pan switches the focus to Esther’s plucky Wendy Darling in Ella Hickson’s girl power revamp of J M Barrie’s tale, where Lottie’s Tink blossoms as a sassy, punk-rock Geordie fairy, Sylvie’s Mrs Darling joins the Suffragettes and takes up work as a seamstress two days a week and Agnes’s Tiger Lily is fearlessly free-spirited. The villainous Hook is now female too (as played by Molly; no surnames are included in the digital programme), along with sidekick Smee (Lily).

Harry’s Peter and cast members in York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s Wendy & Peter Pan. Picture: James Drury

The men, more particularly Mr Darling (Connor) and the eldest Darling boy, lanky John (Aidan), have lessons to learn and attitudes to be changed in how they look upon women. Hickson stirs the pot and heats the plot with mockery of Edwardian stereotypes and male ego-deflating humour that strikes home with all present. John, you will learn how to use an iron.

Peter (Harry) is a more serious, mysterious and mystical figure than the hands-on-hips, flighty boy In Barrie’s story, here burdened by the need to defeat Hook at all costs, reckless in his treatment of Wendy, but still lithe, athletic and nimble.

A fourth Darling child, the ailing Tom (Elliott), is central to Hickson’s version, his departure from his bed in Peter’s arms inducing divisive grief in the Darling parents and spurring Wendy to try to find him, joined by John and his rather perkier younger brother Michael (Percy).

Kate Marshall’s open-plan town house, Neverland and Jolly Roger set designs are kept busy, busy, busy with an ever-changing roster of Lost Boys, fairies, pirates and more besides, topped off by the Crocodile, divided into linking body parts, each carried at head height. Among the supporting stand-outs are Astrid’s feisty Tootles and Angus’s Martin, who revels in the riff on Dirty Dancing: “No-one puts the camp boy in the corner”.

Lily’s Smee, left, and Molly’s Hook in Wendy & Peter Pan. Picture: James Drury

Not every line is delivered with clarity, while battle scenes are deliberately prone to chaos under York Dance Space’s movement direction, where the Darling children’s flight through the night sky takes the form of being lifted into the air rather than wire-rigging and harnesses. Harry’s Peter evokes flying through gymnastic movement too.

Joe Allen’s compositions and sound design are light on the feet, often playful but moving too when the mood demands.

At the heart of Hickson’s punchy reinvention – “Bog off” exclamation et al – is Wendy no longer being satisfied with merely  “playing mother”, but leading the campaign against Hook’s ragbag pirates, overcoming Tink’s initial jealousy  and bonding with Tiger Lily. How fitting that Esther’s Wendy should take a solo round of applause after everyone else has left the stage.

York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre in Wendy & Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal, 7pm tonight; 2pm & 7pm tomorrow. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre cast members revelling in performing Wendy & Peter Pan on the Main House stage. Picture: James Drury

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Emeli Sandé to play York Barbican on February 4 2027 on Our Version Of Events tour. When do tickets go on sale?

Emeli Sandé: York date on Our Version Of Events tour

EMELI Sandé will play York Barbican on February 4 2027 on her 13-date date tour to mark the 15th anniversary of her landmark debut album Our Version Of Events.

Sunderland-born, Aberdeenshire-raised Sandé, 39, will perform her eight-time platinum album in full alongside her greatest hits. Tickets go sale on Friday, September 11 at 9am at yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Our Version Of Events was the biggest-selling album in the UK of 2012 and 2013, achieving more than five million sales worldwide.

Featuring the singles Next To Me, Read All About It (Pt. III) and Clown and noted for its emotional depth, the album won British Album of the Year at the 2013 BRIT Awards, while Next To Me received two Ivor Novello Awards.

Emeli Sandé’s poster for next February’s tour

Our Version Of Events spent an extraordinary 66 consecutive weeks in the UK Official Albums Chart Top Ten, setting a record for the longest unbroken Top Ten run by a debut album, surpassing the 62-week stretch of The Beatles’ Please Please Me.

Sandé’s career has brought her four BRIT Awards while establishing her as a highly sought-after songwriter, having collaborated with Rihanna, Katy Perry and Alicia Keys. In 2018, she received an MBE for her services to music.

As well as playing headline tours and major festivals, she performed at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games. On September 12, she will appear alongside Chaka Khan, Lulu, The Script, ABC, Jack Savoretti and Texas at BBC Radio 2 in the Park at City Park, Stirling, Scotland.

As part of National Album Day’s “Icons” theme, Sandé will release a special gold vinyl edition of Our Version Of Events on October 17, in celebration of its lasting cultural impact, available to pre-order at https://emelisande.tmstor.es/preview/login. 

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MARMiTE Theatre’s racecourse comedy-drama Ladies Day comes under starter’s orders at Theatre@41, Monkgate

Jeanette Hunter’s Pearl, left, Jackie Cox’s Jan, Nicki Clay’s Shelley and Gemma McDonald’s Linda in MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines

YORK company MARMiTE Theatre’s second production, Amanda Whittington’s racecourse comedy-drama Ladies Day, comes under starter’s orders  next Tuesday.

Rehearsals are in the final furlong for artistic director and company founder Martyn Hunter’s production at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from September 8 to 12.

Premiered at Hull Truck Theatre in June 2005, Ladies Day’s tale of friendship, sisterly support and, above all, love follows Hull fish-filleting factory packers Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda as they embark on Pearl’s “I’m not retiring” leaving-do.

Out go the hairnets, wellies and overalls, in come the outrageous hats, high heels and posh frocks, as the four friends set off for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot in the one-off summer when the racing festival relocated to York’s Knavesmire course in 2005.

Jackie Cox’s Jan in rehearsal for MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines

“As the racing begins and the champagne flows, we find out there is more to the mundane fish-packing lives of our four friends than we first thought,” says Martyn. “As the day unfolds and the races go by, we see their loves, losses and insecurities laid bare, but if their luck holds they could still hit the jackpot and a lot more besides.”

Jeanette Hunter’s Pearl will be joined in MARMiTE Theatre’s cast by Jackie Cox’s Jan, Nicki Clay’s Shelley, Gemma McDonald’s Linda, Chris Gibson’s Joe, Stuart Rae’s Fred and Kevin, Robbie Howe’s Jim, Martyn Hunter’s Barry and Trevor Britain’s Patrick and Tony Christie (yes, the South Yorkshire crooner).

Ladies Day has since spawned Whittington’s plays Ladies Down Under and Ladies Unleashed, but MARMiTE Theatre picked her original play as the racing cert for a winning production. “It was on our radar for quite some time, and then our hand was forced by not being able to do our second Vicar Of Dibley production, The Second Coming, as the follow-up to our sold-out November 2025 debut,” says Martyn.

“Or, rather, we decided not to do it, because the story of Hugo and Alice setting out on married life and parenthood was heavily written around the Christmas Nativity and the birth of their fist child.

MARMiTE Theatre artistic director Martyn Hunter

“We had permission from Ian Gower to adapt the script, but we didn’t think a September run quite gelled with a Christmas setting. Ladies Day was always in my mind to do and we knew we wouldn’t have any problems staging it.”

Last performed at Theatre@41, Monkgate, by Robert Readman’s company Pick Me Up Theatre in 2019, Ladies Day appealed to Martyn on several grounds. “Firstly, Amanda Whittington is one of the attractions because people know of the quality of the plays she’s written. Then there are the local connections: the four women coming from Hull, and York Racecourse – everyone of a certain age remembers Royal Ascot coming to York and all the chaos and opportunities that went with it!

“The  play also fits MARMiTE Theatre’s ethos of presenting light comedies, not deep-thinking plays. Audiences can buy a ticket, have a great time, go home.”

Martyn suggests audiences and actors alike are drawn to Whittington’s characters being ‘real people’. “Just to read it, it’s such a funny play that people can identify with, but then when you start rehearsing it, you realise they’re not superficial characters. They’re deeper than that, which is true to life. Everyone has a story to tell,” he says.

Off to the races: Jackie Cox’s Jan, left, Nicki Clay’s Shelley, Gemma McDonald’s Linda and Jeanette Hunter’s Pearl, front, in MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines

York pantomime luminary Martin Barrass memorably played all the male characters in the Hull Truck premiere, but Martyn made the decision to divide the parts this time. “I’m glad we’ve spread them across five actors, who bring different qualities to the characters,” he says.

“I’ve looked at clips of amateur companies doing the show with one actor doing all the male roles, and often the actor looks ludicrous when playing the jockey. We have a guy called Trevor Britain in that role, who looks the part. He’s been in his local panto for years and has done a couple of shows with Escrick Monday Players. He’s the right stature, and even before opening his mouth, you think, ‘yeah, he could be a jockey’.”

Martyn handpicked Jeanette Hunter for Pearl, Jackie Cox for Jan, Nicki Clay for Shelley and Rowntree Players pantomime regular Gemma McDonald for Linda from “being in shows with them or seeing them on stage”. “I knew they were highly competent to take on their roles, and they all have that fun, easy-going character about them, which makes them great to work with,” he says.

“Rehearsing through July and August has been enlightening and enjoyable, but at the same a nightmare,” he jokes. “Can you imagine spending every Sunday with four loud, giggly ladies?! But at the end of the day, you will see the sacrifice has been worthwhile!

Jackie Cox’s Jan and Jeanette Hunter in fish-filleting garb in rehearsal for MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines

“They’re all good for a laugh and nobody takes themselves too seriously, which is a big part of making rehearsals work. They’re good company to be with and it’s just a bonus that they’re all such talented actresses.”

Martyn has turned his hand to the set design too, one that will feature a racecourse mural, painted specially for the production by Lucy Baines. “It will all come together on Monday afternoon in time for Tuesday,” he says.

Looking ahead, a second coming for The Vicar Of Dibley: The Second Coming  could yet be on the cards for MARMITE Theatre. “I’m still very hopeful that we can do it in November 2027 at Theatre@41,” says Martyn. Watch this space.

MARMiTE Theatre in Ladies Day, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 8 to 12, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Did you know?

MARTYN and Jeanette Hunter are no strangers to enjoying Ladies Day, having attended Ladies Day at Ripon Racecourse for the past decade.

MARMiTE Theatre’s poster for Ladies Day at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

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Spoken word gig of the week:  Say Owt: Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries by Pete the Temp, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 7.30pm, doors 7pm

The poster for Romantics, Mystics And Revolutionaries

PETE the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics And Revolutionaries is a spoken-word show about rebellion and imagination.

The 1800s’ Romantic movement began as a rebellion: against empire, industry and the mechanisation of the soul. Yorkshire became the epicentre of its rebellion. ​

Tonight’s storytelling stage show by spoken-word poet, author and comic Pete Bearder, alias Pete the Temp, fuses scholarship with music, comedy and poetry. Witness a spellbinding history of riot, repression and psychedelic experimentation.

Pete the Temp, pictured performing at The Lightscaper Green Gathering. Picture: petethetemp.co.uk

As we face this age of despair, find out what we can learn from past dreams of freedom and renewal. Expect enchantment, resistance and wild imagination from Pete the Temp, whose work has featured on BBC Radio 4, Newsnight and BBC World Service.

Pete is a former Hammer & Tongue UK Poetry Slam champion and has performed in more than 15 countries with organisations that include the British Council. His live show combines poetry with human-beatbox, stand-up poetry and experimental sound poetry. His solo performances often incorporate loop machines and FX machinery or come in the form of multimedia performance lectures.

Bangladeshi-Geordie spoken-word poet,storyteller and creative practitioner Tahmina Ali is tonight’s support act. Rooted in lived experience, her work cuts through silence with honesty, tenderness and political edge as she explores identity, belonging, motherhood, mental health and cultural inheritance through a distinctly northern lens.

Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/events/333bcde0-bcb0-4f2d-afb6-8d0f3b93d9c6/booking.

Spoken-word poet, storyteller and facilitator Tahmina Ali. Picture: tahminaali.co.uk

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Gag of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, Silky & Dave Johns, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, 5/9/2026

Silky: Liverpudlian-in-exile in York this weekend

LAUGH Out Loud Comedy Club promoter Damion Larkin serves  up Saturday’s 8pm bill of Silky, Dave Johns, Jimmy Shirley and Gary Jennison at The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York.

Liverpudlian-in-exile Silky made the final of the 1995 BBC New Comedy Awards in only his fourth gig, appearing on BBC1 alongside Lee Mack (Would I Lie To You? and Not Going Out) and Leeds comic Julian Barratt (Mighty Boosh).

Silky has performed internationally, including gigs in China, the Philippines, the Gulf, Singapore, the United States, the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Glastonbury Festival and all over Europe.

Dave Johns: Comedian and actor

He headlined the inaugural Frampton Mansell Comedy Festival, the world’s smallest of its kind, and does warm-up work for BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Dave Johns has been a stand-up since 1989, playing all the major comedy clubs and comedy festivals in the UK and worldwide, such as Kilkenny Comedy Festival in Ireland, Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne Comedy Festival.

He has worked on stage in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Sydney, New York, Amsterdam and the Arctic.

Jimmy Shirley: ” The absurdity of a Scouser in Greece”

In addition, he is a scriptwriter whose credits include the stage adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Shawshank Redemption, co-written with Owen O’Neill.

He has acted on the West End stage with Christian Slater in the stage play One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and in Twelve Angry Men and The Odd Couple (with Bill Bailey and Alan Davies) at the Assembly Theatre, Edinburgh.

He won the 2016 BIFA for Best Actor for his lead role in Ken Loach’s film I, Daniel Blake and has been a regular guest on comedy panel shows Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC2) and 8 Out Of Ten Cats (Channel 4).

Gary Jennison: Surrealist force of nature

Jimmy Shirley started his comedy career while living abroad in Greece in 2019. Word soon spread and now he is making his mark in the UK too with his jokes about growing up in Liverpool in the 1990s, the absurdity of a Scouser in Greece and the everyday things that annoy him every day.

Completing the line-up will be Gary Jennison, a surrealist force of nature who brings 100 per cent unscripted, unsupervised and unbridled chaos to dance-offs, game shows and observations with a twist while inviting the audience to steer his performance with suggestions and participation.

Tickets are on sale at https://lolcomedyclubs.co.uk or on the door from 7.30pm subject to availability. 

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Under starter’s orders: Antony Pickthall appointed poet in residence at Ripon Racecourse with Arts Council support

Poet Antony Pickthall

RIPON Racecourse has appointed poet and author Antony Pickthall as its first Poet in Residence, believed to be the first role of its kind at a Yorkshire racecourse.

Supported by funding from Arts Council England, the six-month residency will see Pickthall create a series of original poems inspired by Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse, its unique atmosphere and the people, traditions and stories that shape the world of racing.

The project aims to connect audiences with the racecourse in new and unexpected ways by combining creative writing with digital technology.

The poems will be published initially through Ripon Races’ Facebook channels before becoming permanently accessible around the racecourse using augmented reality. Visitors will be able to scan QR codes at key locations to hear performances of the poems read by the author.

The initiative is designed to celebrate the cultural heritage of racing while encouraging wider participation in creative writing and making poetry more accessible to new audiences.

Antony says: “The funding will allow me to explore my poetry and celebrate one of the best-loved racecourses in the UK in a different way, hopefully capturing some of what makes Ripon special. It’s also an opportunity to promote creative writing and to use new technology to present it.”

The residency reflects Ripon Racecourse’s commitment to broadening its cultural offer and creating new ways for visitors to engage with the venue beyond raceday traditions.

James Hutchinson, managing director of Ripon Racecourse, says: “Ripon Racecourse has always been about more than just the action on the track. We are proud of our heritage, our setting and the stories that make Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse such a special place.

“Appointing a Poet in Residence gives us an exciting opportunity to celebrate those stories in a fresh and engaging way, while introducing new audiences to both racing and the arts.

“By combining poetry with augmented reality technology, we hope visitors will experience the racecourse differently, discovering moments of reflection and creativity alongside the excitement of a race day.”

Antony Pickthall is a British author, playwright, poet and screenwriter originally from West Sussex and now based in North Yorkshire. He writes across a wide range of genres, including children’s and literary fiction, horror and fantasy.

His theatre work includes All Heads Turn, Bath Party, Catch The Pigeon and The Stunning Flight Of Archibald Bone. His screenwriting credits include commissions for Channel 4, Granada and independent producers.

Pickthall published his debut short story collection in 2019 and is working on his first poetry collection. He also edits Charles Hutchinson and Graham Chalmers’ weekly arts podcast Two Big Egos In A Small Car.

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Riding Lights brings magical storytelling and plant-potting to The Selfish Giant at Friargate Theatre and on autumn tour

Matthew Rutherford, left, and Jared More in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s The Selfish Giant

RIDING Lights Theatre Company steps back into the magical world of the Giant’s garden in this season’s revival of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant.

Premiered under the artistic direction of the late Paul Burbridge in 2019, Jon Boustead’s stage adaptation of Wilde’s story from his 1888 collection The Happy Prince And Other Tales is being revived by the York company at Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, this week ahead of this autumn’s 18-date tour, all preceded by a performance at The Big Feastival over the  August Bank Holiday weekend on Blur bassist Alex James’s farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire.

Artistic director Paul Birch directs Riding Lights returnees Jared More and Matthew Rutherford in an itinerary that will take in further Yorkshire performances at The Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds, September 13 (2pm); Skipton Town Hall, September 18 (11am & 2pm); CAST, Doncaster, September 27 (11am & 2pm); St Edmund’s Church, Roundhay, Leeds, September 28 (5pm); Gate Helmsley Village Hall, October 1 (6.30pm); Junction, Goole, October 4 (2pm), and Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, October 26 (2pm & 6pm) and October 27 (11am and 2pm).

In a 50-minute show full of music, beauty, bird song and stories, the Giant is cross when he returns to find children – children! – playing happily in his beautiful orchard. Every day after school, they laugh and play games under the blossom trees, prompting him to erect a big wall to terminate their fun. Worse still, once winter seizes the garden in its icy fingers, will summer ever come back?

Riding Lights brings a fast-moving combination of storytelling, interactive games, live music and puppetry to The Selfish Giant’s inspirational tale of love and generosity, suitable for children aged three upwards and their families.

Performances at 1.30pm and 4.30pm at Friargate Theatre will be complemented by free craft activities, available each day between 12.30pm and 6pm in the café/bar space, and a meet & greet with Jared and Matthew will follow each performance.

Jared, last seen on Riding Lights duty in Christmas Inn Trouble last winter, will play Jack, the Storyteller, as well as voicing the puppet of a little boy and joining Matthew in playing the daffodils Daffy and Dil and wintry double act Snow and Frost. Matthew will be Smog the Giant on his return to Riding Lights after appearing in Night Falls and As You Like It.

Jared More and Matthew Rutherford’s daffodil duo Daffy and Dil in Riding Lights’ The Selfish Giant

“One of my first jobs after theatre training was appearing in The Selfish Giant in Riding Lights’ Christmas tour in 2019, directed by Paul Burbridge, when we toured mainly around North Yorkshire,” recalls Jared, who bears a distinctive Isle of Man accent. “We them made a film version, filmed in 2020 when Covid restrictions were lifted before locking down again for Christmas that year.”

Paul is delighted that Riding Lights is revisiting The Selfish Giant, a story that shows another side to Oscar Wilde. “He wrote a lot of children’s stories and this one really fits in with those stories being sweet and kind and loving, when we think of Wilde having an acerbic wit in his comedies of manners. The Selfish Giant shows a side of him that people maybe don’t know as well.”

At the same time, the imposition of barriers in The Selfish Giant chimes with his own experiences.  “Wilde knew what it was like to be excluded,” says Paul. “In the story, you have to go to a sad place to then have the redemption arc,” says Jared.

“It’s also about friendship and care, with a message that when someone is feeling sad, it’s best to stick around,” says Paul. “I like how the little boy brings care back to Smog’s life,” says Jared.

“If someone thinks the story is about bereavement, that works,” says Paul. “If they think it’s about lost friendship, that works too.” “Or if they think it’s about bullying, that also works,” says Matthew.

“As it’s a story for age three upwards, we’ve talked about it being about an emotional, rather than intellectual, response,” says Paul. “I love that we can make a work that is playful and celebratory  but it’s also not frightened to tread on emotional territory – and you can really feel that emotional response being experienced together in the room.”

Matthew says: “It’s fun to perform, particularly with it being interactive, so there are these emotional moments that really hit home, but we also get the children in the audience  to plant flowers in the Giant’s garden and later water them – and there’s something magical about that.

The Selfish Giant director Paul Birch

“Those moments connect us and we can honour children being part of the creative process, engaging with them in a way that is a privilege for us, when that would be harder with older audiences.”

Jared says: “One of the things I love about it is the essential ‘liveness’ to the show, where we’re actively inviting involvement. You have to go with how they react, so you are co-creating with the children, collaborating with them, which is something I love with children’s shows.”

Matthew adds: “There are those moments where the children can be complicit in it, like when a child spotted I had the wrong sock on the wrong foot and I could then acknowledge that they’d spotted it.”

This week’s audiences should expect a show delivered at breakneck pace. “That’s not to say it doesn’t have light and shade, but it’s definitely high energy,” says Jared.  

“But we’ve also trimmed it slightly to focus on the storytelling in the slower moments, which then resonate more,” says Matthew.

“It’s not frenzied storytelling, but when the show’s fast, it really is fast,” says Paul.

Riding Lights Theatre Company  presents The Selfish Giant, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate Theatre, York, until Saturday, 1.30pm and 4.30pm, and then on tour from September 12 to October 29. Box office: ridinglights.org/theselfishgiant.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 36, from Gazette & Herald

Jared More, left, and Matthew Rutherford in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s The Selfish Giant

A GIANT in a  garden, Wendy turning piratical in a re-imagined Peter Pan,  a slapstick take on The Three Musketeers and an enlightening Helmsley exhibition are among Charles Hutchinson’s highlights in the week ahead.

Inspirational tale of love and generosity of the week: Riding Lights Theatre Company in The Selfish Giant, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, until Saturday, 1.30pm and 4.30pm

STEP into the magical world of the Giant’s garden, a place full of music, beauty, bird song and stories in Jon Boustead’s stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant. The Giant, however, is cross when he returns to find children – children! – playing happily in his beautiful orchard, whereupon he erects a big wall to put a stop to all the fun.

Once winter seizes the garden in its icy fingers, will summer ever return? Through storytelling, interactive games, live music and puppetry, York company Riding Lights presents a 50-minute play for family audiences. Box office: 01904 613000 or friargatetheatre.co.uk. Age recommendation: Three upwards.

York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s cast in Wendy & Peter Pan. Picture: James Drury

Neverland revamped: York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre in Wendy & Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow to Saturday, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee

YORK Theatre Royal Youth Theatre returns to the Main House stage for the first time since 2019 for 46 performers, aged eight to 19, to present Ella Hickson’s feminist take on J M Barrie’s Peter Pan in Lydia Crosland and Sophie-Jade Howell’s large-scale production.

A quiet sadness permeates the Darling household, until the unexpected arrival of a mischievous young boy called Peter and a rather sassy fairy, Tink, whereupon Wendy leads the rebellious lost boys, takes on the terrifying Captain Hook, finds the key to her parents’ lost happiness and discovers the power of being brave and strong. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

The poster for Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries

Spoken-word gig of the week: Say Owt presents Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries by Pete the Temp, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

POET, author and comic Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries is a spoken-word show about rebellion, resistance and wild imagination. The 1800s’ Romantic movement began as a rebellion: against empire, industry and the mechanisation of the soul. Yorkshire became the epicentre of its rebellion. ​

Tomorrow’s storytelling stage show fuses scholarship with music, comedy and poetry in a spellbinding history of riot, repression and psychedelic experimentation. As we face this age of despair, find out what we can learn from past dreams of freedom and renewal. Bangladeshi-Geordie spoken-word poet and creative practitioner Tahmina Ali supports with her explorations of identity, belonging, motherhood, mental health and cultural inheritance, viewed through a distinctly northern lens. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Our Star Theatre Company: Whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps in The Three Musketeers

Slapstick silliness of the week: Our Star Theatre Company in The Three Musketeers, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Friday, 7.30pm  

OUR Star Theatre Company’s re-telling of The Three Musketeers is packed with humour, audience participation and energetically silly turns as a small troupe of performers gears up for its debut performance of Alexandre Dumas’s story.

However, what starts as a simple theatrical endeavour soon unravels into a whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps. From forgotten lines to chaotic set changes, the actors become entangled in a series of blunders. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

York actress Frances Marshall in rehearsal for Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Premiere of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Friday to October 4

ALAN Ayckbourn’s 92nd play is his first courtroom drama, one set in the future, as he explores the question that artists have been asking for centuries: what makes us human?

In 2194, humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on Earth looks very different. Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case. Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The evidence is polarising and selecting an impartial jury is proving a challenge. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

See the world more curiously in: Be Like Blippi, York Barbican, Saturday, 1pm and 4pm

JOIN Blippi and Meekah for a one-of-a-kind interactive adventure that inspires children to move, play and explore like Blippi in a new show packed with high-energy music and surprises, featuring fan favourites The Excavator Song, Monster Truck, Dino Dance and Curious Like Me.  

Equipped with Blippi’s signature mix of play, learning, and exploration, Be Like Blippi invites you to break out your orange Blippi glasses and ignite your spark of curiosity. Please note, Blippi and Meekah will be played by professional stage performers. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The Illegal Eagles: Checking into the Hotel California at York Barbican

Tribute gig of the week: The Illegal Eagles, Hotel California Tour, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm

THE Illegal Eagles mark 30 years on the road in 2026 with their new Hotel California Tour.  Renowned for their vocal and guitar prowess and ability to re-create the legendary sound of the Eagles, the tribute act’s milestone itinerary features a full performance of the iconic Hotel California album, featuring Life In The Fast Lane, New Kid in Town and the unforgettable title track. Expect all the timeless Eagles greatest hits too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Robert Dutton & Andrew Moodie: Launching Into The Light exhibition at Helmsley Arts Centre

Exhibition of the week: Robert Dutton & Andrew Moodie, Into The Light, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 8 to 30

THIS exhibition presents landscapes that evoke a strong affinity for different reasons. Dramatic mountainous terrain, breathtaking moorland landscapes and coastal sea sand and communities all have their place.

“We hope that Into the Light may extend beyond the artwork to suggest a sense of optimism, moving from darkness to light, in a sometimes troubled world,” say artists Robert Dutton and Andrew Moodie. “The paintings are presented both to inspire you and also to bring you that same sense of awe and wonder with nature that we felt as we painted them, enjoying the unique quality of the light that led us to each location.”

Jeanette Hunter’s Pearl, left, Jackie Cox’s Jan, Nicki Clay’s Shelley and Gemma McDonald’s Linda in MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines

Racing romp of the week: MARMiTE Theatre in Ladies Day, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 8 to 12, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

LIFE is one long slog for four fish factory packers from Hull, Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda, but their fortunes could change when they head to Knavesmire on the day Royal Ascot came to York in 2005.

Factory hairnets make way for fascinators as the friends hit the racecourse for an unforgettable day out. Secrets are spilled, along with copious amounts of champagne, as their friendships are tested to the limits in Martyn Hunter’s s production of Amanda Whittington’s comedy gem. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/

Louisa Ashdown in the rehearsal room for Hephaestus Theatre’s Richard iii Redux

Introducing: Hephaestus Theatre in Richard iii Redux, The Basement, City Screen Playhouse, York, September 10, 7.30pm

UNIVERSITY of York theatre graduates Eleanor Doig (producer) and Louisa Ashdown (director and performer) introduce new York company Hephaestus Theatre in Kaite O’Reilly and Phillip Zarrilli’s dark comedy Richard iii Redux.

The company’s mission is to tell disabled stories and put disabled and neuro-diverse actors on stage and behind the scenes, this time with Ashdown playing The Actor opposite Georgina Way’s Presenter (on film) in a journey to find who the real Richard iii was while exploring the challenges of being a disabled actor. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk.

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Jazz singer Beverley Beirne to showcase new songs at The Old Paint Shop at York Theatre Royal Studio on October 10

Beverley Beirne

ILKLEY jazz singer Beverley Beirne will play The Old Paint Shop cabaret season on her return to York Theatre Royal Studio on October 10.

“For this performance, I’ll be singing material from both my latest albums, some fantastic jazz standards from the Great American Songbook, jazz arrangements of other genres, original songs by Duncan Lamont and a preview of some of my compositions that I hope to record next year as part of my fourth studio album,” says Beverley, who first brought her trio to the Theatre Royal Studio in February 2025.  

“Alongside me will be London jazz stars in their own right, John Crawford on keys and Andy Hamill on double bass, and Yorkshire drumming star Steve Hanley.”

Beverley, who released debut album Seasons Of Love in January 2012,  has performed at leading clubs throughout the UK and Europe including Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Jazz Club, 606 Club, The Stables (the late Cleo Laine’s Buckinghamshire venue), Gregory’s in Rome and Venice Jazz Club, as well as headlining Marsden Jazz Festival and Limerick Jazz Festival with her band of leading British musicians.

Her most recent album, July 2021’s Dream Dancer, was in the Grammy long-list for Best Jazz Vocal Album and featured Old Brasil, written by saxophone legend Duncan Lamont, originally as the theme to the 1970s’ children’s programme Mr Benn, which lodged at number two on the Roots Charts in the United States for several weeks.  

Released on 33 Jazz Records, the album focuses on Beverley’s takes on songs of hope, passion, living life to the full, day dreaming, regret, love lost and love found and ultimately dancing through the game and rhythm of life. 

Produced by Grammy-winning New York producer Jason Miles, who has worked with Luther Vandross, Miles Davis and Sting, Dream Dancer’s repertoire includes Irving Berlin’s little-known Reaching For The Moon and Bill Withers’ Grandma’s Hands, highlighting Beverley’s comparison to Anita O’Day and Cleo Lane. 

Beverley also interprets two number one hits, David Bowie’s Let’s Dance The Clash’s Should I Stay Or Should I Go in a bluesy version, on that album.

Miles also produced Beverley’s previous album, 2018’s Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun, featuring her interpretations of Come On Feel The Noise (Slade’s Cum On Feel The Noize), Adam Ant’s Prince Charming, Bananarama’s Cruel Summer, The Specials’ Ghost Town, ABC’s When Smokey Sings, M’s Pop Muzik, Right Said Fred’s Deeply Dippy and more 1980s’ hits besides.

“Beverley has one of those voices that you can keep on listening to,” he says. “I just don’t hear many jazz singers today like her.”

In 2020, Beverley recorded The Ilkley Suite, a commission for Ilkley Jazz Festival composed by pianist Jamil Sherif, head of jazz at Leeds Conservatoire, who was joined by a trio of Leeds Conservatoire educators, bassist Gary Jackson,  drummer Dave Walsh and saxophonist Nadim Teimoori.

Looking ahead, Beverley says: “The new album is coming along really well and I can’t tell you how much the process of writing a whole album of originals has taught me, not just about the music, but about myself too.

“There’ll be more about that at the gig, so come along! Be the first to hear my own tunes before we head into the studio to record them. I’m incredibly excited to share what I’ve been working on.”

Tickets for the Beverley Beirne Quartet’s 8pm concert on October 10 are on sale on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.  

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