YORK artist Sue Clayton
will unveil a new collection of portraits at Pocklington Arts Centre ahead of
World Down Syndrome Day in an exhibition inspired by her son.
Running from January 14 to
March 21, Downright Marvellous At Large celebrates adults with Down Syndrome
and comes on the eve of her son James turning 18.
Look out too for a giant
pair of hand-knitted odd socks, made using hundreds of knitted squares donated
by the public after an appeal last year.
Otto – Drag Queen, by Sue Clayton
Sue, who lives in
Wigginton, will introduce the 12 new portraits and the giant socks in a preview
event open to the public on Thursday, January 16, from 6pm to 8pm.
The portraits feature what
Sue sees as the “unrepresented and significant” social presence of adults with
Down Syndrome, each one depicting a person with the genetic disorder at work or
play.
“I put on the original Downright Marvellous exhibition in 2015, which mainly depicted young children who have Down Syndrome, but this time I wanted to make it more a celebration of adults as 2020 is a milestone year for us as James turns 18,” she says.
Lauren, by Sue Clayton
“A lot of the pieces also
feature siblings, as I wanted to highlight the importance that siblings play in
the lives of those with Down Syndrome too.”
Sue is planning to hold a celebratory event at Pocklington Arts Centre on World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), Saturday, March 21, the last day of her exhibition. Watch this space for more details as they emerge.
Many people wear odd socks
on WDSD, a global day that aims to raise awareness and promote independence, self-advocacy and freedom of choice for people
with the congenital condition.
James and Lily -Sibling Love, by Sue Clayton
Should
you be wondering “why socks?”, they are used because their shape replicates the
extra 21st chromosome that people with Down Syndrome
have.
“I hope the socks installation will add an extra fun dimension to the exhibition, which the whole community can get behind, while importantly raising awareness of – and celebrating – the uniqueness and diversity of Down Syndrome,” says Sue.
She made a radical change mid-career to become a self-taught, full-time artist. Soon she achieved recognition from Britain’s Got Artists in 2012 and as Outstanding Visual Artist in the 2018 York Culture Awards for her Heroes Of York project in 2017-2018.
David, by Sue Clayton
Those heroes were York
Theatre Royal pantomime dame Berwick Kaler; singer, writer and motivational
speaker Big Ian Donaghy; animal welfare practitioner Mary Chapman; the late
Suzanne Asquith, of North Yorkshire Police; Andrew Fair, from Sainsbury’s, Monk
Cross, and Professor Steve Leveson, of York Against Cancer.
Sue is drawn to painting portraits
because: “It insists upon the idea that the more you look at a face, the more
you see.
“Every single aspect – the
eyelids, the nostrils, and the complexion – reveals the personality and
character of every individual person,” she says. “I feel it’s especially important
to represent those who are sometimes socially ‘unseen’.”
Uncle Ronnie and Oliver – Trisomy 21 United, by Sue Clayton
Influenced by Rembrandt,
York artist William Etty and more contemporary painters such as Jenny Saville and Tim Benson, Sue enjoys
working with dynamic colours to make marks “that should not be there but
somehow work”.
“My approach to portraits
not only apprehends the likeness of my subjects, but their inner life too,” she
says.
To find out more about
World Down Syndrome Day, visit worlddownsyndromeday2.org.
Giving him the bird: David Leonard’s Evil Diva in Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal. All pictures: Robling Photography
Sleeping Beauty, York Theatre Royal, until January 25 2020. Box office: 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
UNLESS you have been asleep for 100 years, you will know Sleeping Beauty is the first York Theatre Royal pantomime since Berwick Kaler hung up his big boots after 40 years as Britain’s longest-serving dame.
Unlike Elvis, however, Kaler has not left the building. Now 73, he is still taking care of business, writing the script; co-directing with Leeds City Varieties rock’n’roll pantomime alumnus Matt Aston; appearing in two film sequences and in doll’s head form for baby Beauty, and providing sporadic voice-overs too. In other words, there is still a Kaler on the loose.
Slice-up: A J Powell’s ever-changing modes transform him into Edward Scissorhands
“You have given me a purpose to life,” he told his adoring panto public as he waved goodbye through the final curtain on February 2 this year. “I’m not going anywhere. If this theatre needs me, I’ll be back like a shot.”
Executive director Tom Bird and co decided they did need him for the first pantomime of the post-dame, post Damian Cruden directorship era. Britain’s best villain, David Leonard, perennially bouncy sidekick Martin Barrass, ageless principal girl Suzy Cooper and chameleon Brummie A J Powell said they needed him too, to write the script.
And so Berwick was back like a shot, ticket sales have passed the 30,000 mark, but how do you fill the black hole, the tornado wreaking havoc, the master adlibber, the smasher of theatre’s fourth wall that is the Kaler dame?
All rise: Martin Barrass’s down-to-earth Queen Aradne with Jack Lansbury’s King and newcomer Howie Michaels’ Funky the Flunky in Sleeping Beauty
This is the elephant in the room, a role more usually taken by Barrass in one of his animal acts. In fact, a better comparison is Banquo’s ghost, haunting this halfway house of a panto.
Sleeping Beauty retains the Kaler template, from Babbies And Bairns theme tune opening to Hope You’ll Return Next Year finale to convoluted plot, via disappointingly unfunny films (one with Berwick and Harry Gration) and a futile slosh scene.
As there ain’t no-one like Berwick’s dame, the remaining panto gang of four spread out their familiar traits without ever filling the gap. Thankfully, there’s no rest for the wicked, and so David Leonard is still fab-u-lous, with a dash of dame, or more truthfully waspish drag queen, about his Evil Diva, and his character switch with Powell’s ever-so-nice Darth Vader is the show’s one coup de theatre.
Principal girl, cuddly toy: Suzy Cooper’s Princess Beauty
Suzy Cooper’s Princess Beauty goes from St Trinian’s schoolgirl with a cuddly toy to leading song-and-dance routines, searching forlornly for better material, especially in a year when she has excelled as Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare Rose Theatre’s Macbeth at Blenheim Palace.
Without his buddy Berwick to bounce off, Martin Barrass is in no man’s land – or even no mam’s land – as Queen Ariadne, not a dame, nor a queen, one with only one good (Bile Beans) costume and only one innovation, a nod to Eric Morecambe, to go with the old Barrass tropes.
Musical theatre newcomer Howie Michaels’s Funky the Flunky, big voice, big stage presence, fares well, and Jack Lansbury’s King/Tarquin Farquhar, dance captain Danielle Mullan and the ensemble work their panto socks off in frankly difficult circumstances, their reward coming in the stand-out Teenage Dirtbag routine, Grace Harrington’s best choreography..
Beauty and the beastly: Suzy Cooper with vainglorious villain David Leonard
Was it a mere coincidence that new designer Anthony Lamble’s sets lacked the sparkle of old, just as the comedy lacked the spark, surprise, timing, topicality and magical mayhem of the peak Kaler years?
Last night (December 11) felt awkward, uncomfortable, indulgent. Bird and the board have to ask: “Are the days of this brand of pantomime behind you?”, because the patented but weary “same old rubbish” won’t suffice next year.
This is no laughing matter, and here are the options. Bring back Dame Berwick full on, working from the inside, not the outside, with all that goes with that; freshen up the panto in a different way, or find a new vehicle to utilise the talents of Leonard, Cooper, Barrass and Powell. Many a theatre has moved on from pantomime, whether Leeds Playhouse, the Stephen Joseph Theatre or Hull Truck, and still found a winter winner. We await the Bird call…
Lucy Boyland’s evil Baron Bluebeard and Imogen Rose’s principal boy, Tommy Tucker, clash in Pickering Musical Society’s Humpty Dumpty. All pictures: Brian Stockley
REHEARSALS for Pickering Musical Society’s pantomime Humpty Dumpty are in full swing for the January 17 to 26 run at the Kirk Theatre, Pickering.
Written by Ron Hall and directed by Luke Arnold, the show is set in Nursery Rhyme Land, the kingdom of Old King Cole and Queen Ribena, who will be played by society stalwarts Stephen Temple and Marcus Burnside.
When the evil Baron Bluebeard (Lucy Boyland) arrives in the land to attend the birthday of Princess Crystal, strange things begin to happen, culminating in the arrival of eternal winter.
Princess Crystal (Alice Rose), Tommy Tucker (Imogen Rose), Humpty Dumpty (Maisie Metcalf), Simple Simon (Matthew Russell) and Little Bo-Peep (Charlotte Hurst) in Pickering Musical Society’s Humpty Dumpty
The whole kingdom has to evacuate to Little-Frolicking-On-Sea, the home of Old King Cole’s mother-in-law Mrs Cordial. While they are beside the seaside, Humpty Dumpty, Simple Simon (Matthew Russell) , Little Bo-Peep (Charlotte Hurst) and Tommy Tucker hatch a plan to save Nursery Rhyme Land.
Pickering Musical Society welcomes back sisters Imogen and Alice Rose once again to play principal boy and girl, Tommy Tucker and Princess Crystal, respectively in a cast of more than 50 that combines familiar Pickering faces with members of Pickering Musical Society Youth Theatre.
Among them will be Jack Dobson and Maisie Metcalf, sharing their first principal role as Humpty Dumpty. Dancers from the Sarah Louise Ashworth School of Dance will be in the company too.
Linda Tester as Mrs Cordial, Stephen Temple as Old King Cole and Marcus Burnside as Queen Ribena in Humpty Dumpty at the Kirk Theatre, Pickering
Director Luke Arnold says: “I can’t quite believe we’re back to panto season so soon. Last year was a huge year for us as we marked our centenary at Pickering Musical Society and 2020 looks to be just as busy.
“Each year I wonder how we can create something more spectacular and magical than the last, but with an army of volunteers both on and off stage it seems 2020 will be more spectacular than ever.”
Tickets for Humpty Dumpty’s 7.15pm evening shows and 2.15pm Saturday and Sunday matinees are on sale at £13 upwards on 01751 474833 or at kirktheatre.co.uk.
The Pickering Musical Society ensemble for Humpty Dumpty
Did you know?
Pickering Musical Society and the Kirk Theatre are entirely self-funded, everyone involved being a volunteer. “By supporting our pantomime, you are supporting our wonderful community theatre and a venue we are all proud of,” says pantomime director Luke Arnold.
The Great Hall at Castle Howard at Christmas , including the 26ft decorated tree. Picture: Charlotte Graham
CASTLE Howard’s Christmas opening drew a record 67,000
visitors as A Christmas Masquerade lit up the North Yorkshire stately home.
The figures have been released as the
house, near York, closes for the winter, with teams busy removing dozens of
Christmas trees, not least the 26ft tree that dominated the Great Hall and tens
of thousands of decorations and baubles that graced every public room as part
of Charlotte Lloyd Webber’s festive installation with a commedia dell’arte theme.
“It has been a superb year, and a real credit to those
involved in making Castle Howard the most festive place to visit throughout
November and December,” says chief executive officer John Hoy, who has enjoyed
his second Christmas at Castle Howard.
Christmas at Castle Howard drew an extra 5,000 visitors by staying open until January 5
“For the first time, the house stayed
open into the New Year, closing on Sunday, January 5 and enabling us to welcome
over 5,000 additional visitors.”
Alongside the Christmas decorations,
family traditions continued to be honoured with opportunities to meet Father
Christmas, while Santa Paws took up residence in the estate’s garden centre to
greet well-behaved dogs of all breeds and sizes for the first time. More Twilight
Evenings, when the house stayed open after dark, were fitted into the seven-week
opening.
The good weather throughout those seven
weeks allowed families to enjoy Skelf Island, the new adventure playground, as
part of the Christmas experience. Launched in July 2019, the playground has had
a successful impact on footfall and, in addition, the Friends of Castle Howard
membership has almost doubled, the scheme experiencing a 48 per cent rise
throughout 2019.
Although the house will be closed until
March 21, the grounds, woodlands and Skelf Island playground remain open
throughout the winter.
EVERY gag has a punchline, but sometimes, as Morrissey once sang, that joke isn’t funny anymore, and so the Great Yorkshire Fringe has had its last laugh in York after five years.
Founder and director Martin Witts, a hugely experienced impresario who runs the Leicester Square Theatre and Museum of Comedy in London, but whose home and heart are in York, cuts a frustrated figure in his reasoning.
“Our experience of sponsoring, curating and managing an event in this small city of ours has led us to the conclusion that until a well-managed and efficient city-centre management is implemented, a festival of our size cannot thrive and does not have a place in York,” he said in his formal statement.
Loosely translated, that means red tape, whether applied by the City of York Council or its cultural ambassador, Make It York.
Were his grievances insurmountable? Did they leave him at his Witts’ end? Or is there more to it than that?
Last summer, there was no longer enough room at the St Sampson’s Square end of Parliament Street to accommodate The Turn Pot tent to complement the White Rose Rotunda spiegeltent and The Teapot tent on the festival village green, and so the festival spread out to more locations than ever before across the city. On the one hand, that increased the festival profile; on the other, crucially it dissipated its central meeting ground.
Some people said the ticket prices were high, some reckoned the quality of the acts had lowered, especially among the newer, burgeoning acts making their way to the Edinburgh Fringe; others felt the same names kept returning.
In other words, festivals have a natural cycle, and the fickle world of comedy is particularly prone to “the new rock’n’roll” going in and out of fashion.
Could Martin Witts take the Great Yorkshire Fringe to another Yorkshire city? Possibly, but more likely he will deliver on his promise to continue to invest in the cultural scene of York with high-quality individual events, although a spiegeltent festival would be most welcome too.
Director Gemma McDonald and writer Ian Donaghy at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre box office
NOBODY thought this morning when they turned the key in the door lock, “well, that’ll be the last time I’ll see you.”
So begins the book The Missing Peace: Creating A Life After Death, written by York musician, author, charity event organiser and motivational conference speaker Ian Donaghy, now adapted for the stage by Rowntree Players performer and York teacher Gemma McDonald and Ian himself.
Gemma loved the book and could not help but imagine it on stage, and so she and Rowntree Players pantomime co-writer and director Howard Ella approached Ian with the idea.
“The Missing Peace lends itself beautifully to the stage and also allows an opportunity for actors of all ages to highlight their talents with heart-breaking and heart-warming monologues,” she says. “It’s a very different, original and powerful production.”
Billed as “One play…fifteen endings”, The Missing Peace will be staged at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, on April 17 and 18 with plans for further performances in Yorkshire.
Already confirmed is the recorded involvement of narrator Mark Addy, York star of The Full Monty, The Game Of Thrones and now the new ITV crime drama White House Farm.
“Mark will be in New York when our play opens in April, playing Harry in the Broadway premiere of Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen at the Golden Theatre from March, so he’s very kindly recording the narration before he leaves for the United States,” says Ian.
Next, Gemma will hold an initial meeting for anyone interested in being involved in The Missing Piece on Monday (January 13) at 7.30pm at Door 84 Youth & Community Centre in Lowther Street.
“We’re looking for a variety of actors of all different ages; there really is something for everyone to audition for,” says Gemma. “This is a very exciting project and I can’t wait to start next week.”
Ian shares that excitement. “There’s a big buzz already about this very ambitious production of a truly thought-provoking look into people’s lives after they have lost a loved one.
“The Missing Peace will show audiences that they’re not alone, and I’m also delighted to say that we’re presenting the play as a fundraising event with all proceeds going to local bereavement and hospice charities.”
Rarely will York be so well represented in a production, reckons Ian. “York actors; York production company; York set designers; York play written by a man who has made York his home about people who live in York,” he says.
The poster for Rowntree Players’ premiere of The Missing Peace
“As the poster says, ‘One play…fifteen endings’, because it includes Talking Heads-style monologues of people who have survived losing loved ones, illustrating how the power of kindness, friends and family have helped them through.”
After reading numerous self-help books and “I know so much better than you” guides, Ian felt there was a need for a book that “doesn’t tell you how you should be feeling”.
Former teacher, host of A Night To Remember at York Barbican and still the larger-than-life Big Ian frontman of York band Huge, Ian has branched out into writing about dementia and campaigning to combat loneliness in the elderly, whether at conferences or in a series of moving short films on social media that he shoots in black and white.
He has written as one reviewer called it, “a 200-page cuddle”: a book where people share experiences and “you decide what you get from hearing their emotional stories”.
“My aim is to provide a survival guide for people to find their own ‘Missing Peace’,” says the inspirational writer and speaker. “It’s not a morose bereavement book. It won’t tell you how you should be feeling. It’s a book about how to be a better friend when your friends lose someone.”
Ian continues: “As we all grow older, our favourite characters are written out of our lives and we have to, somehow, carry on without them.
“Friends often feel powerless, so terrified of saying the wrong thing that they may say nothing, leaving their friend bereft and isolated.”
Ian Donaghy with Sally Rasmussen from The Missing Peace premiere sponsors The Chocolate Works Care Village
Consequently, the book and the play highlight the power of kindness and offer some tried-and-tested maverick ideas.
“The book is a scrapbook of monologues and stories from interviews and conversations I’ve had with people all over the UK in my work with older people and children,” says Ian, whose research took in bereavement groups, hospices, nurses, doctors and parents.
“There are stories looking at loss from many different angles. Many may surprise you…there’s even a short story about my father’s special Parker pen that cleverly illustrates how to get the best out of people.
“I’ve been invited in by some of the most inspirational, wonderful people, who have shared their innermost thoughts and emotions to help others, so thank you to them.”
The play will deliver an optimistic boost in the opening scene, saying, “If you are watching this play you, already have a 100% survival record. Congratulations!” It will go on to listen, in particular, to the views of children and our oldest generation, who are often ignored, says Ian.
“Children haven’t made their minds up yet and so give you unedited ideas, without any spin, and older people realise they can reflect on their successes and failures, so they either have wonderful experience or a hard-earned wisdom,” he suggests.
Sarah Atkinson, of St Leonard’s Hospice, one of two York charities to benefit from ticket sales for April’s premiere
“The play isn’t a magic wand, a flow chart through the grieving process, and it won’t kiss it better, but it will start the conversation you may need to have between siblings, family or friends.”
Every scene, by the way, is named after a song, such as Everybody Hurts, I Don’t Wanna Talk About It, These Foolish Things and All You Need Is Love.
Two York charities, St Leonard’s Hospice and Bereaved Children Support York, will share the profits from the premiere production.
Jo Cole, founder of Bereaved Children Support York, says: “Grief can be very lonely and isolating. This play gives so many examples of how different people have coped with the loss of a loved one that you’re bound to find something that makes you realise it’s not just you feeling the way you do. To have this play raise awareness will help so many families.”
Janet Bennett, left, Lisa Curtis and Jo Cole, of Bereaved Children Support York, the second charity to receive a donation from The Missing Peace’s run at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Ian concludes: “The stories and monologues will make you smile, some will make you cry, but they will all make you think.
“We’re all broken biscuits when we lose someone. We can either dwell on the cracks or make the best cheesecake ever.”
Rowntree Players present The Missing Peace, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, April 17 at 7pm; April 18, 2.30pm and 7pm. Box office: 01904 501935 or at josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk. This production is sponsored by The Chocolate Works Care Village.
In happier days: Great Yorkshire Fringe founder and director Martin Witts. Picture: Steve Ullathorne
THE comedy is over for the Great Yorkshire Fringe after five years in York, blaming the “city-centre management” for the decision to exit stage left.
In a formal statement this morning, founder and director Martin
Witts said: “Our experience of sponsoring, curating and managing an event in this
small city of ours has led us to the conclusion that until a well-managed and
efficient city-centre management is implemented, a festival of our size cannot
thrive and does not have a place in York.”
Henning Wehn: regular performer at the Great Yorkshire Fringe in York
This is the second summer festival to fold in York city
centre in quick succession in the wake of the loss of the ten-week Shakespeare’s
Rose Theatre, run by North Yorkshire entertainment impresario James Cundall, whose
Lunchbox Theatrical Productions company went into liquidation in October after
two summers of Shakespeare plays at a pop-up Elizabethan theatre on the Castle
car park.
Mr Witts, who lives in York, also runs the Leicester Square Theatre and the Museum of Comedy, in Holborn, London. In his full statement, he said: “The Great Yorkshire Fringe has had five fabulous years in York, 1,200 shows, 9,000 performers and 110,000 show patrons, plus a fantastic array of volunteers, festival crew and local venue staff.
Podcaster and comedian Richard Herring: interviewed a former Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Dave Taylor, at the Great Yorkshire Fringe
“We have sadly come to the decision that we will not be
continuing into 2020. We would like to thank all of the acts who have performed,
our food and beverage providers, the staff, both from York and London, and our
loyal team of volunteer staff.
“The biggest thank-you of all to our wonderful patrons, York
residents and visitors alike who have visited us and the city of York for the
last five years. We hope that we have given you some amazing memories.”
The Great Yorkshire Fringe logo from the front cover of each year’s brochure
Mr Witts added: “Thank you to all that have been involved in
the Fringe over the past five years; it has been a privilege to work with you.
We will continue to invest in the local cultural scene of York.
“Our experience of sponsoring, curating and managing an event in this small city of ours has led us to the conclusion that until a well-managed and efficient city-centre management is implemented, a festival of our size cannot thrive and does not have a place in York.”
Sean Bullick: Make It York
Responding to Mr Witts’s statement, Sean Bullick, managing director of Make it York, the organisation in charge of the city centre, said he was sorry the Great Yorkshire Fringe would not be returning this year, but did not rule out a resurrection.
“The Great Yorkshire Fringe was a valued addition to the city’s diverse events calendar and we are sorry to hear it will not be returning next year,” he said.
American singer Curtis Stigers: smooth performance at York Barbican at the 2017 Great Yorkshire Fringe
“It is disappointing that the organisers feel this way as over the last five years Make it York have offered significant marketing and operational support for this festival.
“However, we understand there have been some infrastructure challenges connected to putting on an event of this scale in a city-centre space.
“We would welcome the opportunity to discuss options to bring the event back to the city in future years as part of the ambitious programme of events we are developing.”
Al Murray;The Pub Landlord raises a glass to the inaugural Great Yorkshire Fringe on the first day at the White Rose Rotunda in July 2015.
Mr Witts, who took his first steps in the entertainment business
working alongside York actor Mark Addy in the York Theatre Royal carpentry
team, set up the Great Yorkshire Fringe on a village green laid down in
Parliament Street with street food and coffee, gin and craft beer stalls either
side of the pathway, and the ever-present
double-decker bus, Bob The Box Office.
At one end was the White Rose Rotunda spiegeltent, at the
other The Turn Pot tent, and in the middle, the star-lit Teapot, where the festival
presented comedy, music, variety acts, magic, theatre and children’s entertainment
each July.
Jerry Sadowitz: magic and menace at the Great Yorkshire Fringe
For last summer’s festival run from July 18 to 28, Mr Witts spread out into more locations than ever: the Grand Opera House, York Barbican, The Arts Barge on the River Ouse, 41 Monkgate and The Basement at City Screen, all complementing the spiegeltent and tent.
Among the acts over the five years were German ambassador of
comedy Henning Wehn; Pocklington-born podcaster Richard Herring; Reginald D
Hunter; Michael Palin; Tony Slattery; Omid
Djalili; Jerry Sadowitz; Al Murray: The
Pub Landlord; Austentatious; S!it-Faced Shakespeare; American singer Curtis Stigers; jazz singer Clare
Teal; Ronnie Scott’s All Stars and Shed Seven drummer Alan Leach in a fusion of
stand-up and quiz show.
Buena Vista Social Club: tonight’s choice of film to mark 20 years of City Screen, York
JANUARY 7 2020 marks 20 years since City Screen, York, opened on
its riverside site in Coney Street.
General
manager Tony Clarke and associate general manager Cath Sharp have been there
since the opening, and to mark the anniversary they have selected Buena Vista
Social Club for a special show at 8.30pm tonight.
Tony says:
“Wim Wenders’ film about ageing Cuban musicians has probably best stood the
test of time, and so we’d like to show it again on our 20th anniversary and
offer the screening free to Picturehouse members.” Please note, tickets
are available to members only in person at the City Screen box office.
Ahead of tonight’s 20th anniversary screening, Tony
Clarke looks back on two decades of City Screen. Charles Hutchinson
asks the questions.
What are your first memories of City
Screen opening in Coney Street, Tony?
“As with many regeneration projects like this, the construction works
ran behind schedule – in a major way. We opened the doors without power to some
parts of the building; we had to run extension cables from the parts of the
building that did have power.
“When I started working at City Screen – which was mid-December 1999, so
nearly a month before opening – the riverside bar was just a concrete floor. It
was impressive to see how quickly this area was fitted out in a week or so.”
What were City Screen’s objectives at that
time?
“They are not that dissimilar to our objectives today. They have always
been to give customers the best cinematic experience by showing a broad range
of films in auditoriums that are comfortable and where the presentation
matters.
“Our range of films encompasses quality mainstream, independent,
arthouse and foreign language. We have always considered cinema-going to be a
social event, so we offer great drinks and food in our cafe bar for pre-show or
post-show get-togethers.”
What have been City Screen’s principal achievements
over the past 20 years?
“We’ve built loyal and trusting audiences through our membership scheme
and established City Screen as a cultural hub right in the city centre.”
The Buena Vista Social Club musicians playing in Amsterdam in April 1998
How has City Screen changed over those 20 years and
do you think its role has changed within the York cinema scene?
“As a cinema, City Screen has changed with the shift in the industry to
digital filmmaking and exhibition. Celluloid film has been succeeded by digital:
we no longer use 35mm film and mechanical projectors; we now play ‘content’ in
high definition from computer files, servers and digital projectors.
“This change in technology has enabled us to diversify our programme and
screen productions live from the New York Metropolitan Opera or the National
Theatre via satellite.”
What else?
“As a business, our cafe bar has grown in popularity with our food menu,
dishes made fresh and to order, plus the range of drinks – not only
barista-made coffee but the wines and beers.
“We’d always set out – and this is the ethos of Picturehouse as a
company – to be a neighbourhood cinema with our roots firmly in the communities
of York. I think we’ve achieved that.
“Our programming has expanded, not only with what is called alternative
content, opera and theatre shows broadcast into the auditoriums, but also with
new community-orientated programme strands such as Toddler Time, Big Scream,
Autism-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly screenings.”
Where does arthouse cinema fit into film
programming in 2020? Would you like there to be more arthouse screenings at
City Screen?
“A fundamental aspect of Picturehouse’s programming and vision is to
show arthouse films and this will continue to be the case at City Screen.
“There are particular programming strands where arthouse films are
featured, such as the Discover strand, and we’ll be continuing to build
audiences for this kind of cinema, which doesn’t always get the exposure it
deserves.
How have cinema-going tastes and habits changed
over the past 20 years?
“There are always technological changes that affect cinema-going tastes
and habits – digital being the one I mentioned and the effect that has had on
our programme with alternative content and the like.
“There are other technological innovations for experiencing cinema such
as 3D, 4DX: innovations less appropriate to the City Screen experience, it’s
fair to say. “There’s certainly an appetite for the big ‘tentpole’ event titles
such as Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars and the latest
James Bond, but always a very busy period around the awards season in the first
few months of the year too. Last year, for example, saw the release of The
Favourite and Green Book and this time Little Women and 1917.”
Before Sunset: City Screen director Tony Clarke’s favourite film of the past 20 years
City Screen is about so much more than showing
films: question-and-answer sessions; satellite screenings of ballet, theatre,
opera and exhibition openings in London; food and drink; exhibitions in the bar
and the first-floor corridor; The Basement programme of music and comedy.
Discuss…
“As you say, City Screen is so much more than showing films. We have a lot
of cultural activity going on in the venue, whether this involves directors
discussing their films and work in Q&A sessions, either in person or via a
live satellite feed; live broadcasts of theatre and opera shows taking place in
London or New York; an ongoing programme of art exhibitions in the bar or on
the second floor that features the work of local artists and community groups,;
plus a curated programme of performing arts events in the 100-capacity Basement
with lots of comedy, music and cabaret.”
What has been your favourite film from the past 20
years?
“I know it’s part of a trilogy, but I’m going to choose Before Sunset
[Richard Linklater’s 2004 sequel to his 1995 romantic drama Before Sunrise,
again starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke].”
What makes for a good cinema-visit experience in
2020?
“A venue with a relaxing atmosphere, where friendly and passionate staff
work, where the auditoriums are comfortable, and where the quality of the
picture and sound are second to none.”
How do you see cinema and cinemas progressing over
the next decade?
“The next decade will be interesting in how film, TV and on-demand
streaming services in the home will affect cinema exhibition and cinema-going.
“Cinemas have always adapted and developed, so that they retain
something different and unique about their experience for customers. It’s an
event and a night out to go to the cinema to see a film rather than watch at
home – I suppose cinema and cinemas will progress along these lines.”
York enters 2020 with four cinemas – City Screen, Everyman,
Vue and Cineworld – all in very good, ultramodern order. Can a city of York’s
size embrace that number of cinemas, and what does it say about the popularity
of film-going that we now have that many?
“Four cinemas in York does mean there will be increased competition
between them all. York has a regional draw so will attract cinema customers
from further afield, but most likely to those venues outside of town with car
parking, so Cineworld and Vue Cinema are certainly popular in York.”
What distinguishes City Screen from the others?
“The programme is more diverse and curated to audiences, it has a
wonderful city-centre location on the river with great views, and the staff and
the quality of service are great too, which all offers a unique experience for
customers.”
Will there be further celebrations of City Screen’s 20th
anniversary?
“Yes, they will continue throughout 2020 with more special
events once the ‘Oscar season’ is over, so keep an eye out for those too.”
Silky: headlining Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at York Barbican
SILKY, Nick Doody and Joey Page make up the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club bill, hosted by Damion Larkin, at York Barbican on January 31.
Liverpudlian-in-exile Silky made the
final of the 1995 BBC New Comedy Awards in only his fourth gig, when competing
against Lee Mack and The Mighty Boosh’s Julian Barratt.
Silky, who lives in Leeds, has performed
internationally in China, the Philippines, the Gulf, Singapore, the United
States, Australia (Melbourne Comedy Festival) and all over Europe.
Nick Doody: ;political satirist
In Britain, he has played the Glastonbury Festival, headlined the world’s smallest comedy festival at Frampton Mansell, appeared on Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Brookside and Heartbeat and done warm-up spots for BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Nick Doody, who specialises in political comedy and satire, supported the influential Bill Hicks at Hicks’s invitation while still a student. He has performed in Ireland, Germany, Spain, France and Croatia, as well as Britain, and has written for The Secret Policeman’s Ball, Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive, The Now Show, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Friday Night Project. His BBC Radio 4 show Bigipaedia has had a second series confirmed.
If the crown fits: surrealist comic Joey Page
Indie comedian Joey Page’s brand of inventive, surrealist humour has found favour with Noel Fielding, who invited him to support him on tour.
Doors open at 7.30pm for the 8pm start in the Fishergate Bar. Tickets cost £17 at lolcomedyclubs.co.uk, on 0203 356 5441 or in person from the Barbican box office or £22.95 on the door.
