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REVIEW: Rowntree Players in The Importance Of Being Earnest, going Wilder at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York ***

Jorja Cartwright’s Algernon Moncrieff, in Ernest mode, right, woos Katie Shaw’s Cecily Cardew in Rowntree Players’ The Importance Of Being Earnest

LIKE the best cucumber sandwiches, Oscar Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people” can be sliced in different ways, but always with the crusts, not the upper crust, removed.

The dust has not long settled on Stephen Fry’s Lady Bracknell in the National Theatre production at the Noel Coward Theatre, a role David Suchet had played on the London stage a decade earlier.

Cross-dressing comedy duo Hinge & Bracket went Wilde in 1977, as did satirical duo Lip Service in 2001, when the late Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding set the Victorian comedy of manners in the 1950s.

In 2015, Nigel Havers’s Algernon Moncrieff and Martin Jarvis’s John Worthing teamed up with Siân Phillips’s Lady Bracknell for the Bunbury Company of Players’ “golden-oldies” version, playing the Grand Opera House on tour that November.

Lizzie Lawton’s yearning Jack Worthing and Bethan Olliver’s enamoured Gwendolen Fairfax in Rowntree Players’ The Importance Of Being Earnest

In September 2022, Denzel Westley-Sanderson sassy co-production for English Touring Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and Rose Theatre, Kingston, “melded Wilde’s wit with chart-toppers, shade and contemporary references”.

Setting Oscar’s satire of dysfunctional families, class, gender and sexuality in Black Victorian high society, he cast Daniel Jacob, alias drag queen Vinegar Strokes, as Lady Bracknell and added to the gender fluidity with Dr Chasuble being played by Anita Reynolds, bonding in a lesbian relationship with Joanne Henry’s Miss Prism.

All this is by way of introduction to Hannah Shaw’s LGBTQ+ exploration of gay playwright  Wilde’s comedy for Rowntree Players, where she introduces new young players to the company too. This re-invention is not far-fetched, by the way, as a quick search reveals that “Importance” is “widely interpreted by critics and scholars as having a significant queer subtext, acting as a ‘gay play’ encoded for contemporary audiences”.

To further quote “AI Thinking”, “while the plot revolves around heterosexual romances, it is celebrated for its camp style, irony and subtle references to same-sex desire, often termed ‘Bunburying’.”

Checking the diary: Katie Shaw’s Cecily Cardew, left, and Bethan Olliver’s Gwendolen Fairfax

And there’s more: ‘Bunburying’ is “a code for leading a secret life to pursue forbidden, potentially gay, sexual activity”; the name “Earnest” was “a late-Victorian euphemism for a homosexual or queer man”; the play is “a foundational work of queer literature”.

Until now, your reviewer has been in Wilde’s “serious people” mode, but Hall’s light and bright production is very much in the spirit of “trivial comedy”, having as much fun and games as possible by going Wilder in the country, even when stretched to Wilde’s original four-act, three-hour version, reconstructed by Vyvyan Holland, at the request of the Rowntree Players committee.

From Stephanie Cullingford  & Hannah Shaw’s costumes, all vintage lines yet modern too, to Nathan Kirby’s classical instrumental arrangements of pop  nuggets such as Abba’s I Do, I Do, I Do and Sabrina Carpenter’s Nonsense, Shaw’s show straddles Wilde’s dapper past and today’s dandy designs.

Algernon’s London abode is dominated by heavy curtains, complemented by an old lamp shade, a timeless hat stand and modern sofas. Max Palmer’s butler, Lane, is thoroughly modern in attire, but old school in demeanour.

Jorja Cartwright’s Algernon Moncrieff, in the guise of Ernest, evoking Gentleman Jack in The Importance Of Being Earnest

Jorja Cartwright’s Miss Algernon Moncrieff, in tassled boots, dark trousers and waistcoat, is working her way through the cucumber sandwiches, awaiting effervescent, financially reckless bachelor friend Jack Worthing (Leeds Conservatoire graduate Lizzie Lawton (they/them)). Therein lies Shaw’s gender exploration and LGBTQ+ integration into Wilde’s mannered comedy.

Both must lead double lives, Algernon inventing an ever-ailing friend Bunbury to escape dull duties; Jack engineering a fictional younger brother, Ernest, to facilitate his partying in London and wooing of Gwendolen Fairfax (Leeds Conservatoire third-year student Bethan Ollivier), rebellious daughter of Lady Bracknell.

Lady Bracknell has always been a snob, a stickler for social niceties, a dragon snorting disdain, but here, as played with burning acidity by Jeanette Hambridge, she becomes a social climber, a successful businesswoman, in Shaw’s vision,  working her way up from nothing to be the breadwinner for the stay-at-home Lord Bracknell, never shedding her London accent  in her rise up the ladder.

In this guise, she is more cynical, on occasion sarcastic, her manner perma-frosty, putting a more poisonous sting into Wilde’s waspish wit.

Lizzie Lawton’s Jack Worthing checking the military records for the importance of being Ernest

Olliver’s Gwendolen has all the trappings and airs of a posh education, bursting with over-excitement at the mention of the name “Ernest”, even growling playfully; all part of turning Wilde wilder. Likewise, Lawton, so dextrous both vocally and physically, so joyously energetic, has a tendency to take exaggerated movement into clowning territory.

By contrast, Jorja Cartwright, arriving on the York scene via Greater Manchester, favours a less gaudy acting style, a flick of a leg here, an elegant clamber over a sofa there. Miss Algernon Moncrieff  becomes Mr Ernest when wooing Jack’s ward, Cecily Cardew (Londoner Katie Shaw) in country matters behind Jack’s back, by now in tassled boots, white trousers and a brocade waistcoat, blond locks in a ponytail.

If you are picking up Gentleman Jack/ Ann Lister vibes, then Cullingford and Shaw’s work is done here. Cartwright is outstanding, her voice playful, her movement just right, even when talking while filling her face with muffins.

Katie Shaw’s Cecily Cardew writing her latest gushing diary entry

Katie Shaw’s diary-keeping Cecily is to the spoilt-ingenue manner born, behind the pretty frills, and her spat over tea and cake with Olliver’s Gwendolen is a comedic high point as they climb ever higher on chairs to assert their claims to each being betrothed to Ernest Worthing.

Palmer’s brace of long-suffering butlers, Lane and not-so-Merriman, adds cameo dry humour, while the slow-burning romance of Wayne Osguthorpe’s bookish Reverend Canon Chasuble  and Rebecca Thomson’s moral novel-writing tutor Miss Prism warms pleasingly in the background, played in a lower key to match Hambridge’s underwhelmed Lady Bracknell.

Under the Shaw touch, The Importance Of Being Earnest bends willingly to the gender agenda, bringing fresh fun and freedom to Wilde’s Victorian social satire, but Lady Bracknells of yore would surely give short shrift to this nouvelle-riche arriviste, more snotty than snooty.

Rowntree Players, The Importance Of Being Earnest, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, 2pm and 7.30pm today (21/3/2026). Box  office for “last few tickets”: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Jorja Cartwright’s Algernon Moncrieff makes a hasty exit. You will not be seeking to do likewise, even though Rowntree Players’ four-act The Importance Of Being Earnest runs to three hours

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We need to talk about Nigel before Havers heads to Grand Opera House on Monday to reflect on five decades of stage & screen

Ready to talk: Nigel Havers heads to the Grand Opera House on Monday

LET Nigel Havers, veteran actor, host of BBC One auction show The Bidding Room and self-deprecating raconteur, explain why he will be “Talking B*ll*cks” at the Grand Opera House, York, on March 23.

“Well, I loved my first tour – and I think the audiences did too – so here we go again! Join me, a stage, and a lifetime of gloriously ridiculous stories to share with you. You’ll get the full Havers experience: charm, wit, and absolutely no running in slow motion,” he says.

“I’ll be taking you on a thoroughly entertaining trot through five decades in showbiz. From my early days as a fresh-faced drama school hopeful, to the highs and lows of a career that’s seen me in everything from Chariots Of Fire and Empire Of The Sun to Don’t Wait Up and some rather marvellous West End plays – and more than my fair share of [London] Palladium pantos.”

Anything else, Nigel? “Of course, there’ll be behind-the-scenes gossip, tales of triumph (and disaster), moments of sheer madness, and a fair bit of talking b*ll*cks. And just when you think you’ve got me figured out, I might surprise you,” he teases.

“Let’s just say there’s a taste of my very first acting role and a little showcase of one of my off-stage talents – I’ll leave you guessing. So, come along for a night of laughter, nostalgia, and, dare I say, charm. It’s going to be a lot of fun – I promise.”

To put flesh on these bones, Nigel delayed lunch with his wife Georgiana Bronfman for a quick chat – more hors d’oeuvres than main course – with CharlesHutchPress. Having “talked b*ll*cks on the road last year, he has decided to tour again, split into spring and autumn itineraries.

“I did 12 dates and it was such fun, as it’s the first time I’ve been on stage without having to learn lines,” he says. “I can just walk on stage and ‘talk b*ll*cks’. I just go wherever my mind takes me.

“Because I haven’t got a script, I feel very free. I feel great. Whereas if you’ve got a script, you think, ‘Oh my God, what if I forget that bit?’ I don’t have any worries about that anymore. I can’t dry because I can just go on to another anecdote.”

He keeps the show to a tight 90 minutes. “It’s 45 minutes, an interval, than another 45 minutes, and no audience questions,” says Nigel, now 73.

“I can’t think of anything better than doing this show. It’s more fun than I’ve ever had!” says Nigel Havers ahead of his York visit. Picture: Matt Crockett

“I come offstage on a high. I have a dry martini, and then go out to dinner with my missus, which is great. It’s a really wonderful evening. And then I’m on to the next town. It’s fantastic. I can’t think of anything better than doing this show. It’s more fun than I’ve ever had!”

Nigel will be reflecting on a five-decade career that has taken in everything from The Charmer to Passage To India, Benidorm to Coronation Street, Yasmina Reza’s Art to the “golden oldies” version of Oscar Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people”, The Importance Of Being Earnest, that he brought to the Grand Opera House with Martin Jarvis as John Worthing to his Algernon Moncrieff in Lucy Bailey’s touring production for the Bunbury Company of Players in November 2015.

“Martin and I had done it at the National Theatre 30 years before, and I said, ‘maybe we should do it again’. Martin wasn’t sure at first, but when I further explored why I wanted to re-visit it, he agreed,” he recalls.

Explaining his working practice, Nigel says: “I’ve always been a ‘letter-box’ actor. When a script comes through the letter box, I’ll think, ‘I’ll do that…”

Or not? “I don’t think I’ve ever turned anything down. At least, I can’t remember doing that. You learn by doing things, and as a young actor, a lot of my contemporaries would say ‘I don’t do that’, but I’d say ‘yes’,” says Nigel.

“I used to walk around the BBC at White City, when no-one would check who you were, and you could meet all the producers and end up being cast.”

Unlike the typical 9 to 5 career, actors spend great parts of their life being “someone else”, whether on screen or stage or in the rehearsal. Nigel disagrees, however. “You’re still playing roles all day [in other jobs] because we all do that – and acting takes that further, but it’s a job and it feels like that.

Nigel Havers in the role of Algernon Moncrieff in the Bunbury Company of Players’ production of The Importance Of Being Earnest, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York, in November 2015. Picture: Tristram Kenton

“My wife doesn’t think it’s a serious job – because you can make it look easy. But it’s like watching tennis and thinking, ‘I could do that’. In reality, anyone who makes it look easy is good at it.”

Nigel is a fixture in the London Palladium pantomime, the biggest show of the year each winter in London. “It’s second nature now,” he says. “I play myself mostly. Last year I was the Keeper of the Privy [in Sleeping Beauty]. There was no plot! I was just abused by Julian [Clary], as everyone in the show is. I’m just his foil!” He will be back for more Clary putdowns next Christmas in his 20th consecutive year in pantomime.

Meanwhile, his talking tour rolls on, where the only bump in the road is the title. “Whenever I go on any TV or radio show, they tell me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t mention the title of the show.’ ‘What? Talking B-?’ ‘Don’t say that!’,” he says.

“You could call b*ll*cks ‘nonsense’. If you talk ‘b*ll*cks’, you can talk to anyone – and ‘b*ll*cks’ isn’t a swear word. Lindsay Hoyle [Speaker of the House of Commons] confirmed that the other day in Parliament.”

Beyond anecdotes, what features in the show? “I do a bit of magic, which always goes wrong. I love doing magic tricks, but I do them really quite badly!” says Nigel. “I also make the perfect dry martini at the end. I drag my wife on stage to help me hand out the glasses to the audience. But I don’t allow her to speak because that would cost me money!”

Nigel’s lunch was calling, but not before one last question. Does he have one particular role he still craves playing? “Absolutely nothing that I haven’t done yet! I never have those ambitions. I just wait for the latter box.”

Nigel Havers: Talking B*ll*cks, Grand Opera House, York, March 23, 7.30pm . Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Never mind the title! The poster for Nigel Havers’ Talking B*ll*cks tour show

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REVIEW: Claybody Theatre, The Grand Babylon Hotel, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, then Harrogate Theatre ****

Window of opportunity: Alice Pryor’s Nella Racksole, Thomas Cotran’s Prince Aribert of Posen, centre, and Bill Champion’s Theodore Racksole. Picture: Andrew Billington

CONRAD Nelson. Deborah McAndrew. Bill Champion. All are names familiar to Yorkshire theatre audiences past and present, but what of Arnold Bennett?

He is as much a part of the Potteries as Nelson and McAndrew’s Stoke-on-Trent company Claybody Theatre, but for all his 34 novels, 13 plays, seven volumes of short stories, several self-help books, screenplays and stories for more than 100 newspapers and periodicals, he may be best known for the Omelette Arnold Bennett, the creamy one with gruyere cheese, smoked fish and béchamel sauce, invented in his name by chef Jean Baptiste Virlogeux while he was staying at The Savoy in 1929 to write his 1930 book Imperial Palace.

Bennett loved The Savoy – his second home – and hotel culture at large, a love expressed in his 1902 “rollicking comedy thriller” The Grand Babylon Hotel (based on The Savoy, apparently).

Alice Pryor’s Nella Racksole and Thomas Cotran’s Prince Aribert of Posen take to the water in The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

Thrice turned into a film, in 1914, 1916 and1920 (in Germany), now it is transformed into a theatrical whirl of a murder mystery drama in the spruce yet madcap style of Patrick Barlow’s reinvention of The 39 Steps, replete with fabulously attired, flamboyant characters, dextrous movement and dance-step interludes, sleight-of-hand role shifts and equally fast costume, accent and location changes on a rising tide of physical comedy and mentally adroit twists and turns.

Co-artistic director Nelson’s touring cast for McAndrew’s wizard, whizzing Jazz Age stage adaptation adds Stephen Joseph Theatre favourite Bill Champion to four players from last autumn’s premiere at the New Vic.

Champion, cigar seemingly forever betwixt his lips, is playing American railroad billionaire Theodore Racksole, whose demanding daughter, Nella (Alice Pryor), wants filleted steak and Bass beer for her birthday treat.

Michael Hugo’s Ticket Collector in The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

However, as supercilious maitre d’hotel Jules (Michael Hugo) explains, they are not on Italian chef Rocco’s menu at London’s exclusive Grand Babylon Hotel.

Whereupon Theodore buys the chef, the kitchen, the hotel, lock, stock and barrel of unexpected problems. Big mistake?  When Reginald Dimmock (Thomas Cotran) keels over, murder is followed by the kidnapping of Nella.

McAndrew stirs myriad characters into the melting pot, even inventing one, German Nanny Heidi (one of four roles for Shelley Atkinson, including fierce hotel worker Miss Spencer, who may really be Baroness Zerlinski).

Shelley Atkinson’s Nanny Heidi in The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

Thomas Cotran, who you have seen in Mikron Theatre shows, flits between three roles, the unfortunate Dimmock, the heel-clicking German Prince Aribert of Posen and knife-wielding, moustachioed Italian head chef Rocco, having particular fun with the latter.

They are joined in McAndrew’s trio of “clowns” by Michael Hugo, once a fixture in Northern Broadsides productions, and still as elastic and electric in his comic tomfoolery, stealing scene after scene like acts of daylight “rubbery”.

He plays a sextet of roles, each with a different accent, rhythm of speech, manner of movement, whether the alarming Jules, the dastardly Tom Jackson, the Cockney detective Marshall, the Porter or the hypochondriac Prince Eugen of Posen.

Most amusing of all is his growling French ticket collector, fag in mouth, playing tricks on the audience members when asking them to hold a boarding rope. In Tom Jackson mode, aboard a boat, he even asks “beefy John” from the front row to take over the wheel. You won’t see a comic tour de force to rival Hugo on a Yorkshire stage this year, whether leaping into a basket or being thrown around like a rag doll when Prince Eugen is assumed to be dead.

Lis Evans’s costumes are a playful delight, while her open-plan set design can be adapted for differing venues, letting the cast do the heavy lifting in conveying locations, such as when Champion’s Theodore mimes his journey of discovery through the hotel’s unseen interior, banging his head three times on thin air!

Champion and Pryor play it straight while still playing off the crazed comic energy of Atkinson, Cotran and especially Hugo as Nelson’s direction judges the pacing perfectly, each scene surpassing the last.

James Atherton’s compositions, Daniella Beattie’s lighting and floor projections, Damian Coldwell’s sound design and Beverley Norris-Edmunds’ movement direction and choreography all play their part in making The Grand Babylon Hotel so swish and stylish, topped off by Nick Haverson’s physical comedy direction.

Nelson’s cast uses the assets of the SJT’s in-the-round structure to the max, from Champion delivering monologues from the stairways to the three entry points being in constant use. No doubt, the show will adapt to Harrogate Theatre’s classical proscenium arch next month with equal elan.

Wherever you choose to go to see Champion, Atkinson, Cotran, Pryor and Hugo in particular, book now.

Claybody Theatre in The Grand Babylon Hotel, Stephen Joseph Theatre, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee; Harrogate Theatre, April 1 to 4, 7.30pm and 2pm Saturday matinee. Box office: Scarborough,01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

Claybody Theatre’s poster for The Grand Babylon Hotel

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Pick Me Up Theatre ponders what is “Next To Normal” in family life at Theatre@41

Family matters: Niamh Rose (Natalie), left, Monica Frost (Diana), Matthew Warry (Gabe) and Dale Vaughan (Dan) in a scene from Next To Normal. Picture: Emma Darbyshire

YORK company Pick Me Up Theatre follows up Christmas hit Anything Goes with Next To Normal’s  intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York.

Running from March 25 to April 4, this winner of three 2009 Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize combines book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey with music by Tom Kitt in its musical account of how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness.

Andrew Isherwood directs Pick Me Up’s cast of Monica Frost, Dale Vaughan, Niamh Rose, Matthew Warry, Fergus Green and Ryan Richardson in the story of architect Dad, Mom rushing  to pack lunches and pour cereal, and their bright, wise-cracking teenage daughter and son.

Outwardly, they appear to be a typical American family, and yet their lives are anything but normal, because the mother has been battling manic depression for 16 years. 

“Next To Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story of dealing with mental illness with love, sympathy and heart,” says Andrew, who is joined in the production team by musical director James Robert Ball and producer/designer Robert Readman.

“It’s a relatively new work that’s not been done in York before, chosen by Robert [company founder and artistic director Robert Readman], who had this great idea to segue The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time [April 2025], Everybody’s Talking About Jamie [July 2025] and now – after the festive hiatus for Anything Goes – Next To Normal as three musicals that tackle mental health.

Dale Vaughan, front, and Ryan Richardson in rehearsal for Pick Me Up Theatre’s Next To Normal. Picture: Emma Darbyshire

“‘Curious Incident’ was told through the mind of a child [who called himself  a ‘mathematician with some behavioural difficulties’]; ‘Jamie’ was a coming-of-age story of  a teenage drag queen facing bigotry; Next To Normal is told through the parents’ eyes and deals with mental illness and facing a crisis. All three have incredible family  drama at their core, even family dysfunction.”

Monica Frost plays Diana, the mother with a bipolar condition. “Monica has a huge task, but for all of the cast it’s such an emotionally taxing show, where we’ve discussed at length dealing with the grief of loss, processing it, and how it might have exacerbated her bipolar condition,” says Andrew.

He is delighted by the contribution of Dale Vaughan too as husband Dan. “He’s been terrific from the moment he came into the audition, having seen him for the first time in Pick Me Up’s Fun Home last September, when I thought, ‘blimey, where have you been hiding?’!”

Diana is undergoing Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). “There’s a scene that depicts that,  and because this show can be quite dark, we’re trying to find moments of light too, otherwise it could be  ‘misery porn’,”  says Andrew.

“Thought we don’t show it, there’s a heavy revelation of suicidal tendencies, and because the subject is very complex, we need to handle it with care. The story is told with references to the past, shown through flashbacks, to show how Diana hasn’t addressed the loss of her child before or dealt with her grief.”

Matthew Warry and Niamh Rose in the rehearsal room

In putting the show together in rehearsals, “the way I like to work and the way I’ve worked with musical director James Robert Ball was to give him the show for the first four weeks because the music is such a massive component,” says Andrew.

“So we’ve focused on that first, learning the music and the lyrics, before we started building in the lighting, the costumes, the props, the entries and the exits, getting the skeleton together for the songs, ” says Andrew.

Then he set about “moving the cast around the stage, getting them to move with my interpretation,” he adds. “It’s not choreography of sorts, but if you sit in a chair for too long, it can swallow you up, but by moving them around it helps to tell the story.”

Dialogue between songs is as important as the big numbers. “It’s what the actor James Willstrop calls ‘my detail work’,” says Andrew, who won the Best Direction prize in February’s York Theatre Community Awards for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.

Meanwhile, Readman’s set design and Adam Moore’s lighting enable a physical manifestation of Diana’s state of mind, such as stairs representing transition or the use of a box for the ECT treatment as a manifestation of the world closing in on her.

Analysing the title of Next To Normal, Andrew says: “What is our interpretation of ‘normal’ when you have a family trying to function with all the complexities of life? But you also want the audience to leave the theatre feeling uplifted, so if it’s not ‘normal’ , then this life is considered to be ‘next to normal’ for the family. That’s what works for them.”

Pick Me Up Theatre in Next To Normal, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, March 25 to April 4, 7.30pm except March 29 and 30; 2.30pm, March 28 & 29 and April 4. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Pick Me Up Theatre’s poster artwork for Next To Normal

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Are you ready for jury service at Murder Trial Tonight IV at York Barbican on Sunday afternoon as Death Of A Landlord unfolds?

“All rise”: Cathy Walker in her role as the court usher in Murder Trial Tonight Iv: Death Of A Landlord

ALL rise for season four of Tigerslane Studios’ immersive true-crime theatre series, Murder Trial Tonight. Court will be in session at York Barbican for Sunday’s jury-led murder mystery experience at  2.30pm.

After three tours and more than 125,000 audience members serving as jurors, now comes Death Of A Landlord, on tour from February to July, as a fresh case puts you, the audience, in the front row on jury service as a true crime echoes long after the gavel strikes.

Known for blurring the lines between stagecraft and social experiment, Murder Trial Tonight continues to push the boundaries of live courtroom drama and immersive storytelling, under the direction of Graham Watts for a fourth time.

“This isn’t just a show,” says Graham. “It’s a test of our own biases and empathy. It forces you to confront uncomfortable truths about society and our justice system.”

In Death Of A Landlord, wealthy, ruthless landlord Victor Sloane is discovered dead in his office, his young child being the only witness to the crime. Reclusive tenant Tre Bennet, struggling with mental health challenges, is charged with the murder.

Tigerslane Studios’ cast for Murder Trial Tonight IV: Death Of A Landlord

The police claim he had the clearest motive – months of unpaid rent, repeated eviction threats and allegations that Sloane verbally abused his mother – but is Bennet truly the killer or does more lie beneath the surface?

The story begins on screen, giving the audience the backdrop and opening to the true-crime story. Then, the action moves to the stage for the  live murder trial, immersing the audience in a fast-paced courtroom experience.

As jurors, you will hear prosecution and defence counsels argue their case and cross-examine witnesses as critical evidence is brought to the table. Then, by order of the judge, you will deliberate in real time with fellow audience members and deliver your verdict: Guilty or Not Guilty. At the close of the trial, the shocking real-life outcome of the case is revealed on the big screen. The question is, will you be correct in your verdict?

From the West End to regional venues, seasoned theatre-goers to first-time visitors, Murder Trial Tonight sparks debate long after the curtain falls. “These cases follow you home,” says founder and writer Steve Cummings. “Jurors don’t stop dissecting every twist and turn once they leave the courtroom. Hours, or even days, later, whether at the dinner table, in a pub or online, the debates are still raging.”

Among the cast will be Cathy Walker, on her latest return to York, where she took her first steps as a professional actress. “My first job out of drama school was at Riding Lights Theatre Company in 1993,” she recalls. “I worked with the company for two years, touring all these tiny villages in Paul Burbridge’s productions, appearing with the likes of Bridget Foreman [York playwright and university lecturer]. I have such happy memories of being in York.”

Karren Winchester as Her Honour Judge Amanda Livingstone KC in Death Of A Landlord

Cathy’s connections with Yorkshire began in Sheffield, where she studied English Literature and Drama at university. “That set me on the path to becoming an actress,” she says. “The drama department was great, giving us lots of freedom to experiment, which was a wonderful opportunity.”

Cathy was in Tigerslane Studios’ cast for Murder Trial Tonight III – The Doorstep Case too, visiting York Barbican on April 29 2025. “We had a great time there last year, so I’m delighted to be going back,” she says.

“I have the humble role of playing the court usher, but I have more lines to learn than anyone else because I’m also understudying the Judge, the Prosecution lawyer and the detective.

“In my acting life, I’ve been fortunate as an understudy. Within my understudy history, I’ve jumped in to perform alongside Reece Shearsmith and Lee Mack, but last year, when I was understudying the barrister and the judge, I got to do neither of them as the actors were super-healthy and super-conscientious!

“But I love my role as the court usher as I’m the audience’s first experience of ‘being in court’, making them stand up [by saying ‘All rise’], so they laugh at first but then they get nervous as they realise they’re being talked to in a formal way and that they’re in it as the jury.

Guilty or Not Guilty? You decide as jurors in MurderTrial Tonight: Death Of A Landlord

“So it’s a collaborative experience, although in theory people could get a bit ‘harumphy’, objecting to being told what to do, but they take their responsibilities very seriously, knowing that it’s up to them whether the defendant will go down or not.”

Audience members will place their Guilty or Not Guilty vote by QR code, whereupon the audience’s foreperson of the jury will give that verdict to Cathy’s usher, who will reveal whether the verdict was unanimous or by majority. In the denouement, the cast will play out what happened in the real case.

For all the theatricality of Murder Trial Tonight, Cathy notes how audiences treat their involvement with gravitas. “I guess that most of us have known or experienced or read about a case and had a feeling of powerlessness, whereas you can flex your muscles in this courtroom,” she says.

“It really does take audience interaction to a different level, and that’s why people are ‘living’ it, committing to it, coming to every year’s Murder Trial Tonight.

“When I listen in to the deliberations in the interval, it’s fascinating because they’re so involved, and when they’re watching the case unfold you can hear a pin drop. I love this form of theatre, when it’s so immersive.”

Tigerslane Studios presents Murder Trial Tonight IV, Death Of A Landlord, York Barbican, Sunday (22/3/2026), Running time: Two hours 50 minutes, including interval & audience/jury deliberation. Age recommendation: 16 plus. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk and murdertrialtonight.com. Also Hull Connexin Live, tomorrow (20/3/2026), 7.30pm. Box office: connexinlivehull.com.

Newsflash

CATHY Walker will understudy the Detective’s role in Murder Trial Tonight IV: Death Of A Landlord, at Easterbrook Hall, in Dumfries, on April 3 when her mother will be in the 7.30pm audience.

The poster for Murder Trial Tonight IV: Death Of A Landlord

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Alfie Boe reflects on northern roots on new single Face Myself as 2026 tour heads to York Barbican, Hull, Harrogate & Sheffield

The artwork for Alfie Boe’s April 10 album Face Yourself

AHEAD of his York Barbican concert on April 28, tenor Alfie Boe addresses his roots in northwest England on new single Face Myself.

Recorded at Le Mob Studio, Branland, London, the title track from his April 10 new album evokes imagery of Liverpool’s shipyards, the illuminations in Blackpool and indie and dance music of his teenage years, with references to legendary Manchester club the Hacienda, as well as paying tribute to The Stone Roses’ bassist, Mani, who passed away last year.

The album will be his first record to feature predominantly original material. “Face Myself is a tribute to the North and to my youth, back in the days when I was into the indie movement and hopped on the train to Manchester every weekend to see bands, when The Stone Roses came on the scene, then Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans, the Hacienda and the Northern Quarter in Manchester,” says Blackpool-born Boe, now 52.

“It has the line ‘The Roses sing our indie song, we bang the drum, home is the place where time won’t change us’, remembering the way we celebrated that music.”

Boe continues: “At the time that I was writing that song, we heard about the tragic death of Mani from The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. I put in a little tribute, which goes: ‘Dreams are grown in Burnage skies, a golden past that made us cry. The prom is glorified with lights, for good old Mani played it right. Those Cranwell boys, they sang along.’

“Face Myself is a tribute to the North and to my youth, back in the days when I was into the indie movement,” says Alfie Boe. Picture: Ray Burmiston

“I only met Mani once and never really got to know him – I wish I had. The ‘Cranwell boys’ is a reference to Liam and Noel Gallagher, who grew up in Cranwell Drive in Burnage.”

Before Boe found fame as a tenor on the great British stages, he had a scrape with indie fame, in the role of Opera Dude with The Clint Boon Experience – Clint being keyboard player for Manchester indie legends Inspiral Carpets – when supporting York band Shed Seven. Earlier, he had been a teen drummer in a band but had to stay in school instead of going on tour.

Face Myself is one of the key songs Boe wanted to write, with the title ringing in his head before the track took shape. “I thought, what is it about me that I have that I have to face?” he recalls. “For me, it was a number of moments in the past: my childhood, my teenage years, what got me to where I am today, the stories of my personal life.

“Reflecting on those things fed into other songs on the album as well. It’s been a wonderful journey doing that.”

The new single follows the poignant Meanwhile Gardens, lifted from the album produced by MyRiot (Tim Bran and Roy Kerr), whose credits include London Grammar and Primal Scream.

The itinerary for Alfie Boe’s Facing Myself tour

Born Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe on September 29 1973 , Boe’s career has spanned stage, recording and television. He has released more than a dozen studio albums, several of them topping the UK charts en route to multi-platinum sales. His collaborations with Michael Ball, including the record-breaking Together, Together Again and Back Together, have been complemented by sold-out arena tours.

The Tony Award winner has conquered the world’s greatest opera stages and arenas and led the cast of Les Misérables in his defining role as Jean Valjean, also starring in the concert tour of Les Misérables in Australia and the Arena Spectacular tour across the UK.

He has appeared at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Royal Albert Hall too and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019, in recognition of his outstanding services to music and charity.

Boe’s 35-date Facing Myself tour will take in further Yorkshire concerts at Hull City Hall on April 24, Harrogate Royal Hall, April 29 and Sheffield City Hall, May 1. Tickets are on sale at https://gigst.rs/AB26; yorkbarbican.co.uk.

His 2026 tour show will combine his most iconic hits and fan-favourite classics with a showcase of material from Face Myself.

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Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance 30th anniversary tour to play York Barbican, plus Bradford, Hull and Sheffield dates

Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance: Returning to York Barbican in July for the first time since August 2024. Picture: Brian Doherty

THE 30th anniversary tour of Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance will visit York Barbican from July 6 to 8.

Tickets for the 7.45pm performances are on sale at: https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/lord-of-the-dance-30th-anniversary/.

This 30 Years of Standing Ovations milestone event promises a grand celebration of the revolutionary Irish dance production’s legacy, after captivating more than 60 million fans in 60 countries since its 1996 debut.

The 30 Years of Standing Ovations tour will feature “brand-new choreography, stunning costumes, state-of-the-art special effects and cutting-edge lighting, ensuring that the production continues to push boundaries and deliver an unforgettable experience”. 

Creative manager James Keegan says: “Michael Flatley has taught me that there are no boundaries in the creative space. When he burst onto the scene in the mid-90s, he took traditional Irish dancing to a place nobody had ever dreamed of, and that has been the key to the show’s success.

“Michael often says in rehearsals that we need to push the boundaries as much as we can, and if it’s too far or doesn’t work, we can always pull it back. That mindset is what keeps Lord Of The Dance evolving.”

Michael Flatley

Keegan believes that the core elements of Flatley’s visionary production – choreography, music and storytelling – remain timeless while still evolving. “What made Lord Of The Dance famous 30 years ago is still what makes it work today: 40 of the greatest Irish tap dancers in the world performing in one line in perfect sync. It’s a spectacle that never loses its magic,” he says.

Reflecting on Flatley’s impact, Keegan says: “Professional Irish dancing didn’t really exist until Michael created his shows and added a more entertaining twist to the art form.

“He wasn’t just a dancer; he was a highly tuned athlete who could perform at astonishing levels for a full two-hour show, seven days a week. Today, we see young competitive dancers around the world striving to reach the levels he set.”

But beyond the footwork and the spectacle, Keegan reckons Flatley’s greatest legacy is his ability to inspire. “Michael’s motto has always been, ‘Nothing is impossible.’ He took an already intricate dance form and pushed it even further, breaking records like 38 taps per second and incorporating upper body movements that defied tradition,” he says.

“I’ve seen it time and time again: a dancer who never thought they could be a lead receives Michael’s encouragement, and before long, they are fulfilling their dream on stage.”

For Keegan, one moment stands out above the rest. “In 1997, I was a ten-year-old competitive Irish dancer in Manchester, struggling with the name-callers and the challenges of being a young male dancer,” he says.

Michael Flatley with his Lord Of The Dance dancers

“Then Lord Of The Dance came to town. Watching Michael and the cast that night at the Apollo Theatre changed everything for me. The masculinity, the precision, the energy, it was like nothing I’d ever seen before.

“I met Michael at the stage door, and suddenly, I knew that being an Irish dancer could mean being a superstar. Nineteen years later, I had the honour of sharing his final show with him at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, in 2016. It was a full-circle moment I will never forget.”

As Lord Of The Dance prepares to embark on its 30th anniversary tour, Flatley reflects on the journey. “The magic of Lord Of The Dance lives on in the hearts of our audience, and I am thrilled to bring this iconic show back to the UK in 2026,” he says.

“30 Years of Standing Ovations celebrates the incredible journey we’ve shared with fans over the years. It’s a tribute to the enduring power of dreams, the joy of dance and the unwavering support of our audience. This tour is our way of saying thank you for three decades of unforgettable memories.”

Although Flatley, now 67, retired from performing during his final tour in 2016, he has remained at the helm of Lord Of The Dance, guiding its evolution while preserving its timeless magic.

Now, as the production prepares for its biggest celebration yet, fans can look forward to a breathtaking spectacle that honours the past, embraces the present, and inspires the future of Irish dance.

The 30th anniversary tour will open at Bradford Live from June 11 to 14; further Yorkshire performances will follow at Hull New Theatre, July 22 to 25, and Sheffield City Hall, August 20 to 23. For full tour dates and ticket information, go to lordofthedance.com.

The poster for the 30th anniversary tour of Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 11, from Gazette & Herald

Leeds abstract surrealist Nicolas Dixon, front, spotted at the launch of the debut RARE v WET exhibition with WET proprietors James Wall and Ella Williams and RARE Collective organiser Sharon McDonagh

A SURREALIST wine bar exhibition, a comedy thriller in an hotel and Australian children’s games  stir Charles Hutchinson’s interest.  

Exhibition of the week: Nicolas Dixon, RARE v WET, at WET, Micklegate, York, until April 22

YORK  artist and event organiser Sharon McDonagh and DJ/artist Sola launch their RARE v WET series of solo exhibitions in aid of York charity SASH (Safe and Sound Homes) at WET, James Wall and Ella Williams’ indie wine bar and restaurant, with Nicolas Dixon first up.

Leeds abstract surrealist Dixon’s murals and artworks have become landmarks in Leeds, including at Kirkgate Market, Trinity Shopping Centre and the University of Leeds, as well as Leeds United tributes to the 1972 FA Cup Winners at Elland Road and the iconic Bielsa the Redeemer in Wortley. On show is a mixture of new and older work, both prints and originals.

In the shadows: Michael Hugo in Claybody Theatre’s The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

Thriller of the week: Claybody Theatre in The Grand Babylon Hotel, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, tonight to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 1.30pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees; Harrogate Theatre, April 1 to 4, 7.30pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee

CONRAD Nelson directs an ensemble cast of multiple flamboyant characters in a rollicking comedy thriller of rapid-fire character changes, sharp humour and theatrical fun, presented in association with the New Vic Theatre.

In Deborah McAndrew’s  adaptation of Arnold Bennett’s novel, Nella Racksole discovers steak and beer are not on the menu for her birthday treat at the exclusive Grand Babylon Hotel, prompting  her American millionaire father to buy the chef, the kitchen, the entire hotel. Cue  kidnapping and murder. Have Theodore and Nella bitten off more than they can chew? Box office: Scarborough, 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

Bluey’s Big Play: Australian bean bags, games and cleverness at Grand Opera House, York

Children’s show of the week: Windmill Theatre Co in Bluey’s Big Play, Grand Opera House, York, 10am, tomorrow and Friday; 10am, 1pm and 4pm, Saturday and Sunday

COMBINING puppets and original voices from Ludo Studios’  Emmy Award-winning Australian children’s television series, including Dave McCormack and Melanie Zanetti as Dad and Mum, this theatrical adaptation is based on an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, featuring music by series composer Joff Bush. When Dad wants a bean bag time-out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans as they pull out all the games and cleverness at their disposal. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Brand New Heavies: Acid Jazz joy, funk, love and fancy clothes at York Barbican

York gig of the week: The Brand New Heavies, York Barbican, tomorrow, doors 7pm

EALING Acid Jazz pioneers The Brand New Heavies – Simon Bartholomew, vocals and guitar, Andrew Levy, bass and keyboards, and Angela Ricci, vocals  – mark their 35th anniversary with a 12-date tour that takes in York Barbican as their only Yorkshire destination. Expect  joy, funk, love and fancy clothes. Galliano support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Lizzie Lawton’s Jack Worthing, front, and Jorja Cartwright’s Algernon Moncrieff in Rowntree Players’ The Importance Of Being Earnest

Comedy classic of the week: Rowntree Players in The Importance Of Being Earnest, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee

ROWNTREE Players bring Oscar Wilde’s 1895 farcical comedy of manners to the York stage in the original four-act version reconstructed by Vyvyan Holland, under the direction of Hannah Shaw.

Lizzie Lawton’s Jack Worthing and Jorja Cartwright’s Algernon Moncrieff lead double lives under the false name of “Ernest” to escape social obligations, leading to romantic entanglements and comedic misunderstandings, played out by a cast featuring Jeanette Hambridge’s Lady Bracknell, Bethan Olliver’s Gwendolen Fairfax, Katie Shaw’s Cecily Cardew, Wayne Osguthorpe’s Reverend Canon Chasuble, Rebecca Thomson’s Miss Prism and Max Palmer’s Lane/Merriman. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Jessica Fostekew: “The silliest of comedy for the scariest of days”in Iconic Breath at Pocklington Arts Centre

Comedy gig of the week: Jessica Fostekew: Iconic Breath, Pocklington Arts Centre, Friday, 8pm

ICONIC Breath, Jessica Fostekew’s most rousing and uplifting show yet, provides the silliest of comedy for the scariest of days as The Guilty Feminist, Hoovering and Contender Ready podcaster discusses tolerance and temperance.

 “I can feel myself becoming an emotional wildebeest right when my world (and the whole world, thanks) demands cool, collected, ultra detached, saint-like kindness and understanding,” says Fostekew, who has hosted two series of Sturdy Girl Club on BBC Radio 4. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

This won’t hurt: Andrew Margerison, Rebecca Vaughan and Gavin Robertson in General Medical Emergency Ward 10

Hospital drama homage of the week: Dyad Productions and Company Gavin Robertson in General Medical Emergency Ward 10, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 7.30pm

UNITING for the first time, Dyad Productions and Company Gavin Robertson’s Rebecca Vaughan, Andrew Margerison and the aforementioned Gavin Robertson knit every cliché-ridden doctors-and-nurses TV and film drama into a pacy comedy mash-up spoof that promises to leave you in stitches.

On Dr Ann Fleming’s first day at St David’s, her unfortunately-named mentor, Dr Death, is determined to show her who’s boss. As medical emergencies overload the hapless staff, Dr Fleming must juggle a complicated budding love affair with a kidney and a nosey hospital boss. Not literally, of course. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

The Budapest Café Orchestra: Fronted by Christian Garrick at Helmsley Arts Centre

Snappiest attire of the week: Christian Garrick & The Budapest Café Orchestra, National Centre for Early Music, York, Friday, 7.30pm, sold out; Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

CHRISTIAN Garrick (violin, darbuka), Murray Grainger (accordion), Kelly Cantlon (double bass) and Adrian Zolotuhin (guitar, saz, balalaika, domra) team up in this refreshingly unconventional and snappily attired boutique orchestra. Playing gypsy and folk-flavoured music in a unique and surprising way, The Budapest Café Orchestra combine Balkan and Russian traditional music with artful distillations of Romantic masterworks and soaring Gaelic folk anthems.

Established by British composer Garrick in 2009, BCO have 16 albums to their name, marked by an “astonishing soundscape and aural alchemy” characteristic of larger ensembles, evoking Tzigane fiddle maestros, Budapest café life and gypsy campfires. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.    

Hope & Social: Unforgettable spectacle, energetic songs and chaotic moments at Milton Rooms, Malton

Ryedale gig of the week: Hope & Social, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 8pm

LEEDS band Hope & Social’s eight musicians pour their heart and soul into creating exuberant, high-energy tunes in gigs full of pure joy, infectious enthusiasm, unforgettable spectacle and chaotic moments.

Each performance by “Yorkshire’s own E-Street Band” is spiced up with Northern wit and self-deprecating humour as a powerhouse three-piece horn section and intricate five-part harmonies contribute to a massive sound that spans genres, drawing influence from soul, indie, folk, disco and art rock. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Crosscut Saw’s Alex Eden : Leading his blues band at Milton Rooms, Malton

Blues gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club presents Crosscut Saw, Milton Rooms, Malton, March 26, 8pm

YORKSHIRE blues trio Crosscut Saw’s Alex Eden (lead singer, guitarist and harmonica player), Richard Ferdinando (drums) and Richard Green (bass) draw inspiration from Magic Sam, RL Burnside, Taj Mahal and Dr John in performances marked by raw energy and unpredictability.

They hold a monthly residency at the Duck & Drake in Leeds, have played the Great British Blues Festival and Tenby Blues Festival, collaborated with TJ Norton, Paddy Wells and The Haggis Horns and worked as a backing band for Jake Walker and King Rollo. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

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Tuck into kidnapping & murder when stakes are high & steaks are missing in Claybody Theatre’s The Grand Babylon Hotel

Alice Pryor, back row, left, Bill Champion, Shelley Atkinson, Thomas Cotran, front row, left, and Michael Hugo in Claybody Theatre’s The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

CLAYBODY Theatre are heading to Scarborough and Harrogate with Deborah McAndrew’s stage adaptation of Arnold Bennett’s 1902 rollicking comedy thriller The Grand Babylon Hotel.

The Stoke-on-Trent company’s co-artistic director Conrad Nelson directs Shelley Atkinson, Thomas Cotran, Michael Hugo, Alice Pryor and Bill Champion in Bennett’s tale of Nella Racksole discovering steak and beer are not on the Grand Babylon Hotel menu for her birthday treat, whereupon her American Railroad millionaire father obligingly buys the chef, the kitchen, the hotel.

However, Theodore Racksole soon finds more on his plate than a juicy steak, with kidnapping and murder for starters. Have Theodore and Nella bitten off more than they can chew? 

Conrad left the artistic director’s role at Northern Broadsides in 2018, the same year that Deborah wrote her last play for the Halifax company. The couple headed off to the Potteries, establishing Claybody Theatre and forging links with the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, their partners for The Grand Babylon Hotel, whose tour arrives at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, tomorrow. Harrogate Theatre awaits from April 1 to 4.

Here director Conrad and writer Deborah discuss comedy styles, touring, Bennett’s stories and the need for silliness in 2026.

What inspired you to take your work on the road?

Conrad: “It’s a first for Claybody, but not for us as artists. It’s been an ambition for the company for some time, and of course we have a history of touring with previous companies.But also, we were heavily encouraged by fellow artists, artistic directors, theatres and other supporters who will often travel to Stoke-on-Trent to see us.”

Deborah: “When you’re adapting a piece, the material often invites a certain type of treatment. I always knew that this novel would respond best to a small cast, multi-rolling, narrative storytelling, hat swapping, comic playing…in the style of [Patrick Barlow’s] The 39 Steps. Therefore, it’s portable. One of the first things I said was: ‘I think this could tour’.”

Playwright Deborah McAndrew

How did this tour take shape, Deborah?

“We approached the New Vic and said, ‘Do you fancy making this show with us?’ and they said ‘yes’. So we did the show there in the autumn, and we acquired funding from Arts Council England for a short tour, with the plan being to run it at The Dipping House in Stoke and then take it on the road to Hull, Scarborough, Colchester and Harrogate.”

Why tour this 1902 Arnold Bennett story in Deborah’s adaption now?

Conrad: “It’s a great introduction for people who haven’t been to the theatre before or haven’t been for a while; it’s a popular piece of well-crafted, high-quality theatre, which will speak to pretty much anyone, and that’s what theatres are wanting and needing right now to fill their auditorium.”

Deborah: “It’s something that can be absolutely billed as a comedy. People want to be entertained, they want light relief, and it’s the job of those of us who work in the arts to bring relief, distraction and enjoyment. As well as to enlighten, expose and discuss.

“The scales too often weigh heavily on the worthy side of the work, and actually, we must remember the value of the arts in lifting people’s hearts, bringing them together with other human beings to have an experience which makes them more fortified to go out and tackle their lives and the world outside – which at the moment is full of uncertainty, anxiety, violence and concern.

“Going out there with a comedy is right for the times, right for the audience and absolutely right for what we need to do with Claybody right now.”

Stephen Joseph Theatre favourite Bill Champion in the role of Theodore Racksole. Picture: Andrew Billington

To those new to Claybody Theatre’s work, how would you describe the style of this show?

Conrad: “It’s billed as a ‘rollicking comedy thriller’, and we’d invite audiences to come with an open heart, an open mind, and just be ready to be entertained. Within the rollicking comedy, there is real quality; it’s accessible and it’s fun.

“It’s driven by the thing that audiences love most; creativity with actors. We’re making this work with a lot of love, and it’s for the audience, not for ourselves. That’s critical in the way that we make work; how is it going to be received? How is it going to charm, affect, cheer? Without the audience, we are nowhere.”

Deborah: “The characters are warm and likeable, even the dastardly villain is somebody you want to be in the room with. There’s a lovely warmth and charm about these actors that we’re working with as well. They’re people who you want to spend an evening with and have a laugh with.”

Which character did you enjoy writing most and why, Deborah?

“Well, I like funny voices! That’s probably the actor in me. Nanny Heidi is not in the book – I would say, her, because she’s brilliantly performed by Shelley Atkinson, who knows how to do that size of characterisation. And the very ridiculous Frenchman who’s on the boats, which was written by me, and Conrad and Mike Hugo just run with it.”

How would you describe Claybody Theatre’s connection with the audience, Conrad?

“The audience are the whole reason to exist, from the start of the writing into rehearsals, it is a participatory event, and it’s grounded in that. We keep that connection at the forefront of everything we do.

“Deborah had the idea that this show should be an actor–driven piece that would be ideal to tour. All the cast have a fantastic synergy with the audience, establishing that wonderful connection that makes people want to see them again. They are magical performers; it’s not every actor’s gift to be a communicator, but our cast are just really good at delivering the text. It’s a bit of a romp but done with such high quality.”

Thomas Cotran and Alice Pryor in The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

What draws you to Arnold Bennett’s writing, Deborah, having done Anna Of The Five Towns for the New Vic before the pandemic and The Card in 2022?

“He has brilliant female characters, I really love his women, they feel very real. He writes about characters that I want to spend time with.

“They’re a bit more caricatured in The Grand Babylon Hotel, because it’s a pot-boiler; he wrote it for pure entertainment in serial form. But when you get into his more literary works, like Anna Of The Five Towns, or The Old Wives Tale, you get these complex and interesting characters, particularly female characters.

“His stories respond very well to being transferred to the stage with all these great characters, and when we’re looking for stories to do with Claybody that are related to the Potteries, his work stands out.

“But also when we’ve been asked by our friends at Hull [Truck Theatre], Harrogate and Scarborough, ‘did we have anything we could take there’, it’s expensive to tour, but I thought Bennett’s storytelling would respond to a small cast.”

On tour, how does each theatre space shape the way you tell the story, Conrad?

“Well, the space does really tell the story. You come in, and you play the space that you’ve got. You look at the merits of the space and then play it.

“In the conversion to thrust, in-the-round in Scarborough, and then a traditional proscenium arch space like Harrogate, it doesn’t matter where you see it from, the stage has to feel deep, otherwise you get very flat performances.

Michael Hugo’s Ticket Collector in The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

“So you respond to the size and intimacy of space, and that’s also to do with the actors’ experience. When the actors come in on the morning, they have to convert their performance extremely quickly. It’s exciting, it gives it a bit of frisson!

“If you come and see it on the first night, you’ll get that lovely energy of actors figuring out what it sounds like. Because you can open your mouth in a different space and it sounds completely different; that’s part of the director’s job to make sure that you’re telling the actor truthfully how it plays.”

Why is it important to create shows that celebrate silliness these days?

Conrad: “I think that’s partly to do with what audiences respond to. You can do a really well crafted, difficult piece of theatre, and then somebody puts on a hat and does a f*rt gag and it gets the biggest response of the evening.

“So we like a bit of bonkers, a bit of eccentricity, you just have to look around on any high street and you will see it in spades. People are anything but dull and characterless. And given the right motivation, we all love a bit of nuts.”

Deborah: “Comedy has always been used as a tool of anarchy. We use comedy to undermine some of the power that people have; it’s being used as a weapon across the world right now, isn’t it? Comedy helps us get through dark times.

“The Grand Babylon Hotel is silly and easy to go with, and hopefully people who might be feeling a bit down, or don’t feel like coming out the theatre, will actually be glad they did. They might get their tank topped up a bit in terms of resilience because I think that’s what comedy can do for us.”

Shelley Atkinson’s Nanny Heidi: the character that Deborah McAndrew most enjoyed writing in her script for The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

How does the cast share out the parts in The Grand Babylon Hotel, Deborah?

“We have the two American central characters, Theodore and Nella, then three multi-rolling clowns playing everybody else, including the gang of villains. It feels very modern. Bennett was writing at the turn of the [20th] century, so it’s late-Victorian, but feels Edwardian, and we’ve lifted it to ten years later than that.

“Only two characters are American. They’re staying at the Grand Babylon Hotel in London, modelled on The Savoy – Bennett loved that hotel , and of course The Savoy has its famous  Arnold Bennett Omelette [created for the novelist in 1929 with its combination of smoked haddock, Gruyère cheese and béchamel sauce].

“The characters are mostly English but there’s also a fake Russian, a Belgian too. I’ve had lots of fun with French, German and Italian characters where I’ve added the actual language, but done in a way that the audience will be able to understand.”  

How would you sum up the reaction to the show so far?

Deborah: “What really tells you how they feel is the comments on our Facebook pages, where the response has been chock-full of people saying they’ve been laughing all the way through. Ninety-nine per cent have said they’ve really loved it, and felt they really needed a play like this time when the world is so full of anxieties. This show affirms our humanity, our connectedness, as we laugh together.

“We’re very proud of this show, taking great pleasure in listening to the audience, feeling the warmth in the room.”

Conrad: “That’s the key. As much as attention to detail is important in our work, we are making the show for our audience, not for ourselves. That’s why we still make theatre: that connection between the artist and the audience.”

Claybody Theatre, The Grand Babylon Hotel, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, March 18 to 21, 7.30pm plus 1.30pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees; Harrogate Theatre, April 1 to 4, 7.30pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee. Box office: Scarborough, 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

In the shadows: Michael Hugo in The Grand Babylon Hotel. Picture: Andrew Billington

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REVIEW: Steve Crowther’s verdict on York Musical Society,  J.S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion, York Minster, March 14

Bass-baritone soloist Alex Ashworth. Picture: Debbie Scanlan

THE opening “Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen” – scored for double choir and double orchestra – set the performance tone impeccably.

The beautifully judged slow processional unfolding – surely one of the most distinguished openings in all music – allowed the textures to breathe. Bach immediately establishes the Passion’s grand dramatic architecture: public narrative and crowd commentary interwoven with moments of intensely personal reflection.

The performance used an English translation; original German titles are used here when referring to individual movements.

The simple question-and-answer phrases of the two choirs acted as dramatic crowd commentary, while the soprano ripieno choir (from St Peter’s School) sang the floating chorale “O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig” impeccably. The YMS orchestra provided the dotted rhythmic processional underpinning. 

This antiphonal, call-and-response writing was further exploited by director David Pipe in the positioning of the six soloists. Bass-baritone Alex Ashworth, singing the role of Jesus, performed from the elevated pulpit, while tenor Gwilym Bowen, as the Evangelist, was placed on the left-hand side of the performance space.

The remaining soloists – soprano Clare Lloyd-Griffiths, mezzo-soprano Marie Elliott, tenor  Daniel Joy and bass Jack Comerford – were positioned on the right-hand side.

For listeners seated on the left-hand side of the nave, however, clarity proved problematic. From that position it was difficult to hear the soloists with any real degree of definition, particularly the soprano and mezzo-soprano voices.

For example, although Clare Lloyd-Griffiths brought depth of interpretation to “Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden,” some detail – especially in the lower register – was lost in “Jesu, deine Passion will ich jetzt bedenken.”

Similarly, Jack Comerford’s singing in “Der Heiland fällt vor seinem Vater nieder” and “Gerne will ich mich bequemen” suffered from the same loss of textual and musical clarity.

Fortunately, Daniel Joy overcame the acoustic challenges in his performance of the reflective aria “Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen”. The relatively spare texture – tenor line, single oboe obbligato (Jane Wright) and short choral interjections – comes through with admirable clarity. Consequently, it proved one of the highlights of Part I.

No such acoustical difficulties troubled Gwilym Bowen’s Evangelist or Alex Ashworth’s Jesus. The clarity of their delivery could hardly have been greater.

Particularly moving was Ashworth’s “Ihr seid ausgegangen als zu einem Mörder”.  Bach’s characteristic halo of sustained strings often surrounding the words of Christ added an extra layer of expressive warmth.

The closing Part I chorale “O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß” – one of Bach’s most expressive chorale settings – provided a beautifully judged musical conclusion to the first half.

Matters improved noticeably in Part II. The reason, I suspect, lies in Bach’s scoring. Whereas Part I is often monumental and choral – with large crowd scenes and dramatic exchanges – such textures can become dense in a very resonant space.

By contrast, Part II is more introspective, with arias frequently accompanied by smaller instrumental groups and prominent obbligato lines, allowing individual vocal and instrumental details to emerge more clearly.

Mezzo-soprano Marie Elliott sang “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” – one of Bach’s loveliest arias and arguably the emotional heart of the Passion – with touching expressiveness. The aria was beautifully enhanced by the lyrical violin obbligato (Sarah Reece), creating a moment to treasure.

Clare Lloyd-Griffiths was heard to particularly good effect in “Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben”. The absence of a continuo bass line – highly unusual in Bach – together with the delicate scoring for flutes (Della Blood and Ruth O’Brien) and oboes da caccia (Jane Wright and Alex Nightingale), created an atmosphere of striking purity and stillness.

Jack Comerford brought conviction to the dramatic aria “Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder,” protesting at Christ’s arrest, with strong support from energetic strings and continuo.

Bach’s gentle closing chorus, “Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder,” brings the work to one of the most serene endings in all sacred music. What a work — and what an impressive performance.

The choir sang their hearts out and held fast throughout; the orchestral playing, with excellent obbligato contributions, was consistently musical; the sopranos of St Peter’s School sang beautifully; and the soloists, although sometimes hampered by the acoustic, were consistently excellent.

Shaun Turnbull (chamber organ) and Lindsay Illingworth (continuo cello) were the evening’s unsung heroes – but the Oscar surely goes to director David Pipe, whose assured direction balanced both the drama and the inward reflection at the heart of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, even in the vast acoustic of York Minster.

Review by Steve Crowther