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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Selfish Giant director Paul Birch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The poster for Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beverley Beirne

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Strangers On A Train to play Grand Opera House, York, from February 2 to 6 2027

The poster for Strangers On A Train’s tour travels

BILL Kenwright Ltd’s national tour of Craig Warner’s stage adaptation of Strangers On A Train will play the Grand Opera House, York, from February 2 to 6 2027.

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 psychological thriller and inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 film-noir classic, this new touring production will be directed by Roxana Silbert, former artistic director of Paines Plough, Birmingham Rep and Hampstead Theatre and associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The cast and creative team is to be announced.

David Gilbery, chief executive officer of Bill Kenwright Ltd, says: “We’re delighted to be working with the brilliant Roxana Silbert to bring Craig Warner’s gripping adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s celebrated novel to audiences across the UK.

“Few thrillers have stood the test of time quite like Strangers On A Train. Its tension, psychological complexity and relentless sense of suspense make it a hugely entertaining night at the theatre, and I can’t wait for audiences around the country to experience it.”

The production will be dedicated to the memory of Hollywood-born, Suffolk-based playwright and screenwriter Craig Warner, who passed away earlier this year. “I had been looking forward to sharing this journey with him and greatly treasured the conversations we had about the production and his exceptional adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel,” says David.

“Craig’s writing is elegant, gripping and profoundly theatrical, and it has been a privilege to revisit his work in preparing this production. His absence will be keenly felt throughout the rehearsal process and beyond. I hope this production stands as a celebration of his talent.”

In Strangers On A Train, two strangers meet on a train. Charles Bruno has an idea for the perfect crime. Two murders. Two strangers. No motive. No connection. No consequences.

Guy Haines dismisses it as a joke, but Bruno is not joking. As Bruno’s obsession spirals out of control, Guy finds himself trapped in a nightmare of guilt, manipulation and fear.

Dark, gripping and full of suspense, Strangers On A Train is a psychological thriller built on obsession, manipulation and the devastating consequences of a chance encounter.

Tickets are on sale at atgtickets.com/york.

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Premiere of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s futuristic 92nd play, The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, his first courtroom drama

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

REHEARSALS are into tech week for Alan Ayckbourn’s 92nd play, the groundbreaking The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, whose premiere will run at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, from September 4 to October 3.

Directed by Sir Alan, Elizabeth Boag, Frances Marshall, Russell Richardson, Richard Stacey, Leigh Symonds, Hayden Wood and Olivia Woolhouse will be performing his first courtroom drama.

No ordinary courtroom drama at that, but one set in the year 2194, with the undercurrent of a detective story too, when “humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on Earth looks very different”.

“Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case,” reveals Sir Alan. “Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear, the evidence is polarising, and selecting an impartial jury is proving to be a challenge.”

Introduced by Ayckbourn’s observation that “in space, no-one can hear you dream”, The Trial Of Romeo Oscar asks a question that artists have been positing for centuries:  what makes us human?

“When you reach my age, you really only have the choice as a writer of either looking back or moving forward,” says Sir Alan, now 87. “At the moment, I’m sort of swinging between past and future with each play. But where we’re going, particularly with AI, is always interesting. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Look at Shakespeare, he went into complete fantasy and was none the worse for that!”

Why has Sir Alan not written a courtroom drama until now? “They all required big casts,” he says. “You could use the audience as the jury, which is a gimmick many theatre directors have used, or you could have 12 actors sitting around for a long time before doing anything.

Playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn in his Scarborough garden. Picture: Tony Bartholomew, 2020

“The advantage of me doing the play set in 2194 is that most of the cast can be virtual, invisible to the audience, so we only hear their voices.

“It’s set so far in the future that you would think that by then they would be bringing in witnesses by video or hologram.”

The Trial Of Romeo Oscar nevertheless ends up with a cast of seven: “That’s still quite big for the SJT,” says Sir Alan. “The play is still within the tradition of a courtroom drama with a judge, defendant, prosecution and defence lawyers and witnesses, but it’s a very different world.

“Firstly, because the defendant is an android, and secondly, because it’s a world no longer ruled by politicians but now run by huge corporations, in this case the Citrus organisation in London. It’s a post-holocaust world after a World War of some description, and it’s the first play of mine to be set entirely underground but still on Earth – and it features my first replicant.

“The war has been over for 20 years and was fought by frontline troops that were all androids, where humans had very little involvement, except remotely. Like now, with drone controllers sitting safely in their bunkers.”

Sir Alan continues: “In a sense, the androids return home as war heroes and are one step closer to being independent citizens, after being prescribed as a different class of being for so long.

“They are sentient, although they are made on work benches, so people argue that they have no soul, but it was increasingly apparent in my last android play [2023’s Constant Companions, featuring an android building janitor named Jan Sixty and an auto-domestic maid named ED] that they were seeking independence at the end.

The poster for Alan Ayckbourn’s courtroom drama The Trial Of Romeo Oscar

“Now, in The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, they have been granted responsibilities and acknowledged as having independence, and as a result, they also become liable to be prosecuted. This trial is the first case because previously it was impossible to think of an android killing a human, but this looks a slam-dunk case.  

“Into this mix we bring an outsider, a defence counsel shipped in from an Earth colony, Titan, Saturn’s largest satellite.”

Ayckbourn’s play may be set in the future, but one too close for comfort. “If politicians keep mucking up in the way they are, someone is going to grab the reins of power in the way that Trump has. Only one step from a businessman, where that gap is growing smaller, and now what I’ve done is to extend that possibility to infinity,” he says.

“In my youth, I used to read so much sci-fi literature, and the thing that I latched on to was how they presented conundrums and made them into parables for today.”

Drawing parallels with the rise in racism and right-wing intolerance today, Sir Alan says: “If you then introduce another race, in other words the androids, where do they fit in? They’re the next victims of racism, seen as a threat, ‘taking our jobs away’. All that racism and sexism starts all over again.”

Ayckbourn’s world in 2194 is one where the arts have virtually disappeared. “After the war, humanity vowed that anything that was created before that should not be encouraged,” he says. “It is a dark premise, but all the better for producing laughter as we will recognize some of it as being close to where we are now. It’s what I call ‘oh my God’ laughter.”

What makes us human, Sir Alan? The arts, music, Shakespeare, this play’s message, he would no doubt reply.

Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, September 4 to October 3. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

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Director Miles Watts and writer Maria Gray team up for no-budget thriller Your Sin

Maria Gray in a scene from Your Sin, filmed at York Theatre Royal

INDEPENDENT film director and screenwriter Miles Watts first met movement director, actress and voiceover artist Maria Gray while walking their dogs in Barton-le-Willows, near York.

Maria needed to make a show reel, calling on Miles’s filmmaking skills. “Maria mentioned she’d never made a feature film. We bonded together and set up Outward Films, agreeing to make a film with no budget,” says Miles, best known for his Zomblogalypse horror/comedy web series.

As the company’s profile puts it at mileswatts.com/work/outwardfilms: “Outward Films is a creative partnership dreamt up by writers and filmmakers Miles Watts and Oliver Semple and actor and writer Maria Gray. All three unsavoury characters reside near the hazy metropolis of York, UK.

“Between us, we’ve written, produced, directed and acted in plays, series and films our whole lives, and have joined forces to create an ambitious slate of new work including feature films shot on iPhone, micro-budget movies for international audiences and a stack of screenplays across genres”. 

Vicky Parry’s logo design for Outward Films, featuring the silhouette of Wattshisface

If you look at the logo for Outward Films, designed by Miles’s partner Vicky Parry, you will note it resembles a tatty luggage label bearing the image of a scruffy person – not even slightly based on someone she knows – looking out at the big wide world and daydreaming of stories and adventures.

“That’s our entire ethos,” says Miles. “We’re small-town creators with ambitious dreams. Maria is making her break into features with our first iPhone movie, Your Sin, a theatre-set drama-thriller which she wrote and stars in.”

Your Sin is now in post-production for the rest of the year after eight days of filming, wrapped at York Theatre Royal on June 16. “I once shot a film in only six days. That was my second movie,” says Miles. “There are so many limits to film-making, so this time we thought, ‘let’s get our iPhones out’, as there’s a renaissance of this form of film-making.

“Like the indie horror film Obsession, which was made on a budget of under $1m in 20 days, has been outselling the latest Star Wars at the box office!”

The poster for Maria Gray and Miles Watts’ debut film for Outward Films, Your Sin

York Theatre Royal came on board to permit filming in The Studio, such as for a nightclub scene in its guise as The Old Paint Shop cabaret club, and in the Main House too, and further locations included the Brew & Brownie cafe at 7.30am one morning, Kirkham Woods, Howsham Wood  and LazenbyBrown  in Shambles.

“We told actors there was no money for the film, but they wanted to audition anyway,” says Miles, whose principal players are David Ajao, Kate Hampson and Liam Wilks, alongside Maria.

“A lot of the ladies in the film are students from the film and acting course at York St John University who are making their own iPhone movies.”

Maria adds: “We couldn’t believe how many people came forward to audition. From 10am to 4pm over two days in the Keregan Room at the Theatre Royal, we saw over 30 actors, and we received lots of self-tapes too.”

Miles Watts, second from left, filming on iPhone at York Theatre Royal

Written by Miles and Maria, Your Sin depicts a troupe of actors making a movie for a notorious director in a theatre with a ghostly legend. However, as the filming begins, there are more skeletons in the closet than ghosts in the shadows.

“It’s a film within a film, with the film. Very meta,” says Miles. “A film about making a film about people making a film! Then the film has a ghost element where they think a ghost is having an influence on the film and everyone starts thinking about how every theatre has a ghost – or not!” Should you be wondering, the film within the film is called The Sinful Virgin.

“It’s the first straight drama I’ve ever done, so there are no jokes,” says Miles, whose horror films are usually laced with darkest humour.

Maria, who plays an aspiring actor called Maria, fell pregnant during the film project. “We’ve now written Maria’s pregnancy into the story, with a story strand about the mistreatment of actors who are pregnant. We wanted to show you can work with pregnant actors,” says Miles. “I said, it’s not a problem; in fact, let’s make a virtue of it’.”

A poster image for Outward Films’ thriller Your Sin

Maria says: “The whole concept of the film is to consider how much should an actor say No to something; how much is the actor’s responsibility for their safety and wellbeing if they’re not comfortable with doing something? How much autonomy do they have? How much pressure are they under to say Yes all the time?”

Filming on iPhone has its advantages and one disadvantage. “The biggest problem is running out of storage,” says Miles. “But filming on iPhone is way more accessible. Everyone has a film camera in their pocket – even my mum has one and she’s 80. If you can learn how to use these things, anyone can make a film.

“Using an iPhone makes film-making very liberating, where I’m more in control than working with a cameraman.”

Maria takes on the role of producer for Outward Films’ next iPhone feature film, Drop Dead!, a horror mystery that “looks back to 1999 with its promise of cinematic DIY freedom that’s experiencing a renaissance in 2026”.

Your Sin’s principal cast and production team in tandem at York Theatre Royal

“We start production for film number two in Harrogate in under a week’s time, with the last day of filming set for September 8 after two blocks of three-day shoots,” says director Miles, who has written the script with Alan Melikdjanian.

The cast will include Tom Mordell, Juné Tiamatakorn and York Theatre Royal pantomime star Tommy Carmichael in the tale of six friends deciding to capitalise on the DIY filmmaking boom in 1999 by making their own horror movie, but the forces of evil have other ideas.

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Peter Pan becomes Wendy’s tale in Ella Hickson’s girl power re-telling as told by York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre

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

YORK Theatre Royal Youth Theatre will perform on the Main House stage for the first time since 2019 in a large-scale production of Ella Hickson’s Wendy & Peter Pan from September 3 to 5.

Forty-six young performers aged eight to 19 will perform this magical re-telling of J M Barrie’s Peter Pan, where the focus now falls on Wendy’s adventures in Neverland. 

Performers are drawn from all the youth theatre groups, as well as newcomers, while a further seven young people are supporting the production as backstage crew, from stage management, sound and lighting to craft and prop making. 

Lydia Crosland, York Theatre Royal’s head of communities for five years, is co-directing the show with Sophie-Jade Howell in her last production after two years as head of youth theatre before leaving the Theatre Royal on September 23 to take up a new youth theatre post at Leeds Heritage Theatres.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of our brilliant Youth Theatre community, both on stage and off,” says Lydia. “There is something truly special about co-creating a show with young people and I can’t wait to watch their creativity shine. We’re seeking to make a production where young people really feel ownership of it.”

Sophie-Jade says: “Ella Hickson’s take on the Peter Pan story is so beautiful and heartfelt. It’s got everything I love in an adventure: raucous pirate battles, a punk-rock fairy and plenty of magic and mischief along the way. We have such a talented company of young performers and I know the whole process will be such a blast!” 

Soar up into the night sky with Wendy, Peter and Tink in Hickson’s fairy dust-sprinkled girl power account of Barrie’s story as a quiet sadness besets the Darling household, until the unexpected arrival of a mischievous young boy called Peter and a rather sassy fairy, Tink. 

Sophie-Jade Howell, left, and Lydia Crosland, co-directors of York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s production of Wendy & Peter Pan

Cue Wendy leading the rebellious Lost Boys, taking on the terrifying Captain Hook, finding the key to her parents’ lost happiness and discovering the power of being brave and strong. 

“We picked the play with the young people from our Youth Theatre Forum,” says Sophie-Jade. “We hold 13 youth theatre sessions per week in term time, and from each class two people take part in the forum.

“We were encouraged by the theatre management to pick a classic, which I’m always excited by because there are loads of stories that be told in new ways.

“We brought the forum four or five plays to choose from, and Ella Hickson’s play won unanimously. We did a reading and got everyone interacting on their feet.”

Wendy & Peter Pan appealed to the co-directors and youth members alike with its radical re-positioning of Wendy in the storyline. “I always think, ‘why does Wendy only get to play at being as mum in J M Barrie’s story, when everyone else gets to be a pirate?’,” says Lydia.

“But in this play, she does get to do battle with the pirates , and everyone really identified with that, wanting to celebrate their empowerment. Tink is sassy too, and Mrs Darling joins the Suffragettes and takes a job as a seamstress and dress maker, so all the female roles are much more fleshed out.”

Sophie-Jade adds: “It’s now Wendy’s story. It just felt right to us as creatives to look at this story in a new way, and it’s exciting to do that in a feminist way. When you’re working with this age group, you have to look at stories that speak to them in a contemporary way.”

Molly as Captain Hook and Esther as Wendy in York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s Wendy & Peter Pan. Picture: James Drury

Hickson’s play features a fourth Darling child, Tom, a Lost Boy, whose loss necessitates Wendy to become his mother figure because the parents are so grief-stricken.

“The story has real heart to it,” says Lydia. “But there are comedic moments too; it’s funny and playful at times, raucous too, and because of that, the emotional, tender moments work even better, to contrast with the absolute carnage of the pirate scenes!”

Lydia and Sophie-Jade are joined in the production team by designer Kate Marshall and lighting designer Craig Kilmartin and composer and sound designer  Joe Allen, with music being co-created by York Theatre Royal’s Youth Theatre and  Access All Areas group, complemented by actor-musician students from Leeds Conservatoire. 

York Dance Space will also be supporting with movement direction for the show.  “We’re trying to move away from the traditional idea of Peter Pan flying across the stage,” says Sophie Jade. “We’re using physical theatre and puppetry instead, with lots of lifting and movement.”

York Theatre Royal’s Autumn Youth Theatre will start again for another term from September 21 with places available for children of all ages from five to 19.

The weekly drama sessions take place at York Theatre Royal, York College and York St John University, offering young people a fun way to develop performance skills, improve their confidence and make new friends. For more details on how to take part, go to: https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/be-part-of-it/children-and-young-people/youth-theatre.

On September 24, Sophie- Jade will begin her new post “updating the youth theatre programme” with Leeds Heritage Theatres, which runs Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall and Hyde Park Picturehouse.

“”I’m really sad to be leaving because York Theatre Royal has been my home,” she says. “I’m not leaving for any other reason than that I live in Leeds.”

York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre presents Wendy  & Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal, September 3 to 5, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: five plus. The show is being made with support from The Feoffees of St Michael’s Spurriergate, York Youth Partnership Funding and the York Common Good Trust.  

Age guidance: Five plus. Content guidance: This production has theatrical smoke, sudden loud noises and audience participation (a large inflatable ball will be passed around the Stalls).

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More Things To Do in York & beyond from Aug 29 as Making Waves waves goodbye. Hutch’s List No. 35, from The York Press

Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, from Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print at York Art Gallery, on loan from Maidstone Museum

FROM Making Waves’ finale to 50 years of Aardman, a comic convention to a slapstick Three Musketeers, Charles Hutchinson highlights a diverse week ahead.

Last chance to see: Making Waves: A Closing Celebration, York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm

YORK Art Gallery marks the closing of the Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print with a two-day festival of music, workshops, creative activities and food and drink for all the family in the gallery and York Museum Gardens. Making Waves talks take place at 11am and 2pm each day; The Art of Kokedama in the Studio today has sold out  but limited tickets are available for 11am tomorrow.

Highlights in the gardens include the Ippuku Tea Stand today, 10am to 5pm (free); Japanese Gardening Society today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm (free); face painting, today and tomorrow, 10am to 4.30pm; Paddle in the Surf: Mokuhanga printmkaing, today and tomorrow, 10.30am to 4.30pm; sun ring making, 10.30am to 4.30pm (free); Jiu Jitsu performance, today and tomorrow, 2pm (free); Taiko drumming performance, Sunday, 11am and 3pm, with interactive session at 1.30pm (all free), and Micklegate Choir performance of Sound Waves, tomorrow, 12 noon (free). Koto Japanese harp music performances will be at 10am, 11.20am, 12.40pm, 2pm and 3.15pm in the Foyer tomorrow (free). Exhibition admission tickets: yorkartgallery.co.uk.

York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy: Opening August 29’s bill on The Grid Stage at Leeds Festival at Bramham Park. Picture: Leeds Festival

Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, continuing August 29 and 30

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

Aardman In Concert: Celebrating 50 years of clay, comedy and creativity with a live orchestra at York Barbican

Film celebration of the week: Aardman In Concert, York Barbican, August 29, 1pm and 3.30pm

FIFTY years of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time, Morph and Creature Comforts are marked in a heart-warming big-screen celebration, clay, comedy and creativity.

Presented in partnership with Aardman, Carrot Productions’ new show takes a joyful journey through five decades of stop-motion clay animation from the Bristol studio with its blend of treasured characters, oh-so British humour and music, climaxing with a screening of Wrong Trousers accompanied by a live orchestra. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

York Unleashed Comic-Con: Comics galore on the Knavesmire

Convention of the week: York Unleashed Comic-Con, York Racecourse, Knavesmire, York, August 30, 10am to 4pm

YORK Unleashed Comic-Con promises a cosplay-friendly atmosphere, Yorkshire artists and comic creators, traders, collectables and geeky merchandise, gaming and interactive zones, a comic book chill-out zone, family-friendly activities and accessible, inclusive spaces. Media guests include Alex Jordan, Harry McEntire, Alan Fletcher, Richard Price and Jamie Kenna. Tickets: unleashedtickets.co.uk.

The Rocket Man: Playing Elton John’s greatest hits on his Yellow Brick Road Tour at Grand Opera House, York

Tribute gig of the week: The Rocket Man – A Tribute to Sir Elton John, Yellow Brick Road Tour, Grand Opera House, York, August 30, 7.30pm

THE Rocket Man and his band travel down the Yellow Brick Road to perform two hours of Elton John hits, from Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting), Crocodile Rock, Daniel and Your Song to Philadelphia Freedom, I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues and I’m Still Standing. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The poster for Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries

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

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

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

Our Star Theatre Company: Turning up the slapstick quotient in The Three Musketeers

Slapstick silliness of the week: Our Star Theatre Company in The Three Musketeers, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, September 4, 7.30pm  

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

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

Louisa Ashdown in rehearsal for her role as The Actor in Hephaestus Theatre’s Richard iii Redux

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miles John: Playing Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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