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February 8, 2025February 13, 2025

More Things To Do in York and beyond the dark skies of February nights. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 6 from The York Press

*Freida Nipples: Hosting a cabaret night of burlesque exhibitionism in The Old Paint Shop at York Theatre Royal Studio*

FROM exhibitionist burlesque to imaginative dance moments, wildlife illuminations to bend-and- snap musical empowerment, Charles Hutchinson finds February fulfilment.

Cabaret night of the week: Freida Nipples Presents…The Exhibitionists, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight, 8pm

YORK’S very own internationally award-winning burlesque artiste Freida Nipples welcomes some of her favourite and most fabulous performance artists from across Great Britain and beyond to The Old Paint Shop’s flesh-flashing cabaret night.

“Get ready to be dazzled, shocked and in awe,” says Freida. “Only a few things are guaranteed: glamour, gags and giggles.” Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk, for returned tickets only.

*Chris Newman and Maire Ni Chathasaigh: Heading to Helmsley Arts Centre*

Folk gig of the week: Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm

MULTIPLE award-winning, internationally renowned virtuoso harp and guitar duo Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman return to Helmsley after playing to a full house there in December 2023.

County Cork harpist Chathasaigh and flat-picking guitarist, improviser, composer and record producer Newman have toured to 24 countries on five continents, playing venues ranging from village halls and town halls to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, from London’s Barbican to Cologne’s Philharmonia. Expect a fusion of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with new compositions and Newman’s subversive wit. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

*Unstoppable! Evie Hart, Sean Moss, Hobie Schouppe, Juliette Tellier, Donny Beau Ferris, Risa Maki and Oliver Rumaizen in Jasmin Vardimon Company’s Now. Picture: Tristram Kenton*

Dance show of the week: Jasmin Vardimon Company, York Theatre Royal, today, 2.30pm with post-show discussion and 7.30pm

NOW, a new creation by choreographer Jasmin Vardimon MBE, celebrates her company’s 25th anniversary in a work that reflects the current moment, the present, and the continuous movement of time in a terpsichorean toast to the beauty of imagination and art.

Rooted in her interest in contemporary lives, the structures of society and the ever-changing socio-political dynamics, Vardimon uses her distinctive dance theatre style to tell a story of our time with an international cast of performers and relevant and iconic moments from the Ashford, Kent company’s repertoire. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

*Jamie Walton: Cello soloist at York Guildhall Orchestra’s concert tonight at York Barbican. Picture: Matthew Johnson*

Classical concerts of the week: Yorkshire Bach Choir, Bach To The Future, St Lawrence Parish Church, York, tonight, 7.30pm; York Guildhall Orchestra: Sibelius, Bloch, Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich, York Barbican, tomorrow, 3pm

PETER Seymour conducts Yorkshire Bach Choir on a choral journey through German polyphony, including music by Schutz, Johann Bach, JS Bach, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Rheinberger tonight. Professor Thomas Schmidt gives a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Jamie Walton, cellist and North York Moors Chamber Music Festival artistic director, will be the soloist for Ernst Bloch’s “rarely played, but utterly beautiful” Shelomo in tomorrow afternoon’s concert by the York Guildhall Orchestra. Sibelius’s Karelia Suite, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo And Juliet and Shostakovic’s Symphony No. 9 in Eb feature too in conductor Simon Wright’s programme. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

*Dominic Halpin & The Hurricanes: Turning the Grand Opera House into a honky-tonk in downtown Nashville*

Country gig of the week: A Country Night In Nashville, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

DOMINIC Halpin & The Hurricanes re-create a buzzing honky-tonk in downtown Nashville, capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of country music, featuring songs from its biggest stars both past and present: Johnny Cash to Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton to The Chicks, Willie Nelson to Kacey Musgraves. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

*Colour & Light: Illuminating York Minster with wildlife imagery*

Illumination of the week: Colour & Light, York Minster South Transept, February 12 to March 2

THIS free outdoor event promises a “mesmerising projection” of famous and lesser-known stories of York’s animal world, from the peregrine falcons that call the Minster home and the foxes that roam the city after dark, to the horses on which the Romans rode into Eboracum and the legendary dragons carved into York’s history.

Colour & Light will run nightly from 6pm to 9pm with projections on a ten-minute loop. The final hour each evening will feature a designated quiet hour with reduced noise and crowd levels, ensuring everyone can enjoy the event. No tickets are required.

*Pop Princesses : A fairytale epic adventure of pop hits and show favourites at the Grand Opera House*

Children’s pop concert of the week: Pop Princesses World Tour, Grand Opera House, York, February 13, 6pm

IN a magical show where four fabulous fairytale princesses become pop stars on an epic adventure, they just love to sing the hits of Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Lizzo, complemented by a few of the best songs from all your favourite films and musicals. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

*Drag diva turned Dragamama bingo caller Velma Celli*

Drag bingo agogo: Velma Celli’s Dragamama Bingo, Wagamama, Goodramgate, York, February 13, doors 6.30pm

YORK international vocal drag diva Velma Celli, alias West End musical star Ian Stroughair, has won the Best Cabaret prize at Perth Fringeworld 2024 – again! – Down Under. Next Thursday, Velma turns bingo caller for an evening of camp comedy drag bingo fun and games in Dragamama Bingo at Japanese restaurant Wagamama. Eyes down for a full house and a feast of Velma cabaret from 7pm to 9pm. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/4hmukk69.

*Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods in York Light Opera Company’s Legally Blonde The Musical. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography*

Musical of the week: York Light Opera Company in Legally Blonde The Musical, York Theatre Royal, February 13 to 22, 7.30pm nightly (except February 16) plus 2.30pm matinees on February 15, 20 and 22

JOIN Elle Woods, a seemingly ditzy sorority girl with a heart of gold, as she tackles Harvard Law School to win back her man. Along the way, Elle discovers her own strength and intelligence, “proving that you can be both a beautiful blonde and brilliant”.

Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods leads Martyn Knight’s 35-strong cast in this feel-good, sassy and stylish show with a powerful message about staying true to yourself, booted with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Festival of the week: National Parks Dark Skies Festival, North York Moors, February 14 to March 2

THIS year is the tenth anniversary of the Dark Skies Festival and where better to celebrate than on the North York Moors, one of only 21 locations in the world to be recognised for pristine, dark skies as an International Dark Sky Reserve.

Look out for Stargazing Experiences in Dalby Forest; Stargazing at Ampleforth Abbey; the Robin Hood’s Bay Dark Skies Ghost Walks; Evening Adventure Walks with River Mountain Rescue; a Night Navigation Experience with Large Outdoors; Dancing with The Long Dead Stars on a walk to Boggle Hole and plenty more. For full details, visit: darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk/north-york-moors-events.

February 8, 2025March 20, 2025

‘Missed off the billing for York Open Studios 2025’, here comes The Other Collective show at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb

Lu Mason’s rag rug Agitate Educate Organise, her spin on the “Educate, agitate, organise” slogan first coined by by the Social Democratic Federation, a British socialist organisation whose members included artist William Morris, in a 1883 pamphlet

CURATED by Bluebird Bakery, in Acomb, York, The Other Collective brings together the work of Lu Mason, Ric Liptrot, Rob Burton, Liz Foster and Jill Tattersall until March 13.

“These wonderful artists were all missed off the billing for York Open Studios 2025 and we felt that was a real shame,” says Bluebird boss Nicky Kippax. “So The Other Collective was born and we hope the work will get a lot of interest from our customers.”

Self-taught artist and retro DJ Lu Mason started making rugs in the early 1980s but stopped for nearly 25 years when she worked as an occupational therapist. She took up rug making again during the pandemic lockdown and has not looked back since. “I love using recycled materials and hessian and the simplicity of the materials and process,” she says.

“As an occupational therapist, some of the ‘just do it’ approach to creative activities – i.e. use what you’ve got, even if it isn’t perfect – has definitely crossed over to my own practice at home and in my studio.”

Lu applies her distinctive figurative shapes in her rag rugs, created with wool she has gathered together, and uses unusual media, from cut paper and recycled wool to Perspex and spray paint, in her towering mobiles, dramatic murals and installations and bold jewellery too.

“Be true to yourself, not what other people expect of you,” she says. “It takes time to find your own individual ‘style’, but actually every single thing you do will have your identity all over it.”

Lu made Royal Academy of Arts history in 2021 when her Magician work was the first rag rug to be displayed in the RA’s Summer Exhibition.

*“I am a great believer in supporting the high street,” says artist Ric Liptrot*

Ric Liptrot, whose parents ran a newsagents in Runcorn, has drawn buildings in York since moving here 15 years ago, now with a particular focus on shops, pubs and cafes in the city, not least on independent businesses on the eve of closure.

“I am a great believer in supporting the high street,” says Ric, whose original artwork is created using collage, acrylic paint, stencils and dip pen. “Limited-edition prints are available as well as greetings cards and calendars.”

Ric has just completed a residency at York Conservation Trust, where he was commissioned to paint five large plywood panels. Each panel focused on a quarter of central York with the fifth illustrating the “cultural” quarter. These panels now hang at De Grey House, in St Leonard’s Place, York.

*Rob Burton: Celebrating colour, texture, fabric in layers of imagery*

Rob Burton is a researcher, Teesside University academic and “critical artist”, working in textile art, whose research explores themes of memory, post-memory, hauntology*, identity and space, loss and transformation.

“My textile and fibre art practice textuality develops a conceptual dialogue between the innovative use of analogue, traditional approaches to making, and contemporary, emerging techniques and digital technologies,” says Rob.

He creates colourful printed textile, fabric and mixed-media artworks that represent the stories we tell. “Inspired by literature, iconography and personal stories, my latest works celebrate colour, texture, fabric in layers of imagery,” he says.

“In symbols, colours, shapes and digitally printed photographs, the unexpected often arises and visual tales arise.”

*Liz Foster: Her work centres around ideas of memory and the passing of time*

Born in Leeds in 1971 and now based near York, Liz Foster studied Fine Art (Drawing and Painting) at the Glasgow School of Art, later undertaking an MA at the University of Hull, where she researched visual perception theory in relation to contemporary painting practice.

“My work centres around ideas of memory and the passing of time, which I explore through the application of abstract imagery, repetition and animated mark-making,” says Liz, who uses colour with a playful and intuitive approach.

“My paintings are abstract, reflecting my thoughts, feelings and memories but not illustrating them. The material quality of the paint is equally as important as the theme and colour is always central to what I do.

“Painting is a fundamental expression of who I am, it is my language. I find joy in the materials and each work is a new adventure, posing questions and challenges that are limitless and fascinating.”

Liz has exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London Art Fair, Royal Scottish Academy, Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate, Ferens Gallery , Hull, and York Art Gallery. She has work in both public and private collections, selling within Great Britain and abroad, and she has been long-listed for the John Moores Prize twice.

*The Shipping Forecast, Weather map, hand-made paper on marouflaged board, by Jill Tattersall*

Jill Tattersall works from a studio just off The Mount, in York, that she calls The Wolf at the Door. “There is a Wolf, a large one,” she says.

She has done many exhibitions, projects and commissions. “My work’s all over the place, from Peru to Tasmania, even the official residence in Rwanda,” says Jill, who lived in Brighton before moving to York.

She has been part of open studio networks in various places, helping to run them too, and she will be taking part in North Yorkshire Open Studios for the first time in June, as well as holding a solo show at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, from May 5 to the end of June.

“My main obsession is with patterns,” says Jill. “They’re all around us; we’re made up of them ourselves. Force meets counter-force and patterns emerge: coasts and weather systems, stars and galaxies, trees and blood vessels, maps and mazes. It’s where science and art intersect!

“I constantly experiment with materials and techniques, often using my own hand-made paper and water-based paints, inks, dyes and pigments to build up intense and glowing colour. Throwaway or reclaimed elements often sit side by side with gold and silver leaf. Value, price, worth…who decides.”

The Other Collective exhibition is on show at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, until March 13.

Exhibitions coming up at Bluebird Bakery in 2025, curated by Rogues Atelier artist, upholsterer and interior designer Jo Walton: Three Printmakers, from March 13; Jill Tattersall, from May 8; Clare M Wood, from July 3; Mandi Grant, from August 28; Di Gomery, from October 23 and Donna Taylor, from December 18.

*What is hauntology?

IN the words of Wikipedia: “Hauntology is a range of ideas referring to the return or persistence of elements from the social or cultural past, as in the manner of a ghost.

“The term is a neologism, fusing ‘haunting’ and ‘ontology’, introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1930 book Spectres Of Marx.”

February 7, 2025February 7, 2025

REVIEW: Martin Dreyer’s verdict on Opera North in The Flying Dutchman, Leeds Grand Theatre, until February 21

*Robert Hayward as The Dutchman in Opera North’s The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop*

LIKE a red rag to a bull, Wagner’s nautical traveller has provoked many concepts from opera directors. It was not an urge that Annabel Arden was able to resist, closely partnered by her designer Joanna Parker, in this new production.

Although sung in German, Act 1 opens in The Home Office, the government department responsible for processing those seeking asylum. Ocean views on a video during the overture have already conjured thoughts of desperate voyagers in tiny dinghies trying to cross the English Channel, so when we see a crowd of identically-suited bureaucrats, red-ribboned identity tags around their necks, buzzing busily against a backdrop of rapid-fire digital gobbledygook, it is all of a piece.

Myth and legend appear to have gone out of the window. Where is Daland’s boat, or the Dutchman’s for that matter? They never appear. Daland is the smug minister weathering the storms thrown into the path of the ship of state.

*Layla Claire’s Senta, centre, with the ladies of the Chorus of Opera North in The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop*

It is true that when the Dutchman’s vessel should be putting into port, a crane-load of nautical gear is lowered onto the central table, as if it were the dockside. Above this are two thin metal curtains, cut on an angle, which could well be interpreted as sails.

In truth, there has been some inkling of this twin-layered approach: before the overture, and at the start of the other two acts, the recorded voices of actual refugees speak in broken English of the trials they have endured on their way to this country.

These two strands, myth and modernity, are uneasy bedfellows throughout the evening. Alarm bells always ring when it takes several well-reasoned essays and interviews in a 50-page programme-book (not read by many of the punters, certainly not in advance) to explain and justify any departure from what the composer envisaged.

*Robert Hayward as the Dutchman and Layla Claire as Senta in The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop*

It is entirely possible that first-timers at Holländer find it all convincing or are simply not bothered; more experienced listeners will be at the very least bewildered. But that’s all part of the fun.

There are multiple compensations in the music. Music director Garry Walker seems to have stepped straight into the Wagnerian mantle he inherited from Richard Farnes. His strings are immediately on fire – one rapid run is positively spine-tingling – and there is steely determination in the brass calls.

But he also allows the score to breathe, which suits his principals admirably. Robert Hayward’s Dutchman cuts an androgynous figure on first appearance, long straggly hair, a necklace and seemingly a dress under his long cloak – until he opens his mouth and the full world-weariness flows such as no other baritone can match. His career in Leeds alone stretches back well over 30 years. He is still in imperious voice at the finish.

*Layla Claire’s Senta and Edgaras Montvidas’s Erik/Steersman in The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop*

Clive Bayley, another familiar face in these parts, revels in taking off his ministerial role as Daland, injecting humour with subtle inflexions. Edgaras Montvidas doubles excellently as Erik and the Steersman, finding a Lied-style Sehnsucht in Erik’s Act 2 aria but a biting vitriol at Senta’s rejection.

Layla Claire was unable to sing on this opening night but acted an emotionally immature Senta prostrated by her infatuation with immense conviction. Mari Wyn Williams sang the role from the side with considerable charm, reserving extra heft for the dénouement. Molly Barker, stepping up from the chorus, makes her mark as Mary.

The final showdown between the two crews takes place at a civil-service shindig with the Dutchman behind the bar at first, before he climbs onto it for his peroration. But the chorus is so thrilling there is no need to reason why.

Review by Martin Dreyer, 1/2/2025

Further performances in Leeds until February 21, then on tour until March 28, full details at www.operanorth.co.uk. Leeds box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.

*The Chorus in Opera North’s The Flying Dutchman at Leeds Grand Theatre. Picture: James Glossop*

February 6, 2025February 6, 2025

Outsider Inside York show at Art Of Protest highlights artist experience from prison life and military service to neurodivergence

*Untitled 7, by Neil Bunting, from the Outsider Inside York exhibition at the Art Of Protest Gallery in York*

OUTSIDER Inside York, an exhibition of words and pictures at the Art Of Protest Gallery, York, celebrates the diverse voices of five artists who have used creativity to reshape their lives.

Challenging the status quo, this month’s show at the Walmgate art space reveals art’s transformative power in overcoming adversity

Taking part are Boxxhead, alias York mixed-media artist Kevin McNulty; former British Army soldier and PTSD sufferer Kevin Devenport, who began painting as a form of self-expression while in prison for drug offences, and Peter Stapleton, who discovered a gift for painting in oils after 22 years behind bars.

On show too is work by the late neurodivergent artist and musician Neil Bunting, who died last year, having struggled with mental health issues and personal loss throughout his life and never exhibited in his lifetime.

Their works are complemented by poems by Geoff Beacon, whose latest collection, Foreboding, engages with activism and politics in York.

Gallery founder and curator Craig Humble says: “We are excited to present Outsider Inside York, a dynamic new group exhibition that examines the power of art as catharsis and resistance. The show features a selection of artists whose works defy mainstream artistic conventions and explore the role of visual art and written words in activism.

“Outsider Inside York celebrates individuals whose unique personal experience – ranging from life in prison and military service to neurodivergence – have shaped their creativity.”

The concept of “Outsider Art” traces its roots to French artist Jean Dubuffet, who in 1945 coined the term “Art Brut” to describe art produced outside the boundaries of traditional culture. “Today, Outsider Art remains a vital form of expression for those challenging societal norms,” says Craig.

“Outsider Inside York is a platform for UK-based artists whose diverse stories offer new perspectives and reveal art’s transformative power in overcoming adversity. We invite viewers to engage with a range of art that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.”

Featured artists

Kevin McNulty aka Boxxhead

*Aura2, by Boxxhead, from Outsiders Inside York exhibition at Art Of Protest Gallery*

BOXXHEAD, the pseudonym of York mixed-media artist Kevin McNulty, is known for his expressive works that combine screen prints, large-scale original pieces on canvas and paper. His Aura collection, showcased in 2023 at Art Of Protest, reflected his personal experiences living with epilepsy, capturing the challenges of navigating the modern world with a neurological condition.

Drawing influence from Neo-Expressionism, Surrealism and figures such as Einstein, Boxxhead’s art blends stencilled layers, automatic mark-making and hand-drawn images. His child-like approach to complex social and political issues presents unfiltered narratives that speak to a 21st-century audience, fusing words and images with raw emotion and provocative insight.

Kevin Devenport

KEVIN Devenport’s gateway into the art world began while serving a prison sentence for drug offences. After years in the British Army, including active tours in Northern Ireland, Kevin was diagnosed with PTSD, which led him to prison and, ultimately, to painting as a form of self-expression.

Despite lacking formal artistic qualifications, Kevin’s work has received national acclaim, including the Koestler Award for painting and prestigious recognition such as the Leonardo de Vinci International Artist Award and the Olympic Art Prize.

Peter Stapleton

PETER Stapleton’s creativity began unexpectedly behind prison walls. After spending 22 years incarcerated, including at HMP Full Sutton, near York, Peter discovered a previously unknown ability for painting during a prison art class on the day of a visit by Home Secretary Michael Howard.

Given a canvas and paints, because the tutor had run out of pencils, Peter’s first-ever painting was recognised instantly as a skilled reproduction of an image in a magazine.

During the latter part of his latest sentence after a long record for armed robbery, Peter, from Manchester, completed a Fine Art Degree focusing on oil painting. His art practice has developed ideas and questions of masking and the role of institutions in forming the type of people we are believed to be.

“He had never painted or drawn in his life, where, in the circumstances he had grown up in, he knew only crime, but he turned out to be a natural,” says Craig Humble. “Now he paints photo-realistic corridors, almost abstract in style, striking a balance between prisons’ obsession with polishing floors while the structures of these institutions are falling all around them.”

Neil Bunting

NEIL Bunting, who passed away in 2024, left behind a creative echo of his life through art and music. Having struggled with mental health issues and personal loss throughout his life, Neil found solace in creating intricate visual art and composing music. His works offer insight into his internal world and how he used his creativity to balance challenges he faced living in this world.

His music compositions aired on BBC Radio 6 Music and although his unique artwork inspired those who saw it, none of the work was ever exhibited in his lifetime.

“Last year, not long before his death, I was approached by a retired social worker who had worked with Neil and had collected some of his pieces,” says Craig Humble. “She wanted to share his work with the public and she thought that out of all the galleries in York, we might be interested.

“We first met in May – I never met Neil, who passed way last summer – and I felt his work would be perfect for this show at the beginning of 2025.”

A proportion of sale proceeds will be donated to the I Am Reusable community food bank in York, with plans being put in place to also donate to a drug and alcohol services charity in Scarborough, where Neil’s sister, Christine Tipple, lives.

Geoff Beacon

GEOFF Beacon’s poetry journey began in 1992 with a friendly competition with his daughter, later leading him to write for Longman’s Mapping Awareness magazine.

Geoff’s work is engaged deeply with activism and local politics, particularly in York, where he has become a well-known figure. His latest poetry collection, Foreboding, brings together his poems from 1992 to the present day, offering a voice for social change and reflecting the ongoing human experience through powerful, politically charged language.

“Geoff has been a friend of the gallery by way of a witty quip and friendly face since we relocated to Walmgate five years ago,” says Craig Humble. “Geoff is an activist who uses many avenues to advance progressive conversations.

“As well as the traditional avenues around politics, Geoff also write polemic poetry. The sort of poetry that sits well with our gallery. Like our visual arts, Geoff writing can’t be ignored.

“Whether the reader agrees with the sentiment or goals isn’t so important, rather than it inspires thought, investigation and conversation.”

Outsider Inside York – An Exhibition of Words and Pictures, Art Of Protest Gallery, Walmgate, York, on show until February 16. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 11am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

February 6, 2025February 7, 2025

What’s On in Ryedale, York & beyond. Hutch’s List No. 5, from Gazette & Herald

*Untitled 7, by Neil Bunting, from Art Of Protest’s Outsider Inside York exhibition*

A DANDY giant, outsider art, drag bingo and Cuban rhythms light up Charles Hutchinson’s early February diary.

Exhibition of the week: Outsider Inside York – An Exhibition of Words and Pictures, Art of Protest Gallery, Walmgate, York, on show until February 16

OUTSIDER Inside York celebrates the diverse voices of five artists who have used creativity to reshape their lives and challenge the status quo, revealing art’s transformative power in overcoming adversity.

Taking part will be Boxxhead, alias York mixed-media artist Kevin McNulty; former British Army soldier and PTSD sufferer Kevin Devenport, who began painting as a form of self-expression while in prison for drug offences; Peter Stapleton, who discovered a gift for painting in oils after 22 years behind bars, and late neurodivergent artist and musician Neil Bunting, who died last year, having struggled with mental health issues and personal loss throughout his life and never exhibiting his work in his lifetime. Their works are complemented by poems by Geoff Beacon, whose latest collection, Foreboding, engages with activism and politics in York.

*Jennifer Jones’s Belle in Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s Beauty And The Beast at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre*

Fairytale of the week: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

THE Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company presents the timeless tale of Belle (Jennifer Jones), a young woman in a small provincial town, and the Beast (Adam Gill), a prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. The Beast must learn to love and be loved in order to break the spell, but time is running out in this Disney musical adventure.

Further principal roles in Kathryn Lay’s cast go to Jim Paterson as Gaston; Tom Mennary, Lumiere; Paul Blenkiron, Maurice; Helen Barugh, Madame de la Grande Bouche; Heather Stead, Babette, and Anthony Gardner, Cogsworth. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

*Meet The Smartest Giant In Town in Little Angel Theatre’s show at the Grand Opera House, York*

Children’s show of the week: Little Angel Theatre in The Smartest Giant In Town, Grand Opera House, York, today, 10am and 1pm

GEORGE wishes he were not the scruffiest giant in town. When he sees a new shop selling giant-sized clothes, he adopts a new look: smart trousers, smart shirt, stripy tie, shiny shoes. Now he is the smartest giant in town…until he bumps into some animals that desperately need his help – and his clothes!

So runs Little Angel Theatre’s latest puppet-filled stage adaptation of a typically heart-warming Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture-book tale of friendship and helping those in need. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

*The poster artwork for Just Us & A Piano at Helmsley Arts Centre*

Fundraiser of the week: Just Us & A Piano, Songs From Musical Theatre Broadway and the West End, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight and Friday, 7.30pm

JULIE Lomas and pianist Neil Bell bring together a grand piano and an ensemble of 1812 Theatre Company singers to celebrate the world of musical theatre to raise much-needed funds for Helmsley Arts Centre.

Songs from the Broadway classics of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers through to Cabaret, Wicked, My Fair Lady, Les Miserables, Hamilton and Andrew Lloyd Webber will be performed by Amy Gregory, Esme Schofield, Joe Gregory, Julie Lomas, Kristian Gregory, Natasha Jones, Oliver Clive and Phye Bell. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

*Beverley Beirne: Fronting her trio at The Old Paint Shop on Friday*

Jazz gig of the week: The Beverley Beirne Trio, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, Friday, 8pm

BEVERLEY Beirne sings songs of hope, passion, of living life to the full, of day dreaming, regret, love lost and love found and ultimately of dancing through the game and rhythm of life from Dream Dancer, long-listed for a Grammy Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Listen out for interpretations of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Let’s Face The Music And Dance and a bluesy take on The Clash’s Should I Stay Or Should I Go. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Drag diva deluxe at the double: The Velma Celli Show, Impossible York Wonderbar, St Helen’s Square, York, Friday, doors 7pm, show time 8pm to 10pm; Dragamama Bingo, Wagamama, Goodramgate, York, February 13, doors 6.30pm

YORK international vocal drag diva Velma Celli, alias West End musical star Ian Stroughair, has won the Best Cabaret prize at Perth Fringeworld 2024 – again! – in Australia. On Friday, Velma returns to her regular York joint for a night of sassy song and saucy badinage. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/24s4yyjt.

Next Thursday, Velma turns bingo caller for an evening of camp comedy drag bingo fun and games in Dragamama Bingo at Japanese restaurant Wagamama. Eyes down for a full house and a feast of Velma cabaret from 7pm to 9pm. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/4hmukk69.

*York Latinos: Celebrating Cuban music and culture at The Milton Rooms, Malton*

Cuban celebration of the week: York Latinos, A Night of Latin Music and Dance, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 8pm

YORK Latinos pay homage to the traditional rhythms of their homelands while infusing them with contemporary flair in a celebration of Cuban music and culture featuring a dancer from Havana.

Specialising in a variety of Latin genres, they blend the vibrant beats of salsa and the soulful melodies of Cuban Son, complemented by Merengue, Bachata and Cumbia. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

*Chris Newman and* *Maire Ni Chathasaigh*

Folk gig of the week: Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

MULTIPLE award-winning, internationally renowned virtuoso harp and guitar duo Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman return to Helmsley after playing to a full house there in December 2023.

February 4, 2025February 4, 2025

When you put Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper & Bob Monkhouse in one play, who has The Last Laugh? Over to Paul Hendy

*The Last Laugh writer-director Paul Hendy*

PAUL Hendy, award-winning Evolution Productions writer and director, is a familiar name in York from his five pantomime collaborations with the Theatre Royal.

Now, his new play The Last Laugh, premiered at last summer’s Edinburgh Fringe, will play the Grand Opera House from June 10 to 14 after a West End run in London.

Penned and directed by Hendy, the play re-imagines the lives of three of Great Britain’s greatest comedy heroes, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse, in a nostalgic show replete with gags, badinage and poignant stories.

The tour is being mounted by Evolution Productions in tandem with producer Jamie Wilson, the impresario behind tours of Sister Act The Musical and The Devil Wears Prada. “Jamie flew up on the last day of our sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run at the Assembly Rooms and nudged me to say ‘we’re taking this to the West End’,” recalls Paul. “I knew I had something that people were responding to. The reaction was overwhelming.”

Jamie says: “The young team here at JWP were bowled over by the relevance of their timeless comedy and after seeing it myself in Edinburgh, I just knew it had to have a further life so many more people could experience it.

“What is so brilliant about this play is the audiences who love and remember Eric, Tommy and Bob will be able to relive their comedy greatness, and those that don’t will be introduced to the genius of these national treasures. I’m so pleased these icons will be back on stage for audiences to enjoy.”

The Last Laugh will run at the Noel Coward Theatre, London, from February 25 to March 22 before heading out on tour in June.

In the cast will be Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe, after his Olivier Award-nominated portrayal of Eric in the West End hit Morecambe at the Duchess Theatre; Sheffield Lyceum pantomime dame Damian Williams as Tommy Cooper, after starring in the tour of Being Tommy Cooper, and actor and impressionist Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse, fresh from appearing as York-born Frankie Howerd in the UK tour of Howerd’s End.

Why feature Monkhouse, rather than Howerd as the third comedy legend in The Last Laugh, Paul? “When you see it, it will make sense. Ultimately it’s a show about comedy, but more than that, the life and death of three contrasting comedians, gathered in a dressing room to talk about life, death and comedy, with their three differing approaches to comedy” he says.

“Tommy Cooper was a natural comedian. That was almost a curse as people would just laugh in his presence. He was an innate comedian: whatever he did was funny.

*Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, left, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith*

“Eric was born funny but he needed writers, whereas Tommy didn’t: even a rubbish Tommy joke would get a laugh!

“Bob Monkhouse – who I met, what a lovely man – was not a naturally funny man but he really understood comedy and was a scholar of comedy, working a joke down to the minimum number of words, and polishing it, to make it work.

“Bob was fascinated by how Tommy Cooper was naturally funny; he would say, how do you do it?’, and Tommy would say, ‘I just do’. Eric was in the middle, so funny but requiring material.”

The Last Laugh lets them have fun together. “It was interesting to see how the three of them would work off each other,” says Paul. “I’d already done a 20-minute film version, which did really well on the film circuit in 2017, winning a Best Film award in Manchester and at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, and I’d always thought there was more to be mined, more to be explored.

“I analyse how comedy works for my play and panto scripts – I’m a massive Eric and Tommy fan, but I’m more like Bob in working out how comedy works, and that’s what they’re talking about in this play. What do they do when they get a laugh and then chase the next one and why do they do that?

“They were three people at the top of their game undoubtedly, which is why there’s still a lot of love for them. Tommy and Eric died within six weeks of each other 40 years ago and yet here we are, still discussing them. Is there anyone today who will have that lasting impact? Maybe Peter Kay.”

Paul wrote The Last Laugh expressly for Golding, Williams and Cartwright. “Damian is a great friend who I direct each year in the Sheffield Lyceum pantomime, where he’s been the dame for 17 years,” he says.

“Bob plays panto dame too in St Albans, and they both have as much passion for these comedians and the world they’re in as I do. We’ve all read the books, so this show is done with love. Simon was incredible in Howerd’s End, and he’s wonderful in this show too.”

The Last Laugh will be bound for the Brits Off Broadway season in New York, but as for old York, why is Paul’s play playing the Grand Opera House, not the Theatre Royal? “It came down to availability when Jamie Wilson was putting the tour together,” he says.

Last question, Paul: who has the last laugh in The Last Laugh? “I don’t want to give it away,” he says. “You’ll have to see it to find out! But it’s a good expression for what they do, with three comedians each trying to top each other as they always do.”

Jamie Wilson Productions and Emily Wood for Evolution Productions present TheLastLaugh, Grand Opera House, York, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

*Just like that….and that…and that in Paul Hendy’s The Last Laugh*

February 3, 2025February 3, 2025

Electronic pioneers Faithless and Orbital to share Scarborough Open Air Theatre bill

*Faithless: Topping August 2’s double bill*

BRITISH electronic music pioneers Faithless and Orbital will unite for a night on the Yorkshire coast on August 2 at TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday at scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Orbital – aka brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll, from Otford, Kent – will open the double bill before headliners Faithless take to the stage at Great Britain’s biggest outdoor concert arena.

Almost 30 years since releasing 1996 debut album Reverence, Faithless continue to deliver boundary-breaking dance music. Rollo Armstrong, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz’s London band have sold more than 20 million albums, including 17 Top 40 singles and six top ten albums (three peaking at number one), while amassing more than a billion streams.

Among their UK top ten singles are Salva Mea, We Come 1, One Step Too Far, Mass Destruction, Insomnia and God Is A DJ.

Last year, Faithless returned to the live arena after an eight-year hiatus to play sold-out shows across Europe.

*At the seaside: Orbital’s Phil and Paul Hartnoll*

In the mid-1990s, Orbital reinvented the notion of what a dance act could do live, turning multitudes of rock fans on to the limitless pleasures of electronic music.

They have crafted a catalogue of ambitious yet accessible music, informed by a wide range of genres from ambient and electro to punk and film scores.

Since breaking through with their landmark 1990 Top 20 hit Chime, Orbital have released ten studio albums, including 1993’sOrbital 2 and 1996’s In Sides. Their most recent release, 2023’s Optical Delusion, included furious lead single Dirty Rat, a collaboration with Sleaford Mods.

Faithless and Orbital join Basement Jaxx, Pendulum, Craig David, Rag’n’Bone Man, Snow Patrol, Judas Priest, Blossoms, Shed Seven, Texas, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, The Corrs, Gary Barlow and The Script among the artists confirmed for the summer ahead at Scarborough OAT.

February 3, 2025February 7, 2025

Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company to open Beauty And The Beast tomorrow

“*Belle is everything I wished I could be when I was growing up,” says Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company lead actress Jennifer Jones*

THE Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company will present Disney’s spin on the timeless tale of Belle, a young woman in a small provincial town, and the Beast, a prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, from tomorrow to Saturday.

If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self, but time is running out. Should the Beast not learn his lesson soon, however, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

“This ‘tale as old as time’ is filled with the classic songs that you know and love, so please ‘be our guest’ and join us for this family favourite,” says director Kathryn Lay, who is joined in the production team by musical director Martin Lay and choreographer Lorna Newby.

The cast comprises Jennifer Jones as Belle; Adam Gill as the Beast; Tom Menarry, Lumiere; Jen Payne, Mrs Potts; Anthony Gardner, Cogsworth; Heather Stead, Babette; Helen Barugh, Madame de la Grande Bouche; Jim Paterson, Gaston; Kit Stroud, Lefou; Paul Blenkiron, Maurice; Alex Schofield, Monsieur D’Arque, and Stan Richardson and Paige Sidebottom as Chip.

“Belle is everything I wished I could be when I was growing up,” says Jennifer Jones. “She’s confident in who she is and willing to stand up for herself, but also kind and incredibly loyal. There are actually quite a lot of similarities between Belle’s past and my own experiences (up until the ‘being imprisoned by a cursed beast’ part), so getting to channel that into the performance is a real privilege.”

What is Jennifer most looking forward to in the show? “I’m a sucker for a big ball gown. But honestly, my favourite part of any show is listening to the overture backstage with the whole company as we wait to go on. There’s absolutely nothing like it!”

*Jennifer Jones’s Belle and Adam Gill’s Beast*

Naming her favourite scene, she says: “Be Our Guest is such a delight! It’s the big song from Beauty And The Beast and it’s been so exciting to see it coming together and everyone giving it so much energy. I’m lucky that my character gets to watch it all, and the grin on my face is 100 per cent genuine.”

Looking forward to playing the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Jennifer says: “To have a full theatre so easily available to you as an amateur performer is really special. I’ve performed in nearly every theatre in York, but the Joseph Rowntree Theatre feels like home.

“It’s really an amazing community asset, and it provides so many opportunities for literally anybody to get involved, even if they’ve never stepped foot in a theatre before.”

She loves the experience of rehearsing and performing. “For me, it’s all about the people you do shows with. Of course, it’s very nice to sing for an audience that is more appreciative than my cats are, but getting to spend several nights a week having fun in rehearsals with an excellent group of people with a shared sense of purpose and belonging is the most important thing for me.”

Adam Gill shares his first name of Adam with the Beast: ”Of course that 100 per cent proves that I was made to play this part!” he says. “He’s one of the most iconic Disney characters, easily the best Disney prince, and I love the way that he changes and grows throughout the show: it’s a story that has always resonated with me.”

Adam, who picks the musical number Gaston as his highlight, “even though I’m not in it!”, has fond memories aplenty of performing at the JoRo. “I love the warm, intimate atmosphere that surrounds it,” he says.

*Jim Paterson rehearsing his role as Gaston in Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s Beauty And The Beast*

“I love the escapism taking part in shows provides, watching brilliant people build confidence and grow into characters and trying to be the best performer I can.”

Jim Paterson has one reason above all others to look forward to playing Gaston. “This is the first show I’ve done that my eight-year-old daughter can actually come and see – and it’s special as we used to play with her Disney dolls a lot and I would often be Gaston getting into various scrapes trying to marry Belle!” he says.

Beauty And The Beast contains Jim’s favourite set of Disney songs. “I can’t wait for us to share the energy of the big chorus numbers like Belle, Be Our Guest and, of course, Gaston,” he says.

What does he enjoy most about performing at the JoRo? “It’s always a delight to step on the stage and see that beautiful auditorium, but what makes it special is the sense of camaraderie among the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company team, with everyone pitching in and supporting each other,” he says.

Summing up why he loves to perform, Jim says: “Someone once asked a writer why they wrote plays rather than novels and they replied, ‘because I like it when they applaud’. There’s something about spending weeks creating something as a team in rehearsal, then finally putting it in front of an audience and suddenly it’s an entirely different performance because of how their presence and reaction changes how it feels. It’s why live theatre is so special.”

Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, February 4 to 8, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

*“There are actually quite a lot of similarities between Belle’s past and my own experiences,” says Jennifer Jones*

Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company: the back story

FOUNDED in 2017, the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company is the JoRo theatre’s official in-house production company, established to help raise funds for the maintenance and development of the Haxby Road theatre, while entertaining audiences with innovative productions of both classic and contemporary musicals.

So far the company has raised more than £23,000 from such shows as The Producers (2018), Kiss Me Kate (2019), Hello, Dolly! (2023) and Curtains (2024).

February 3, 2025February 3, 2025

Rick Wakeman and English Rock Ensemble to bring The Return Of The Caped Crusader Part 2 tour to York Barbican on October 14

*Rick Wakeman: Caped Crusader heading back to York Barbican. Picture: Lee Wilkinson*

RICK Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble will play York Barbican on the second night of his 14-date autumn tour, The Return Of The Caped Crusader Part 2, on October 14.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/rick-wakeman-2025.

Keyboard wizard Wakeman, 75, first teamed up with the ensemble on February 22 and 23 2023 at the London Palladium. The response from fans and critics alike was so enthusiastic that Wakeman decided to take the band on the road for a UK tour, The Return Of The Caped Crusader, in 2024, featuring the second night’s programme, 1974’s Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, combined with a first-half medley of Yes hits.

Pre-tour, he said: “I was amazed to discover that we could have sold the Palladium shows many times over and the clamour for extra shows by fans who missed out was overwhelming.

“Following the great reaction and reviews of the shows, I am really pleased that we can again perform the Classic Yes/Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Palladium programme. Who knows? If these are successful, maybe we can do the Six Wives/King Arthur show at a later date!”

Wakeman played York Barbican on February 24 on an itinerary where the response was rapturous with standing ovations at every show, prompting fans to ask: what about a repeat performance of the first night’s Palladium set list?

*“To still be playing both of these suites of music at the age of 76 is another remarkable milestone in my life,” says Rick Wakeman*. *Picture: Lee Wilkinson*

That wish will be granted in October 2025, when Wakeman and his ensemble will perform 1973’s The Six Wives Of Henry VIII and 1975’s The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table.

York Barbican will be the only Yorkshire venue on the October 12 to 29 tour destined for Aylesbury, Liverpool, Glasgow, Gateshead, Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge, Northampton, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Torquay, London and Bristol.

Wakeman will be accompanied by the same line-up as in 2024: Dave Colquhoun, guitars and backing vocals, Adam Falkner, drums, Lee Pomeroy, bass and backing vocals, and Adam Wakeman, keyboard, guitars and backing vocals. Mollie Marriott will be lead vocalist, joined by three yet-to-be-announced backing singers.

Wakeman says: “For me, historical events, myths and legends, and great stories, should never have a date stamped on them, as they will be talked about for centuries to come. Henry’s wives and King Arthur are great examples of ‘here forever’.

“Writing music for all these fascinating people was magical and thoroughly enjoyable in every aspect, and so to still be playing both of these suites of music at the age of 76 [his birthday falls on May 18] is also another remarkable milestone in my life.

“With a stunning array of musicianship surrounding me, I only wish I could be in the audience watching and listening, so all those sitting out there will have to do it for me!”

February 1, 2025April 1, 2025

More Things To Do in York and beyond, from drag bingo to dandy giant tales. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 5, from The York Press

*Nina Gilligan: Headlining today’s Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club gig at The Basement*

CHEEKY drag fun and games, a dandy giant, outsider art, folk luminaries aplenty and a terpsichorean comedian light up Charles Hutchinson’s early February diary.

Afternoon gig of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club presents Nina Gilligan, Ryan McDonnell, Adam Anwar and Damion Larkin MC, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, today, 4pm to 6.30pm, doors 3.30pm

2021 Leicester Mercury Comedy Award winner Nina Gilligan tops this afternoon’s comedy bill with an act described by Scottish culture magazine The Skinny as “a bolshier Mrs Merton”.

Belfast’s Ryan McDonnell interjects wit and Irish charm into his observation of everyday life. “Sometimes bizarre, often dark, he’ll guide you on a unique journey through the world as he sees it,” says master of ceremonies and club promoter Damion Larkin. Third act Adam Anwar’s stand-up material draws on themes of identity, race, and social issues. Box office: lolcomedyclubs.co.uk.

*The Isolation Creations: Bingo meets drag in The Old Paint Shop*

Looking for an evening of fun, games, bingo and daft prizes with a party atmosphere? Haus Of Games with The Isolation Creations, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight, 8pm

CHEEKY comedy drag double act The Isolation Creations host a variety show to leave you blushing, giggling and maybe even holding a “crappy prize or two”. “Don’t come expecting RuPaul’s Drag Race,” they say. “We’re here to remind you that drag can be a bit saucy, rough around the edges and a whole lot of fun! Step into our world where the heels are a bit lower, the banter is a lot cheekier and the wigs have a delightful hint of nostalgia.”

Inspired by Les Dawson, Dame Edna, Dick Emery and Lily Savage, and begun in the pandemic lockdown, Alan and Jamie’s characters embody the spirit of classic British drag. Think of cheeky barmaids, seaside B&B landladies and your Nanna’s gossipy friends. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Exhibition of the week: Outsider Inside York – An Exhibition of Words and Pictures, Art of Protest Gallery, Walmgate, York, today until February 16

Comedy gig of the week…and next spring too: Chris McCausland, Yonks!, Grand Opera House, York, Monday (3/2/2025) and May 17 2026

AFTER lifting the glitterball trophy as the ground-breaking first blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, Liverpool comedian Chris McCausland returns to his “day job” on his Yonks! tour, now to be extended into 2026. He has added a second York date after selling out the first. Meanwhile, virtuoso ventriloquist Nina Conti’s Whose Face Is It Anyway? show on February 7 has sold out too. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Fairytale of the week: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Beauty And The Beast, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, February 4 to 8, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

Children’s show of the week: Little Angel Theatre in The Smartest Giant In Town, Grand Opera House, York, February 5, 1pm and 4pm, and February 6, 10am and 1pm

*The good folk of the Transatlantic Sessions, bound for York Barbican on Wednesday*

Folk and Americana gig of the week: Transatlantic Sessions, with Loudon Wainwright III, Julie Fowlis, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams and Niall McCabe, York Barbican, February 5, doors 7pm

TRANSATLANTIC Sessions 2025 celebrates 30 years since the original television series. Taking to the stage will be the all-star, virtuoso house band, led as ever by Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas, plus guest vocalists Loudon Wainwright III, Julie Fowlis, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams and Ireland’s Niall McCabe.

Joined by Phil Cunningham, John Doyle, Michael McGoldrick, Tatiana Hargreaves & Allison de Groot, John McCusker, Donald Shaw, James Mackintosh and Daniel Kimbro, they will interweave original material with age-old tunes and songs as they explore shared roots and find new common ground, celebrating the rich musical traditions that connect Scotland, Ireland and the United States. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Jazz gig of the week: The Beverley Beirne Trio, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, February 7, 8pm

*Craig David: Parading his singing, MC and DJ skills at Scarborough Open Air Theatre this summer*

Gig announcement of the week: Craig David Presents TS5, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, July 19

SOUTHAMPTON rhythm & blues musician Craig David parades his triple threat as singer, MC and DJ at his TS5 party night – patented at his Miami penthouse – on the East Coast this summer. Expect a set combining old skool anthems from R&B to Swing Beat, Garage to Bashment, while merging chart-topping House hits too.

“I cannot wait to bring my TS5 show to Scarborough and the beautiful Yorkshire coast in July,” enthuses David, 43. “2025 is a massive year for me as it’s the 25th anniversary of my debut album [Born To Do It] and my debut number one single (Fill Me In]. What better way to celebrate than bringing the party to Scarborough this summer.” Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

In Focus: What’s the line-up for Futuresound Group’s first York Comedy Festival in York Museum Gardens? ADDED ON 3/2/2025

Dara Ó Briain

THE inaugural York Comedy Festival will take place on Sunday, July 6 in the finale to Futuresound Group’s second season of Live At York Museum Gardens shows.

Irish comedian, broadcaster and writer Dara Ó Briain and Canadian comedian, writer, presenter, actress and singer Katherine Ryan will co-headline the open-air bill of nine acts, also featuring Maisie Adam, Joel Dommett, Clinton Baptiste, Angelos Epithemiou, Vittorio Angelone, Scott Bennett and host Stephen Bailey.

York exclusive postcode presale (YO1 | YO10 | YO19 | YO23 | YO24 | YO26 | YO30 | YO31 | YO32) tickets will go on sale from 9am on February 5 at https://futuresound.seetickets.com/event/york-comedy-festival/york-museum-gardens/3288662?pre=postcode; general sale from 10am on February 9 at https://futuresound.seetickets.com/event/york-comedy-festival/york-museum-gardens/3288662.

Ó Briain will be playing York for a second time this year: his 2025 tour show Re:Creation is heading for a sell-out at York Barbican on May 14 with tickets on sale at yorkbarbican.co.uk. He hosted 21 series of Mock The Week from 2005 to 2022 among myriad TV appearances on such shows as Have I Got News For You, Robot Wars, Dara And Ed’s Big Adventure, Dara Ó Briain’s Science Club and Three Men In A Boat.

Katherine Ryan

Ryan is a team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and has appeared on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, A League Of Their Own, Mock The Week, Would I Lie to You?, QI, Just A Minute, Safeword and Have I Got News for You.

Maisie Adam, who grew up in Pannal, Harrogate, is an award-winning stand up, podcaster and comedy panellist; whip-smart stand-up, broadcaster and author Joel Dommett hosts ITV’s The Masked Singer.

Also taking part in the first comedy festival in York since Martin Witts’s Great Yorkshire Fringe (2015-2019) will be Phoenix Nights’ resident clairvoyant, Clinton Baptiste; cult surrealist comedian Angelos Epithemiou, from Shooting Stars; Italian-Irish offbeat comic, podcaster and rising star Vittorio Angelone and the brain behind viral hit Stand Up From The Shed, Scott Bennett. Comedian and presenter Stephen Bailey will be on compere duty.

York Comedy Festival will follow Futuresound’s three Museum Gardens concerts, headlined by Elbow on July 3 and Nile Rodgers & CHIC on July 4, with one more name to be announced for July 5.

Maisie Adam. Picture: Matt Crockett

Andy Smith, of Futuresound Group, said: “We’re thrilled to be introducing York Comedy Festival this July as part of our second series; building on our collaborative offering with a wider variety of entertainment beyond music.

“Our inaugural sell-out concert series last summer gave us the opportunity to see the lasting cultural impact that these large-scale outdoor events have on the city so this year we’re really excited to be bringing world-class comedy to York Museum Gardens alongside some incredible live music”

Richard Saward, head of operations at York Museums Trust, said: “The introduction of a comedy festival as part of Live at York Museum Gardens is a fantastic addition to the programme and York Museums Trust is delighted to be hosting this special evening. We are looking forward to welcoming these amazing comedians to York.”

For more information, visit https://www.york-comedy-festival.com/.