Step this way: Jorvik Comedy Award search for champion comedian starts on February 12
FOUR heats, 36 hopefuls, one ultimate Viking comedy champion. Who wil ltake the crown in the Jorvik Comedy Award 2026 competition in York?
Presented by Fair Laughs and hosted by veteran Get Up Stand Up comic Tony Vino, the search for York’s funniest comedian will be supported by Indie York and the JORVIK Viking Centre, with Heat 1 as part of JORVIK Viking Festival Fringe pre-event.
Thirty-six of Yorkshire’s sharpest new comedians will descend on Friargate Theatre, in Lower Friargate. Across the four heats, nine feisty acts each will perform a tight, gag-filled ten-minute set, with only two winners per heat going through to the June 11 final.
The line-up for Heat 1
Quick-witted Tony Vino will invite the hopefuls to the stage as they try to impress the panel of esteemed judges. No safety nets. No sympathy laughs. Only jokes that land or die trying. One title. One year. One winner.
Who is taking part?
Heat 1: Thursday, February 12, 8pm
Marty Riley, Ben Robinson, Stuart Thomas, Fil Milton, Alex Camp, Graeme Rayner, Robby T, Louis Etienne and Diane Fitton.
The line-up for Heat 2
The line-up for Heat 3
Heat 2: Thursday, March 12, 8pm
Liam Alexander, Daniel Colbeck, Josh Sedman, Wendy King, Jake Breeze, Edi Johnson, Laurence Tuck, Rex Purnell and Mikey Milligan.
Heat 3: Thursday, April 9, 8pm
Alfie Carter, Henning Nilsen, Ravi Saini, Jonathon Kiernan, Fred Carver, Stephen Catling, Bobby Jethro, Maxine Wade and Lewis Howard.
The line-up for Heat 4
Heat 4: Thursday, May 14, 8pm
Charlie Lewis, Tim Biglowe, Michael Carter, Benny Shakes, Halls of Ridiculous, Matt Wheelwright, Dom Hutchins, Kie Carson and Debra Holt.
Further comedy events at Friargate Theatre include the monthly home-grown Right Here Right Now improv comedy show (audience participation optional but encouraged!) and monthly Get Up Stand Up live comedy acts hosted by Tony Vino.
Look out too for Alfie Moore: Fair Cop Live – Radio Warm-Up on July 9, when he brings a new show to York ahead of recording his BBC Radio 4 comedy series It’s A Fair Cop.
For tickets for the Jorvik Comedy Award and Friargate Theatre comedy events, call 01904 655317 or go to https://friargatetheatre.co.uk/.
The poster for the Jorvik Comedy Award heats and final at Friargate Theatre
Joining the Later…With Jools Holland host on his 31-date itinerary will be special guest Roachford, the London soul singer and songwriter, now 61.
Since his chart-topping breakthrough hit Cuddly Toy in 1988, Andrew Roachford has recorded ten studio albums, been sought after as a songwriter by Michael Jackson, Joss Stone and Chaka Khan and built a reputation as an outstanding live performer.
Awarded an MBE for services to music, latterly Roachford has released Twice In A Lifetime and Then & Now.
Opening each night on tour will be Welsh jazz pianist and improviser Joe Webb, who has guested with Holland on several occasions and appeared on his latest BBC Two New Year’s Eve Jools’ Annual Hootenanny. His piano playing blends the flavour of Britpop with classic jazz idioms.
Holland’s exuberant live shows are built on the power and finesse of his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra as he delivers an evening of blues, swing, boogie-woogie and ska, packed with musical virtuosity and joyful spontaneity.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be heading out again with our big band,” says Holland, 68. “Having Roachford join us for every night of the tour is a real joy. He’s one of the great soul voices this country has produced, and every time he sings the room lights up. With the mighty orchestra, our wonderful boogie-woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows, we’re in for some very special evenings of music.”
Holland devotees will be delighted that boogie-woogie queen Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall, and Sumudu Jayatilaka will be on vocal duty again from October 29 to December 20. Further tour dates include Sheffield City Hall on November 18 (https://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk) and Bradford Live (trafalgartickets.com/bradford-live-bradford) on December 18.
Steve Pratt on duty at the York Theatre Royal pantomime press night in December 2018. Picture: York Theatre Royal
THE funeral of York journalist, columnist and theatre, film and television critic and press officer Steve Pratt will be held tomorrow (28/1/2025) at York Crematorium, Bishopthorpe Road, York.
Steve, 77, of Monk Avenue, York, passed away at York Hospital on January 15.
Born Stephen William Pratt in Watford on April 22 1948 in Watford, he was educated at Garston Primary School and Bushey Grammar School, where he met Lesley when she was 16, Steve two years older.
The childhood sweethearts were married on June 24 1972 at Christ Church, Watford, by the same vicar that tied the knot for Lesley’s parents.
Steve went straight from A-level studies to taking out indentures at the Watford Post, where, as a junior, he was tasked with collecting death notices from undertakers.
He went on to work for the Herts Advertiser, Watford Observer, Northern Echo, in Darlington and Portsmouth News, before returning to the Northern Echo from 1999 to 2014, winning two Tom Corder awards for best arts writer.
“His passion for writing goes back to his early years and he used to cut up magazines and create his own version,” recalled Lesley, who “bounced up and down the country with Stephen before we finally landed in York, where we felt at home”.
“There were so many famous people he interviewed as he covered lots of press junkets for films and television.”
Steve Pratt in his treasured picture with film actress Angelina Jolie, from his journalism files at home, where box upon box of theatre programmes are in need of a new home, says widowLesley
Among those celluloid star interviewees were Tom Cruise, Arnold Scharzenegger, Leslie Nielsen, Leslie Phillips and Angelina Jolie. “He always went on about his photo with her,” recalled Lesley.
One knight of the realm eluded him, however. “Stephen was refused twice by Sir Alec Guinness for an interview, once in 1997 and again in 1999,” said Lesley. “I have the original handwritten cards Sir Alec sent him: very polite but a ‘No’ nevertheless.”
Nigel Burton, editor of York Press, who worked with Steve on The Northern Echo, said: “He was a superb features writer, someone who would always tackle any job – no matter how outlandish – with a smile and good humour.
“He was an internationally respected critic and his reviews were eagerly awaited by film distributors and theatres alike. Most of all, I will remember him as a much-missed colleague and a lovely human being.”
Peter Barron, former editor of The Northern Echo, said: “I was so sorry to hear of Steve’s passing. He was a gifted writer of a national standard and I always considered The Northern Echo to be very lucky to have him.
“He brought great quality to the paper, with a wry, humorous style and his passion for the arts always shone through. It is also telling that the arts community knew him and respected his opinion.
“A positive review from Steve Pratt in The Northern Echo really meant something, while a scathing review was to be feared. He was prolific, loved his craft, and the many awards he won were testament to his talent.”
Chris Lloyd, features editor at the Northern Echo, who was Steve’s manager for many years, said: “When I worked with Steve, he was so passionate and knowledgeable about all forms of visual entertainment, but especially about his great loves of television and theatre. He knew the stars, he interviewed them all, usually cheekily, and they remembered and respected him.
Steve Pratt in his Northern Echo days. Picture: Northern Echo
“He was, I think, a great ally of the region’s theatre community, forever supporting and promoting it, and I was in awe of the way he wrote so quickly, so cleanly, and always with a humorous glint in his words.”
Wise Eye Films/ITV Studios creative director and The Yorkshire Shepherdess producer Mark Robinson, who started his career at the Echo with Steve, said: “He was exceptionally kind to me when I moved over from the newsroom to the features desk in the late 1980s, and he became my boss.
“Steve was unbelievably patient and encouraging and gave me the space to grow as a journalist finding his own voice for the first time. It was impossible not to be inspired by his love and passion for TV and the arts in general – and he sent me on many glamorous jobs interviewing celebrities across the UK.
“His impact on my career was so significant that we remained friends long after I left the Echo and I enjoyed our get-togethers in York.”
Viv Hardwick, fellow former Echo television and entertainment editor, said: “Steve always seemed to know the best way of doing things work-wise. His awesome ability and in-depth entertainments knowledge made him one of the most memorable men in journalism.”
On leaving The Northern Echo in 2014, Steve switched to the other side of the Press desk as press officer at Leeds Playhouse and later York Theatre Royal.
Theatre Royal creative director Juliet Forster said: “The whole team here are incredibly saddened by the news of Steve’s death. His relationship with YTR goes back such a long time, both as a reviewer and staff member and then as a freelancer.
“His dedication and passion to unearthing the stories of this theatre and championing the arts in Yorkshire was truly outstanding. Press nights will not be the same without his sparkly shoes and fabulous sense of humour. We will miss him very much.”
Nun better: Steve Pratt in sisterhood habit on a press night for Sister Act
Chief executive officer Paul Crewes added: “Steve’s death is such a terrible loss to York’s theatre community and his YTR family are all devastated by this news. He was a much-loved friend and colleague and we will miss him.
“Steve was a first-class journalist and press officer who cared deeply about, and was very successful at, shining a light on the arts in York and beyond.”
Latterly, Steve took up the publicity officer’s post for York company NE Theatre York, whose chair and creative director, Steve Tearle, said: “Steve became involved with us over the past several years by supporting the publicity of our shows. He crafted and created press releases for the company perfectly, like only Steve could do.
“He was a wonderfully gifted, talented man, with time for everyone, and had such a fantastic personality. He was such an asset to the team and totally believed in what we stood for.
“I really valued Steve as a person and his passion for theatre. It’s with such a heavy heart I say this. We spoke last November at length about 2026 and as usual he was so excited to be supporting us. He will be sadly missed by the NE Theatre York team.”
From his days at Leeds Playhouse, Steve’s brighter-than-Hawaiian shirts became his trademark. “As a child he was dressed very soberly, but when he found his feet at Leeds, the flamboyant side came out, but he did need guidance, so I have to admit it was my fault,” said Lesley, recalling his collection of 30 such shirts. “Please feel free to come to the funeral in bright colours.”
One last memory from Lesley defined his role as a critic. “Getting Stephen to give you a verbal opinion was not easy,” she said. “He would always say ‘read the review’.” We did, line after line, time after time.
Copyright of The York Press and The Northern Echo
DONATIONS at tomorrow’s funeral can be made in aid of York Theatre Royal, where Steve’s contribution to theatre and arts journalism will be marked with a commemorative seat plaque and a bench in his honour on the terrace. A memorial celebration of Steve’s life will held at the theatre on a date yet to be announced.
SATURDAY’S concert opened with a focused, effervescent performance of Emil von Reznicek’s Overture: Donna Diana.
The first violins set the tone for the work, delivering a bubbly opening theme followed by a graceful lyrical secondary melody with the woodwinds – clarinet and oboe – and brass adding colour and dialogue to this musical party piece.
Not for the first time, this performance suggested echoes of English rustic, pastoral music: the country dance-like articulation, folk-like decorations of the woodwind and the slightly old-fashioned, genial humour – Eric Coates?
Maybe it’s just a senior thing. Nevertheless, the performance danced with joy as the couple in front of me could testify, bouncing away throughout.
This was followed by Delius’s rarely heard tone poem, A Song Before Sunrise. The playing was finely shaded in atmosphere, a real evocative sense of dawn. The woodwinds – oboe, flute and clarinet – deftly produced the characteristic ‘birdsong’ figures, which evoked the musical dawn chorus. Does the clarinet welcome the sunrise with a musical rooster call? Anyhow, the strings provided a lush background – warm violin and viola colours.
I love Delius, and I loved the way the piece had this searching quality that doesn’t actually seem to arrive at a particular destination, it just meanders beautifully. Again, the performance was very assured, convincing in fact.
I thought the performance of Carl Maria von Weber’s Symphony No. 2 in C major was utterly engaging. Although the opening Allegro is the most symphonically ambitious movement, it did feel like a kind of mini wind concerto.
The oboe tended to shape the lyrical themes with the bassoon active as a melodic partner. The fanfare- like horn calls were delivered neatly, but these seemed to add colour rather than any hint of heroics. The strings, carrying their fair share of the musical discourse, would retreat to allow the winds to shine.
The intimate lyricism of the Adagio came across as more chamber music in tone, rather than the customary symphonic rhetoric. Again, the oboe tended to stand out, Alexandra Nightingale playing the main cantabile melody beautifully.
There were delicate counter-melodies on bassoon – Isabel Dowell – and firm cello and flute contributions, while the strings provided a warm cushion of support.
The Menuetto was an all-round dryly comic experience, especially in its brevity. Here the rustic horns were rhythmically assertive, underpinning the dance character.
The issue for my ears was that the closing Finale, while engaging and driving, was simply too short to properly rebalance the symphony – the opening Allegro is about as long as the other movements in total. Indeed, you could feel the audience reaction ‘is that it’?
There is no doubt that where Haydn, Mozart, and earlyBeethoven aim for architectural balance, Weber pours nearly all the symphonic ‘argument’ into the first movement, leaving the rest as lighter dramatic appendices.
But an interval rethink suggested the work would make more sense when heard as early Romantic theatre dressed in symphonic clothing. Anyhow, the absence of the clarinet was also very noticeable, particularly as we associate the clarinet with Weber. But around the 1800s the core symphonic wind choir was two oboes, two bassoons and two horns. So there you go.
The second half belonged to Schubert’s Tragic Symphony No. 4 in C minor. And the performance was quite remarkable. I can’t really say I get the full majesty of tragedy when I hear this superb symphony, despite the forebodings suggested in the opening Adagio.
The orchestra’s dark, weighty C minor chords were followed by an almost funereal, inward-looking bassoon solo – well played by Isabel Dowell. But, after an assured tempo gear change into the Allegro, the movement does not embrace Beethoven’s sense of a heroic struggle.
What clearly came across in performance was a movement fuelled by restless energy rather than heroics: driven rather than confrontational, with quick tonal shifts providing moment. These were very well performed under the direction of conductor Alan George, as was the programme as a whole.
Further, Schubert transforms the woodwind-string relationship from conversation to commentary. The strings typically propelled the movement with flowing figures and rhythmic energy while the clarinets, Lesley Schatzberger and Andrea Hayden, and oboes, Ms Nightingale and Christina Young, echoed and subtly re-coloured the material. This is radically different from Beethoven.
Strong oboe and clarinet were also prominent in the Andante, a movement shiningwith lyrical grace. When the flute – an impressive Becky Jobling – takes over the line, often echoing the clarinet, the melody rises into a higher register and subtly changes character: what was warm and intimate on the clarinet becomes lighter and more distanced, with a hint of detachment replacing the clarinet’s warmth. Very rewarding.
The Menuetto bristled with energy, quirky off-kilter rhythms, pointed folk-like dialogue, orchestral shifts, and a convincing relaxation of tempo for the central section. Incisive woodwind writing: oboes and bassoons frequently stepped out of the texture with dry, slightly nasal interjections that sharpened the rhythmic outline, while the horns added a rustic edge in the Trio, reinforcing its dance-like, almost outdoor quality.
The pacing of the closing Allegro was pretty much on the money, with chamber-like sections dovetailed seamlessly; indeed, this sense of careful knitting together made the symphonic argument work coherently.
Brief woodwind and horn contributions –dry-edged bassoon figures, oboe-shaped phrase endings, and subdued horn colour – seemed to complement the familiar string–clarinet exchanges, acting more as timbral changes than as overt solos, while maintaining the movement’s momentum.
For a Winter Concert, it left me unexpectedly warm inside.
Aesthetica Art Prize main prize winner Tobi Onabolu’s Danse Macabre, on show at York Art Gallery
YORK arts movers and shakers Aesthetica present two landmark exhibitions at York Art Gallery, the 2025 Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, featuring large-scale immersive installations by prize alumni Squidsoup and Liz West.
On show among work by 25 shortlisted entries are main prize winner Tobi Onabolu’s Danse Macabre and Emerging Prize winner Sam Metz’s Porosity.
Tobi Onabolu is an artist-filmmaker and writer from London, now based in Grand Popo, Benin Republic. Danse Macabre explores spirituality, mental health and the human psyche, combining combines poetry, music, archival audio and movement to represent the conscious and unconscious mind.
Emerging Prize winner Sam Metz’s Porosity
Dancers, singers, and unseen voices animate Onabolu’s portrait of healing and expanded awareness, wherein Yoruba Egúngún masquerades symbolise ancestral memory and energy.
The work synthesises elements from Yoruba traditions, European cinema and experimental music, creating a performance that draws from multiple geographies and timelines.
Porosity reflects Sam Metz’s sensory experience of the Humber Estuary. Bright yellow structures echo how the water’s reflection is seen through ocular albinism (a genetic condition that affects the eyes and often can cause visual differences, such as light sensitivity, reduced depth perception and involuntary eye movements).
Our Spectral Vision, by Liz West, 2016
Neurodivergent artist Metz uses sculpture to communicate non-verbally. Porosity challenges conventional ideas of sculpture by integrating disability and chronic pain into its core form, embracing difference as both method and message.
The exhibition showcases all 25 shortlisted artists whose work spans a diverse range of mediums, addressing urgent global themes including migration, cultural identity, ecological fragility, and the intersection of technology and the human experience.
In Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, Squidsoup’s Submergence immerses audiences in an ocean of 8,000 responsive LED lights, blurring the line between digital and physical space, while Liz West’s Our Spectral Vision surrounds visitors with a radiant spectrum of colour in a sensory encounter.
Submergence, by Squidsoup, 2023
Since its inception in 2007, the Aesthetica Art Prize has become a springboard for a host of dynamic and groundbreaking artists. Thousands of practitioners have been recognised through the prize, including such alumni as Larry Achiampong, whose multidisciplinary practice explores postcolonial identity; filmmaker Jenn Nkiru, internationally acclaimed for her work on Black To Techno and Beyoncé’s Black Is King and Noémie Goudal, known for her striking combinations of photography, film and installation.
Collectively, Aesthetica alumni have exhibited at Tate Modern, The Photographers’ Gallery, MoMA PS1, Foam Amsterdam, the V&A, Guggenheim, Barbican, Saatchi Gallery and Centre Pompidou, firmly establishing the Aesthetica Art Prize as one of the most important talent platforms in the world.
York organisation Aesthetica’s magazine – in circulation for more than 20 years with a readership of 550,000 across more than 20 countries – has been instrumental in shaping conversations around contemporary culture, championing innovation and amplifying diverse voices globally.
“The Aesthetica Art Prize prize continues to nurture artists whose practices make a lasting impact on contemporary art both in the UK and internationally,” says Aesthetica director Cherie Federico
Cherie Federico, director of Aesthetica and curator of Future Tense, says: “The Aesthetica Art Prize has always been about recognising and celebrating exceptional artistic talent and giving them a platform to share their vision with the world.
“Our 2025 winners, Tobi Onabolu and Sam Metz, exemplify the innovation, creativity, and relevance that the prize seeks to champion. Seeing their work alongside the broader exhibition, and in the context of alumni Liz West and Squidsoup, highlights how the prize continues to nurture artists whose practices make a lasting impact on contemporary art both in the UK and internationally.”
Cherie continues: “Aesthetica is a leading organisation in the UK offering this level of visibility to such a wide spectrum of contemporary talent. It continues to create platforms that propel artists from emerging practice to international recognition.
Light and shade: CharlesHutchPress visiting Liz West’s Our Spectral Vision at York Art Gallery
“York, a designated UNESCO City of Media Arts, provides the stage, but it is Aesthetica that drives this conversation forward – showcasing artists whose works challenge conventions, transform spaces, and inspire audiences on a national and international scale.”
Livia Turnbull, curator of contemporary art at York Art Gallery, adds: “Hosting both the Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense at the same time is incredibly exciting. These exhibitions transform our galleries with installations and artworks that speak directly to today’s world. It’s a unique chance for visitors to encounter art that is ambitious, thought-provoking and deeply relevant.”
To book tickets, go to: yorkartgallery.org.uk/tickets.
Kara Tointon as Constance Middleton in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Constant Wife. Picture: Mihaela Bodlovic; set and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle and co-costume designer Cat Fuller
LAURA Wade’s new adaptation of The Constant Wife for the RSC leads off Charles Hutchinson’s latest selection of cultural highlights.
Play of the week: Royal Shakespeare Company in The Constant Wife, York Theatre Royal,January 26 to 31, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees
SET in 1927, The Constant Wife finds Constance as a very unhappy woman. “Nonsense,” says her mother, who insists “she eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances”.
Played by Kara Tointon, she is the perfect wife and mother, but her husband is equally devoted to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend. Tamara Harvey directs the new adaptation by Home, I’m Darling playwright and Rivals television series writer Laura Wade. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Aesthetica Art Prize winner Tobi Onabolu’s Danse Macabre, on show at York Art Gallery
Last chance to see: Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, York Art Gallery, today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm
YORK arts movers and shakers Aesthetica present two landmark exhibitions, the 2025 Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, featuring large-scale immersive installations by prize alumni Liz West and Squidsoup.
On show among work by 25 shortlisted entries are main prize winner, London artist-filmmaker Tobi Onabolu’s exploration of spirituality, mental health and the human psyche, Danse Macabre, and Emerging Prize winner Sam Metz’s bright yellow structures in Porosity, reflecting his sensory experience of the Humber Estuary.
Squidsoup’s Submergence immerses audiences in an ocean of 8,000 responsive LED lights, blurring the line between digital and physical space, while Liz West’s Our Spectral Vision surrounds visitors with a radiant spectrum of colour in a sensory encounter. Tickets: yorkartgallery.org.uk/tickets.
Ceramicist Emily Stubbs, left, and seascapes artist Carolyn Coles showcase their new work in The Sky’s The Limit at Pyramid Gallery, alongside Karen Fawcett’s bird sculptures
Exhibition launch of the week: Carolyn Coles, Emily Stubbs and Karen Fawcett, The Sky’s The Limit, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, today until mid-March
SOUTH Bank Studios artist Carolyn Coles and PICA Studios ceramicist Emily Stubbs will be on hand from 11.30am to 2.30pm at today’s opening of The Sky’s The Limit, their joint exhibition with wildlife sculptor Karen Fawcett.
Like Carolyn, Emily has been selected to take part in York Open Studios 2026 on April 18 & 19 and April 25 & 26. Look out too for work by Pyramid Gallery’s Jeweller of the Month, Kate Rhodes, from Hebden Bridge. Gallery opening hours are: 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Anna Hale: Killer punchlines, musical flair and spiky resilience in Control Freak at The Crescent on Sunday
Comedy gig of the week: Anna Hale: Control Freak, The Crescent, York, Sunday, 7.30pm
ANNA Hale, comedian, singer-songwriter and unapologetic control freak, likes to write the jokes and the songs, plan the lighting cues and even sell the tickets for her gigs. When life spins out of control, however, can one perfectionist keep the show together, and, crucially, not let anyone else have a go?
Find out when encountering the killer punchlines, musical flair and spiky resilience of the 2024 Musical Comedy Awards Audience Favourite winner’s debut tour show. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Glenn Moore: So many Moore jokes at The Crescent on Tuesday
Show title of the week: Glenn Moore: Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore, The Crescent, York, January 27, 7.30pm (doors 7pm)
EDINBURGH Comedy Award nominee Glenn Moore has written too many jokes again, so expect a whirlwind of punchlines from the Croydon stand-up and presenter on Tuesday. Here comes more and more of Moore after appearances on Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, The News Quiz, Just A Minute and his own BBC Radio 4 series, Glenn Moore’s Almanac. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Snow and frost in Cuba: Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana brings heat and ice to the Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Johan Persson
Dance show of the week: Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana, Grand Opera House, York, now January 30 and 31, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
UPDATE 27/1/2025: Cast illness has put paid to January 28 and 29’s performances.
DANCE superstar Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana turns up the heat in his modern Cuban twist on the snow-dusted 1892 Russian festive ballet. Built on Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s score, Acosta moves the celebration of joy, life, love and family to modern-day Havana.
More than 20 dancers from Acosta’s Cuban company Acosta Danza perform the familiar story of a young girl transported to a magic world, but one newly incorporating the culture, history and music of his home country. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Mike Joyce: Tales from his drumming days for The Smiths at Pocklington Arts Centre
On the beat: Mike Joyce, The Drums: My Life In The Smiths, Pocklington Arts Centre, January 28, 7.30pm
DRUMMER Mike Joyce has been asked numerous times, “What was it like being in The Smiths?”. “That’s one hell of a question to answer!” he says. Answer it, he does, however, both in his 2025 memoir and now in his touring show The Drums: My Life In The Smiths.
To reflect on being stationed behind singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr from 1982 to 1987, Joyce will be interviewed by Guardian music journalist Dave Simpson, who lives near York. Audience members can put their questions to Joyce too. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
The poster for Country Roads’ celebration of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers et al at York Barbican
Country celebration of the week: Country Roads, York Barbican, January 30, 7.30pm
COUNTRY Roads invites you to a celebration of country superstar royalty featuring such hits as 9 To 5, The Gambler, I Walk The Line, Ring Of Fire, King Of The Road, Crazy, Rhinestone Cowboy, Jolene, Dance The Night Away, Walkin’ After Midnight and many, many more as the stars of fellow tribute show Islands In The Stream return in this new production. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Mishmash’s delightful musical adventure Ruby’s Worry, easing worries at the NCEM
Family show of the week: Mishmash: Ruby’s Worry, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, January 31, 11.30am and 2.30pm
RUBY had always been happy, perfectly happy, until one day she discovered a worry. The more she tries to rid herself of that worry, the more it grows and grows. Eventually she meets a boy who has a worry too. Together they discover that everyone has worries, and that if you talk about them, they never hang around for long! Mishmash’s Ruby’s Worry is told through live music, song, puppetry and physical theatre, taking the audience on a delightful musical adventure. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Kara Tointon’s Constance Middleton in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Constant Wife. Picture: Mihaela Bodlovic; set and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle; co-costume designer Cat Fuller
KARA Tointon returns to the York stage on Monday for the first time since February 2017.
On that occasion, she appeared as Bella Manningham in Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight at the Grand Opera House. Now she takes the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s touring production of The Constant Wife at York Theatre Royal.
2010 Strictly Come Dancing winner Kara is starring in Olivier Award winner Laura Wade’s new version of W Somerset Maugham’s sparkling 1926 comedy of ill manners, directed by RSC co-artistic director Tamara Harvey.
“I haven’t done any theatre for a little while, not since I had my second son in 2021, but it doesn’t feel that long as time travels so quickly,” says Kara, 42. “For the last few years, I’ve been focusing on being a mum and moving to Norway in May 2024.
“My partner [Marius Jensen] is Norwegian and has always spoken to the boys [Frey, seven, and Helly, four] in his native tongue and wanted them to understand the language as well as speaking it, so we were spending more and more time there.
Actress Kara Tointon: Back on stage for the first time since having her second son in 2021
“In 2024, because they hadn’t started school yet – they start the year they turn six – we decided to settle in Norway, in the most southern part, where it does get extremely dark by 3.30pm, so you really have to make sure you have your Vitamin D. The sky is so different out there: it’s like nothing you’ve seen over here.”
The Constant Wife returns to Kara to British shores, leading Harvey’s cast from January 16 at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool, to May 16 at Bath Theatre Royal, before embarking on a Transatlantic Crossing aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.
“I’m back – and it’s a really big role!” says Kara of playing Constance Middleton, who is a deeply unhappy woman in 1920s’ London. “Nonsense,” says her mother. “She eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances.”
Constance may be the perfect wife and mother, but her husband is equally devoted to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend.
“It’s a gift of a part, and I’ve been an avid fan girl of Laura’s work for years, since I saw a friend in her play Posh. She and Tamara are the best of friends, and they’re like a power team [having worked together on Wade’s play Home, I’m Darling]. It’s a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment for me to be working with them. Every time Tamara gives me a note in the rehearsal room, it pushes me to do my best, and that’s exciting,” says Lara.
Tim Delap’s John Middleton and Kara Tointon’s Constance Middleton in The Constant Wife. Picture: Mihaela Bodlovic; set and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle; co-costume designer Cat Fuller
“I think what’s incredible with this play is that we’re coming up to 100 years since it was written, but it’s now so relevant that it could be set in 2026, which makes it really relatable. The way Somerset Maugham had written this character as such a powerhouse, she steals the scene in every scene, and it forces us to consider how we make decisions in the moment when sometimes we should take stock.”
In a nutshell, returning home from dropping off her daughter at boarding school, Constance finds her husband disporting himself with her closest friend on the chaise longue. “The play’s about how she deals with that situation, in that pivotal moment, and you think she’s wonderful because she handles it in such a brilliant way,” says Kara.
“It’s incredible that Somerset Maugham wrote such an incredible piece about a female character from a male perspective, and now I’m enjoying being in a room full of female-led vibes, where Laura and Tamara have elevated the play for a modern audience.
“They’ve made the perfect cuts and turned the structure into three parts, where we flashback once, and then we go back to the moment where we left off for the flashback.”
Harvey’s production will be full of 1920s’ style. “When I had the fitting for the gold dress, it felt very, very special. To have something made for you – really made for you – is fantastic,” says Kara. “The sets are fantastic too: it’s a visual feast, so luxurious.”
Kara Tointon in the tour poster for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Constant Wife
Recalling her experience of reading the first few pages of Wade’s adaptation. Kara says: “I laughed out loud – and that’s a good sign! I would say it’s a comedy, though you wouldn’t say a woman walking in on her husband having an affair should be a comedy, but you find yourself falling in love with these three very strong women in the play with their very different feelings and views.
“You can see that even though they’re very different, they’re very close – and that’s lovely to play, so I would say it’s a comedy with feeling.”
The Constant Wife is billed as a “comedy of ill manners”. “It’s all about humanity,” says Kara. “Everyone is messing up. Even with Constance, no matter how brilliantly she plays it, you could question some of the decisions she makes.
“When we do what we do to survive, everyone has a different way of surviving, and that’s why watching any drama is interesting because it makes you question how you would deal with difficult situations.”
Royal Shakespeare Company in The Constant Wife, York Theatre Royal, January 26 to 31, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees. Box office: 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Also Leeds Grand Theatre, April 13 to 18. 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees. Box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.
Snow and frost envelop Cuba as Carlos Acosta reinvents Nutcracker in Havana. Picture: Johan Persson
UPDATE 27/1/2025. CAST illness has put paid to January 28 and 29’s performances. January 30 and 31 performances will go ahead.
DANCE superstar Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana turns up the heat at the Grand Opera House, York, next week in his modern Cuban twist on the snow-dusted 1892 Russian festive ballet.
Giving a new spin to the Tchaikovsky/Petipa/Ivanov classic, built on Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s score, Acosta moves the celebration of joy, life, love and family to the Cuban capital, where he was born – full name Carlos Yunior Acosta Quesada – on June 2 1973 and trained with the National School of Ballet.
More than 20 dancers from Acosta’s Havana-based company Acosta Danza perform the familiar story of a young girl transported to a magic world, but one newly incorporating the culture, history and music of his home country.
Acosta invites you to join Clara in her humble home in Havana as she prepares to celebrate Christmas with her family. The beer cans are on the tree and Cuba is suitably hot. When Clara is gifted a Nutcracker doll, she embarks on the journey of a lifetime, to defeat the Rat King and enter into the world of the Sugar Plum Fairy accompanied by her Nutcracker Prince, as Cuba collides with the Land of Sweets, bringing snow to Havana.
Now artistic director of Birmingham Royal Ballet too after retiring from a globe-travelling dance career that took in 17 years with the Royal Ballet in London, as well as English National Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba, Houston Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, Acosta has choreographed Carmen and Don Quixote previously and deemed The Nutcracker ripe for re-invention next.
Nutcracker In Havana choreographer Carlos Acosta
“I have performed so many versions of The Nutcracker and I think that putting it in Havana creates a production which is totally different from any other production out there,” he says. “This is not going to be a European feel, where you are in a Victorian mansion and everything is period; this is much more Cuba now,” he says.
“When we started to work on the show, I started to play in my mind that we could re-work the score to incorporate Cuban rhythms. That was going to be a significant change because the audience will hear Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky in a completely different light with conga rhythms, guaracha, son – the music of Havana.”
The Nutcracker is set amid the excitement and anticipation of a family party on Christmas Eve, but as a child growing up in Havana, Acosta was unable to take part in such festivities. “I wanted to give the Cuban people the Christmas they never had,” he says. “We started to celebrate Christmas from the coming to the island of Pope John Paul II in 1998 because before that Christmas was banned.”
Acosta’s production touches on the Cuban diaspora, the thousands of people who fled the island into exile. “The magician, the Drosselmeyer character, is the uncle who left to Miami 30 years ago and has now returned to Havana with lots of presents and then he brings this kind of magic with him,” he says.
Co-produced by Norwich Theatre and Acosta Danza’s production partner Valid Productions, Nutcracker In Havana aims to draw new audiences to dance. “The show has been created to tour beyond just the largest theatres to audiences in places that don’t normally get the benefit of having a Nutcracker,” says Acosta.
“I hope everyone will come. I hope this production pulls from different sectors of the population, from the Latin world, the classical world, the contemporary world, because it’s a melting pot of everything.
A scene from Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana. Picture: Tristram Kenton
“There’s a lot of humour as well. It is different but it still does what The Nutcracker is supposed to do, which is fun and warm; it’s just a show about family and friends.”
Acosta’s production brings together video projection and set design by Nina Dunn, whose credits include Bonnie And Clyde, 9 to 5 The Musical and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Don Quixote, complemented by costumes by Angelo Alberto (Goyo Montero’s Imponderable and Raul Reinoso’s Satori with Acosta Danza and lighting by Andrew Exeter(Oti Mabuse: I Am Here, The Full Monty UK tour and Johannes Radebe: House of JoJo).
Norwich Theatre chief executive officer Stephen Crocker says: “At its heart, it is The Nutcracker story that you can expect with all of the magic and joy that goes with that. It is balletic at its core and it’s pushing the boundaries of ballet by bringing that Cuban feel into it.
“I’ve joked it’s the only Nutcracker I know where the corps de ballet becomes a conga line. It has a sense of fun and it’s also a spectacle – and theatre needs spectacle.
“It’s an intensely personal show to Carlos and it has been joyous to help him realise that. It’s a special moment for somebody whose career has been so ensconced in ballet and who has danced so many Nutcrackers in his life, and with him coming from Cuba there is real heart to this show.”
Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana with Acosta Danza, Grand Opera House, York, now January 30 and 31, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The poster for Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker In Havana, on tour at Grand Opera House, York, from January 28 to 31
Harriet White’s Aladdin and Harry Summers’ Abanazar in Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin – The Pantomime
ONCE upon a pantomime, the Malton show was synonymous with butcher Fred Bower as the juiciest of prime-cut dames, for 25 years, before passing away on New Year’s Eve in 2003.
Somehow, the market-town panto has escaped the diary of your reviewer since those Malton and Norton Operatic Society days.
Apologies for that aberration, one belatedly rectified by CharlesHutchPress’s acceptance of an invitation to attend Malton and Norton Musical Theatre’s Aladdin – The Pantomime, as he settled into seat F15 amid the flurry of raffle ticket sales.
It was Wednesday night, the halfway point of the week-long run, and by now the show was into its groove, assured, polished, equally filled with pun and fun, led by the towering dame, Rory Queen, as much a Malton panto institution as butcher Fred before him.
That’s not his character name, by the way. No, this possessor of a regal nomenclature is vamping it up as Widow Twankey after “20 years of glitter, chaos and questionable costume changes…still getting the same thrill guiding and watching our younger members dazzle the audience (while I try desperately to remember my lines and locate my dignity),” as he writes in his programme note.
Happy to report that Queen has still not found Dignity on his pantoland satnav – hurling loo rolls at all and sundry – and long may that continue as he parades the kind of physical comedy once the province of Tommy Cooper.
Queen is on co-director duty too, working alongside regular director Mark Boler, stalwart musical director Chris Hocking and Ryedale’s celebrated choreographer and dance tutor, Ali Kirkham, as they steer a cast ranging in age from eight to 85.
Here is a pantomime where one and all have their moment in the spotlight, not least the Chorus, Junior Chorus, Senior Dancers (led by Sophie Kemp in her third year as dance captain) and Junior Dancers (divided into Diamonds and Emeralds, and no doubt shining equally, whichever is performing at each show).
Fresh from her outstanding choreography for Pick Me Up Theatre’s glorious Christmas show, Anything Goes, so full of fun and fizz at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, now Ali Kirkham makes every ensemble number dazzle in cahoots with Hocking, her musical director for many years, assisted by Michaela Kemp’s choreography for the juniors.
Everyone dances with such delight in the likes of Dancing In The Street, We Are Family, Celebration and the climactic Walking On Sunshine. You will lose count of the number of cartwheels whirled across a stage often filled with more than 20 well-drilled performers.
Hocking, in his trademark flat cap at the keys, is joined by drummer Clark Howard and bass player Christian Topman, two musicians often out of sight but outstanding in their playing on the York circuit. All are on top form here.
Queen’s Widow Twankey, as full of chest as jest, pulls the strings, always mischievous, often mutinous, and fruity too, as Tom Whalley’s script prompts the gentleman in the next seat to express his disapproval of “too much smut” as we chatted in the interval.
Certainly, no opportunity for seaside postcard sauce is overlooked, but room aplenty is found for putdowns of neighbouring Pickering, salty asides on the town sheriffs, the Fitzwilliam Estate, and their suddenly disbanded food markets, and a topical reference to The Traitors. Best of all is the Emperor (a meta-thespian Thomas Jennings in his 11th Malton panto) attributing his sudden poverty to his newly acquired ownership of Greenland. Trump that, Donald J.
Three Summers come along at once in Malton, courtesy of Harry’s Summers of discontent as evil sorcerer Abanazar, Mark turning the Genie of the Lamp into the Genie of the Camp and son Alexander ironically losing his head as the Panda (his headgear falls off) when also playing the Executioner.
In her ninth Malton panto, A-level student Harriet White steps up to principal boy for the first time as Aladdin, singing impressively, especially Diamonds Are Forever, while revealing comic timing too in a traditionally straight panto role before she leaves the company with plans to work in journalism. The fourth estate’s gain will surely be theatre’s loss.
Among the young principals too are Isobel Davis in her first lead role at 15 as the headstrong Princess Jasmine; Amelia Little, 17, as a not-so-shy So-Shy ahead of playing Roxie Hart in Malton Sixth Form’s Chicago; trainee chef Tom Gleave as cheeky-chappy Wishee Washee and Annabelle Free as a gymnastic Spirit of the Ring.
Evie-Mae Dale, 17, and Jack Robinson, 16, are a riotous double-act as hapless, competitive coppers Sergeant Pong, keen to smell out every crime, and the unworldly PC World respectively.
Look out too for Malcolm Tonkiss’s cameo as Mangle Malcolm, as brief but as amusingly baffling as the Porter in Macbeth, and then add Shangri-La and Aladdin’s Cave set designer Sam Boler, scenic artist jo Claire, make-up artist Claire Smith, lighting designer Oliver Stables, sound engineer Alex Linney and the costume flamboyance of Molly Limpets Theatrical Emporium and Kirkham Henry to your rounds of applause.
Malton and Norton Musical Theatre in Aladdin – The Pantomime, Milton Rooms, Malton, January 22 and 23, 7.15pm; January 24, 1pm, 5.15pm. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Iain Harvey’s Jesus in Inspired By Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar. All pictures: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
YORK company Inspired By Theatre has released the first official promotional imagery for next month’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York.
The newly unveiled images form part of a cinematic campaign that reflects director Dan Crawfurd-Porter’s bold, physical and visual approach.
“Shot in a controlled studio environment, the imagery offers a stark and contemporary lens on the characters at the heart of the story,” he says.
Gi Vasey’s Annas and Joseph Hayes’ Caiaphas
Jesus Christ Superstar has taken the most preparation and development of any Inspired By Theatre show. “The stage work has been shaped over several years of planning and refinement,” says Dan.
“From the outset, I was determined that the show should be defined by a strong and distinctive visual language, closely aligned with abstract, physical and emotionally charged storytelling.”
The shoot was led by director and photographer Dan, with creative support from assistant director Freya McIntosh and production designer Gi Vasey. Hair and make-up was delivered by Chloe Pearson, Jasmine Barnard, Gi Vasey, and Freya McIntosh.
Mickey Moran’s Herod
“Central to the success of the imagery is the cast themselves, whose sustained character work and commitment to the production’s vision are evident throughout the final images,” says Dan.
“The photoshoot was conceived and executed with the same care as a full-scale production, treating the imagery as an artwork in its own right while remaining fully aligned with the vision of our stage production.
“Rather than functioning solely as promotional material, the images are designed to establish the cinematic world of our show in advance of its arrival on stage.”
Josh Woodgate’s Pilate
Dan’s radical new vision of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical is set in a shifting space, part temple, part battleground
The story unfolds through visceral movement, haunting imagery and a pulsating live score, capturing Jesus’s final days as loyalties fracture, followers demand revolution and rulers fear rebellion.
“Gritty, cinematic and unapologetically powerful, our staging pushes the boundaries of what local theatre can achieve,” says Dan.
Richard Bayton’s Peter
“What defines this production is its intensity. The staging is bold, the choreography demands everything from the cast, and the individual performances are so powerful. There’s no coasting, no safe choices.
“We’re embracing a visual and physical language that gives the story a new edge. It’s a Jesus Christ Superstar that commits fully to the story’s momentum and spectacle.”
Joining producer-director Dan in the production team are assistant director and choreographer Freya McIntosh; musical director Matthew Peter Clare; assistant producer Annie Roux; stage manager Steven Hibbs; production designer Gi Vasey; costume designer Molly Whitehouse; lighting designer Daniel Grey and sound designer Ollie Nash.
Rianna Pearce’s Mary Magdalene
In the cast will be Iain Harvey as Jesus; Kelly Ann Bolland, Judas; Rianna Pearce, Mary Magdaelene; Kailum Farmery, Simon Zealotes; Richard Bayton, Peter; Josh Woodgate, Pilate; Mickey Moran, King Herod, Joseph Hayes, Caiaphas, and Gi Vasey, Annas.
The ensemble will comprise Jack Fry; Charlie Clarke; Molly Whitehouse; Tiggy-Jade; Maddie Jones; Pete Stanford; Megan Overton; Anna Ashfield; Emily Pratt and Jasmine Barnard.
YORK theatre company founded in 2022, originally as Bright Light Musical Productions. “What began as a passion project has grown into a vibrant creative community with a distinctive artistic voice and a commitment to ambitious, impactful work,” says director Dan Crawfurd-Porter.
Previous productions, including Green Day’s American Idiot (2024) and RENT (2025), at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, have been praised for their energy, integrity, and polish. Jesus Christ Superstar marks the next evolution in the company’s bold storytelling, opening a landmark 2026 season that also will feature Spring Awakening at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from May 20 to 23 and Madness musical Our House at the JoRo in October .
“Inspired By Theatre was built on the belief that theatre can influence, uplift, and spark meaningful change,” says Dan. “The name itself reflects the countless productions, performers, creatives and audiences that continue to inspire and shape the company’s journey.”
