Kaiser Chiefs: Feeling the benefit of 20 years of Employment at Temple Newsam, Leeds, next May
KAISER Chiefs will mark the 20th anniversary of debut album Employment with a home-city concert at Temple Newsam Park, Leeds, on May 31 2025.
Joining the Yorkshire indie band that day will be mid-Noughties peers Razorlight, The Cribs, The Coral and We Are Scientists, plus Hastings trio HotWax and West Yorkshire’s Ellur, “two of the most exciting new indie artists in the UK”. Tickets go on sale today at https://tix.to/KCTempleNewsam.
Released in March 2005, the seven-times platinum and multi-award winning Employment remains the biggest-selling record from a Leeds artist, propelling I Predict A Riot and Oh My God to becoming anthems for the city, forever intertwined with Leeds life, culture, football and more.
To honour that special connection, as well as the 20th anniversary, Kaiser Chiefs will take to one of Leeds’s biggest stages for a celebration of Employment and the city that inspired it.
Kaiser Chiefs, minus Ricky Wilson that day, launching their When All Is Quiet: Kaiser Chiefs in Conversation with York Art Gallery exhibition in December 2018
London quintet Razorlight will perform a special set to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Up All Night; Wakefield band The Cribs celebrate the same anniversary for sophomore album The New Fellas; The Coral, from the Wirral, will dive into their back catalogue, and cult American indie rockers We Are Scientists will highlight the 20th anniversary of their major label debut, With Love And Squalor.
Kaiser Chiefs are “very excited to announce our biggest Leeds gig ever”. “Twenty years since Employment, and 23 years since we last played at Temple Newsam, we are delighted to be back,” say Ricky Wilson (vocals), Simon Rix (bass), Nick “Peanut” Baines (keyboards), Andrew “Whitey” White (guitar) and Vijay Mistry (drums).
“Last time we played there [in their days as Parva], we joked we were on after Guns N’ Roses, who had played the previous night, so it’s been a long wait to finally actually headline the Park.
“We are a band that historically always looked forwards, but after 20 years of people telling us how important Employment is to them and how it soundtracked people’s lives, we felt we had to organise a celebration.
“We’ve managed to get a few of our old touring friends to come and celebrate with us and of course everyone is invited. Come celebrate the 2000s, Employment, When Leeds took over the World. See you all in May.”
A job well done: the new murals in North Street Gardens, York
THE transformative mural project in North Street Gardens, York, is complete.
In a collaboration between York BID (Business Improvement District), York Cares and City of York Council’s Eco Team, the project has seen the installation of vibrant murals designed and painted by BA Graphic and Communication Design students from York College & University Centre.
Part of the 16th annual York Cares Big Community Challenge that ran from September 16 to today, the murals aim to breathe new life into the flood defence barriers, which had become heavily graffitied.
Funded by the Nature Hubs Fund, the murals celebrate the history and evolution of North Street Gardens, while reflecting the values of the Big Community Challenge.
Before…
The murals feature bold, graphic designs, drawing inspiration from the plant life in the gardens and the shapes and patterns found in the nearby architecture.
The gardens, originally gifted to the city by Rowntree’s, have long served as a place of connection between nature and the community. It is now hoped the murals will bring this history to life by focusing on themes of environmental preservation and community spirit.
The York Cares Big Community Challenge is dedicated to changing landscapes through social and environmental initiatives. This year’s challenge saw more than 450 volunteers dedicating 1,362 hours of their time to improving green spaces.
The murals are a testament to this year’s focus on connecting people with nature, increasing biodiversity and fostering a sense of community. The murals also contribute to the growing York Mural Trail, an initiative by York BID to enhance the visitor experience by making the city’s public spaces more attractive and engaging.
After….One of the completed murals at North Street Gardens
Enthusing over the project, Rachel Bean, York BID’s project manager, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with York Cares, the City of York Council’s Eco Team and York College and University Centre on this meaningful project.
“We want to say a big thank-you to the students for their beautiful murals, that not only elevate the space but also create a lasting cultural asset for the city, connecting people with nature and their community.”
Holly Hennell, manager at York Cares, said:“The students’ designs have perfectly captured the environmental focus of the Big Community Challenge, incorporating themes of biodiversity, nature and community connection. The murals add colour and life to the gardens, and we hope will encourage more people to enjoy this tranquil green space in the centre of York.”
Monica Gabb, course leader at York College and University Centre, said: “We have relished this opportunity for the students to bring their digital designs to life in a new scale and medium. Working directly with a live client from start to finish builds so many skills and relationships for our students.
Another completed mural at North Street Gardens
“What a fantastic portfolio piece for them. Thank you so much to York BID, York Cares and the Eco Team for their continued support and opportunity for our Level 5 students.”
Did you know?
NORTH Street Gardens, York, is undergoing a broader £6,000 rejuvenation to improve the space for public use and biodiversity.
Did you know too?
THIS year is the 16th York Cares Big Community Challenge. Over the past month, more than 450 volunteers from 16 employers and both universities [University of York and York St John University] have volunteered for 1,362 hours to change landscapes, connecting communities in the north, south, east and west of York through nature.
York Cares has hosted 48 volunteering sessions across 33 sites working with 28 partners. During the month, volunteers have weeded, dug, raked, scythed, built a pond dipping platform and boardwalk, picked litter, sown 6kg of wildflower seeds and planted 17,800 plants and bulbs to improve the sites.
Shed Seven celebrate topping the Official UK Album Chart with Liquid Gold, their second number one of 2024. Picture copyright: Ofiicial Charts Company 2024
IF at first you succeed after 30 years, then succeed again only a matter of months later.
Like buses, no number one ever arrived for York band Shed Seven until not one but two album chart toppers came their way in one year, making the Britpop survivors only the 20th act to achieve that feat in the Official UK Album Chart.
In good company too, standing on the shoulders of such giants as Frank Sinatra (1957); Elvis Presley (1962); The Beatles (1963, 1964, 1965); Bob Dylan (1965, 1970); Led Zeppelin (1970, 1976) and Elton John (1973, 1974, 1990).
Who else? George Mitchell Minstrels (who?! * See answer below); The Monkees; Slade; Mike Oldfield; Abba; Queen; Diana Ross; Robbie Williams; Blue(yes, really); Rihanna; Taylor Swift (2020, 2021, 2023) and Ed Sheeran.
Shed Seven’s final promotional push to take Liquid Gold to the number one spot
Rather than chasing rainbows in 2024, it’s Getting Better and better for Shed Seven, the band with the alchemist’s touch in a year of Going For Gold.
The Sheds began their 30th anniversary celebrations by entering the charts at number one with sixth studio album A Matter Of Time on January 12, a record-breaking gap of 29 years and three months between their debut, September 5 1994’s Change Giver, and first chart topper.
Could Liquid Gold, their second release of the year on indie label Cooking Vinyl, follow suit? Sitting at number one in the UK Midweek Album Chart, the Sheds saw off the challenge of Bring Me The Horizon’s Post Human: Next Gen, pulling ahead by 2,500 sales by Thursday morning in what had shaped up to be a two-horse race heading into the final straight, before cantering away to a lead of almost 5,000 at Friday afternoon’s finishing post.
“We can’t quite believe we are writing these words, but we’ve only gone and done it again!!” posted the band on their shedsevenofficial site on Instagram. “Our second number one album this year!!!
Liquid Gold Covers Edition: One of multiple formats that secured the top spotfor Shed Seven
“Liquid Gold is the official UK Chart number one album beating new releases from major artists including Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga! Firstly, thank you to everyone who has bought the record – you truly are the best fans.
“Also, a huge thanks to all the amazing people we worked with on the album, and for helping us create the most beautiful record. Thanks to Cooking Vinyl for believing in us.”
Later the band posted: “This is one of the most rare feats on the Official Chart: securing two Number 1 albums on the Official Albums Chart within a single calendar year. In all of recorded Official Charts history, this has only happened to 20 acts, and now Shed Seven joins the likes of The Beatles, David Bowie, and Elvis!”
As with A Matter Of Time, a combination of myriad versions of Liquid Gold, a resourceful, rallying social media campaign and on-going record store tour of intimate gigs and personal appearances ensured the industrious five-piece were first past the post.
Huts five, Shed Seven: Tim Wills, left, Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield, Rick Witter, Paul Banks and Tom Gladwin promoting next summer’s Scarborough show at the seaside
The promotional campaign also took in a Radio 2 In The Park live set in Preston, a BBC Radio 2 Piano Session, plus Radio 2 playlist exposure and Amazing Radio’s Track of the Week status for the single Waiting For The Catch, a duet with Issy Ferris, of Ferris & Sylvester.
Recorded at Vada Recording Studios, Stratford-upon-Avon, with producer Michael Rendall, the album features the orchestral reimagining of past hits, less discovered band favourites and one new song, All Roads Lead To You, embossed with strings, brass and gospel vocal arrangements.
Numerous formats have sold out already, now complemented by the Demos Edition CD, a set of demos that crystallises the raw energy that the Sheds exuded in their early days. All profits from Demos Edition CD will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, which supports grassroots music venues across the UK – multiple venues that have been “vital to every moment of Shed Seven’s long and storied career”.
Front man Rick Witter said: “It’s important for all new up-and-coming young acts to have the opportunity to play venues like these, as it’s a crucial part of any artist’s journey to get a foothold on the musical path. Long may these venues exist.”
Guitarist Paul Banks added: “Shed Seven has had an incredible 30 years, and this year has been nothing short of unforgettable. We’ve climbed every rung of the ladder in this industry, starting out in independent venues.
Shed Seven celebrate notching their second number one of 2024
“When we look back at the places we played in 1994, it’s heartbreaking to see how many have closed their doors. Independent bands need independent labels, record shops and venues, and we want to give something back.
“That’s why we’re thrilled to release a limited-edition Liquid Gold CD, with all profits going to the Music Venues Trust. It features demos that really capture the rawness of Shed Seven, that same energy we had when we played those venues early in our career. Without independent venues, there would be no Shed Seven.”
The Sheds’ run of in-store appearances and Change Giver concerts since Liquid Gold’s release may have been brought to a temporary halt by Rick Witter’s sinus infection – has the City of York Council’s plan to launch a Rick Gritter road gritter this winter arrived early in his throat?! – but plans are taking shape already for 2025.
Tickets go on sale at 9.30am this morning for their “biggest ever headline show in their home county”, a long-overdue debut at the 8,000-capacity TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the UK’s largest purpose-built outdoor concert arena, on June 14, when Jake Bugg and Cast will be their special guests. To book, head to: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk or ticketmaster.co.uk.
Witter said (before the sinus infection struck): “It’s been a dream of ours for some time to head out to the coast to play Scarborough OAT. It’s a stunning and historic venue…Yorkshire’s very own Hollywood Bowl!
Shed Seven’s poster for next summer’s trio of outdoor headline concerts
“2024 has been an amazing year for us. We’ve had our first number one album, sold out shows across the land, and now to announce our biggest ever headline show in Yorkshire – it doesn’t get much better!
“We can’t thank our fans enough and we want them to join us in Scarborough next summer for what will be a magical night at this incredibly special venue.”
In addition, Shed Seven have announced two further live dates for next summer, either side of the Pennine divide for Sounds Of The City 2025: Castlefield Bowl, Manchester, on July 4 and a return to Leeds Millennium Square on July 11, having headlined the Sound Of The City bill there on July 15 2023, when Cast and fellow York band Skylights supported.
Ian Broudie’s Lightning Seeds, from Liverpool, and the Sheds’ upcoming winter tour opening act, The Sherlocks, from Sheffield, will be on support duty on both nights. Again, tickets go on sale today at www.gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.co.uk or via https://tix.to/SS25.
The promotional poster for Paul Heaton’s Bramall Lane concert next May, featuring Shed Seven on the support bill
“We can’t wait to get out next summer for these big shows,” said Rick “It’s going to be a huge celebration following the success we’ve had in 2024. Expect big hits and huge singalongs. See you down the front.”
And now there’s more! Shed Seven are to support Sheffield United fan Paul Heaton at his beloved Bramall Lane, Sheffield, on May 25, when Lightning Seeds will be on the bill too.
Singer, songwriter and former front man of Hull bands The Housemartins and The Beautiful South, Heaton grew up in the Steel City. He will perform with his live and special guest singer Rianne Downey.
Today he releases his new solo album, The Mighty Several, produced by Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie, on Blood Records. His autumn tour will open with Yorkshire shows at Bridlington Spa on November 29 and Leeds First Direct the next night.
Did you know? Shed Seven are champions of National Album Day
Shed Seven: Championing the album as an artform
SHED Seven have been announced as the first champions of National Album Day ahead of its return on Saturday, October 19.
The official statement reads: “National Album Day announces iconic alternative rock band Shed Seven as the first album champions to celebrate this year’s theme of Great British Groups.
“Hailing from York, Shed Seven released their debut album Change Giver in 1994, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. To honour the anniversary, Shed Seven have partnered with National Album Day to present a special tour celebrating 30 years of the record and to promote the art of the album format.
“Paul Banks, member of Shed Seven, says: ‘For Shed Seven, albums are a powerful medium – a journey that tells a story, like a book or film. This belief shapes our music, including our new LP, Liquid Gold.
‘To us, an album is more than a collection of songs; it’s a cohesive experience with a theme, mood, and intentional moments of tension and release. Every detail, even the silences, is deliberate and meaningful.
‘Making an album involves more than music; it’s a full artistic endeavour. We’re deeply involved in every element, from the songs to the cover art, which extends the album’s narrative. The album as a format deserves to be protected and cherished because it blends multiple artistic disciplines into one experience.
‘That’s why we support National Album Day on October 19th, which celebrates Great British Groups and highlights the importance of albums. As long as we make music, we’ll craft albums that tell stories and provide a full experience, like our latest, Liquid Gold. We hope you’ll join us on this journey.’
“Released earlier this year, Shed Seven’s album A Matter of Time marked two huge milestones for the band; becoming their first No.1 album, and making them the first ever band from York to have a #1 record on the Official Albums Chart.
On fire: Shed Seven top the charts for the first time with A Matter Of Time in January
“The album also out-sold the rest of the Top #10 physically combined (competing with heavy-hitters Lewis Capaldi, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and The Weeknd) in week one!”
Since its launch in 2018, National Album Day has been supported by a broad range of artists, such as Kylie Minogue, Joy Crookes, Sharleen Spiteri, Lewis Capaldi, Mark Ronson, La Roux, Elbow, Paloma Faith, Blossoms, Alice Cooper, Novelist, Tom Odell, Mahalia, Toyah Willcox and Jazzie B.
Last year Gabrielle, Declan McKenna, Tricky, Nuno Bettencourt, Shola Ama and The Corrs added their voices as passionate advocates of the album.
National Album Day is organised jointly by the BPI – the UK association of record companies and independent labels (BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize) – and ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association (Record Store Day).
The event is supported by BBC Radio 2 and the breadth of BBC Sounds, radio, TV and online channels, and is backed by the wider recorded music community, taking in UK record labels, AIM, PPL and other trade associations, independent record stores and specialist chains, including HMV, and online retailers and digital/streaming services including Amazon, Spotify and YouTube.
The cover artwork for Change Giver, Shed Seven’s 1994 debut album on Polydor Records
THE Change Giver shows were scheduled to start with sold-out performances at Pryzm, Kingston, yesterday and today, hosted by Banquet Records, but Rick Witter’s sinus infection forced their postponement.
The Instagram statement from guitarist Paul Banks reads: “We’re absolutely heartbroken to let you know that we have to postpone this week’s shows at Kingston Pryzm due to Rick suffering from a sinus infection.
“He’s been gradually getting worse over the last few days, but he’s carried on and honoured the interviews he had as he didn’t want to let anybody down. However, it’s gotten so bad today [October 10] that, on doctor’s orders, we have no choice but to postpone the shows.
“Ticket holders, please check your email for more information. We’ll be in touch again a soon as the rescheduled dates are confirmed. Apologies for the very obvious disappointment.”
Further sold-out performances, playing the album in full, are scheduled for HMV Empire, Coventry, tomorrow (12/10/2024); SWG3, Glasgow, hosted by Assai Records, on October 17; Academy 2, Manchester, hosted by Crash Records, October 18, and Leeds Beckett Student Union, hosted by Crash Records, on October 19. An update on Rick’s vocal health will be forthcoming.
Likewise, sold-out in-store appearances are booked for Assai Records, Edinburgh, at midday on October 16 and Glasgow HMV at 5pm the same day.
Meanwhile, Change Giver is being released on heavyweight vinyl for the first time since 1994 in a re-issue that faithfully replicates the original Polydor UK pressing.
Shed Seven’s Paul Banks and Rick Witter performing on the first of two sold-out nights at York Musem Gardens in July, promoted by the Futuresound Group. Picture: David Harrison
NOVEMBER 30th ANNIVERSARY HEADLINE TOUR
14th – Sheffield, Octagon (SOLD OUT)
15th – Cardiff, University – Great Hall (LOW TICKETS)
16th – Liverpool, University – Mountford Hall (SOLD OUT)
18th – Halifax, Victoria Theatre (LOW TICKETS)
19th – Hull, City Hall (LOW TICKETS)
21st – Aberdeen, Music Hall (SOLD OUT)
22nd – Glasgow, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
23rd – Edinburgh, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
25th – Leicester, O2 Academy (LOW TICKETS)
26th – Margate, Dreamland
28th – Bristol, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
29th – Newcastle, O2 City Hall (SOLD OUT)
30th – Leeds, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
Stairway to Shed Seven: Rick Witter, left, Tom Gladwin, Tim Wills, Paul Banks and Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield step up in 2024. Picture: Barnaby Fairley
DECEMBER – 30th ANNIVERSARY HEADLINE TOUR
2nd – Oxford, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
3rd – Lincoln, Engine Shed (LOW TICKETS)
5th – Stockton, Globe
6th – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse (SOLD OUT)
7th – Birmingham, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
9th – Norwich, The Nick Rayns LCR, University of East Anglia (SOLD OUT)
10th – Cambridge, Corn Exchange (SOLD OUT)
12th – Bournemouth, O2 Academy (LOW TICKETS)
13th – Nottingham, Rock City (SOLD OUT)
14th – London, O2 Academy Brixton (SOLD OUT)
Very limited tickets for select shows are available via shedseven.com.
DECEMBER – RICK WITTER & PAUL BANKS INTIMATE ACOUSTIC SHOWS
21st – York, Huntington Working Men’s Club (SOLD OUT)
22nd – York, Huntington Working Men’s Club (SOLD OUT)
*Who were the George Mitchell Minstrels?
THEY were formed by Scottish singer George Mitchell OBE, who devised the long-running Black And White Minstrel Show.
The tour poster for Only Fools And Horses The Musical
STICK a pony in your pocket! The Trotters are back, heading to York in Del Boy and Rodney’s yellow Reliant Regal Supervan III three-wheeler to perform Only Fools And Horses The Musical next week.
Running at the Grand Opera House from October 14 to 19, Jim Sullivan and comedy turn Paul Whitehouse’s hit show is on a 2024-2025 national tour after a record-breaking four-year sold-out run in London’s West End.
Based on John Sullivan’s BBC One comedy, this home-grown musical spectacular features cherished material and characters from the long-running series.
Sam Lupton: Playing Del Boy in Only Fools And Horses The Musical
Del Boy, Rodney, Grandad, Cassandra, Raquel, Boycie, Marlene, Trigger, Denzil and Mickey Pearce all feature in a musical with a score of 20 humorous songs and an “ingenious” script by John’s son, Jim Sullivan, and The Fast Show’s Paul Whitehouse
“Join us as we take a trip back in time, where it’s all kicking off in Peckham,” reads the tour publicity invitation. “While the yuppie invasion of London is in full swing, love is in the air as Del Boy sets out on the rocky road to find his soul mate, Rodney and Cassandra prepare to say ‘I do’, and even Trigger is gearing up for a date (with a person!).
“Meanwhile, Boycie and Marlene give parenthood one final shot and Grandad takes stock of his life and decides the time has finally arrived to get his piles sorted.”
Tom Major: Taking the role of Rodney in Only Fools And Horses The Musical
The show features musical contributions from rockney duo Chas & Dave, the beloved theme tune “as you have never heard it before”, and an array of new songs full of character and Cockney charm.
The touring cast includes Sam Lupton as Del Boy; Tom Major, Rodney, Philip Childs, Grandad; Georgina Hagen, Raquel; Nicola Munns, Marlene/Cassandra; Craig Berry, Boycie; Bradley John, Denzil; Lee Vg, Trigger; Peter Watts, Danny Driscoll/Mickey Pearce; Darryl Paul, Mike/Tony Driscoll; Richard J Hunt, dating agent, and Gloria Acquaah-Harrison, Mrs Obooko. Andrew Bryant is the resident director and dance captain.
Georgina Hagen: Cast as Raquel in Only Fools And Horses The Musical
“You’re guaranteed to have a right ol’ knees-up,” the tour blurb promises. “Only Fools And Horses The Musical is a feel-good family celebration of traditional working-class London life in 1989 and the aspirations we all share.
“So don’t delay, get on the blower, and get a ticket for a truly cushty night out. Only a 42 carat plonker would miss it!”
Only Fools And Horses The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, October 14 to 19, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york. Age guidance: Six upwards.
Nicola Munns at the double: Playing both Marlene and Cassandra in Only Fools And Horses The Musical
Remembering it well: Stalwart friends Dame Judi Dench and Gyles Brandreth, revelling in stories of stage and screenon stage at the Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick Photography
DAME Judi Dench’s return to her home city for the talk show I Remember It Well at the Grand Opera House has been marked by a seat dedication in honour of last night’s visit to the York theatre.
Dame Judi chose her preferred seat number for the first such dedication since the Cumberland Street theatre was refurbished in 2022.
The engraved gold plaque, placed on the front-row seat A9 in the Dress Circle, reads: “York’s celebrated star of stage and screen, Dame Judi Dench, performed here 10 October 2024”.
Dame Judi, 89, was joined on stage at the sold-out 7.30pm event by television presenter, theatre producer, journalist, author, publisher and former Conservative MP for the City of Chester Gyles Brandreth.
Dame Judi Dench’s commemorative plaque on her chosen seat: A9, Dress Circle
Together they presented their hit West End and Royal Albert Hall reminiscence, I Remember It Well, wherein Dame Judi and her friend Gyles undertook a roller-coaster trip down memory lane as they explored the story of her extraordinary life, from her childhood in Heworth, York, in the 1930s to her latest Oscar nomination – for Best Supporting actress in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast – in 2022.
The packed auditorium, “filled with excited locals and far-afield visitors”, was entertained with anecdotes aplenty – stories, Shakespeare sonnets, songs and surprises – in a “two-hour party of lifetime”.
Audience member Alison (no surname provided), who watched from the Ambassador Box, said: “She is such an amazing lady. A true legend and a night to remember. Judi and Gyles are so natural and comfortable together with such warmth. We felt very honoured and lucky to be here.”
The poster for Dame Judi Dench and Gyles Brandreth’s Grand Opera House soiree, I Remember It Well
The 2022 refurbishment included the replacement of 269 seats in the Dress Circle. Under the Dedicate A Seat scheme, “you could dedicate a seat to a loved one as an original gift, to your favourite Grand Opera House star or create a lasting legacy for someone who loved the theatre,” says the Grand Opera House website.
“For £250 per seat, an engraved plaque will be placed on the seat of your choice and you will receive a commemorative certificate. Your seat will then be dedicated for a minimum of three year.”
A touching moment in Dame Judi Dench and Gyles Brandreth’s show at the Grand Opera House last night. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick Photography
WHERE better for Wright & Grainger to stage their modern take on the Ancient Greek myth of Helios than underneath the dome of Castle Howard’s Great Hall.
The dome mural, painted by Venetian painter Antonio Pelligrini between 1709 and 1712, depicts the Four Elements, the Twelve Figures of the Zodiac and Apollo and the Muses.
This ethereal work climaxes with the tale of Phaeton falling from his father’s chariot. Encouraged to look higher and higher, the viewer finally meets the dizzying spectacle of Apollo’s son plunging to Earth, the chariot crashing into the river.
The Fall of Phaeton happens to be the thematic inspiration behind Easingwold storytellers Alexander Flanagan-Wright and Phil Grainger’s opus too, premiered at the Stilly Fringe at Stillington Mill, near York, in July 2023, and later that summer in the former Women’s Locker Room at Summerhall at the Edinburgh Fringe.
What happens, Alex? “A lad lives halfway up a historic hill,” he elucidates. “A teenager is on a road trip to the city in a stolen car. A boy is driving a chariot, pulling the sun across the sky.
“In a story about the son of the god of the sun, Helios transplants the Ancient Greek tale into a modern-day myth wound round the winding roads of rural England – and into the everyday living of a towering city. It’s a story about life, the invisible monuments we build to it, and the little things that leave big marks.”
In the wake of their oft-performed, internationally acclaimed myth hits Orpheus, Eurydice and The Gods The Gods The Gods – joined for the first time by Half Man Hall Bull at this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe – Alex and Phil invite audiences to “join them in a grand room with a tape player-and a delicate tale to tell” in performances of Helios at 5pm and 7.30pm.
Alex and Phil have a history of staging performances at Castle Howard, ranging from Gobbledigook Theatre’s The Tales Of Beatrix Potter in the Walled Garden to The Guild Of Misrule’s peripatetic The Great Gatsby and Gobbledigook Theatre/The Flanagan Collective’s Orpheus that turned the Grecian Hall into a disco.
Now comes Helios, performed by Alex to a cinematic score by Phil. “To be honest, it was Abbi [Alex’s sister Abbigail Ollive, director of marketing and visitors at Castle Howard] who suggested it this time. When she first saw Helios at Edinburgh, she said, ‘oh, you know there’s a painting of the Fall of Phaeton in the Great Hall?, and I had to say ‘No’, but very quickly I thought, ‘we should definitely find time to do a show under such a piece of art’. Hopefully it’ll be an historically significant night.”
What drew Alex to re-telling the fateful tale of Phaeton in modern-day rural England? “There was something about this kind of need to prove yourself. These two young lads are kind of doing that ‘My dad’s better than your dad’ thing, where there’s a need to prove ‘I’m worth what I said I’m worth’ by doing something stupid,” he says.
“It’s that thing of wanting to be greater than you are and trying to do something that’s beyond your capacity,” says Alex
“I guess, in part, it’s the way you grow up in school, claiming ‘I am this or I am that’, and then someone says, ‘Yeah? Prove it’. It’s validating that space you take up in the world.
“It felt like it was a story that had a real tenacity to it, and then, like in loads of Ancient Greek myths, it speaks about how our landscape is laid out. Reflecting on how we grow up in our landscape, and how these stories define our day-to-day existence, it was a story well worth thinking about.”
Ancient becomes modern as Phaeton trying to ride his father’s chariot through the sky becomes “Phaeton having his mate Michael nick a car and then sticking it through the hedge”. “It’s that thing of wanting to be greater than you are and trying to do something that’s beyond your capacity,” says Alex. “That thrust of going too far to try to get the respect you’re pushing to achieve.
“You think, ‘what is that need in us now in a contemporary telling’ and you find the answer in something you remember in a story your mate told you.
“This is the interesting thing: why are you’re trying to go beyond these limits or trying to respond to someone else or a lack of something, rather than celebrating the beautiful things you have achieved.”
Alex continues: “Bragging is a want of broader satisfaction. It’s a loss of something, a lack of something, in everyone when growing up; you’re trying to compensate for something that otherwise means you don’t feel like you’re living life to the fullest.
“In our story of Helios we talk a lot about how it’s a show about facts in our world, how you live in relation to them, if you define them or they define you. There’s a bit in the show where they’re discussing their relationship with the sun. The sun being there means we can exist, but we like to define the sun: we are what defines us; that thing of saying ‘without us, the sun would be nothing’.
“We measure everything by the sun, but when you grow up there are so many other factors you are measured by and you understood what you’re in control of, rather than being controlled by. You brag less because you understand more.”
Why are we drawn to reckless speed in our youth? “I wonder why that is. I don’t know the answer, I don’t have an answer to posit. It starts with that joy of the bike, or roller skates, that joy of going really fast. I don’t know if it ever changes, though maybe we temper it.” says Alex.
Wright & Grainger present Helios in the Great Hall, Castle Howard, near York, October 17, 5pm and 7.30pm. Box office: castlehoward.co.uk.
The Great Hall and the Fall of Phaeton: the back story
THE Great Hall is the crowning masterpiece of dramatist-turned-architect John Vanbrugh’s design for Castle Howard, commissioned by the 3rd Earl of Carlisle.
From outside, the dome presents Castle Howard with a unique silhouette; on the inside, rising 70 feet into the air, it is a triumph of theatre and space. Massive columns, filled with carved decoration, rise in the four corners of the hallway; two large arches open to reveal the walls and staircases beyond; a balcony traverses the upper level, and above is the lantern and gallery with light flooding in from the eight windows.
The painted decoration, executed by the Venetian artist Antonio Pellegrini between 1709 and 1712, depicts the Four Elements, the Twelve Figures of the Zodiac and Apollo and the Muses.
This ethereal work climaxes with the tale of Phaeton falling from his father’s chariot. Encouraged to look higher and higher, the viewer finally meets the dizzying spectacle of Apollo’s son plunging to earth.
The 3rd Earl and Vanbrugh revelled in the playful ironies of this dramatic tale of ambition and fall, which gently mocked their own aspirations.
The dome was destroyed by a fire in 1940, and Pelligrini’s Fall of Phaeton was lost too. Following the reconstruction of the dome in 1960-61, a Canadian artist, Scott Medd, was commissioned to re-create the scene.
Gray O’Brien as Inspector John Rebus in Rebus: A Game Called Malice, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Nobby Clark
GRAY O’Brien makes his second stage appearance in York in 2024 next week, following up his Juror 10 in Twelve Angry Men at the Grand Opera House in May with Inspector John Rebus in Rebus: A Game Called Malice at York Theatre Royal.
Ian Rankin’s Scottish detective has been portrayed on stage, radio, television and online by such actors as Ken Scott, Brian Cox, Charles Lawson, John Hannah and, in six BBC One episodes in May and June this year, by Richard Rankin (no relation).
They have done so with varying degrees of success. John Hannah considered himself “miscast”, handing over to a more downbeat Ken Scott in the ITV series. Richard Rankin, the latest TV incarnation and younger than some of his predecessors, has met with approval.
O’Brien has not read the Rebus books, considering the thriller series to be “one of those things you get into or which just pass you by”, whereas devotees will be rushing out to acquire Rankin’s 25th detective novel, Midnight And Blue, published by Orion today (10/10/2024).
O’Brien has, however, spoken at length with the author, who says different actors bring out different aspects of Rebus, helping him to learn more about the character for the next book.
Gray O’Brien’s Juror 10, left, with Michael Greco’s Juror 7 in Twelve Angry Men at the Grand Opera House, York, in May. Picture: Jack Merriman
As he prepared to play Rebus, O’Brien asked the writer which books he should read to gain an insight into the character. Rankin’s reply came as a surprise. “He said, ‘don’t read them, you don’t need to, because this man is completely on his own. He’s now at a certain age where he’s retired. What’s been in the past is the past’,” O’Brien recalls.
In the new play, the retired detective finds himself at a posh Edinburgh dinner party where the guests play a murder mystery game. “He’s sitting there, a fish out of water thinking, ‘what the heck have I got myself into?’,” says O’Brien. “Then we discover why he’s really there, something happens, and the real Rebus bounces back.”
O’Brien likes how the whodunnit aspect was handled by Rankin, who co-wrote the play with Simon Reade after penning the first draft. The genre demands a denouement where the suspects are gathered together and the guilty party is exposed. “But we do it differently in this play,” he says, without giving too much away.
Given that his books are read worldwide, Rankin was keen to write a play that could be staged around the globe – another reason he wanted no constraints on the portrayal of the stage Rebus.
“It’s not Ken Stott’s Rebus or John Hannah’s Rebus. Your reading of the book is different to my reading of the book,” O’Brien says. “You read something like Lord Of The Rings or Game Of Thrones and you have the characters very much set in your head. Then you see it televised and go, ‘that’s the character I’m seeing in my head’.
Writer Ian Rankin, in the rehearsal room, reading the script for Rebus: A Game Called Malice. Picture: Jonathan Phang
“I can’t mimic or can’t try to copy someone else’s Rebus because we’re all made up completely differently. I can’t hold myself the way Ken Stott holds himself. We’re all different shapes, different sizes, we’re educated differently, we’re from different regions.”
Rebus’s accent was important to O’Brien, who grew up in Ayreshire, Rebus hails from Fife. Both men have Scottish accents but not necessarily the same-sounding accent. The Glasgow-born actor was keen to pay homage to the Edinburgh accent when the production played the Festival Theatre there last month and not resort to a generic Scottish accent.
“To English listeners it probably won’t matter as much,” he says. “Some people thought I was crazy doing an Edinburgh accent because I’m Scottish and I have a Scottish accent. I found the rhythms difficult because it’s a bit like getting someone from Milwaukee to do a Minnesota accent. They’re quite different. The Edinburgh vowel sounds and the line endings are completely different from the West Coast of Scotland.”
O’Brien has played major TV roles as Tony Gordon in Coronation Street, Richard McCaid in Casualty and Dr Tom Deneley in Peak Practice, but theatre remains an essential part of his work, whether touring in the 1954 courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men or starring alongside Dallas star Patrick Duffy in the American caper Catch Me If You Can.
“Theatre is a necessity because TV work stops and sometimes it doesn’t stop forever but there are certainly long hiatuses,” he says. “New people come into TV. Casting directors who championed you leave, the new ones don’t know you, and young people come in and don’t know my work. So you can get overlooked. Many careers crash and burn.
“I can’t mimic or can’t try to copy someone else’s Rebus because we’re all made up completely differently,” says Gray O’Brien
“I’ve been very, very lucky with the loyalty of [the late] producer Bill Kenwright. He’s always wanted me on stage if I’m available. Pretty much every year I get asked to do one of these stage tours. I jump at the challenge each time.”
O’Brien takes the responsibility of touring theatre seriously. “People are paying their hard- earned cash to come and have an experience in theatre. I would always encourage people to come and see a live play,” he says. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s always a jeopardy moment on stage.
“It could be performance 100 or performance 24 where things don’t go fully as expected. Maybe an actor tries something slightly different and says a line with a different inflection. It can change the dynamic of the piece and it’s very exciting.”
What is the worst thing to have befallen him on stage? “Drying is terrible, just literally dropping the ball for half a second,” he says, referring to forgetting lines. “People don’t realise the concentration that’s involved in a play. You’ve got to be completely on the moment and be listening to everything.
“You cannot for a second think, ‘I wonder if I should have fish fingers tonight’. As soon as that happens you’releft with a cue but don’t know what you’re saying. That happens all the time and it’s just how quickly you can pick it up.”
Rebus: A Game Called Malice, York Theatre Royal, October 15 to 19, 7.30pm; 2pm, Wednesday and Thursday; 2.30pm, Saturday. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
On a highway to hell: Freida Nipples’ nun in The Exhibitionists
THE Old Paint Shop season of burlesque, comedy, improv, jazz, folk and more in York’s newest cabaret nightspot is under way in the York Theatre Royal Studio.
So named in a nod to the Studio’s former status as the theatre workshop, the new venture is the brainchild of chief executive Paul Crewes, who took pleasure in a bustling Saturday night, where the American coming-of-age tale Little Women was playing in the main house as not-so-little women and men formed the first Freida Nipples presents…The Exhibitionists bill next door.
A buoyant full house, gathered around tables beneath a sky of lampshades, two mirror balls and The Old Paint Shop neon sign, greeted York queen of burlesque Freida’s parade of fabulous artistes from around the UK.
First, here’s your saucy host in high heels and rhinestones, Leicester’s Deeva D, international Neo Burlesque/Bearlesque performer, go-go dancer, compere and co-founder of Boudoir. Queer, South Asian and Hindu to boot. Hair aglow, like an angel in an Italian Renaissance painting. Impromptu singer too, as he filled a temporary black hole with a karaoke-style singalong Spirit In The Sky.
The black-box Studio makes for a compact cabaret locale. Performers are within touching distance, but this is a “Look, but don’t touch” joint, rightly so. And no flash. Flesh, yes, of course, but flash, no, if you must insist on taking out your distracting phone camera.
The Exhibitionists gather on stage at the close of the first night of The Old Paint Shop: left to right, compere Deeva D, promoter, producer and performer Freida Nipples, stage manager Trixie Blue, Ebony Silk, Kiki Lovechild and Lady Wildflower
Acts enter either by swishing through the cabaret crowd, like a boxer’s ring walk, or through a black door, halfway up the back wall, and down a metallic stairwell, take your pick.
Here come The Exhibitionists, one by one, one act each per half: Ebony Silk, full of circular motions at every turn; northern burlesque icon and Hebden Bridge festival founder Lady Wildflower; then clown-faced and skilled “professional idiot” Kiki Lovechild (aka Jack Smart), with audience participation to the max in Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse Of The Heart.
Totally eclipsing everything else? Not so. Freida Nipples emerges in a sparkling nun’s habit to the rallying call of AC/DC’s Highway To Hell. Line by line, garment removal by garment removal, she will reveal the devil inside. 6, 6, 6 placed you know where, and a tail, likewise, at the back. Nun better to conclude the first half.
Post-interval, Deeva D re-emerges as the first sighting of Santa Claus in 2024; his fancy-dress frippery will never last until Christmas, and sure enough the red threads don’t survive even five minutes here.
Ebony Silk throws more shapes; Freida pops balloons at bathtime; Kiki turns into a puppeteer with strangely hot chanteuse Jessica Blue, all topped off by Lady Wildflower doing her wild thing, spinning her titillating tassles to eye-popping effect in a catherine wheel blur.
The Exhibitionists’ roster of performance artistes – named in honour of York Theatre Royal’s proximity to Exhibition Square – will return for a Hallowe’en Special on October 26 when Freida Nipples presents more burlesque, drag and cabaret acts with the promise of the three Gs: glamour, gags and giggles. Both the 6pm and 9pm performances have sold out already, the bare cheek of it.
What’s coming up at The Old Paint Shop?
Not Gonna Lie: Fool(ish) Improv’s night of “Unbelievable Comedy”in The Old Paint Shop
October 10, Fool(ish) Improv present Not Gonna Lie
THE message from Paul Birch and co’s York comedy troupe Fool(ish) Improv is: “Come confess and unburden yourselves of some silly secrets, tales of the office and childhood memories and we will shape them into surreal sketches and sensational scenes.”
Not so much Who’s Line Is It Anyway as Who’s Lie Is It anyway, these North Yorkshire improvisers, trained by Chicago’s best, promise a playful night of joy, nonsense and completely making things up.
Saxophonist Brendan Duffy
October 11, The Brendan Duffy Quartet
SAXOPHONIST and vocalist Brendan Duffy is joined by Tom Townsend on drums, Christian Topman on double bass and Karl Mullen, “the hardest-working pianist in York”, on upright piano for an eclectic and exciting cabaret night of jazz through the ages. Everything from Louis Armstrong and singalong fun to John Coltrane and Charles Mingus.
October 12, Jess Gardham, cancelled.
AWARD-WINNING York blues singer-songwriter and musical theatre actress Jess Gardham’s show has been scuppered by ill health.
Debs Newbold in Dauntless – Grace O’Malley, Pirate Queen
October 17, Dauntless – Grace O’Malley, Pirate Queen
IN a night of performance storytelling by Debs Newbold, presented by the Crick Crack Club, she gleefully delivers the boisterous, remarkable and inspirational story of her heroine: Grainne ni Mhaille (Grace O’Malley), legendary Irish clan chief and queen of the sea.
Stowing away aboard her father’s ship aged eight, Grace became a 16th century force of nature: a multilingual, seafaring weapons expert, leader of 2,000 men, rebel, politician, kingmaker and slayer, prodigious lover, avenging hero and notorious pirate.
From the west of Ireland to the court of Elizabeth I, from wild youth to even wilder old age, Dauntless is an epic celebration of uproarious storytelling, high drama and one fascinating 16th century feminist.
Bay Bryan in The Meadow. Picture: Brendan Ashmore
October 19, Bay Bryan: The Meadow
AS heard on BBC 2’s The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe, Bay Bryan’s music is accessible yet complex with a philosophical edge akin to 1970s’ Labi Siffre. Existential in nature, The Meadow is heavily influenced by Bryan’s upbringing in the Rockies of Colorado. In performance, Bryan draws on skills as an actor and storyteller.
The Not So Ugly Sisters, a theatre show for which Bryan co-composed songs, was named in the Guardian as one of the Top 25 shows to book for Christmas 2021. The short film Egg Party, with music scored by Bryan, won the Audience Choice awards at both the Coven and Cinequest Film Festivals that year. Acting credits include The Gifting (Leeds, 2023) and Napoleon (Apple TV).
Hyde Family Jam, fronted by Will Dreyfus, at The Old Paint Shop
October 24, Hyde Family Jam
SINCE 2014, this York band has appeared in many forms, to delight and entertain on the streets, in clubs, castles, tipis, tapas bars, stately homes and even on film sets. This October they finally set foot in York Theatre Royal, where Will Dreyfus will be on front man duty. Prepare for a fusion of irreverent covers, folk instruments and punk energy in a set of pop bangers that adds up to a “one-of-a-kind musical journey”.
Pete Selwood. Stand-up’s debut show. Picture: Andy Hollingworth
October 25, Pete Selwood: Uninspiring
UNINSPIRING is the debut show from stand-up comedian Pete Selwood (as seen on Comedy Central Live and The Emily Atack Show), spotlighting the pitfalls of being a disabled man coming to terms with his limitations after becoming a parent. Last seen at York Theatre Royal supporting Guz Khan, he is a regular tour support for Jack Carroll.
October 26, Freida Nipples presents…The Exhibitionists, Hallowe’en Special, 6pm and 9pm, both sold out.
All shows start at 8pm except Freida Nipples’ Hallowe’en Special. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
York Theatre Royal chief executive Paul Crewes on setting up The Old Paint Shop
York Theatre Royal chief executive Paul Crewes. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick
“THE idea is to turn the Studio into a cabaret space, The Old Paint Shop, twice a year for three or four-week sessions of one-night shows with a range of acts from York and from further afield, hosted by the Theatre Royal, presenting music, theatre, burlesque and stand-up comedy.
“I did something similar in Los Angeles and it became so popular that people were contacting me to perform in it.”
Did you know?
THE inaugural Old Paint Shop season is dedicated to Terry Bounds, who worked as stage carpenter at York Theatre Royal for more than 30 years before retiring in 2013.
Ed Gamble: No mention of hot dogs at the Grand Opera House, York, despite the show title and tour publicity photo. Picture: Matt Crockett
IT would not be a Gamble to the see the comedian of that surname, Peter Hook’s Joy Division and New Order excavations, a Miss Marple mystery or a new Rebus play, advises Charles Hutchinson.
Comedy gig of the week: Ed Gamble, Hot Diggity Dog, Grand Opera House, York, tonight, 7.30pm
ED Gamble is promising “all your classicGamble ranting, raving and spluttering, but he’s doing fine mentally. Promise”. After all, he co-hosts the award-winning podcast Off Menuwith James Acaster, is a judge on Great British Menu and Taskmaster champion, hosts Taskmaster The Podcast and The Traitors: Uncloaked and has his own special, Blood Sugar, available on Amazon Prime. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Not Gonna Lie: Fool(ish) Improv conjure comedy from audience stories at The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal
Improv gig of the week: Fool(ish) Improv present Not Gonna Lie, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, tomorrow, 8pm
THIS show by Paul Birch and co will take the truth to task by using real stories from the audience to improvise “unbelievable comedy”. Not so much Who’s Line Is It Anyway but more Who’s Lie Is It Anyway, Fool(ish) welcome you to a playful night of joy, nonsense and completely making things up.
“Come confess and unburden yourselves of some silly secrets, tales of the office and childhood memories and we will shape them into surreal sketches and sensational scenes,” say the Yorkshire improvisers trained by the best in Chicago Long-Form improv. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Peter Hook: Revisiting Joy Division and New Order with The Light at York Barbican. Picture: Mark McNulty
York rock gig of the week: Peter Hook & The Light, Substance World Tour, York Barbican, tomorrow, doors 7pm; start 8pm; curfew 11pm
PETER Hook & The Light compare and contrast his bands Joy Division and New Order’s Substance compilation albums, playing both Manchester groups’ vinyl versions in full, complemented by 12 tracks featured on CD editions.
Hook will be joined by David Potts, his regular companion from Monaco and Revenge, on guitar and vocals, new addition Martin Rebelski, from Doves, on keyboards, Paul Kehoe on drums, and Paul Duffy, from The Coral, deputising for Hooky’s son, Jack Bates, on bass. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Martin Stephenson: Back with The Daintees in Malton
Ryedale gig of the week: Martin Stephenson & The Daintees, Milton Rooms, Malton, October 13, 8pm
MARTIN Stephenson’s focus will be on You Belong To Blue, the February 2023 album that saw original Daintees’ members Gary Dunn, Anthony Dunn and Charlie Smith, plus a selection of special guests, joining up with the Durham-born singer-songwriter once again.
His Malton set will feature Daintees and Stephenson solo favourites stretching back to his 1986 debut Boat To Bolivia as he dips into country, folk, jazz, blues, skiffle and reggae. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox: In tandem at the Milton Rooms
Duo of the week: Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox, Milton Rooms, Malton, October 15, 7.30pm
THIS is a rare opportunity to see North Eastern masters of vocal harmony and musicians Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox perform once again as a duo after several years of individual work. Actor, singer and songwriter Mitchell founded Jack The Lad in the 1970s and was Lindisfarne’s the front man for eight years until their retirement in 2003.
He has undertaken two tours of The Lindisfarne Story and performs in The Pitmen Poets with Fox, Jez Lowe and Benny Graham, presenting songs and stories of Durham and Northumberland’s coal mining communities. Fox interprets traditional and modern songs, played the Songman in the National Theatre’s Warhorse and first toured with Mitchell in 2006, leading to their studio album of Tyne and Wear songs Back On City Road. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Gray O’Brien as Inspector John Rebus in Rebus: A Game Called Malice, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Nobby Clark
York play of the week: Rebus: A Game Called Malice, York Theatre Royal, October 15 to 19, 7.30pm; 2pm, Wednesday, Thursday; 2.30pm, Saturday
SCOTTISH crime writer Ian Rankin’s much-loved detective, John Rebus, takes to the stage in a new storyco-written with Simon Reade. Gray O’Brien, from Coronation Street, Casualty and Peak Practice, plays Rebus in a cast also featuring Abigail Thaw and Billy Hartman.
When a splendid Edinburgh mansion dinner party concludes with a murder mystery game created by the hostess, suddenly a murder needs to be solved. However, guests have secrets of their own. Among them is Inspector John Rebus, but is he Is playing an alternative game, one to which only he knows the rules? Rankin will attend the October 18 post-show discussion with the cast. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
1812 Theatre Company’s poster for The Mirror Crack’d, a Miss Marple mystery, at Helmsley Arts Centre
Ryedale play of the week: 1812 Theatre Company in Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, Helmsley Arts Centre, October 16 to 19, 7.30pm
1812 Theatre Company presents Rachel Wagstaff’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1962 thriller, wherein Hollywood star Marina Gregg has moved into Gossington Hall and has been persuaded to host the village fête.
When the harmless Heather Badcock, a St John’s Ambulance volunteer with not one enemy in the world, is poisoned by a drink meant for Marina, Chief Inspector Craddock quickly realises the wrong person has died. Fortunately, his aunt, Miss Marple, lives in the village, ever ready to unravel the truth behind the killing as seven suspects face investigation. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Strictly between us: Husband and wife Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara announce A Night To Remember tour for 2025
Show announcement of the week: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara: A Night To Remember, York Barbican, June 1 2025
STRICTLY Come Dancing favourites Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara – married since 2017 – will be touring next year with A Night To Remember, featuring an ensemble of “some of the UK’s very best dancers and singers”.
Aljaž, partnering Tasha Ghouri in the 2024 series, and It takes Two presenter Janette will “perform stunning routines to an eclectic array of music”, spanning the Great American songbook through to modern-day classics, backed by their own big band, fronted by boogie- woogie star Tom Seal. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10am at yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/aljaz-and-janette-a-night-to-remember.
In Focus: Pickering Musical Society in Wonders Of The West End, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, October 10 to 13
Paula Paylor, left, and Danille Long in Pickering Musical Society’s Wonders Of The West End. Picture: Robert David Photography
CURTAIN up tomorrow, Pickering Musical Society is in full swing, putting the final touches to its highly anticipated autumn concert Wonders Of The West End.
This year’s production promises to be a spectacular event, featuring not only the society’s talented performers but also more than 40 dancers from the Sarah Louise Ashworth School of Dance.
In a dazzling programme of classic and contemporary show tunes, selections include iconic hits from Gigi, Half A Sixpence, Oliver! and Waitress, to name but a few.
Colin Wragg in Wonders Of The West End. Picture: Robert David Photography
The cast and dancers have been working hard under the expert guidance of resident musical director Clive Wass, who will be conducting the orchestra each night.
“The combination of live music, powerful vocals, and stunning choreography promises an unforgettable night of theatre,” says director Luke Arnold. “The carefully curated programme offers something for everyone, whether you’re a fan of the golden age of musicals or the latest West End sensations.
“It would be remiss to reflect on the music without a special mention to the society’s rehearsal pianist, Carl Schofield, who has worked tirelessly with the cast over the past three months to help deliver a stunning performance.”
Under the parasol: Alice Rose in Wonders Of The West End.Picture: Robert David Photography
This year’s concert marks the debut of regular principal actress Courtney Brown as assistant director under Luke’s stewardship.
“It has been a privilege working with Courtney,” he says. “I could not have wished for a better assistant. We have got on fantastically well from day one and our interest and taste in musical theatre is very similar, which has helped us create a unified production. I look forward to working with Courtney again and seeing her develop as a director.”
Pickering Musical Society presents Wonders Of The West End, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, October 10 to 13, 7.30pm nightly. Box office: 01751 474833 or online at Wonders of the West End (littleboxoffice.com).
Pickering Musical Society’s full company for Wonders Of The West End. Picture: Robert David Photography
“I’m delighted to be joining this fabulous organisation as artistic adviser and working with this talented team in the beautiful city of York,” says Mark Seow
VIOLINIST, musicologist , writer and broadcaster Mark Seow is the new addition to York Early Music Festival’s team of artistic advisers.
He joins mezzo-soprano and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Helen Charlston, music writer and producer Lindsay Kemp, University of York Emeritus Professor of Music and Yorkshire Baroque Soloists & Choir director Peter Seymour and University of Huddersfield Emeritus Professor of Music and Rose Consort of Viols member John Bryan.
“I’m delighted to be joining this fabulous organisation as artistic adviser and working with this talented team in the beautiful city of York,” says Mark. “I’ve always been a huge admirer of the world-class York Early Music Festival, which continues to go from strength to strength, attracting the finest musicians to the city.”
Festival director Dr Delma Tomlin says: “We’re very pleased to welcome Mark to York Early Music Festival’s talented team, whose input is so important to the development and profile of this hugely popular annual celebration of early music.
“I’m sure that Mark’s wealth of experience and enthusiasm will be invaluable assets and I’m sure he will enjoy his time in this beautiful city.”
After studying Baroque violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Seow received his doctorate in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach from the University of Cambridge.
He has performed at the Wigmore Hall (London), St Thomas Church (Leipzig), Philharmonie (Berlin) and Palais Garnier (Paris), working with directors such as John Eliot Gardiner, Masaaki Suzuki, Rachel Podger, Harry Bicket and Trevor Pinnock. He has even performed with the Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment in the Royal Albert Hall and a pub!
Seow has been a broadcaster for BBC Radio 3 since 2021, presenting more than 50 editions of The Early Music News. His documentary for BBC Radio 4, Eastern Classical, was shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2024. He has worked for Decca Classics, Bach Network and Bärenreiter and has been a critic for Gramophone magazine since 2019.
He taught at the University of Cambridge, where in 2023 he was AHRC DTP Fellow in Music, and now holds a position in the University for Music and Performing Arts department of musicology in Vienna.
His recordings include Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Handel’s Messiah and he premiered the electronic-choral work Lark Ascending Remixed at London’s Southbank Centre.
