Alexandra Mather’s Brooke Ashton, mezzanine level, left, Mark Simmonds’ Tim Allgood and Andrew Isherwood’s Garry Lejeune; Adrian Cook’s Frederick Fellowes, seated, Jessica Hardcastle’s Belinda Blair, Pearl Mollison’s Poppy Norton-Taylor and Helen Spencer’s Dotty Otley in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Noises Off. Picture: Matthew Warry
COMPANY founder, director and designer Robert Readman will sign off his directorial duties for York company Pick Me Up Theatre with Merrily We Roll Along at Theatre@41, Monkgate, next April.
First, however, this week’s production of Michael Frayn’s 1982 farce Noises Off is his last at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, where his distinctive laugh can be heard booming out at each performance, as if encountering Frayn’s fractious dialogue and comedic mayhem for the first time.
Your reviewer finds himself laughing almost as much as Readman, having last experienced Frayn’s play in its first-ever staging in the round, after 43 years, at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, as recently as August 2025.
Craig Kirby’s sozzled actor Selsdon Mowbray in the guise of The Burglar in Nothing On, the play-within-the-play in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Noises Off. Picture: Matthew Warry
Readman gave the design brief to Rich Musk for the rotating stage that will go from staging the dress rehearsal in Weston-super-Mare to showing a mid-tour Ashton-under-Lyne matinee performance of Nothing On, Frayn’s deliberately clunky, maladroit play-within-a-play from backstage, before spinning 180 degrees again for the even more calamitous last night in Stockton-on-Tees.
Musk delivers the classic stage for a farce: no fewer than seven malfunctioning and misbehaving doors on two floors of a commodious des-res where everything that could go wrong does go wrong both on and off stage.
Instant calmer: Alexandra Mather’s Brooke Ashton takes a breather in a yogic exercise in Noises Off. Picture: Matthew Warry
Rory Mulvihill’s exasperated, vainglorious director, the ever-thespian Lloyd Dallas, is at the helm of Nothing On, expecting his harassed technical team of Mark Simmonds’s dogsbody Tim Allgood and Pearl Mollison’s overworked stage manger Poppy Norton-Taylor to do his running for him.
Already distracted by his upcoming Richard III in Aberystwyth, Dallas strives against the tide to steer his cast of has-beens (Craig Kirby’s drunkard veteran Selsdon Mowbray and Helen Spencer’s tour-backing grandee Dotty Otley; touring plodders (Adrian Cook’s over-thinking, physically fragile Frederick Fellowes and Jessica Hardcastle’s unflappable Belinda Blair), and aspiring talents (Andrew Isherwood’s Garry Lejeune and Alexandra Mather’s company ingenue Brooke Ashton).
Craving a quick exit? Rory Mulvihill’s acerbic director, Lloyd Dallas, looking as frustrated as ever in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Noises Off. Picture: Matthew Warry
Frayn is in mischievous mood, with no room for pathos, as if throwing his own theatrical frustrations into the maelstrom of a warring company replete with the luvvies and the loveless, the boozer and the philanderer, the sex and drudgery and rollercoaster of fallouts in a claustrophobic world of fragile egos, frazzled minds, over-active bodies and a hopeless desire to somehow ensure the hapless show must go on.
Readman’s cast is crammed with supreme York talent, well drilled in ensemble commotion, topped off by Mulvihill’s veteran relish for a divisive director, Spencer’s persistent battles with plates of sardines, the outstanding Isherwood’s physical comedic prowess and boundlessly quizzical air and Mather’s ditziest of dizzy blondes.
Pick Me Up Theatre in Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, 7.30pm tonight; 2.30pm & 7.30pm tomorrow. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
No British farce would be complete without dropped trousers. Adrian Cook’s forlorn Frederick Fellowes obliges as Andrew Isherwood’s Garry Lejeune looks on in Noises Off. Picture: Matthew Warry
Maids and masks:Faye Campbell, left, Nell Baker, Kat Johns-Burke, Pena Liyambo and Olivia Burton-Laws rehearsing for The Penelopiad. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
YORK Theatre Royal’s production of The Penelopiad, The Odyssey: Her Story opens on Saturday with a script by novella writer Margaret Atwood and an all-female production team led by creative director Juliet Forster.
In an exuberantly irreverent and darkly humorous feminist take on an age-old story by the Canadian author of The Handmaid’s Tale, Booker Prize winner Atwood gives voice to those left behind when the silenced Penelope’s husband, Odysseus, took 20 years to return home from the Trojan War. Wandering the underworld, perennial weaver Penelope spins a different kind of thread: her side of the story. Cue a tale of injustice, betrayal and revenge, interwoven with songs, that exposes the truth behind the myth.
“Homer’s The Odyssey is a fantastic piece of storytelling but sadly there is very little in there about the women’s lives,” says Juliet. “What Margaret Atwood does so brilliantly with The Penelopiad is really upend that and give us the female perspective on a story that is so well known.
“In true Atwood style, she presents that story in a way that is both deeply arresting and witty. We go on a journey with her through to the bitter climax of the women’s story but it’s also done in such an engaging and enjoyable way.
Director Juliet Forster in rehearsal for The Penelopiad at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
“Audiences can expect a very physical and visual form of storytelling: we’ll be drawing on everything from acrobatics and dance to aerial, masks and puppetry.”
Juliet first read Atwood’s novella shortly after its publication in October 2005. “I absolutely loved it,” she says. “I personally have a real interest in the Greek classics and whilst I knew a lot about The Iliad and The Odyssey and the history of the Trojan War, I found it genuinely so delightful and invigorating to read Atwood’s feminist take on the story.
“Quite some years later, in 2019, when myself and the Theatre Royal’s former chief executive [Tom Bird] were exploring potential options for our Summer 2020 programme, we looked at The Penelopiad script and once again I was drawn in by the vibrancy of Atwood’s writing. We were all set to stage it in 2020 when, of course, the pandemic hit and our plans were sadly cancelled.”
Cut to 2025 when the Theatre Royal was looking for the right production for the 2026 season: “I felt strongly that this would be a perfect opportunity to bring this project back to life,” says Juliet. “Ultimately the power of the female voice in Margaret Atwood’s version had always stuck with me and sadly in 2026, women in a time of war, violence against women, double standards and inequality are all the more relevant.
Amelia Bullmore rehearsing her role as Penelope. “I’m thrilled I’m going to be working at York Theatre Royal – such a beautiful theatre – on this fantastic play,” she says. “The Penelopiad manages to be funny, dark, moving and provocative by turns. And it’s Margaret Atwood, so the writing is uniquely brilliant. I think audiences will love how playful it is and how directly it connects with them.” Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
“We then also found out about the Christopher Nolan movie adaptation [of The Odyssey], which was set to hit the big screen, and it felt like an interesting time to stage a production which tells the women’s story from a completely fresh perspective.”
Explaining the casting process for the Theatre Royal show, Juliet says: “The play focuses on Penelope as she tells her version of the story and so casting that role was obviously really crucial. Alongside this, we have the story of the maids, who helped her deceive the suitors and who interject with their own version of events.
“The maids really act as a sort of old Greek chorus but in a way that feels fresh and modern. They take on all the other parts and have a significant role in the play so their casting was also equally important.”
She is thrilled to be working with Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey and Riot Women actor Amelia Bullmore in the role of Penelope. “I’d recently watched Riot Women – another fantastic feminist narrative – and Amelia’s performance in that is excellent,” says Juliet.
York Theatre Royal’s cast for The Penelopiad
“She is a very multi-faceted actor that can really immerse herself in a character and I thought she would be perfect for the role. Amelia is super sharp and funny, and her intelligence and dry sense of humour are so well-matched with Atwood’s style of writing.
“For me, what is so important about the character of Penelope is the very closed-off and hidden side to her nature, and I think Amelia has a real inscrutable quality to her performance which feels so right for this role.”
Once Amelia was cast, Juliet turned her attention to the maids. “It was important to me to have a real range of different women cast in these roles,” she says. “Often the maids are almost lumped together as one – in the original only one of them is named! – and the play really unpicks that narrative, so it was important to get that right in our casting.
“The cast we have are super talented: they are all so different and bring such a diverse range of strengths and individuality. What was the most important for me was to find actors who could bring a sense of humour and playfulness to these roles, which are also very physically demanding, with elements of dance, movement, aerial, singing and more.”
The Maids rehearsing a scene for York Theatre Royal’s production of The Penelopiad: Olivia Burton-Laws, left, Charlie Russell, Syakira Moeladi, Nell Baker, Faye Campbell, Pena Liyambo and Danielle Bird. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
Juliet hopes audiences will leave the Theatre Royal feeling they have experienced “a real visual feast”. “It’s going to be witty and funny, powerful and moving – and I think it will give them an insight to the story of The Odyssey from a completely different angle,” she says.
“But it also raises really pertinent questions not just about the past, but also the present. I personally think it’s a great complement to seeing Christopher Nolan’s movie and will give people the chance to dig more into that story and find out more about the characters of Penelope and her maids.
“I hope people will also come away thinking about the power of storytelling – how we balance competing versions of the same events and which narratives end up being the ones that are remembered.”
The Penelopiad, The odyssey: Her Story, York Theatre Royal, October 10 to 31, Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Olivia Burton-Laws, left, Kat Johns-Burke and Pena Liyambo in the rehearsal room for The Penelopiad. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
One more question for Juliet Forster
How did you prepare for directing The Penelopiad ahead of rehearsals starting?
LOTS of reading! Of course the original novella and The Odyssey but also I read awonderful book called Mythica by Emily Hauser. Emily is a renowned and published classicist who is doing some consultancy with us to help us look at what life for Bronze Age women would have been like, drawing from mythology, history and archaeology – which will be useful for the actors as we delve into their characters.
“Margaret Atwood adapted the script herself but had given me permission to add in some of the original text from the book. So I also spent some time working on fleshing that out and adding some more elements to the script.
“We have a fabulous all-female creative team on board and I really enjoyed meeting with them and shaping how the production is coming together.”
The poster for The Penelopiad, The Odyssey: Her Story, opening at York Theatre Royal tomorrow
Early Music in the Early Evening: Peter Croton & Thomas Langlois (February 10 2027) and La Rêveuse’s Florence Bolton and Benjamin Perrot (April 30 2027)
THE National Centre for Early Music Centre is introducing Early Music in the Early Evening, a series of relaxed concerts beginning next February.
“Skip rush hour and join us from 6pm to 7.30pm for music, wine and conversation with world-class musicians,” reads the invitation.
The new programme will open with J S Bach’s The Goldberg Variations on February 10 when Peter Croton and Thomas Langlois will perform one of the most extraordinary and demanding masterpieces of the Early Music repertoire, played in a unique new version for the first time on two lutes.
Composed in 1741 for harpsichord, Bach’s architecture of sound is re-imagined through the contrasting light and shadow of baroque lutes. Their rich timbral palette, expressive dynamics and subtle phrasing transform the work into an intimate, vivid and moving musical experience.
On April 30, La Rêveuse’s Benjamin Perrot (lute and theorbo) and Florence Bolton (viola da gamba) will play a joyful programme full of ballads and dances that deserve to resound once more beneath the stars under the title of From London To Edinburgh.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, London was at the forefront of musical innovation. In taverns, gardens and ballrooms, the tender, rhythmic tunes of Scottish, Welsh and Irish music were taking over London’s salons.
The 17th-century English composer John Playford and the 18th-century Scotsman James Oswald immediately struck the right balance between traditional and classical music, Italian elegance and Celtic style, as can be witnessed in York next spring. Box office:01904 658338 orncem.co.uk.
The Gunpowder Plot plotters. Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery
THE Bar Convent Heritage Centre is retelling one of the most dramatic events in British history in The Gunpowder Plot: York’s Untold Story.
In the first exploration of its kind, in the city that many of the plot protagonists called home, the exhibition takes visitors beyond the legend of Guy Fawkes to discover the context of post-Reformation life for English Catholics, explore new narratives, see rare artefacts linked to the plot,all in the convent that was secretly established in the aftermath of the plot.
Through rare objects, new interpretation and story-telling, discover how the Gunpowder Plot echoed across the country, left its mark on York and shaped the lives of the courageous women who founded the Bar Convent in its wake in Blossom Street, York.
Dr Hannah Thomas, special collections manager at the Bar Convent, says: “Everyone has heard of Bonfire Night and Guy Fawkes and most will be familiar with the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament on November 5 1605, but here at the Bar Convent we have curated a Gunpowder Plot experience unlike any other.
16th century engraving of Saint Margaret Clitherow’s death. Courtesy of Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, York
“Guy Fawkes, Christopher and John Wright and Thomas Percy: of the eight plotters, these four men were from York or were connected to the city. What was happening in York at that time and what were the links between these men?
“This is the first exhibition of the Gunpowder Plot to explore the wider context of Catholic life in York and the underground networks at the time. It is truly fascinating to discover connections between Margaret Clitherow and King James I and between Margaret Clitherow and Guy Fawkes; these stories have never been fully examined before.”
Hannah continues: “Through our fascinating collections, we are able to tell the story through rare original objects connected to local people, and to present this in the unique surroundings of a Catholic convent secretly established under new laws passed in reaction to the plot’s discovery.
“To enhance the exhibition, we have also designed a new self-led walking trail across the city to key locations and iconic landmarks that give context to the plot and we will be hosting some special events for those looking to delve deeper.”
Special collections managerDr Hannah Thomas holding Father Edward Oldcorne’s Crucifix. Picture: Frank Dwyer, courtesy of Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, York
Exhibition highlights
ENTIRE two-floor Bar Convent exhibition space transformed to tell York’s story of the Gunpowder Plot.
New re-display of Father Edward Oldcorne’s Gunpowder Crucifix, the only surviving object from the raids on all known Catholic houses following the plot. York born Edward Oldcorne was in school with the plotters Guy Fawkes, Christopher Wright and John Wright. Despite his innocence, he was hanged, drawn and quartered for being a priest.
Items linked to Margaret Clitherow on display, including a 16th century commemorative etching of Margaret Clitherow’s death; a 1650s handwritten biography; the Middleton Vestment that belonged to her relative, Father Robert Middleton, who was martyred in York in 1601, plus her sacred relic in the chapel.
Collection of post-Reformation objects used during secret Catholic Masses, including two altars, one disguised as a bed head and the other as a mantelpiece ornament; a priest’s vestment, designed to look like ribbons, and a chalice originally made in three separate pieces to be hidden easily in the event of a raid.
New research, including the discovery of connections between Margaret Clitherow and Guy Fawkes and between Margaret Clitherow and James I.
The chance to discover how the convent itself was designed strategically to hide its true purpose; from its position just outside York’s walls to a hidden chapel, an original priest’s hiding hole and nuns disguised as widows.
The Gunpowder Plot: York’s Untold Story, Context, Conspiracy, Consequence, on display at Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, York, until December 5. General admission applies, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm (last admission 4pm). Bookings: barconvent.co.uk.
Father Edward Oldcorne’s Crucifix at Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre. Picture: Anthony Chappel-Ross, courtesy of Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, York
Further events
Museum Lates, Tuesday, November 3, from 6pm
After-hours access to The Gunpowder Plot: York’s Untold Story. Ticketed event, alcoholic or soft drink included. Tickets are on sale at barconvent.co.uk.
Lunchtime talk: The Gunpowder Crucifix, November 5, 1pm
Delve deeper into the story behind Edward Olcorne’s crucifix, the only survivor of the raids on Catholic properties after the Gunpowder Plot. Discover how and why its owner was hanged, drawn and quartered despite his innocence, how it came to be in the convent’s collections and more. Included in admission to the exhibition; allow 20 to 30 minutes.
Gunpowder Plot Walking Trail
Walk in the footsteps of the Gunpowder Plotters on this free self-guided trail through the historic streets of York. Visit key locations and iconic landmarks that give context to one of the most dramatic events in British history. More information at barconvent.co.uk.
17th century handwritten biography of Saint Margaret Clitherow. Courtesy of Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, York
Tracy-Ann Oberman’s Geri Essendine in her New York City apartment in Present Laughter. Picture: Simon Annand
IN 2019, in North Yorkshire director Matthew Warchus’s take on Noel Coward’s 1939 study of the temptations and pitfalls of theatrical celebrity, Andrew Scott portrayed vainglorious actor Garry Essendine as gay at the Old Vic.
Now, in her second re-invention and re-imagination of a male character, following her portrayal of Shylock in the Black Shirt and Nazi-shadowed The Merchant Of Venice 1936 that played York Theatre Royal in November 2023, Tracy-Ann Oberman transforms Garry into Geri: Geri With A G, as the poster in her New York City apartment declares (presumably in a nod to Liza Minnelli and Bob Fosse’s 1972 musical documentary Liza With A Z).
Living opposite the newly opened Studio 54, whose muffled disco groves can be heard when she opens one of her multiple windows of her white-walled abode, Oberman’s Geri is a “hugely successful actress and singer”, a grand-standing English ex-pat with a coterie of fans, friends and hangers-on, who has clung on to being 39 for the best part of a decade, although she talks of her face needing work.
On the cusp of heading off on tour to Australia (rather than Africa in Coward’s original), and still craving the chance to play the elusive Hedda Gabler, she is besieged by would-be, definitely much younger lovers (Seb Carrington’s naive, besotted David Stillington and Kit Young’s cynical, deceitful Johannes) and an obsessed young playwright (Eva Feiler’s Rosina Maule, irritating to Geri and audience alike, alas).
Around her too buzz her humorously eccentric spiritualist (Gabriella Foley’s Miss Erikson), house servant-cum-bouncer (Perry Williams’s ultra-cool Fred), friend Morris (Jonathan Tafler) and his wife Henrietta (Charlotte Randle).
Present Laughter director Lindsay Posner
They are but drones by comparison with the comic elan of James Dreyfus’s Monty, Geri’s eloquent, exasperated secretary, and Adrian Lukis’s Len, her elegant, arch, implacable ex-husband, still ever present as they never got round to completing the divorce papers.
Such experienced hands, Dreyfus and Lukis are operating in a superior acting stratosphere to the touring company’s younger charges, comfortable with Coward’s waspish wit, with better timing than the rest, and bringing out the best too in Oberman, whose Geri is all Seventies’ blonde glamour, at once tiring of the fame game yet fearful of loneliness and still craving being desired. Whenever soul-searching threatens to consume her, throwaway sex beckons again: as much coward as Coward.
In Oberman’s transformations, the secretary’s change from Monica to Monty and the ex-wife’s switch from Liz to Len are by far the most effective, in part because of Dreyfus and Lukis’s comic prowess, but certainly Carrington, Young and Feiler fare less well, to the detriment of the play’s impact. The first half drags its feet, the second still lacks fire for too long until the sting is drawn at the finale.
Remembered in York for his Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre productions of Romeo And Juliet and Richard III in 2018 at the Eye of York, director Lindsay Posner elicits more style than substance overall, exemplified by Peter McKintosh’s set and costume designs, featuring two faux portraits by Geri’s Studio 54 friend Andy Warhol.
Like in those Pop Art portraits, there should be more going on beneath the surface, although it is striking that while we never see Essendine’s Geri on stage, she is always acting.
Theatre Royal Bath Productions & Augusta Productions present Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Eija Gibson’s cast at the read-through rehearsal for It’s A Wonderful Life at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York
THE cast is in place for Theatre@41, Monkgate’s debut community Christmas production, It’s A Wonderful Life, adapted for the stage by Mary Elliot Nelson.
Rehearsals have begun already under director Eija Gibson, who has picked a 13-strong troupe of York performers for the production run from December 10 to 23. Some have performed previously at the independent theatre, joined by actors new to the venue.
Eija says: “I am absolutely thrilled to have cast such a talented, creative group of community actors. I am so excited to be working with each and every one of them and see the magic this collaboration creates.”
Eija Gibson: Director of Theatre@ 41’s community production of It’s A Wonderful Life
Mary Elliott Nelson’s stage adaptation of Frank Capra’s festive film – premiered in New York City on December 20 1946 – follows down-on-his-luck banker George Bailey as he is paid a visit by his guardian angel on Christmas Eve 1946.
George will be played by Theatre@41 chair and actor Alan Park, who last performed at the black box theatre in 2023, when he starred in Duncan Macmillan’s one-man show, Every Brilliant Thing, and White Rabbit Red Rabbit with Black Treacle Theatre.
The Bailey family will feature Cassi Roberts as Mary Hatch Bailey, Paul Stonehouse as Uncle Billy and Matthew Wignall in his Theatre@41 debut as Harry Bailey, along with Samantha Goddard as Angel Josephine and Sarah Walker as Violet.
Alan Park: Cast in the lead role of George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life
Sonia Di Lorenzo: Playing George Bailey’s guardian angel in It’s A Wonderful Life
The role of George’s guardian angel goes to Sonia Di Lorenzo, while Dara Klymenko, founder of York’s Ukrainian theatre company DSpace, will play Angel Gloria, as well as joining the creative team as movement director.
In the shoes of antagonist Mr Potter will be Rory Mulvihill, following up his role as temperamental, egotistical director Lloyd Dallas in Pick Me Up Theatre’s production of Michael Frayn’s farce Noises Off this week at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York.
Mark Simmonds, Paul French, Darren Barrott and Lily Geering complete the cast, playing an array of eccentric characters that make up the town of Bedford Falls.
Matthew Wignall: Making his Theatre@41 debut as Harry Bailey
Dara Klymenko: Playing Angel Gloria
Theatre@41 is looking for volunteers to fill backstage roles, including stage managers, set builders, painters and props gatherers. Those interested are encouraged to send an email to [email protected] to find out more.
Theatre@41 trustee Livy Potter says: “Theatre@41 is a volunteer-powered theatre and we’re incredibly proud of this. Over the past five years, we’ve helped dozens of residents learn about putting on shows and creating theatre with and for communities in York.
“We’re keen for this production to be an opportunity for the people of the city to develop new skills whilst bringing the world of Bedford Falls to life in our studio theatre. We can’t wait to throw a lasso around the moon to re-create the most life affirming of Christmas stories.”
Theatre@41, Monkgate, York presents It’s A Wonderful Life for 14 performances from December 10 to 23. Performances: 7.30pm (except Dec 13, 14 and 21) plus 2pm, December 12, 13 and 19. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.
Cassi Roberts: Cast as Mary Hatch Bailey
Theatre@41’s poster for this winter’s community production, It’s A Wonderful Life
Tracy-Ann Oberman’s Geri Essendine and Seb Carrington’s David Stillington in Present Laughter. Picture: Simon Annand
FROM classic Coward in Present Laughter to Frayn’s funniest farce, Noises Off, Alan Carr’s work in progress to Joe Jackson’s hope and fury, Charles Hutchinson piles up the good stuff for the week ahead.
Coward classic of the week: Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Augusta Productions present Present Laughter, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees
TRACY-ANN Oberman stars as hugely successful actress Geri Essendine – who has been 39 for the best part of a decade – in Lindsay Posner’s new touring production of Noel Coward’s celebrated portrayal of the temptations and pitfalls of theatrical celebrity.
On the cusp of departing for a tour of Africa, Geri finds herself besieged by a bevy of would-be lovers, her long-suffering secretary, estranged husband and an obsessed young playwright. Will she ever disentangle herself from their tightening clutches and incessant demands? Then again, deep down, does she really want to? Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Pick Me Up Theatre cast members Pearl Mollison, left, Craig Kirby, Alexandra Mather, Andrew Isherwood, Helen Spencer, Adrian Cook and Mark Simmonds, under the withering eye of Rory Mulvihill, right, director of the play-within-the-play in Michael Frayn’s Noises Off
Slamming doors, falling trousers and flying sardines of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Noises Off, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
MICHAEL Frayn’s backstage farce Noises Off takes a wicked look at the follies of theatre folk, whose susceptibility to out-of-control egos, memory loss and passionate affairs turns every performance into a high-risk adventure.
This play-within-a-play captures a touring theatre troupe’s production of Nothing On in three stages: dress rehearsal, the opening performance and a performance towards the end of a debilitating run. Robert Readman directs a stellar York cast of Helen Spencer, Andrew Isherwood, Alexandra Mather, Rory Mulvihill, Pearl Mollison, Mark Simmonds, Craig Kirby, Jessica Hardcastle and Adrian Cook. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Joe Jackson: Returning to York Barbican tonight
Yorkgig of the week: Joe Jackson + Band, Hope And Fury Tour 2026, York Barbican, tonight, doors 7pm
JOE Jackson played York for only the second time at York Barbican on July 29 2022 as part of his Sing, You Sinners! Tour, having first shared a bill with Todd Rundgren and improvisational string quartet Ethel at the Grand Opera House in June 2005.
Now, the Portsmouth-raised singer, musician, songwriter, bandleader, producer, author and campaigner, 72, returns with his regular band to perform work from throughout his career and to showcase his 23rd studio album Hope And Fury, released in April. Conner Youngblood supports. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Screening accompanied by live orchestra
Visual journey of the week: Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert, 20th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, tomorrow, 7.30pm
The 20th Anniversary Tour of Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert combines a live orchestral performance with a two-hour visual journey through fan-favourite moments from the animated series, shown on a full-size cinema screen.
This special edition features new surprises, inviting fans to experience the story in a new light. Original dialogue and sound effects remain intact, while Emmy Award-winning composer Jeremy Zuckerman’s score is performed live, synchronised with the visuals. From taiko and erhu to strings and clarinets, the orchestra brings every moment to life, immersing you in the elemental world of Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko and the rest of Team Avatar. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
An artwork by Angela Hall from the York Created exhibition at Pyramid Gallery, York
York exhibition of the week:York Created: Paint-Clay-Print-Collage From The Heart Of The City, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, until November 14
YORK Created: Paint-Clay-Print-Collage From The Heart Of The City features a “collection of talented artists from across our fair city”. “Some have exhibited with us before, others are new to us,” says Pyramid Gallery manager Fiona Macfarlane. “All the works are for sale.”
Taking part are potters Danny Aitkin, Chiu-i Wu, Loretta Braganza, Ben Arnup, Emily Stubbs, Jessica Jenyns and Ruth King, painters Rory Barke, Carolyn Coles, Jill Tattersall, Ric Liptrot, Lesley Birch, Mick Leach, Lesley Shaw and Angela Hall and stained glass artist Helen Bower. Opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Tom Carradine & Lili Redman: Wartime music, merriment and memories at Kirk Theatre, Pickering
Festival of the week: Pickering 1940s Weekend, V For Victory, Johnny Victory, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, Friday, 7.30pm; Tom Carradine’s Wartime Songbook , Sunday, 7.30pm
JOHNNY Victory opens the Pickering 1940s weekend on Friday by heading back to the good old days to guide singalongs of vintage songs that helped to keep wartime morale high and brought us together. Johnny combines songs from music hall days, 1920s, 1930s and 1940s’ wartime hits and show tunes with a warm, cheeky humour.
On Sunday, moustachioed maestro Tom Carradine leads a joyous, toe-tapping celebration of the songs that kept Great Britain smiling through two World Wars in a nostalgic show packed with rousing classics, history, humour and stories behind the songs, such as the tragic tale of the Powell brothers who wrote Pack Up Your Troubles. Joining Tom will be cabaret songbird Lili Redman, his podcast co-host of The A To Z Of Wartime Song, to perform Gracie Fields, Vera Lynn and deliciously cheeky numbers. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.
Victoria Firth in Batty!: Exploration of “the wildness – as opposed to madness – of women” at Helmsley Arts Centre
Alternative coming-of-age story of the week: Victoria Firth in Batty!, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm
WRITTEN and performed by Victoria Firth and directed by Natasha Holmes, Batty! is the story of a woman who fears she might be a witch: an ordinary woman stuck with an extraordinary shape-shifting companion, a wild thing. This curious twosome shares a disintegrating cottage in a forest on the cusp of another world that lies beyond responsibilities and social norms and where myths and magic are real.
Featuring an original soundscape and live song, Batty! combines “the intimacy of private conversations, raucous stories, snorting humour, gay abandon and exquisite tenderness” in its exploration of “the wildness – as opposed to madness – of women and how our feral side can reconnect us to ourselves and our environment”. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Celya AB: Saturday Night Live UK writer on stage at Theatre@41
How to break free from shame, as advised by: Celya AB, We Must Stop Meeting Like This, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 8pm
HAVE you ever forensically over-thought your life choices? Are they all somehow connected to a passing comment your Spanish teacher made when you were 15? Has it made an impact on everything from your love life to your career? Stand-up comedian and Saturday Night Live UK writer Celya AB’s new show focuses on breaking free from shame and what ensues when you do. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.
The Paul Simon Songbook, performed by Alastair James and his seven-piece band at Helmsley Arts Centre
Tribute gig of the week: The Paul Simon Songbook, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm
ALASTAIR James and his seven-piece band highlight the carefully crafted arrangements inspired by Paul Simon’s most iconic live and studio performances, featuring renditions of Mrs Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Scarborough Fair, Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover, Still Crazy After All These Years, Late In The Evening, You Can Call Me Al and Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Brodsky Quartet: Playing chamber concert at Helmsley Arts Centre on Sunday
Classical concert of the week: Brodsky Quartet, Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 2.30pm
SINCE forming in 1972 as the Cleveland Quartet in Middlesbrough, the Brodsky Quartet has performed more than 3,000 chamber music concerts on the major stages of the world and released 70-plus recordings.
The quartet’s name is taken from the Russian violinist Adolf Brodsky, himself a passionate chamber musician, and the 2026 line-up comprises Krysia Osostowicz and Ian Belton, violins, Paul Cassidy, viola, and Jacqueline Thomas, cello. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Alan Carr: Testing out new material in two gigs in one day at Pocklington Arts Centre
Comedy gigs of the week: Alan Carr, Work In Progress, Pocklington Arts Centre, Sunday, 3pm and 7.30pm
THE Celebrity Traitors 2026 winner, comedian, television presenter and quiz host Alan Carr is heading to Pocklington Arts Centre for a brace of “very special work-in-progress shows” ahead of his Have I Said Too Much? tour, when he will play York Barbican on March 13 2027. Box office: Pocklington, pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk; York, yorkbarbican.co.uk.
The Human League’s Joanne Catherall, Susan Ann Sulley and Phil Oakey
SHEFFIELD’S new wave synth-pop pioneers The Human League will headline Futuresound’s Live At York Museum Gardens bill on July 3 next summer.
Joining the South Yorkshire electronic combo will be three very special guests, all hailing from the vibrant 1980s’ music scene: Go West, Blancmange and new wave punk singer Toyah [Willcox].
This is the second headline act to be announced by Leeds promoters Futuresound Group after pop-soul singer Olly Murs was confirmed for July 9 as part of the event’s expansion to two weekends for the first time in its fourth summer season.
The Human League’s Phil Oakey leading the Sheffield band at Scarborough Open Air Theatre in June 2025. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor
Synonymous with English electronic music since forming in 1977, The Human League gained international acclaim in 1981 with third album Dare! and its quartet of singles, The Sound Of The Crowd, Love Action (I Believe In You), Open Your Heart and the UK chart-topping Don’t You Want Me.
Championed by the then brand-new television tastemakers MTV, Dare! catapulted Phil Oakey, Joanne Catherall, Susan Ann Sulley and co across the Atlantic as leading players in the “Second British Invasion” of the United States.
A further six hit albums, an innovative remix album, a live album, six EPs, 29 singles and 13 career-spanning compilations later, The Human League have sold more than 20 million records worldwide.
They notched further hits with Mirror Man, (Keep Feeling) Fascination, The Lebanon, Life On Your Own, Louise, Human, Heart Like A Wheel, Tell Me When and One Man In My Heart while Oakey reached the top three with Together In Electric Dreams, his 1984 collaboration with Italian producer Giorgio, long incorporated in The Human League’s live sets.
Blancmange’s Neil Arthur at Scarborough Open Air Theatre in June 2025. Next summer Blancmange will support The Human League at Live At York Museum Gardens. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor
The Human League last played outdoors in York at the York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend in the evening rain on July 28 2023: contrary weather to contrast with the set’s highlight, Being Boiled. In June 2025, they performed to a sold-out 8,000-capacity crowd at Scarborough Open Air Theatre.
This summer’s third Live At York Museum Gardens series featured sold-out headline performances by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Self Esteem and Super Furry Animals, topped off with a Sunday York Comedy Festival headlined by Russell Howard and Ross Noble.
Watch this space for more concert and comedy announcements for Futuresound’s newly extended collaboration with York Museum Trust in the Museum Gardens.
Did you know?
YORK Museum Gardens welcome around 1.3 million visitors a year as a space for relaxation and enjoyment.
Futuresound’s poster for The Human League, Go West, Blancmange and Toyah at Live At York Museum Gardens on July 3 2027
Alex Keenan as teenager Chris Boone with company members in Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep’s new touring production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson
FEARFUL yet fearless teenager Chris Boone is being performed by a woman for the first time in Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep’s bold new interpretation of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, booked into the Grand Opera House, York, from October 27 to 31.
Directed by Ned Bennett, this fresh perspective on one of contemporary theatre’s most iconic characters will honour the heart of the original story while inviting audiences to experience University of York alumnus Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel through a new lens.
The murder mystery combines the intrigue of a whodunit with a coming-of-age story, wherein 15-year-old schoolgirl Chris Boone is gifted with a brilliant mind for numbers but is unsettled by the unpredictability of people and everyday life, distrusting strangers deeply, never venturing alone beyond the end of her road.
Novelist Haddon never called Chris autistic or attributed Asperger Syndrome to the character, but this neurodivergent teenage protagonist does not like to be touched, is incapable of lying, can count binary numbers to infinity and has powers of logic beyond conventional reasoning or normal patterns of behaviour.
When a neighbour’s dog is discovered killed, Chris comes under suspicion. Determined to prove her innocence, Chris becomes both detective and suspect, drawn into a mystery that grows darker and more complex with every clue uncovered.
What begins as the search for a culprit soon reveals secrets closer to home, forcing Chris to confront truths that will test her courage, family and understanding of trust, independence and the wider world.
Alex Keenan and Imi Price will alternate the lead role on tour, joined by Charlie Brooks and Joe McFadden as Chris’s parents Judy, absent from Chris’s life, and Ed, who struggles with essentially being a single dad.
Alex Keenan’s Chris Boone exchanges a high five with Joe McFadden’s Ed, her father, in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson
Brooks, best known for her long-running soap opera role as wildcat Janine Butcher in EastEnders, Brooks made her York debut in October 2017 in Alan Strachan’s revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s 1969 comedy of matrimonial mishaps How The Other Half Loves, playing Teresa Phillips on tour at the Grand Opera House.
McFadden played film director Jason in the Original Theatre Company’s production of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d at York Theatre Royal in October 2022 and was last seen on a Yorkshire stage as Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption at Leeds Grand Theatre in May this year.
“I read the book back in 2003, and like most of the rest of the UK, I loved it,” says Joe. “I re-read it recently and was blown away again. It gives you such brilliant insight into Chris’s inner life, imagination, world. That’s why it was so groundbreaking: really putting you into the mind of a neurodivergent person. It illuminated that experience.
“I saw it in the West End and thought it so inventive. Simon Stephens did such a brilliant job of adapting it, keeping the best bits of the book but also making sure it came alive and really worked as a piece of theatre. When I heard they were doing it again, but with new direction, design, movement, music, that really excited me.”
Describing Ned Bennett’s direction, Joe says: “He’s producing these amazing devices to express the story, and [movement director] Jenni [Jackson] is creating this physical language I’ve never really seen before. I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about putting on a show and seeing what people think. Eleanor [Bull] has done an incredible job with the design as well. It’s a real treat for the senses.
“One significant change is that while previously it only became apparent at the end of the show that you’re watching a play based on Chris’s writing, in ours you know from the start that it’s a play within a play, so the audience is getting to see the workings of staging a show. That’s fun.
How does the representation of a neurodivergent character land differently from the National Theatre’s 2012 premiere and Haddon’s 2003 novel? “In some ways we’ve moved on a lot, and we do know more about neurodivergence, but there’s still a long way to go. This is a story that still needs to be told.
“It felt important that we tell the story from the female point of view,” says Joe McFadden of the decision to cast teenager Chris [Alex Keenan) as a female in Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep’s new production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson
“Chris has this amazing brain. She’s so adept at these complex mathematical problems. Bringing that to life is exciting: expressing on stage how her mind works. It’s an effective way to tell stories, through theatre, because it’s all happening right in front of you.”
Making Chris a female character has an impact too. “There aren’t as many stories about neurodivergence told from the female perspective,” says Joe. “Lots of girls are being under-diagnosed, or diagnosed later in life, because they’re better at masking their symptoms. It felt important that we tell the story from the female point of view.
“In the way that lots of neurodiverse teenage boys came and saw the show last time, and felt their story was being told, hopefully teenage girls will feel that way now.”
It changes Ed’s relationship with his child. “It definitely has repercussions: Ed is now a single dad with a daughter instead. I was interested in what that would do to their relationship. I think that while he was already protective, now it’s a female character he’s even more protective of her,” says Joe.
“It doesn’t fundamentally change the story, but it raises the stakes, and it changes the family dynamic. Judy leaving her daughter feels like a bigger thing. It’s a subtle shift that audiences who saw the show before will recognise and feel like it’s a fresh experience.”
Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep presentThe Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Grand Opera House, York, October 27 to 31, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Charlie Brooks as Judy in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson
Question-and-answer session with Charlie Brooks, playing Chris Boone’s mum, Judy
When did you first encounter The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time?
“I read the book a long time ago and then I saw the National Theatre production when it was on in the West End. I thought it was extraordinary. I was so excited when I heard the play was coming back – I immediately wanted to know what the vision was, how they were planning to bring this story to life, and how it might be different in this production. Joining the show was an absolute no-brainer.”
How did you find your way into the character of Judy?
“She’s written with so much complexity. She’s flawed, as are many characters within the play, but she’s really doing her best. She’s found herself in a situation where she was unable to cope with the challenges in front of her and she didn’t feel like she had much choice. It’s a horrible question to contemplate: what if me leaving is the best thing for my child?
“Judy thinks ‘I’m explosive, I’m reactive, I can’t cope’. That must be a really difficult thing to go through, totally heartbreaking, especially since Judy obviously deeply loves her child.”
Does the play allow sympathy for Judy?
“Yes, what’s really great is she’s not judged in the play. The audience is allowed to find some sort of identification with her. She speaks her truth. This is a play about communication and honesty – or the lack of it, in some cases. Her truth is that she felt invisible and unable to manage.
“There aren’t enough representations of mothers saying ‘It’s so hard, I want to run away’. The show has empathy for her. I sometimes had those feelings as a mum. I think lots of women do!”
Alex Keenan’s Chris Boone and Charlie Brooks’s Judy in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson
How does the representation of a neurodivergent character land differently now?
“There were far fewer people diagnosed when the novel was first out, or when the show was originally on, compared to now, when this is something that’s much more talked about. That’s a brilliant thing: there’s much deeper understanding and completely different language in the way we discuss neurodiversity today.
“The conversation has been blown wide open, and so it felt important to bring the play into 2026. But there’s still a way to go, and plays like this, which put the audience right in Chris’s experience and allow them to experience the world through Chris’s eyes, help so much.”
What can you say about Ned Bennett’s new staging?
“When they did the design meeting, I was like ‘Wow’ – I got goosebumps. [Set and costume designer] Eleanor Bull has dreamed up this incredible vibrant colour palette, and it’s a very textured set with lots of different materials on stage. It’s going to be a whole sensory experience.
“Then when Chris is over-stimulated and overwhelmed, Ned [Bennett] is bringing that to life in an amazing innovative way with a lot of physical movement and props.
“I’ve never been in a rehearsal room that’s so creative and collaborative. The way Ned’s curated these games to help us devise ideas and build them into the production is so thorough and brilliant. I’m really grateful I did The Ocean At The End Of The Lane first [in her West End debut in the National Theatre’s 2022-2023 touring production] so I had a sense of what it’s like to play in this way and create worlds.
“We also want to make the production accessible for audiences coming to the show who are neurodivergent, so that’s definitely something we’re factoring in, while also making it a thrilling play that’s still entertaining and impactful.”
“Everyone can relate to worrying that you’re not doing something well enough, not doing a good job, or not fitting in,” says Charlie Brooks of Chris’s mum, Judy. Picture: Johan Persson
How does making Chris a female character change the production?
“The gender swap gives a completely fresh perspective on the story and the characters. My understanding is that girls who are neurodivergent often have a different journey: there’s a lot of masking of symptoms, so they may not get diagnosed, or not as soon as boys. Simon Stephens and Mark Haddon are very much on board with the change and all the new things it throws up.
“The girls who are playing Chris [Alex Keenan and Imi Price] are incredible – they’re just buzzing for it, they have this amazing energy. And I love Joe [McFadden], he’s the best. The whole cast are just wicked.”
Does it also change your character’s relationship with her child?
“ Yes, I think it does shift slightly. A mother leaving is such a huge thing – you don’t necessarily hear about that as often as you would when a man leaves his family. Also, mother-daughter relationships are complicated. I’ve got a daughter, so I know! I know I was an imperfect mother.
“I can relate to some of their challenges. It’s really helpful to show all the sides of these relationships, rather than some ideal. But whether you’re in this exact situation or not, I think everyone can relate to worrying that you’re not doing something well enough, not doing a good job, or not fitting in.”
Why are you excited to tour with the production?
“I really think this is a properly brilliant show and we need to get good theatre out into the regions. That’s hugely important. It’s personal for me: I’m from Barmouth, a little town in North Wales, and regional theatre was all I saw when I was younger. It made a big impact.
“This is the sort of play you might go to see as a young person, or as an adult actually, and your thoughts will be provoked. I think there’ll be great audiences for this. It’s a fantastic one for families too. It’ll spark people’s imagination and hopefully also conversation.”
Joe McFadden’s Ed in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson
Three extra questions for Joe McFadden, playing Chris’s dad, Ed
How did you find your way into playing Ed?
“Brilliantly, Simon [Stephens] came in to talk to us in our first week of rehearsals. My big question for him was: how do you play these characters sympathetically? They aren’t always fantastic parents; they make some big mistakes in the course of the story.
“He said, ‘What parent is perfect all the time?’, which I think we can all relate to. Ed is up against it. He’s a single father; he’s trying. He works full time, trying to put food on the table and look after the house, and [to] parent this quite challenging child.
“You can understand why he has difficulties, and hopefully we don’t judge him too harshly. I remember thinking ‘What would I have done in that situation?’. There’s not an easy answer.”
What drives Ed? “McFadden: “He strikes me as quite a private man, quite a serious man. It says in the play that he’s more patient than Judy – he gets on with things and doesn’t let anything affect him.
“That’s a strength but also a weakness. It means he can’t communicate, can’t reach out for help. He bottles up all his worries. He’s a pressure cooker, and now and then he’ll blow. That feels like an honest depiction of a parent who means well, but struggles with the emotional side of things.
“Ed’s a grafter: he’s a hard-working plumber; he’s used to getting his head down. That’s at the heart of who he is. I remember being shocked when I first saw the moment where he lashes out. Now that I’m a bit older, I understand his frustrations, the pressure he’s under to survive and to protect this vulnerable child.”
Why are you excited to be on tour with the production?
“I love touring. I did a tour of The Shawshank Redemption this year and played some amazing venues, and now I get to go back to lots of them. I’m excited. The wonderful thing about touring is it informs and changes the play because the audiences have different personalities in different parts of the country.”
Madness: A third slice of nuttiness at York Racecourse in 2027
CAMDEN Town Nutty Boys Madness will return to the Knavesmire track for a third post-racing appearance next summer after earlier Music Showcase Weekend concerts on July 23 2010 and July 22 2022.
James Brennan, head of marketing and sponsorship, says: “The energy and sense of fun that Madness bring to every show is just what people need: a fun evening, hopefully in summer sunshine, that they can really look forward to enjoying. Everyone will have a favourite Madness song and it will be fantastic to hear them ring out around Knavesmire.
“As soon as this season ends, we will be on sale with a price freeze for next year, so it makes sense to lock in the date.”
Formed as the North London Invaders in 1976, Madness rose on the crest of the Ska wave, notching a discography that runs to 13 studio albums, 19 compilations, four live albums, two soundtracks, four box sets, three EPs, 43 singles, five video albums and 37 music videos since 1979.
Among their 27 Top 30 entries are debut hit The Prince, One Step Beyond, My Girl, Night Boat To Cairo, Baggy Trousers, Embarrassment, The Return Of The Las Palmas 7, Grey Day, Shut Up, It Must Be Love, Cardiac Arrest, the chart-topping House Of Fun, Driving In My Car, Our House, Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day/Madness (Is All In The Mind), Wings Of A Dove, The Sun And The Rain, Michael Caine, One Better Day, Yesterday’s Men, Uncle Sam, (Waiting For) The Ghost Train, Lovestruck, Sorry and NW5.
Along the way, Madness have performed at Glastonbury, Camp Bestival and many other festivals, received the Ivor Novello Award and took part in Danny Boyle’s Opening Ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics. They last played on North Yorkshire soil on June 6 this summer at Scarborough Open Air Theatre.
Still in the Madness line-up from the original Magnificent Seven are Graham “Suggs” McPherson, lead vocals, Mike Barson, keyboards & piano, Lee Thompson, saxophone, Dan Woodgate, drums, and Mark Bedford, bass guitar.
On the track, the European Breeders Fund Lyric Stakes will be the £70,000 Listed contest centerpiece of a six-race card that will precede the evening concert. To book, visit yorkracecourse.co.uk; no booking fees; free parking on race day.
A second headline act will be announced for the York Racecourse Music Showcase Saturday race day on July 24 2027. Watch this space.
