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REVIEW: Freida Nipples presents…The Exhibitionists, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, October 5

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.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond amid murder mysteries times two. Hutch’s List No. 37, from Gazette & Herald

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
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No hot dog (or jumping frog) in comedian Ed Gamble’s Hot Diggity Dog show on Off Menu host’s return to Grand Opera House

Ed Gamble in his promotional picture for the Hot Diggity Dog tour. Picture: Matt Crockett

CHART-TOPPING Off Menu podcaster, Great British Menu judge, Taskmaster champion and The Traitors: Uncloaked and Taskmaster podcast host Ed Gamble is back on the road in his extended UK and Irish stand-up comedy tour, Hot Diggity Dog.

Next stop on a second leg running from September 26 to January 20 2025 will be the Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow night (9/10/2024), having played there in February 2022 on his Electric travels.

The Hit Diggity Dog tour now adds up to the south-west Londoner’s longest-ever itinerary at 38. Not without irony for a comedy turn who confesses: “A lot of the show is about – and I don’t know how the audience feels about this – how I would rather be at home with my wife [producer Charlie Jamison], after all those years spent becoming a comedian who travels the road.

“I got married in 2021, and there’s a lot of stuff about my honeymoon in 2022 in the show, after all the Covid restrictions got lifted [having forced three postponements of his wedding].

“Look, when I’m on the road, I complain I’m not at home, but then when I’m at home, I complain I’m not on the road. It’s addictive to get a response on stage night after night, when you don’t know how things will go down, or whether it will be different from one part of the country to another, though it’s rare that a joke that goes down well one night is met with silence the next, but it’s always a highwire act.

“On a tour, the main story beats and the big punchlines stay the same, but I can never resist chatting to ther audience, reacting to the vibe each night.”

In a nod to the title of Hot Diggity Dog, the tour publicity proclaims “Ed Gamble has minced a load of meat (thoughts), piped it into a casing (show) and it’s coming to a bun (venue) near you. There will be all your classic Gamble ranting, raving and spluttering but he’s doing fine mentally. Promise.”

“Gamble is my real name,” says Ed Gamble. “I was told by someone that a good comedian’s name has a one-syllable first name and a two-syllable second name.” Picture: Matt Crockett

So much so, he says: “I’m absolutely delighted to do so many dates and that so many people want to see it. I just do as many shows as I can because when you start out, you write a show for the Edinburgh Fringe, then just do Edinburgh and maybe ten more shows after that. But with Hot Diggity Dog, I’m now hoping to do international dates next year.”

Hot Diggity Dog, Ed? Explain yourself. “I’m told it’s a Mickey Mouse thing [The Hot Dog Song, with its lyric “Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggety Dog”], but it’s pretty difficult because you always have to come up with a tour title well before you do the tour, and by the time you do the shows, the title probably should have changed!” he admits.

“I only said ‘Hot Diggity Dog’ once in the show and now I don’t even mention it – but it was good for the promotional picture!” Except in London, where Ed found himself caught up in “Cucumbergate”.

His show poster of a hot dog fell foul of Transport for London’s ban on junk food advertising on the London Underground, whereupon the Off Menu co-presenter replaced the off-menu item with a similarly shaped but healthier cucumber.

Ed has been busier than ever, having brought his Off Menu podcast with co-host James Acaster to the stage, written his first book, the memoir Glutton: The Multi-Course Life Of A Very Greedy Boy (published by Penguin Books last October]; hosted BBC Two’s The Traitors: Uncloaked podcast and been crowned series nine champion of Taskmaster (Dave/Channel 4).

Add to that list featuring on the second Champions of Champions episode of Taskmaster in 2022; hosting the Taskmaster podcast; competing in The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer and earlier appearing in more than 30 episodes of the satirical panel show Mock The Week between 2015 to 2021.

The show poster image that fell foul of Transport for London’s ban on junk food advertising on the London Underground

On top of all that, he has been a judge on BBC Two’s Great British Menu, co-hosts a Sunday morning show on Radio X with Matthew Crosby and has served as one of six rotating guest-hosts for Pointless on BBC One.

“It’s good that comedians get picked up to do other stuff, being trusted to do it, because I love to keep a variety of things going on that feed into the live shows,” says Ed.

What’s next? “The Traitors will be back and I’ll be back doing The Traitors: Uncloaked podcast on BBC Two; Off Menu rumbles on and I’ll be recording a Taskmaster podcast every week for the current series that started last month,” he says. “Then there’s filming for Great British Menu series 20, for broadcast next year.”

Any last words on tomorrow’s show in York, Ed? “Just come and see it. We’ve been having a lot of fun on tour. We have a laugh, and the shows have been going great,” he says. “We’d love to have as many people there as possible.”

Ed Gamble: Hot Diggity Dog, Grand Opera House, York, October 9, 7.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york. Also playing: St George’s Hall, Bradford, October 19, 7.30pm. Box office: bradford-theatres.co.uk. Age guidance: 14 upwards.

Did you know?

ED Gamble began his comedy career performing with the Durham Revue while studying Philosophy at Durham University, where he met fellow comedians Nish Kumar, Nick Mohammed and Tom Neenan. He came to prominence playing Georgie Carlton in two series of Almost Royal (BBC America/E4/Netflix) and co-wrote series three and four of Greg Davies’s sitcom Man Down (Channel 4), as well as appearing in two episodes.

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More Things To Do in York & beyond when doors open and cabaret nights launch. Hutch’s List No. 41, from The Press, York

YORK unlocks for the weekend. Charles Hutchinson unlocks the door to multiple other delights too.

Festival of the week: York Unlocked 2024, today and tomorrow from 10am

IN its third year, York Unlocked welcomes residents and visitors to experience York’s architecture and open spaces with the chance to discover, explore and enjoy around 50 sites.

This year’s new addition is a children’s trail book; families can pick up a free copy from York Explore Library, All Saints’ Church, North Street, or The Guildhall. Full details of the participating locations, from Spark: York to City Screen Picturehouse, Terry’s Factory Clock Tower to Bishopthorpe Palace, Holgate Windmill to York Railway Station, can be found at york-unlocked.org.uk. Entry is free, including those requiring booking.

Rachel Croft: Heading back to York to play The Crescent

Return of the week: Black Deer Live in association with TalentBanq presents Rachel Croft Live, supported by Tom Sheldon Trio, The Crescent, York, tonight, doors 7.30pm

AFTER relocating to London almost three years ago, thunderous alt-rock singer-songwriter Rachel Croft returns to York for an explosive hometown show, backed by a full band.

Caffe Nero Artist of the Month in February 2024, she has performed at The O2 Arena Blue Room, Bush Hall and Camden Assembly in London, the Bitter End in New York and Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and such festivals as Cambridge Folk Festival, Secret Garden Party and Black Deer. Her cinematic songs have featured on Netflix, the BBC and in rotation in Tesco, Waterstones and Centre Parcs stores. Box office: thecrescentyork.com. 

Much more than stripping assets: York’s queen of burlesque, Freida Nipples, hosts The Exhibionists in The Old Paint Shop

Cabaret night of the week: Freida Nipples presents…The Exhibitionists, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight, 8pm; Halloween Edition, October 26, 6pm and 9pm

YORK’S award-winning burlesque artiste Freida Nipples launches the Theatre Royal’s new Old Paint Shop cabaret season with some of her favourite fabulous performance artists from across Great Britain.

“From burlesque to drag and beyond, be sure to expect the unexpected,” she says. “Get ready to be dazzled, shocked and in awe. Only a few things are guaranteed: glamour, gags and giggles.” Tickets update: all three shows have sold out. For returns only, call 01904 623568.

Frankenstein (On A Budget): One man, one monster, one glorious dream at Friargate Theatre, York

“Comedy musical Hammer Horror homage you didn’t know you needed”: Frankenstein (On a Budget), Friargate Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm

ONE man, one monster, one glorious dream to singlehandedly tell the most famous cult horror story of all time on absolutely no budget whatsoever. What could possibly go wrong?  Inspired by Mary Shelley and Boris Karloff, Frankenstein (On a Budget) features one actor, some decidedly dodgy backdrops, new music, weather-based based puns, cardboard props, gore and flashing lights. 

Can the ill-fated doctor build his monstrous creation, play 25 characters, sing songs aplenty, attempt accents from across the world, perform a dance routine, and ultimately save the day in only 60 minutes? Find out tonight. Age guidance: 14 upwards. Box office: ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.

The Shires: Playing York on intimate acoustic tour

Country gig of the week: The Shires: The Two Of Us Tour, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

GREAT Britain’s biggest country music export, The Shires, return to York on their intimate acoustic tour, where Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes play songs from 2015 debut, 2016’s My Universe, 2018’s Accidentally On Purpose, 2020’s Good Years and 2022’s 10 Year Plan.

The Shires have achieved three consecutive UK Top Three albums, four UK Country album chart toppers, more than 100 million streams, two gold-certified records and two CMA Awards, headlining the Royal Albert Hall too. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Aein Nasseri (Alland) and the CAPA College Chorus (Vox) in Red Ladder Theatre Company’s Sanctuary. Picture: Robling Photography

Play of the week: Red Ladder Theatre Company in Sanctuary, Selby Abbey, October 7, 7.30pm; Hull Truck Theatre, Hull, October 8, 7.30pm; Wesley Centre, Harrogate, October 12, 7.30pm

DIRECTED by new Red Ladder artistic director Cheryl Martin, this timely premiere by Sarah Woods and musician Boff Whalley tells the vital story of Alland, a young Iranian man who begs to be given sanctuary at St Mary’s Church in a northern town, sparking a community to react in all the ways each member believes to be right.

Featuring a chorus of Wakefield’s CAPA College students, Sanctuary mixes hard-hitting ideas with melodic tunes and harmonies, asking the question: do we want safety and freedom for only ourselves, or for us all? Box office: Selby, 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk; Hull, 01482 323638 or hulltruck.co.uk; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

Carrie Hope Fletcher: Love Letters in song form at York Barbican

Musical theatre revue of the week: Carrie Hope Fletcher, Love Letters, York Barbican, October 8, doors 7pm

WEST End musical theatre actress, author and vlogger Carrie Hope Fletcher explores all forms of love, from romantic to maternal, unrequited to obsessive, all told through a concert of musical theatre favourites, accompanied by specially written letters about each song by Carrie.

She is best known for playing Éponine and Fantine in Les Misérables, Veronica in Heathers, Wednesday in The Addams Family, Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella on the London stage. Her special guest will be Bradley Jaden, her West End co-star in Les Miserables. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Ed Gamble: Not discussing hot dogs in Hot Diggity Dog at the Grand Opera House. Picture: Matt Crockett

Comedy gig of the week: Ed Gamble, Hot Diggity Dog, Grand Opera House, York, October 9, 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 use audience true stories to improvise “unbelievable comedy”

Improv gig of the week: Fool(ish) Improv present Not Gonna Lie, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, October 10, 8pm

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.

Sharleen Spiteri: Leading Texas at Scarborough Open Air Theatre next summer

Gig announcement of the week: Texas, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, July 26 2025

SCOTTISH band Texas, fronted as ever by Sharleen Spiteri, will return to Scarborough Open Air Theatre for the first time since July 2018 to showcase five decades of songs, from I Don’t Want A Lover, Say What You Want and Summer Son to Inner Smile, Mr Haze and Keep On Talking next summer. Irish rock band The Script are confirmed already for July 5. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk and ticketmaster.co.uk.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York & beyond when going there and back for entertainment. Hutch’s List No. 36, from Gazette & Herald

The cover artwork for Michael Palin’s new book, in focus at the Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow

FROM a talkative traveller to a Californian Kate Bush tribute act, York’s weekend of open doors to a best-of-British musical revue, Charles Hutchinson seeks diverse cultural opportunities.

Globe-trotter of the week: Michael Palin, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

IN the words of Monty Python alumnus, actor, presenter and Yorkshireman Michael Palin: “In There And Back – The Diary Tour 2024, I’ll bring to life the fourth collection of my diaries and the first to be released for ten years.

“Lots of fun as I go through the Noughties, and some dark times too. I constantly surprise myself with the sheer amount I took on.” Tickets update: still available at atgtickets.com/york.

Baby Bushka: Delighting in the theatricality of Kate Bush’s songs at Pocklington Arts Centre

Tribute show of the week: Baby Bushka, Pocklington Arts Centre, tomorrow, 8pm

THE music and magic of Kate Bush has reached across the seas and skies to San Diego, California, where the eight women of the bewitching Baby Bushka have honed their wide-eyed, other-worldly versions of Kate’s baroque, ethereal pop.

Performed in jump-suits by Natasha Kozaily, Lexi Pulido, Nancy Ross, Leah Bowden, Batya Mac Adam-Somerm, Marie Haddad, Heather Nation and Melanie Medina, their kooky rock show is filled with four-part harmonies, avant-garde choreographed dancing, theatrical props, costumes and glitter masks. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

The Korgis: This is the time for everybody to learn about their favourite songs at Selby Town Hall

Sing something synth-full: The Korgis Time Machine, Selby Town Hall, tomorrow, 7.30pm

WHIRL back in time with The Korgis as they undertake a musical and audio/visual journey though the songs and bands that influenced them. Best known for their 1980 hit Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime, the Bristol synth-pop band will put their spin on songs by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, 10cc, The Buggles, Peter Gabriel and their own songs of peace and hope with The Korgis and, earlier, with Stackridge.

If I Had You, Bringing Back The Spirit Of Love, If It’s Alright With You Baby and Something About The Beatles will feature, along with new compositions from this year’s two-album set, UN – United Nations. Questions will be taken too. Box office: 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk.

Lucy Porter: No regrets about her regrets at Selby Town Hall

Comedy gig of the week: Lucy Porter, No Regrets!, Selby Town Hall, Friday, 8pm

REGRETS? Frank Sinatra had too few to mention, but Lucy Porter has hundreds, and she is raring to go into graphic detail about all of them. From disastrous dates and professional calamities to ruined friendships and parenting failures, she charts all the mistakes she has made, works out why they happened, and ponders how her life would have turned out if she had acted differently.

Porter posits that if you regret something, you can use it to change your ways. “See the thing you regret as your rock bottom, and let it spur you on to become a better person,” says Porter, who names guilt as  one of her top five hobbies as a middle-aged, middle-class, left-leaning ex-Catholic. Box office: 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk.

Barbara Dickson: Reflecting on her career in music and musical theatre at All Saints Church, Pocklington, and Leeds City Varieties

Folk gigs of the week: Hurricane Promotions present Barbara Dickson & Nick Holland, All Saints Church, Pocklington, Friday (sold out) and October 16, 7.30pm. Also Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, October 20, 7.30pm

SCOTTISH folk singer Barbara Dickson and her pianist Nick Holland explore her catalogue of songs in these acoustic concerts in intimate settings, where the pair will let the words and melodies take centre stage as they draw on Dickson’s folk roots, contemporary greats and her classic hits, from Another Suitcase In Another Hall to I Know Him So Well. Box office: barbaradickson.net; Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.

Festival of the week: York Unlocked 2024, Saturday and Sunday

IN its third year, York Unlocked welcomes residents and visitors to experience York’s architecture and open spaces with the chance to discover, explore and enjoy around 50 sites.

This year’s new addition is a children’s trail book; families can pick up a free copy from York Explore Library, All Saints’ Church, North Street, or The Guildhall. Full details of the participating locations, from Spark: York to City Screen Picturehouse, Terry’s Factory Clock Tower to Bishopthorpe Palace, Holgate Windmill to York Railway Station,  can be found at york-unlocked.org.uk. Entry is free, including for those requiring booking.

Stevie Williams & The Most Wanted Band: Heading to Helmsley

“Wild journey” of the week: Stevie Williams & The Most Wanted Band, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

LED by powerhouse vocalist Stevie Williams, The Most Wanted Band take their audiences on a wild musical journey with tight grooves, searing guitar solos and a rhythm section that hits with precision in an accomplished, high-energy, explosive show.  Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Courtney Brown: From playing Ado Annie in Oklahoma! to assistant-directing Pickering Musical Society’s Wonders Of The West End

Ryedale musical show of the week: Pickering Musical Society, Wonders Of The West End, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, October 10 to 13, 7.30pm

PICKERING Musical Society performs the best of British musicals, from the early 20th century to current hits next week, when the full company will be joined once again by Sarah Louise Ashworth School of Dance students. Lesser-known gems will complement show-stopping favourites.

Regular performer Courtney Brown, seen latterly as the Princess in Aladdin and Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, steps up to the role of assistant director alongside regular director Luke Arnold after expressing an interest in directing. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

Sharleen Spiteri: Fronting Texas at Scarborough Open Air Theatre next summer

Gig announcement of the week: Texas, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, July 26 2025

SCOTTISH band Texas, fronted as ever by Sharleen Spiteri, will return to Scarborough Open Air Theatre for the first time since July 2018 to showcase five decades of songs, from I Don’t Want A Lover, Say What You Want and Summer Son to Inner Smile, Mr Haze and Keep On Talking next summer. Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday at scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk and ticketmaster.co.uk. Irish rock band The Script are confirmed already for July 5.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond the endless rain when films turn Dead Northern. Hutch’s List No. 40, from The Press, York

Rievaulx Abbey, mixed media, by Robert Dutton, on show in A Yorkshire Year at Nunnington Hall

YORKSHIRE landscapes, campsite class division, horror movies to the max and a talkative traveller herald the arrival of the arts autumn for Charles Hutchinson.

Exhibition of the week: A Yorkshire Year, Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley, until December 5

THE changing landscape of the Yorkshire countryside and coastline is captured by Yorkshire artists Robert Dutton, from Nunnington, and Andrew Moodie, from Harrogate, in seasonal images.

Dutton presents a dramatic interpretation of the untamed expanses of Yorkshire, from meandering freshwater rivers and hidden woodlands to the stark beauty of the moors. Moodie directs his attention to the undulating valleys of the Yorkshire Dales, as well as coastal villages. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30am to 5pm, last entry at 4.15pm. Normal admission prices apply at nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall.

The artwork for the Dead Northern 2024 Horror Film Festival at City Screen Picturehouse, York

Film event of the week: Dead Northern 2024 Horror Film Festival, City Screen, Picturehouse, York, today and tomorrow

IN “the world’s most haunted city”, Dead Northern presents a festival of movies, music and social gatherings. Today opens with Demonic Shorts at 11am, followed by the regional premiere of Scopophobia, 12.30pm; Slasher, Thriller and Creature Shorts, 2.30pm; UK premiere of The Healing, 4.30pm; Dead Talk film-making panel, 7.30pm; regional premiere of Kill Your Lover, 9pm, and VIP Awards Party at Revolution, York,11pm.

Tomorrow features the Mad Props documentary, 11am; mini-feature Strike,12.45pm; feature film The Monster Beneath Us, 1.15pm; music mini-feature The Black Quarry, 3.45pm; Music Videos, 4.30pm; UK premiere of Kill Victoria, 6.30pm, and world premiere of Lake Jesup, 8.30pm. Guests must be aged over 18 to access screenings and live events. Box office: deadnorthern.co.uk/dead-northern-2024-film-festival.

Tom Gallagher, Annie Kirkman and Laura Jennifer Banks in a scene from John Godber’s revival of Perfect Pitch

Touring play of the week: John Godber Company in Perfect Pitch, Harrogate Theatre, today, 2pm and 7.30pm; Pocklington Arts Centre, October 9 and 10, 7.30pm; Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, November 13 to 16, 7.30pm plus 1.30pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

WHEN teacher Matt (Frazer Hammill) borrows his parents’ caravan for a week on the Yorkshire coast with partner Rose (Annie Kirkman), they are expecting four days of hill running and total de-stressing. However, with a Tribfest taking place nearby, Grant (Tom Gallagher) and Steph’s (Laura Jennifer Banks) pop-up tent is an unwelcome addition to their perfect pitch.

The class divide and loo cassettes become an issue as writer-director John Godber reignites his unsettling1998 state-of-the-nation comedy, set on an eroding coastline, as Matt and Rose are inducted into the world of caravanning and karaoke. Box office: Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk; Pocklington, 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk; Scarborough, 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

The bird man of RedHouse Originals Gallery: artist Jim Moir at his Birdland exhibition in Harrogate

Last chance to see: Jim Moir, Birdland, RedHouse Originals Gallery, Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate, today, 10am, 10am to 5pm

“PEOPLE think that I am a comedian, but art comes first,” says Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves, as he mounts his second RedHouse show. “This one is Birdland because of my love of birds. I spend most of my days bird watching and painting,” he says.

On show – and for sale – is an exclusive collection of 50 new paintings celebrating his favourite subject ahead of the October 24 release of his second bird book, More Birds, Paintings Of British Birds, published by Unbound. Free entry.

Clare Ferguson-Walker and Robin Ince: Plenty to discuss at Pocklington Arts Centre

Double act of the week: Clare Ferguson-Walker & Robin Ince, Pocklington Arts Centre, tonight, 8pm

TAKE a tour around two marvellous minds via the vehicles of poetry, storytelling, jokes, and general silliness when Clare Ferguson-Walker and Robin Ince link up in Pock. Poet, comedienne, sculptor and singer Clare’s explosive second collection, Chrysalis, lays bare the poet’s soul on a journey laced with humour and humane observation.

Humorist, presenter, poet and author Ince co-hosts the BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage with Professor Brian Cox. His books include Bibliomaniac, The Importance Of Being Interested, I’m A Joke And So Are You and his next work, Normally Weird And Weirdly Normal: My Adventures In Neurodiversity, will be published next May. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

The cover design for Michael Palin’s new diary collection

Globe-trotter of the week: Michael Palin, Grand Opera House, York, October 3, 7.30pm

IN the words of Monty Python alumnus, actor, presenter and Yorkshireman Michael Palin: “In There And Back – The Diary Tour 2024, I’ll bring to life the fourth collection of my diaries and the first to be released for ten years.

“Lots of fun as I go through the Noughties, and some dark times too. I constantly surprise myself with the sheer amount I took on.” Tickets update: still available at atgtickets.com/york.

Barbara Dickson: Acoustic October concerts in Pocklington and Leeds

Folk gigs of the week: Hurricane Promotions present Barbara Dickson & Nick Holland, All Saints Church, Pocklington, October 4 (sold out) and October 16, 7.30pm. Also Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, October 20, 7.30pm

SCOTTISH folk singer Barbara Dickson and her pianist Nick Holland explore her catalogue of songs in these acoustic concerts in intimate settings, where the pair will let the words and melodies take centre stage as they draw on Dickson’s folk roots, contemporary greats and her classic hits, from Another Suitcase In Another Hall to I Know Him So Well. Box office: barbaradickson.net; Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.

Mundane matters: Josh Widdicombe mulls over really niche observations about silly little things in 2025 and 2026

Gig announcement of the week: Josh Widdicombe, Not My Cup Of Tea Tour, Hull City Hall, October 2 2025, and York Barbican, February 28 2026

PARENTING Hell podcaster and comedian Josh Widdicombe, droll observer of the absurd side of the mundane, will take stock of the little things that niggle him, from motorway hotels to children’s parties, and explain why he has finally decided to embrace middle age, hot drinks and doing the school run in his 58-date tour show, Not My Cup Of Tea.

“That’s my favourite type of stand-up: really niche observations about silly little things that you wouldn’t think about. I’ve got no interest in the big topics.” Box office: joshwiddicombe.com; yorkbarbican.co.uk; hulltheatres.co.uk.

In Focus: Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes…Old Title, New Show, The Crescent, York, tomorrow. More Yorkshire shows to follow

This is the modern world: Mark Thomas returns to stand-up venting at The Crescent, York. Picture: Tony Pletts

LAST appearing in York in Ed Edwards’s one-man play England & Son in the Theatre Royal Studio last September, South London’s grouchy “godfather of political comedy”, Mark Thomas, returns to polemical stand-up in Gaffa Tapes…Old Title, New Show at The Crescent tomorrow night.

One of the longest-surviving alternative comics after close to 40 years of stand-up, theatre, journalism, human rights campaigning and the odd bout of performance art, his latest tour’s fusillade of jokes, rants, politics, play and the occasional sing-song adds up to “generally mucking about trying to have fun and upset (shall we say) the right people”.

Gaffa Tapes…Old Title, New Show? Explain the extended tag, Mark. “What happened is I liked the idea of ‘Gaffa Tapes’ as a title and had it last year for my Edinburgh Fringe show, but halfway through the Fringe run I got Covid and had to stop.

“Last year I toured England & Son, written by Ed Edwards, which I was really pleased with. It picked up more awards than I’d ever done before – six awards – and one of them was to perform the play in Australia, taking it out to Adelaide for five weeks – and we might be going to New York …

“But we made no money out of it. I thought, ‘right, how do we make some money?’, so it’s great to be getting back to stand-up. What I love about stand-up is… and this is simple…if you stop doing it, they say you’ll feel rusty, so if you have a hiatus, what you have to learn to do is put your hand on the neck of the beast.

“I thought, ‘I’m going to do all the clubs at the bottom of the eco-system, doing ten minutes here, ten minutes there, doing shows in different places, and the thing about it is, I died on my arse a couple of times, which feels horrible each and every time…

“But if you take a break, you need to get your muscle memory back working again. That’s why I loved doing Edinburgh this summer. I did 26 gigs. It’s just bang, bang, bang, every night. You can muck around, try things out.

Mark Thomas in England & Son, toured to York Theatre Royal Studio in 2023. Picture: Alex Brenner

“The riots were happening around that time, so I wrote about them – and it’s important to be able to talk about that. It’s a living, breathing affecting thing. I love being a warrior in the culture wars, and it’s good to be back on the battlefield.”

The tectonic plates of the political landscape keep shifting: fresh meat to a polemicist comedian’s grist. “Things are always changing,” says Mark. “What I love is that when I started work on the show, there was loads going on, because the Tories were no longer in power, and it’s good to be able to react to that and to suggest what should be happening.

“I was at the Diggers Festival, celebrating Gerrard Winstanley [English Protestant religious reformer, political philosopher, activist and leader and co-founder of the ‘True Levellers’ or ‘Diggers’], doing a talk in a church, where someone said, ‘if you get rid of the oath to the King, that would be the most radical thing you could do’.

“I said, ‘well, actually, I don’ think it is. If you want democracy to work, you should have voting at 16, proportional representation, and you need to abolish the House of Lords’…whereas they’re just tidying up what [Tony] Blair started all those years ago. The most radical thing would be to ban donations to political parties. Make it state-funded, giving money to run parties and campaigns, making it a level playing field.

“Do you know who is the only other country in Europe to have a ‘first past the post’ electoral system? Belarus. So if anyone is out of step, it’s us. I think eventually PR [proportional representation] will come in; it’s just a question of what form it takes.”

How does the change of ruling party in Westminster from the Conservatives to Labour after 14 years have an impact on Thomas’s venting? “It changes the goalposts because it’s a new set of people to attack for a new set of reasons,” says Mark. “It’s the new austerity that they’re proposing that’s not great.

“The fact is that Starmer got some of the things right over the riots. I find it fascinating that there is this a disconnect; the idea that everyone who rioted was a racist, but not everyone was, because riots have a movement of their own, but certainly the organisers were far right.

“I didn’t vote Labour. I’m a Socilaist, why on Earth would I vote Labour?” says Mark Thomas. Picture: Art by Tracey Moberly

“You can be a Zen Buddhist but if you set fire to an asylum seekers’ hotel, then you’re a racist.”

Long associated with spouting anti-Tory sentiment aplenty, Thomas will hold the incoming Labour Party to account too. “I think it’s healthier that way in politics. The honeymoon period is over already,” he says.

“I didn’t vote Labour. I’m a Socialist, why on Earth would I vote Labour? There shouldn’t be a honeymoon period anyway,  but I expect the right-wing press to go at Labour with gusto because they want to shape not only this government, but the next Tory one too.”

Any suggestions for policy change, Mark? “Local government can run the bus companies, but it’s really important that it’s not about making the maximum profit. That’s what used to happen until Thatcher changed it,” he says.

“I’m lucky now – because I’m 61, I get the 60+ London Oyster card for £20 [administration fee] that allows me to travel everywhere in London for free and I use buses a lot. That’s one of the great things about London: wherever you are, there will be a night bus coming along in a moment.”

He is looking forward eagerly to tomorrow’s return to The Crescent. “I love The Crescent,” he enthuses. “What they may lack in technical facilities, it’s a proper community venue. I always say, when talking about what community venues could be, take a look at this place.”

Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes, Burning Duck Comedy, The Crescent, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm; Marsdsen Mechanics, November 8, 8pm; Social, Hull, November 16, 8pm; Sheffield Memorial Hall November 10, 8pm; Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, February 5 2025; Wakefield Theatre Royal, February 6 2025, 7.30pm.

Box office: York, thecrescentyork.com; Marsden, 01484 844587 or marsdenmechanics.co.uk; Sheffield, sheffieldcityhall.co.uk; Hull, socialhumberstreet.co.uk; Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com; Wakefield Theatre Royal, 01924 211311 or theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk (on sale soon) Age guidance: 16 plus.

Mark Thomas: the back story

The next step for Mark Thomas: Touring Gaffa Tapes

“IF you don’t know what Mark does, ask your parents. In his time, he has won eight awards for performing, three for human rights work… and one he invented for himself. He has made six series of the Mark Thomas Comedy Product and three Dispatches for Channel 4, made five series of The Manifesto for BBC Radio 4, written five books and four play scripts, curated and authored two art exhibitions with artist Tracey Moberly and was commissioned to write a show for the Royal Opera House.

“He has forced a politician to resign, changed laws on tax and protest, become the Guinness Book of Records world-record holder for the number of protests in 24 hours, taken the police to court three times and won (the fourth is in the pipeline), walked the length of the Israeli Wall in the West Bank (that’s 724km), and generally mucked about trying to have fun and upset (shall we say) the right people.”

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What’s On in Ryedale, York & beyond as garden ghosts gather for haunting season. Hutch’s List No. 35, from Gazette & Herald

Ghosts In The Garden: Returning for fourth season with more locations and more wire-mesh ghosts

GARDEN ghosts, Yorkshire landscapes, campsite class division, awful auntie antics and ridiculous improv comedy herald the arrival of the arts autumn for Charles Hutchinson.

Installation of the week: Ghosts In The Gardens, haunting York until November 5

GHOSTS In The Gardens returns with 45 ghosts, inspired by York’s past, for visitors to discover in the city’s public gardens and green spaces, with the Bar walls, St Olave’s Church and York Railway Station among the new locations.

Organiser York BID has partnered with design agency Unconventional Design for the fourth year to create the semi-translucent 3D sculptures out of narrow-gauge wire mesh, six of them new for 2024. Pick up the map for this free event from the Visitor Information Centre on Parliament Street and head to https://www.theyorkbid.com/ghosts-in-the-gardens/ for full details. 

Rievaulx Abbey, mixed media, by Robert Dutton in A Yorkshire Year at Nunnington Hall

Exhibition of the week: A Yorkshire Year, Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley, until December 5

THE changing landscape of the Yorkshire countryside and coastline is captured by Yorkshire artists Robert Dutton, from Nunnington, and Andrew Moodie, from Harrogate, in a diverse collection of seasonal images at the National Trust house.

Dutton presents a dramatic interpretation of the untamed expanses of Yorkshire, from meandering freshwater rivers and hidden woodlands to the stark beauty of the moors. Moodie directs his attention to the undulating valleys of the Yorkshire Dales, as well as coastal villages. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30am to 5pm, last entry at 4.15pm. Normal admission prices apply at nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall

Tom Gallagher, Annie Kirkman and Laura Jennifer Banks in a scene from John Godber’s revival of Perfect Pitch

Touring play of the week: John Godber Company in Perfect Pitch, Harrogate Theatre, until Saturday; Pocklington Arts Centre, October 9 and 10; Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, November 13 to 16

WHEN teacher Matt (Frazer Hammill) borrows his parents’ caravan for a week on the Yorkshire coast with partner Rose (Annie Kirkman), they were expecting four days of hill running and total de-stress. However, with a Tribfest taking place nearby, Grant (Tom Gallagher) and Steph’s (Laura Jennifer Banks) pop-up tent is an unwelcome addition to their perfect pitch.

The class divide and loo cassettes become an issue as writer-director John Godber reignites his unsettling1998 state-of-the-nation comedy, set on an eroding coastline, as Matt and Rose are inducted into the world of caravanning and karaoke. Box office: Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk; Pocklington, 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk; Scarborough, 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Neal Foster’s Aunt Alberta and Annie Cordoni’s Stella in Birmingham Stage Company’s Awful Auntie at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Mark Douet

Children’s show of the week: Birmingham Stage Company in Awful Auntie, Grand Opera House, York, today to Sunday

CHILDREN’S author David Walliams and Birmingham Stage Company team up for the fourth time. After adaptations of Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy and Demon Dentist, here comes actor-manager Neal Foster’s stage account of Awful Auntie.

As Stella (Annie Cordoni ) sets off to visit London with her parents, she has no idea her life is in danger. When she wakes up three months later, not everything Aunt Alberta (Foster) tells her turns out to be true. She quickly discovers she is in for the fight of her life against her very own awful Auntie! Suitable for age five upwards. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Halls Of Ridiculous: Spinning their improv comedy at Milton Rooms, Malton. Picture: Scott Akoz

Comedy gig of the week: Hilarity Bites Club presents The Halls Of Ridiculous, Cal Halbert and Tony Cowards, Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 8pm

NORTHERN comedy The Halls Of Ridiculous, namely Chris Lumb (from BBC Three’s Russell Howard’s Good News) and Phil Allan-Smith (from BBC One’s This Is My House), push the boundaries of improv, sketch and character creativity with their quick-thinking scenes, zany special guests and quirky approach to performance.

Cal Halbert is one half of The Mimic Men, the UK’s only impressionist double act; host Tony Cowards is a rapid-fire gag merchant with an arsenal of one-liners, delivered by a likeable everyman character. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Just Us And A Piano: 1812 Theatre Company singers stage two fundraisers for Helmsley Arts Centre

Fundraising musical theatre concert of the week: 1812 Theatre Company, Just Us And A Piano, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday and Saturday, 7.30pm

SINGER Julie Lomas and pianist Neil Bell bring together a grand piano and an ensemble 1812 Theatre Company singers to celebrate the world of musical theatre, from the Broadway classics of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers, through to Cabaret, Wicked, My Fair Lady, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Hamilton and the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Singers Amy Gregory, Esme Schofield, Florrie Stockbridge, Joe Gregory, Julie Lomas, Kristian Gregory, Natasha Jones, Oliver Clive and Phye Bell will be raising funds for Helmsley Arts Centre. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Honey & The Bear: Tales of Suffolk folklore, courageous people and a passion for nature at Milton Rooms, Malton

Ten Year Anniversary Tour: Honey & The Bear, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 8pm

BRITISH folk and roots duo Jon Hart (guitar, bass and bouzouki) and Lucy Hart (guitar, ukulele, bass, banjo, mandolin and percussion) are joined by guests Evan Carson (percussion) and Archie Churchill-Moss (melodeon).

Conjuring stories in song, Honey & The Bear tell tales of Suffolk folklore, courageous people they admire and their passion for nature, as heard on third album Away Beyond The Fret, released last November. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Josh Widdicombe: Taking stock of the little things that niggle him in Not My Cup Of Tea

Gig announcement of the week: Josh Widdicombe, Not My Cup Of Tea Tour, Hull City Hall, October 2 2025, and York Barbican, February 28 2026

PARENTING Hell podcaster and comedian Josh Widdicombe, droll observer of the absurd side of the mundane, will take stock of the little things that niggle him, from motorway hotels to children’s parties, and explain why he has finally decided to embrace middle age, hot drinks and doing the school run in his 58-date tour show, Not My Cup Of Tea.

“That’s my favourite type of stand-up: really niche observations about silly little things that you wouldn’t think about. I’ve got no interest in the big topics.” Box office: joshwiddicombe.com; yorkbarbican.co.uk; hulltheatres.co.uk.

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‘Art comes first,’ says twitcher and comedian Jim Moir as he launches Birdland exhibition at RedHouse Originals Gallery

Jim Moir at RedHouse Originals Gallery in Harrogate

“PEOPLE think that I am a comedian, but art comes first,” says Jim Moir, as he mounts his second exhibition at RedHouse Originals, Harrogate.

“This one is ‘Birdland’ because of my love of birds,” he told the crowded preview gathering that spilled out of the gallery doors. “I spend most of my days bird watching and painting.

“My mother said to me, ‘are you going to retire?’. I said I retired at 21 when I was never going to work for anyone again. I wanted to be an artist and then took a diversion into acting and comedy, and this is now the third act, doing what I was doing at 12. I’m 65 now, and I’m loving it.

 “Back in Yorkshire, where I was born, for this exhibition. I’ve been all over the world, but I never get a reaction like I do in Yorkshire – and people buy paintings here!”

Black Cap, watercolour on paper,by Jim Moir

On show – and for sale – until September 28 is an exclusive collection of 50 new paintings celebrating his favourite subject ahead of the October 24 release of his second bird book, More Birds, Paintings Of British Birds, published by Unbound.

 “I’m a big wildlife fan,” says Leeds-born Moir, alias comedian Vic Reeves. “When I started birding, I was very young. I remember all I had was natural history books. I’d just look at them on me bed, all day, all night, and then if it wasn’t that, I’d be looking at birds.

“I loved bird watching as a kid and I could probably tell you what any bird was, to this day. It’s really important.”

Birdland marks Moir’s return to RedHouse, having first exhibited there in 2022 when Yorkshire Rocks & Dinghy Fights captivated visitors and featured in the first season of Sky Arts’ Painting Birds With Jim & Nancy Moir. Two paintings that featured in the documentary are now on show in the new collection, by the way.

Pigeon Mob, watercolour on paper, by Jim Moir

Described as “the Warhol of bird painting” by the Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones, Moir’s enduring fascination and wonder at nature is expressed through his depictions of peregrine falcons, lapwings, curlews, barn owls and ospreys, even elevating the pigeon to iconic status. “To paint a bird and put it in its environment gives a bit more of a clue about its life and its personality,” he says.

Why birds, Jim? “It’s what I grew up doing: I was bird watching because I grew up before tablets and mobile phones,” he says. “Birds. That’s what I liked looking at. I liked outdoor pursuits. Nature. I still do.”

What is his favourite bird and why? “It’s always the one I see that day, and if I have to make a special trip, it definitely will be that one,” he says.

Jim Moir: Birdland, on show at RedHouse Originals Gallery, Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate, until September 28. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sundays by appointment. Free entry.

Barn Owl, watercolour on paper, by Jim Moir

Jim Moir: the back story

BORN James Roderick Moir in Leeds on January 24 1959.  

First came to prominence as a comedian, actor, and musician with the stage alias of  Vic Reeves, writing TV sketches with long-term writing partner Bob Mortimer.

Long before the rise of Reeves, Moir was a practising artist. “Painting is what I always liked doing and if you can get the opportunity to live your life doing what you like doing, then grasp it,” he advises.

After completing an engineering apprenticeship, he studied Fine Art Foundation at Sir John Cass College in 1983, leading to a curator position at The Gardner Gallery and his first exhibition in 1985.

Moir had applied to Goldsmiths but was rejected on the grounds of being “too accomplished” already. “I wanted to go to Goldsmiths but they wouldn’t let me in, so I just walked in and started using the facilities and went to the lectures,” he recalls.” I did that for three years.”

Roc, mixed media on canvas, by Jim Moir

The influence of Pop Art giants from the 1960s such as Gilbert and George, Andy Warhol and Peter Blake, is evident within his paintings, both thematically and stylistically. Often dreamlike and peppered with satirical humour, Moir’s fantastical compositions have been likened to the Surrealist and Dadaist movements of the late 1910s and early 1920s.

Moir’s passion for image-making and sculpture has been integral to his career, through set design and props on such shows as Vic Reeves Big Night Out, The Smell Of Reeves And Mortimer and Shooting Stars, His artwork has remained ever present on television screens as the backdrop to his comedic vision.

Since presenting Turner Prize Moments in 2011, he has tipped the balance of focus from performance towards visual art.

“When I started doing comedy, it was kind of a side-line to my artwork,” he says. “I’ve never not painted. Now I’ve got to a stage where I thought, I’ve done the comedy. I’ve done the TV. I’ll just do bits on TV and film if I want to do it. But all day long I’m going to paint pictures. That’s what I like doing.”

From October 31 to November 3 2012, he transformed the botanical York Museum Gardens into a “magical wonderland” for the Illuminating York festival, lighting up the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey, the Yorkshire Museum and the inners wall of the city’s bar walls with three large-scale, psychedelic, audio-visual  projections as part of the York 800 celebrations.  

Vic Reeves’ Purple man having a fight with green elephant seal in his Wonderland projections for Illuminating York in 2012. Copyright: The Press, York

Given “free rein to unleash his absurd and magical creations” and inspired by absurdist works such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, Reeves and partners Bright White Ltd, Bar Lane Studios, Chetwoods and Arup created “a new world that turns the expected upside down and revels in the beauty of the unexpected” at a cost of £500,000.

Organisers invited the public to take part in a projection of dancing figures on St Mary’s Abbey or to power bicycles with wings of light. Among the surreal visions in Reeves’ Wonderland were a bright red elephant, standing on tiptoe while wearing a fez, and a lurid green giant elephant seal fighting a man in purple, while the entire facade of the Yorkshire Museum was transformed into a moving projection of music, pictures and colour.

The third display, beamed onto the city walls behind the bowling green, featured Reeves trapped in a surreal landscape, desperately trying to escape by swallowing blue or red pills to shrink or grow in size.

“Art should be fun,” Reeves told The York Press. “I have ideas and if I think they are funny or peculiar I draw them. I draw because I get a kick out of it. It’s my drug. I’m just doing what I do and it’s projected onto a building that is Georgian.”

Lives and works in converted Georgian schoolhouse in Charring, Ashford, Kent.

Long Tailed Tits, watercolour on paper, by Jim Moir

Naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author Chris Packham on Jim Moir

 “JIM doesn’t just see birds, he looks at them, so intensely that he understands them. Not just anatomically or behaviourally – he knows how they feel. That transcends painting or art – that is using a brush and pigment to make a future.

“Jim has imbued the bird with imagination. You can’t do this just because you can paint beautifully; it’s not about reproduction, it’s about translation. About being able to speak bird with paint.

“To me, Jim’s process actually appears more instinctive than constructed, which in turn makes it far more admirable and valuable than ‘clever’. There are plenty of clever artists; sometimes I enjoy unravelling their art, but I prefer art that talks to me, talks straight. Art made from love.” 

Special event: Jim Moir In Conversation With Tony Pitts

When: September 27. Doors open at 6pm; talk starts at 7pm.

Where: RedHouse Originals Gallery, 15 Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate, HG1 1DW. Limited seating plus standing room.

RSVP for gallery Friends: info@redhouseoriginals.com.

The invitation to Jim Moir In Conversation With Tony Pitts
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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond as poet John Hegley talks potatoes. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 34, from Gazette & Herald

John Hegley: Two poetry peformances at Helmsley Literary Festival. Picture: Jackie di Stefano

HELMSLEY Literary Festival leads off Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations to fill the cultural diary, joined by drag, folk and blues acts and an American coming-of-age classic.

Festival of the week highlight: Helmsley Literary Festival, Helmsley Arts Centre, John Hegley, New & Selected Potatoes, Saturday, 7pm to 8pm; I Am A Poetato, Sunday, 11am to 12 noon

POET, comic, singer, songwriter and spectacles wearer John Hegley heads to Helmsley with two shows, the first being his seriously funny, cleverly comic “best of golden oldies compilation with some new stuff” about love, family, France, art, the sea, dogs, dads, gods, taxidermy, carrots, glasses and…potatoes.

Second gig I Am A Poetato features An A-Z of Poems about People, Pets and other Creatures! Spelling it out for Helmsley, he promises Hedgehogs. Elephants. Laughing. Mandolin. Singing. Luton. Even a cardboard camel with moving parts. Yo!  For full details of two days of talks, signings, readings, open mic and a quiz, with Hegley, Anne Fine, Joanne Harris, Harriet Constable and The Chase’s Paul Sinha, visit helmsleyarts.co.uk. Box office: 01439 771700.

Bianca Del Rio: Discussing politics, pop culture and political correctness at York Barbican

Drag show of the week: Bianca Del Rio, York Barbican, tonight, doors 7pm

COMEDY drag queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race champion Bianca Del Rio heads to York on her 11-date stand-up tour. Up for irreverent discussion will be politics, pop culture, political correctness, current events, cancel culture and everyday life, as observed through the eyes of a “clown in the gown”, who will be “coming out of my crypt and hitting the road again to remind everyone that I’m still dead inside”. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Ryan Adams: Heading back to York Barbican on Friday

Return of the week: Ryan Adams, Solo 2024, York Barbican, Friday, doors 7pm

NORTH Carolina singer-songwriter Ryan Adams returns to York Barbican next week after playing a very long, career-spanning set there with no stage lighting – only his own side lamps – in April last year. This time he will be marking the 20th anniversary of 2004’s Love Is Hell and tenth anniversary of 2014’s self-titled album, complemented by Adams classics and favourites. Adams, who visited the Grand Opera House in 2007 and 2011, will be performing on acoustic guitar and piano. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Harp & A Monkey: Songs of everyday life, love and remembrance at Kirk Theatre, Pickering

Folk gig of the week: Friday Folk presents Harp & A Monkey, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, Friday, 7.30pm

GREATER Manchester song-and-storytelling trio Harp & A Monkey specialise in poignant, uplifting and melodic short stories, both original and traditional, about everyday life, love and remembrance. In a nutshell, the extraordinary ordinary, from cuckolded molecatchers and a lone English oak tree that grows at Gallipoli to care in the community, medieval pilgrims and Victorian bare-knuckle boxers.

This versatile collective of artists, animators, storytellers and multi-instrumentalists has undertaken bespoke songwriting for soundtrack, film and art projects for the likes of Sky Arts and the Department of Sport, Media and Culture. Fylingdales Folk Choir will perform too. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

York actress Kate Hampson in the matriarchal role of Marmee in Little Women at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick

Play of the week: Little Women, York Theatre Royal, Saturday to October 12

CREATIVE director Juliet Forster directs York Theatre Royal’s new production of Louisa May Alcott’s coming-of-age story of headstrong Jo March and her sisters Meg, Beth and Amy as they grow up in New England during the American Civil War.

Adapted by Anne-Marie Casey, the production features Freya Parks, from BBC1’s This Town, as Jo, Ainy Medina as Meg, Helen Chong as Amy and York actress Laura Soper as Beth. Kate Hampson returns to the Theatre Royal to play Marmee after leading the community cast in The Coppergate Woman. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Seedling, by Sarah Sharpe, on show in Leeds Fine Artists’ 150th anniversary show at Blossom Street Gallery

Exhibition of the week: Leeds Fine Artists Celebrating 150 Years, Blossom Street Gallery, York, until October 31

LEEDS Fine Artists is celebrating its 150th anniversary with an exhibition at its regular York host, Blossom Street Gallery, featuring an inspirational collection of work demonstrating a wide range of styles and different media.

Taking part are: Sharron Astbury-Petit; Dawn Broughton; Jane Burgess; Mark Butler; Pete Donnelly; Alison Flowers; Roger Gardner; Margarita Godgelf; Dan Harnett; Peter Heaton; Nicholas Jagger; Michael Curgenven; Catherine Morris; Martin Pearson; Clare Phelan; Trevor Pittaway; Neil Pittaway; Annie Robinson; Annie Roche; Sarah Sharpe and John Sherwood. Opening hours: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10am to 4pm; Sundays, 10am to 3pm.

Tim Peake: Exploring the evolution of space travel at York Barbican

Travel show of the week: Tim Peake, Astronauts: The Quest To Explore Space, York Barbican, September 25, 7.30pm

BRITISH astronaut Tim Peake is among only 610 people to have travelled beyond Earth’s orbit. After multiple My Journey To Space tours of his own story, he makes a return voyage with his stellar new show, sharing the collected stories of fellow astronauts as he explores the evolution of space travel.

From the first forays into the vast potential of space in the 1950s and beyond, to the first human missions to Mars, Peake will traverse the final frontier with tales of the experience of spaceflight, living in weightlessness, the dangers and unexpected moments of humour and the years of training and psychological and physical pressures that an astronaut faces. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Lightning Threads: Showcasing their debut album, Off That Lonely Road, at Milton Rooms, Malton

Blues gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club, Lightning Threads, Milton Rooms, Malton, September 26, 8pm

SHEFFIELD blues-rock trio Lightning Threads are influenced by the great rock musicians of another time, drawing comparisons with The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr, Cream and The Doors.

Tom Jane, guitar and vocals, Sam Burgum, bass and vocals, and Hugh Butler, drums and keyboards, have been nominated for Best Album in the 2024 Blues Awards for their November 2023 debut, Off That Lonely Road, recorded with Andrew Banfield, of Superfly Studios, and graced by Kelly Michaeli’s gospel vocals. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

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‘I’ve got no interest in the big topics,’ says Josh Widdicombe as he announces Not My Cup Of Tea tour. Tickets on sale on Friday

Josh Widdicombe: “Taking stock of the little things that niggle me” in Not My Cup Of Tea. Picture: Jiksaw

PARENTING Hell podcaster, game show panellist and comedian Josh Widdicombe will play York Barbican on February 28 2026, the opening night of the second leg of his Not My Cup Of Tea stand-up tour.

London-born Widdicombe’s 58-date itinerary in 2025-2026 will take in further Yorkshire gigs at Hull City Hall on October 2, CAST, Doncaster, on October 4, and Victoria Theatre, Halifax, on November 1 2025. Tickets go on general sale at 11am on Friday at www.joshwiddicombe.com.

In the words of his tour announcement: “Josh Widdicombe is back on tour, not again! By now he has almost certainly mastered the art of stand-up. Either that or he has wasted the last 15 years of his life. Come along and decide for yourself. Expect it to be shorter and with lower production values than Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, but funnier and with more references to tea.”

Widdicombe, 41, co-hosts the Parenting Hell podcast with fellow comedian Rob Beckett, spawning an arena tour and a Sunday Times Bestseller Chart-topping book, Parenting Hell, How To Cope (Or Not) With Being A Parent, in 2023.

Widdicombe has co-hosted more than 30 series of multi-award-winning Channel 4 series The Last Leg, is a team captain on Sky Max’s Rob Beckett’s Smart TV and co-hosts Sky’s Hold The Front Page. The Plymouth Argyle supporter and former sports journalist has an almost complete collection of Panini football sticker books.

As well as three seasons of his Josh sitcom from 2014 to 2017, Widdicombe has chalked up multiple TV appearances on Hypothetical, QI, Live At The Apollo, A League Of Their Own, Insert Name Here, Have I Got News For You and Taskmaster, and he has performed at the Royal Albert Hall in a Royal Variety Performance.

He hosted the cult 1990s’ podcast Quickly Kevin: Will He Score?, playing multiple live shows, culminating in a final event at the London Palladium in May 2024.

In 2021, he released his first book, Watching Neighbours Twice a Day…How ’90’s TV (Almost) Prepared Me For Life,  a childhood memoir of growing up on a diet of consuming  far too much television in the 1990s.

This perennially frustrated observer of life’s foibles last visited York Barbican on October 3 2019 on his Bit Much stand-up tour: a night of grumbles and jokes in which Widdicombe “finally tackled the hot comedy topics of Advent calendars, pesto and the closing time of his local park”.  Bit Much is now available on Sky and NowTV.

Here Josh Widdicombe discusses bringing his keen eye for the absurd side of the mundane to his new show, Not My Cup Of Tea, wherein he will take stock of the little things that niggle him, from motorway hotels to children’s parties, and explain why he has finally decided to embrace middle age, hot drinks and doing the school run.

How is the preparation for the tour going?

“It’s going way better than I thought. To the point where I could probably get away with doing it in the spring, but I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself. I want to enjoy it because in the past I was so busy with Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo and stuff, I was chasing my tail and desperately trying to have enough material for each tour. This time I’m able to enjoy the process of creating the stand-up.”

How have you found the experience of returning to tiny clubs to road-test material after doing Parenting Hell arena gigs in 2023?

“I’ve been doing 20-minute sets and it’s almost divorced from the fact that I’m going on tour, which I think is the best way to write a tour; like you’re just doing it for the sake of it, in the same way I suppose it must be nicest for a musician to just write songs for the sake of writing songs.

“I’m doing stand-up for the sake of doing stand-up at the moment. I love the experience of coming up with ideas and just being able to go and do them.”

Why have you called your new show Not My Cup Of Tea?

 “Because I like the phrase. And since I gave up alcohol in 2023, I drink a lot of tea. As you get older, you realise who you are a bit more and I’ve realised that the things I love are like parochially British things, like Martin Parr’s photography or Blur or Alan Bennett.”

 Is there a theme?

 “If there is a theme, it’s probably about accepting that I prefer being at home and not having to deal with any other human beings. Which is a weird way to approach a tour show where you have to travel around the country talking to thousands of people!”

 Are you more of an introvert comedian than a show-off comedian?

 “When I stopped drinking, I realised how much the reason I drank was really for social situations because I didn’t feel comfortable in them. I grew up in Devon [in the tiny Dartmoor village of Haytor Vale], I was an only child in a small school and watched TV for hours a day, so I was quite introverted.

“Here’s a good example. I’m currently doing The Last Leg every day in Paris and everyone’s like, ‘do you want to meet up in the morning?’, and I’m like, ‘no, I’m spending ten hours a day working with you, I want the morning to myself so I can read a book in bed’.

“And there’s something about observational comedy; it’s about watching from the outside, so I wonder whether that is part of why I do comedy.”

As your comedic style is not topical, you don’t have to worry about writing political jokes now, and then the Prime Minister changing by the time the tour starts…

“That’s right. My last tour straddled Covid and when I came back to do the rescheduled dates, all of the stuff was still relevant. For me, it’s always where I just say something and I think ‘that would be fun for stand-up’. I’ll note that in my phone and work that up at a gig.

“Like I thought about talking about giving up drinking but realised that was never going to be as funny as talking about Inside The Factory with Gregg Wallace.”

You joke about everyday frustrations. Do you still have the same frustrations, now that you have had so much success with The Last Leg and Parenting Hell?

“I live a very mundane life and I really like that. I like leaning into the fact that I like doing the school run or the big shop. I suppose I’ve finally become comfortable with that. After years of not knowing who I was, I’m quite happy being middle-aged. I’ve made my peace with the fact that I like putting my kids to bed and watching a Netflix documentary about basketball even though I don’t like basketball.”

Do you expect you will draw a Parenting Hell audience on this tour?

 “That’s interesting. Obviously, there’s people that won’t be there for Parenting Hell, so I’m not going to do loads of parenting stuff. There’s a bit about my family but not a huge amount. Sometimes an anecdote that works on the podcast doesn’t work as stand-up.

“There was a saga on the podcast about my number plate being cloned that I have turned into a routine, but stand-up isn’t just telling an anecdote like you would on the podcast. There have to be observations and jokes around the story.”

 Are there any other new routines you think will make the finished show?

 “There is a bit about children’s parties and party bags, so, as you can see, I’m dealing with the big issues! I take a huge pride in the banality of the topics I talk about. I think that’s my favourite type of stand-up: really niche observations about silly little things that you wouldn’t think about. I’ve got no interest in the big topics.”

Has Parenting Hell’s massive success changed your stand-up style?

 “I think the podcast has had a huge impact on how I understand myself as a comedian. I spent years terrified of letting the audience know who I was, and then we did Parenting Hell and I suddenly saw that the more I showed myself, the funnier I am. So I think it will almost certainly be the case that I’ve changed, but I wouldn’t ever do it consciously.

“I saw Ed Gamble at the Hackney Empire recently and – I’d hate him to know this – I found it incredibly inspiring because he was funny every 20 seconds for an hour and 10 minutes, and that is everything I want to be. Just be as funny as possible.”

 Did you find it easy to give up drinking?

 “I gave up in April 2023 and I found gigs to be quite easy because you just enjoy the bands. Or going to a football match, I find that easy, but I wouldn’t find going to a party or a stag do easy because if I drink, I really drink. When I drank, it was a laugh until it was not a laugh.”

You have been so busy with TV, such as The Last Leg, have you missed stand-up?

 “It took a while for me to think I wanted to do stand-up again after the pandemic. I think I got really used to being at home. I hadn’t had evenings off for 12 years, and for the first time I got my evenings back and I was like, ‘oh this is what it’s like and it’s really nice’. But now I’m really loving it again.”

Do you ever worry about how long success will last?

“It’s the curse of the freelance. You can go up and down in terms of venue size; I don’t know where I am on that graph. I’d rather work really hard and take the opportunities while they’re here now. One day they might not be here.

“People ask ‘why did you do that show?’ and you’re like, ‘because it’s fun, because I love it and I get paid really well to do what I love, so why wouldn’t I do it?’ I can’t believe that I got paid to go to the Paralympics. This is my hobby that got out of hand!”