Category: Exhibitions

Posted on

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 43, from Gazette & Herald

Ghosts In The Garden: York’s haunted history told in 58 wire-mesh sculptures

FROM garden ghosts to a lonely whale, Toussaint’s saxophone to Kurdish comedy, Charles Hutchinson finds joy both outdoors and indoors.

Spectral trail of the season: Ghosts In The Garden, across York, until November 2

ORGANISED by York BID (Business Improvement District), the Ghosts In The Gardens sculpture trail has returned to York’s public gardens, ruins, hidden corners and green spaces in a free family event featuring 58 3D wire-mesh figures inspired by York’s haunted history.

Crafted in partnership with York creative team Unconventional Design, the translucent figures range from soldiers to monks, with ten new spectral sculptures to “ensure fresh surprises for returning visitors”.

Saxophonist Jean Toussaint: Opening autumn season at National Centre for Early Music tonight

Jazz gig of the week: Jean Toussaint, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, tonight, 7.20pm

THE Jean Toussaint Quintet – saxophonist, composer and bandleader Toussaint, pianist Emile Hinton, bassist Conor Murray, drummer Ben Brown and trumpet player Joti (CORRECT) – showcases his JT5 project’s latest album, recorded at London’s Vortex jazz club in 2024.

York Music Forum students will be working with Toussaint earlier in the day to share their work on stage from 7.20pm to 7.40pm. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Gemma Curry in Hoglets Theatre’s The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio

Children’s show of the week: Hoglets Theatre in The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale, York Theatre Royal Studio, Friday, 4.30pm; Saturday, 11am and 2pm

FRESH from an award-winning Edinburgh Fringe run, York company Hoglets Theatre invite primary-age children and families to an exciting adventure packed with beautiful handmade puppets, sea creatures, original songs and audience interaction aplenty.

Performed, crafted and directed by Gemma Curry, The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale celebrates friendship, difference and the beauty of being yourself in Andy Curry’s tale of Whale singing his heart out into the deep blue sea, but nobody singing back until…a mysterious voice echoes through the waves, whereupon Whale embarks on an unforgettable adventure. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Cooper Robson: Say Owt Slam special guest at The Crescent, York

Sizzling spoken words of the week: Say Owt Slam with special guest Cooper Robson, The Crescent, York, Friday, 7.30pm

HEATON slam champion and left-wing, left-field loudmouth Cooper Robson returns to York for a special-guest full set of hard-hitting poetry, raucous comedy and outlandish at The Crescent. Robson sports “more meter than Mo Farrah, more nonsense than a sapling touching Tolkien-tree”, while spouting more trash than a government coastal policy. Box office: thecrescentyork.com or on the door.

Helen Lederer: For bitter, for farce at Pocklington Arts Centre

Comedy conversation of the week: Helen Lederer, Not That I’m Bitter, Pocklington Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm

FROM Absolutely Fabulous to French & Saunders, Helen Lederer has been a familiar face in British comedy since her 1980s’ alt. comedy beginnings, being “in the spotlight but not always centre stage”. Now, she brings her signature wit and warmth to page and stage as she shares stories of fame, failure, family and finding your voice when the odds are stacked against you in a man’s world.

Expect sharp observations, outrageous anecdotes and a refreshingly candid take on everything from mental health to midlife reinvention, in conversation with presenter and podcaster Johnny Ianson, as Lederer discusses her memoir Not That I’m Bitter as part of East Riding Libraries Festival of Words. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

The Creepy Boys: Teenage birthday party. Picture: Nick Robertson Photography

“Bizarre comedy with just a splash of the occult”:  The Creepy Boys, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 8pm

THE Creepy Boys, Canadian creators of cult-smash Slugs and 2025 Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees, present their existential self-titled show – and you’re invited as they throw their 13th birthday party. Expect games. Gifts. Possibly Satan. Probably Cake.

Combining 2000s’ sexy songs and dances, satanic rituals and Willem Dafoe, horny little boys Sam Kruger and S.E. Grummett will do whatever it takes to make their birthday dreams come true, even re-enacting their own birth, while interrogating the trappings of millennial nostalgia, before driving the show off a wild horror-comedy cliff. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Kae Kurd in What’s O’Kurd: That’s what’s occurring at Pocklington Arts Centre on Saturday

Comedy gig of the week: Kae Kurd: What’s O’Kurd, Pocklington Arts Centre, Saturday, 8pm

KAE Kurd, British-Kurdish stand-up comedian, Ain’t Got A Clue podcaster and lead writer and voice of ITV’s dating show Loaded In Paradise, brings his new tour, What’s O’Kurd, to Pocklington.

Born Korang Abdulla in Saqqez, Iran, and now based in South London, Kae performed his debut show Kurd Your Enthusiasm at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, since when he has toured Spoken Kurd Tour in 2021 and Kurd Immunity in 2023. He has written for Cunk & Other Humans (BBC), Have I Got News For You (BBC) and A League of Their Own (Sky One), as well as for the i newspaper and Total Politics, and has appeared on Mock The Week and Celebrity Masterchef. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Our Biggest Ever Open Mic: Saturday’s evening of anything-goes entertainment at Milton Rooms, Malton

Open opportunity of the week: Our Biggest Ever Open Mic, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 7pm

THE stage is all yours on Saturday at the Milton Rooms’ “Biggest Ever Open Mic evening” for all manner of performers.  Admission is free and doors and the bar will be open at 6.30pm. Tech support will be provided. Go for it! For more information, email info@themiltonrooms.com.

Martin Ledger of Alchemy Live: Finding himself in Dire Straits in a good way at Helmsley Arts Centre

Tribute show of the week: Alchemy Live, The Music Of Dire Straits, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

FORMED by life-long Dire Straits fans and full-time musicians Martin Ledger and Neil Scott, Alchemy Live announced their first show for Friday the 13th in 2022 in York, duly selling out there and around Yorkshire and moving on to theatre shows from January 2023.

Fast forward to 2025 and the launch of an expanded line-up, featuring pedal steel and saxophone, enabling them to tackle the huge production of Dire Straits’ final album On Every Street and the resultant live record On The Night. Every song choice is taken from a specific live performance in Dire Straits’ history, for example the show-opening Money For Nothing from Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985, “with every nuance of Mark Knopfler’s playing technique followed faithfully” throughout. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Pixies: Playing York for first time in 40-year career next May

Gig announcement of the week: Pixies, York Barbican, May 20 2026

CELEBRATING 40 years since their 1986 formation in Boston, Massachusetts, Pixies will head out on their Pixies 40 worldwide tour next year. The British and European leg will open with their long-overdue York debut on May 20 at York Barbican.

Founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering will be touring with bassist Emma Richardson as they head to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Tickets for their only Yorkshire concert are on sale at bnds.us/ziwfqx or yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/pixies.

Posted on

More Things To Do in York and beyond when ghosts take over gardens. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 43, from The York Press

Sir Alan Ayckbourn: Marking 60th anniversary of his comedy Relatively Speaking with rehearsed reading and Q&A at the SJT tomorrow. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

FROM garden ghosts to Friends parody, Ayckbourn anniversary celebrations to Toussaint’s saxophone, Charles Hutchinson finds joy both outdoors and indoors.

Anniversary landmark of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s Relatively Speaking, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Sunday, 2.30pm

AS part of the SJT’s fundraising weekend with Director Emeritus Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Sunday’s 60th anniversary rehearsed reading of Ayckbourn’s Relatively Speaking will be followed by a Q&A with Sir Alan.

Greg and Ginny are living together, but Greg suspects he is not the only man in her life. Prompted by Ginny’s plan to “visit her parents”, he decides to follow her. Ginny is in fact going to see a considerably older lover, but only to break up with him. Greg mistakes the ex-lover and his wife for Ginny’s parents, a situation only compounded by Ginny’s arrival. Antony Eden directs a cast of Hayden Wood, Gina Burnell, Liza Goddard and Russell Richardson. Box office:  01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Ghosts In The Garden: York’s haunted history told in 58 wire-mesh sculptures

Spectral trail of the season: Ghosts In The Garden, across York, until November 2

ORGANISED by York BID (Business Improvement District), the Ghosts In The Gardens sculpture trail has returned to York’s public gardens, ruins, hidden corners and green spaces in a free family event featuring 58 3D wire-mesh figures inspired by York’s haunted history.

Crafted in partnership with York creative team Unconventional Design, the translucent figures range from soldiers to monks, with ten new spectral sculptures to “ensure fresh surprises for returning visitors”.

Dave Johns: Playing Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club tonight in rare York outing

Comedy gig of the week: Dave Johns, Paul Pirie, Josh Sedman and Damion Larkin, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, YO1 Live Lounge, York Barbican, today, 8pm

I, DANIEL Blake actor and comedian Dave Johns has appeared on the stand-up circuit since 1989. Now highly selective about where and when he performs, tonight’s show is a rare chance to catch him in York.

Scotsman Paul Pirie specialises in blurring the lines between real-life anecdotes and flight of fancy, jumping from bitchy to silly. Yorkshire comedian Josh Sedman is equipped with quips, “Wetherby Teeth” and a lovely head of hair. Promoter Damion Larkin hosts as ever. Doors open at 7:30pm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Dame Imogen Cooper: Piano concert at Helmsley Arts Centre tonight. Picture: Sussie Ahlburg

Classical concert of the week: Dame Imogen Cooper, Helmsley Arts Centre, today, 7.30pm

AFTER playing St Peter’s Church, Norton, at July’s Ryedale Festival, pianist Dame Imogen Cooper returns to Ryedale this weekend to play Bach’s Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen G’mein, arranged by Kempff;  Bach’s chorale-prelude Nun Komm’ der Heiden Heiland, arranged by Busoni and Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899. Post-interval, her programme continues with Beethoven’s Seven Bagatelles and Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 935. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Alicia Belgarde (Monica), left, Daniel Parkinson (Chandler), Enzo Benvenuti (Ross), Eva Hope (Rachel), Amelia Atherton (Phoebe) and Ronnie Burden (Joey) in Friends! The Musical Parody, on tour at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Pamela Raith

The one where they sing: Friends! The Musical Parody, Grand Opera House, York, September 30 to October 4, Tuesday to Thursday, 7.30pm; Friday, 5.30pm and 8.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

NEW York and Las Vegas hit Friends! The Musical Parody is a musical comedy packed with iconic moments from all ten seasons of the beloved television series, complemented by an original musical score. Join Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe, the world’s most famous group of twenty-somethings, as they navigate love, friendship and life’s ups and downs in 1990s’ New York City.

“Whether you’re in a love triangle, trying to make it as an actor, or just can’t quit your day job, you’ll be laughing, crying, and quoting your favourite lines all night long,” the show promises. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Saxophonist Jean Toussaint: Opening autumn season at National Centre for Early Music on Wednesday

Jazz gig of the week: Jean Toussaint, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, October 1, 7.20pm

THE Jean Toussaint Quintet – saxophonist, composer and bandleader Toussaint, pianist Emile Hinton, bassist Conor Murray, drummer Ben Brown and trumpet player Joti – showcases his JT5 project’s latest album, recorded at London’s Vortex jazz club in 2024.

York Music Forum students will be working with Toussaint earlier in the day to share their work on stage from 7.20pm to 7.40pm. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Sue Ryding, left, recalling her 40-year comedy partnership with the late Maggie Fox (inset) in LipService in Funny Stuff at Pocklington Arts Centre

Reflections on grief: LipService in Funny Stuff, Pocklington Arts Centre, October 2, 7.30pm

SUE Ryding is one half of legendary satirical duo LipService. In March 2022, her comedy partner, York actress and writer Maggie Fox, died  leaving Sue with a shipping container full of 40 years of stage props, costumes, wigs, hats, shoes, sheep, you name it.

This show looks at all the “stuff” we accumulate, hoard and hate to let go in her humorous and creative response to grief, wherein Sue struggles to part with a life-sized stuffed sheep, a badger onesie, some ruby slippers, a sinking bog, Charlotte Bronte’s knickers and a host of soft toys. Touring anecdotes are combined with archive footage from LipService shows. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Tom Smith: Editors’ frontman, playing solo show at Stockton on the Forest Village Hall

Indie rock gig of the week: Tom Smith, Stockton on the Forest Village Hall, near York, October 3, 7.45pm

TOM Smith, frontman of Birmingham indie rock band Editors since 2022, heads north to play a seated village hall gig in North Yorkshire, hosted by Off The Beaten Track and The Crescent, York. Expect a selection of new solo work alongside Editors’ favourites. Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.

Cooper Robson: Say Owt Slam special guest at The Crescent, York

Sizzling spoken words of the week: Say Owt Slam with special guest Cooper Robson, The Crescent, York, October 3, 7.30pm

HEATON slam champion and left-wing, left-field loudmouth Cooper Robson returns to York for a special-guest full set of hard-hitting poetry, raucous comedy and outlandish at The Crescent. Robson sports “more meter than Mo Farrah, more nonsense than a sapling touching Tolkien-tree”, while spouting more trash than a government coastal policy. Box office: thecrescentyork.com or on the door.

Pixies: Playing York for first time in 40-year career next May

Gig announcement of the week: Pixies, York Barbican, May 20 2026

CELEBRATING  40 years since their 1986 formation in Boston, Massachusetts, Pixies will head out on their Pixies 40 worldwide tour next year. The British and European leg will open with their long-overdue York debut on May 20 at York Barbican.

Founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering will be touring with bassist Emma Richardson as they head to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Tickets for their only Yorkshire concert are on sale at bnds.us/ziwfqx or yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/pixies.

Posted on

Photographers Joe Cornish and Simon Baxter capture trees’ leading role on nature’s theatrical stage at Nunnington Hall 

Great Ayton photographer Joe Cornish, left, and Gisborough counterpart Simon Baxter at last Saturday’s launch of All The Wood’s A Stage at Nunnington Hall. Picture: Celestine Dubruel

NORTH Yorkshire photographers Joe Cornish and Simon Baxter’s exhibition All The Wood’s A Stage takes its inspiration as much from Shakespeare as nature.

The title is a spin on All The World’s A Stage, the opening line of Jacques’ Seven Ages Of Man soliloquy in As You Like It, prompting Joe and Simon to mirror theatre’s format by present their show in four acts, or four ages/stages of trees, in three top-floor rooms and the linking corridor against the backdrop of Nunnington Hall’s gardens and trees in late-summer seasonal change.

“Trees and woodland may seem sedate, but drama unfolds slowly, staged over seasons, years, decades, even centuries,” reads one statement on the exhibition walls, where the photographs are divided into Emergence, Interference, Transience and Performance.

Joe, from Great Ayton, and Simon, from Gisborough, present trees as “actors on the woodland stage”, representing the three forms of Shakespeare’s plays: comedy in their branch formations; history in their rings of life; tragedy in their fate, whether  deforestation, heat stress, climate change, or the crass felling of the Sycamore Tree Gap near Hadrian’s Wall in September 2023 that led to prison sentences for Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers.

“We must learn to reconnect with nature, and woodland is a good place to start,” say the photographers. “Trees are critical actors in nature whose time on this planet far exceeds our own.” 360 million years, to be precise.

All The Wood’s A Stage, by Simon Baxter

Joe and Simon had first used the term “All The Wood’s A Stage” in their Woodland Sanctuary exhibition at the Moors Centre, Danby, in 2022. This time their focus spreads beyond Yorkshire to take in the South, Snowdonia, the Lake District and Scotland too in “celebration of the beauty and vital significance of trees, woodland and forests across the UK”.

Exhibition curator Laura Kennedy, Visitor Experience and Programming Manager at Nunnington Hall, says: “All The Wood’s A Stage invites us to see trees as silent performers on nature’s stage – inviting us to observe, listen and reflect.

“Trees provide joy, peace, and inspiration; they are the lungs of the Earth, guardians of biodiversity, and a crucial part of our mental and physical well-being. Through changing seasons, they symbolise life, death, and renewal.

This exhibition promises a truly uplifting experience, inviting visitors to fall in love with woodland life all over again.”

Both photographers attended last Saturday’s launch of 65 photographs for sale, complemented by two short films, to the noises-off accompaniment of the day’s incessant downpours. They work on their exhibitions and accompanying books in tandem – they live ten miles from each other – discussing potential themes, selecting each other’s photographs for the shows, printing together, but always photographing separately, even on joint excursions.

Dancing Trees, by Joe Cornish

“We think it’s important to listen to nature, and to express empathy, which comes from knowledge, but to have access to knowledge has to come from experience. For me, being in nature, among trees, has helped with my wellbeing,” says Simon.

“Through my photography, I’m doing justice to the woods, as a celebration of what they’ve done for me through their power to heal. It’s a celebration to say I love this natural world so much, not because it creates a great photograph but because I feel better among trees, and I want to share that wonder – and if nature can revert you to a different state of mind, it’s a very powerful thing.”

Joe and Simon see their work as holistic. “We know of the performative aspect of trees, sometimes as leading characters, sometimes as supporting cast, and if trees are the primary actors, where do we fit in? We are the audience,” says Joe.

He is delighted to be exhibiting at Nunnington Hall. “To have our work on show in this beautiful place, it’s like a sanctuary,” he says. “The National Trust has been very supportive of the arts, and I really hope that the trust can continue to play its leading role in providing spaces for artists to show their work.

“I see photography as a political act, and I slightly bristle at the thought that we just take pretty pictures. What we do is take pictures to offer a sense of hope.”

Woodland wanderers Joe Cornish, left, and Simon Baxter

Joe has experienced has own drama when filming for an exhibition with a theatrical structure. “I broke my neck falling off a mountain at Assynt [north of Ullapool in the Northwest Scottish Highlands],” he says. “I was hit by a gust of wind so hard that, even with my camera equipment on my back, I was knocked off my feet and fell quite a long way,” he recalls. “It was such a dangerous place, I had to walk for a mile but then the pain became unbearable.”

Joe was taken to hospital by mountain rescue helicopter. “Luckily I hadn’t damaged my spinal cord,” he says. “I’ve camped on the top of that mountain since then, which felt like an act of redemption.”

The trees, the woods, their theatre of life, will keep calling him and Simon back again and again.

Joe Cornish and Simon Baxter, All The Wood’s A Stage, on show at Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, near Helmsley, until March 29 2026. Opening hours: 10.30am to 5pm daily; last entry, 4pm; from October 1, closed on Mondays.

Normal admission prices apply, including entry to the exhibition, with free entry for National Trust members and under-fives. To book tickets, go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall.

Cornish and Baxter’s self-published accompanying book, All The Wood’s A Stage, is on sale at £30 at Nunnington Hall, along with copies of Woodland Sanctuary. Visitors can buy prints on display too.

Posted on

More Things To Do in York and beyond when seeking cultural nourishment. Here’s Hutch’s List No 42, from The York Press

York oboe player Desmond Clarke: Performing on Navigators Art’s YO Underground #5 bill at The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse

FOOD for thought for heading out and about as York Food & Drink Festival opens and Inspector Morse is on the case in Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations.

Navigators Art presents YO Underground #5, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 7.30pm

YORK arts collective Navigators Art’s regular fulcrum of left-field new music, words and performance returns this weekend with a focus on ethnic instruments, acoustic-electronic improvisation, words and guitar-based fusion, plus passionate new songwriting.

Expect bold, beautiful and adventurous sounds from flautist Carmen Troncoso, York oboe player Desmond Clarke and Osc~, No Spinoza and a new York ‘supergroup’, the NSC Sound Union, combining members of Soma Crew and Namke Communications. Admission is £6 at www.ticketsource.co.uk/navigators-art-performance) or £10 on the door.

Sam Blythe: Taking on a multitude of roles in George Orwell’s Animal Farm at Theatre@41, Monkgate

Solo show of the week: Sam Blythe in Animal Farm, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 7.30pm

CELEBRATING 70 years of its publication on August 17 1945 and 30 since the first performance of Guy Masterson’s solo adaptation of George’s Orwell’s satirical allegorical dystopian novella, Sam Blythe takes up Masterson’s mantle on stage.

Bringing all of Orwell’s multiple characters to vivid life, Blythe transforms into Snowball, Napoleon, Squealer, Boxer, Clover, Mollie, Benjamin, Muriel, the Sheep, Dogs, Cows, Hens and the Cat in a performance designed to shock, enchant, bewitch and bewilder, ringing out Orwell’s prescient warning that politicians through the ages, and of all creeds and colours, will often let power corrupt them. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Rebecca Vaughan’s Lady Susan in Dyad Productions’ Austen’s Women: Lady Susan. Picture: Seamus Flanagan

Magnificently crafted tale of manipulation and manners of the week: Dyad Productions in Austen’s Women: Lady Susan, York Theatre Royal Studio, today, 2pm; Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 7.30pm

DYAD Productions return with a new solo comedy show, Jane Austen’s 1794 tale of manipulation and manners. Directed by Andrew Margerison, company regular Rebecca Vaughan plays devil-may-care widow Lady Susan, oppressed, rebellious daughter Frederica, long-suffering sister-in-law Catherine, family matriarch Mrs De Courcy and insouciant best friend Alicia.

At the vanguard of Vaughan’s wickedly humorous adaptation is the charming, scheming and witty Lady Susan, taking on society and making it her own, but has this coquette met her match? Box office: York, 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Skosh chef-proprietor Neil Bentinck: Cookery demonstration at St Crux Hall on September 27 at 1pm at York Food & Drink Festival

Festival of the week: York Food & Drink Festival, cooking until September 28

HIGHLIGHTS of this autumn’s York Food & Drink Festival include 70 street food and produce stands in Parliament Street; the Entertainment Marquee on Parliament Street, serving a bill of Live for St Leonard’s Hospice music acts; more live music in St Sampson’s Square, and demonstrations, events, tastings, and sampling at St Crux Hall.

Further events will be two taste trails; the Food Factory in St Crux Hall and Museum Gardens; the Pork Pie competition in Bedern Hall; Curry & Comedy at the NCEM; Yahala Mataam’s refugee pop-up restaurant night and cookery school; Tang’s festival debut; Jorvik Viking Centre’s activities with an historic twist and the Meet The Makers drinks fair. For the full festival programme, head to: yorkfoodfestival.com.

One of Simon Baxter’s photographs from All The Wood’s A Stage, his joint exhibition with Joe Cornish at Nunnington Hall. Picture: Simon Baxter

Ryedale exhibition launch of the week: All The Wood’s A Stage, Nunnington Hall, near York, from today to March 29 2026

ALL The Wood’s A Stage will continue the 2022 showcase Woodland Sanctuary, exhibited originally at the Moors Centre in Danby. This latest chapter features predominantly new photographs that celebrate the beauty and vital significance of trees, woodlands and forests across the UK.

Photographers Joe Cornish and Simon Baxter depict trees as silent performers on nature’s stage, encouraging us to observe, listen and reflect. Trees provide joy, peace and inspiration, being lungs of the Earth, guardians of biodiversity and a crucial part of our mental and physical well-being. Through changing seasons, they symbolise life, death and renewal. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

The poster for The Return Of The Legends, featuring Strictly Come Dancing alumni Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waites, at York Barbican

Dance show of the week: The Return Of The Legends, starring Brendan, James, Pasha, Vincent and Ian, York Barbican, today, 7.30pm

STRICTLY Come Dancing alumni Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite follow up 2024’s  Legends Of The Dancefloor with new Latin, tango, rumba and ballroom routines and more Strictly stories in The Return Of The Legends. Joined by a supporting cast, they deliver a night of dancing, camaraderie, music and laughter. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.  

Robert Took, Georgina Liley, Catherine Warnock and James McLean in Mikron Theatre’s Hush Hush!, on tour at Clements Hall, York

Touring play of the week: Mikron Theatre in Hush Hush!, Clements Hall, York, Sunday, 4pm

IN a daring theatrical mission, Marsden’s Mikron Theatre Company infiltrates the clandestine world of wartime code-breaking in Lucie Raine’s Hush Hush!, exposing the vital contributions of the unsung heroes of Bletchley Park’s Hut 3, whose ingenuity and unwavering resolve helped secure victory.

Peggy Valentine arrives at Bletchley in 1940, 18 years old, headstrong and gifted. Finding herself in a world of boffins, soldiers and debutantes, Peggy must shoulder the burden of high-pressure war work while navigating a new world of feuds, friendships and growing up in a frame of absolute secrecy. Mikron’s crack team of actor-musicians, Georgina Liley, Robert Took, Catherine Warnock and familiar face James McLean, blends original songs, live music and compelling storytelling. Box office for returns only: 01484843701 or email admin@mikron.org.uk.

Tom Chambers as Detective Chief Inspector Morse in the first Inspector Morse original stage play, House Of Ghosts, at Grand Opera House, York

Murder mystery of the week: Inspector Morse: House Of Ghosts, Grand Opera House, York, September 23 to 27, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees

BIRMINGHAM Repertory Theatre and Simon Friend Entertainment are touring the Inspector Morse franchise’s debut original stage play, House Of Ghosts, penned by Alma Cullen, directed by Anthony Banks and starring Tom Chambers.

A chilling mystery unfolds when a young actress dies suddenly on stage during a performance, prompting Detective Chief Inspector Morse to embark on a gripping investigation. What begins as a suspicious death inquiry takes a darker turn when the legendary inspector, in tandem with Detective Sergeant Lewis, uncovers a connection to sinister events in his own past, 25 years earlier. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Kieran Hodgson: Voicing his thoughts on the USA

Comedy gig of the week: Kieran Hodgson: Voice Of America, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 26, 8pm

AMERICA. What happened, man? Ever since he was a little loser kid in a little loser country (yes, England), Holmfirth-born Kieran Hodgson has been putting on an American accent and dreaming a big American dream.

Nowadays, however, it’s not so simple. Didn’t America go completely bananas? Didn’t he get too old for dreaming? And when Hollywood comes calling, does Kieran actually sound American after all? Here he assesses how a scared world feels about the USA and impersonates a bunch of old prospectors and former Presidents. Box office for returns only: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

The horror, the horror: Dead Northern returns to City Screen Picturehouse

Film event of the week: Dead Northern presents The Festival of Horror, City Screen Picturehouse, York, September 26 to 28

IN “the world’s most haunted city”, Dead Northern hosts three days of film and live events, taking in music, social activities, food, drink and merchandise. Friday Frights opens with a 10.30am showcase of student short films and videos, followed by UK premiere of Sun at noon with a Q&A.

The 2pm short film showcase focuses on Teeth, Claws, Tentacles and Clowns. At 4pm the Dead Talks talk reveals Dracula’s mysterious connection to York under the splendid title of Who Are You Calling A Count?! A mystery Dracula classic film re-surfaces at 5pm and the UK premiere of Hellhouse LLC: Lineage is booked in for 7.30pm. The night concludes with the Welcome Social & Quiz with the Independent Horror Society.

Saturday Screams kicks off with the Flesh & Bone short film showcase at 10.30am, followed by the world premiere of A Mother’s Recall at noon and the Twisted Tales short film showcase at 1.45pm.

The 3.30pm UK film premiere will be Home Education, concluding with a Q&A, and the 5.30pm classic feature will be the 40th anniversary release of A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.

7.30pm’s Signature Live Event will be Spirits By Spirits; the 8.45pm feature film will be The Beast Of Riverside Hollow, with a Q&A, and the night ends with the VIP Awards Party at 11pm.

Day three, Sunday Shock The 28th, launches with the 10.30am classic feature, 1981’s Evil Dead, followed by the UK premiere of Nightfall – A Paranormal Investigation at noon and the Spectres & Shadows short film showcase at 1.30pm.

The UK premiere of Tabula Rasa will be shown at 2.45pm; the 4.15pm screening of He Kills At Night will include a Q&A, and Inside The Mind will be the theme of the 6pm short film showcase. In Dead Talks Part II at 7.30pm, the Independent Horror Society welcomes special guests for When Horror Struck Again, a discussion on underrated sequels.

The festival concludes with a classic feature, 1987’s Evil Dead II.  For more details on Dead Northern Part VI 2025 Horror Film Festival, visit deadnorthern.co.uk/dead-northern-2025-horror-film-festival.

In Focus: York Printmakers’ 10th Anniversary Handmade Print Fair, York Cemetery, today and tomorrow

Russell Hughes discussing monoprinting. Picture: Chris Kendall Photography

THIS weekend York Printmakers celebrates a decade of creativity, collaboration and craftsmanship with its 10th Annual Print Fair, designed for lovers of original art and handmade processes.

This year’s fair reflects the group’s continuing mission: to keep traditional printmaking alive, accessible and valued.

Over the past decade, York Printmakers has grown into a vibrant collective of more than 40 artists, all committed to the authenticity of printmaking. The fair showcases a wide range of techniques — from linocut to collagraph, screen print to woodcut — all created by hand.

“People are often surprised to learn the difference between a reproduction and a handmade print,” says founding member Sally Clarke. “At our fair, you get to see the blocks, the plates, the tools — and meet the people who made them.

“In a world where everything is easily copied, our fair champions the original: prints made by hand, with care and intention.”

Bridget Hunt describing how to make a collograph plate. Picture: Chris Kendall Photography

This year’s milestone event reflects on ten years of artistic evolution, celebrating the unique voices of long-standing members while championing the newer members to the collective: artists whose fresh perspectives and experimental approaches are helping to shape the future of the craft.

“It’s always a pleasure to welcome new members, especially those just discovering printmaking or beginning their creative journey,” says long-standing member Russell Hughes. “They bring energy and new ideas that inspire even the most experienced among us. And in return, we’re able to share knowledge and techniques that have stood the test of time. That exchange is what keeps the group dynamic and evolving.”

Visitors can explore a rich variety of work, meet the makers and buy original prints directly from the artists.

York Printmakers’ 10th Anniversary Handmade Print Fair,  Chapel and Harriet Room, York Cemetery, Cemetery Road, York, September 20 and 21, 10am to 5pm. Free entry.

York Printmakers’ poster for this weekend’s print fair at York Cemetery

Posted on

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 40, from Gazette & Herald

Rebecca Vaughan’s Lady Susan in Dyad Productions’ Austen’s Women: Lady Susan. Picture: Ben Guest

JANE Austen’s Lady Susan, supreme chamber musicians, nature photography and Inspector Morse’s stage debut keep September busy for Charles Hutchinson.

Magnificently crafted tale of manipulation and manners of the week: Dyad Productions in Austen’s Women: Lady Susan, York Theatre Royal Studio, tomorrow and Friday, 7.45pm, Saturday, 2pm; Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 7.30pm

DYAD Productions return with a new solo comedy show, Jane Austen’s 1794 tale of manipulation and manners. Directed by Andrew Margerison, company regular Rebecca Vaughan plays devil-may-care widow Lady Susan, oppressed, rebellious daughter Frederica, long-suffering sister-in-law Catherine, family matriarch Mrs De Courcy and insouciant best friend Alicia.

At the vanguard of Vaughan’s wickedly humorous adaptation is the charming, scheming and witty Lady Susan, taking on society and making it her own, but has she met her match? Box office: York, 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Classical festival of the week: York Chamber Music Festival 2025, Friday to Sunday

YORK Chamber Music Festival artistic director Tim Lowe brings the cream of European string playing to York for three days. Taking part in five concerts at the National Centre for Early Music, Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, and St Olave’s Church will be Charlotte Scott and Jonathan Stone, violins; Helene Clement and Gary Pomeroy, violas; Lowe and Jonathan Aasgaard, cello, and Katya Apekisheva, piano. For the full festival programme and tickets, go to: ycmf.co.uk.

Comedy gig of the week: Russell Kane, Hyperactive, York Barbican, Friday, 8pm

WHIRLWIND physical comedian, presenter, actor and author Russell Kane is out on the road again with his latest tour carrying a safety warning: “Wear strong underwear. Pants will be spoiled”. This show will be high-energy, high-octane and hyper-active. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.  

Film event of the week: Mother Vera with Q&A, City Screen Picturehouse, York, Friday, 6pm

IN a hidden Orthodox monastery in Belarus, Mother Vera weaves the inner world of an unorthodox young nun with the community that saved her life. After 20 years as a monastic, Vera faces deep inner conflict. Now, she must confront her past and trust her instincts to find the liberation she desires.

Friday’s screening of Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson’s winner of Best Documentary at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival – shot in black and white – will be accompanied by a question-and-answer session with Tomlinson, conducted by Aesthetica  writer and curator Rachel Pronger. Box office: picturehouses.com/cinema/city-screen-picturehouse.

Americana gig of the week: The Coal Porters, All Saints Church, Pocklington, Friday, 7.30pm

THE Coal Porters, who claim to be the world’s first “alt-bluegrass” act, will be led as ever by Sid Griffin in Pocklington, a day after celebrating his 70th birthday.

Prominent figures in the UK Americana and bluegrass scene for 17 years, Griffin’s band are back in the saddle this autumn for eight dates. Their songs showcase the power of fiddle, mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar and doghouse bass, all harmonised with four-part vocals and melodies. Box office: sidgriffin.com/tour; ticketsource.co.uk.

Ryedale exhibition launch of the week: All The Wood’s A Stage, Nunnington Hall, near York, from Saturday to March 29 2026

ALL The Wood’s A Stage will continue the 2022 showcase Woodland Sanctuary, exhibited originally at the Moors Centre in Danby. This latest chapter features predominantly new photographs that celebrate the beauty and vital significance of trees, woodlands and forests across the UK.

Photographers Joe Cornish and Simon Baxter depict trees as silent performers on nature’s stage, encouraging us to observe, listen and reflect. Trees provide joy, peace and inspiration, being lungs of the Earth, guardians of biodiversity and a crucial part of our mental and physical well-being. Through changing seasons, they symbolise life, death and renewal. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

Dance show of the week: The Return Of The Legends, starring Brendan, James, Pasha, Vincent and Ian, York Barbican, Saturday, 7.30pm

STRICTLY Come Dancing alumni Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite follow up 2024’s  Legends Of The Dancefloor with new Latin, tango, rumba and ballroom routines and more Strictly stories in The Return Of The Legends. Joined by a supporting cast, they deliver a night of dancing, camaraderie, music and laughter. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.  

Murder mystery of the week: Inspector Morse: House Of Ghosts, Grand Opera House, York, September 23 to 27, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees

BIRMINGHAM Repertory Theatre and Simon Friend Entertainment are touring the Inspector Morse franchise’s debut original stage play, House Of Ghosts, penned by Alma Cullen, directed by Anthony Banks and starring Tom Chambers.

A chilling mystery unfolds when a young actress dies suddenly on stage during a performance, prompting Detective Chief Inspector Morse to embark on a gripping investigation. What begins as a suspicious death inquiry takes a darker turn when the legendary inspector, in tandem with Detective Sergeant Lewis, uncovers a connection to sinister events in his own past, 25 years earlier. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Blues gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club, The Della Grants, Milton Rooms, Malton, September 25, 8pm

LEICESTER band The Della Grants’ songs seamlessly bridge the gaps between blues, rock and Americana. Since their inception in 2014, they have made a name for themselves among industry professionals and fellow musicians for their song-writing ability and performances. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Posted on

‘Beningbrough is a place for daydreams,’ says Whispers Of The Wilderness willow sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon

Willow sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon at her Whispers Of The Wilderness exhibition. Picture: National Trust/Anthony Chappel-Ross

DO Laura Ellen Bacon’s willow sculptures draw nature into Beningbrough Hall’s Reddihough Galleries and Great Hall or reach out to the grounds beyond the walls?

You decide, when encountering the National Trust’s exhibition, Whispers Of The Wilderness: Exploring Wilderness Gardens.

On show until April 12 2026, this immersive exhibition invites visitors to explore the dynamic relationship between art and nature through contemporary sculpture, historic artefacts and interactive experiences.

Curated to coincide with garden designer Andy Sturgeon’s transformative work on Beningbrough’s Wilderness Garden, the exhibition features the Derbyshire artist’s large-scale willow works, whose organic, flowing forms bring the essence of the Wilderness Garden indoors, evoking movement, energy and the untamed beauty of nature.

“It was a joy to discover Beningbrough across various seasons while designing and making the work,” says Laura, who has complemented her sculptures with new drawings in graphite on paper, inspired by Beningbrough and existing sculptures, with such titles as Bud, Unfurl, Whispers and Emergence, plus her original exhibition sketchbook.

“My imagination has drifted easily in the gentle landscape and within the lamp-lit interior views. Beningbrough is a place for daydreams.” 

Drawing in the Drawing Studio with artist Tanya Raabe-Webber at Beningbrough Hall’s Whispers Of The Wilderness exhibition. Picture: National Trust/Anthony Chappel-Ross

Utilising willow from Musgrove Willows, in Somerset, exhibition highlights include two woven sculptures, entitled Whispers, in the Great Hall that spill over plinths – the size of the plinths on the 1841 map of Beningbrough’s Wilderness Garden – suggesting  wild grasses swaying in the wind. Together with a monumental willow thicket in the Saloon Gallery, they invite visitors to step inside and reflect on nature’s resilience.

Look out too for nine historic pieces from the National Trust collection, tracing the 18th-century fascination with wilderness gardens as sensory retreats.

In addition, visitors can engage creatively in the new Drawing Studio, designed by artist Tanya Raabe-Webber, where all ages and abilities are encouraged to sketch, collaborate, and contribute to the exhibition.

Monthly artist-led sessions and talks will allow visitors an opportunity to delve deeper into the different elements of the exhibition.

The exhibition experience is designed to engage all the senses, with fragrant willow installations, touch spaces to explore weaving techniques, an audio chair featuring literary excerpts from Jane Austen’s novels Pride And Prejudice and Mansfield Park, poetry by CE Lansdowne and Arabella Green, and The Sounds of Nature soundscape inspired by the exhibition.

Outside, visitors can discover Beningbrough’s own Wilderness Garden, the latest area being redeveloped with improved paths, seating, views and planting, all part of Andy Sturgeon’s long-term vision for the garden.

Close-up of Whispers, willow sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon’s works on plinths in the Great Hall at Beningbrough Hall. Picture: National Trust/Anthony Chappel-Ross

Laura Turner, creative producer for the National Trust, says: “I’ve been working at Beningbrough for three years, and before that it was very much a space for showing paintings, but I wanted to invite artists to respond to this space with installation pieces.  

“When we were commissioning for this exhibition, we really wanted an artist we felt could respond to the Wilderness Garden, so we shortlisted four artists that specialised either in work in natural materials or had a direct connection to nature.

“We used exhibition staff and volunteers to make the final decision after each artist put forward a formal proposal, so the staff  have been involved from start to finish, including the exhibition design, such as the wooden title frames.”

The final choice was Laura Ellen Bacon, who grew up on a Derbyshire fruit farm with free rein to explore and to build secret and ever more ambitious dens. “I think Laura’s sculptures will really excite and surprise our visitors,” says Turner.

“Made in response to both the Wilderness Garden and the exhibition space, this exhibition is a celebration of creativity, heritage and the natural world. It’s a chance for visitors to connect with Beningbrough’s past and present through art that speaks to the soul.”

Turner highlights the impact of Thicket, Bacon’s sculpture in the Saloon, made from 30 willow bundles. “It hugs the wall, as if pointing towards the Wilderness Garden. It’s almost as though it’s leading you to that space, but equally it feels it comes from that space,” she says.

Laura Ellen Bacon with her willow sculpture Thicket in the Saloon at Beningbrough Hall. Picture: National Trust/Anthony Chappel-Ross

“I love how she has called two sculptures ‘Whispers’ because there’s something lovely about gardens whispering to you, calling to you to go out into there.”

Bacon has worked in willow for more than 20 years, developing her own technique to create ambitious forms that draw on her love of drawing and buildings, inspired by her architect father, who painted abstract works prolifically.

Her work has been exhibited at Chatsworth, the Holburne Museum in Bath, Denver Art Museum and most recently in the Chapel at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, near Wakefield (from April to September 7 this year).

She is delighted to be exhibiting at a National Trust property. “I’ve been a member of the National Trust since I was a teenager, going to so many with my [late] mum, mainly in Derbyshire,” says Bacon.

“My dad worked in the architect department for Derby County Council, where she would take him his sandwiches, and she used to say that if you listened carefully, you could hear the swish of ladies’ ballgowns on the walls, so I’ve always been interested in the idea that buildings hold things within the walls.”

As for Bacon’s answer to the opening question: “It’s up to the viewer to decide whether the garden is coming into the hall or the sculptures are leading out into the garden,” she says.

Beningbrough Hall is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, during September. For more information and further opening hours, or to plan a visit, go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beningbrough.

Laura Ellen Bacon’s willow sculpture Thicket, weaving its way up the Saloon wall at Beningbrough Hall. Picture: National Trust/Anthony Chappel-Ross

Did you know?

THE Reddihough Galleries on the first floor of Beningbrough Hall are named in honour of the late Mr Ian Reddihough, a passionate supporter of the National Trust charity. His legacy gift enables Beningbrough to continue to showcase high-quality art that reflects the hall’s rich history and evolving landscape.

Did you know too?

TO provide a framework for the Thicket sculpture in the Saloon, artist Laura Ellen Bacon made hundreds of simple loop structures, which are then joined together, using willow to weave and knot together.  The sculptures take hundreds of hours to create.

How is willow turned into a sculpture?

“IN order for the willow to be supple enough to work with, you put the willow bundles in water for a week, which makes it more malleable to shape it,” says Laura Turner.

Musgrove Willows uses both modern and traditional techniques to harvest, sort, grade and process the willow. Different willows have a different quality, scent and appearance, Old French and Dickie Meadow among them.

Posted on

More Things To Do in York & beyond when willow whispers and cinema pops outdoors. Hutch’s List No.39, from The York Press

Willow artist Laura Ellen Bacon in the saloon at her Whispers Of The Wilderness exhibition at Beningbrough Hall. Picture: Anthony Chappel-Ross

WILLOW sculptures, outdoor cinema, musical premieres and the Yellow Brick Road are beckoning Charles Hutchinson. 

Exhibition opening of the week: Laura Ellen Bacon, Whispers Of The Wilderness, Exploring Wilderness Gardens, Beningbrough Hall, near York, until April 12 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm

WHISPERS Of The Wilderness brings together contemporary large-scale willow sculptures by Laura Ellen Bacon, historic pieces from across the National Trust collection to showcase Wilderness Gardens through time and a new drawing studio designed by artist Tanya Raabe-Webber.

Complemented by a new soundscape, audio chair, sketches of the developing sculptures and more, the exhibition is a sensory experience across the first-floor Reddihough Galleries and Great Hall. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/beningbrough.  

Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Sunday’s screening at Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema at York Museum Gardens

Film event of the week: City Screen Picturehouse presents Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema, York Museum Gardens, York, Stop Making Sense (PG), tonight, 6.30pm; 10 Things I Hate About You (12A), Sunday, 6.30pm

JONATHAN Demme’s Stop Making Sense, capturing David Byrne’s Talking Heads in perpetual motion at Hollywood’s Panatges Theatre in December 1983, re-emerges in a 40th anniversary restoration of “the greatest concert film of all time”.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Allison Janney, Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger star in 10 Things I Hate About You, wherein Cameron falls for Bianca on the first day of school, but not only his uncool status stops him from asking her out. Blankets, cushions and small camping chairs are allowed. Box office: picturehouses.com/outdoor-cinema/venue/york-museum-gardens.

Hal Cruttenden: Reflecting on the insanity of modern politics at Burning Duck Comedy Club. Picture: Matt Crockett

“Take no prisoners” gig of the week: Hal Cruttenden Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 8pm

HAL Cruttenden promises to stick it to ‘The Man’, as long as ‘The Man’ does not stick it back to him. Expect hard-hitting pontificating on middle-aged dating, social media, the insanity of modern politics and his daughters loving him but not respecting him. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Artist Kerry Ann Moffat with her oil painting Sunlight Catching Wooden Sculpture at the Created In York pop-up gallery in High Petergate, York

Pop-up art space of the week: Created In York, hosted by Blank Canvas by Skippko charity, 22 High Petergate, York, 10.30am to 5pm, Thursdays to Saturdays; 11am to 4pm, Sundays

CHAMPIONING change through creativity, York art charity Skippko’s rolling programme of three-week Created In York shows is running in High Petergate until December 2025 in tandem with York Conservation Trust. On show until September 14 are oil paintings by Kerry Ann Moffat and linocuts and woodblock prints by Rachel Holborow.

York RI Golden Rail Band: Performing Sounding Brass and Voices with York RI Golden Railway Band. Picture: Keith Meadley

Musical partnership of the week: Sounding Brass and Voices, York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and York RI Golden Rail Band, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm

YORK Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and York RI Golden Rail Band reunite for a fourth joint concert in a tender and thrilling pairing of brass and voices, celebrating 100 years of music.

“From romantic film music to toe-tapping hits, there will be something for everyone,” says Golden Rail Band conductor Nick Eastwood.  Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Musicals Across The Multiverse choreographer Connie Howcroft, right, working on moves with Zander Fick, Ben Holeyman, Abbie Law and Lauren Charlton-Matthews

Interdimensional journey of the week: Wharfemede Productions in Musicals Across The Multiverse, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 10 to 13, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee

DIRECTOR Helen “Bells” Spencer and musical director Matthew Clare follow up 2023’s Musicals In The Multiverse 2023 with another blend of iconic musical theatre hits reconfigured with surprising twists. 

“Think unexpected style swaps, minor to major key switches, gender reversals, era-bending reinterpretations, genre mash-ups and more,” says Bells.” Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Debbie Isitt’s cast in rehearsal for the world premiere of Military Wives – The Musical at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Danny With A Camera

World premiere of the week: Military Wives – The Musical, York Theatre Royal, September 10 to 27, times vary

YORK Theatre Royal stages the world premiere of writer-director Debbie Isitt’s musical based on the 2019 film, rooted in Gareth Malone’s The Choir: Military Wives project.

Faced with husbands and partners being away at war, the women are isolated, bored and desperate to take their minds off feelings of impending doom. Enter Olive to help them form a choir. Cue a joyous celebration of female empowerment and friendship, courage and ‘unsung’ heroes. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Libby Greenhill’s Medium Alison, left, Hattie Wells’s Young Alison and Claire Morley’s Alison in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Fun Home

York premiere of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Fun Home, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, September 10 to 19, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday matinees

ROBERT Readman directs the York premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Krow’s five-time Tony Award winner, based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel. 

When her volatile father dies unexpectedly, Alison (Claire Morley) recalls how his temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, she relives her unique childhood at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her sexuality and the looming, unanswerable questions of her father’s hidden desires. Box office: ticketsourse.co.uk/pickmeuptheatrecom.

Rob Newman: Wondering where we are going in Where The Wild Things Were at The Crescent

The future, now: Burning Duck Comedy Club presents Rob Newman, Where The Wild Things Were, The Crescent, York, September 11, 7.30pm

ROB Newman wants to discuss where we are and where we are going, from future cities and philistine film directors to Dorothy Parker’s Multiverse Diaries. Throw in Pythagorean gangsters, intellectual bingo callers and a crazy character called Arlo for a comedic “tour-de-force utterly unlike anything else you will ever see anywhere else”. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Mick Tickner: Headlining the Funny Fridays bill at Patch

Comedy gathering of the week: Funny Fridays, at Patch, Bonding Warehouse, Terry Avenue, York, September 12, 7.30pm

AFTER May and June sell-outs and a summer break, Funny Fridays returns for a third night of stand-up hosted by promoter and comedian Katie Lingo. On the £10 bill are 2023 Hull Comedian of the Year Hannah Margaret, Jamie Clinton, Kerris Gibson, James Earl Marsters and headliner Mick Tickner. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk/e/funny-fridays-at-patch-tickets-1473792325519?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Erin Childs’ Dorothy with Toto (Freddie) in York Stage’s The Wizard Of Oz

Ruby slippers of the week: York Stage in The Wizard Of Oz, Grand Opera House, York, September 12 to 20, times vary

UNDER Nik Briggs’s direction, York Stage skips down the Yellow Brick Road as Erin Childs’ Dorothy, Toto and her friends, the Scarecrow (Flo Poskitt), Tin Man (Stu Hutchinson), and Cowardly Lion (Finn East), journey to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard (Ian Giles).

In navigating the enchanting landscape of Oz, Dorothy is watched closely by Glinda, the Good Witch (Carly Morton) as the Wicked Witch of the West (Emily Alderson) plots to thwart Dorothy’s quest and reclaim the magical ruby slippers. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Posted on

26 Contemporary Glass Society makers draw inspiration from Vivaldi for The Four Seasons exhibition at Pyramid Gallery

The poster for The Four Seasons, the Contemporary Glass Society’s exhibition at Pyramid Gallery, York

THE Four Seasons – A Celebration of Contemporary Glass Art Inspired by Vivaldi opens at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, on Saturday.

On show until November 1, this autumn’s vibrant celebration of glass and the seasons is presented in partnership with the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS),  bringing together the work of 26 glass artists from across Great Britain, each exploring the enduring beauty and drama of Vivaldi’s iconic concertos, 300 years after they were first composed.

“This inspiring showcase offers a unique opportunity to experience the changing moods and colours of the seasons through the expressive possibilities of contemporary glass,” says gallery owner and curator Terry Brett.

“Using an array of traditional and modern techniques – from glassblowing, kiln forming and fusing, to mosaic, stained glass, casting and pâte de verre – the exhibition demonstrates the incredible diversity and innovation within today’s glass-making community.

“Whether you’re an art collector, a lover of glass, or simply intrigued by how sound and seasonality can inspire visual art, The Four Seasons promises to be a rich and resonant experience.”

To mark the launch of The Four Seasons, a free artist talk will be held on Friday from 4pm to 5pm at The Belfry Hall, Stonegate, where four of the exhibiting artists, Priya Laxmi, Helen Bower, Suzie Smith and Dr Helen Slater Stokes, will discuss their creative processes and seasonal inspirations. To book a ticket, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1594594056749?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Before the talk, guests are invited to preview the exhibition from 2:30pm, with drinks and nibbles provided.

In addition, a private view will take place at Pyramid Gallery on Saturday from 11am to 3pm, offering buyers and collectors the first opportunity to purchase works from the exhibition. Drinks and nibbles will be provided.

“The Contemporary Glass Society is delighted to return to the Pyramid Gallery for an exhibition this year,” says chair Sarah Brown. “I’m so pleased that we can bring a variety of work from some of our members to York.

“Sharing a snapshot of the breadth of creativity within glass making to the general public and providing platforms for makers to sell their work is a key part of our mission in supporting makers at all stages of their careers and promoting glass as a creative material and preserving the history of working in glass.”

Glass makers featured in The Four Seasons will be: Ali Robertson, Alison Vincent, Caroline Reed, Cathryn Shilling, Deborah Timperley, Elizabeth Sinkova, Frans Wesselman, Gail Turbutt, Helen Bower, Helen Restorick, Dr Helen Slater Stokes, Janette Garthwaite, Jane Yarnell, Kate Pasvol, Kerry Roffe, Layne Rowe, Lydia Swann, Nour El Huda Awad, Pamela Fyvie, Pascale Penfold, Priya Laxmi, Rosie Deegan, Stephanie Else, Suzie Smith, Valerie Bernardini and Wendy Newhoffer.

The Four Seasons, A Celebration of Contemporary Glass Art Inspired by Vivaldi, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, September 6 to November 1. Opening hours:  Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

Posted on

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 38, from Gazette & Herald

Willow artist Laura Ellen Bacon at her Whispers Of The Wilderness exhibition at Beningbrough Hall. Picture Anthony Chappel-Ross

WILLOW sculptures, a riotous Shakespeare comedy, outdoor cinema and a festival of practical arts are early September attractions for Charles Hutchinson. 

Exhibition opening of the week; Whispers Of The Wilderness, Exploring Wilderness Gardens, Beningbrough Hall, near York, until April 12 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm

WHISPERS Of The Wilderness brings together contemporary large-scale willow sculptures by Laura Ellen Bacon, historic pieces from across the National Trust collection to showcase Wilderness Gardens through time, and a new drawing studio designed by artist  Tanya Raabe-Webber.

Complemented by a new soundscape, audio chair, sketches of the developing sculptures and more, the exhibition is a sensory experience across the first-floor Reddihough Galleries and Great Hall. Its opening coincides with Beningbrough’s own Wilderness Garden being the next to be developed as part of Andy Sturgeon’s long-term garden vision, from autumn this year. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/beningbrough.  

The HandleBards’ poster for Much Ado About Nothing, tonight’s Shakespeare riotous comedy performance at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York

Shakespeare performance of the week: The HandleBards in Much Ado About Nothing, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall Great Hall, York, tonight, 7pm

PEDEALLING from venue to venue with set, props and costumes on bikes, the HandleBards’ four-strong troupe of actors is spending the summer touring environmentally sustainable Shakespeare hither and thither in a bicycle-powered indoor production of Much Ado full of riotous energy and comedic chaos.

Soldiers return from the war to a household in Messina, kindling new love interests and re-kindling old rivalries as the parallel love stories of Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio and Hero become entangled with scheming, frivolity and melodrama. Box office for returns only: handlebards.com/show/much-ado-about-nothing-merchant-adventurers-hall.

Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World Rebirth, Friday’s film at Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema in York Museum Gardens

Film event of the week: City Screen Picturehouse presents Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema, York Museum Gardens, York, Jurassic World Rebirth (12A), Friday, 6.30pm; Stop Making Sense (PG), Saturday, 6.30pm; 10 Things I Hate About You (12A), Sunday, 6.30pm

SCARLETT Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali star in Gareth Edwards’ new Jurassic World chapter as an intrepid team races to secure DNA samples from the three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air.

Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense, capturing David Byrne’s Talking Heads in perpetual motion at Hollywood’s Panatges Theatre in December 1983, re-emerges in a 40th anniversary restoration of “the greatest concert film of all time”. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Allison Janney, Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger star in 10 Things I Hate About You, wherein Cameron falls for Bianca on the first day of school, but not only his uncool status stops him from asking her out. 

Blankets, cushions and small camping chairs are allowed at screenings that will begin at dusk or as soon as darkness descends. Box office: picturehouses.com/outdoor-cinema/venue/york-museum-gardens.

Jason Manford is A Manford All Seasons at York Barbican, Scarborough Spa and Hull City Hall

Comedy gigs of the week; Jason Manford in A Manford All Seasons, York Barbican, Friday, 7.30pm and November 15, 7.30pm; Scarborough Spa Grand Hall, Saturday, 7.30pm; Hull City Hall, January 22 2026, 7.30pm

SALFORD comedian, writer, actor, singer and radio and television presenter is on tour in his new stand-up show. He cites Billy Connolly as the first comedian he saw aged nine and as his first inspiration and he cherishes such family friendly entertainers as Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Les Dawson. Box office: York, yorkbarbican.co.uk; Scarborough, scarboroughspa.co.uk; Hull, hulltheatres.co.uk.

Lino print art demonstration at Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts in Fangfoss

Silver anniversary of the week: Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts, Fangfoss, East Riding, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm each day

FANGFOSS is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fangfest with the All Things Silver flower festival; veteran cars; archery; the Stamford Bridge Heritage Society; music on the village green; children’s games; the Teddy Bear Trail and artists aplenty exhibiting and demonstrating their work. 

Opportunities will be provided to try out the potter’s wheel, spoon carving and chocolate making. Some drop-in activities are free; more intensive workshops require booking in advance. Look out too for the circus skills of children’s entertainer John Cossham, alias Professor Fiddlesticks, and the Pocklington and District Heritage Trust mobile museum. Admission is free.

York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir: Performing Sounding Brass and Voices concert with York RI Golden Railway Band at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York

Musical partnership of the week: Sounding Brass and Voices, York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and York RI Golden Rail Band, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Saturday,7.30pm

TWO well-loved York ensembles reunite for Sounding Brass and Voices to celebrate 100 years of music. York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and York RI Golden Rail Band are performing a joint concert for the fourth time in a tender and thrilling pairing of brass and voices.

“From romantic film music to toe-tapping hits, there will be something for everyone,” says Golden Rail Band conductor Nick Eastwood. “And prepare yourselves for the finale, when the choir and the band will take the stage together for a couple of glorious and rousing numbers that will gladden your heart and send you home singing.” Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Gruff Rhys: Solo gig at The Crescent, York. Picture: Ryan Eddleston

York gig of the week: Gruff Rhys, The Crescent, York, September 10, 7.30pm

SUPER Furry Animals and Neon Neon musician Gruff Rhys plays The Crescent two days ahead of the release of his ninth solo album, Dim Probs, his fourth sung entirely in Welsh, marking his debut on Rock Action Records.

Over the years, Rhys has collaborated with Gorillaz, Africa Express, Mogwai, Sparklehorse, Danger Mouse, Sabrina Salerno and Imarhan and written two books, multiple cinema and video game soundtracks and an opera, created music for three stage shows and devised two feature documentaries. Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com/events/gruff-rhys.

Suede: Returning to York Barbican on 2026 Antidepressants tour. Picture: Dean Chalkley

Show announcement of the week: Suede, Antidepressants UK Tour 2026, York Barbican, February 7 2026

AFTER playing York Barbican for the first time in more than 25 years in March 2023, Suede will make a rather hastier return on their 17-date January and February tour. Brett Anderson’s London band will be promoting tenth studio album Antidepressants, out on September 5 on BMG.

“If [2022’s] Autofiction was our punk record, Antidepressants is our post-punk record,” says Anderson. “It’s about the tensions of modern life, the paranoia, the anxiety, the neurosis. We are all striving for connection in a disconnected world. This was the feel I wanted the songs to have. This is broken music for broken people.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/suede26.

Posted on

More Things To Do in York and beyond as XXX exits and a cosmic piano arrives. Hutch’s List No. 38, from The York Press

Oh No! Have we missed Harland Miller’s XXX exhibition of Letter Paintings at York Art Gallery? No, this weekend is the last chance

HARLAND Miller’s XXX finale and Fangfest’s 25th anniversary, a comic convention and a cosmic piano are among Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations as August makes way for September. 

Do not miss: Harland Miller, XXX, York Art Gallery, ends on Sunday, open daily 10am to 5pm

THIS weekend is the last chance to see York-raised Pop artist and writer Harland Miller’s return to York Art Gallery with XXX, showcasing paintings and works on paper from his Letter Paintings series, including several new paintings, not least ‘York’, a floral nod to Yorkshire’s white rose and York’s daffodils. 

Inspired by his upbringing in 1970s’ Yorkshire and an itinerant lifestyle in New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Paris during the 1980s and 1990s, Miller creates colourful and graphically vernacular works that convey his love of popular language and attest to his enduring engagement with its narrative, aural and typographical possibilities. Tickets: yorkartgallery.org.uk.

 Fladam’s Flo Poskitt and Adam Sowter: Premiering their shiny new musical comedy, Astro-Norma!, at York Explore today

Intergalactic musical family adventure of the week: Fladam Theatre in Astro-Norma And The Cosmic Piano, York Explore Library and Archive, Library Square, York, today, 11am and 2pm

FROM the creators of Green Fingers and the spooky HallowBean comes Astro-Norma And The Cosmic Piano, wherein Norma dreams of going into space, like her heroes Mae Jemison and Neil Armstrong, although children can’t go into space, can they? Especially children with a very  important piano recital coming up.

But what bizarre-looking contraption has just crash-landed in the garden? Is it a bird? Or a plane? No… it’s a piano?! No ordinary piano. This is a cosmic piano! Maybe Norma’s dreams can come true? Join Fladam duo Flo Poskitt and Adam Sowter for a 45-minute show full of awesome aliens, rib-tickling robots and interplanetary puns. Box office: tickettailor.com/events/exploreyorklibrariesandarchives.

You, Me And Who We’ll Be: Josie Brookes and Tom Madge’s exhibition at Nunnington Hall

Children’s exhibition of the week: Josie Brookes and Tom Madge, You, Me And Who We’ll Be, Nunnington Hall, near York, until September 7

ENTER the colourful worlds of children’s illustrators Josie Brookes and Tom Madge. Through bold, eye-catching artwork, the Newcastle-upon-Tyne duo creates stories that explore the many ways we can help and understand each other, make friends and build relationships.  

Discover your own helpful superpower in the Big Small Nature Club or join best friends Nader and Solomiya on a journey to find home. A dress-up station lets you share in the adventures of Molly the Flower. Before you go, help the story grow by adding your own artwork to the interactive gallery. Tickets: Normal admission charges at nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/exhibitions.

York Unleashed Comic-Con: Special guests, stage talks, cosplay masquerade, attractions and merchandise market at York Racecourse

Convention of the week: York Unleashed Comic-Con, York Racecourse, Knavesmire, York, Sunday, 11am to 5pm

UNLEASHED Events welcomes Tom Rosenthal, Tim Blaney, Peter Davison, Phil Fletcher and special guest Atticus Finch Wobbly Cat to a comic convention featuring stage talks, cosplay masquerade and plenty more.

Comic artists and authors Jim Alexander, Elinor Taylor, Blake Books, Jessica Meats, Paolo Debernardi and Ben Sawyer are appearing too. Attractions include Doctor Bell, Bumblebee Camaro, Johnny 5, Milestone 3D, Imagination Gaming, Battle Ready Academy, Mos Eisley Misfits, Tom Daws Dimple Magician, Rexys Reviews and Iconic Movie Scenes, plus a market selling merchandise and collectables from favourite franchises. Tickets: unleashedtickets.co.uk.

SmART art: One of 100 artworks for sale at the pop-up SmART Gallery at York Racecourse

Art event of the week: SmART Gallery, Racecourse Road, York, YO23 1EU, Sunday, 11am to 2.30pm

SUNDAY’S outdoor, inclusive community art gallery, SmART Gallery, will raise money for the Christmas appeal run by Crisis, the homeless charity, and voluntary work in Sierra Leone next Easter.

The event features more than 100 pieces of art work produced by the York community. Blank canvases are sold for £10, then returned once the art work has been created in any medium. Browsers can submit a secret bid on the day for anything they would like to buy. Any unsold artwork will remain on the fence opposite York Racecourse’s main entrance for five months for all to enjoy.

Austentatious: Improvising new Jane Austen novel from audience suggestions at Grand Opera House, York

Improv show of the week: Show And Tell present Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, Grand Opera House, York, September 5 and 6, 7.30pm

AS seen every week in the West End since 2022 and in York in a sold-out show in January, the all-star Austentatious cast will improvise a new Jane Austen novel, inspired entirely by a title from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, this riotous, quick-moving comedy comes with guaranteed swooning.

The revolving Austentatious cast includes numerous award-winning television and radio performers, such as Cariad Lloyd (QI, Inside No.9, Griefcast, The Witchfinder),Joseph Morpurgo (Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee), Rachel Parris (The Mash Report), Graham Dickson (After Life, The Witchfinder) and more. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Pottery workshop at 25th anniversary Fangest Festival of Practical Arts in Fangfoss

Silver anniversary of the week: Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts, Fangfoss, East Riding, September 6 and 7, 10am to 4pm each day

FANGFOSS is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fangfest with the All Things Silver flower festival; veteran cars; archery; the Stamford Bridge Heritage Society; music on the village green; children’s games; the Teddy Bear Trail and artists aplenty exhibiting and demonstrating their work. 

Opportunities will be provided to try out the potter’s wheel, spoon carving and chocolate making. Some drop-in activities are free; more intensive workshops require booking in advance. Look out too for the circus skills of children’s entertainer John Cossham, alias Professor Fiddlesticks, and the Pocklington and District Heritage Trust mobile museum. Admission is free.

Suede: Returning to York Barbican next February on Antidepressants tour. Picture: Dean Chalkley

Show announcement of the week: Suede, Antidepressants UK Tour 2026, York Barbican, February 7 2026

AFTER playing York Barbican for the first time in more than 25 years in March 2023, Suede will make a rather hastier return on their 17-date January and February tour. Brett Anderson’s London band will be promoting  tenth studio album Antidepressants, out on September 5 on BMG.

“If [2022’s] Autofiction was our punk record, Antidepressants is our post-punk record,” says Anderson. “It’s about the tensions of modern life, the paranoia, the anxiety, the neurosis. We are all striving for connection in a disconnected world. This was the feel I wanted the songs to have. This is broken music for broken people.” Box office: York, yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/suede26.

REVIEW: National Theatre in War Horse, Leeds Grand Theatre, until Sept 6 *****

Tom Sturgess (Albert Narracott), left, with Diany Samba-Bandza, Jordan Paris and Eloise Beaumont-Wood (Baby Joey) in War Horse, on tour at Leeds Grand Theatre. Picture: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

ELEVEN years since first encountering the National Theatre’s remarkable War Horse at the Alhambra, Bradford, a return visit brought out all the awe, wonderment and anger anew at Leeds Grand Theatre amid the turbulence of 21st century conflicts, conflagrations and ever more warmongering.

Michael Morpurgo’s source novel was ostensibly a tale for children, as was Michelle Magorian’s Second World War story Goodnight Mister Tom, but Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris’s theatrical tour de force is a show for everyone.

The most successful play in the history of the National Theatre, collecting more than 25 awards and playing to 8.3 million people worldwide, War Horse is a complete piece of theatre, replete with technical aplomb, extraordinary puppetry, grand design and foundation-shaking sound to complement Nick Stafford’s beautiful, powerful storytelling.

For all those theatrical tools, the story is king, told with imagination and wonder beyond even the cinematic scope of Steven Spielberg’s 2011 film version.

More remarkable still, Morpurgo’s central character is a horse, whose journey is charted from Devon farm to the fields of the Somme, in the service of first the British and then the Germans in the First World War.

Directors Elliott and Morris and designer Rae Smith had the original vision, put into flesh by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company’s Adrian Kohler. Not so much flesh as leather tack and a wooden see-through framework that exposed the three puppeteers, gloved and dressed to add to the sense of equine power in life-sized Joey, whose transformation from colt to magnificent beast is a coup de theatre that takes the breath away.

From the highly physical ensemble acting of revival director Katie Henry’s cast to the deafening sounds of war (by sound designer Christopher Shutt) and the omnipresent animation and projection designs of Nicol Scott and Ben Pearcy that depict war so devastatingly, every last detail counts. Anne Marie Piazza’s singing of John Tams’s affecting folk songs is even more haunting for its female interpretation.

At the core is the bond of a boy and his horse, Tom Sturgess’s stoical farm boy Albert Narracott and noble Joey, as boy becomes man all too young in the most brutal passage of rights in the trenches. War divides but it also unites, bringing out the best and worst on all sides (as Morpurgo’s equal focus on the Germans emphasises).

Co-produced with Michael Harrison, Fiery Angel and Playing Field, this “all-new tour” for 2024-2025 is a triumph once more. The National Theatre and British theatre at their best.

National Theatre in War Horse, Leeds Grand Theatre, until September 6, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.