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More Things To Do in York and beyond as clocks go back for longer nights and festival shorts. Hutch’s List No. 104, from The Press

Filip Fredrik’s Elements: Showing at Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2022

A FILM festival with international pedigree, poetry clashes, comedy aplenty and Constellations shine out for Charles Hutchinson.

Festival of the week: Aesthetica Short Film Festival, across York, Tuesday to Sunday

AESTHETICA Short Film Festival returns for 300 films in 15 venues over six days in York in its 12th edition. The BAFTA-Qualifying event will have a hybrid format, combining the live festival with a selection of screenings, masterclasses and events on the digital platform until November 30.

New for 2022 will be York Days, a discount scheme with the chance to save 50 per cent on prices on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday programmes. Comedies, dramas, thrillers, animation, family-friendly films and documentaries all feature, complemented by workshops, the Virtual Reality Lab, installations and the festival fringe. Box office: asff.co.uk/tickets.

Malaika Kegode: Guest appearance at Say Owt Slam’s birthday party. Picture: Jon Aitken

Birthday party of the week: Say Owt Slam’s 8th Birthday Special, with Malaika Kegode, The Crescent, York, tonight (29/10/2022), 7.30pm

SAY Owt, York’s loveable gang of performance poets, Stu Freestone, Henry Raby, Hannah Davies and David Jarman, welcome special-guest Bristol poet Malaika Kegode to a high-energy night of words and verse, humour and poet-versus-poet fun.

“It started as a one-off gig! I can’t believe we’re still slamming eight years later,” says artistic director and host Raby. “Whether you’re a veteran or looking for something new, everyone is welcome at a Say Owt Slam, where each poet has a maximum of three minutes to wow randomly selected judges with their poetry.” Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

David O’Doherty: Change of date for York gig

On the move: David O’Doherty: Whoa Is Me, Grand Opera House, York, changing from Monday to February 5 2023, 8pm

HERE he comes again, albeit later than first planned, trotting on stage with all of the misplaced confidence of a waiter with no pad.

“There’ll be lots of talking, some apologising and some songs on a glued-together plastic keyboard from 1986,” promises David O’Doherty, comedian, author, musician, actor and playwright, 1990 East Leinster under-14 triple jump bronze medallist and son of jazz pianist Jim Doherty. Box office: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.

Flo & Joan: Musical comedy duo offer thoughts on topics of the day

Musical comedy of the week: Flo & Joan, Sweet Release, Grand Opera House, York, Tuesday, 7.3pm

FLO & Joan, the British musical comedy duo of sisters Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, play York as one of 30 additional dates on their 2022 tour after their return to the Edinburgh Fringe.

Climbing back out of their pits, armed with a piano and percussion, they poke around the  classic topics of the day with their fusion of comedy and song with a dark undertow.

The sisters have penned five numbers for the West End musical Death Drop and have written and performed songs for Horrible Histories (CBBC), Rob Delaney’s Stand Up Central (Comedy Central) and BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show. Box office: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.

Emilio Iannucci: Starring in Nick Payne’s romantic two-hander Constellations at the SJT

Play of the week outside York: Constellations, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, running until November 12

WHEN beekeeper Roland meets scientist Marianne, anything could happen in University of York alumnus Nick Payne’s romantic and revealing exploration of the many possibilities that can result from a single meeting. Reminiscent of Sliding Doors and Kate Atkinson’s novel Life After Life, this two-hander starring Carla Harrison-Hodge and Emilio Iannucci ponders “What if?”.

“Constellations plays with time and space in the most brilliant way,” says director Paul Robinson. “Deeply human, deeply moving, it genuinely tilts the world for you. I challenge anyone not to leave the theatre just a bit more aware of what a fragile and remarkable thing life is.” Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Bring It On: “The thrill of extreme competition”

Backflip of the week: York Stage in Bring It On: The Musical, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Wednesday to Saturday, 7.30pm; Saturday matinee, 2.30pm

THE York premiere of Bring It On backflips into the JoRo in a youth theatre production directed by Nik Briggs. Inspired by the film of the same name, this story of the challenges and surprising bonds forged through the thrill of extreme competition is packed with vibrant characters, electrifying contemporary songs and explosive choreography.

This Broadway hit is the energy-fuelled work of Tony Award winners Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) and Tom Kitt (Grease: Live). Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Humour on hand: Harry Hill promises Pedigree Fun on his first tour since 2013

Very silly show of the week: Harry Hill, Pedigree Fun!, Grand Opera House, York, Wednesday, 7.30pm

COMEDIAN, writer, actor, artist and former doctor Harry Hill and his big shirt collars take to the stage for an all-singing, all-dancing surrealist spectacular in his long-awaited return to the live arena for the fist time since 2013’s Sausage Time tour.

“I hadn’t realised how much I missed performing live until lockdown stopped me from doing it,” he says. “The good news is I’m planning a very silly show.” Full of pop-culture spoofs, no doubt.

Audiences will meet Harry’s new baby elephant, Sarah, along with regular sidekick Stouffer the Cat. Box office: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.

John McCusker: Fiddler supreme on 30th anniversary tour

Fiddler on the road: The John McCusker Band 30th Anniversary Tour, National Centre for Early Music, York, Wednesday, 7.30pm

SCOTTISH fiddle player John McCusker will be joined by Ian Carr, Sam Kelly, Helen McCabe and Toby Shaer for his concert series in celebration of 30 years as a professional folk musician since cutting his teeth in The Battlefield Band at 17.

To coincide with this landmark, McCusker has released a Best Of album featuring tracks from his solo records and television and film soundtracks, alongside a book of 100 original compositions, John McCusker: The Collection.

“I’m delighted to be able to get this special show on the road and celebrate 30 years as a professional musician,” says McCusker. “I’m looking forward to performing the highlights from my back catalogue and revisiting memories associated with those tracks.

“It’s brilliant that I’ve been able to make music and perform for 30 years and I’ve worked with so many incredible people in that time. I’ve never had a plan; good things have just
happened and, so far, it’s worked out as well as I could possibly have dreamed of. I can’t
wait to play with my friends again.” Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

York Settlement Community Players’ cast for Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike: Mick Liversidge (Vanya), top left, Victoria Delaney (Sonia) and Susannah Baines (Sasha); Andrew Roberts (Spike), bottom left, Sanna Jeppsson (Cassandra) and Livy Potter

York premiere of the week: York Settlement Community Players in Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Thursday, Friday, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm, 7.30pm

VANYA and his sister Sonia live a quiet life in the Pennsylvania farmhouse where they grew up, but when their famous film-star sister, Masha, makes an impromptu visit with her dashing, twenty-something boyfriend, Spike, a chaotic weekend ensues.

Resentment, rivalry and revealing premonitions begin to boil over as the three siblings battle to be heard in Christopher Durang’s comedy, winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best New Play with its blend of Chekhovian ennui, modern-day concerns of celebrity, social networking and the troubling onset of middle age. Jim Paterson directs Settlement Players’ production. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Plastic Mermaids: “Emotional exploration of the many facets of heartbreak”

Time to discover…Plastic Mermaids, The Crescent, York, November 10; Oporto, Leeds, February 2 2023

AFTER playing Glastonbury and Camp Bestival in the summertime, Isle of Wight five-piece Plastic Mermaids are off on an 11-date tour to promote their second album, It’s Not Comfortable To Grow, out now on Sunday Best.

Led by brothers Douglas and Jamie Richards, who approach life like an art project, they face up to their dark side in an emotional exploration of the many facets of heartbreak on such psych-rock and electronica numbers as Girl Boy Girl, Disposable Love, Something Better and Elastic Time. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

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Furniture maker Richard Frost, sculptor Jenny Chan and artist Jane Burgess exhibit under one roof at Blossom Steet Gallery

Richard Frost: Furniture maker and Tutankhamun enthusiast

BLOSSOM Street Gallery, in York, is playing host to an autumn triple bill of exhibitions until November 30.

Taking part are York furniture designer and cabinet maker Richard Frost, celebrating the centenary of Tutankhamun’s discovery; ceramic sculptor Jenny Chan, showcasing her Wise Woman, and painter Jane Burgess, presenting her In Southern Climes watercolours and oils.

Richard’s exhibition comprises pieces of fine furniture inspired by his fascination with ancient Egypt, alongside a number of smaller items, in the culmination to 18 months’ work, including the study of ancient Egyptian artefacts and architecture.

“On November 4 1922, excavators led by Egyptologist Howard Carter uncovered
the tomb of Tutankhamun,” says Richard. “When asked what he saw, he replied, ‘wonderful things’. This exhibition is my tribute to the beauty and elegance of ancient Egypt that he revealed.”

The poster for Richard Forst Design’s exhibition at Blossom Street Gallery

Items exhibited by Richard Frost Design include drinks cabinet inspired by
hieroglyphics, a hat stand and wall cabinets prompted by a study of the lotus
flower.

Richard says: “Working from my workshop in York, I produce bespoke and limited-edition handcrafted furniture, household goods and gifts. With no single definitive style, I take my inspiration from both the natural world and our industrial heritage. My portfolio includes pieces with a traditional feel and those with more of a contemporary look. At all times, my objective is to produce an exquisite piece of furniture.”

Born in Hong Kong, Jenny Chan spent much of her childhood on the small island of Nauru without the distractions of a television set and not even a radio. Instead, she explored her environment and loved to tinker from an early age. 

She started sculpting in 2017, completely unsure of her capabilities after being a housewife for 16 years. “Despite being ‘confidence zero’, I started to create ceramics sculptures, which I found peaceful and fulfilling, the ideal distraction for relieving anxiety and isolation as a new immigrant in the UK,” she says.

Ceramic sculptor Jenny Chan: “Heeding the words of the Wise Woman”

Applying meticulous and reflective craftsmanship, she makes expressive figurative sculptures, each one with its own story.  “I find inspiration from the integrity and honesty within people, the vitality, healing and peace,” says Jenny, whose work is intriguingly detailed and touched by her Chinese origins. Her exhibition may continue after November 30, with no closing date set.

Jane Burgess was born in 1948 in Cheshire, where she developed a love of landscape and an interest in drawing and painting from an early age.

“I was influenced greatly by my father, Morgan Hewinson, who was an artist and lecturer at Manchester College of Art,” she says. “He encouraged my enthusiasm for visual art.

“One time, when I wanted to do silk-screen printing, he converted my mum’s tea trolley into a press! Sometimes we went out sketching in the countryside or at slum-clearance and bomb sites in Stockport and Manchester.”

Jenny Chan’s Wise Woman sculptures, Richard Frost’s furniture designs and a Jane Burgess painting on show at Blossom Street Gallery, York

Jane is still fascinated by tangled vegetation, broken fences and dilapidated buildings. “My work sometimes invites the viewer to see beauty in unexpected subjects,” she says.

While at school, she attended Saturday morning classes for sixth-form students at Manchester College of Art, going on to study on a foundation course in Leicester and to gain a BA Hons in art and design at Maidstone College of Art.

After two years of working and travelling in North Africa, the Middle East and India, Jane moved to Huddersfield in 1974 and raised a family. “I started painting in earnest again in the Eighties,” she says. “I work in a variety of media – mostly watercolours and oils – and would describe myself as a tonal and figurative painter.

“Watercolour appeals to me because of its immediacy of use and the luminosity of its colours. With oils, I often paint en plein air, completing a work in one session or creating a piece that I then finish in the studio.”

Jane Burgess’s poster for her In Southern Climes exhibition at Blossom Street Gallery

Jane paints subjects in West Yorkshire, other parts of the UK and abroad. “I’m particularly interested in the effects of light in the landscape and carry a camera everywhere, using photography both as a means of recording and to experiment with composition,” she says.

“Having been an adult education teacher of drawing and painting, I now go out to paint regularly with a group made up largely of my ex-students.”

Jane is an elected member of two professional bodies: Manchester Academy of Fine Arts (MAFA) and Leeds Fine Artists (LFA). “My work has been exhibited widely in solo and joint shows, and many of my pieces are held in public and private collections in the UK, France, Sweden and Spain,” she says.

Blossom Street Gallery opening hours are 12 noon to 4pm, Thursdays (but closed this Thursday); 10am to 4pm, Fridays and Saturdays; 10am to 3pm, Sundays; closed, Monday to Wednesday.

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Six months, 58 paintings, as Andrew Farmer takes coastal path for Watermark Gallery show of Yorkshire and Cleveland Way in oil

Oil painter Andrew Farmer with his bare essentials on a coastal painting trip

BIKE, painting essentials, coffee thermos, paint-spattered radio, South Yorkshire artist Andrew Farmer devoted six months to painting the Yorkshire coast and Cleveland Way solely for the Watermark Gallery in Harrogate.

The results of this commission, 58 paintings in all, are on show and sale in his North Landing show at Liz and Richard Hawkes’s contemporary art gallery in Royal Parade until November 12.

Born in Rotherham, and now living in Doncaster, Andrew is an elected member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI). For North Landing, he revisited coastal places he remembered from childhood and explored more isolated locations along the Cleveland Way.

His painting journey started at North Landing, Flamborough, a hidden gem replete with white cliffs and emerald-green water. As he moved northwards, often on the edge of the coastal path on his bike, he stopped to take in different scenes; sailing boats out at sea, discreet coves and children playing on the beach.

“My aim is always to capture the characteristics of a place at a particular point in time,” says Andrew, whose painting path concluded at Staithes. “I love the view over the beck towards the sea from the high vantage point.”

On his return to his studio after each trip, he would work on a select few pieces, taking an initial oil sketch made outdoors and transforming it into a much larger, more imagined work, while also making use of his rare pencil drawings and reference photographs.

Waves and the airwaves: Andrew Farmer’s sea view and his plein-air radio

Here Andrew answers CharlesHutchPress’s questions on a bracing coastal journey from Flamborough to Staithes splashed in oil.

How did you meet Liz and Richard Hawkes?

“Liz and Richard came across my work during a show in Cambridge, and sometime afterwards touched base with me to see whether I’d like to show in their new bricks-and-mortar gallery in Harrogate. I jumped at the opportunity.”

Where did you study art and when did you first realise you had the eye for being an artist?

“From a very early age, around six or seven, was when I dedicated myself to becoming an artist. My formal education started at Doncaster Churchview College of Art, followed by a degree in Fine Art Painting at Canterbury Christ Church University, and finally studying on The Drawing Year at the Royal Drawing School, London.

Child’s play on the sand, captured in oils by Andrew Farmer, recalling his own childhood holidays

“Throughout my education, I’ve been incredibly blessed by the tutors that have guided me along the way, far too many to mention! But one of the most impressionable things for me was that almost all of my tutors were/are practising artists too, creating work purely for themselves, often through obsession.

“This is something I’ve always felt strongly about, to produce work first and foremost in tune with my personal interests and love for the subject, whatever that might be!”

Why favour painting in oils?

“I’ve painted in watercolour and acrylics in my early days, especially during the first years of art school. My mum purchased me my first set of entry-level oil paints at age 16, give or take!

“I remember squeezing the oils out onto a brand-new wooden palette and I loved everything about the medium: the smell, the buttery consistency and the ability to work and rework wet on wet. The medium really suits my inquisitive nature.”

“I loved everything about the medium of oil paint: the smell, the buttery consistency and the ability to work and rework wet on wet,” says Andrew

How did you structure your six-month project for Watermark Gallery?

“I had to be incredibly organised in creating the works for my North Landing show, from limiting my equipment to the bare essentials, including fresh coffee in a thermos, to planning out which stretch of the Cleveland Way I was going to focus on.

“I found it incredibly enriching to settle on one spot for a week, creating a series in and around Filey, before moving on. This enabled me to dig a little deeper, getting to know rock formations, beaches and colour palettes of each individual spot.

“Almost every painting in the show was worked over numerous sessions, returning again and again until completion. This also had its challenges in that, occasionally, I’d go back to rework boats for example, only to find the local fishermen were already out at sea and the boats were no longer resting on the foreshore. This happened mainly at Flamborough during the painting of one of the key pieces, North Landing.”

What does creating a painting over two or three sessions bring to the painting process?

“A lot of plein-air painters will start and finish a work in an hour or two, and that’s great so long as they’re satisfied with the result. Personally, I much prefer to rework paintings over a number of sessions where possible.

“I feel like each time I return, I’m standing on my own shoulders and can go deeper with my subject matter,” says Andrew, whose painting process involves repeat visits to the same vantage point

“I feel like each time I return, I’m standing on my own shoulders and can go deeper with my subject matter. And by this, I don’t mean more detailed. Sometimes it’s the complete opposite.

“I might spend time simplifying, stripping back unnecessary details and noise. It also means I’m able to work on much larger scales, something many plein-air painters would never entertain.”

What is a typical day for you painting in the open air?

“Every single day is different when it comes to painting outdoors, but they tend to have a similar ‘beat’ in terms of timing. I tend to break my day into two-hour sessions; some I start early to fit two sessions in during the morning, and then another two-three sessions in the afternoon.

“Two hours is the maximum amount of time I tend to spend on a painting before stopping and working on another. This is because the light can shift so much that it’s really impossible to continue without changing the whole piece.

“I feel at home along this coastline, both in terms of familiar locations and light, but also with the general public,” says Andrew

“I’ll then return to the same spot with a canvas to take a second shot at it, always checking the weather conditions before making a decision. Because I’m working from life, I can have anything from six to 20 paintings on the go at any one time, all at different levels in terms of progress.”

What do you love about painting the Yorkshire coast and the Cleveland Way?

“It’s such a personal thing for me to paint the Yorkshire coast. This is the area where I holidayed as a child with my brothers and sisters and also where I prefer to holiday with my young family.

“I feel at home along this coastline, both in terms of familiar locations and light, but also with the general public. I’ve met so many wonderful people when I’ve been out painting, one of the brilliant things about painting en plein air.”

Andrew Farmer at work on the beach

Is the light the key to it all?

“One of the key driving forces behind my work is definitely the light. However, I’m not interested only in painting sun-drenched sandy scenes.

“I love equally trying to capture the essence of a moody dusk scene when lights are just flicking on or trying to pin down a passing storm in the distance.

“Painting from life is incredibly satisfying and frustrating at the same time, with some light effects lasting only minutes!”

What do you love about living and working in Doncaster, South Yorkshire?

“I can have peace and solitude when I paint in the more rural areas close to home, and the opposite, the hustle and bustle of townscapes. There’s pretty much every subject on offer within a stone’s throw, which I love, because I can either walk or cycle, which is something I’m trying my best to do more and more.

Andrew Farmer at Watermark Gallery, Harrogate, where 58 of his paintings are on show

“The connections to major cities via the train station are just fantastic too, which makes things much easier when I attend meetings and exhibitions further afield.”

Who are your favourite painters and why?

“There are so many artists that have inspired and continue to inspire me to this day, some more well-known and obvious than others.

My mum bought me my first book on the Impressionists at age 16. Until then I had no idea that painting outdoors was a possibility. Among the Impressionists, I adore Monet, Sisley and Pissarro especially. I also love the solidity, determination and integrity of Cezanne.

“A lesser-known figure and painting hero of mine is Albert Marquet, but especially his beautiful and simple drawings from life. He had an incredible way of simplifying the world on canvas.”

“Occasionally, I’d go back to rework boats, only to find the local fishermen were already out at sea and the boats were no longer resting on the foreshore,” says Andrew

What does your election to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters mean to you?

“This has been a dream come true, and something I’m still beaming about. Historically, the ROI has included some of the most notable painters in British history and it’s an absolute honour to be a part of this.

“Being elected a member in one way has changed everything for me, and in another way it has changed nothing. That’s quite an odd thing to say but I guess what I mean is that when I’m in front of the canvas and the subject, everything fizzles away and it’s back to the grind of painting. It never seems to get easier, if anything, it’s getting harder as I go on.”

He came, he saw, he conkered: Andrew Farmer’s annual autumn project of painting horse chestnuts

What will be your next painting project?

“My next series of paintings is focused on the humble conker (the horse chestnut). Painting these beautiful little objects has become an annual ritual. Every autumn since around 2007, I go out and collect them from under the trees, being careful to keep the spiky shell intact.

“More recently, my kids have also been supplying me with the conkers they’ve collected in the playground, which is so touching that they think of me and my work when they’re in school.

“I love to wait until the shell splits naturally and reveals the jewel inside. I paint these in my garden studio, as I listen to old records, podcasts etc. It’s a great and fun little series that I always look forward to. This latest collection includes 25 conkers, which I can’t wait to share via my website in the coming weeks at www.andrewfarmerfineart.com”

Andrew Farmer: North Landing runs at Watermark Gallery, Royal Parade, Harrogate until the tide goes out on November 12. Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

Oh, he does like to be beside the seaside: Andrew Farmer at peace with the elements as he paints
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Nigerian artist Ben Ibebe will be in residence at Art Of Protest Gallery for eight days, climaxing with ‘live paint’ event

Values, by Ben Ibebe, at Art Of Protest Gallery

ART Of Protest Gallery welcomes Nigerian artist Ben Ibebe to York for his solo show Afrofuturism from October 28 to November 6.

This will be complemented by a “live paint” at the Walmgate gallery on the eighth day, inspired by Ben’s first seven days in the city.

“Art Of Protest encourages urban contemporary conversations on environment, consumption, identity and the global audience,” says director Craig Humble.

That misison statement chimes with Ben’s own working practice: “The inspiration for my art comes from people,” he says. “How they respond to social, economic, political and economic forces in their daily living. The issues, ideas and events arising from man’s quest to contain and contend with these forces form the subject of my paintings.”

Ibebe’s exhibition, entitled Afrofurism, will display images of dense urban architecture, vibrant markets, tradition and romance in the context of West African living.

“When Ben takes up residence at the gallery for eight days, his exhibition will feature a series of unique oil paintings with a textural quality that bridges both abstraction and sculpture via the ordered chaos of thick impasto style of painting,” says Craig.

Mansion, by Ben Ibebe

“While he is here, Ben will be setting up a temporary studio at the gallery where he will work as the exhibition takes place and will be available to meet if visitors call aheadon 01904 659008.”

Holding a BA in Visual Arts from the University of Port Harcourt, in Rivers State, Nigeria, Ben has held solo exhibitions internationally with collectors in many countries, including the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

His tactile paintings are highly figurative, bright in colour choice in oils and mixed media, geometric in composition, almost three-dimensional on the surface, with women deliberately accorded prominence in his depiction of everyday Nigerian life.

“The African woman is strong, beautiful and flowery,” Ben says. “They live in a male-dominated society, based on local cultural tradition with few rights, and are at the receiving end of man’s activities and yet strive so hard to eke out and sustain a living.

“So, I celebrate them by weaving my composition around them most times in their hours of needs, joy, pain and other human activities. Recently, my fixation is on the effect of Western attitudes, globalisation, human trafficking and technology on the African woman.”

To The Market, by Ben Ibebe

Ben adds: “Men come into in my compositions, but they come in mostly as allegories in my political statements and are highly stylized. Other times, they are presented as engaged in male activities: drummers, horse riders, cattle herders, etcetera.” 

As for his style, “The finished paintings often come off in the style of impressionism, other times idealism, abstract formalism dovetailing into semi abstraction and full abstraction,” he says.

Looking forward to his arrival in York this week, Craig says; “We’re excited to welcome Ben to the gallery, especially with it being our first exhibition with the artist in residence.

“We would encourage anyone to come down to the gallery to meet Ben and experience his artwork in person. The striking images of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage colliding with a globalised art world is breaking new ground in process and colour management.

“At Art Of Protest, we want to showcase local, national and international artists to the people and visitors of York.”

Ben’s work already on show in the gallery can be viewed at artofprotestgallery.com.

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More Things To Do in York as Guy Fawkes heads home. Remember, remember, Hutch’s List No. 103, from The Press

Greg Haiste, left, and York-born writer and actor David Reed cross swords in rehearsal for York Theatre Royal’s premiere of Guy Fawkes. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick

POLITICAL fireworks, street art indoors, beer and bratwurst, a Velvet Underground pioneer and the history of ghosts spark up Charles Hutchinson’s interest.

Premiere of the week: Guy Fawkes, York Theatre Royal, Friday to November 12

WAR-WEARY, treasonous son of York Guy Fawkes vows to restore a Catholic monarch to the English throne, whatever the cost. In the private room of an upmarket tavern, a clandestine of meeting of misfits takes place between this dark dissident, a Poundshop Machiavelli, a portly boob, a clumsy princess, a preposterous toff and a shoddy ham as they plot the most audacious crime ever attempted on British soil.

David Reed, from comedy trio The Penny Dreadfuls, plays York’s traitorous trigger man in his long-awaited combustible comedy-drama with its devilishly dangerous mix of Blackadder and Upstart Crow. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Torrents (Willow Herald Speak), by Michael Dawson, from Navigators Art’s Coney St Jam art intervention at the StreetLife project hub

Exhibition of the week: Navigators Art, Coney St Jam: An Art Intervention, StreetLife project hub, Coney Street, York, until November 19

YORK collective Navigators Art draw inspiration from the city’s rich heritage and vibrant creative communities to explore ways to revitalise and diversify Coney Street. On show is painting, drawing, collage, textile and 3D work, complemented by photography, projections, music and poetry.

Taking part are: Steve Beadle; Michael Dawson; Alfie Fox; Alan Gillott; Oz Hardwick; Richard Kitchen; Katie Lewis; Tim Morrison; Peter Roman; Amy Elena Thompson; Dylan Thompson and Nick Walters.

Woman To Woman: Julia Fordham, left, Rumer, Judie Tzuke and Beverley Craven will be in harmony at York Barbican

Collaboration of the week: Woman To Woman (Beverley Craven, Judie Tzuke, Julia Fordham & Rumer), York Barbican, tonight, 6.30pm

NOT a rumour, definitely true, Beverley Craven, Judie Tzuke and Julia Fordham have invited Rumer to join them for the latest Woman To Woman tour.

In this collaboration between the four female singer-songwriters, they present hit singles and album tracks, such as Promise Me, Happy Ever After, Welcome To The Cruise, Slow, Holding On, (Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways, Aretha and Stay With Me Till Dawn.

“We cannot wait to share a stage together, create beautiful vocal harmonies with each other and collaborate on some possible new material,” they say. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Self aware: Comedian Helen Bauer discusses herself at Theatre@41. Picture: James Deacon

Comedy gig of the week: Helen Bauer, Madam Good Tit, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 8pm

SELF-AWARE stand-up Helen Bauer is on the road with her Edinburgh Fringe show about self-confidence, self-esteem and self-care. “It’s the year of ‘the self’ and I’m trying to be the change I want you to see,” says Helen, who grew up in Hampshire blandness and honed her comedic craft in Berlin. 

Expect adult themes and language, including natural disasters and eating disorders, forewarns Theatre@41, as York awaits the co-host of two podcasts, Trusty Hogs with Catherine Bohart and Daddy Look At Me with Rosie Jones. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Velma Celli: York drag diva supreme adds sauce to all the bratwurst and beer at Yorktoberfest

Festival of the week: Yorktoberfest Beer Festival, Clocktower Enclosure, York Racecourse, today and next Saturday, 1pm to 5pm, 7pm to 11pm; Friday, 7pm to 11pm. Doors open: evenings, 6.30pm; daytime, 12.30pm.

FOLLOWING up last year’s debut, Yorktoberfest returns in party mood for beer, bratwurst, bumper cars and all things Bavarian. This beer festival mirrors the first Oktoberfest staged in 1810 in Munich, where the citizens were encouraged to eat, drink and be merry at the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and his princess bride.

Step inside a giant marquee to discover the rustic Bavarian Bar and Dog Haus, full of bratwurst, currywurst, schnitzel, apple strudel and pretzels; live music by the Bavarian Strollers oompah band and vocal drag queen entertainment by York’s own Velma Celli. Dodgems and a twister add funfair thrills. Box office: yorktoberfest.co.uk.

Underground overground: Velvets legend John Cale to be spotted at York Barbican on Monday

THE gig of the week, John Cale, York Barbican, Monday, 8pm

VELVET Underground icon John Cale’s only Yorkshire gig of his rearranged 2022 tour has moved from July 19 to Monday on his first British itinerary in a decade.

The Welsh multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, who turned 80 in March, will be performing songs from a career that began in classical and avant-garde music before he formed The Velvet Underground with Lou Reed in New York in 1965.

Over six pioneering decades, Cale has released 16 solo studio albums, while also collaborating with Brian Eno, Patti Smith, The Stooges, Squeeze, Happy Mondays, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Super Furry Animals and Manic Street Preachers. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Doctor Dorian Deathly: Will his face melt in his horror show at Theatre@41?

From ghost walk to ghost talk: Doctor Dorian Deathly: A Night Of Face Melting Horror (or The Complete History Of Ghosts), Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Wednesday to October 31, 8.30pm

VISIT York Tourism Awards winner Doctor Dorian Deathly, spookologist and ghost botherer, celebrates Halloween season with six nights of ghost stories, paranormal sciences, theatrical trickery, horror, original music and perhaps the odd unexpected guest (with the emphasis on ‘odd’?).

“Together we will huddle around the stage and explore spine-chilling tales of hauntings, both local and further afield, dissemble horrors captured on film and follow the ghost story through from the origins to the Victorian classics and modern- day frights,” says Deathly, whose face-melting macabre amusements are suitable for age 13 upwards. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Black History Month concert at Grand Opera House, York

Harmonies of the week: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, supported by Muntu Valdo, Grand Opera House, York, October 29, 7.30pm

SOUTH African singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s York concert marks Black History Month on their first British tour for many years.

When Paul Simon incorporated their harmonies into his ground-breaking 1986 album Graceland, that landmark recording was seminal in introducing world music to mainstream audiences.

Founded by the late Joseph Shabalala, the Grammy Award winners have since recorded with Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Barnsley folk singer Kate Rusby. Box office: 0844 871  7615 or atgtickets.com/york.

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Navigators Art’s art intervention Coney St Jam goes on show at StreetLife project hub

A collage of artwork from Navigators Art’s Coney St Jam: An Art Intervention exhibition at StreetLife’s project hub in Coney Street, York

TWELVE artists from York collective Navigators Art are opening their mixed-media exhibition at StreetLife’s project hub in Coney Street, York, this evening (17/10/2022).

Drawing inspiration from the city’s rich heritage and vibrant creative communities, the project explores new ways to revitalise and diversify Coney Street, York’s premium shopping street but one blighted with multiple empty premises.

In a creative response to Coney Street’s past, present and future, Navigators Art have made new work for StreetLife, designed to enhance and interpret its research, under the title Coney St Jam: An Art Intervention.

On show from today to November 19 will be painting, drawing, collage, photography, textiles, projections, music, poetry and 3D work. Entry to the exhibition space is accessible by one set of stairs. 

Taking part are: Steve Beadle, figurative painting and drawing; Michael Dawson, mixed-media painting; Alfie Fox, creative photography; Alan Gillott, architectural and scenic photography; Oz Hardwick, creative photography, and Richard Kitchen, collage, abstract drawing, prints and poetry.

So too are: Katie Lewis, textiles; Tim Morrison, painting and constructions; Peter Roman, figurative painting; Amy Elena Thompson, prints and tattoos; Dylan Thompson, composer, and Nick Walters, painting, video and sculpture.

A painting by Nick Walters at Navigators Art’s Coney St Jam show

Here, CharlesHutchPress puts questions to Navigators Art co-founder, artist and poet Richard Kitchen.

How did the exhibition come about?

“I heard talk of this project rather belatedly in April this year. After our Moving Pictures show at City Screen and providing art for York Theatre Royal’s Takeover Festival, I was looking for a community project the group could really get to grips with and actively support.

“I rather cheekily offered our services to the StreetLife project leaders and, after a bit of convincing, they agreed to let us devise an exhibition for them.”

What relationship have you established with StreetLife?

“A very good one. They were a bit wary at first, as we hadn’t been part of the initial set-up, but we convinced them we were genuinely interested in the project and wanted to interpret and enhance their research and findings creatively for a wider audience. That’s one of our missions as Navigators Art. This isn’t just another art exhibition!

“They’ve been really helpful with practical arrangements, allocated us a budget and agreed to let us put on an evening of live performance in aid of the homeless to mark the end of the show on November 19. That’s going to be very exciting.”

Torrents (Willow Herald Speak), by Michael Dawson, from Coney St Jam

In turn, what relationship have you established with project participants University of York, City of York Council, Make It York, My City Centre, York Civic Trust, York Music Venues Network and Thin Ice Press?

“The project leaders are all from the university, so we’ve got to know them, and also Bethan [cultural development manager Bethan Gibb-Reid] at Make It York. We’re not directly involved with the other agents as such, but we’re all part of the same enterprise and hopefully we can continue to develop existing relationships and make new ones.

“Collaboration is what we’re all about, now and in the future. Making project-specific and even site-specific work has been a very positive creative challenge, from which we’ve all learnt something, and we’re looking forward to further opportunities.”

How do you foresee the future of Coney Street?

“It’s in an interesting state of flux. I can’t speak for the StreetLife project itself or even fellow artists, but personally I regret that a future seems securable only through the involvement of giant property developers.

“I wish a more grassroots solution could be sought and found. But the Helmsley Group’s plans are on show to all at the StreetLife hub in Coney Street and there are public feedback forms by way of consultation.

“It looks positive enough, with provision for new green spaces and so on; I just hope it’s not all about financial interest at the expense of those who live here, or about economics over culture and wellbeing. Naturally, I’d love to see a cheap, Bohemian cultural quarter there, but I doubt that’s top of the agenda!

“Whatever the plans, serious thought needs to be given to social issues such as the question of accessibility. If the street is to be traffic-free, it also has to be accessible to all. The present system of bollards means that some people are unable to use the street at all. That doesn’t make sense.”

An exhibit by Tim Morrison, purveyor of paintings and constructions

How much should the past of Coney Street feed into its future?

“Its past was very much involved with the river, and future plans include developing the river area as a public space and retying lost connections between the river and the street in general. The thriving, lively street of yore is a model for what it may become again. And no future is sustainable without a foundation in history.

“The past can be celebrated and kept alive. It doesn’t have to be enshrined as a museum piece; certainly not one that people have to pay to enjoy! That’s something artists can offer.

Who should be taking the lead in envisioning the future? Looking at that list of who’s involved already, how do you establish joined-up thinking?

“That’s a question for them rather than us, I think. We’re only putting up some pictures! But all walks of life and all sectors should be having an equal say. I don’t think any of those groups is acting independently of the others. There is consultation, including with the developers.”

Where do the arts and art fit into that future?

“The arts are essential to public, cultural and personal wellbeing, despite efforts to ignore, undermine, underfund and generally devalue them to a shocking and highly unintelligent extent. The arts should be central to every decision-making process in government and to education at every level.

“In the times we’re living through, we need creative solutions on a gigantic scale and we need the sheer energy of the arts to help us survive and adapt. Those things aren’t going to be provided by bureaucracy or petty squabbling between political parties.

Ana Alisia, Big Issue Seller, by Peter Roman

“I’d say give artists the kudos they deserve and let us help to turn things around. Pay us. Give us space to work in: let us use those empty buildings! Art isn’t just about old monuments. There are many living artists in York who could successfully take on social responsibilities because of the nature of what they do. We’re an asset to the city and should be valued and promoted as such.

“Make Coney Street a flagship enclave for creatives and independent small retailers and an affordable, inspiring resource for the public to enjoy. That’s something we provided when we were based at Piccadilly [Piccadilly Pop Up] and we came to realise more and more how much that environment meant to people and benefited them. Offer that on a much wider scale and we’ll see real change for the better in society.”

What else is coming up for Navigators Art? Are you any closer to finding a new home?

“From January to March next year, some of us will be exhibiting at Helmsley Arts Centre, and we’ll be at City Screen again in March and April. We may be involved with Archaeology York’s Roman dig next year too.

“We’re eager to take on future community projects and commissions. We’re all artists in our own right but collectively we’re about much more than making and selling. We want to make a difference to the city and its people.

“We’ve grown from being just Steve Beadle and myself in 2020 to a trio last spring with Tim Morrison, and now we’re 12, including writers and musicians, as well as visual artists. The group is fluid, though, and we won’t all be involved in every venture. Some will come and go, others will join.

“Many of us have jobs and families and we’ve all worked on this show voluntarily, but I think we can continue to match the size of the group to the size of the project. Clearly, we’re not going to find one home for all and that’s fine. It would be wonderful to have a studio identity but we don’t have the funds for it at the moment.

Cavern, by Richard Kitchen, from Navigatgors Art’s show in Coney Street, York

“Others are welcome to join us any time. Steve and I want to develop the other strand of Navigators Art’s mission statement, which we started at Piccadilly Pop Up last year: to mentor young and under-represented emerging artists. Not everyone at Piccadilly shared that vision but I think we’re better prepared to do it now.

“Apart from anything else, we’d like to shake things up a bit culturally for ourselves. The initial longlist for Coney St Jam artists was quite diverse, but for health-related and other reasons we’ve ended up with a bunch of mostly white males. We’re working on that!”

Coney St Jam: An Art Intervention by Navigators Art, at StreetLife Project Hub, 29-31 Coney Street, York, opening tonight, 6pm to 8pm; then 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, except Wednesdays; 11am to 4pm, Sundays. Free entry.

Free tickets for tonight can be booked via https://streetlifeyork.uk/events/coney-st-jam-navigators-art-exhibition-launch-and-press-night

A live performance event on November 19, from 7pm to 10pm, will mark the end of the show.

What is StreetLife?

FUNDED by the UK Government Community Renewal Fund, StreetLife explores new ways to revitalise and diversify Coney Street, drawing inspiration from York’s history, heritage and creative communities and involving businesses, the public and other stakeholders in shaping the future of the high street.

The project is led by the University of York, in partnership with City of York Council, including Make It York/My City Centre, York Civic Trust, York Music Venues Network and creative practitioners, such as Thin Ice Press.

The poster for Navigators Art’s art intervention at StreetLife
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Punk artist Tom Wilson raises funds from painting sales to support Ukrainians in York

One of Tom Wilson’s paintings at St Bede’s that was sold, raising £500 for helping the people of Ukraine

YORK punk expressionist artist Tom Wilson has donated £500 to aid the people of Ukraine now living in York from last month’s exhibition at St Bede’s, Blossom Street, York.

“We managed to sell more than £800 worth of art over the two days, which reached my target of making a substantial donation,” he says. “Once I took out my overheads, I was able to provide £500 towards helping them get on their feet after they get their own accommodation.

“I was really pleased with the footfall too. We even had a visit from Rachael Maskell [York Central MP], which was a real boost for everyone’s morale.”

York artist Tom Wilson with York Central MP Rachael Maskell at St Bede’s

Prompted by his friends’ urges “to do something” with all the artwork filling his small York bungalow, artist, playwright, theatre director and tutor Tom held his first exhibition in ten years on September 14 and 15.

“At least if I sell one or two paintings, I’ll be able to find my way in and out of the kitchen without risking life and limb,” said Tom ahead of the show. “It’ll definitely help with clearing out my bungalow.

“I got a new shed but filled that up within a day; I was going to try to use it as studio but that never came off! Instead, I just use whatever space I’ve got, the kitchen mainly, but it’s not ideal. Unless you’re moving work on, there’s no point doing new work as it just clutters the place up.”

Tom Wilson’s artgwork on show at St Bede’s

His dynamic abstract artwork is influenced by Kandinsky, Max Earnst, Otto Dix, Outsider art, German Expressionism and Rayonism (Russian Expressionism). “Rayonism was like a punk movement, breaking away, to try to paint ‘rays of light’, and I took my ideas from their freedom from convention,” says Tom.

“There’s a lot of happy accidents with my stuff. Some of it is manipulated experiments, like putting paint on one canvas, then putting another canvas on top of that and then pulling them apart like layers of skin.

“Sometimes it’s about ‘unlearning’ something that you loved or remembered in a painting and just going for it.”

Sold! Another Tom Wilson artwork that raised funds to support Ukrainian people in York

Tom makes a surprising assertion: “I can’t paint! My art looks like an explosion. I’ll be honest, I think I’m a chancer, not a natural-born painter. I can’t even draw. I’ll draw a dog and it looks like a dinosaur…an angry dog!” he says.

“But it’s important to have that freedom. Art isn’t a competition; it’s the way you articulate something. That’s the essence of creativity. Painting is like a voyage of discovery for me.

“Maybe other artists start with a painting they loved, maybe a seascape, but I’ll start without a plan. I’ll start with a mood, then make a shape, maybe a curve, and start following it, like jazz musicians improvising. It’s about the vibe, just as it is with jazz.

“My artwork looks like an explosion,” says Tom Wilson

“Again, rather like music, I can do ten paintings to arrive at the one I want, so those ten paintings are like a rehearsal to get to where I need to be. You don’t show people the departure point; you show them the arrival.”

He makes a further comparison with the jazz world. “Ask Ornette Coleman or Thelonious Monk what they’re going to play, and they’d say, ‘I don’t know’ and then start playing. It’s the same with one of my paintings,” says Tom.

“On top of that, I think it’s about expressing an anarchic humour, like John Lennon, Salvador Dali, Picasso. What happens is you go into an inner-child mentality, almost like writing with the opposite hand, and you find an area to explore and then the adult takes over to say, ‘right, we’ll take it this final point’.”

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Lesley Seeger and Katherine Bree form Yorkshire-London collaboration for painting and gemstone show at Pyramid Gallery

Jewellery designer Katherine Bree, left, and landscape painter Lesley Seeger in the North Yorkshire countryside

PIGMENT & Stone, a collaborative exhibition between North Yorkshire landscape painter Lesley Seeger and London jewellery designer Katherine Bree, will run at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, from November 5 to November 27.

In this marriage of elementals, Bree has chosen Seeger’s paintings as inspiration for her new collection of gemstone treasures.

From the seed of an idea sown by the two artists during lockdown, Pigment & Stone has grown into a celebration of form and colour with an earthy elemental twist.

Pink Mountain, by Lesley Seeger, from the Pigment & Stone exhibition at Pyramid Gallery

“Steeped in the landscape of the Yorkshire countryside, Lesley’s paintings depict a unique interpretation of well-known places such as the Yorkshire Arboretum, Helmsley Walled Garden and the Yorkshire Wolds,” says Pyramid Gallery owner Terry Brett.

“Katherine has made pieces to reflect the colours, form and feel of these works. Paintings such as Pink Mountain and May Trees are complemented by necklaces, earrings and bracelets containing Amethyst, Serpentine and Garnets.

“Katherine divides her collections into the four elements – earth, air, fire and water – and this provides a perfect complement to Lesley’s elemental paintings, which she describes as talismans that ‘will reveal themselves over time with their rich histories of place, layers and colour’.”

Lesley Seeger at work in her North Yorkshire studio

Pigment & Stone promises to be a feast for both the eye and soul, promises Terry. “The earth gemstones of Tiger Eye, Malachite and Smoky Quartz are reflected in earthy paintings such as Shadow Play,” he says.

“Jewellery made from water element gemstones, such as Amazonite, Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli, is inspired by paintings such as Magic Garden and Rabbit Dale. Water element gemstones are said to be specifically linked with the season of autumn with a reputation for cleansing, healing and bringing a psychic and loving element. Best hurry along and buy your talismans now. We could all do with plenty of that ‘loving element’.”

Pigment & Stone will be launched on November 5 with an open day from 11am to 3pm. Gallery opening hours are: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sundays, 12 noon to 4pm; from mid-November to Christmas, 11am to 4.30pm.

The Sacred Tree, by Lesley Seeger, from Pigment & Stone, her collaborative exhibition with Katherine Bree at Pyramid Gallery from November 5
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More Things To Do and York and beyond when a design week has plans to make it better. Hutch’s List No. 101, from The Press. UPDATED 11/10/2022

Tudor girl power: Jennifer Caldwell’s Anne Boleyn in SIX The Musical. Picture: Pamela Raith

HENRY VIII’s vengeful wives are not the only show in town. Charles Hutchinson finds alternatives aplenty.

Don’t lose your head over this but…SIX The Musical has sold out at Grand Opera House, York, October 11 to 16. 8pm, Tuesday to Thursday; 6pm and 8.30pm, Friday; 5pm and 8pm, Saturday; 3pm, Sunday

DIVORCED, beheaded, scuppered. Those without a ticket for York’s hottest theatre show of the autumn are too late. Not one seat, even with a restricted view, is still available for Toby Marlow and Lucy Marlow’s irreverent historical musical romp that began as a Cambridge University show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Welcome to their Queendom where Tudor queens turn into pop princesses as the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing 500 years of heartbreak into a 75-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power.

Tom Chaplin: Solo songs of midlife musings from the Keane frontman

Take your pick at York Barbican: Uriah Heep, tomorrow, 8pm; Tom Chaplin, Tuesday, 8pm; Will Young: 20 Years Tour, Thursday, 7.30pm; Boyzlife, Friday, 7.30pm

SPOILT for choice at York Barbican in a busy, busy week. British rock titans Uriah Heep’s 50th Anniversary Tour is now taking place in their 52nd year after playing 4,000 shows in 60 countries. Keane frontman Tom Chaplin showcases September’s release of his second solo album, Midpoint, exploring a part of life that everyone goes through: midlife.

On the pop front, singer, radio presenter, actor and writer Will Young marks two decades since his Pop Idol blossoming. No sooner have Boyzlife performed to 20,000 people at the Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta on Knavesmire than their Old School Tour sends the boy band duo of Boyzone’s Keith Duffy and Westlife’s Brian McFadden back to York. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Will Young: From Pop Idol young man to the polymath of today

Toasting the trailblazers: A Celebration Of Gilbert & Sullivan, Grand Opera House, York, tonight, 7.30pm  

A 26-piece orchestra and soloists perform favourites from The Mikado, The Pirates Of Penzance and HMS Pinafore, complemented by less familiar gems in a glorious night at the light opera.

Taking part will be singers from Opera North, English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera, Carl Rosa and D’Oyly Carte, such as Alexander Robin Baker, Rebecca Bottone, Barry Clark, Siân Dicker, Yvonne Howard, Judith Le Breuilly, Timothy Nelson and Matthew Siveter. Box office: 0844 8717615 or atgtickets.com/York.

Bongo’s Bingo: A rave new world for a British classic at York Barbican

House music but not as you know it: Bongo’s Bingo, York Barbican, tonight; doors, 6pm; last entry, 7:30pm; first game of bingo, 8pm

MAKING its York debut only a stone’s throw from the demolished Mecca Bingo, Bongo’s Bingo “rejuvenates a quintessentially quaint British pastime with an immersive live show featuring rave rounds, nostalgia-soaked revelry, dance-offs, audience participation and crazy prizes in a night of pure and unadulterated escapism”.

Looking for a full house, promoter Jonny Bongo promises magic and music, mischief and mayhem in a bingo rave experience. Box office: bongosbingo.co.uk or yorkbarbican.co.uk.


Sayaka Ichikawa in Ballet Black’s Black Sun at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Bill Cooper

Dance pioneers of the week: Ballet Black, Say It Loud & Black Sun, York Theatre Royal, Tuesday, 7.30pm

CELEBRATING their 20th anniversary, Black Ballet present two new works on tour. Choreographed and directed by founder and artistic director Cassa Pancho and company artists, Say It Loud charts this pioneering company’s progress, from the uncomfortable reasons behind its existence to the frenetic, creative energy that makes it such a necessary part of the British ballet industry. 

South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma’s Black Sun, danced to an original score by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, extracts energy from the sun and the moon giving rise to descendants of ancestors. These forces only meet to blacken, allowing us to draw from their powers as we prepare for life after life. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Dr Richard Shepherd: Pathologist, professor, lecturer, author, television presenter, apiarist and aviator, whose Unnatural Causes theatre tour will York and Leeds

Bringing death to life: Dr Richard Shepherd, Unnatural Causes theatre tour, York Theatre Royal, Thursday; Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, Friday, both 7.30pm

MEET Dr Richard Shepherd, a forensic pathologist who has solved the mystery of sudden and unexplained deaths aplenty, performed 23,000 autopsies and handled such cases the Hungerford Massacre, the Princess Diana inquiry and 9/11. 

In Unnatural Causes, he not only tells the story of the cases and bodies that have haunted him the most, but also reflects on how to live a life steeped in death. Box office: York, 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.co.uk

Make It Better: The theme for Day One of York Design Week

Festival of the week: Kaizen Arts Agency, United by Design and Dogeatcog unite for York Design Week 2022, Make It Work, October 13 to 17

YORK Design Week turns the spotlight on projects, organisations and people who are breaking and bending rules to create a fairer society, inviting you to explore how we can come together to “Make It Work”. “Let’s find creative and practical solutions to complex problems through collaboration, performance, and play,” say the organisers.

“The idea is to positively shift conversation and behaviour around what design means and how it can offer innovative solutions to knotty problems. Our approach is open, accessible, and seeks to provide space for participants to experience unexpected perspectives and express their own voice.” Full details can be found at: yorkdesignweek.com.

Make It Grow: The green theme for Day Four of York Design Week

120 years and still going strong: York Musical Theatre Company in A Musical Celebration, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Thursday and Friday, 7,30pm

YORK Musical Theatre Company’s 120th anniversary will be marked with two evenings of songs from past productions such as West Side Story, Oklahoma, Guys & Dolls, Annie, Acorn Antiques, Jekyll & Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Pirates Of Penzance, the company’s first show in April 1903.

Company members combine with guest solo artists in a celebratory production directed by John Atkin. Founded in 1902 as York Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society, York’s longest established amateur theatre company changed its name in its centenary year. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Ellen Carnazza, Andrew Purcell and Zach Atkinson in Badapple Theatre’s revival of The Frozen Roman, on tour this autumn. Picture: Karl Andre

What did the Romans ever do for us? Badapple Theatre in The Frozen Roman, on tour until November 13

GREEN Hammerton’s theatre-on-your-doorstep proponents Badapple Theatre take to the road this autumn with three actors new to the company: Zach Atkinson, Andrew Purcell and Ellen Carnazza.

In this revival of Kate Bramley’s play, they came, they saw, they built a wall, they went away again….or did they? When hapless villagers try to prevent a housing development being built in their midst, could the discovery of a burial site throw them a lifeline?  Expect twists, turns and Latin puns as the situation in the village goes “ballisticus maximus”. For tour details, go to: badappletheatre.co.uk. 

Ocean travel: Billy Ocean heads for Harrogate and Sheffield in 2023

Looking ahead: Billy Ocean, The Very Best Of Billy Ocean Tour, Harrogate Convention Centre, March 31 2023

BILLY Ocean will perform a hand-picked set of greatest hits and fan favourites on his 21-date tour next spring.

The Trinidad and Tobago-born British R&B singer, 72, has notched 30 million worldwide record sales and top ten singles on both sides of the Atlantic, such as Love Really Hurts Without You, Red Light Spells Danger, Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run), When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going, There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) and Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car. The tour also takes in Sheffield City Hall on April 6. Box office: harrogatetheatre.co.uk; sheffieldcityhall.co.uk.