Category: Music

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REVIEW: Kate Rusby: Christmas Is Merry, York Barbican, December 11 *****

Kate Rusby singing in a winter winderland. Picture: David Angel

KATE Rusby, Barnsley nightingale, or the “first lady of folk” as her website now calls her, transforms into a Robin redbreast at this festive time of year.

No Yorkshire Christmas would be complete without her alternative carol services, where Kate in sparkly dress reunites her regular folk boys with her guest Brass Boys, glistening instruments standing out against black shirts, as they perform carols deemed too jolly by Victorian glums but resurrected by South Yorkshire pubs for “sings” with a pint in hand from late-November to the New Year.

Over 20 years now, these festive concerts have expanded to take in “Rusbyfied” takes on “Christmas shopping songs”, rediscovered quirky novelties (Hippo For Christmas, Sid Kipper’s Arrest These Merry Gentlemen) and Kate’s own winter songs.

Live recordings from the past five years have been assembled for Kate 20: Christmas Is Merry, a double album on sale only at katerusby.com, through Proper Records and on her tour merch table, or “Craft Shop”, as Kate is wont to call it.

Christmas is all the merrier for the inclusion of five new acoustic recordings [Kris Kringle, Little Jack Frost, Hippo For Christmas, Holly And The Ivy and The Wren) on Kate’s eighth Christmas record. Yes, a remarkable eighth. Sweet bells, what an achievement.

And everything is merrier still for her 20th anniversary being her best, boldest and brightest show yet by our leader of “Holly heads”. Everything has been not so much thrown at it as thoughtfully thought through. We are used to Ruby the nodding reindeer being to the side of the stage, but now her lights change, and on the opposite side sits a lit-up Father Christmas.

Kate’s microphone stand is bedecked as ever with festive foliage; lighting interweaves with winter greenery across the stage apron; a Christmas tree with a star atop and presents at its base, stands at the back. For the first time, Duncan Lyall has not only a Moog at hand but also the 1980s’ organ rescued from the skip grave by Kate after last year’s closure of The Royal Hotel, in Dungworth, brought an end to the pub ‘sings’ there (thankfully now revived in the village hall).

Kate Rusby: A festive fixture at York Barbican, already booked in for December 10 2026

Christmas Is Merry’s stage  has been fitted out as retro pub of the Seventies: red (hopefully not sticky) carpet; stools and tables teeming with glasses (“not cleared from the night before,” notes Kate), even a bar with pumps, steaming mulled wine and decorative foil garlands. The ghosts of Slade, Wizzard, Elton John , Gilbert O’Sullivan, John Lennon and Greg Lake hits, Eric & Ernie and Benny Hill’s Ernie  could all be popping in.

Over the years, Kate has decorated the back wall of her stage in myriad ways, most memorably with giant crocheted snowflakes. Now she has embraced new technology, as four picture frames light up projections, first with KATE spelled out in knitted white, then with Christmas wrapping paper designs, snowy landscapes, winter windows and, most impactful of all, an animated sequence for the chilling story of the Holly King, the climax to the first set.

Holly King is testament to how rounded, how complete, Kate’s festive musical landscape has become as accordion player Nick Cooke switches to doubling with Josh Clark on thunderous percussion, while Lyall’s Moog is eerier than ever.

Kate’s compositions are now cornerstones of her set, from the stillness of a Christmas Day’s walk in The Frost Is All Over, to the broken angel in the tree as morning awakes in Glorious, and best of all, the New Year’s dawn on a Cornish beach of Let The Bells Ring.

Kate’s Christmas concerts are nights of fresh joy, yet steeped in nostalgia of Christmases past, and so your reviewer is twice reduced to tears, first in Little Town Of Bethlehem, where the brass playing is so sublime atop Kate’s chorister purity.

Later, her proclamation of Let The Bells Ring, and with it Kate’s wish for love to prevail, has CharlesHutchPress transported to a better place, yet still close at hand in God’s Own Country against the grain of the relentless grind of warmongering politicos, such folly amid the holly, so at odds with Kate’s voice as pure as new-fallen snow.

The cover artwork for Kate Rusby’s eighth Christmas album: Kate Rusby 20 Christmas Is Merry, released on December 5

Kate is joker and jester, yet as wise as Shakespeare’s Fools in her trademark banter, her storytelling illuminating the path through each song, whether the reason behind so many versions of While Shepherds Watched, or the inspiration for her own winter songs, or the inclusion of a Cornish folk carol (Christmas Is Merry).

Kate trips the light fantastic through such festive chestnuts as The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, Winter Wonderland and the encore-closing Yorkshire Merry Christmas, while the likes Of Hark Hark , Sweet Chiming Bells, Here We Come A Wassailing and encore staple Sweet Bells make you thankful the South Yorkshire carollers gave the cold shoulder to those Victorian killjoys.

These Christmas concerts have acquired their own traditions: Kate’s sales pitch for the merch table (new album; natty new blue, white and red Christmas jumpers, and accompanying scarf and bobble hat, given a Rusby catwalk twirl); audience participation in a recording of a kazoo rendition of Sweet Bells; and Kate vacating the stage for “girly songs” to be replaced by “manly” reels led by the impish Irishman Damien O’Kane on banjo.

Oh, and the fancy-dress finale, this year resplendent in the theme of Frozen, the brass boys attired as Trolls, Kate as Kristoff and O’Kane as Olaf, the snowman, an all-consuming costume that has fingers striving to poke their way through huge twig fingers to play guitar, all adding up to a sight as gloriously wild and freewheeling as a school Nativity play.

Let’s meet again this time next winter. Glory be, Kate has confirmed her return to York Barbican on December 10 2026; tickets are on sale already at yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Christmas Is Merry indeed. “Let the bells ring”, sings Kate, “There is nothing now I fear/Let the sun rise on a happy new year.” Let’s raise a glass to that.

Kate Rusby: Christmas Is Merry visits Sheffield City Hall Oval Hall on December 14, 6pm. Box office: https://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/kate-rusby-christmas-is-merry-tour-2025/

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Pick Me Up Theatre launches Anything Goes on Christmas steamer at Theatre@41

Full steam ahead: Fergus Powell’s Moonface Martin and Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

YORK, it may be cold outside, but why not climb aboard the S.S. American as Pick Me Up Theatre’s all-singing, all-dancing Christmas production of Anything Goes sets sail at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from tomorrow?

Directed by Andrew Isherwood, Cole Porter’s swish 1934 Broadway musical follows the madcap antics of a motley crew as they ride the waves from New York to London on a Christmas-themed steamer.

On board are popular nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney (played by Alexandra Mather) and her pal, lovelorn Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price), who has stowed away on board in pursuit of his beloved Hope Harcourt (Claire Gordon-Brown).

Hope, however, is engaged to another passenger, English gent Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, played by Neil Foster, reprising the role he first played 27 years ago. “It’s amazing how I’ve remembered so many of the lines and lyrics,” he says. “They must have been buried somewhere in my memory.”

Sailing to England too is second-rate conman Moonface Martin (Fergus Powell), aka “Public Enemy #13”. Cue song, dance, fabulous farce and “chooey”  Big Apple accents as Reno and Moonface try to help Billy win the love of his life.

Full steam a-redhead: Alexandra Mather in her first musical lead role as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Reno will be Alexandra Mather’s first lead in a musical after principal roles aplenty for York Opera. “Taking on Reno Sweeney is incredibly exciting for me,” she says. “I’m stepping into such a sharp and charismatic role, which is a dream come true.

“It’s an utterly terrifying prospect, if I’m honest. I’ve been really, really lucky doing lead roles for York Opera, feeling comfortable wrapped in a carpet of familiarity, but Anything Goes is a very different style.

“I’ve been obsessed with the music since 2013 when I bought the soundtrack of the Joel Gray and Sutton Foster production and I’ve listened to the album for years and years, so I’ve looked forward to doing the show for years, and now is the chance.”

Assessing the abiding appeal of Anything Goes, Alexandra says: “With Cole Porter’s music and the brilliant, witty script, the whole experience feels nostalgic, stylish and incredibly glamorous.

“The songs are just so beautifully written. For a singer, they’re just a joy to sing, as Porter worked with some of the great artists of the burgeoning musical theatre scene. The other thing that should be highlighted is the lyrical quality, done to perfection. For someone like me, who often gravitates to the comedy side, it’s irresistible.”

Pick Me Up Theatre’s poster for Anything Goes. All aboard at Theatre@41, Monkgate, but can you spot what’s missing?!

Alexandra has “usually played ingénues and usually with comedy in the role”, but there is room to be more serious in Anything Goes. “In opera, because you’re focusing on the quality of the voice, you’re allowed a broader style of performance as it’s based on waves of emotion,” she says. In musical theatre, seeking a core truth rooted in realism, “you have to have  a bit more sincerity,” she suggests.

Director Andrew Isherwood highlights what acting style is needed. “It’s the principle of doing less to get a true performance where they’re still acting but you don’t realise they’re acting,” he says.

“Some characters are larger than life, but Alex’s Reno has more vulnerability in a show where you want the audience to care, to want things to be resolved and to end up right.”

Alexandra adds: “We’re all trying to create these fully realised characters. For example, Andrew has said that I sometimes use an ‘actor’s voice’, so I’m trying to strip that back.”

Blonde-haired Alexandra will be wearing a redhead wig. “It wasn’t me who suggested it!” says real-life partner Andrew. “No, we spoke to Robert (designer Robert Readman) and Jo (wardrobe assistant Jo Hird) as we wanted a really distinctive look for Reno,” she recalls.

York actress and opera singer Alexandra Mather

“We talked about elevating her to a fiery redhead, not to play to clichés, but because it works really well  for me, because usually I’m the blonde one playing these blonde roles, but getting into character, suddenly seeing a different person in the mirror, really does help.”

Andrew is promising an immersive production “where we’re all supposed to be on this cruise ship together”, audience and cast alike.”Robert has devised the set with lifebelts, so it feels like you’re on the deck of a ship – and it’s meant to be luxury transatlantic travel, not a budget trip!” he says. As for the costume design, “Reno is in the 1930s’ style of Greta Garbo and Katharine Hepburn.”

On the surface, December 12 to 30 would suggest a busy Christmas season for director and cast, but there will be room for a Christmas break. “Because of the how the dates have fallen, they’re more forgiving than  they were for Oliver Twist last year,” says Andrew. “So we’ll have a good stretch of shows up to December 21, then time off from December 22 to 26, and then be back in action from December 27 to 30.”

Pick Me up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, December 12 to 30. Performances, 7.30pm December 12, December 15 to 18, December 20 and December 27 to 30; 2.30pm, December 13, 20, 21 and 27. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Thea Fennell’s Erma Latour, left, James Robert Ball, front, and Charlie Fox’s Sailors and Alexandra Mather’s Reno Sweeney in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

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Gorillaz to play The Mountain tour warm-ups at Bradford Live on March 13 and 14, Leeds First Direct Arena awaits, March 25

The poster for Gorillaz’ warm-up shows for The Mountain Tour at Bradford Live

GORILLAZ will visit Bradford for the first time for two ”very special” warm-up shows at Bradford Live on March 13 and 14 2026. Tickets are on sale at.gigantic.com/gorillaz-tickets.

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s BRIT and Grammy-winning British band will be showcasing their ninth studio album, The Mountain, set for release on their new label, KONG, on February 27.

The brace of Gorillaz gigs at Bradford’s newly restored Art Deco building – former home to the Bradford Odeon cinema – in the 2025 UK City of Culture will precede the 11-date The Mountain Tour that will visit Leeds First Direct Arena on March 25, when Trueno will support. Tickets can be booked at gorillaz.com. Gorillaz also will play Tottenham Hotspur, London, on June 20 in a standalone summer show with Sparks and Trueno in support.

Spanning a collection of 15 songs that embody the very essence of the collaborative Gorillaz ethos, The Mountain creates a “playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence”.  

The poster for Gorillaz’ itinerary for The Mountain Tour. Ignore the album release date at the bottom! It has definitely moved forward to February 27

The Mountain is an expansive sonic landscape of instruments and sounds, richly layered with voices, melodies and addictive beats. The list of guest artists and collaborators takes in Ajay Prasanna, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, IDLES, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey.

Featured too are the voices of friends and collaborators who have gone before us, including Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E Smith, Proof and Tony Allen. IDLES guest on The God Of Lying and tour support acts Trueno and Sparks on The Manifesto and The Happy Dictator respectively.

Following last year’s London run, the iconic gates of Kong – the fabled home of Gorillaz –will open in Downtown Los Angeles when a new immersive exhibition, House of Kong, opens for a limited four-week run from February 26 to March 19 2026 at Rolling Greens. For exhibition tickets, go to: houseofkong.gorillaz.com. 

The exhibition will be accompanied by Gorillaz’ shows at the Hollywood Palladium on February 22 and 23. These American dates will see Damon Albarn and the Gorillaz live band joined on stage by special guests to perform The Mountain in full, from beginning to end, all under the watchful eye of Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D. 

The cover artwork for Gorillaz’ ninth studio album The Mountain

Produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton and Remi Kabaka Jr, plus Bizarrap (Orange County), The Mountain was recorded at Studio 13 in London and Devon, various locations in India, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi, as well as Ashgabat, Damascus, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The album features artists performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba. 

The artwork for The Mountain finds visual artist Jamie Hewlett’s distinctive, yet ever-evolving, style illustrate the world of Gorillaz with detailed and beautiful intricacy across a series of hand-drawn images that capture Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D’s time in India working on the new album, available both as a book and as a collection of 12 x12 prints. 

The track listing is:

  1. The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
  2. The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda and Black Thought)
  3. The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)
  4. The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)
  5. Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar)
  6. The God of Lying (feat. IDLES)
  7. The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
  8. The Manifesto (feat. Trueno and Proof)
  9. The Plastic Guru (feat. Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
  10. Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)
  11. Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey)
  12. The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
  13. Casablanca (feat. Paul Simonon and Johnny Marr)
  14. The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
  15. The Sad God (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna and Anoushka Shankar)

The Mountainwill be available in various formats: Digital Download; Standard CD; Deluxe 2CD; Standard Vinyl; Hardback Book Vinyl Edition; Limited Edition Collectors Box (including art prints). Pre-order at gorillaz.ffm.to/themountain.

Jamie Hewlett’s artwork for Gorillaz at work on The Mountain

Gorillaz: back story

CREATED by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in 1998, the Gorillaz fictional line-up comprises  2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle. The BRIT and Grammy-winning virtual band formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to blow up a pre-digital world with their colourful backstory and ground-breaking virtual ways.

Based at Kong Studios, Gorillaz settled into a life of musical innovation with a remarkable roster of collaborators, a list that includes musical legends, geniuses and future stars from Elton John to Little Simz, MF Doom to Jean-Michel Jarre, Grace Jones to slowthai, Kali Uchis to Sidiki Diabaté, and many more.

Gorillaz have eight albums to their name: Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018), Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez (2020) and Cracker Island (2023), to be followed by The Mountain on February 27 2026.

Gorillaz have achieved success in new and unique ways, touring the world from San Diego to Syria, Montevideo to Manchester, and winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor.

Gorillaz musician Damon Albarn. Picture: Linda Brownlee

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 52, from Gazette & Herald

Wanderful: Lisa George’s Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Grand Opera House, York

CHRISTMAS music and pantomimes aplenty dominate Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for December fun-filled fulfilment. 

Having a ball: Cinderella, Grand Opera House, York, until January 4 2026

CORONATION Street star Lisa George’s Fairy Godmother leads the cast of Tobias Turley’s Prince Charming, Bradley Judge’s Dandini and West End actress Rachel Grundy’s Cinderella in UK Productions’ Cinderella, scripted by Jon Monie. 

Directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, West End drag stars Luke Attwood and Brandon Nicholson bring the mayhem in Ugly Sisters mode as Harmony and Melody Hard-Up, joined in the comedy corner by Jimmy Bryant’s Buttons. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Radiant: Jennie Dale’s Fairy Moonbeam in Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography

No sleep till January 4: Sleeping Beauty, York Theatre Royal

YORK Theatre Royal creative director Juliet Forster directs returnee dame Robin Simpson’s Nurse Nellie, Jocasta Almgill’s Carabosse, Tommy Carmichael’s Jangles, CBeebies star Jennie Dale’s Fairy Moonbeam, Aoife Kenny’s Aurora and Harrogate actor Christian Mortimer’s Prince Michael of Moravia in Sleeping Beauty.

Written once more by Paul Hendy, the Theatre Royal’s festive extravaganza is co-produced with award-winning Evolution Productions, the same team behind All New Adventures Of Peter Pan, Jack And The Beanstalk and last winter’s Aladdin. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. 

Hooked: Jamie McKeller savours the role of Captain Hook in Rowntree Players’ The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan at the JoRo. Picture: Matt Hillier

Putting ‘Pan’ into pantomime: Rowntree Players in The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Wednesday to Friday; Saturday, 2pm and 7.30pm

HEAD to the fantastical world of Neverland in Howard Ella and Gemma McDonald’s pantomime for Rowntree Players. Cling on to your seats as Hannah King’s Peter Pan and the Lost Boys do battle with Jamie McKeller’s rather nasty Captain Hook and his even nastier bunch of pirates.

Fear not as Michael Cornell’s Nanny McFlea and McDonald’s ever-eager apprentice Barkly are on hand to assist in the most ridiculous of ways. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Paul Toy: Directing York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust in A Nativity For York

Nativity play of the week: York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust in A Nativity For York, All Saints Church, North Street, York, tonight, 7.30pm

USING medieval scripts from the York Cycle of Mystery Plays and music both medieval and folk in style, Paul Toy’s community cast tells a familiar story of a marvellous birth, threaded with humour, reverence and, sadly, hatred, where candlelight emphasises the constant struggle of the light  against the darkness.

The performance lasts one hour with no interval. Refreshments will be available. Box office: 033 666 3366, ympst.co.uk/york-nativity or on the door.

Kate Rusby: Winter wonderland of South Yorkshire folk carols at York Barbican

Alternative carol concert of the week: Kate Rusby, Christmas Is Merry, York Barbican, tomorrow, 7pm

BARNSLEY folk nightingale Kate Rusby plays her regular festive fixture at York Barbican, returning with her folk band and the Brass Boys for two sets of jolly carols from South Yorkshire’s pubs, Christmas chart chestnuts and original winter songs.

Christmas Is Merry marks her 20th anniversary of these winter warmers, drawing on her six studio Christmas albums: 2008’s Sweet Bells, 2011’s While Mortals Sleep, 2015’s The Frost Is All Over, 2017’s Angels And Men, 2019’s Holly Head and 2023’s Light Years. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Musical director Dylan Allcock in rehearsal with cast members Emilio Encinoso-Gil and Hannah Christina for Elizabeth Godber’s Jingle All The Way at Pocklington Arts Centre

Deer duo of the week: Jingle All The Way, Pocklington Arts Centre, tomorrow to December 23; relaxed performance on December 14, 1.30pm

FROM the team behind The Elves And The Shoemaker Save Christmas and Jack Frost’s Christmas Wish comes Elizabeth Godber’s latest Christmas family adventure, co-directed by Jane Thornton with musical direction by Dylan Allcock.

Reindeer siblings Rex (Emilio Encinoso-Gil) and Rosie(Hannah Christina) are reluctant to start at a new school just before Christmas, especially when that school is the East Riding Reindeer Academy, home of supreme athletes. Although Rosie fits in quickly, Rex struggles to find where he belongs, but a school-wide competition might change all that. Santa has a position free on his sleigh squad; could this be Rex’s big chance? Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Setting sail in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes: Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather, second from left) and her Angels, Sophie Curry, left, Chloe Branton and Sophie Kemp. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Getting a kick out of you musical of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday to December 30

DITCH York’s December chills and climb aboard the S.S. American as it sets sail in Andrew Isherwood’s all-singing, all-dancing staging of Anything Goes!, Cole Porter’s swish musical, charting the madcap antics of a motley crew leaving New York for London on a Christmas-themed steamer.

Meet nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather) and lovelorn Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price), who has stowed away on board in pursuit of his beloved Hope Harcourt (Claire Gordon-Brown). Alas, Hope is engaged to fellow passenger Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Neil Foster). Enter second-rate conman Moonface Martin (Fergus Powell) to join Reno in trying to help Billy win the love of his life. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Swinton & District Excelsior Band: Festive cheer at Milton Rooms, Malton

Afternoon of festive music and joy: Swinton & District Excelsior Band’s Christmas Spectacular, Milton Rooms, Malton, December 14, 2pm

THIS musical matinee with the Swinton & District Excelsior Band features the senior band, training band and beginners’ group, who perform a joyful mix of carols and seasonal favourites with festive cheer for all the family. A raffle and retiring collection will boost band funds. Entry is free but donations are welcome at the close. To book, go to: ticketsource.co.uk/swinton-district-excelsior-band/t-nolgkxa.

Bill Scott & Friends: In concert at Kirk Theatre, Pickering

Yuletide Tales of the week: Bill Scott & Friends, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, December 17, 7.30pm

THIS Christmas celebration “in harmony with a difference” comes to Pickering for the first time as vocal quartet Bill Scott, Lesley Machen, Jan Burtenshaw & Tim Tubbs perform a seasonal programme of carols, songs, poems and readings in every mood, from sacred, secular and lyrical to comic, sad and joyous.

Whether moved by the solemn beauty of a traditional carol or lifted by a light-hearted poem, this Yuletide fusion of music and tales promises to be a magical gathering. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk/events/yuletide-tales/.

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REVIEW: Martin Dreyer’s verdict on York Early Music Christmas Festival, Apollo’s Cabinet, Apollo’s Jukebox Menu, National Centre for Early Music, York, December 5

Apollo’s Cabinet: Opening concert at York Early Music Christmas Festival 2025

YORK Early Music Christmas Festival swung straight into high gear in a seasonal knockabout, with a tenor and five Baroque players reacting to audience whims.

Apollo’s Cabinet specialises in such laid-back shows. This was the Christmas edition of its “jukebox menu”, with several courses offered to us on arrival.

In the event, we began with an instrumental medley, which set a breezy tone. Thereafter, we trod a fairly well-trodden path in a haphazard manner, depending on audience choices: Bach and Handel each featured twice and there were eating and drinking ballads from Purcell and Locke.

Otherwise, apart from an anonymous “battle” between two recorders, the audience was actively involved in a sing-along, or “Slow Set”, of four carols.

Rory Carver used his tenor intelligently in an aria from the New Year’s Day section of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. He also prefaced Lowell Mason’s Antioch (aka Joy To The World, based on Handel) with a smooth account of Comfort Ye from Messiah.

The recorder players, Teresa Wrann and Thomas Pickering, the latter doubling on harpsichord and flute, dazzled in their duel, while also enabling Bach’s sheep to graze safely. It was all good fun, but punters may have wondered whether their £23 was truly well spent on such trifles.

Review by Martin Dreyer

York Early Music Christmas Festival continues until December 14. For full details and tickets, go to: ncem.co.uk. Box office: 01904 658338.

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Getting a kick out of you musical of the month: Pick Me Up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

Setting sail in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes: Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather, front centre) and her Angels, Sophie Curry, left, Chloe Branton and Sophie Kemp. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

DITCH the December chills in York and climb aboard the S.S. American as Pick Me Up Theatre’s all-singing all-dancing Christmas production of Anything Goes! sets sail at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, on December 12.

Directed by Andrew Isherwood, Cole Porter’s swish musical follows the madcap antics of a motley crew as they chart their course from New York to London on a Christmas-themed steamer.

On board are popular nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather) and her pal, lovelorn Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price), who has stowed away on board in pursuit of his beloved Hope Harcourt (Claire Gordon-Brown).

Hope, however, is engaged to another passenger, English gent Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, played by Neil Foster, who is reprising the role after 27 years. “It’s amazing how I’ve remembered so many of the lines and lyrics,” he says. “They must have been buried somewhere in my memory.”

Sailing to England too is second-rate conman Moonface Martin (Fergus Powell), aka “Public Enemy #13”. Song, dance and fabulous farce ensue as Reno and Moonface try to help Billy win the love of his life.

Reno will be Alexandra Mather’s first lead in a musical after principal roles aplenty for York Opera. “Taking on Reno Sweeney is incredibly exciting for me,” she says. “I’m stepping into such a sharp and charismatic role, which is a dream come true.

“With Cole Porter’s music and the brilliant, witty script, the whole experience feels nostalgic, stylish and incredibly glamorous.”

“I’m stepping into such a sharp and charismatic role, which is a dream come true,” says Alexandra Mather of playing Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes

That pretty much sums up Susannah Baines and Beryl Nairn too, who will be  sharing the sassy role of Hope’s mother, Evangeline Harcourt. No strangers to a sequin and a spin around the dance floor, they cannot wait to take to the stage at Theatre@41.

“It’s a fantastic role and I’m honoured to be sharing it with such a great, talented friend,” says Susannah. “I just feel for the rest of the cast, dealing with two overbearing mothers! I love this era. It’s so elegant. And I’m really enjoying working with our choreographer Ali Kirkham.”

Ali is right at home with her role, not only as choreographer but also with the nautical setting of this musical. “I worked as a singer myself on cruise ships,” says the former head of musical theatre at Kirkham Henry Performing Arts in Malton.

“I produced shows for more than 20 years for the fabulous Fred Olsen liners and theatres around the world. Many of my ex-students have gone on to perform on the West End and Broadway, in television and films, and of course on top-class cruise lines. Like my former student Charlie Fox, who is joining our York cast between contracts.”

The full cast comprises: Alexandra Mather as Reno Sweeney; Adam Price, Billy Crocker; Neil Foster, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh; Fergus Powell, Moonface Martin; Claire Gordon-Brown, Hope Harcourt; Beryl Nairn/Susannah Baines, Evangeline Harcourt; Mark Simmond, Elisha Whitney, and Adrian Cook, Ship’s Captain.

Thea Fennell plays Erma Latour; Leo Portal, Ship’s Purser; James Robert Ball, Minister/Sailor; Zachary Thorp, Spit; Reuben Baines, Dippy; Chloe Branton, Angel; Sophie Curry, Angel; Charlie Fox, Sailor, and Sophie Kemp, Angel. Cameo roles go to Ryan Richardson, Rich Musk, Andrew Roberts, Sanna Jeppsson, Adam Sowter and Jim Paterson.

The creative team comprises director Andrew Isherwood; musical director John Atkin; sound and lighting designer Will Nicholson; choreographers Ali Kirkham and Robert Readman (who also handles design and production) and wardrobe mistress Julie Fisher, assisted by Jo Hird.

Pick Me up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, December 12 to 30. Performances, 7.30pm December 12, December 15 to 18, December 20 and December 27 to 30; 2.30pm, December 13, 20, 21 and 27. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/seasons/b4dda860-03cd-492d-b990-026e1ec590a3

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Full cast confirmed for Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Constant Wife at York Theatre Royal with Jamie Cullum score

Kara Tointon’s Constance in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Constant Wife, adapted by Laura Wade

THE full cast is in place for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s touring production of Laura Wade’s adaptation of W Somerset Maugham’s The Constant Wife, booked into York Theatre Royal for January 26 to 31 next year.

Kara Tointon was confirmed already to lead RSC co-artistic director Tamara Harvey’s cast, playing Constance after such credits as Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion in London’s West End, Dawn Swann in EastEnders from 20025 to 2009 and Rose Selfridge in the television period drama Mr Selfridge, as well as Bella Manningham in Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight at the Grand Opera House, York, in February 2017.

She also appeared in Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping, Twelfth Night for the RSC and The Windsors: Endgame at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London.

Kara Tointon: Returning to the York stage in January 2026 for the first time since Gaslight at the Grand Opera House in 2027

In a further highlight, this sparkling comedy of ill manners will feature original music composed by jazz pianist Jamie Cullum.

Joining 2010 Strictly Come Dancing winner Tointon will be Jules Brown (The Shawshank Redemption, UK tour, and Ghost The Musical, International & UK tour) as Mortimer; Sara Crowe (Calendar Girls at Noel Coward Theatre, Four Weddings & A Funeral and Private Lives, Aldwych Theatre, winning  Olivier Award for best supporting actress) as Mrs Culver; Tim Delap (Jane Eyre at National Theatre, Peaky Blinders) as John, and Gloria Onitiri (Hadestown in West End, A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic) as Marie-Louise.

So too will Alex Mugnaioni (The Taming Of The Shrew at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin at Harold Pinter Theatre and on tour) as Bernard; Philip Rham (Harry Potter And the Goblet Of Fire, Jane Eyre for Shared Experience, international and UK tour before West End) as Bentley, and Amy Vicary-Smith (The Duchess (Of Malfi) at Trafalgar Studios and Machinal at The Orange Tree Theatre) as Martha. Sam Flint, Jocasta King and Jane Lambert complete the company.

Kara Tointon in the poster for the RSC’s The Constant Wife

Set in 1927, The Constant Wife finds Constance as a very unhappy woman. “Nonsense,” says her mother, who insists “she eats well, sleeps well, dresses well and she’s losing weight. No woman can be unhappy in those circumstances”.

Constance is the perfect wife and mother, and her husband is as devoted to her as he is to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend.

Written by W Somerset Maugham in 1926, The Constant Wife has been adapted by Laura Wade, the Olivier Award-winning writer of Home, I’m Darling – also directed by Harvey – and the international Emmy award-winning Disney+ television series Rivals, adapted from Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles bonkbuster novel.

Sara Crowe: Olivier Award-winning actress cast as Mrs Culver in The Constant Wife, playing York Theatre Royal on tour from January 26 to 31 2026

Harvey is joined in the production team by composer Cullum; set and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle; co-costume designer Cat Fuller; lighting designer Sally Ferguson; sound designer Claire Windsor and movement director Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster.

In the team too are associate director Francesca Murray-Fuentes; associate designer Angelica Rush; costume supervisor Ilona Karas; production manager Blair Halliday; company manager Mark Vince; deputy stage manager Kelly Evans; assistant stage managers Cormac O’Brien and Sasha Reece, and wardrobe supervisor Rob Bicknell. Casting is by Sarah Bird and Marc Frankum.

The Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Constant Wife is presented by Cunard and David Pugh, five-time Olivier Award and two-time Tony Award winning producer, who says: “I’m delighted to be bringing a production of such class and comedy, that evolves the wit of Somerset Maugham with the brilliance of Laura Wade, to theatres all around the country at prices that people can afford.”

Royal Shakespeare Company in The Constant Wife, York Theatre Royal, January 26 to 31 2026, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

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Prima Choral Artists to perform Family Christmas Concerts at St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, on December 13 and 20

Eve Lorian conducting Prima Choral Artists and New World String Quartet

EVE Lorian’s York choir Prima Choral Artists will perform Family Christmas Concerts at St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, on December 13 and 20 from 4pm to 5pm.

Audiences are invited to join the Prima Choral singers and their guests for two uplifting afternoons filled with festive favourites for all ages.

Produced and conducted by director Eve Lorian, the concerts will feature the New World String Quartet, organist James Webb and pianist Greg Birch in Prima’s reflective and cheerful Christmas celebrations.

Eve’s programme will offer a vibrant blend of high-spirited Christmas classics, modern choral arrangements and string and organ repertoire, including works by Tchaikovsky and Rawsthorne.

“A highlight of the concerts will be the much-loved audience carols, giving everyone the chance to join in and share the joy of live festive music together – an annual favourite for families and singers alike,” says Eve.

“With its atmospheric setting and warm seasonal programme, this one-hour concert is the perfect way to celebrate Christmas in York.”

Tickets are on sale at primachoral.com and on the door each Saturday from 3.30pm. “These popular 4pm concerts tend to sell quickly, so early booking is highly recommended,” advises Eve.

For event updates, behind-the-scenes videos and the latest news, follow Prima Choral Artists on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

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Don and Jo Pears to release Christmas Carols album and perform showcase concert at Joseph Rowntree Theatre

The cover artwork for Don and Jo Pears’ festive album Christmas Carols

YORK musical stalwarts Don and Jo Pears are releasing a festive album, Christmas Carols – A Musical Celebration of Tradition and Talent.

The CD comprises 23 beautifully arranged carols written by the duo as “the culmination of decades of musical passion and collaboration, dedicated to Don’s late mother, Rhoda Robinson, and her family for their unwavering support”.

Don’s musical journey began in the small mining village of Leadgate, County Durham, where his love for music was nurtured in the Methodist Church choir under the guidance of Mr L. T. Whaley.

His career spans more than 34 years as head of music in schools and includes studies at Huddersfield University, The Guildhall, King’s College London, and Bretton Hall, West Yorkshire.

Today, Don is a legendary figure in York’s musical community, built around strong ties to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.

Jo Pears, a well-known singer in York, has starred in numerous musicals and performed with the York Guildhall Orchestra at York Barbican.

Christmas Carols composer Don Pears, left, York Guildhall Orchestra leader Fiona Love, producer Bob Whitney and conductor Simon Wright

Together, Don and Jo have helped raise funds to support the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, a cherished cultural landmark and beacon for community arts.

Performing together for decades, composer Don and lyricist Jo have written songs and carols since the early 2000s. Their music is created for everyone to enjoy and reflects their lifelong dedication to the arts and community.

The album was recorded at the National Centre for Early Music, St Margartet’s Church, in Walmgate, with the York Guildhall Orchestra and a specially formed choir of friends, who were conducted by musician and Guildhall Orchestra director Simon Wright.

The Singphonia Singers, a group of talented performers formed by Don, will showcase some of the carols at A Christmas Selection Box: A Music Night Production at the Rowntree Theatre on Sunday, December 14 at 7pm. Tickets are on sale on 01904 501935,  at josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk or on the door, priced £12 to £15.

The Christmas Carols CD will be on sale at Sunday’s concert or can be downloaded from Spotify, Apple iTunes and Amazon Music.

The track listing for Don and Jo Pears’ album Christmas Carols

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More Things To Do in York and beyond the panoply of pantomimes. Here’s Hutch’s festive List No. 52, from The York Press

Wanderful: Coronation Street star Lisa George’s Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Grand Opera House, York

CHRISTMAS music and pantomimes aplenty dominate Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for December fun-filled fulfilment. 

Having a ball: Cinderella, Grand Opera House, York, today until January 4 2026

LEEDS lad Bradley Judge’s Dandini joins the star-studded cast of Lisa George (Coronation Street) as Fairy Godmother, Tobias Turley (ITV’s Mamma Mia I Have A Dream) as Prince Charming and West End star Rachel Grundy (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Legally Blonde) as Cinderella in UK Productions’ Cinderella, scripted by Jon Monie. 

Directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, West End drag stars Luke Attwood and Brandon Nicholson bring the mayhem in Ugly Sisters mode as Harmony and Melody Hard-Up, joined in the comedy corner by Jimmy Bryant’s Buttons. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Marian Consort: Performing with English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble at York Early Music Christmas Festival on December 8

Festival of the week: York Early Music Christmas Festival, mainly at National Centre for Early Music, York, until December 14

HIGHLIGHTS at this Yuletide feast of music spanning the centuries, complemented by contemporary tunes, include Yorkshire Bach Choir & Yorkshire Baroque Soloists performing Hayden’s The Creation tonight and The Chiaroscuro Quartet and Consone String Quartet uniting tomorrow for Mendelssohn’s Octet in E flat major Op 20.

The Marian Consort teams up with the English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble in Looking Bach To Palestrina on December 8 and Fieri Consort Singers and Camerata Øresund present Christmas Cantatas by Christopher Graupner and English Tavern Songs on December 12. Among further festival performers will be mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, Dowland’s Foundry, Apollo5, Lowe Ensemble, Irish folk singer Cara Dillon and Joglaresa. For the full programme and tickets, go to: ncem.co.uk. Box office: 01904 658338.

York Theatre Royal’s pantomime cast in rehearsal for Sleeping Beauty. Picture: SR Taylor Photography

No sleep till January 4: Sleeping Beauty, York Theatre Royal

YORK Theatre Royal creative director Juliet Forster directs returnee dame Robin Simpson’s Nurse Nellie, Jocasta Almgill’s Carabosse, Tommy Carmichael’s Jangles, CBeebies star Jennie Dale’s Fairy Moonbeam, Aoife Kenny’s Aurora and Harrogate actor Christian Mortimer’s Prince Michael of Moravia in Sleeping Beauty.

Written once more by Paul Hendy, the Theatre Royal’s festive extravaganza is co-produced with award-winning Evolution Productions, the same team behind All New Adventures Of Peter Pan, Jack And The Beanstalk and last winter’s Aladdin. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. 

Hannah King’s Peter Pan in The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan, Rowntree Players’ festive visit to Neverland

Putting ‘Pan’ into pantomime: Rowntree Players in The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, today, 2pm and 7.30pm, Sunday, 2pm and 6pm; December 9 to 12, 7.30pm; December 13, 2pm and 7.30pm

JOIN Wendy, John and Michael as they fly with Peter Pan to the fantastical world of Neverland in Howard Ella and Gemma McDonald’s pantomime for Rowntree Players. Cling on to your seats as Peter and the Lost Boys do battle with Jamie McKeller’s rather nasty Captain Hook and his even nastier bunch of pirates. Fear not as Nanny McFlea and her ever eager apprentice Barkly are on hand to assist in the most ridiculous of ways. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Bec Silk’s Robin Hood and writer Martin Vander Weyer’s Dame Daphne in 1812 Theatre Company’s pantomime Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure

Ryedale pantomime opening of the week: 1812 Theatre Company in Robin Hood’s Helmsley Adventure, Helmsley Arts Centre, today, 2.30pm and 7.30pm; Sunday, 2.30pm; December 9 to 12, 7.30pm; December 13, 2.30pm and 7.30pm; December 14, 2.30pm

HELMSLEY Arts Centre artistic director Natasha Jones directs company-in-residence 1812 Theatre Company in this traditional panto with a Knock Knock Joke Contest, scripted by dame Martin Vander Weyer.

Robin Hood will be rescuing the lovely Maid Marian from the wicked Sheriff of Pickering, while Black Swan landlady Dame Daphne will lead the merriment and mayhem. Knock Knock! Who’s there? Daphne! Daphne who? Daph-nitely book early to avoid disappointment on 01439 771700 or at helmsleyarts.co.uk. 

Singer Dene Michael, dressed as a pineapple, in the finale to Kim Hopkins’s documentary film Still Pushing Pineapples, showing at City Screen Picturehouse on Sunday

Documentary film screening of the week; Still Pushing Pineapples (12A), City Screen Picturehouse, York, Sunday, 5pm

BLACK Lace’s Agadoo has been  voted the most infuriating  song of all time. What happens when you are forever associated with such a Marmite hit;  what comes after fleeting fame, and what does it mean to grow old still chasing a dream?

Perennial pineapple pusher and former Yorkshire band member Dene Michael is still singing the derided party anthem across fading clubland UK: a story now told in Selby-raised  filmmaker Kim Hopkins’s  humorous, moving, warts’n’all documentary, a pineapple slice of working-class social realism wrapped inside a road movie and abiding love story. Dene Michael, Hopkins and producer Margareta Szabo will hold a post-show Q&A. Box office: picturehouses.com/cinema/city-screen-picturehouse.

 A Nativity For York director Paul Toy

Nativity play of the week: York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust in A Nativity For York, All Saints Church, North Street, York, December 10, 7.30pm

USING medieval scripts from the York Cycle of Mystery Plays and music both medieval and folk in style, Paul Toy’s community cast tells a familiar story of a marvellous birth, threaded with humour, reverence and, sadly, hatred, where candlelight emphasises the constant struggle of the light  against the darkness.

The performance lasts one hour with no interval. Refreshments will be available. Box office: 033 666 3366, ympst.co.uk/york-nativity or on the door.

Christmas will be merry for Kate Rusby at York Barbican on December 11

Carol concert of the week: Kate Rusby, Christmas Is Merry, York Barbican, December 11, 7pm

BARNSLEY folk nightingale Kate Rusby plays her regular festive fixture at York Barbican, returning with her folk band and the Brass Boys for two sets of jolly carols from South Yorkshire’s pubs, Christmas chart chestnuts and original winter songs.

Christmas Is Merry marks her 20th anniversary of these winter warmers, drawing on her six Christmas studio albums: 2008’s Sweet Bells, 2011’s While Mortals Sleep, 2015’s The Frost Is All Over, 2017’s Angels And Men, 2019’s Holly Head and 2023’s Light Years. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Hyde Family Jam’s poster for their brace of Christmas jamborees at The Crescent, York on December 11 and 12

Christmas knees-up of the week: Hyde Family Jam, The Crescent, York, December 11, 7.30pm

FRIENDS! Come celebrate another Christmas with a right thorough knees-up at The Crescent with York buskers supreme Hyde Family Jam, a traditional-looking folk band that couldn’t be less traditional. They perform  the songs they love from any decade, any genre, in any way they fancy, played as fast and loud as possible. “We call it ‘folk gone wrong’,” they say. “Expect a few special festive bonuses too!” Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Recommended but sold out already: Hyde Family Jam’s December 12 gig and The Howl & The Hum’s traditional special Crescent Christmas gig, led as ever by Sam Griffiths after leaving York and Leeds for London.

Setting sail in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Anything Goes: Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather, front centre) and her Angels, Sophie Curry, left, Chloe Branton and Sophie Kemp. Picture: Felix Wahlberg

Getting a kick out of you musical of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Anything Goes, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, December 12 to 30

DITCH York’s December chills and climb aboard the S.S. American as it sets sail in Andrew Isherwood’s all-singing, all-dancing staging of Anything Goes!, Cole Porter’s swish musical, charting the madcap antics of a motley crew leaving New York for London on a Christmas-themed steamer.

Meet nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney (Alexandra Mather) and lovelorn Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Adam Price), who has stowed away on board in pursuit of his beloved Hope Harcourt (Claire Gordon-Brown). Alas, Hope is engaged to fellow passenger Sir Evelyn Oakleigh  (Neil Foster). Enter second-rate conman Moonface Martin (Fergus Powell) to join Reno in trying to help Billy win the love of his life. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Michael Ball’s poster for his Glow UK Tour 2026, taking in Yorkshire gigs at Bradford Live (September 2), Sheffield City Hall (September 5) and Hull Connexin Live (September 6), as well as York Barbican (September 12)

Concert announcement of the week: Michael Ball, Glow UK Tour, York Barbican, September 12 2026

MUSICAL star and radio and TV presenter Michael Ball will promote his 23rd solo album, Glow, on next year’s 25-date tour. “There’s probably only one thing I enjoy more than being in the studio – writing, producing and singing songs with people I love – and that’s taking it all out on the road and performing those songs as well as all the old favourites to the audiences I love,” he says. “It’s going to be an exciting year, and I can’t wait to see you all.’’ Box office: https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/michael-ball-2026/.

In Focus: The Christmas Collection at Pyramid Gallery, York, until January 12 2025

Bowl Of Apricots, acrylic painting, by Anita Klein

PYRAMID Gallery’s Christmas Collection, in Stonegate, York, features works by London artist and printmaker Anita Klein, York ceramicist Ben Arnup, Peak District sculptor Paul Smith, South Staffordshire mosaic artist Amanda Anderson and York floral artist Lesley Birch.

Exhibiting too will be Canadian-born painter, printmaker and cartographer Mychael Barratt, Oswestry ceramicist Jacqui Atkin and Perthshire oil painter artist and printmaker Ian MacIntyre, complemented by bird and fish blown glass by Bruce Parks, bronzes by David Meredith, Nerikromi vessels by York ceramist Patricia Qua and studio jewellery for the Christmas season by 50 British makers.

Curator Terry Brett, who has owned the gallery for 31 years, has invited Anita Klein to fill the walls with 15 linocut original prints, new aquatint etchings and two paintings.

Bee Eater, ceramic vase, by Jacqui Atkin

“The gallery has enjoyed a long, unbroken relationship with Anita as a supplier of her extensive catalogue of prints that form a diary of her family life,” he says.

“Over the 28 years in which she has shown more than 800 different pictures at Pyramid Gallery, we have watched her career progress to the point where Anita has become one of the most collectable printmakers in the UK. It seems very fitting that she is the main focus of the Christmas Collection.”

As well as showing new linocut prints, Anita is selling copies of her book Out Of The Ordinary – 40 Years Of Print Making, featuring illustrations of 550 of her best-loved prints, published by Eames Fine Art.

The Christmas Collection at Pyramid Gallery is open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm, Sundays, until January 12 2026. Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.