Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter: Third time at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: David Freeman
MARCH 2022, October 2024, now July 2026. The time to do the Time Warp again at the Grand Opera House comes around ever more quickly. Once it was every three years, then 31 months, now 21.
No doubt Rocky Horror aficionados will be delighted by that acceleration, making their pilgrimage to Richard O’Brien’s schlock-horror rock’n’roll musical comedy sextravaganza time and time again to enact the time-honoured rituals established since 1973 in gothic fancy dress.
Likewise, new converts as wide-eyed and innocent as O’Brien’s American sweetheart college nerds Brad Majors and Janet Weiss sign up for their rites-of-passage initiation to the cult of Rocky Horror.
This time, Stephen Webb is doing a Time Warp of his own, back in Dr Frank N Furter’s fishnets on tour, having played the role at the Grand Opera House in 2019 and 2022. The swagger, the grace and the fruity decadence are now accompanied by a doomed sense of impending tragedy, especially in his rendition of Don’t Dream It, Be It.
Christopher Luscombe is still on directorial duty too, cracking the whip – like Frank in Act Two – to sustain its fast and increasingly furious pace, to push the tongue ever further into the cheek, to make it a visual and sensual feast in tandem with set designer Hugh Durrant.
Nothing can rectify the dip in quality of songs in Act Two or the mad rush to the finishing line, more in keeping with a Jacobean tragedy’s pile-up of dead bodies, but the 2026 production has increased momentum. On opening night, too, it overcame a sudden stoppage, when Bethany Amber Perrins had to take over from Daisy Steere as Columbia after a 20-minute hiatus. As ever, the show must go on, and indeed it did, quickly re-establishing its rhythm.
For any newcomers, the storyline opens with newly engaged, squeaky-clean American college couple Brad (James Bisp) and prim prom queen Janet (2022 returnee Haley Flaherty) losing their way in a storm and then their cherry under the seductive allure of Webb’s castle-dwelling transvestite scientist, Dr Frank N Furter, all framed in a bravura send-up of horror and sci-fi B-movies, heightened by O’Brien’s raucous pastiche of Fifties’ rock’n’roll music.
His show is driven by song, set-piece, outre characters and carnal pleasure, not quite disguising the flimsy plot with its shameless riff on Frankenstein in Frank N Furter’s desire to forge a new life in the form of glitter-dusted beefcake Rocky (Morgan Jackson).
All the while, the audience plays its part, not only in its dress code of Fifties’ waitress outfits, scientist cloaks, Frank N Furter fishnets and tattoos, gold shorts and blond wigs, but in participating in the ritual interjections, focused heavily on the salacious and salty shout-outs (after rice, confetti, lighter flames and water pistols were given the red card).
Most are directed at the unflappable Narrator, on this occasion the actor, stand-up comedian and author Jackie Clunes, who consistently outwitted the audience, especially in her anatomical proclamations and acerbic topical asides. She shows originality in her retorts and quips, contrasting with the often crude “scripted abuse” from the stalls, although one shout of “Prince Andrew” made you crave more such impromptu cries.
For the rituals to work at their best, they need more participants than at Monday’s more-reserved- than-usual show, where the insults sometimes could not be discerned if watching from the Dress Circle. Clunes, nevertheless, worked the crowd skilfully, ever responsive but one thought ahead too.
What strikes you more and more after 50 years is how the sartorially and sexually audacious Rocky Horror fits with our gender-fluid times far more than in its earliest form, with its themes of transvestism, freedom of self-determination and homosexuality chiming ever louder alongside the old chestnuts of infidelity, the price of ambition and loss of innocence.
The Rocky Horror Show, Grand Opera House, York, tonight, Wednesday and Thursday, 8pm;Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Ashley Stillburn: York-born tenor, making York Proms debut on Sunday
THE York Proms picnic concert returns to York Museum Gardens on Sunday for its ninth celebration of pomp and circumstance.
Gracing the open-air stage will be York-born tenor and West End star Ashley Stillburn in his York Proms debut, and British-Irish soprano Jennifer Coleman, completing her hat trick of appearances.
Event co-founder Rebecca Newman says: “We have tried to book Ashley for a couple of years now, and even came very close in the past but diary clashes prevented it. I worked with Ashley in 2010 on a Bev Jones show at the Grand Opera House, when he was only about 17!
“I was so pleased to see how he went on to pursue a career in the arts and I know he will absolutely knock the socks off the audience on the night. Having the connection to York just makes it even more special.”
Ashley says: “It’ll be such a special event for me to return to York to perform and especially as it’s such a well- loved event in one of the most iconic spots in York.”
After leaving his beloved home city of York in 2011, Ashley graduated from Guildford School of Acting (GSA) in 2014 with a 1st Class BA (Hons) degree in Musical Theatre and the award for Best Performance in a Musical.
Ashley left vocational training early at GSA to join the West End cast of Les Miserables, in which he played the role of Feuilly and understudied and played Enjolras. He went on to appear as Raoul in The Phantom Of The Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre, London); Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd (Opera de Toulon); Corrado Montelli in Death Takes A Holiday, Armand Dufau in The Braille Legacy and Walter Hartright in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first revival of The Woman In White, all at the Charing Cross Theatre in the West End.
He appeared as Charles Clarke in the UK and international tour of Titanic – The Musical and returned to the West End production of The Phantom Of The Opera post-COVID, where he covered and played both The Phantom and Raoul at certain performances. He later returned to play The Phantom in April 2023 for a brief period to cover for an unforeseen absence within the cast.
Ashley Stillburn in Les Miserables. Picture provided by York Proms
Ashley has worked extensively in the development of new and developing work and has participated in workshops that include She Loves You, All About My Mother, Coastliners, Dance With A Stranger, Murder At The Gates, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, Strangers, Annie Get Your Gunand Production 54.
Ashley’s concert work includes West End Men: Unplugged Live from Park Theatre; West End Men in Concert (Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Thailand); Enjolras in Les Miserables in Concert (Beau Sejour, Guernsey); Raoul in The Phantom Of The Opera in Concert (MFCC Arena, Malta) and Carols by Candlelight at St Martin in the Fields, London. He also appeared as one of the ‘3 Phantoms’ singing Music Of The Night at West End Live in Trafalgar Square in 2022.
Throughout the course of his career, he has appeared multiple times on Elaine Paige On Sunday on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Kent and BBC Radio York.
Ashley has had the good fortune to work with leading creatives and practitioners in the theatre, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Claude Michel- Schoenberg, Hal Prince, Dame Gillian Lynne, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Dame Maureen Lipman, Maria Friedman, Brian Conley, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Maury Yeston and David Zippel.
He has worked as a guest entertainer on some of the world’s most luxury ocean liners and is a member of a cappella group Shantify, enjoying two runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a brief stint at the Ambassador’s Theatre in the West End.
Ashley was delighted to appear in To Maury, With Love at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in celebration of Maury Yeston’s 80th birthday in February this year.
Since 2023, Ashley has lived in Buxton in the Peak District with his wife and two young children, building a career in education. He has taught at prestigious northern institutions, including serving as director of music at St Bede’s College, Manchester, and head of performing arts at Beech Hall School, Macclesfield, and he is a guest lecturer at The Hammond School in Chester and KTCo in Castle Donington.
He is also an accredited partner for Derbyshire Music Partnership and has become part of its body of staff, aiming to build opportunities and access to singing and music across Derbyshire.
Soprano Jennifer Coleman: Making her third York Proms appearance on Sunday
GUEST soprano Jennifer Coleman will be returning to Museum Gardens after earlier York Proms appearances in 2019 and 2023, when she took on the more classic soprano songs and the finale in the Night At The Musicals-themed show.
Royal College of Music graduate Jennifer’s performance career has spanned opera, concerts, television and recitals.
As of August 2025, she is a full-time chorus member of the Royal Ballet and Opera (formerly the Royal Opera House) in Covent Garden, London. In 2026, she is delighted to be covering the role of First Bridesmaid in the Royal Opera’s production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and she also covered the soprano solo in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms for the Royal Ballet.
In the 2025/26 season with RBO, Jennifer will perform in Tosca, Les Vêpres Siciliennes, Die Zauberflöte, Ariodante, Turandot, Traviata, Boris Godunov, Peter Grimes, Samson & Delilah, Le Nozze di Figaro, I Puritani and La Boheme.
From 2018 to 2025, Jennifer was a full-time soprano chorister with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (OBV) (International Opera Awards: Best Opera Company 2019) in Antwerp and Ghent, Belgium. Productions ranged from Mozart to Philip Glass to Wagner.
For OBV, she performed as a soloist in Verdi’s Libera Me from Requiem in Choeurs in 2022, Brahms’s Deutsches Requiem, Schreker’s Der Schmied von Gent, La Cugina in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, cover Giovanna in Verdi’s Ernani and a spoken solo in Halevy’s La Juive.
Jennifer completed her undergraduate training at the Royal Northern College, Manchester, then graduated with distinction from the Masters of Music and Diploma course at the Royal College of Music, London, where she was a Theo Max van der Beugel scholar.
In 2016, she won a Musical Odessey Prize; in 2017, she won the Hatfield Festival Voice Competition and was a Britten-Pears Young Artist.
Her operatic roles have included First Bridesmaid in Le Nozze di Figaro (cover, Royal Opera); Theodora in Handel’s Theodora (RCM Oratorio Society); Pamina, Mozart’s The Magic Flute (St John’s Opera); Taumann/Dew Fairy, Hänsel und Gretel (RCMIOS); Mabel , The Pirates Of Penzance; Frasquita, Carmen; 2nd Niece, Peter Grimes (Dartington International); Priestess, Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride (Euphonia Opera); Noga, Tom Smail’s Electric Blue (Tête-à-Tête) and Vixen, Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (RCM Scenes).
Concert performances include soprano solos in Bach’s St John Passion, Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem, Handel’s The Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Purcell’s Come Ye Sons Of Art, Fili in Handel’s bilingual Acis And Galatea (Snape Maltings) and Elsie Suddaby in Vaughan-Williams’ Serenade To Music.
Among further highlights, she reached the semi-finals of Belgium’s Got Talent with her opera duo, toured the world for six months as the resident opera singer aboard The Silver Muse and undertook an 11-concert tour of the South of France with the Young Virtuosi Orchestra in 2016.
She performed recitals in Spain as part of the Encuentro de Música y Academia de Santander in 2017, sang on ITV’s The Only Way Is Essex and gave recitals with clarinettist Peter Dec at the Royal Albert Hall, Kings Place, Victoria & Albert Museum and Royal Academy of Art, London.
Naming her dream roles, Jennifer picks: Musetta (La Boheme); Leila (Bizet’s Pearl Fishers); Cleopatra (Handel’s Giulio Cesare); Cunegonda (Bernstein’s Candide); Eliza Doolittle (Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady) and, most especially, Mary Poppins (the Sherman Brothers’ Mary Poppins).
When she is not singing, Jennifer generally can be found at Parkrun, drinking tea out of china teacups or tucking into delicious Belgian chocolates.
Rebecca Newman: York Proms co-founder and organiser
Sunday’s York Proms programme
RUN as ever by classical chart-topping York soprano Rebecca Newman, Sunday’s York Proms will feature music from the world of classical and opera, film soundtracks and show songs.
“This year we have invested a bit more into the stage show, with a larger instrumental line-up in the orchestra to support these great singers, and also to allow us to take on some of the bigger film pieces, like works by Star Wars composer John Williams,” says Rebecca.
“We’ve always been restricted by the size of the venue and stage, but this year we’ve pushed the boat out a bit more and we hope our audience enjoys it.”
Tickets are on sale in advance at www.yorkproms.com or at the Visit York Information Centre. Attendees are allowed to bring food and drink, including alcohol, plus picnic chairs (which helps to keep down costs). Food and drink be will be available on site on the day, with a bar, hot and cold food and drinks, treats, and more. No tables or trolleys are permitted on the main lawn.
Please note, NO tickets will be sold on the gate. Previous years’shows have sold out, so prompt booking is advised.
Fast Track tickets have sold out; gates for these ticket holders will open at the Marygate entry at 5pm. Gates for all other ticket holders will open on Museum Street at 5.30pm, after the Fast Track queue has entered.
Wheelchair spaces can be booked after booking a disabled plus carer ticket via the website.
Entertainment will start from around 6pm and the evening show will begin at 7.30pm, climaxing with a low-noise fireworks finale from 10pm to 10.20pm.
Danger, danger for a ranger at close quarters with a dinosaur’s teethin Dinosaur Adventure Live: Danger On T-Rex Mountain at York Theatre Royal
DINOSAUR adventures and Knavesmire’s music showcase weekend, a not-so-sweet Transylvanian transvestite and a French farce promise variety aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s week ahead.
Children’s show of the week: Dinosaur Adventure Live, Danger On T-Rex Mountain, York Theatre Royal, today, 2.30pm
SIXTY-FIVE million years in the making, Dinosaur Adventure Live brings a fusion of family-friendly storytelling, puppetry and roarsome science to the stage as the ancient world of dinosaurs crashes back to life for gasps, giggles and occasional jump-scares.
From a shadowy raptor on the loose to baby dinosaurs that you can feed (carefully!), Mike Newman’s show blends humour, thrills and hands-on learning into an interactive stage experience. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Liz Foster: Exhibiting her abstract artworks in Arnup Studios’ first collective show at Pyramid Gallery
Exhibition launch of the week: Arnup Studios at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, today, 11am to 2pm, then running until September 27
CERAMICIST Hannah Arnup, landscape and natural world artist Michelle Galloway, abstract artist Liz Foster, plein-air and studio artist Kate Pettitt, British wildlife ceramicist Penny Phillips and handmade jewellery designer Emma Welsh will be on hand at today’s opening of Holtby-based Arnup Studios’ first collective exhibition at Pyramid Gallery. Gallery opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Justine Warner with exhibits from today’s showcase of experimental textiles and mixed media at Laburnum Cottage, Sheriff Hutton
Art showcase of the week: Experimental Textiles and Mixed Media, Laburnum Cottage Art Studio, West End, Sheriff Hutton, near York, today, 10am to 5pm
NORTH Yorkshire Open Studios textile and mixed-media artist, Landscape Artist Of The Year 2022 contestant, teacher and workshop tutor Justine Warner plays host to an exhibition of one year of student work, showcasing skills, workbooks and final pieces based on a wide range of experimental textile techniques that employ exciting and unusual materials in creative ways.
Look at how Bondaweb, Lutradur, soluble fabrics, metal, foils, gel printing, transfer printing, batik, tetra pack printing, block printing and heat-shrink can be used and speak with some of the students who experimented with them.
Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s introverted office worker Thomas struggling with his bothersome briefcase in Skedaddle Theatre’s A Brief Case Of Crazy
Silent love story of the week: Skedaddle Theatre & Shoddy Theatre present A Brief Case Of Crazy, York Theatre Royal Studio, today, 2pm & 7pm
INSPIRED by the timeless genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mr Bean,Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Samuel Cunningham and Lennie Longworth’s physical comedy A Brief Case Of Crazy is a silent love story with a very loud heart, told through slick choreography, mime, clowning and puppetry.
Meet Thomas, an awkward, introverted office worker with a quiet crush on his equally shy colleague, Daisy. His quest for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover that what’s on the inside counts most? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Five upwards.
Dominic Goodwin in a triptych of his myriad roles in Twice Nightly
Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Friargate Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm
RYEDALE writer, performer and pantomime dame Dominic Goodwin is touring his first one-man comedy show, directed by York director and actor Thomas Frere.
Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. Box office: York, 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.
CMAT: Songs of identity, grief and beauty standards at Scarborough Open Air Theatre tonight
Coastal gig of the week: CMAT, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, today, gates 6pm
CMAT, alias Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, burst on to the music scene six years ago with her debut single Another Day (KFC). The Dublin-born, County Meath-raised singer and songwriter has since released three bitingly humorous, emotionally honest albums, 2022’s If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, 2023’s Crazymad, For Me and 2025’s Mercury Prize-nominated Euro-Country, her exploration of identity, grief and beauty standards, exemplified by Take A Sexy Picture Of Me. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk.
Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, doing the Time Warp again at the Grand Opera House next week. Picture: David Freeman
Musical of the week: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Grand Opera House, York, July 20 to 25, Monday to Thursday, 8pm; Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm
STEPHEN Webb leads the cast as Dr Frank N Furter on The Rocky Horror Show’s latest return to the Grand Opera House, joined by comedian Jackie Clune as the Narrator. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, Richard O’Brien’s outré musical tells the story of squeaky-clean American college sweethearts Brad and his fiancée Janet’s very frank encounters at the freaky doctor’s Transylvanian castle after their car breaks down.
Cue an adventure full of fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity, bursting with timeless songs and outrageous outfits as O’Brien combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music while encouraging audience participation. Those audiences are sure to dress up in the most outrageous fancy dress. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Lenny Pearce: Techno for toddlers at York Barbican
Techno dance moves for children: Lenny Pearce, Toddler Rave World Tour Part 2, York Barbican, July22, 3.30pm
LENNY Pearce is a force in family entertainment, captivating a global audience as the pioneer of Toddler Techno. Driven from his passion as a father, and his strong commitment to his home life, Lenny makes songs and videos and performs live shows where he spins children’s favourites, remixed into modern hits that keep young ones and parents alike dazzled. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Andrew O’Neill: Looking to Escape at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Andrew O’Neill
Fringe shows of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, presents Joe Sellman-Leava in Copycat (Work In Progress), July 23, 7.30pm; Andrew O’Neill: Escape, July 24, 8pm
DOES AI spell the end of humanity, or the dawn of a new utopia, ponders Fringe First winner Joe Sellman-Leava. He might be a technophobe, but he is determined to find out by using innovative design and a whirlwind of uncanny impressions to tell the story of a teacher, a student, and a copycat dictator to examine the links between art, fascism and rapid technological change.
HOW do we get out of this mess, asks cult comedian Andrew O’Neill in his surreal, political show, Escape, about the ways in which we disagree with each other, while suggesting some ways we can find our way out. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Airline hostesses at the treble: Bethan Olliver as Gloria, left, Val Debenedetti as Gabriella Jorja Cartwright as Gretchen in Rowntree Players’ Boeing Boeing
Farce of the week: Rowntree Players in Boeing Boeing, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, July 23 to 25, 7.30pm
MARC Camoletti’s high-flying 1960s’ French farce Boeing Boeing is cleared for take-off in Hannah Shaw’s English-language production for Rowntree Players. Meet self-styled Parisian lothario Bernard, who has Italian, German and American fiancées, each one a beautiful airline hostess with frequent “layovers.”
He keeps “one up, one down, and one pending” until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris, and to Bernard’s apartment, at the same time. Shaw’s cast features Max Palmer as Bernard, Lizzie Lawton as Robert, Rebecca Thomson as Berthe, Jorja Cartwright as Gretchen, Bethan Olliver as Gloria and Val Debenedetti as Gabriella. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Craig David: TS5 DJ set at York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend next Friday
Outdoor concerts of the week: York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, Knavesmire, York, Craig David presents TS5, July 24, and Tom Grennan, July 25
SOUTHAMPTON singer-songwriter and DJ Craig David presents his TS5 DJ set on Music Showcase Friday’s double bill of racing and old-skool anthems, from R&B to Swing Beat, Garage to Bashment, plus current House hits, when he combines his song and MC skills.
Bedford singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is Saturday’s post-racing performer, drawing on such hits as Little Bit Of Love, Let’s Go Home Together, Remind Me, Here and How Does It Feel, plus songs from his number one albums Evering Road, What Ifs & Maybes and Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be and top-five debut Lighting Matches. Tickets: yorkracecourse.co.uk; no booking fees; free parking on race day.
Tom Grennan: Performing next Saturday’s Music Showcase Weekend at York Racecourse
Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Picture: David Freeman
STEPHEN Webb leads the cast as lascivious Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show’s latest return to the Grand Opera House, York, from July 20 to 25
Directed by Christopher Luscombe, Richard O’Brien’s outré musical tells the story of Brad and his fiancée Janet, two squeaky-clean American college sweethearts, who meet Dr Frank N Furter by chance when their car breaks down outside his creepy Transylvanian castle while on their way to visit their favourite professor.
Cue an adventure they will never forget, full of fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity, bursting with timeless songs and outrageous outfits as O’Brien combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music while encouraging audience participation. Those audiences, by the way, need no encouragement to dress up in the most outrageous fancy dress.
The Narrator’s role will be played by actress, stand-up comedian, cabaret act, writer, drama lecturer, singerandtelevision presenter Jackie Clune, who played Mrs Lamb in the BBC sitcom Motherland.
She will be joined by James Bisp as Brad; Haley Flaherty asJanet; Ryan Carter-Wilson as Riff Raff; Laura Bird as Magenta/Usherette; Daisy Steere as Columbia; Morgan Jackson as Rocky and Edward Bullingham as Eddie/Dr Scott.
Completing the cast are Phantoms Jesse Chidera, Nathan Zach Johnson, Tyla Dee Nurden and Bethany Amber Perrins, plus on-stage swing/dance captain David Peter-Brown and on-stage swing/assistant dance captainLucy Aiston.
ProducerHoward Panter says: “This new cast brings an extraordinary energy and freshness to our legendary show. The thrilling mix of talent will continue to delight audiences across the country. The Rocky Horror Show is a guaranteed party night after night – it’s fierce, fearless and not to be missed!”
Stephen Webb’s Frank N Furter in doctor’s garb, centre, with fellow principals in The Rocky Horror Show. Picture: David Freeman
Here Stephen Webb discusses career ambitions, the challenges of playing sweet transvestite Dr Frank N Furter, his favourite costume and the Rock Horror phenomenon .
Was there a moment when you realised you wanted to be a professional performer?
“I was obsessed with John Travolta in Grease. I went to watch it in London when it first opened. I was obsessed. I thought, ‘I need to be in theatre’. That changed it for me really. I used to watch the film all the time.”
How did you react when you learned you would be playing Dr Frank-N-Furter?
“Well, I couldn’t believe it first of all. When I originally wanted to audition for Rocky, I thought I’d be up for Brad and then they said, ‘No, we want to see you for Frank’. When I got it, I was ecstatic! I couldn’t believe that I got this role. But in the next moment, I was really anxious because it’s such an iconic role. I just want to live up to the legacy.”
How do you bring your own twist to the role while honouring the legacy of past performances?
“I remember that Christopher Luscombe, the director, said, ‘We don’t want you to do an impersonation of Tim Curry, we want to see your version’, which actually settled me.
“I portray Frank using an American accent, instead of an English accent. Obviously, Frank’s costume is quite feminine,so I do inject an element of masculinity into my performance. My take on it is a little bit rough around the edges. The audience has mixed feelings about Frank, which I love. He is a lovable psychopath!
“Because the character was written during the ‘70s Glam Rock era, I take inspiration from David Bowie, T. Rex and Queen. But I always find something new every performance, which makes playing this role so exciting.”
What is your favourite part of performing as Frank each night?
“There are two moments. One is my entrance. I’m not on stage for the first 20 minutes and the audience are waiting for Frank to come on. There’s a big drum beat before I enter and I’ve got this big old cloak on.
“I walk down centre stage and sing ‘Sweet Transvestite’, whip off my cloak and reveal my crazy costume. The audience goes absolutely berserk for it. It doesn’t matter if I’ve had the worst day in the world – it goes away as soon as I’m on that stage.
“Another special moment for me is when you see the vulnerable side of Frank. It’s like he’s taken off his mask and you’re seeing the true side of him.”
Do you have a favourite audience interaction or reaction so far?
“There are loads of shouts throughout the show. The audience are very much part of the show; they are almost another character. I’ve heard pretty much all of them now, so they don’t tend to catch me out. When I’m talking to Rocky, when he first comes out, there are a few shouts that are quite rude, and I love them! I think they’re really funny.”
James Bisp’s Brad and Haley Flaherty’sJane in The Rocky Horror Show. Picture: David Freeman
What is the most challenging part of playing Frank, either physically or emotionally?
“It’s not wearing the heels – I absolutely love wearing those – it’s actually wearing the black corset because it doesn’t give. Singing and dancing in a corset means I must make sure that I eat and drink enough at the right time before doing the show, otherwise I struggle throughout the show.”
Do you have a favourite outfit on stage?
“My finale red sequin corset. I absolutely love it. It really fits me like a glove – and it changes colour. If you push it up, it goes black, if you push it down, it goes red.”
If you could keep one piece of Frank’s wardrobe for yourself, what would it be?
“I do a few scenes with a leather jacket with tassels on it. I’m a motorcyclist so would love to steal it and ride my bike wearing it!”
The Rocky Horror Show has been pushing boundaries for more than five decades. Why do audiences keep coming back after all these years?
“It’s a show that celebrates what it means to be different, to follow your dreams, like the song ‘Don’t Dream It, Be It’. There are amazing songs; I don’t think you could ever get bored with the ‘Time Warp’ or ‘Sweet Transvestite’! It’s got a lot of heart, it’s extremely funny, and it allows people to be part of it. There’s no other show like it.”
Do you have any pre-show rituals before stepping into Frank’s heels?
“I don’t really have any pre-show rituals but I do love make-up. Before Rocky Horror, I never liked using make-up, now I absolutely love it. As soon as I start putting the make-up and wig on, it transforms me, like I’ve got an alter ego!”
Finally, what do you hope audiences will take away from experiencing The Rocky Horror Show?
“I think everyone who comes will have fun. It’s unique, liberating, funny, fierce and sexy. It’s a brilliant night out where everyone can be who they want to be. It’s one great big party!”
The Rocky Horror Show, Grand Opera House, York, July 20 to 25, Monday to Thursday, 8pm; Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.Content warning: Rude parts. Age guidance: 12 plus.
The Rocky Horror Show: the history bit
BEGAN life in 1973 in front of an audience of 63 people in the Royal Court’s Theatre Upstairs, in Chelsea, London. Transferred to Chelsea Classic Cinema, then King’s Road Theatre, 1973 to 1979, and Comedy Theatre in the West End, 1979-80.
The Rocky Horror Show has enjoyed the longest continuous run of a contemporary musical anywhere in the world, being watched by 35 million people in more than 30 countries and translated into 20 languages.
Katie Bird’s Maria in Opera North’s The Sound Of Music
IF your memories of The Sound Of Music come with the emotional baggage of the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews, you will be more than pleasantly surprised by this reconstituted stage version.
Miss Andrews was a huge talent and the film proved a blockbuster, but its sugar-rush has been supplanted in this Nikolai Foster production (revived here by Ollie Khurshid) by a great deal more substance, political, emotional and geographical.
First seen in Leicester’s Curve Theatre last November, it now has the benefit of a full-size (40-piece) professional orchestra and chorus. Operatic purists may recoil to learn that all the singers are miked – which certainly helps the children’s voices – but they will get over it.
Two numbers cut from the film are restored, How Can Love Survive? and No Way To Stop It. Both refer candidly to the Nazi backdrop. This musical has a serious side that the film version all but ignored.
When a messenger boy in uniform arrives with a telegram “from Berlin” and bellows a Nazi ‘Heil!’ salute, you can almost hear the audience gasp. It recalls the Anschluss (Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938).
The message commands Captain von Trapp to join the German navy, which he is naturally loath to do. So it has a decisive effect – and gives us chilling context.
Michael Taylor’s set is exemplary. A nursery slope of the mountains around Salzburg, which are seen in the background – instantly paralleled by Maria’s “the hills are alive” at the start – has an angled path running down across the stage.
In the final scene, the nine members of the Trapp family, now refugees, are silhouetted against the night sky as they escape through the mountains to the New World. We understand at once: history never really changes.
Edward Bennett: Playing Captain von Trapp in Opera North’s The Sound Of Music
When he needs to be in the abbey with the nuns, he lowers a great pointed ecclesiastical window-frame. In the castle, there are grand doors instead.
Needless to say, the musical side of the evening is stunning. Katie Bird makes Maria her own, conflicted over her true calling, firm in her principles, but tender with the children. ‘Do-Re-Mi’ is charming and ‘My Favourite Things’ is life-loving. She gives us all sides of a truly appealing character.
Edward Bennett is an actor rather than a singer, but his baritone is perfectly adequate for the role of Captain von Trapp, as in his duet with Maria, ‘Something Good’, and in Edelweiss’ with the family.
There is one truly glorious piece of singing from Katherine Broderick as Mother Abbess: she gives us full Wagnerian splendour in ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’ at the end of each act, soaring above the tumult.
The seven children – all are double-cast (this was the ‘Drop’ group) – sing with great conviction and clarity and they move with impressive discipline.
Amy Freston delivers a nicely haughty Baroness Elsa, whom the Captain discards for Maria, while other members of the pro-Nazi camp are neatly defined by Nicholas Butterfield as Max and Kamil Bien as Rolf. A variety of colourful cameos come from other members of the Opera North chorus, notably as nuns.
Ebony Molina’s choreography avoids traditional ‘song-and-dance’ routines in favour of more restrained and more engagingly lifelike dance. Oliver Rundell conducts with panache and his orchestra takes to the idiom like ducks to water, bursting with rhythmic pizzazz. The big choral numbers are thrilling.
This may not be The Sound Of Music as you imagined it, but it rings absolutely true. You dare not miss it.
Opera North in The Sound Of Music, Leeds Grand Theatre, until August 1. Box office: 0113 223 3600 or operanorth.co.uk.
THE Lyons Mouth scooped two prizes in a home victory at the York International Young Artists Competition 2026 at the National Centre for Early Music on July 11.
The vocal ensemble of sopranos Ailsa Campbell and Elspeth Piggott, alto Ellie Stamp, tenors James Botcher and Jacob Ewens and bass Thomas Lowen, all University of York alumni, were awarded the main prize of a professional recording contract from Linn Records, a £1,000 cash prize, a future paid engagement with the York Early Music Festival and recording opportunities with BBC Radio 3.
In addition, The Lyons Mouth won the Friends of York Early Music Festival award, a cash prize of £500, while Tra Noi and Ossian’s Dream shared the cash prizes of £1,000, endowed by the EUBO Development Trust, for the Most Promising Young Artist/s specialising in the Baroque repertoire.
Lagrime won the Cambridge Music Prize, which includes a paid performance at Cambridge Early Music, and a new award, the Jury Prize, was awarded to gamba player Bianca Cucini, who performed with Tra Noi (bass viola da gamba, quinton) and I Mastricelli. (bass and soprano viola da gamba).
The 2026 finalists were: I Mastricelli (Netherlands); Il Parrasio (Netherlands); Lagrime (Switzerland); La Mandorle (France); Nari Baroque Ensemble (Israel); Ossian’s Dream (Switzerland;) Quarterino (Switzerland); The Lyons Mouth (UK) and Tra Noi (Switzerland).
During the two days before the competition, each ensemble presented an informal recital at the NCEM, at St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, with the aim of giving the musicians the opportunity to adapt to the performance space and to familiarise with the festival audience members in advance of the final.
These groups were selected from a pool of 56 ensembles from across the world and were judged by an international jury of Paul Agnew (Les Arts Florissants); Anna Danilevskaia (Sollazzo Ensemble); Kati Debretzeni (English Baroque Soloists), Veerle Declerk (Concertgebouw, Bruges) and Philip Hobbs (Linn Records).
The 2026 competition was presented by master of ceremonies Steven Devine, harpsichordist, fortepianist, conductor and director of orchestral, choral and opera repertoire and former York Early Music Festival artistic advisor.
Main prize winner The Lyons Mouth is a dynamic vocal consort founded in 2024 by singers who studied at the University of York. Inspired by their experiences performing in the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, they created an ensemble devoted to vivid musical storytelling, crafting emotionally immersive performances that draw audiences into the dramatic heart of the repertoire.
In the final, the consort performed Victoria’s Secret: Claudio Monteverdi’s Svogava con le stele; Raffaella Aleotti’s Vidi speciosam; Monteverdi’s Sì, ch’io vorrei morire, Sigismondo d’India’s Dispietata pietate and Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Vadam et circuibo civitatem.
At the end of the competition, judging panel chair Philip Hobbs, from Linn Records, said: “I am always amazed and astonished at how this competition re-imagines and re-invents itself year after year, ensuring that early music has an exciting future and will continue to captivate audiences all over the world.
“Linn Records is very proud to continue this important relationship with the York Early Music Festival and I would like to congratulate the nine ensembles who took part in this fabulous day of music.”
Steven Devine said: “There were two things that, for me, really stood out about this year’s competition. The sheer range of music was the first thing: almost 200 years of music was being performed by historically informed performers but with a sense of musicianship and virtuosity that was jaw-dropping.
“They wore their scholarship lightly and at the service of their raw talent. In addition, the supportive atmosphere between the groups and their enjoyment of each other’s work was wonderful to watch. Definitely one of the highpoints of my musical experiences.”
Festival director and NCEM director Dr Delma Tomlin said: “The competition provided an amazing finale to our 50th edition, proving that early music can truly transport us Beyond Borders. The musicianship today was of the highest calibre and our nine ensembles gave us a range of exquisite music, spanning 400 years. As always, it was a pleasure to welcome the young artists to York and help them on their journeys to future success.
“I would also like to say a huge thank-you to our panel of judges for their hard work and support, to Steven Devine for his expertise and invaluable help and, of course, to our friends and supporters BBC Radio 3.”
The Lyons Mouth said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have received not one but two prizes in this year’s competition. To have done it in our home city of York makes this moment feel even more special!
“It was a real treat to meet so many fantastic musicians in the competition, and inspiring to watch them perform. We’d love to say a huge thank-you to the Friends for choosing us for their award: as an ensemble who values the audience’s experience above all, this was really meaningful for us.
“We’re excited to record with Linn Records and to return to the festival next year. This whole experience feels like an amazing next step and we can’t wait to see where it takes us.”
The competition provided a spectacular finale to the nine-day festival, where old friends and new connected through concerts, recitals and workshops staged in historic venues around the city.
The recitals from this year’s final are available to watch on demand on the NCEM’s ncem.co.uk website and YouTube channel and edited highlights will be shared on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show on Sunday, August 30 at 5pm.
The nine ensembles taking part were:
I Mastricelli: An early music ensemble founded in 2023 at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. Its name evokes the “mastricelli”, talented young musicians who assisted the great maestri of the Neapolitan conservatories. Featuring cello, viola da gamba and other bass instruments of the violin and viol families, I Mastricelli explores the expressive depth and resonance of the bass register, the foundation of Baroque sound.
Il Parrasio: The name Il Parrasio is derived from “Il Bosco Parrasio”, the hilly grove of trees overlooking the city of Rome where, every summer, the great and varied artistic minds of the Arcadian Poets met to discuss strategies for influencing all facets of Italian art culture away from the overindulgence of the high baroque and towards a return to more simple and natural styles.The ensemble focuses on the vibrant and expressive styles of the Venetian repertoire.
La Mandorle: La Mandorle (meaning almond in Italian) is a family affair, seeking to bring baroque music closer to the audience and to promote research into repertoire, with a particular taste for the French treasures of the 17th and 18th centuries. La Mandorle was awarded First Prize and Audience Prize at the International Haendel Competition in Göttingen in May 2025 and has been supported since 2024 by Sustainable-Eeemerging.
Lagrime: Led by trombonist Maximilien Brisson, Lagrime was formed after the release of the album Scorrete lagrime mie to continue to showcase the vocality of the baroque trombone. From its inclusion in church music-making circa 1500, the trombone has been associated with the voice perhaps more than any other instrument, and Lagrime explores the vocal virtuosity of the baroque trombone in intimate settings.
Nari Baroque Ensemble: Since 2019, the Nari Baroque Ensemble has specialised in performing baroque music on period instruments. Selected as Fabulous Fringe at the Utrecht Early Music Festival 2025 and winners of the main prize at the Göttingen Händel Competition 2024, each of Nari’s performances tells a story by combining original texts with excerpts from cantatas and sonatas.
Ossian’s Dream: This collective of musicians focuses on performing mainly chamber music from the 18th and 19th centuries under historically informed conditions. They are committed to rediscovering and re-enacting salon practices, understanding the salon as a place of artistic freedom, interdisciplinarity and gender issues.
Inspired by the famous painting by Dominique Ingres, the name refers to one of the most fascinating phenomena of the Romantic era, the revival of the mythical figure of Ossian.
Quarterino: These four musicians, who met through the European Union Baroque Orchestra, are preparing various projects in Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands. Each member ensemble has taken part in ensembles and festivals throughout Europe, including York, Bremen, Utrecht and Urbino. They are also principal continuo players in EUBO 2025.
The Lyons Mouth: Dynamic vocal consort of young professional singers who first met while studying at the University of York under the guidance of Robert Hollingworth, director of the vocal group I Fagiolini.
Their early experiences performing in the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall inspired them to create an ensemble that would bring audiences into the dramatic and emotional heart of vocal music. Its members already sing with the BBC Singers; I Fagiolini; The Swingles; Voces8; Tenebrae; Dunedin Consort and The Norwegian Soloistchoir.
Tra Noi: Tra Noi is characterised by lively communication, both with each other and with theaudience. The ensemble was formed in 2023 and already has won the 2023 ‘Wiener Konzerthauspreis’ of the H.I.F.-Biber Competition; the 2023 Biagio Marini Competition Audience Prize; the 2024 Göttingen Handel Competition; first prize at the 2024 Concours International de musique ancienne du Val de Loire; third prize at the 2024 International Van Wassenaer Competition, as a duo formation, and first prize, audience prize and Gamba Gesellschaft Prize at the 2025 Orlando Lasso competition in Landshut, Germany.
Mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston performing by candlelight at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, York. Picture: Ben Pugh
A GENTLE Air was an exploration of the 17th-century French air de cour, centred on the songs of Honoré d’Ambruys and Sébastien Le Camus.
The programme opened with d’Ambruys’ Le doux silence de nos bois, a pastoral love song in which nature provides a peaceful refuge for lovers. You could almost feel the audience melt – and I’m not referencing the extreme temperature – as mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston sang the opening delicate stanza:
“The soft silence of our woods
is now broken only by the songs
of the birds that Love gathers here.”
Her tone was rich, the delivery expressive and nuanced, mirroring the underlying tenderness of the poetry.
Self-pity replaces pastoral serenity in Le Camus’ Je veux me plaindre:
“I would complain
of your harshness,
and what do I have to fear
would constrain me,
since I am dying?”
Tenor Paul Agnew embraced its emotional extremes, milking the expressive dissonances while balancing speech-like declamation with genuine lyricism.
The dialogue between the two singers deepened in the paired Lambert settings. Charlston’s Ombre de mon amant, a lament to the ghost of a dead lover, was sung with extraordinary stillness and beauty of tone, her expressive ornamentation intensifying the emotional restraint of the music.
Agnew’s response, Vos mépris chaque jour, remained rooted in the wounded dignity of a steadfast love confronted by apparent cruelty. The way he deftly negotiated the subtle harmonic shifts mirrored the text’s shifting emotions, while the contrast between the two voices reinforced the sense that the programme was unfolding as a continuing dramatic exchange rather than a succession of isolated airs.
Tenor Paul Agnew and theorbo player Sergio Bucheli at Merchant Taylors’ Hall. Picture: Ben Pugh
Throughout these exchanges, Sergio Bucheli’s theorbo acted as more than accompaniment, binding the individual airs into a coherent emotional narrative.
Alas, as they might have said, his moment to shine as solo performer was compromised. The change of instrument to the more delicate lute was cut short with one of the strings snapping whilst tuning – presumably a casualty of the heat?
Nevertheless, I really did enjoy his performance of Robert de Visée’s Suite in D minor. The fuller, richer sonority of the theorbo and graceful delivery suited the melancholic atmosphere of the programme thus far.
Marc-Antoine Charpentier took the programme into more introspective territory with Tristes déserts, sombre retraites. Agnew sang it with a real sense of pathos. The poignant suspensions and intensity gave the performance genuinely psychological depth.
Of the three Charpentier airs, the chaconne, Sans frayeur dans ce bois, proved the most moving. Bucheli’s gently recurring ground bass provided an emotional anchor, allowing Charlston’s elegant vocal line to unfold with increasing expressive freedom. The ornamentation was beautifully judged.
I wasn’t entirely convinced by Bucheli’s Shakespeare quotation (“I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs”) but his account of de Visée’s Suite in G major was very persuasive. I should confess that I haven’t heard any of his music before, but the rich resonance of the theorbo, refined ornamentation and elegant dance rhythms in Bucheli’s performance made for a very rewarding listen.
The festival described the programme as being “inspired by the poetry of love”, inviting listeners into the delicate world of the French air de cour. Taken as a whole, A Gentle Air could be heard as one extended love duet.
Rather than presenting a succession of solo airs, the programme unfolded as a dialogue between two complementary voices. Helen Charlston and Paul Agnew frequently answered, echoed and completed one another.
Theorbo player Sergio Bucheli playing at July 9’s A Gentle Air concert. Picture: Ben Pugh
Their shared emotional journey traced the stages of a relationship: desire, anticipation, tenderness, jealousy, complaint, separation and reconciliation, giving the programme an emotional continuity that transcended the individual songs.
Bucheli’s theorbo became more than an accompanying instrument. It bridged the emotional worlds between the two singers, almost assuming the role of an unseen narrator or confidant.
Fittingly, the final song of the programme – Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Je vous revois – resolved their emotional journey. After so many songs of longing, rejection, jealousy, solitude and, yes, melancholy, this was one of the programme’s few unequivocal moments of fulfilment:
“I see you once more, everything yields
to the utter delight
of meeting once again the object of
one’s love.”
The song was sung with elegance, poise and beautifully shaped phrasing. In the line “everything yields to the utter delight…” came emotional release.
The success of this dramatic conception rested not only on the repertoire but also on the performers themselves. Agnew and Charlston brought contrasting yet wholly complementary strengths, creating a partnership of balance, musical empathy and emotional conviction.
Helen Charlston has completed her three-year tenure as an artistic advisor to the York Early Music Festival, and this specially curated concert was a fitting and memorable way to sign off.
Eliza Carthy: Performing with The Restitution at Ryedale Festival
A MYTHICAL tale of a goddess, a near-future re-spinning of the selkie myth, an Arthurian quest of a lifetime, a bothersome briefcase in a love story and a nostalgia trip to variety’s golden days keep Charles Hutchinson entertained.
Folk gig of the week: Eliza Carthy and The Restitution, Ryedale Festival, Selby Abbey, tonight, 7pm
FLAMBOYANT Robin Hood’s Bay fiddler and singer Eliza Carthy continues to re-imagine traditional music with fiery imagination and fearless individuality. The daughter of Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, she grew up immersed in the folk world, and here she performs with her powerhouse touring band in one of Yorkshire’s most atmospheric and beautiful settings. For the full festival programme and tickets, go to: ryedalefestival.com.
Megan Drury in Wright & Grainger’s SELENE at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York
Radical myth revamp of the week: Wright & Grainger and Theatre@41 present Megan Drury in SELENE, Halfway To Edinburgh Season, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 7pm, and tomorrow, 8.30pm
AUSTRALIAN actor Megan Drury stars in Easingwold duo Phil Grainger and Alexander Flanagan Wright’s tale of the goddess and the dark side of the moon in a radical explosion of an ancient myth.
A young girl watches the moon landings on repeat. A teenager makes a list of all the things they are not. A young adult starts to discover who they are. Expect a story addressing the light sides of us, the dark sides of us, the things orbiting around us as we grow up and not least the wild stuff inside us. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
The Three Inch Fools: Epic tale of Arthurian adventure and medieval mayhemat Helmsley Walled Garden
Outdoor theatre show of the week: The Three Inch Fools in King Arthur And The Holy Fail, Helmsley Walled Garden, tomorrow, 7pm
FOUNDED by Cumbrian brothers James and Stephen Hyde, The Three Inch Fools present an epic tale of Arthurian adventure and medieval mayhem, set in a land of daring quests, dashing knights and endless jousting.
Waiting in the wings is a would-be hero, by the name of Arthur, but when Camelot is rocked to its core by a tragic – and frankly improbable – incident involving a large table of an undisclosed shape, Arthur is thrust into the quest of a lifetime, Destiny awaits, chivalry calls and the quest to end all quests begins. Bring chairs, blankets and cushions. Picnics welcome. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s introverted Thomas and Lennie Longworth’s equally shy Daisy in A Brief Case Of Crazy
Silent love story of the week: Skedaddle Theatre & Shoddy Theatre present A Brief Case Of Crazy, York Theatre Royal Studio, tomorrow to Saturday, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee
INSPIRED by the timeless genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mr Bean,Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Samuel Cunningham and Lennie Longworth’s physical comedy A Brief Case Of Crazy is a silent love story with a very loud heart, told through slick choreography, mime, clowning and puppetry.
Meet Thomas, an awkward, introverted office worker with a quiet crush on his equally shy colleague, Daisy. His quest for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover that what’s on the inside counts most? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Five upwards.
Hannah Davies & Jack Woods: Re-imagining selkie myth in a not-too-distant future
Dystopian vision of the week: Hannah Davies & Jack Woods in The Ballad of Blea Wyke, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm
IN North Yorkshire writer and storyteller Hannah Davies and musician Jack Woods’ dystopian re-imagining of the selkie myth in a not-too-distant future, a young woman wants to see the sea. A stranger stands on a cliff. The last grey seal swims towards the shore.
On her 18th birthday, tough care-leaver Cerys breaks the city’s lockdown and travels to the coastal cliffs that birthed her, the crumbling landscape drawing her back to her mythic past. Cue a haunting interweaving of story, music, poetry and song. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Elf Lyons, the woman on the edge at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York
Comedy gig of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh Season presents Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge (Work In Progress), Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 7.30pm
LET London comedian, classically trained clown and Sky Arts Award winner Elf Lyons introduce this Work In Progress preview of her Edinburgh Fringe-bound show Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge: “I’m sorry, I’ve said too much…”
She does, however, go on to say it will be “a completely normal, autobiographical (and in no way complex) observational stand-up show about love. A perfect show to take yourself to. Inspired by Vertigo, Apollo 13 the opera Pagliacci. Directed by Ingmar Bergman.” Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Dominic Goodwin in a triptych of his myriad roles in Twice Nightly
Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Friargate Theatre, York, Friday and Saturday, 7.30pm
RYEDALE writer, performer and pantomime dame Dominic Goodwin is touring his first one-man comedy show, directed by York director and actor Thomas Frere.
Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. Box office: York, 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.
Tommy Banks; Turning up the heat at York Theatre Royal
Culinary event of the week: An Evening with Tommy Banks: Spinning Plates: Live, York Theatre Royal, Friday, 7.30pm
MICHELIN-STARRED chef and entrepreneur Tommy Banks makes the trip from his Oldstead family farm to York Theatre Royal to bring his extraordinary story to the stage for the first and only time. Told across three intersecting timelines – the past 25 years, the defining 12 months and the opening night for his latest pub —each moment teeters on a knife-edge.
Banks runs the Black Swan at Oldstead, Roots York, in Marygate, York, and the Abbey Inn at Byland, as well as co-founding Jeopardy Hospitality, whose first venture is the General Tarleton at Ferrensby, Knaresborough. For one night only, he combines storytelling and immersive cinema to lift the lid on hospitality service at its most intense. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
CMAT: Songs of identity, grief and beauty standards at Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Coastal gig of the week: CMAT, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Saturday, gates 6pm
CMAT, alias Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, burst on to the music scene six years ago with her debut single Another Day (KFC). The Dublin-born, County Meath-raised singer and songwriter has since released three bitingly humorous, emotionally honest albums, 2022’s If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, 2023’s Crazymad, For Me and 2025’s Mercury Prize-nominated Euro-Country, her exploration of identity, grief and beauty standards, exemplified by Take A Sexy Picture Of Me. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk.
Danger on T-Rex Mountain in Dinosaur Adventure Live at York Theatre Royal
Children’s show of the week: Dinosaur Adventure Live, Danger On T-Rex Mountain, York Theatre Royal, Saturday, 2.30pm
SIXTY-FIVE million years in the making, Dinosaur Adventure Live brings a fusion of family-friendly storytelling, puppetry, and roarsome science to the stage as the ancient world of dinosaurs crashes back to life for gasps, giggles and occasional jump-scares.
From a shadowy raptor on the loose to baby dinosaurs that you can feed (carefully!), Mike Newman’s show blends humour, thrills and hands-on learning into an interactive stage experience. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Matt Ford: In full swing at Milton Rooms, Malton
In the swing of things: Ryedale Festival presents Matt Ford and The Swing Legends Band, Milton Rooms, Malton, Sunday, 7pm
BRITISH singer and BBC Proms regular Matt Ford is joined by a full band to celebrate the songs of Frank Sinatra and fellow crooning legends Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé. From late-night ballads to high-octane numbers shaped by elegance and irresistible wit, this is music that still knows exactly how to swing. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Geoff Turner in the rehearsal room. Picture: York Light Opera Company
THE funeral of York Light Opera Company president Geoff Turner will be held at York Crematorium, Bishopthorpe Road, York, on July 16 at 1.40pm.
A statement on the York Light Instagram site reads: “Geoff will forever be in our hearts. We know so many of you will want to say goodbye with us, so we’re sharing the details of Geoff’s funeral service.
“The service will be extended to celebrate Geoff’s life, with his last After Show Party at York Racecourse following the service. All are welcome.”
In lieu of flowers, a donation plate will be in place at the crematorium to raise funds for a bench in Geoff’s memory.
Geoff, of South Bank, York, died on June 26, aged 76. Formerly a civil engineer with British Rail, he was a stalwart musical theatre supporter with York Light Opera Company and NODA, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, and served as a volunteer with Treasurer’s House, Mansion House and the King’s Trust.
Geoff Turner on volunteer duty at York Mansion House. Picture: York Mansion House
On the day of Geoff’s passing, York Light posted: “Today, York Light lost a wonderful president, and the world lost an incredible man. We’re heartbroken to announce that our president, Geoff Turner, lost his battle with cancer this morning.
“Having been a dedicated member for years before stepping up to presidency, we all share such fond memories of Geoff. He was always a cheerful presence and a true light in every production. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. He will be sorely missed by all.”
On June 29, York Mansion House posted: “We were all hugely saddened to hear of the death of Geoff Turner, our longest-serving volunteer at the Mansion House.
“Geoff had worked with us for 15 years in a variety of roles, most recently as a room guide, and during his time led tours around the house and even played the Lord Mayor three times in public events.
“His enthusiasm for the Mansion House and for history in general was infectious, and visitors always appreciated his passion, expertise and sense of humour. We will always be grateful for the contribution he made to the life of the house and will all miss him very much.”
Geoff Turner in full stage regalia. Picture: York Light Opera Company
York’s theatre scene and beyond has paid tribute too in multiple postings on Facebook. Jo Sweeting wrote: “I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Geoff in countless productions over the years with York Light Opera Company and enjoying his hospitality partying until the early hours at his home during “show week”. Very happy memories. Gone but never forgotten. Rest easy Geoff.”
Musical director Mike Thompson and director and actor John Hall wrote: “When John and I joined York Light for Showboat in the mid ‘70s, Geoff was one of the existing members who made us very welcome. We became friends and used to have regular Sunday lunch dates at each other’s houses, taking it in turns to cook. Geoff, you will be greatly missed by so many people.”
James W Deller described Geoff as “this gentle man and gentleman”. “He has inspired countless people over the years and has been a stalwart of the city’s community for decades,” he wrote. “His music, his love of history and his professional career, not to mention his support to the York civic parties – past and present – are a testament to his commitment and service. He will be much missed.
“I knew him through my parents and I know he will leave an unfillable gap in the city. Rest in peace, Geoff! The curtain falls for the last time. I hope you can still hear the applause!”
York Opera baritone and St Olave’s Church Choir member Clive Goodhead wrote: “I have nothing but the highest admiration for Geoff and will miss him deeply, as will so many people, whose lives he touched so much.
“Geoff was chair of York Light when I had the honour of holding the same position in York Opera. Thanks to Jim Welsman [former York Musical Theatre chairman] , we had occasion, therefore, to work together as far as possible to support and promote the performing arts in and around York, liaising closely with many others, especially those responsible for the various local venues. May he rest in perpetual peace.”
Geoff Turner, second from left: A commanding presence on stage. Picture: York Light Opera Company
Linda Newton wrote: “I’d known Geoff for many years. Our paths crossed so many times because he was involved in so many things, most recently singing with him in York Theatre Royal Choir. I don’t know how he fitted it all in! He lived life to the full and enjoyed every minute. You’ll be sadly missed, Geoff, by many people. RIP to a kind and generous man.”
Actress and singer Catherine Foster wrote: “A lovely man. He was such a wonderful supporter of theatre in York and always so generous with his praise. He made me feel so welcome when I did a show with him and had a lovely warmth about him generally. I will miss seeing him at the theatre. “
Jennifer Cowling wrote: “Geoff was a wonderful actor and a true theatrical buff, a proud and dedicated president of York Light, a superb NODA rep and an all-round great guy. He will be greatly missed by all of us who knew and worked with him.”
Musical director and radio presenter Adam Tomlinson wrote: “Whenever and wherever you met with Geoff, he was always the same, a true gentleman with time, conversation and humour. His passion and enthusiasm for amateur theatre was infectious and very special. He will be greatly missed in this fabulous musical theatre world of ours.”
York singer, Music Night host and Singphonia choir master Don Pears wrote: “Geoff was a loyal star on and off stage, especially for York Light, but also a great support and help to New Earswick Operatic Society, which was greatly appreciated.
“Both Jo [Pears] and I have very fond memories of performing with this giant of a gentleman. He was an excellent NODA representative and supported many other societies in our region. RIP Geoff, so many memories.”
Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys in Power Rangers-style helmet and high-viz jacket at Live At York Museum Gardens on Saturday. Picture: Devon Chambers
REASONS to be cheerful, one, two, three, as the summer sounds of the city changed from John Smith’s race day on Knavesmire to Live At York Museum Gardens and onwards to the pubs of York once Saturday night turned into Sunday morning’s Hey Jude.
Kick-off time for day three of Live At York Museum Gardens had been moved forward by 30 minutes to accommodate England’s 10pm quarter-final clash with Leeds-born Erling Harland’s Norway.
They may be Dai-hard Welshmen, but headliners Super Furry Animals didn’t share the attitude of set-closing anthem The Man Don’t Give A **** in switching their exit time to 9.55pm, rather than 10.30pm.
Saturday’s bill boasted five acts, one more than for Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Self Esteem’s equally diverse evening line-ups on Thursday and Friday. Three bands from the Land of Song, the Super Furries, fellow seasoned Cardiff combo Los Campesinos! and Pys Melyn, from Pen Llŷn, North Wales, were joined by Nottingham’s Divorce and Buckinghamshire/West London-raised Baxter Dury.
Pys Melyn opening Saturday’s bill at Live At York Museum Gardens. Picture: Devon Chambers
Wistful, harmonious, hazy indie psych-pop five-piece Pys Melyn, whose name translates as ‘Yellow Peas’, took to the stage at 3.55pm, when the day’s temperatures were at their height: weather to turn stressed-out pea pods from green to yellow as the chlorophyll breaks down, as botany boffins would know.
Your reviewer arrived midway through Divorce’s set of confessional indie-folk rock and alt-country songs reminiscent of Mojave 3 and The Broken Family Band, drawn to the fiddle-playing as much as to the double-barrelled duo of bassist Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow alternating lead vocals.
Divorce, by the way, have been living up to their name. On May 12, it was announced that fellow founder members Adam Peter-Smith and Kasper Sandstrom would be leaving the band to “prioritise their personal lives”. Two months later, Saturday’s line-up, showcasing 2025’s debut album Drive To Goldenhammer, looked and sounded happily settled into its new groove.
“Enjoy the rest of the day. Keep drinking water,” advised Mackenzie-Barrow. Messages on the screens to either side of the stage urged the same action: Stay Hydrated, it counselled, highlighting the availability of free water points for re-filling and also of free sun cream in the First Aid tent.
Divorce’s Tiger Cohen-Towell at Live At York Museum Gardens. Picture: Devon Chambers
Such was the roving medical staff’s concern for care in the broiling heat that the sight of your reviewer sitting head bowed, writing notes on a ledge by the Yorkshire Museum walls, attracted the attention of two medics. “Are you OK,” they asked. It spoke volumes of everything about Futuresound and York Museum Trust’s event management being spot-on.
The crowd was yet to peak: the perfect time to take a walk around the site, with its bars and food vendors, First Aid and Wellbeing facilities, multitude of posters for upcoming Futuresound promotions and merchandise stall, offering all manner of Super Furry Animals T-shirts and a lonely brag in the corner, I’m The Sausage Man (which would later form a sizzling high in Baxter Dury’s set).
“Welcome to the rock concert,” announced Los Campesinos! lead singer Gareth David Paisley, drawing attention back to the stage. Billed as “the UK’s first and only emo band”, they specialise in “sleeper hits for weeping dips**ts since 2001”; sleeper hits” in truth that did not awaken memorable hooks on contact with the York air.
Los Campesinos! frontman Gareth David Paisey looks to the skies in his Music Is A Natural High T-shirt at Live At York Museum Gardens. Picture: Devon Chambers
Still favouring emo black attire, albeit in T-shirt and shorts form, they were hard working, earnest, political too in “standing up against the creeping fascism we see around as every day” and Freedom For Palestine banner.
The “Heart Swells” message on their stage backdrop was as much an invocation as the name of their record label, but the songs tended to be laborious, typified by 2008’s We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed failing to match the epic promise of its none-more-emo title.
“This is a rare away gig for us,” said Paisley, to the somewhat isolated cheers of Los Campesinos! aficionados, determined to make their presence heard on their big day out, like a non-league club playing at a Premier League big six ground in the FA Cup third round.
Baxter Dury was in the mood to crack on, his three-piece band taking to the stage two minutes early, to be joined by the front man in yellow shirt and dark suit, strutting like a bull-baiting toreador. Behind him, keyboard player and vocalist Madelaine Hart did much of the melodic heavy-lifting, contrasting with his braggadocio spoken-word outbursts, as he hit you with his rhythm schtick.
Baxter Dury striking a pose in his humorously provocative set at Live At York Museum Gardens. Picture: Devon Chambers
Part-toaster, part-rapper, part jousting court jester, full of jabs and gibes, he was an agent provocateur, like Mark E Smith leading The Fall, or Keith Allen fronting Fat Les’s 1998 World Cup football anthem Vindaloo.
No room for between-song niceties, he built momentum the more his coruscating songs leered and jeered, from Return Of The Sharp Heads, through Allbamone, to the stand-out Baxter (these are my friends). Changing a lyric from “Hotel In Brixton” to “Hotel In York” was a typically sharp touch too.
Super Furry Animals had never played York in 33 years together, but on this year’s return to the concert platform after a ten-year hiatus, what better setting could there be to revive Hello Sunshine (Come Into My Life) than in the botanical York Museum Gardens.
The day’s sunshine had mellowed by the time the Cardiff art-rockers opened with the embracing hug of (Drawing) Rings Around The World at 8.25pm, but their songs are marked as much by an orb of warmth as occasional weird edges, the musical style duly altering as often as frontman Gruff Rhys changed guitars.
Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys chewing celery in Receptacle For the Respectable at Live At York Museum Gardens. Picture: Devon Chambers
As with OMD’s set on Thursday, fast-moving video projections accompanied each number, mixing with live footage of Gruff in shades and peaked cap and linear stage lighting in colours to complement each song’s mood and the imagery on screen.
This was an exemplary outdoor gig, stuffed with SFA highs such as Juxtaposed With U, Northern Lites and God! Show Me Magic, and the Welsh-language wonder of Ymaelodi â’r Ymylon.
Then add the humorously quirky visual flourishes, as impactful as in David Byrne’s shows, such as Rhys’s sign board switching from Applause to Louder And Ape Sh*t! or suddenly sporting a high-viz jacket and Power Rangers-style helmet or chewing on a celery in Receptacle For the Respectable in an homage to Paul McCartney’s “vegetable percussion on The Beach Boys’ 1967 curio Vegetables.
How else could they finish than with the magnificent mayhem of The Man Don’t Give A ***, climaxing with a fantastical return to the stage in long-haired furry animal costumes. Something spectacularly blissful for 4 the weekend indeed.
The Man Don’t Give A **** finale to Super Furry Animals’s set at York Museum Gardens, ending at 9.53pm, well in time for England v Norway’s kick-off. Picture: Devon Chambers
