Helen “Bells” Spencer: Director of Wharfemede Productions’ The Addams Family Musical
REHEARSALS are well under way for North Yorkshire company Wharfemede Productions’ staging of The Addams Family Musical for Halloween week in York.
“Following our critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning productions of Little Women and A Little Night Music, we are delighted to be bringing this hilariously spooky musical comedy to Theatre@41, Monkgate,” says director Helen “Bells” Spencer. “We look forward to seeing you at Halloween – if you dare – and until then, we wish you just the right amount of darkness!”
The Addams Family, a devilishly funny musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, will bring everyone’s favourite kooky family to the stage in spectacular fashion from October 27 to 31.
When Wednesday Addams falls in love with a “normal” young man and invites his respectable parents to dinner, chaos, secrets and macabre mayhem unfold in true Addams style.
“Packed with sharp comedy, dazzling dance numbers and a brilliantly witty score, this spooky celebration of family, love and embracing the wonderfully weird promises an unforgettable night at the theatre,” says Bells.
“We are thrilled to return with a show full of heart, humour and Halloween spirit, performed during Halloween week itself, when audiences can expect the perfect seasonal treat packed with gothic glamour, mischievous fun and spectacular entertainment.
“The Addams Family is darkly delightful, gloriously gothic and wickedly entertaining. Whether you’re a life-long fan of the Addams clan or discovering them for the first time, this is one family reunion you won’t want to miss!”
In the cast will be: Zander Fick as Gomez Addams; Henrietta Linnemann, Morticia Addams; Abbie Law, Wednesday Addams; Matthew Warry, Pugsley Addams; Nick Sephton, Fester Addams; Rosy Rowley, Grandma; Chris Gibson, Lurch; Steven Jobson, Mal Beineke; Connie Howcroft, Alice Beineke, and Dan Crawfurd-Porter, Lucas Beineke.
In the ghostly Ancestors ensemble will be: The Ancestors: Adela Barrett, Benedict Merry, Catherine Foster, David Copley-Martin, Freya McIntosh, Madeleine Jones, Rachel Merry and Rianna Louise.
“At its heart, this is a brilliantly funny show, packed with wit, warmth and wonderfully eccentric characters, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with such an exceptionally talented cast,” says Bells, who is joined in the production team by musical director James Robert Ball, choreographer Connie Howcroft, wardrobe mistress Suzanne Perkins, light and sound designer Will Nicholson and production manager Nick Sephton.
“From our first read-through, the room has been filled with laughter, creativity and a real sense of ensemble. I cannot wait for audiences to meet this company and experience the energy, humour and heart they are bringing to the production.”
One reason why Wharfemede Productions picked The Addams Family for its autumn show was that, beneath its gothic exterior, the story celebrated difference and the importance of family and community.
“The Addams family may be unconventional, but they love fiercely, support one another and find strength in their uniqueness,” says Bells. “These are values that resonate strongly with us at Wharfemede.
“We believe that our differences should be celebrated, that everyone deserves equality and respect, and that we achieve our best work when we support and learn from one another. This production is, in many ways, a celebration of those ideals.”
Bells is particularly excited to be bringing elements of commedia dell’arte into Wharfemede’s interpretation of the show. “Having had the privilege of working with commedia companies in Italy, I have long admired the genre’s physical storytelling, heightened characters and joyful theatricality,” she reasons.
“Those influences feel perfectly suited to the world of The Addams Family, and I look forward to blending them with the musical’s unique humour to create something that is both fresh and deeply entertaining.”
Wharfemede Productions presents The Addams Family Musical, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 27 to 31, 7:30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: www.tickets.41monkgate.co.uk
Who are Wharfemede Productions?
CO-FOUNDED by Dr Helen “Bells Spencer, chief artistic director, and Nick Sephton, chief operating officer, who share a passion for bringing high-quality musical theatre and events to Yorkshire.
Since its formation just three years ago, the company has staged such shows as Little Women and A Little Night Music.
At the heart of Wharfemede is a commitment to artistic excellence, alongside a belief that theatre should be a place to learn, grow and have fun. The company prides itself on creating a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued and encouraged to develop their skills. Respect, openness and community are central to everything the company does.
YORK Early Music Festival is to mark its 50th year with a spectacular new commission, the majestic York Fanfare, Flourish At 50, to be played several times during the opening weekend.
To create the fanfare, the festival joined forces with West Yorkshireman Sam Meredith and the all-female German ensemble [hanse] Pfeyffery – it translate as [town] pipes – to create this heraldic piece of music.
Born in Leeds and raised in Wakefield, composer and multi-instrumentalist Meredith was a finalist in the 2023 NCEM Young Composers Award.
He was chosen from a strong line up of applicants, all alumni from the composers award, to be Commission Composer for the 2026 festival.
“We put out a call to all 100 of our award alumni, inviting bids from these composers,” says festival director Delma Tomlin. “[hanse] Pfeyffery then had conversations with selected composers and settled on Sam.”
Sam says: “In this piece, I wanted to emulate the rousing and awe-inducing nature of a traditional fanfare, while also creating a sense of playfulness, joy and celebration, more in the spirit of folk and dance music.
“The often syncopated landscape that emerged, first during the compositional process and then through working with [hanse] Pfeyfferey, is hopefully an exciting and an energetic tribute to the National Centre for Early Music.”
Last year, Sam completed his MA in Opera-Making and Writing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama after earlier studying for a BA in composition there. His work has been performed at the Barbican, London, and the annual Bauhaus Festival, London, under the tutelage of John Harle, who has commissioned him to write pieces for big band, large ensemble and most recently a duet for saxophone and piano.
Sam has sung and toured with the Idrisi Ensemble and was proud to appear in the choir for Alan Bennett’s 2025 film The Choral, filmed in Saltaire, West Yorkshire, directed by Nicholas Hytner.
The Yorkshire Fanfare will be performed by 2026 festival artists in residence, [hanse] Pfeyffery, a Renaissance wind band that specialises in improvised and rediscovered music from around 1500.
[hanse] Pfeyfferey: 2026 York Early Music Festival artists in residence
The ensemble of Hannah Geisel, shawm, Lilli Pätzold, cornett, and Alexandra Mikheeva, slide trumpet and trombone, were finalists in the 2024 York International Young Artists Competition when they won the Cambridge Early Music Prize.
The York Fanfare will open this year’s festival on Friday (3/7/2026), played on the grass outside the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, at 6.20pm before the opening concert by I Fagiolini, and then will be performed outside the West Door of York Minster before The Sixteen’s concert on Saturday at 6.45pm, 7pm and 7.15pm.
The last chance to catch [hanse] Pfeyffery playing the fanfare will come on BBC Radio 3’s The Early Music Show, broadcast live from the NCEM, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, on Sunday at 5pm.
Sam has just returned from ten months of working in Japan. “I was teaching at an international school, everyone from Year 7 to A-levels,” he says. “My old music teacher had gone there to work and posted the job on Facebook. It was fascinating to be out there as it gave me the chance to look at the work of Toru Takemitsu, whose music is very modern sounding. Incredible music!”
Writing for early music specialists [hanse] Pfeyffery was a different kind of challenge. “It’s very exciting to be writing for instrumentalists and musicians who have that ethos of being excited by improvisation, which was later lost in classical music,” says Sam. “They have that very open way, often rooted in academic practice and theory, and they’re great at taking that off the page and putting into practice.”
To be selected, Sam had to submit earlier works, provide a pitch for what he would like to write, then conduct a short interview on Zoom with [hanse] Pfeyffery last November. “I ended up writing reams and reams of sketches as I wanted to cover all bases, because you think, what is a fanfare these days? Is it something rooted in history? It’s definitely to mark an occasion.
“The previous piece I’d written was an opera, which I’d been immersed in for a while, so I was trying to change my creative process, to write a short piece to be performed outside that had to be dynamic and would need to attract people’s attention. That really shaped what I kept and left out in those sketches.”
Sam previously wrote two-minute pieces for the Bauhaus Festival in London. “That was for saxophone, drums and guitar – loud music! – so the brief was similar in condensing what I wanted to say in short time that would make its point and not go on too long, in the tradition of pieces written for the beginning and end of festivals, albeit with a very different sound on cornett, shawm and slide trumpet.
“That was one of the joys of composing this piece: working out what each instrument could do, its individual voice within the trio, uncovering each of those voices. The piece is made to be entertaining for [hanse] Pfeyffery to perform, while encouraging people to come into the concerts – and hopefully not put them off!”
For the full festival programme and tickets, visit ncem.co.uk/whats-on/yemf.
The Choir Of Man cast: Swapping The Jungle pub for Parliament Street on Wednesday
THE cast of The Choir Of Man will head to Parliament Street, York, at 1.30pm on Wednesday to give a one-off taster of live excerpts from this week’s production, running at the Grand Opera House until Saturday.
Set in the on-stage pub The Jungle, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have” as a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with tap dance and soulful storytelling in an uplifting celebration of community and friendship.
The debut UK & Ireland tour cast features Gustav Melbardisas Maestro; Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet; Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man; Ben Mabberley as Joker; Rob Godfrey as Beast; Jack Skelton as Handyman; Joshua Lloyd as Barman; Sam Walter as Romantic and Aaron Pottenger as Bore performing Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry hits.
The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, June 30 to July 2, 7.30pm; July 3, 4pm and 8pm; July 4, 2.30pm and 7.30pm.Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Becky Hill: High-energy performance on Knavesmire track
THE York Mystery Plays on waggon wheels, Becky Hill on Knavesmire, Calendar Girls in the round and early music beyond borders promise high summer times for Charles Hutchinson.
Under starter’s orders: Becky Hill, Summer Music Saturday, York Racecourse, today, first race at 1.20pm
BECKY Hill, two-time BRIT Award winner for Best Dance Act, opens the summer of post-racing concerts at York Racecourse, promising a high-energy performance on the “Glastonbury-style stage” after tomorrow’s seven-race card. For her set list, she can pick from such hits as Gecko; Back & Forth; Wish You Well; Lose Control; Better Off Without You; Heaven On My Mind; Remember; My Heart Goes; Run; Crazy What Love Can Do; History and Disconnect. For race-day tickets, go to: yorkracecourse.co.uk.
Kirkgate at York Castle Museum in full summer bloom with floral displays and new projections. Picture: Gareth Buddo Furmoto Photography
Flower power of the week: Summer at York Castle Museum, in bloom until September 6, open Mondays, 11am to 5pm; Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm
YORK Castle Museum is capturing the essence of ‘grand days out’ and celebrating iconic summers across two contrasting centuries this summer season. Drawing on the breadth of the museum’s social history collection, Victorian York Galas and the Swinging ’60s are the programme’s key focus with games, crafts and seasonal decorations providing nostalgia and summer fun for visitors.
Further highlights include Last Stop Before Kirkgate, Novo Theatre’s immersive experience replicating a 19th century coaching inn and arrival into York, and Yorkshire artist Pippa Dyrlaga’s paper-cut hot air balloons, telling the story of balloon rides during the galas. Tickets: yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk.
Richard Ashcroft. Picture: Dean Chalkley
Coastal gigs of the week: TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Richard Ashcroft, today; Billy Ocean and Marti Pellow, tomorrow, gates open at 6pm
THE Verve frontman, songwriter and producer Richard Ashcroft, two-time Ivor Novello and triple BRIT Award winner, headlines today’s Scarborough bill, joined by DJ Wayne, original Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan and Yorkshire indie rockers Apollo Junction.
Trinidadian-British soul singer Billy Ocean (real name Leslie Sebastian Charles, by the way) takes top spot tomorrow, airing such hits as Red Light Spells Danger, Love Really Hurts Without You, Caribbean Queen and When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going. His very special guest is former Wet Wet Wet singer and musicals star Marti Pellow; Katie Owen supports too. Box office: scarbroughopenairtheatre.com.
Christina Meehan’s Annie, left, and Karen Holmes’s Chris in Calendar Girls The Musical at Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Make a date with: Calendar Girls The Musical, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, today until July 25
AS director Paul Robinson reveals: “Our new in-the-round staging of Tim Firth and Gary Barlow’s Calendar Girls brings the audience into the heart of the Rylstone Women’s Institute, making this true story of friendship and determination feel more personal and immediate.
“This intimate production will create a unique, shared experience, reminiscent of gathering around a community hall or a close friend’s living room, allowing for a deeper connection to the characters and creating a collective, communal atmosphere that fully immerses everyone in the moving story of these ‘ordinary women’ doing something quite extraordinary.” Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
Cathy Sara’s Villeyn and Thomas Frere’s Jongleur in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s Mistero Buffo. Picture: John Shepherdson
2026 York Mystery Plays Fringe play of the week: Riding Lights Theatre Company in Mistero Buffo, Friargate Theatre, York, today, tomorrow, then July 1 to 4, 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm matinees on July 3 & 4
TWO wild strangers roll into York for the 2026 York Mystery Plays Fringe to tell tales destined to turn the city upside down. Combining ferocious wit and fearless physical storytelling, Paul Birch’s two-hander production for York’s Riding Lights Theatre Company tears into faith, power, profit and hypocrisy by turning ancient Bible stories into urgent, humorous modern theatre with a clear spiritual heart.
Written by Nobel prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, translated by Ed Emery and performed by Yorkshire actors Thomas Frere and Cathy Sara, this 1969 take on the Mystery Plays will appeal to Fringe theatregoers with a taste for subversive and unapologetic comedy with bite. Box office: www.ridinglights.org.
Bodhan Pitel’s Herod in DSpace Ukrainian Theatre’s The Massacre of the Innocents. Picture: John Saunders
Theatrical event of the week: 2026 York Mystery Plays, streets of York, tomorrow and July 5, 10.30am to 4.50pm; Sunset in the Shambles Market, June 30 and July 1, 7.45pm
THE four-yearly staging on the York Mystery Plays on pageant waggons takes place at four locations across the city: free viewing at the Minster Refectory Gardens, Deansgate, (from 10.30am) King’s Square (from 11.10am), St Sampson’s Square (from 11.50am) and ticketed seats at Dean’s Park (from 12.30pm). Ten core plays will be complemented by further extracts to tell the story from The War In Heaven to Doomsday. For full details, go to: yorkmysteryplays.co.uk.
Special midsummer performances of five plays will be held in Shambles Market on June 30 and July 1, introduced by the York Waits musicians before Pageant Master Dr Alan Heaven guides the audience through each play, from the Creation sequence to the End of Days in the interactive show Doomsday. These shows begin at 7.45pm and end as the dusk is deepening before 10pm. Tickets: ticketsource.com/york-festival-trust.
The Choir Of Man: “The best trip to your local you’ll ever have” at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: The Other Richard
Foot-stomping musical celebration of the week: The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, June 30 to July 2, 7.30pm; July 3, 4pm and 8pm; July 4, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
SET in the The Jungle pub on stage, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have” as a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with tap dance and soulful storytelling in an uplifting celebration of community and friendship.
The debut UK & Ireland tour cast features Gustav Melbardisas Maestro; Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet; Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man; Ben Mabberley as Joker; Rob Godfrey as Beast; Jack Skelton as Handyman; Joshua Lloyd as Barman; Sam Walter as Romantic and Aaron Pottenger as Bore performing Queen, Luther Vandross,Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, AviciiandKaty Perry hits. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Solomon’s Knot: Performing at York Early Music Festival on July 10
50th anniversary event of the summer: 2026 York Early Music Festival, Beyond Borders, July 3 to 11
THE premier British early music festival marks its 50th anniversary with a celebration of “just how far early music has travelled – beyond the borders of the myriad historic venues of our city to a worldwide audience,” says director Delma Tomlin.
Opening with Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, presented by I Fagiolini, and closing with Solomon’s Knot’s rendition of Bruhns’s St Mark Passion, the festival welcomes The Sixteen, B’Rock Orchestra & Vocal Consort, Imago Mundi, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and NCEM Platform Artists Anacronia and Contre le temps, among others. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk/yemf.
In Focus: Ripon Theatre Festival, July 5 to 12
Maybe You Like It in Down To Chance: Playing Ripon Theatre Festival at Ripon Arts Hub on July 11 at 8pm
RIPON Theatre Festival 2026 celebrates five years of culture, colour and community spirit from July 5 to 12 with eight days and nights of performances focused on theatre in all its forms, from storytelling and puppetry to cabaret, Shakespeare and circus.
Top talent from Edinburgh & beyond
THE festival welcomes hit shows from the Edinburgh Fringe at Ripon Arts Hub, including Stephen Smith’s One Man Poe on July 10 at 8pm, fast-paced thriller Down To Chance on July 11 at 8pm The Poetical Life Of Philomena McGuinness on July 12 at 2.30pm.
Quirky & unique
RIPON Theatre Festival makes the most of the city’s venues and open spaces with pop-up events showcasing theatre everywhere. A knitting cabaret from Canada, a one-man show about British pub life, walkabout acts, Pop-up Puppetry and Poetry for Breakfast are among the acts that will appear in friendly cafes, pubs and independent shops. Look out too for a show performed inside a vintage bus.
The Big Weekend for families
SUPPORTED by Arts Council England through the National Lottery for a second year, the Big Weekend of free family entertainment on July 11 and 12 will feature street arts and circus theatre from across the four nations and beyond. Highlights include dance-circus troupe Circo Rumbaba and comedy, cooking and circus with Do What Ya Mamma Told Ya.
Reaching out to all the community
IN the weeks leading up to the festival, activities in care homes, “making and creating” sessions with learning-disabled adults and intergenerational music sessions ensure the event reaches all corners of the community.
This includes a schools’ programme featuring Opera North’s Little Listeners and the madcap Rubbish Shakespeare Company.
Supporting new writing & regional talent
ESTABLISHED regional artists, such as Victoria Firth and Kathryn Hanke, from Huddersfield, in Batty! at Ripon Arts Hub on July 9 at 8pm, feature alongside up-and-coming artists such as Constance Peel, from Boston Spa, performing the new play Service Please at The Water Rat on July 6 at 6.30pm.
Providing a platform for locally-inspired works-in-progress, the festival offers audiences the first chance to experience York’s Out Of Character Theatre Company in Outcast’s exploration of life in medieval Ripon and Imogen Wood’s work-in-progress, Jord, whose starting point is the petrifying powers of Mother Shipton in a union of live music, poetry and storytelling that challenges the fascination and obsession with women staying young and delaying ageing.
Summer season finale
RIPON Theatre Festival stretches beyond July 12 for a post-festival open-air Shakespeare finale at Ripon Raceourse on July 24, when The Duke’s Theatre Company presents Romeo & Juliet at 7pm (preceded by North Yorkshire Council-supported performances at Prince of Wales Terrace, Scarborough, on July 22 and Valley Gardens, Harrogate, on July 23). Box office: thedukestheatrecompany.co.uk.
Festival director Katie Scott says: “Ripon Theatre Festival is celebrating a five-year milestone birthday and we are proud of all that we have achieved so far.
“Community led, but showcasing some of the best professional touring work alongside an inclusive and lively outdoor and family programme, the festival is hugely valued for its variety and originality. We can’t wait to share our 2026 offering and bring the joy of live performance to an even wider audience.”
For the full programme and tickets, go to: ripontheatrefestival.org.
Amber Topaz in Red, Ripon Arts Hub, July 8, 7.30pm
Amber Topaz in Red
YORKSHIRE-BORN international cabaret and burlesque siren Amber Topaz celebrates redheaded musical theatre stars of stage and screen in her classy, sassy, fabulous musical revue Red.
Her delicious cocktail of Old Hollywood glamour and West End and Broadway classics is “full to the brim with iconic show-stopping numbers, honouring these formidable flame-haired trailblazers that have shaped musical theatre herstory”.
From the golden era of Hollywood to the bright lights of Las Vegas, Red embodyies legendary artists such as Rita Hayworth, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Shirley MacLaine, Gwen Verdon and many more.
As a teenager, Amber left her Yorkshire roots to move to London and enter the world of cabaret and burlesque, since when she has travelled widely with her combination of frivolous and thought-provoking cabaret.
Fladam, Astro Norma, Ripon Library, July 11, 10.30am and 12 noon
Fladam’s Florence Poskitt & Adam Sowter in Astro Norma
YORK duo Fladam, Florence Poskitt and Adam Sowter, present their out-of-this-world musical comedy Astro Norma at Ripon Library, where they invite audiences aged three to ten to blast off on a madcap 45-minute quest to find Grandpa’s lost star, but beware, the sneaky Silencer is hot on her trail , ready to silence the tunes.
Packed with awesome aliens, rib tickling robots and interplanetary puppets, this joyful space odyssey will have young theatregoers reaching for the stars.
FLYING Ducks Youth Theatre will celebrate 30 years of shows, artistic growth, community connections young talent this weekend at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York.
Soaring Through The Years: A 30th Anniversary Celebration will be performed at 1pm and 5pm tomorrow, followed by a 1pm matinee on Sunday.
This milestone event will undertake a captivating journey through three decades of shows, featuring an array of songs and numbers from Return To The Forbidden Planet, West Side Story, Fame The Musical, Grease, Bugsy Malone, High School Musical and more besides that highlight the creativity of the York company’s young performers.
Flying Ducks Youth Theatre’s Quacks performers
“We are ecstatic to welcome past Flying Ducks alumni as guest performers,” says co-director Jenna Dee. “Some graced the stage with us more than 20 years ago, some are back to showcase the lasting impact Flying Ducks has had on their artistic journeys, reminding us all of the community and friendships formed within these walls.”
Among those alumni will be: Sian Walshaw (nee Sian Davies), who joined the group in 1999; Nicola Murray (nee Nicola Elliot), who joined in 1996; Vicky Dambrauskas. (nee Neap); Dan Lawrence; Henry Bird; Alex Deadman (2000); Dan Killen (2002); Hannah King (2006); Eva Howe (2017) and Mollie Surgenor (2018)
Look out too for performances by directors – and past members – Jenna Dee (2001) and her sister, Sara Howlett (2002).
Flying Ducks Youth Theatre on stage
Jenna took the helm of Flying Ducks in 2018 after returning to York from her time as an actor and facilitator in London. Partnering with Sara, who had been choreographing for the company for many years, they directed their first show together, This Is Me, in March 2019.
Their vibrant musical theatre concert, featuring 22 young performers, received support from founder Stephen Outhwaite and a dedicated committee for set, props, and costumes.
Since then, Jenna and Sara have continued to lead the eldest group, Ducks, for ages 11 to 19, now boasting 45 members. They have directed and produced a variety of book musicals, such as Crush The Musical, Shrek The Musical and The Addams Family.
Flying Ducks Youth Theatre’s poster for this weekend’s 30th anniversary celebrations
All of these shows were staged with impressive professional sets designed by founder Stephen Outhwaite, who has still held an incredibly important role within the group.
Excitingly, Flying Ducks are now preparing for their next adventure, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, already in the diary for February 2027.
The growth of Flying Ducks has exceeded all expectations. Jenna, alongside teaching assistant Keelie Newbold, now oversees two Quacks groups for ages four to six and three Ducklings groups for ages seven to ten, bringing the total membership to 140.
The committee behind the group comprises ten volunteers, and together with treasurer Claire Newbold , they ensure the group continues to go from strength to strength.
Flying Ducks Youth Theatre in The Addams Family
“Join us this weekend as we celebrate the past, embrace the present and look forward to the future in a celebration that promises to be truly memorable,” says Jenna.
“Don’t miss this chance to be part of a community that has nurtured creativity and connection for three decades. We can’t wait to see you there!
“It would be great to reach out especially to anyone who had connections with the group as we are hoping to host a reunion with Stephen Outhwaite and past members after the Sunday afternoon show. They can contact us at flyingducksyork@gmail.com if they’d like to come and be a part of it or to attend the reunion.”
Flying Ducks Youth Theatre in Soaring Through The Years: A 30th Anniversary Celebration, June 28, 1pm and 5pm; June 28, 1pm. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Rosa Burns’ Marcy Park in a defiant outburst in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
IN a spelling bee competition, contestants are asked to spell words aloud, letter by letter, with no backtracking, one by one, in order, on a loop.
Participants are eliminated if they misspell a word, indicated by the death-knell ding of a bell, and the contest will continue until only one winner is still standing uncorrected.
The word “bee”, by the way, has nothing to do with the honey-making insect. Instead, in American English, the “bee” once referred to a community gathering where neighbours worked together on a specific task.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has been causing a buzz as a Tony and Drama Desk Awards Best Book-winning musical since 2004, a buzz that has spread belatedly to York 22 years later for York Light’s summer production at Theatre@41, Monkgate.
Sweltering in the June heat wave, the John Cooper Studio’s black box theatre has been converted into a school gymnasium with a basketball on the back wall to emphasise the American setting.
James Dickinson’s Chip Tolentino in one of his “over-excited” moments at the microphone in York Light Opera Company’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Provided by theatre staff, hand-held fans were being wafted feverishly in the clammy night air by grateful audience members, but Neil Wood’s cast had no such wind assistance on Wednesday, Hannah Shaw’s Olive Ostrovsky gamely wearing a pink jumper throughout. The show must go on, as they say.
Six awkward “mid-pubescent” spelling champions gather for the chance to make the national final, joined at each show by four audience members who volunteer to join the linguistic gymnastics (mirroring the stars of stage and screen being the guest spellers in the latest off-Broadway revival of Rebecca Feldman, William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s musical in New York).
Taking part are the geeky one with a health condition (Stephen Wright’s William Barfee); the alpha-male one (James Dickinson’s Chip Tolentino); the zany, off-the-rails one (Daniel Wood’s Leaf Coneybear); the proto-politician one with two pushy dads (Lotty Farmer’s lisping, asthmatic Logainne SchwartzandGrubenniere); the already career-driven future businesswoman one (Rosa Burns’ Marcy Park) and the neglected one, with the adoring but always too busy parents (Shaw’s Olive Ostrovsky).
One by one, we learn their back stories, the home life that shapes them, as we observe the characteristics that will mark them in adulthood and root for their spelling prowess.
To avoid the question-and-answer format of the competition becoming repetitive, the show’s writers find ways to keep it on the move, to build an ever faster pace, both in dialogue and in song, helped hugely by the input of the question master, Neil Foster’s increasingly irascible vice-principal, Douglas Panch, whose past troubles re-surface in his erratic behaviour, expressed in his waspish tongue.
If he is the “bad cop”, the “good cop” is the kind-hearted, beatific contest hostess, Katie Brier’s one-time champion, Rona Lisa Piretti. On hand with a consoling pat on the back and a box of fruit juice for each losing contestant is Mikhail Lim’s scene-stealing “comfort counsellor”, whose manner can be as discomfiting as comforting, closer to intimidating on occasion as he sings of the contest descending into pandemonium.
Lim, Foster and Wright in particular capture the offhand, offbeat humour of Sheinkin’s book, matched by the wit of Finn’s lyrics – typified by the rhyme of ‘protuberance’ with ‘exuberance’ – while the adult cast transforms into sometimes troubled tweens with elan under Wood’s smart direction.
What Spelling Bee lacks is knockout tunes to go with the knockabout laughs and astute social observation, although pianist Martin Lay’s four-piece band plays spiritedly throughout with Katie Maloney on reeds, Rosie Morris on synths and Jez Smith on percussion.
To bee or not to bee? It is always good to check out a “quirky little” musical new to York, and the combination of a snappy script and humorous, heartfelt performances works well, even if the show falls short of being spell-binding.
York Light Opera Company in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, June 25 to 27, then June 30 to July 4, 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinees and 2pm Sunday matinee (28/6/2026). Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Fans can look forward to hearing songs from Thrasher, played live for the first time, alongside highlights from his British chart-topping solo albums, 2010’s Flamingo and 2015’s The Desired Effect, as well as beloved tracks from The Killers’ catalogue.
Nevada-born Flowers, 45, will be touring North America, the UK and Ireland this autumn, including a special show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on October 15, marking his first full performance there since The Killers’ 2009 shows (later released on the Live From The Royal Albert Hall album and DVD).
The Killers have never played York Barbican but did perform at Fibbers on May 30 2004, shortly before the release of debut album Hot Fuss, in their only York gig.
Dan Wood, left, Stephen Wright, Lotty Farmer, Rosa Burns, Hannah Shaw and James Dickinson in York Light Opera Company’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
A SNAPPY crocodile and a Man-Wulf, a spelling bee musical and the York Mystery Plays on wagon wheels keep Charles Hutchinson’s arty eye on the ball and off the football.
Musical of the week: York Light Opera Company in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, today to Saturday & June 30 to July 4, 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinees and 2pm Sunday matinee (28/6/2026)
NEIL Wood directs York Light in Rebecca Feldman, William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s musical account of six ‘mid-pubescents’ battling for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing stories from their home life, the tweens spell their way through a series of words hoping to never hear the bell that signals a mistake.
Cue a heart-warming message that highlights themes of friendship, identity and perseverance, all while celebrating the awkwardness and excitement of growing up. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Jordan Eskeisa, left, Marienella Phillips, Chelsea Da Silva (The Enormous Crocodile, front), Precious Abimbola and Ciara Hudson in Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile The Musical. Picture: Danny Kaan
Mischievous adaptationof the week:Roald Dahl Story Company in Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile The Musical, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow to Sunday, 10.30am and 1.30pm
ROALD Dahl’s Enormous Crocodile is weaving his way through the jungle in search of delicious little fingers and squidgy podgy knees. Only fellow jungle creatures can foil his “secret plans and clever tricks”, but they need courage aplenty to stop this greedy, grumptious, horrid brute.
Equipped with Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab’s tunes, Suhayla El-Bushra’s rib-tickling book and lyrics and Tom Brady’s additional music and lyrics, the dastardly family adventure has been developed and directed by Emily Lim, working in tandem with co-director and puppetry designer Toby Olié. Chelsea Da Silva, Precious Abimbola, Jordan Eskeisa, Ciara Hudson, Marienella Phillips and actor-musician René Francalanza star.Age guidance: Three plus. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Stewart Lee’s illustration for Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf, on tour for three nights at Grand Opera House, York
Comedy gigs of the week: Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm
AFTER a five-night Theatre Royal run in the fledgling days of Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf in January 2025, the contrarian comedian returns to York for three more nights of testing whether the beast inside us all can be silenced with the silver bullet of Lee’s scalpel-sharp stand-up?
Lee will play the same material three ways: first up, telling liberal jokes in a liberal way, then, after a screaming transformation into the Man-Wulf, reactionary jokes in a reactionary way post-interval and, finally, wolf’s head removed, reactionary jokes in a liberal, left-leaning way. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The Moorlands Blues Band: Playing at Milton Rooms, Malton
Blues gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club presents The Moorlands Blues Band, Milton Rooms, Malton, tomorrow, 8pm
IN The Moorlands Blues Band, the powerhouse blues ensemble founded by seasoned musicians Giuseppe Vitale and Rod Mackay is joined by Owen Houlston on voice and guitar. In high-energy performances of soulful depth, they play everything from the rawness of Old Delta Blues to the swing of Jump Blues and the gritty soul of Chicago Blues. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Karl Mullen: Everything from Chopin to Oasis, via Led Zeppelin and Les Dawson, at The Old Paint Shop
Cabaret gig of the week: The Old Paint Shop presents Karl Mullen, York Theatre Royal Studio, Friday, 8pm
AFTER two Old Paint Shop gigs last year, Karl Mullen, upright-piano busker, Phoenix Inn fixture and Leeds Piano Competition Pub Piano Champion, completes his hat-trick, serving up his energetic take on everything from Chopin to Oasis, via Led Zeppelin and Les Dawson, packed with outrageous and heartfelt stories from decades of gigging. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Coastal gig of the week: Pete Tong, Ibiza Classics, TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Friday, gates open at 6pm
FROM the sun-soaked shores of Ibiza to the world’s biggest stages, Pete Tong has redefined live dance music over more than 30 years of pushing boundaries and supporting new talent.
After celebrating the tenth anniversary of Ibiza Classics with four sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall, he heads to the Yorkshire coast with The Essential Orchestra, having first visited Scarborough Open Air Theatre in 2023. Box office: scarbroughopenairtheatre.com.
Becky Hill: Performing after Saturday’s race meeting on Knavesmire
Under starter’s orders: Becky Hill, Summer Music Saturday, York Racecourse, Saturday, first race at 1.20pm
BECKY Hill, two-time BRIT Award winner for Best Dance Act, opens the summer of post-racing concerts at York Racecourse, promising a high-energy performance on the “Glastonbury-style stage” after seven races. For her set list, she can pick from such hits as Gecko; Back & Forth; Wish You Well; Lose Control; Better Off Without You; Heaven On My Mind; Remember; My Heart Goes; Run; Crazy What Love Can Do; History and Disconnect. For race-day tickets, go to: yorkracecourse.co.uk.
York Mystery Plays: Returning to streets of York on June 28 and July 5
Theatrical event of the week: The York Mystery Plays, streets of York, June 28 and July 5, 10.30am to 4.50pm; Sunset In The Shambles Market, June 30 and July 1, 7.45pm
THE four-yearly staging on the York Mystery Plays on pageant waggons take place at four locations across the city: free viewing at the Minster Refectory Gardens, Deansgate, (from 10.30am) King’s Square (from 11.10am), St Sampson’s Square (from 11.50am) and ticketed seats at Dean’s Park (from 12.30pm). Ten core plays will be complemented by further extracts to tell the story from The War In Heaven to Doomsday. For full details, go to: yorkmysteryplays.co.uk.
Special midsummer performances of five plays will be held in Shambles Market on June 30 and July 1, introduced by the York Waits musicians before Pageant Master Dr Alan Heaven guides the audience through each play, from the Creation sequence to the End of Days in the interactive show Doomsday. These shows begin at 7.45pm and end as the dusk is deepening before 10pm. Tickets: ticketsource.com/york-festival-trust.
The Choir Of Man: Harmony singing to the max at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: The Other Richard
Foot-stomping musical celebration of the week: The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, June 30 to July 2, 7.30pm; July 3, 4pm and 8pm; July 4, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
SET in the on-stage pub The Jungle, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have” as a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with tap dance and soulful storytelling in an uplifting celebration of community and friendship.
The debut UK & Ireland tour cast features Gustav Melbardis as Maestro; Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet; Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man; Ben Mabberley as Joker; Rob Godfrey as Beast; Jack Skelton as Handyman; Joshua Lloyd as Barman; Sam Walter as Romantic and Aaron Pottenger as Bore performing Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry hits. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Elvis Costello: Focusing on his early songs at York Barbican. Picture: Ray Di Pietro
ELVIS Costello likes to shuffle his considerable pack.
In May 2013, at York Barbican, he wheeled out his gigantic vaudevillian contraption for his Spectacular Singing Book show, where The Imposters’ three-hour set list was decided by the spinning of a wheel with myriad song titles displayed on it.
In September 2024, he teamed up with his regular keyboards compadre, Paris-based Steve Nieve, for a two-day residency at Leeds City Varieties, playing two 75-minute concerts each night under the title of 15 Songs From 50 Years, each with a unique set list with no repetition, 60 songs in total.
What’s more, each concert concluded with a Ken Dodd cover version, in a nod to the City Varieties being renamed the Sir Ken Dodd Auditorium in honour of the Knotty Ash comedy legend. Costello had even written the tour announcement himself in the magniloquent style of Good Old Days host Leonard Sachs.
On Wednesday, Elvis was back in the Barbican building in a late addition to his Radio Soul! tour with its focus on revisiting, re-examining and reactivating “the Early Songs of Elvis Costello”. For “early”, it would not be controversial to say the “best songs”, the hit years of 1977’s My Aim Is True to 1986’s Blood & Chocolate.
The songwriting partnerships with Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Allen Toussaint were still to come, and now 71, Costello has graduated to “national treasure” status, but you suspect he would prefer to be considered ‘ornery’ rather than ‘honorary’.
He arrives on stage at 8.45pm in dapper blue jacket, golden winklepickers, waistcoat, trademark glasses (blue-tinted) and a pork pie hat that he immediately discards, restless to crack on with bringing the past into the present with thrills, not frills, restless too to keep moving his players and himself around the stage.
He is playing to a seated audience, but the guitars are loud, Pete Thomas’s drums are punchy, and the sound mix is muddy and thudding, recalling his first Barbican appearance with The Attractions in November 1994, spoiled by the oppressive sound levels that night.
It is not a problem blighting only his York Barbican shows: national newspaper reports of his June 15 show at the Royal Albert Hall commented on the same scenario with its impact on being able to decipher Costello’s familiar lyrics.
Costello has added Texan guitarist Charlie Sexton to the mix – looking the spitting image of David Bowie in Station To Station guise – but at first it was difficult to hear his electricity crackle with clarity. This Year’s Girl and Mystery Dance were murky, but an extended Watching The Detectives found Costello and band – all in black – hitting their stride.
Without being as extreme as Bob Dylan, Costello now has a habit of playing around with his vocal delivery and rhythm, Shabby Doll taking a while to become recognisable. Motel Matches, from 1980’s Get Happy!, reasserted itself as a country song precursor to 1981’s covers album Almost Blue; Just A Memory, the B-side to the sadly absent New Amsterdam, made a rare appearance, as did No Dancing from My Aim Is True.
Lover’s Walk, from 1981’s Trust, had a strutting bounce to it, but (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes was too ragged. The sound fared better whenever Costello took to the piano, where his characterful voice brought the blues to a slower, still soulful Everyday I Write The Book.
There was the unexpected as well as the expected, typified by A Face In The Crowd, the title track from his stage musical, but the absence of his political trilogy, Shipbuilding, Pills And Soap and Peace In Our Time, was both surprising and disappointing.
Charlie Rich’s Who Will The Next Fool Be and Heathen Town followed, the latter finding room for snippet of A Good Year For The Roses, a segue surpassed by Clubland accommodating Ghost Town, its state-of-the-nocturnal-nation marrow by The Specials.
Costello’s humour was in fine form, from saying he only came up with Early Songs concept because he could not tour as “the late Elvis Costello”, or later introducing his skiffle pastiche Lovable as a tribute to The Beverley Sisters. Correction, “the Everly Brothers,” he quipped.
Alison was rough at the edges, but Less Than Zero set in motion the irresistible pumped-up home run of (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea, Pump It Up, (What ‘s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding and Oliver’s Army, riding the old New Wave with breathless exhilaration. No need for encores, Elvis left the building.
Elvis Costello & The Imposters’ set list at York Barbican, 17/6/2026
THIS Year’s Girl; Mystery Dance; Watching The Detectives/Help Me; Shabby Doll; Motel Matches; Just A Memory; No Dancing; Lover’s Walk; (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes; Everyday I Write The Book; A Face In The Crowd; Who Will The Next Fool Be; Heathen Town/Good Year For The Roses; Lovable; Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?; Clubland/Ghost Town; Alison; High Fidelity; Less Than Zero; (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea; Pump It Up; (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding and Oliver’s Army.
Sharing a Moment: Elvis Costello and Emily Moment on the cover of Cruel Smile
Did you know?
ELVIS Costello’s support act at York Barbican, singer-songwriter Emily Moment, appeared alongside Elvis on the cover of Cruel Smile, his 2002 compilation album of B-sides and leftover material from his When I was Cruel sessions. “I used to go into the Virgin Megastore in New York and rearrange his albums with Cruel Smile at the front,” she told Wednesday’s audience.
Daniel Wood, left, Stephen Wright, Lotty Farmer, Rosa Burns, Hannah Shaw and James Dickinson in in York Light Opera Company’s productionof The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
SIX awkward spelling champions learn that winning – and losing – is not everything in York Light Opera Company’s summer production, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin, the 2004 American musical will be staged at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from June 24 to July 4 under the direction of Neil Wood and musical direction of Martin Lay, at the helm of a four-piece band.
Be prepared for a riotous ride as an eclectic group of six “mid-pubescents” battle for the spelling championship of a lifetime in a fast-paced, wildly humorous show replete with audience participation.
While candidly disclosing touching stories from their home life, the tweens spell their way through a series of – potentially made-up – words, each hoping to never hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing ding of the bell that signals a spelling mistake.
Rosa Byrne’s Marcy Parkrehearsing for York Light’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Taking part will be Lotty Farmer’s Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre; Hannah Shaw’s Olive Ostrovsky; Rosa Burns’ Marcy Park; Daniel Wood’s Leaf Coneybear; James Dickinson’s Chip Tolentino and Stephen Wright’s William Barfeé.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee promises unforgettable entertainment with a heart-warming message highlighting themes of friendship, identity and perseverance, all while celebrating the awkwardness and excitement of growing up,” says Neil, as York Light looks to build on the success of Eurobeat and Annie, Martyn Knight’s final production in the director’s chair.
“I love this quirkly little show that was first done as a workshop show in 2004 and then played off-Broadway and made its Broadway debut in 2005. Spelling Bee is one of those shows that invites the audience into the world of the spellers to cheer, to laugh, to cry and just have a wonderful evening. It’s back in New York, playing off-Broadway, winning every award insight, playing in a complex with six productions going on in one building.
“It has top-quality writing and is just as relevant today from when it was first performed and we’ve upated with a reference to President Trump! With a show that has such a cult following, once you see it, you will want to come back over and over again!”
Vice-principal Douglas Panch (Neil Foster), left, watching the contestants, James Dickinson’s Chip Tolentino, front, left, Daniel Wood’s Leaf Coneybear, Lotty Farmer’s Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre and Stephen Wright’s William Barfeé, in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Part of the fun will be audience members’ opportunity to be guest spellers in each performance. “I’ll be chatting beforehand, saying, ‘do you fancy trying out your spelling’? It’s not compulsory, but I’m confident we will find people to do it,” says Neil.
The show has echoes of Dennis Potter’s Blue Remembered Hills and Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers in having adult actors play children. “The six main spellers in the competition are 12/13-year-old adolescents, and most people will be able to recognise themselves in at least one of them,” says Neil.
“There’s a geek; a zany, off-the-rails one; an alpha-male; a future businesswoman, already looking career driven; a young politician, being brought up by two dads, and a girl whose parents adore her but they’re always busy pursuing their own lives. I think the audience will end up rooting for the one they identify with the most.
“There’s a proper plot in this character-centred show, whereas there wasn’t in Eurobeat, which was more like ‘an experience’. The three adults running the event are important too: the one-time champion (Katie Brier’s Rona Lisa Piretti), the vice-principal (Neil Foster’s Douglas Panch) and the comfort counsellor (Mikhail Lim’s Mitch Mahoney), who is there to look after the children, should they not success in the spelling bee. They all have a back story, and the stories intertwine with little bits of flashback.”
The fact that the children are played by adults, “you just get transfixed by them,” suggests Neil. “It calls on a totally different skill set for the actors , and one of the things that we’ve really worked on is the consistency of the characters as they’re on stage all the time, so they have to hold those characters traits at all times.”
Should you be wondering, Neil’s research reveals there are no fewer than nine Putnam Counties in the United States. “But then there are 20 different Springfields there by the way, including the one in Missouri in The Sopranos and the town in The Simpsons!” he says.
“We’ve given it over to the company members to find their accents for our show, which is set at a regional heat before the national final in Washington,”
The setting will be a school gymnasium, where the young spellers must exercise their minds. “We’ll have a basketball hoop on the set to give a sense of a gym,” says Neil.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s opening, he enthuses: “What I love about the show is how the audience can forget about the outside world for two hours, when they’ll smile, they’ll be moved by the story, they’ll have fun – and you’ve got to have fun at the theatre!
“We giggle at rehearsals from start to finish, and you have to do that with this piece because, if we’re not having fun, nor will the audience, but I guarantee they will come out with grins on their faces.”
York Light Opera Company in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, June 24 to 27 & June 30 to July 4, 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinees and 2pm Sunday matinee (28/6/2026). Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Katie Brier’s Rona Lisa Piretti, left, andHannah Shaw’s Olive Ostrovsky in a scene from York Light’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
