DEL Boy in a musical, a Dungeon murderess, a Greek teen tragedy and gruesome Tower tales promise entertainment and enlightenment, advises Charles Hutchinson.
New attraction of the week: The Black Widow, York Dungeon, Clifford Street, York, daily from 10am
HERE comes this Hallowe’en season’s new show at York Dungeon. Be prepared to encounter the grim tale of Britain’s first female serial killer: Mary Ann Cotton.
A north easterner with a propensity for lacing tea with a drop of arsenic, the Black Widow was convicted of only one murder but is believed to have killed many others, including 11 of her 13 children, and three of her four husbands. Box office: thedungeons.com/york/tickets-passes/. Pre-booking is essential.
Sam Lupton’s Del Boy on a date with Georgina Hagen’s Raquel in Only Fools And Horses The Musical at the Grand Opera House, York
“Plonker” musical of the week: Only Fools And Horses The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees today and Saturday
BASED on John Sullivan’s long-running BBC One series, his son Jim Sullivan and comedy treasure Paul Whitehouse’s West End hit, Only Fools And Horses The Musical, combines 20 songs with an ingenious script.
“Join us as we take a trip back in time to 1989, where it’s all kicking off in Peckham,” reads the 2024-25 tour invitation. “While the yuppie invasion of London is in full swing, love is in the air as Del Boy sets out on the rocky road to find his soul mate, Rodney and Cassandra prepare to say ‘I do’, and even Trigger is gearing up for a date (with a person!).” Box office for the last few tickets: atgtickets.com/york.
Chris Mooney and Helen “Bells” Spencer in Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, the debut collaboration between Black Sheep Theatre Productions and Wharfemede Productions
Debut of the week: Wharfemede Productions & Black Sheep Theatre Productions in The Last Five Years, National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York, tonight to Saturday, 7.45pm
HELEN Spencer and Nick Sephton launch their new York company, Wharfemede Productions, in tandem with Black Sheep Theatre Productions, by staging The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown’s emotive musical story of two New Yorkers, rising novelist Jamie Wellerstein and struggling actress Cathy Hiatt, who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.
Combining only two cast members, York theatre scene luminaries Chris Mooney and Spencer, with a seven-piece band, expect an intimate and emotive evening of frank storytelling and gorgeous music. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/wharfemede-productions-ltd.
Alexander Flanagan-Wright in Helios, his modern take on the Fall of Phaeton, performed under the Great Hall dome at Castle Howard
Theatrical event of the week: Wright & Grainger in Helios, The Great Hall, Castle Howard, near York, today, 5pm and 7.30pm
A LAD lives halfway up an historic hill. A teenager is on a road trip to the city in a stolen car. A boy is driving a chariot, pulling the sun across the sky. In a play about the son of the god of the sun, Helios transplants the Ancient Greek tale into a modern-day myth wound round the winding roads of rural England and into the everyday living of a towering city.
“It’s a story about life, the invisible monuments we build to it, and the little things that leave big marks,” says writer-performer Alexander Flanagan-Wright, who presents his delicate tale with a tape-player beneath the Great Hall dome’s mural, painted by 18th century Venetian painter Antonio Pelligrini, whose depiction of the Fall of Phaeton was the thematic inspiration behind Helios. Box office: castlehoward.co.uk.
Alison Weir: Gruesome tales of executions, beheadings and Royal intrigue from 900 years at the Tower Of London
Literary event of the week: Kemps Bookshop Presents Alison Weir – Ghosts & Gruesome Tales Of The Tower, Milton Rooms, Malton, tonight, 7.30pm
IF any place could lay claim to a host of tortured souls and ghosts, it would be the Tower of London. Historian Alison Weir regales her Malton audience with chilling ghostly tales of grim events, bloody deeds, intrigues and violent deaths the Tower has witnessed over 900 years and the ghosts that reputedly haunt it. After her talk, she will take questions and sign copies of her books. Box office: 01653 696240 themiltonrooms.com.
Mary Bourne, left, and Jessa Liversidge: Uplifting journey of song in Songbirds at Helmsley Arts Centre
Songbirds: A Celebration of Female Musical Icons, with Jessa Liversidge and Mary Bourne, Helmsley Arts Centre, October 25, 7.30pm
DEVISED and performed by vocalists Jessa Liversidge, from Easingwold, and Mary Bourne, from Kingston upon Thames, Songbirds is an uplifting journey of song, celebrating “some of the most iconic female singers and songwriters ever known”, from Carole King and Annie Lennox to Kate Bush and Adele. Special guests include HAC Singers and Easingwold Community Singers. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Nadia Reid: Making her Band Room debut on the North York Moors
Moorland gig of the season: Nadia Reid, The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, North York Moors, October 26, 7.30pm
THE Band Room promoter Nigel Burnham first tried to book New Zealand singer-songwriter sensation Nadia Reid on her first British tour in 2017. “Persistence has paid off,” he says, welcoming her to “the greatest small venue on Earth” as part of a series of intimate, magical solo shows.
Noted for her evocative lyrics and introspective, folk-infused soundscapes, Reid has been described as “an understated, wise guide through uncertain territory”, drawing comparison with Joni Mitchell, Laura Marling, Gillian Welch and Sandy Denny. Latest album Out of My Province took her to Matthew E White’s Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, Virginia, where producer Trey Pollard surrounded her songs in luminous washes of southern country soul. Box office: 01751 432900 or thebandroom.co.uk.
Elbow: Headlining first day of second season of Live At York Museum Gardens concerts
Show announcement of the week: Futuresound Group presents Live At York Museum Gardens, Elbow, July 3 2025
GUY Garvey’s Mercury Prize-winning Bury band Elbow are confirmed as the first headliner for Futuresound’s second Live At York Museum Gardens concert weekend, after the sold-out success of Shed Seven’s 30th anniversary shows and Jack Savoretti this summer.
Elbow will be supported by Ripon-born, London-based singer-songwriter Billie Marten and Robin Hood’s Bay folk luminary Eliza Carthy & The Restitution. The York exclusive postcode presale (for YO1, YO24, YO30, YO31 and YO32) goes on sale today at 10am at https://futuresound.seetickets.com/event/elbow/york-museum-gardens/3195333?pre=postcode. General sales open at 10am on Friday at https://futuresound.seetickets.com/event/elbow/york-museum-gardens/3195333.
In Focus: Nunnington Hall Autumn Festival, October 19 and 20
Nunnington Hall: Autumn garden tours next weekend
VISITORS to the National Trust property of Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley, can enjoy the manor house being decorated for autumn next weekend.
The garden team will be running garden tours and apple-juicing demonstrations, and there will be an opportunity to do autumn-themed crafts.
Programming and partnerships officer Elena Leyshon says: “We’re delighted that our annual Autumn Festival will be returning to Nunnington Hall this year. Visitors can explore the hall decorated for autumn and join our garden team on orchard and wildlife tours, and live apple-juicing demonstrations.
“We’ll have a range of local makers and creators demonstrating and selling their work, from willow weaving to felting.
“There will also be some delicious autumnal treats in the tearoom to enjoy, so come along and enjoy a sweet treat in our tearoom and celebrate the best of the autumnal season with us.”
Robert Dutton and Andrew Moodie’s exhibition, A Yorkshire Year, continues at Nunnington Hall and will be be open to visitors over the festival weekend.
Nunnington Hall Autumn Festival, October 19 and 20, 10.30am to 5pm each day, with last entry at 4.15pm. Visiting stalls will be on site until 4pm. No booking is required. Normal property admission applies, with free admission for National Trust members and under fives.
Elbow: July 3 headliners for next summer’s Live At York Museum Gardens concert series
GUY Garvey’s Mercury Prize-winning Bury band Elbow are confirmed as the first headliner for Futuresound’s second Live At York Museum Gardens concert weekend, after the sold-out success of Shed Seven’s 30th anniversary shows and Jack Savoretti this summer.
Elbow will be supported by Ripon-born, London-based singer-songwriter Billie Marten and Robin Hood’s Bay folk luminary Eliza Carthy & The Restitution.
The York exclusive postcode presale (for YO1, YO24, YO30, YO31 and YO32) goes on sale tomorrow at 10am at https://futuresound.seetickets.com/event/elbow/york-museum-gardens/3195333?pre=postcode. General sales open at 10am on Friday at https://futuresound.seetickets.com/event/elbow/york-museum-gardens/3195333.
Rachel Hill, project manager for Futuresound Group, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the York Museum Gardens team once more for another great event. This year was such a proud moment for all involved.
“Witnessing how incredibly important it is to the people of York, their support and how it was received is so heart-warming. Seeing the city come to light and witnessing the benefits of the economic impact was a wonderful thing.”
Richard Saward, head of operations at fellow event promoters, York Museums Trust, said: “We are excited to welcome the concerts back to York Museum Gardens in 2025. The events last year brought in new audiences to the city and the gardens, with the income we raised invested back into our museums, galleries and collections.”
Watch this space for further news of next summer’s Live At York Museums Gardens programme.
Sam Lupton’s Del Boy and Tom Major’s Rodney on the Trotters’ market stall in Peckham in Only Fools And Horses The Musical. Picture: Johan Persson
IF you have acquired a ticket, you’re cushty. If not, ouch, bad luck, like a visit from the Driscolls, except you might be the one hitting yourself for missing out.
Only Fools And Horses The Musical’s first visit north to York after four years in the West End has all but sold out. Lovely jubbly news for the Grand Opera House at the start of a run of four musicals in four weeks: next up Jason Donovan in The Rocky Horror Show, followed by Hairspray and 101 Dalmatians, starring Hear’Say singer and Coronation Street soap star Kym March as Cruella De Vil.
North-South divide? What North-South divide, on the evidence of the York audience’s affection for the Trotters, from Peckham, south-east London. Or Britain’s best-loved TV comedy, as Only Fools And Horses is commonly known.
Based on John Sullivan’s long-running, oft-repeated BBC One series, this musical spin-off is co-written by John’s son Jim and comedy treasure Paul Whitehouse (who will play Grandad when the tour visits Leeds Grand Theatre from February 24 to March 1 and Sheffield City Hall and Memorial Hall from May 26 to 31 next year).
All your favourite characters, and I do mean all, from 64 episodes in 22 years will make an appearance, just like when Whitehouse appeared in An Evening With The Fast Show at the Grand Opera House in March, incidentally.
However, Only Fools And Horses The Musical is not merely a greatest hits nostalgia trip, even if such roles as Uncle Albert (uncredited) and the Scouser, Denzil (Bradley John), are reduced to butterfly-brief cameos over the two hours.
What’s the story? “Join Del Boy, Rodney, Grandad, Cassandra, Raquel, Boycie, Marlene, Trigger and more as we take a trip back in time to 1989, where it’s all kicking off in Peckham,” reads the tour publicity invitation (although the year mentioned on stage was 1988).
“While the yuppie invasion of London is in full swing, love is in the air as Del Boy sets out on the rocky road to find his soul mate, Rodney and Cassandra prepare to say ‘I do’, and even Trigger is gearing up for a date (with a person!).
“Meanwhile, Boycie and Marlene give parenthood one final shot and Grandad takes stock of his life and decides the time has finally arrived to get his piles sorted.”
It all flows with the greatest of ease on a tide of slick direction and knees-up-Mother-Brown choreography by Caroline Jay Ranger on Alice Power’s comfy, familiar set of pub and Trotter household, complemented by Leo Flint’s animations and video designs of the Nags Head frontage and Rodney and Cassandra’s honeymoon.
Liz Ascroft’s costume designs evoke all the stylings, from Del Boy’s love of yellow and red, braces and car coats, to smug Boycie’s snug camel coat.
What about the music in the musical? Imagine rockney duo Chas & Dave, Ian Dury, Madness and the cast of Oliver! hosting a party, with Rachel Murphy’s band in as-lively-as-New-Year’s Eve form.
John Sullivan’s Only Fools And Horses/Hooky Street theme tune makes more than one appearance; Chas & Dave contribute the typically chirpy pub singalong numbers That’s What I Like, Margate and This Time Next Year; Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan have penned Cockney tunes aplenty, sometimes together, sometimes on their own, but all working a treat, thanks in part to the singing being in character.
Whitehouse and Chas Hodges’s Where Have All Cockneys Gone? is particularly affecting, while Bill Withers’ Lovely Day is seen in a new light and Gloria Acquaah-Harrison’s Mrs Obooko brings such poignancy to Simply Red’s Holding Back The Years, it may well have you not holding back the tears.
Such pathos is as key to a sitcom as the lighter laughs, especially in the company of such fallible characters in this “feel-good family celebration of traditional working-class London life and the aspirations we all share”. Trying to make a living, in whatever way – and maybe that is where there is no North-South divide in Only Fools And Horses’ appeal.
Ranger’s cast capture their characters like tickling a fish: uncannily like the TV originals but not just doppelganger tribute acts. Sam Lupton’s wheeler-dealer Del Boy brings down the house, not least in his closing pratfall; Craig Berry’s Boycie has the laugh, the upwardly mobile manner, and Tom Major’s Rodney bonds delightfully with Nicola Munns’s Cassandra;
Lee VG’s Trigger, with the inevitable treasured broom and deadpan delivery, is a scene stealer; Georgina Hagen’s Raquel is all heart, while Philip Childs’s Grandad harks back to the old days, the good old days, just like this show in fact.
Only Fools And Horses The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, until October 19, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york. Age guidance: Six upwards.
Helen “Bells” Spencer’s Cathy Hiatt and Chris Mooney’s Jamie Wellerstein in The Last Five Years, opening at the NCEM on Thursday. Picture: Simon Trow
CO-FOUNDERS Helen “Bells” Spencer and Nick Sephton are launching Wharfemede Productions by staging Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years in association with fellow York company Black Sheep Theatre Productions.
The American musical two-hander will be staged at the National Centre for Early Music, York, from Thursday to Saturday this week.
Formed by chief artistic director, musical actress and psychiatrist Helen and chief operating officer, musical actor and former Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company chair Nick, the innovative new company takes its name from their home in Thorp Arch.
After their fruitful involvement in the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company, not least in fund-raising for the JoRo, their new venture Wharfemede Productions will focus mainly on character-driven musical theatre pieces and use Helen’s expertise to establish a culture of learning and development as part of the rehearsal process.
Wharfemede Productions chief operating officer Nick Sephton and chief artistic director Helen Spencer at the September company launch in the Wharfemede garden
“Having gained a Drama degree from Manchester University and then co-founded and company managed Envision Theatre Company, this is a return to my roots,” says Helen, who has bags of experience as a professional and amateur performer, vocal coach and company manager.
Supporting and organising the company will be Nick’s role. “With decades of logistics, managerial and computing experience, I’m excited to be founding a company that uses these skills, combined with my love for music and theatre,” he says.
For The Last Five Years, Wharfemede and Black Sheep have brought together a formidable core creative team of Helen, as director, and Black Sheep founder and good friend Matthew Clare, as musical director, complemented throughout the rehearsal process by Susannah Tresilian, a professional director and journalist from London, as guest director, and Tom Guest, from Manchester, as vocal coach.
Premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001 and then produced Off-Broadway in March 2002, The Last Five Years tells the emotive story of two New Yorkers, rising novelist Jamie Wellerstein and struggling actress Cathy Hiatt, who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.
Helen Spencer and Chris Mooney working with guest director Susannah Tresilian, right, in the rehearsal room. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Using an unconventional structure, American pop-rock musical theatre composer, lyricist and playwright Jason Robert Brown presents the story in reverse from Cathy’s point of view, first revealing the end of their tumultuous relationship.
Meanwhile, Jamie tells the story chronologically from when the couple first met. The pair only cross paths once, in the middle of the show, where they are seen together before they continue on their respective timelines.
Clare’s seven-piece band combines with Helen Spencer’s Cathy and Harrogate teacher Chris Mooney’s Jamie in a to-and-fro evening of frank storytelling and gorgeous music.
“I have loved this play for many years and in fact was cast as Cathy some years ago but unfortunately the show never went ahead,” says Helen. “I’m absolutely delighted to be finally getting the chance to sing all of these fantastic songs. Even better, I get to watch and listen to Chris, who is so unbelievably talented, playing Jamie.
The poster for Black Sheep Theatre Productions and Wharfemede Productions’ collaborative production of The Last Five Years
“Chris and I worked together on Falsettos[Black Sheep Theatre Productions, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, August 2023] and found we had great chemistry and connection on stage.
“Having talked with Matthew about producing The Last Five Years for a while, all the pieces finally aligned. I’m genuinely giddy with excitement! It’s such a cleverly written show, with wonderful music that will be brought to life by Matthew and his band.”
Helen continues: “With it just being a two hander, it’s intense, intimate and a wonderful challenge. There’s nowhere to hide for us as performers but also for the audience as well. I think I’m better known on the York circuit for portraying brash comedy characters, so it will be nice to tackle something very different. I can’t wait to share this phenomenal show with an audience.”
Calling himself “truly a sucker for a sung-through musical”, Chris says: “The Last Five Years has been on the bucket list for a while now, so accepting the opportunity was a no-brainer. The piece itself challenges audiences with songs centred around difficult concepts that we don’t often see in musicals, with no real protagonist to root for.
Guest director Susannah Tresilian, vocal coach Tom Guest, centre, and musical director Matthew Clare in the rehearsal room for The Last Five Years. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
“They simply get to experience the beauty and the challenges that can happen as two people in love grow together. The songs are a real joy to perform, and it’s been an enjoyable challenge to try to best convey Jamie’s perspective in the show. What’s been a real highlight is getting to bear witness to the professional that is Bells Spencer tackling Cathy and truly making the part her own. I can’t wait to open it all up to the audience now!”
Musical director Matthew Clare describes The Last Five Years as a “beautiful show that highlights just how much can be achieved by a cast of two phenomenal individuals”. “In this way, it is the ultimate challenge for a performer – to be perfect, with no room to hide or any escape from the audience’s sight, for the entirety of a show,” he says.
“I’ve loved working with Bells before as both a member of my previous casts (Jekyll & Hyde (2022), Elegies For Angels, Punks, And Raging Queens (2023), Falsettos (2023) and For The Love Of Animation (2023)) and on production teams or as the director, such as for Musicals In The Multiverse (2023).
“Chris is a phenomenal performer that I have worked with on multiple rounds of Jesus Christ Superstar (2019, 2022) and Falsettos (2023).”
Helen “Bells” Spencer and Chris Mooney rehearsing for The Last Five Years. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Assessing their performing skills, Matthew says: “Bells brings a robust and exciting vision to her projects with the most delightful working attitude. She’s amazing at leading any project; in particular, one like this, which requires an ability that is second to none and a dedication to match.
“Bells and Chris both have that. Their grasp of the characters and the nuances that they’re able to bring to this show will set it apart from almost anything else this year in York. It’s set to be incredible, with some of the best performers York has to offer, as well as seven of the best musicians! A labour of love, bursting with talent and emotion that one no-one should miss out on!”
Guest director Susannah Tresilian adds: “Interesting love stories never follow an obvious path, but the way the stories of Cathy and Jamie intertwine is so unusual that it really does stand out. It’s been huge fun to work with Bells and Chris on their timelines as they navigate who said what when and who is saying what when now!
“Plus, Bells, Tom and I first met when studying Drama at university, and spent many happy years making theatre all across Europe together, and it is pure joy to be able to collaborate again here on this!”
The logo for Helen “Bells” Spencer and Nick Sephton’s new company, Wharfemede Productions
Vocal coach Tom Guest enthuses: “I’ve always loved the beautiful score by Jason Robert Brown. It’s great to sing, with brilliant, emotionally intelligent lyrics. The ingenious structure makes this story of Cathy and Jamie’s marriage even more engaging, and even more heart-breaking.
“The solo songs are nuanced and energetic and are a fantastic showcase for the actors. Then when their two timelines join for the central duet, it’s just delicious! Ah, those harmonies…
“I’m so excited to be able to work with these two talented musical theatre performers, and especially to be doing it alongside my faves from uni days, Bells and Susannah, is going to be perfect!”
The poster for Wharfemede Productions’ production of Little Women, The Broadway Musical next February
Coming next from Wharfemede Productions will be Little Women, The Broadway Musical, based on Louisa May Alcott’s American coming-of-age novel, with book by Allan Knee, music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. Tickets for the February 18 to 22 2025 run at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, are on sale at tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
In the cast will be Catherine Foster as Meg March; Connie Howcroft as Jo; Rachel Higgs, Beth; Tess Ellis, Amy; Helen “Bells” Spencer, Marmee; Rosy Rowley, Aunt March; Steven Jobson, Lawrie; Nick Sephton, Professor Bhaer; Andrew Roberts, Mr Brooke, and Chris Gibson, Mr Lawrence.
The creative team comprises: Helen “Bells” Spencer, director; Rosy Rowley and Henrietta Linnemann, assistant directors; Matthew Clare, musical director, and Rachel Higgs, choreographer.
Wharfemede Productions in collaboration with Black Sheep Theatre Productions present The Last Five Years, National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York, October 17 to 19, 7.45pm. Box office: www.ticketsource.co.uk/wharfemede-productions-ltd.
Wharfemede Productions: the top team
Helen “Bells” Spencer
Helen “Bells” Spencer, chief artistic director
HELEN studied Drama at Manchester University and was then company manager of Envision Theatre Company from 2002-2010. She has performed and vocal coached all around the UK and in Europe over the past 20 years.
Highlights include: 2002 & 2004 UK/Italy tours of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! (Woman 2), Little Voice (Little Voice), Manchester Dance House, Audrey in Little Shop Of Horrors, Barley Corn Jack (Beatrice) Manchester and Edinburgh Fringe (Best Actress Award 2002 MIFTAs).
Helen then had a period away from the stage, having qualified as a doctor and also started a family.
Since returning to musical theatre in 2019, her York credits include: We Remember Sondheim (director/performer), Young Frankenstein (Frau Blucher), Falsettos (Dr Charlotte), Musicals In the Multiverse (director/co-creator), Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens (various), Hello, Dolly! (Dolly Levi), The Sound Of Music (Mother Abbess), Wicked Origins (Ursula & Gelinda), Kipps: Half A Sixpence (Mrs Walsingham), For The Love Of Animation (various), Jekyll & Hyde (Lady Beaconsfield), Hooray For Hollywood (various) and Made In Dagenham (Beryl).
Nick Sephton
Nick Sephton, chief operating officer
NICK holds an Engineering Doctorate in Large Scale Complex Systems from the University of York, having won multiple Best Paper awards for his published works. Subsequently worked as software architect at University of York Digital Creativity Lab.
Nick has extensive experience in leadership and event logistics roles, having worked as both a senior technical architect and lead developer. He also has experience in roles such as UK Community Leader for WPN Judge Program, Magic Tournament Floor Rules Manager for WPN Judge Program and chair of Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company.
Having been a keen singer for some time, Nick’s first named role was as the Sergeant of Police in Pirates Of Penzance. Since become a regular in the York theatre scene.
Credits include: Fester Addams (The Addams Family), Lord Chancellor (Iolanthe), Rudolph Reisenweber (Hello Dolly!), Sir Danvers Carew (Jekyll & Hyde), Mr Shalford (Kipps: Half A Sixpence), Captain Corcoran (HMS Pinafore), Eddie O’Grady (Made in Dagenham), Sir Marmaduke (The Sorcerer), Colonel Calverly (Patience), Strephon (Iolanthe) and Escamilio (Cover – Carmen).
When not on stage, Nick is a keen double bass player and enjoys playing board games.
Guests and hosts at the September 14 launch party for Wharfemede Productions
Ingrid Bolton-Gabrielsen’s Molly clashes with Ravneet Sehra’s police officer, Uzma, as Emily Chattle’s vicar, Fiona, tends to the injured Alland (Aein Nasseri) in Sanctuary. Picture: Robling Photography
RED Ladder’s first touring production under the direction of new artistic director Cheryl Martin asks: “What kind of society do we want to live in?”
One where the arts can thrive, one where the medium’s message of co-operation, collaboration, freedom of expression, communion, connection, compassion and shared humanity spreads its wings to society at large.
One where there would be an understanding of why asylum-seeking young Iranian journalist Alland (played by Aein Nasseri) is seeking sanctuary at a church in northern England in this topical new musical by Boff Whalley (music and lyrics) and Sarah Woods (book).
Pioneering Leeds agit-prop theatre company Red Ladder has united with Wakefield Theatre Royal and CAPA College, Wakefield, for a tour of theatres, community venues and, significantly, churches from September 19 to November 9. Everyone is pulling in one direction, unlike the protagonists in this fraught drama, the different forces at play within a fractured State and Church at war with itself.
In prayer: Emily Chattle’s vicar, Fiona, in Sanctuary. Picture: Robling Photography
The programme cover takes the form of an Order of Service, on account of what will happen at the climax, but it also further pushes the Church to the fore of the debate that plays out contentiously.
Word has it that the script has been toned down, but it still packs a punch, and where better to watch the sparks fly than in a church, Selby Abbey, for all the familiar frustrations of imperfect sight lines, lighting and sound not being on a par with theatre facilities. (Faces were not well lit; some lines were lost to the acoustics of a vertiginous stone building.)
There is nothing rose-tinted about Red Ladder here. Tellingly, Sanctuary tells its story from all sides. It does not shy away from Alland being an illegal immigrant, already told to leave but pleading to stay for fear of what would ensue if he were to return to Iran, where his courageous journalism had challenged the authorities on their treatment of women.
Church worker Molly (Ingrid Bolton-Gabrielsen) and all-inclusive vicar Fiona (York actress, singer and clown Emily Chattle) support him.
CAPA College performing arts students in the Greek chorus role of Vox in Sanctuary. Picture: Robling Photography
Stone-hearted higher church authority Peter (York actor and keyboard player Richard Kay) plays it by the book, (the law of the land, not the spirit of the Good Book). So does police officer Uzma (Ravneet Sehra), a third-generation British Asian woman who attends the Christian church. The difference between Alland and her immigrant grandparents, she says, is that he came here illegally whereas they were invited to work here.
Sanctuary is billed as a musical, rather than a play with music, but the greater weight of the piece, the drama, lies in the confrontations, the differences of opinion, red tape versus blue sky thinking, the moments of confession and contemplation, albeit that protagonists burst into song in the tradition of song being the ultimate form of emotional expression when mere words won’t suffice.
There is a second musical force at play too: the CAPA College performing arts students that serve as Sanctuary’s Greek chorus, Vox, commenting in song on what is unfolding (and joining Kay in his second role as a vigilante by playing protestors too at one point). In white, they have the presence of protective angels; in dark hoods, they become symbols of the devil, in Caitlin Mawhinney’s costume design.
At times, the chorus songs feel more like the stuff of a school musical, but musical director Jennifer Pugh pulls powerful vocal performances out of Nasseri, Kay, Bolton-Gabrielsen and especially Chattle, often in tandem with Vox. Sehra’s singing of Uzma’s Lament needed better amplification to have had its desired impact.
Ravneet Sehra singing Uzma’s Lament in Sanctuary. Picture: Robling Photography
On a night of so much debate, one more came to mind: would Sanctuary have had more dramatic impetus if there had been fewer songs? Certainly, it would have cranked up the hostile environment still more in this bitter pill of a modern-day riff on Brechtian musical theatre.
Whalley posits that “music can cross divides, it can patch up differences between people, which is what Sanctuary will hope to do”, but the wound here – a nation in turmoil over immigration – appears to be growing deeper, beyond music’s healing, bonding powers.
In a nutshell, Sanctuary asks, “Do we want safety and freedom for only ourselves, or for us all?” There should be only one answer, but that would require reform, not Reform.
“I hope this musical helps open up this conversation because it’s one that goes to the heart of who we are and the kind of society we want to live in,” says director Martin. In the best of worlds, the arts can lead that progression, but right now it feels like a voice in the wilderness.
Red Ladder Theatre Company in Sanctuary, Wesley Centre, Harrogate, October 12, 7.30pm. Box office: Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk. Age guidance: 13 upwards.
Did you know?
SANCTUARY is supported by the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safer Communities Fund.
Opera North in James Brining’s revival of The Magic Flute. Picture: Tristram Kenton
FOR the start of her first full year as general director, Laura Canning is presiding over an autumn of three revivals, of which this production by James Brining is the first.
Doubtless she had no say in the schedule, but it still looks cautious, especially when viewed in the wake of, for example, Buxton Festival’s five new productions this summer.
Brining operates as artistic director of Leeds Playhouse, just a short walk away from the Grand Theatre, and this had been his first full operatic production. It still shows signs of over-calculation.
Before the curtain we are treated to a welcome designed to embrace newcomers. Old-stagers might have regarded it as patronising but, seen alongside a bare-bones outline in the programme of what constitutes opera in the first place, it is arguably a useful introduction to an artform that too many have found intimidating: an attempt to cast the audience net more widely, in other words.
This process must be treated gingerly, however, if the company’s core audience is not to be deterred. The overture is intended as an introduction, presenting themes and building anticipation.
All of that is dissipated when it is overlaid with a dumb show, based on Bergman’s cinematic view of the whole work being a child’s dream/nightmare, that has little or nothing to do with Mozart. So, overture and dumb show are at odds with one another: in our screen-obsessed age, the eyes take over and the overture goes for naught.
As it was, Christoph Koncz, making his Leeds debut, opened the overture very slowly and followed with an extremely rapid allegro, which the orchestra – now under its new leader Katie Stillman – handled with panache. Thereafter Koncz impresses with the transparency of the textures he conjures.
Egor Zhuravskii has graduated from Fenton in Falstaff to Tamino here, and does so smoothly enough. Narrow at the start, his tone opens out over time but remains a little dry, albeit stylish. There is not much genuine feeling between him and Claire Lees’s admirable Pamina, but she entrances with every appearance and sounds ready for greater things.
Leaning heavily on his Welsh lilt, Emyr Wyn Jones makes an affable dunderhead of Papageno, almost taking the pantomime route, while Anna Dennis makes an imposing Queen of Night, edgy, determined and accurate.
Msimelelo Mbali, as Sarastro, lacks the gravitas shown by Andri Björn Robertsson’s Speaker, but his bass grows in authority in Act 2. Colin Judson offers an apt irritant as Monostatos, in place of the repellent figure we had last time.
Pasquale Orchard makes a charming Papagena, although she is introduced to Papageno early and deprived of her ‘old lady’ disguise. Many of the lesser roles are ably assumed by members of the chorus, proving its versatility.
Colin Richmond’s flexible set proves its worth once again, as does Douglas O’Connell’s high-impact video effects.
Brining envisaged Blakean poles of innocence and experience. He might instead have allowed Mozart and Schikaneder – in Jeremy Sams’s colloquial translation – to speak for themselves. The plot is complicated enough as it is.
Review by Martin Dreyer
Performances: Leeds Grand Theatre, February 12, 13, 15 and 22 2025, 7pm. Box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com. Hull New Theatre, March 27 and 29 2025, 7pm. Box office: hulltheatres.co.uk.
Duo Pleyel: Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya
Duo Pleyel –Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya (fortepiano), Mozart’s Real Musical Father, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York
I THOUGHT Duo Pleyel’s programme title, Mozart’s Real Musical Father, was a bit of a stretch, but it turned out to be an inspired one.
The pieces in the programme were composed between 1772 and 1786 and showcase the early developmental years of the piano duet, as well as musically documenting the unlikely, or rather, little known, friendship between Mozart and JC Bach [German composer Johann Christian Bach, youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach].
Bach was a major composer at this time and clearly a major influence on the young Mozart, but his music seems to have been relegated to the second division by both history and fashion. So the chance to hear these two sonatas was very welcome and illuminating.
Both performances displayed the relative simplicity, elegance and immediacy we expect from the reactionary style galant, a modern style that gives primacy on melody and harmony overcomplex counterpoint. But the works were very different in character.
The Sonata in F, op 18, no.6 was indeed “full of unbridled fun and playful virtuosity”. The music positively zipped along with the players knocking ideas back and forth; the communication between the two came across as simply instinctive. A real feature throughout the concert performance.
It was also inspired, resulting in creative decorative enrichment and even ‘unwritten’ cadenzas. Was this genuinely an in-the-moment thing? I don’t know, but it sounded like it.
Having said that, I actually preferred the Sonata in A, op 18, no.5. It just radiated with tenderness. And who wouldn’t be seduced by those gorgeous extended cadences.
The concert opened with Mozart’s early Sonata in D K.381. What struck me here was the dramatic exploitation of the contrasting register and dynamics. It was almost symphonic – loud ‘orchestral’ tuttis etc. But then Mozart was not only an instinctive ‘operatic’ composer, it was also in his DNA.
Richard Egarr is not only an exceptional musician, he is also an excellent communicator, albeit a slightly whacky one. A self-confessed Trekkie, who performs regularly “all over the planet”, presumably Earth, he engages with the audience in a singularly unique manner.
There was an early window (after the Mozart) into the pedalling on this distinguished 1848 Pleyel piano with a parallel drawn with the state-of-the-art IPhone16. He even threw in a reference to Karl Marx just for good measure.
I suppose the standout performance must have been Mozart’s Variations in G, K 501. The theme had echoes of The Magic Flute; the ‘miserable’ 4th variation was so engaging with heartfelt, touching exchanges.
But it was the signing off – the incredible use of the piano’s sordino lever, leaving the music disappearing into the mist – that was so telling. Haunting and quite magical. As indeed, was the playing in the Adagio of the Sonata in Bb, K. 358 where it just melted into the ears.
The musical chemistry between Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya was palpable and the concert performance sounded like a shared intimacy. This was further enhanced by the natural charm and communicative skills of Mr Egarr himself, who included the audience as a genuine part of the concert experience.
DEL Boy in a musical, a Dungeon murderess, a Greek teen tragedy and a top-Rankin Scottish detective are well worth investigating, advises Charles Hutchinson.
New attraction of the week: The Black Widow, York Dungeon, Clifford Street, York, from today, from 10am
THIS Hallowe’en season’s new show at York Dungeon opens today. Be prepared to encounter the grim tale of Britain’s first female serial killer: Mary Ann Cotton.
A north easterner with a propensity for lacing tea with a drop of arsenic, the Black Widow was convicted of only one murder but is believed to have killed many others, including 11 of her 13 children, and three of her four husbands. Box office: thedungeons.com/york/tickets-passes/. Pre-booking is essential.
Jude Kelly: Striving for a gender-equal world in The WOW Show
The WOW factor: The WOW Show with Jude Kelly, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow, 7.30pm
WOMEN of the World founder, chief executive officer and theatre director Jude Kelly CBE was director of West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, from 1990 to 2002 and London’s Southbank Centre from 2006 to 2018 and set up the WOW Foundation charity in 2010 to achieve a gender-equal world.
In an evening of optimism, determination and laughter, she explores “our often exasperating and confusing journey towards gender equity, covering everything from money, sex, race, food, and ageing”. Expect personal anecdotes, guests and big ideas. “The message is: If you are a woman or you know a woman, please show up!” says Jude. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Sam Lupton: Playing Del Boy in Only Fools And Horses The Musical at the Grand Opera House, York
“Plonker” musical of the week: Only Fools And Horses The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, October 14 to 19, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees
BASED on John Sullivan’s long-running BBC One series, his son Jim Sullivan and comedy treasure Paul Whitehouse’s West End hit, Only Fools And Horses The Musical, combines 20 songs with an ingenious script.
“Join us as we take a trip back in time to 1989, where it’s all kicking off in Peckham,” reads the 2024-25 tour invitation. “While the yuppie invasion of London is in full swing, love is in the air as Del Boy sets out on the rocky road to find his soul mate, Rodney and Cassandra prepare to say ‘I do’, and even Trigger is gearing up for a date (with a person!). Meanwhile, Boycie and Marlene give parenthood one final shot and Grandad takes stock of his life and decides the time has finally arrived to get his piles sorted.” Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Gray O’Brien in the role of Inspector John Rebus in Rebus: A Game Called Malice at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Nobby Clark
Thriller of the week: Rebus: A Game Called Malice, York Theatre Royal, October 15 to 19, 7.30pm; 2pm, Wednesday, Thursday; 2.30pm, Saturday
SCOTTISH crime writer Ian Rankin’s much-loved detective, John Rebus, takes to the stage in a new storyco-written with Simon Reade. Gray O’Brien, from Coronation Street, Casualty and Peak Practice, plays Rebus in a cast also featuring Abigail Thaw and Billy Hartman.
When a splendid Edinburgh mansion dinner party concludes with a murder mystery game, suddenly a murder needs to be solved. However, guests have secrets of their own. Among them is Inspector John Rebus, but is he Is playing an alternative game, one to which only he knows the rules? Rankin will attend the October 18 post-show discussion with the cast. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Chris Mooney and Helen Spencer: Playing lovers with opposite takes on their relationship in The Last Five Years at the NCEM, York. Picture: Simon Trow
Debut of the week: Wharfemede Productions & Black Sheep Theatre Productions in The Last Five Years, National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York, October 17 to 19, 7.45pm
HELEN Spencer and Nick Sephton launch their new York company, Wharfemede Productions, in tandem with Black Sheep Theatre Productions, by staging The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown’s musical story of two New Yorkers, rising novelist Jamie Wellerstein and struggling actress Cathy Hiatt, who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.
Combining only two cast members, York Theatre scene luminaries Chris Mooney and Spencer, with a small band, expect an intimate and emotive evening of frank storytelling and gorgeous music. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/wharfemede-productions-ltd.
Alexander Flanagan-Wright in Helios, a modern take on an Ancient Greek myth, performed under the Great Hall dome at Castle Howard
Theatrical event of the week: Wright & Grainger in Helios, The Great Hall, Castle Howard, near York, October 17, 5pm and 7.30pm
A LAD lives halfway up an historic hill. A teenager is on a road trip to the city in a stolen car. A boy is driving a chariot, pulling the sun across the sky. In a play about the son of the god of the sun, Helios transplants the Ancient Greek tale into a modern-day myth wound round the winding roads of rural England and into the everyday living of a towering city.
“It’s a story about life, the invisible monuments we build to it, and the little things that leave big marks,” says writer-performer Alexander Flanagan-Wright, who presents his delicate tale with a tape-player beneath the Great Hall dome’s mural, painted by 18th century Venetian painter Antonio Pelligrini, whose depiction of the Fall of Phaeton was the thematic inspiration behind Helios. Box office: castlehoward.co.uk.
Squeeze: 50th anniversary celebrations at York Barbican
Recommended but sold out already: Squeeze, York Barbican, October 18, doors 7pm
DEPTFORD’S answer to The Beatles mark their 50th anniversary as Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook manage to Squeeze in hit after hit, like pulling musses from a shell. Don’t miss the support act, one Badly Drawn Boy.
Strictly between us: Husband-and-wife dancers Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara look forward to A Night To Remember at York Barbican next June
Show announcement of the week: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara: A Night To Remember, York Barbican, June 1 2025
STRICTLY Come Dancing favourites Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara – married since 2017 – will be touring next year with A Night To Remember, featuring an ensemble of “some of the UK’s very best dancers and singers”.
Aljaž, partnering Tasha Ghouri in the 2024 series, and It takes Two presenter Janette will “perform stunning routines to an eclectic array of music”, spanning the Great American songbook through to modern-day classics, backed by their own big band, fronted by boogie- woogie star Tom Seal. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/aljaz-and-janette-a-night-to-remember.
In Focus: Black Treacle Theatre in Accidental Death Of An Anarchist, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Oct 15 to 19
Superintendent Curry (Chris Pomfrett) and DI Daisy (Adam Sowter) are pushed to the edge by The Maniac (Andrew Isherwood), when they are surprised in Accidental Death Of An Anarchist. Picture: John Saunders
BENT police and politcs come under fire in York company Black Treacle Theatre’s provocative production of Dario Fo’s uproarious farce Accidental Death Of An Anarchist next week.
In a new adaptation by Tom Basden, creator of Plebs and Here We Go, the setting is updated to the rotten state of present-day Britain.
The satirical play is set in a police station where a suspect has “accidentally” fallen to his death, but did he jump or was he pushed? As the police attempt to avoid yet another scandal, a mysterious imposter (the Maniac) is arrested and brought in for questioning.
Seizing the chance to put on a show, he leads the officers in an ever-more ridiculous reconstruction of their official account, exposing their cover-ups, corruption and (in)competence.
The original 1970 Italian farce by Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo and Franca Rame was based on the real-life case of an anarchist suspected of a bombing, who plunged to his death from a Milan police station in suspicious circumstances and was later exonerated. Now comes the British re-boot.
The Maniac (Andrew Isherwood) peruses the Anarchist’s case file as Inspector Burton (Paul Osborne) interrupts him
Director Jim Paterson says: “I’m really excited to bring this new adaptation of one of my favourite plays to York. Dario Fo was a master of using comedy to talk about the social and political issues of the day – particularly state corruption and hypocrisy.
“What Tom Basden’s version does brilliantly is bring the plot bang up to date in both setting and references, taking in police scandals and political issues of recent years – as well as packing it full of hilariousjokes! It’s fast, furious and funny, and I can’t wait for opening night.”
Lead actor Andrew Isherwood says: “Playing the Maniac, I get the opportunity to play multiple roles, with a variety of voices, which is always fun for me as I really enjoy getting the chance to play around, have some fun and indulge a little bit, which I don’t normally get to express in the same show.
“I think audiences will get a real kick out of the bizarre nature of this show, with all its twists and turns and bitingly satirical elements woven in, all performed by a brilliantly talented cast!”
PC Joseph (Guy Wilson) attempts to keep a record of the increasingly complex story being spun in Accidental Death Of An Anarchist. Picture: John Saunders
Black Treacle Theatre in Accidental Death Of An Anarchist,Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 15 to 19, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee.Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk. Running time: Two hours 15 minutes, including interval.
In the cast will be: The Maniac – Andrew Isherwood; Inspector Burton – Paul Osborne; DI Daisy – Adam Sowter; PC Joseph – Guy Wilson; Superintendent – Chris Pomfrett; Fi Phelan/PC Jackson – Jess Murray.
Production team: Director, Jim Paterson; lighting designer, Adam Kirkwood; set designer, Richard Hampton; costume/props, Maggie Smales.
Did you know?
Black Treacle Theatre’s past productions were: Constellations (March 2022), Iphigenia In Splott (March 2023) and White Rabbit, Red Rabbit (November 2023), all at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York.
Last Chance To See: Jack Ashton starring in Little Women at York Theatre Royal, today at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Jack Ashton as Professor Bhaer in Little Women at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Charlotte Graham
STARRING in a much-loved television series can be a boon or a bother for an actor who becomes identified with a particular character. Directors may be reluctant to offer different sorts of role.
Happily, Jack Ashton, best known as the Reverend Tom Hereward in BBC One’s Sunday night staple Call The Midwife, has escaped being typecast. So much so that in York Theatre Royal’s production of Louisa May Alcott’s coming-of-age classic Little Women, he is playing not one but two very contrasting characters.
The link is that both are suitors of the titular Little Women – John Brooke and Professor Bhaer, the love interests for Meg and Jo March. Not that Jack downplays the problems of leaving Call The Midwife after five years as the vicar of Poplar in the series set in an East End Anglican convent in the late 1950s and 1960s.
“It was difficult, more difficult than I thought,” he admits. “It was hard for a few years for my agent to get me seen for something. If you’re known as a particular character, it can be hard to do something that’s opposite to that and challenge yourself, which is what you want to be as an actor.”
In the past Jack has said that Call The Midwife changed his life, a reference to becoming a father – of Wren, six, and Lark, two – through his relationship with co-star Helen George. “It was a lovely time in my life,” he says. So much so that the last time he acted in York, in Strangers On the Train at the Grand Opera House in March 2018, newly-born Wren came on tour with them.
Jack Ashton’s John Brooke and Ainy Medina’s Meg March in Little Women, adapted by Anne-Marie Casey, at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Charlotte Graham
Juliet Forster’s production of Little Women at York Theatre Royal, where he has performed since his early days as an actor, certainly offers the chance to do something different: two different characters in one show.
One of them, Professor Bhaer, requires a German accent, necessitating Jack to work with a voice coach.
He has not read Little Women, although he has seen Great Gerwig’s 2019 film version, and coincidentally has just finished working with Saoirse Ronan, who played burgeoning writer Jo March in the American movie.
While he has not worked previously with any of the Little Women cast members, he has done so with director Juliet Forster, York Theatre Royal’s creative director.
She directed him in productions that have punctuate his life, going from a young man fresh out of drama school in 2006 to present-day leading man, appearing in Twelfth Night and the Studio double bill of Escaping Alice and End Of Desire, as well as The Guinea Pig Club and The Homecoming under former artistic director Damain Cruden’s direction.
Jack Ashton rehearsing the role of Professor Bhaer in Little Women. Picture: S R Taylor Photography
York remains one of his favourite places. “It’s such a great city. I love coming back, it’s a no-brainer when that kind of offer, like Little Women, comes along,” says Jack.
“I have really good friends in York and I’ve befriended Rita and Paul, the original people on the digs list. I got so lucky because I stayed with them the first time and have continued to stay with them every time since.”
He is realistic about the pitfalls of being an actor. “Sometimes people think an actor’s life is quite glamorous. We just audition and audition, and sometimes people say ‘yes, we want you’. Most of the time they say, ‘no thank you very much’.”
He has several projects waiting to be seen, including Jonatan Etzler’s satirical comedy Bad Apples – the one with Saoirse Ronan – and a small role in Lockerbie, a Sky drama series about one man’s battle to learn the truth about the Pan Am Flight 103 bomb explosion over the Scottish town on December 21 1988. He continues to play Harry Chilcott in BBC Radio 4’s long-running series The Archers too.
Returning to the topic of Little Women, does he have any sisters? “Two older sisters,” he replies. “I can definitely relate to not being able to get a word in edgeways.”
Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
“We just audition and audition, and sometimes people say ‘yes, we want you’. Most of the time they say, ‘no thank you very much’,” says actor Jack Ashton
Kaiser Chiefs: Feeling the benefit of 20 years of Employment at Temple Newsam, Leeds, next May
KAISER Chiefs will mark the 20th anniversary of debut album Employment with a home-city concert at Temple Newsam Park, Leeds, on May 31 2025.
Joining the Yorkshire indie band that day will be mid-Noughties peers Razorlight, The Cribs, The Coral and We Are Scientists, plus Hastings trio HotWax and West Yorkshire’s Ellur, “two of the most exciting new indie artists in the UK”. Tickets go on sale today at https://tix.to/KCTempleNewsam.
Released in March 2005, the seven-times platinum and multi-award winning Employment remains the biggest-selling record from a Leeds artist, propelling I Predict A Riot and Oh My God to becoming anthems for the city, forever intertwined with Leeds life, culture, football and more.
To honour that special connection, as well as the 20th anniversary, Kaiser Chiefs will take to one of Leeds’s biggest stages for a celebration of Employment and the city that inspired it.
Kaiser Chiefs, minus Ricky Wilson that day, launching their When All Is Quiet: Kaiser Chiefs in Conversation with York Art Gallery exhibition in December 2018
London quintet Razorlight will perform a special set to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Up All Night; Wakefield band The Cribs celebrate the same anniversary for sophomore album The New Fellas; The Coral, from the Wirral, will dive into their back catalogue, and cult American indie rockers We Are Scientists will highlight the 20th anniversary of their major label debut, With Love And Squalor.
Kaiser Chiefs are “very excited to announce our biggest Leeds gig ever”. “Twenty years since Employment, and 23 years since we last played at Temple Newsam, we are delighted to be back,” say Ricky Wilson (vocals), Simon Rix (bass), Nick “Peanut” Baines (keyboards), Andrew “Whitey” White (guitar) and Vijay Mistry (drums).
“Last time we played there [in their days as Parva], we joked we were on after Guns N’ Roses, who had played the previous night, so it’s been a long wait to finally actually headline the Park.
“We are a band that historically always looked forwards, but after 20 years of people telling us how important Employment is to them and how it soundtracked people’s lives, we felt we had to organise a celebration.
“We’ve managed to get a few of our old touring friends to come and celebrate with us and of course everyone is invited. Come celebrate the 2000s, Employment, When Leeds took over the World. See you all in May.”
Shed Seven celebrate topping the Official UK Album Chart with Liquid Gold, their second number one of 2024. Picture copyright: Ofiicial Charts Company 2024
IF at first you succeed after 30 years, then succeed again only a matter of months later.
Like buses, no number one ever arrived for York band Shed Seven until not one but two album chart toppers came their way in one year, making the Britpop survivors only the 20th act to achieve that feat in the Official UK Album Chart.
In good company too, standing on the shoulders of such giants as Frank Sinatra (1957); Elvis Presley (1962); The Beatles (1963, 1964, 1965); Bob Dylan (1965, 1970); Led Zeppelin (1970, 1976) and Elton John (1973, 1974, 1990).
Who else? George Mitchell Minstrels (who?! * See answer below); The Monkees; Slade; Mike Oldfield; Abba; Queen; Diana Ross; Robbie Williams; Blue(yes, really); Rihanna; Taylor Swift (2020, 2021, 2023) and Ed Sheeran.
Shed Seven’s final promotional push to take Liquid Gold to the number one spot
Rather than chasing rainbows in 2024, it’s Getting Better and better for Shed Seven, the band with the alchemist’s touch in a year of Going For Gold.
The Sheds began their 30th anniversary celebrations by entering the charts at number one with sixth studio album A Matter Of Time on January 12, a record-breaking gap of 29 years and three months between their debut, September 5 1994’s Change Giver, and first chart topper.
Could Liquid Gold, their second release of the year on indie label Cooking Vinyl, follow suit? Sitting at number one in the UK Midweek Album Chart, the Sheds saw off the challenge of Bring Me The Horizon’s Post Human: Next Gen, pulling ahead by 2,500 sales by Thursday morning in what had shaped up to be a two-horse race heading into the final straight, before cantering away to a lead of almost 5,000 at Friday afternoon’s finishing post.
“We can’t quite believe we are writing these words, but we’ve only gone and done it again!!” posted the band on their shedsevenofficial site on Instagram. “Our second number one album this year!!!
Liquid Gold Covers Edition: One of multiple formats that secured the top spotfor Shed Seven
“Liquid Gold is the official UK Chart number one album beating new releases from major artists including Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga! Firstly, thank you to everyone who has bought the record – you truly are the best fans.
“Also, a huge thanks to all the amazing people we worked with on the album, and for helping us create the most beautiful record. Thanks to Cooking Vinyl for believing in us.”
Later the band posted: “This is one of the most rare feats on the Official Chart: securing two Number 1 albums on the Official Albums Chart within a single calendar year. In all of recorded Official Charts history, this has only happened to 20 acts, and now Shed Seven joins the likes of The Beatles, David Bowie, and Elvis!”
As with A Matter Of Time, a combination of myriad versions of Liquid Gold, a resourceful, rallying social media campaign and on-going record store tour of intimate gigs and personal appearances ensured the industrious five-piece were first past the post.
Huts five, Shed Seven: Tim Wills, left, Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield, Rick Witter, Paul Banks and Tom Gladwin promoting next summer’s Scarborough show at the seaside
The promotional campaign also took in a Radio 2 In The Park live set in Preston, a BBC Radio 2 Piano Session, plus Radio 2 playlist exposure and Amazing Radio’s Track of the Week status for the single Waiting For The Catch, a duet with Issy Ferris, of Ferris & Sylvester.
Recorded at Vada Recording Studios, Stratford-upon-Avon, with producer Michael Rendall, the album features the orchestral reimagining of past hits, less discovered band favourites and one new song, All Roads Lead To You, embossed with strings, brass and gospel vocal arrangements.
Numerous formats have sold out already, now complemented by the Demos Edition CD, a set of demos that crystallises the raw energy that the Sheds exuded in their early days. All profits from Demos Edition CD will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, which supports grassroots music venues across the UK – multiple venues that have been “vital to every moment of Shed Seven’s long and storied career”.
Front man Rick Witter said: “It’s important for all new up-and-coming young acts to have the opportunity to play venues like these, as it’s a crucial part of any artist’s journey to get a foothold on the musical path. Long may these venues exist.”
Guitarist Paul Banks added: “Shed Seven has had an incredible 30 years, and this year has been nothing short of unforgettable. We’ve climbed every rung of the ladder in this industry, starting out in independent venues.
Shed Seven celebrate notching their second number one of 2024
“When we look back at the places we played in 1994, it’s heartbreaking to see how many have closed their doors. Independent bands need independent labels, record shops and venues, and we want to give something back.
“That’s why we’re thrilled to release a limited-edition Liquid Gold CD, with all profits going to the Music Venues Trust. It features demos that really capture the rawness of Shed Seven, that same energy we had when we played those venues early in our career. Without independent venues, there would be no Shed Seven.”
The Sheds’ run of in-store appearances and Change Giver concerts since Liquid Gold’s release may have been brought to a temporary halt by Rick Witter’s sinus infection – has the City of York Council’s plan to launch a Rick Gritter road gritter this winter arrived early in his throat?! – but plans are taking shape already for 2025.
Tickets go on sale at 9.30am this morning for their “biggest ever headline show in their home county”, a long-overdue debut at the 8,000-capapcity TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the UK’s largest purpose-built outdoor concert arena, on June 14, when Jake Bugg and Cast will be their special guests. To book, head to: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk or ticketmaster.co.uk.
Witter said (before the sinus infection struck): “It’s been a dream of ours for some time to head out to the coast to play Scarborough OAT. It’s a stunning and historic venue…Yorkshire’s very own Hollywood Bowl!
Shed Seven’s poster for next summer’s trio of outdoor headline concerts
“2024 has been an amazing year for us. We’ve had our first number one album, sold out shows across the land, and now to announce our biggest ever headline show in Yorkshire – it doesn’t get much better!
“We can’t thank our fans enough and we want them to join us in Scarborough next summer for what will be a magical night at this incredibly special venue.”
In addition, Shed Seven have announced two further live dates for next summer, either side of the Pennine divide for Sounds Of The City 2025: Castlefield Bowl, Manchester, on July 4 and a return to Leeds Millennium Square on July 11, having headlined the Sound Of The City bill there on July 15 2023, when Cast and fellow York band Skylights supported.
Ian Broudie’s Lightning Seeds, from Liverpool, and the Sheds’ upcoming winter tour opening act, The Sherlocks, from Sheffield, will be on support duty on both nights. Again, tickets go on sale today at www.gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.co.uk or via https://tix.to/SS25.
The promotional poster for Paul Heaton’s Bramall Lane concert next May, featuring Shed Seven on the support bill
“We can’t wait to get out next summer for these big shows,” said Rick “It’s going to be a huge celebration following the success we’ve had in 2024. Expect big hits and huge singalongs. See you down the front.”
And now there’s more! Shed Seven are to support Sheffield United fan Paul Heaton at his beloved Bramall Lane, Sheffield, on May 25, when Lightning Seeds will be on the bill too.
Singer, songwriter and former front man of Hull bands The Housemartins and The Beautiful South, Heaton grew up in the Steel City. He will perform with his live and special guest singer Rianne Downey.
Today he releases his new solo album, The Mighty Several, produced by Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie, on Blood Records. His autumn tour will open with Yorkshire shows at Bridlington Spa on November 29 and Leeds First Direct the next night.
Did you know? Shed Seven are champions of National Album Day
Shed Seven: Championing the album as an artform
SHED Seven have been announced as the first champions of National Album Day ahead of its return on Saturday, October 19.
The official statement reads: “National Album Day announces iconic alternative rock band Shed Seven as the first album champions to celebrate this year’s theme of Great British Groups.
“Hailing from York, Shed Seven released their debut album Change Giver in 1994, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. To honour the anniversary, Shed Seven have partnered with National Album Day to present a special tour celebrating 30 years of the record and to promote the art of the album format.
“Paul Banks, member of Shed Seven, says: ‘For Shed Seven, albums are a powerful medium – a journey that tells a story, like a book or film. This belief shapes our music, including our new LP, Liquid Gold.
‘To us, an album is more than a collection of songs; it’s a cohesive experience with a theme, mood, and intentional moments of tension and release. Every detail, even the silences, is deliberate and meaningful.
‘Making an album involves more than music; it’s a full artistic endeavour. We’re deeply involved in every element, from the songs to the cover art, which extends the album’s narrative. The album as a format deserves to be protected and cherished because it blends multiple artistic disciplines into one experience.
‘That’s why we support National Album Day on October 19th, which celebrates Great British Groups and highlights the importance of albums. As long as we make music, we’ll craft albums that tell stories and provide a full experience, like our latest, Liquid Gold. We hope you’ll join us on this journey.’
“Released earlier this year, Shed Seven’s album A Matter of Time marked two huge milestones for the band; becoming their first No.1 album, and making them the first ever band from York to have a #1 record on the Official Albums Chart.
On fire: Shed Seven top the charts for the first time with A Matter Of Time in January
“The album also out-sold the rest of the Top #10 physically combined (competing with heavy-hitters Lewis Capaldi, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and The Weeknd) in week one!”
Since its launch in 2018, National Album Day has been supported by a broad range of artists, such as Kylie Minogue, Joy Crookes, Sharleen Spiteri, Lewis Capaldi, Mark Ronson, La Roux, Elbow, Paloma Faith, Blossoms, Alice Cooper, Novelist, Tom Odell, Mahalia, Toyah Willcox and Jazzie B.
Last year Gabrielle, Declan McKenna, Tricky, Nuno Bettencourt, Shola Ama and The Corrs added their voices as passionate advocates of the album.
National Album Day is organised jointly by the BPI – the UK association of record companies and independent labels (BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize) – and ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association (Record Store Day).
The event is supported by BBC Radio 2 and the breadth of BBC Sounds, radio, TV and online channels, and is backed by the wider recorded music community, taking in UK record labels, AIM, PPL and other trade associations, independent record stores and specialist chains, including HMV, and online retailers and digital/streaming services including Amazon, Spotify and YouTube.
The cover artwork for Change Giver, Shed Seven’s 1994 debut album on Polydor Records
THE Change Giver shows were scheduled to start with sold-out performances at Pryzm, Kingston, yesterday and today, hosted by Banquet Records, but Rick Witter’s sinus infection forced their postponement.
The Instagram statement from guitarist Paul Banks reads: “We’re absolutely heartbroken to let you know that we have to postpone this week’s shows at Kingston Pryzm due to Rick suffering from a sinus infection.
“He’s been gradually getting worse over the last few days, but he’s carried on and honoured the interviews he had as he didn’t want to let anybody down. However, it’s gotten so bad today [October 10] that, on doctor’s orders, we have no choice but to postpone the shows.
“Ticket holders, please check your email for more information. We’ll be in touch again a soon as the rescheduled dates are confirmed. Apologies for the very obvious disappointment.”
Further sold-out performances, playing the album in full, are scheduled for HMV Empire, Coventry, tomorrow (12/10/2024); SWG3, Glasgow, hosted by Assai Records, on October 17; Academy 2, Manchester, hosted by Crash Records, October 18, and Leeds Beckett Student Union, hosted by Crash Records, on October 19. An update on Rick’s vocal health will be forthcoming.
Likewise, sold-out in-store appearances are booked for Assai Records, Edinburgh, at midday on October 16 and Glasgow HMV at 5pm the same day.
Meanwhile, Change Giver is being released on heavyweight vinyl for the first time since 1994 in a re-issue that faithfully replicates the original Polydor UK pressing.
Shed Seven’s Paul Banks and Rick Witter performing on the first of two sold-out nights at York Musem Gardens in July, promoted by the Futuresound Group. Picture: David Harrison
NOVEMBER 30th ANNIVERSARY HEADLINE TOUR
14th – Sheffield, Octagon (SOLD OUT)
15th – Cardiff, University – Great Hall (LOW TICKETS)
16th – Liverpool, University – Mountford Hall (SOLD OUT)
18th – Halifax, Victoria Theatre (LOW TICKETS)
19th – Hull, City Hall (LOW TICKETS)
21st – Aberdeen, Music Hall (SOLD OUT)
22nd – Glasgow, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
23rd – Edinburgh, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
25th – Leicester, O2 Academy (LOW TICKETS)
26th – Margate, Dreamland
28th – Bristol, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
29th – Newcastle, O2 City Hall (SOLD OUT)
30th – Leeds, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
Stairway to Shed Seven: Rick Witter, left, Tom Gladwin, Tim Wills, Paul Banks and Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield step up in 2024. Picture: Barnaby Fairley
DECEMBER – 30th ANNIVERSARY HEADLINE TOUR
2nd – Oxford, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
3rd – Lincoln, Engine Shed (LOW TICKETS)
5th – Stockton, Globe
6th – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse (SOLD OUT)
7th – Birmingham, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
9th – Norwich, The Nick Rayns LCR, University of East Anglia (SOLD OUT)
10th – Cambridge, Corn Exchange (SOLD OUT)
12th – Bournemouth, O2 Academy (LOW TICKETS)
13th – Nottingham, Rock City (SOLD OUT)
14th – London, O2 Academy Brixton (SOLD OUT)
Very limited tickets for select shows are available via shedseven.com.
DECEMBER – RICK WITTER & PAUL BANKS INTIMATE ACOUSTIC SHOWS
21st – York, Huntington Working Men’s Club (SOLD OUT)
22nd – York, Huntington Working Men’s Club (SOLD OUT)
*Who were the George Mitchell Minstrels?
THEY were formed by Scottish singer George Mitchell OBE, who devised the long-running Black And White Minstrel Show.
