Blackpool Tower Ballroom here they come: Chloe McDonald’s Nat, left, Martha Godber’s Sally and Emilio Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle keep the faith in John Godber’s hymn to Northern Soul, Do I Love You?
JOHN Godber has a new play on its way this autumn: Black Tie Ball, a tale of hotel upstairs and downstairs, bow ties and fake tans, jealousies and avarice, divorces and affairs, told by staff at breakneck speed from arrival at seven to carriages at midnight. Harrogate Theatre, from September 10 to 13, and Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, from November 12 to 15, await.
There is a Godber house style, billed as his “signature visceral style”, one that applies as much to his hymn to Northern Soul, Do I Love You?, as it will to Black Tie Ball. Ever since Bouncers and Teechers, less has been more in Godber plays: compact casts, concise scenes, minimal props and space aplenty for combative or compatible movement.
No-nonsense Yorkshireman Godber has been writing plays since 1977, the year of punk at its scratchy apex, and likewise he tore up the rule book to write working-class dramas, economical but full of home truths, albeit with a nod to Bertolt Brecht in breaking down theatre’s fourth wall to favour direct address.
Do I Love You? is up there with his best works, visiting York Theatre Royal in the concluding week of its third tour since its 2023 debut, still with the same fresh-faced cast of Martha Godber, Chloe McDonald and Emilio Encinoso-Gil, who are in the groove not only of the sublime underground Sixties and Seventies music, but also of working together regularly, like the comic interplay of a well-oiled TV comedy series.
Godber is always at his best when his fractious comedies are fired by both love and anger, ideally backed by a pulsating soundtrack too. The love here is for Northern Soul from his own days of going to all-nighters and weekenders across the north, and he writes with passion, Record Collector levels of knowledge, not so much nostalgia, but more a lament for what we have lost.
Qualities of authenticity, truth, pride: all values he attributes to Northern Soul, music of pain and sorrow and ecstatic release; music of and for the working classes.
He places his drama in the hands of what he calls the lost generation, the twenty-something post-Covid generation stuck in the sludge of working at drive-through fried chicken counters.
Meet Martha Godber’s Sally, who looks after her ailing Irish-born grandma (played with a scarf, a fag and a hacking cough by McDonald), neglected by her drunkard mother. Meet Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle, her best mate, from Spanish stock, but the timing has never been right for it to be anything more than that. Meet McDonald’s Nat (or ‘Natalie’, she insists), their friend since schooldays, who has a crush on Kyle too and likes a spliff or two.
The anger lies in Godber surveying how little has changed between Britain in 1973 and 2023, the year in which the play is still set with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister, “looking 11 years old” as he puts it.
Godber writes of rising costs and prices, unemployment and small-town blues; of pubs closing, hospitality venues going; strikes on-going. Plus ca change. He writes too of the everyday difficulties of young lives, as they fall out with each other, while facing mounting problems at home.
What is left but to find a love, something to believe in, to keep the faith? Godber interweaves the trio’s trials and tribulations with their initiation into Northern Soul, brilliantly described in Sally’s account of their first visit to a Cleethorpes all-nighter: £3 for eight hours. Soul devotees on the dancefloor, sliding, gliding, kicking, making her cry, although she doesn’t why, but the way Godber writes, we do.
He takes us there with a sense of poetic wonder, just as he captures the tedium of taking fried chicken orders by reducing the experience to the fewest words possible for the maximum comical impact.
The songs can be played only in snippets that have to stop all too quickly, but Godber evokes Northern Soul by mentioning all the landmark songs and locations and by the power of his pen.
Best of all is the fulminating speech by Encinoso-Gil’s hunched-up Keith, a soul veteran with a criminal past and fingers in every pie, who is Do I Love You’s version of Lucky Eric in Bouncers, except that he squeezes all he has to say into one impassioned yet beautiful rant-cum-lament, whereas Eric has four bites at the sour cherry.
All three performances are terrific, Martha Godber especially so, and if no moment that follows Keith’s speech quite matches it, Do I Love You? packs an emotional punch, full of northern wit, grit and soul power hits.
John Godber Company in Do I Love You?, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm matinee tomorrow (12/6/2025) and 2.30pm, Saturday. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Making her point: Martha Godber’s Sally, left, in a contretemps with Chloe McDonald’s Nat as Emilio Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle seeks to intervene in John Godber’s Do I Love You?
CELEBRATIONS of Northern Soul and British comedy greats are right up Charles Hutchinson’s street for the week ahead.
Weekender of the week: John Godber Company in Do I Love You?, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees; post-show discussion on June 13
THE John Godber Company is on its third tour of John Godber’s hymn to keeping the faith in Northern Soul, with the same cast of Martha Godber, Chloe McDonald and Emilio Encinoso-Gil.
Inspired by Godber’s devotion to Northern Soul, Do I Love You? follows three twentysomethings, slumped in the drudgery of drive-through counter jobs, who find excitement, purpose and their tribe as they head to weekenders all over, from Bridlington Spa to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Chesterfield to Stoke. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
The fez, the spectacles and the bow tie: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York
Comedy legends of the week: The Last Laugh, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees today, tomorrow and Saturday
WHO will have The Last Laugh at the Grand Opera House when British comedy triumvirate Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse reconvene in a dressing room in Paul Hendy’s play?
Find out in the Edinburgh Fringe, West End and New York hit’s first tour stop as Bob Golding, Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright take on the iconic roles in this new work by the Evolutions Productions director, who just happens to write York Theatre Royal’s pantomimes too. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
One of the Famous Faces on show in the Artistic Spectrum exhibition at Pocklington Arts Centre
Exhibition of the week: Artistic Spectrum: Famous Faces, Pocklington Arts Centre, on show until June 27
BOLD artworks feature in Famous Faces, a powerful, large-scale portrait project from Artistic Spectrum, co-created with more than 100 neuro-divergent and Special Educational Needs children and adults across East and South Yorkshire to challenge perceptions, champion inclusivity and put the power of representation into the hands of those too often left out of the frame.
Developed in group workshops over several weeks, participants created striking portraits of people who inspired them, from musicians and sports stars to activists and screen icons, using collage, found materials and personal objects to make works rich with texture, colour and personal meaning.
Comedian Scott Bennett and his daughter in the promotional picture for Blood Sugar Baby, on tour in York and Pocklington
Storyteller of the week: Scott Bennett, Blood Sugar Baby, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 8pm; Pocklington Arts Centre, August 6, 8pm
ONE family, one condition, one hell of a hairy baby: Scott Bennett, from The News Quiz, relates how his daughter fell ill with a rare genetic condition, congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI).
Never heard of it? Neither have new parents Scott and Jemma as they fight to achieve the right diagnosis for their daughter and are plunged into months of bewildering treatment, sleepless nights, celebrity encounters and bizarre side effects, but a happy ending ensues. Box office: York, tickets.41monkgate.co.uk; Pocklington, 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Shed Seven: Off to the Yorkshire coast on Saturday to play Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Coastal gigs of the week: The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia, tonight; Gary Barlow and Beverley Knight, Friday; Shed Seven, Jake Bugg and Cast, Saturday, all at Scarborough Open Air Theatre; gates open at 6pm
THE 2025 season of Cuffe & Taylor concerts in the bracing sea air of Scarborough opens tonight with the Irish band The Corrs and Australian singer and Neighbours actress Natalie Imbruglia, followed by Take That and solo songwriter and The X Factor and Let It Shine judge Gary Barlow on his Songbook Tour 2025 on Friday, when Beverley Knight supports. Expect hits from both his band and Barlow back catalogues.
After two chart-topping 2024 albums in their 30th anniversary year, York band Shed Seven make their belated Scarborough Open Air Theatre debut on Saturday, supported by Jake Bugg and Cast. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Henry Blofeld: Wickets and wit in cricket chat at Helmsley Arts Centre
The sound of reporting on leather on willow: An Audience With Henry Blofeld, Sharing My Love Of Cricket, Helmsley Arts Centre, tomorrow, 7.30pm, rearranged from March 21
LEGENDARY BBC broadcaster and journalist, Henry Blofeld, former stalwart of the BBC’s Test Match Special commentary box, takes a journey through modern cricket, while looking back at the great games of yesteryear.
Blowers reflects on how cricket used to be and where it is headed: the theme of his September 2024 book Sharing My Love Of Cricket: Playing The Game And Spreading The Word, wherein he explores the big shifts, innovations and challenges facing the game. Box office: helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Saul Henry: On the Funny Fridays bill at Patch at the Bonding Warehouse, York
York comedy bill of the week: Funny Fridays at Patch, Bonding Warehouse, Terry Avenue, York, Friday, 7.30pm
THE second Funny Fridays comedy night at Patch features Saul Henry, Gemma Day, Ethan Formstone, Lucy Buckley and headliner Jack Wilson, hosted by founder and comedian Katie Lingo.
Formstone’s profile reveals he is a bricklayer from York, who grew bored and now, “using his natural stage presence and wild imagination, lays surreal stories that will delight you and leave you slightly confused”. Tickets: eventbrite.co.uk/e/funny-fridays-at-patch-tickets-1353208666549?aff=oddtdtcreator.
The poster for the SatchVai Band’s Surfing With The Hydra Tour, visiting York Barbican on Friday
Rock gig of the week: SatchVai Band, Surfing With The Hydra Tour 2025, York Barbican, Friday, doors 7pm
FOR the first time in nigh on 50 years of playing rock, guitarists and friends Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have united to tour as the SatchVai Band, opening their European travels in York before heading to London, Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Istanbul and Athens.
Powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Marco Mendoza and virtuoso guitarist Pete Thorn complete the stellar quintet. Box office: for returns only, yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Alex telling her story in EGO Arts’ You Know My Mum at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, on Friday
Cheeky comedy of life, loss and love for all the family:EGO Arts in You Know My Mum, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 7.30pm.
LEADING EGO Midlands Creative Academy’s disabled and neuro-divergent cast, Alex is a 25-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome struggling with the death of her mum. One day, she discovers Bluey, a baby Blue Tit, in her garden.
While Bluey learns about fried chicken factories and joins a boot camp for birds, Alex battles Harry Potter monsters and dreams about life after death. As her wild imagination comes to life, she learns that the love she thought she lost is all around her. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Paul Engers, left, and Tom Wilson outside York Theatre Royal
COULD silence become golden in theatres once more in this auditorium age of crisp- packet crunching, omnipresent phones and boisterous behaviour?
York theatremaker, filmmaker, director and artist Tom Wilson and Londoner Paul Engers have been working on an initiative with third partner Dr Austen Jones to pilot a product that could “transform the behavioural standards of patrons”.
“We hope our system will revolutionise front-of-house protocol and address the deleterious impact of mobile phone technology on theatre etiquette,” says Tom. “We’re at an advanced stage with the technology, seeking to initiate a trial run at an auditorium in the next few months at venues interested in piloting our system.”
“We’ve known each other for 28 years,” says Paul, by way of introduction. “We met at Dartington College of Arts, in Totnes, where I’d done a degree in theatre and visual arts, and Tom came down to do a degree in theatre and performance writing,” recalls Paul.
“I’m now based in West London, out near Brentford, but I’ve worked in Leeds, among other places, setting up activity camps for pre-school and primary schoolchildren in West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire too.”
Tom has lived and worked in York for 18 years, writing and directing the anarchic farce The Local Authority at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in August 2021 and presenting his punk expressionist exhibitions at St Bede’s, in Blossom Street, in September 2022 and City Screen Picturehouse in July 2023, as well as making the film Copraphagia with Paul.
Through all these years, they have shared a passion for theatre. “We both appreciate theatre in our own ways but we share a belief that there has to be an understanding of a collective or shared protocol for attending live performances,” says Paul.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve both found it’s becoming impossible to enjoy going to the cinema, and we’ve also noticed poor protocol in theatres, with fights and people relieving themselves in the auditorium; the constant rustling of sweet wrappers; people talking into their phones during performances, and the distraction of lights from phones.”
Decrying the lack of intervention, Tom adds: “People have stopped going to the theatre because of this. And when you consider the demographic of who works as ushers, or front-of-house, they tend to be the younger demographic…and now venue managers want to protect young staff.”
When Tom and Paul saw Mark Rylance in Sean O’Casey’s Juno And The Paycock and Steve Coogan in Dr Strangelove in the West End, “we were disappointed how lacklustre front-of-house staff were to stop the use of phones, though they put up these cards saying ‘No vaping, no smoking, no mobile phones’,” says Tom.
“On my journey back , I was thinking ‘wouldn’t it be great if you could put a camera on as a monitor to capture when people vape or film the show when they’re not supposed to, and you know their seat number. My George Orwell thinking was: could they be filmed and fined?’”
Paul rejoins: “This idea has now gone through a few iterations, looking initially at the idea of having a device at the back of each level of the auditorium that can record and identify any individuals who are infringing the established protocol of each theatre or a group of theatres.”
Paul and Tom ran their idea by Dr Austen Jones at me-too.net, specialists in performance improvement, based at Tingley, near Wakefield. “He liked the idea and wanted a slice of it,” says Tom.
“He’s provided the technical expertise,” says Paul. “That’s been the main benefit of his input to go with our initial creative idea to use infrared cameras, either to record all the time or to react to movements.
“But over many conversations, we looked at the best equipment and Austen has shown there are better ways than infrared. The key is that he’s developed this software that’s contained in an app, rather than motion-activated cameras.
“This makes it easier in terms of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), so venues can sign up to the system, and there will be no recorded data unless someone’s phone lights up with a message.”
Paul continues: “The Silence Is Golden system will be bespoke. The app has been tested by Austen and his me-too.net team in different iterations, and we now need a decent-sized venue to pilot it.
“No-one would be filmed. For each venue, we would need to map out the grid of the auditorium, and then the app would be able, by area, to identify the seat from the level of illumination.”
The system would be linked to the theatre box office. “If theatre groups embrace the idea, they will be able to monitor it from either the management office or from front of house, with management being in radio contact with front of house,” says Tom. “The flexibility in the system is that theatres can choose how they use it.”
Rather than “filming and fining, what we want is a deterrent”, says Tom, but is this a case of creeping authoritarianism? “We want to initiate a debate: how do people feel about this idea,” says Tom.
“Creeping authoritarianism? No,” says Paul. “The beauty of it is that people will not be filmed, Instead it’s the perfect interface of modern digital technology with AI and a good, well balanced protocol for theatre audiences moving forward.
“We want to encourage greater attendance through eradicating poor protocol. We’ve always been about attracting greater audiences.”
Tom adds: “We don’t want it to be an elitist thing that shuts people out. We’re not asking people to sit quietly; we want them to engage with a show but there has been behaviour that has had a negative impact. That’s why we want to put out a call to theatres to test the Silence Is Golden app.”
“The key thing is that Austen has been running the testing of the app for a more than a few weeks now and the simulations work,” says Paul. “Now we need to pilot it, do a test run and take it to the next level.”
Angels Of The North: Headlining the main stage on Knavesmire at York Pride 2025
YORK Pride and celebrations of Northern Soul and British comedy greats are right up Charles Hutchinson’s street for the week ahead.
Festival of the week: York Pride, Parliament Street to Knavesmire, York, 12 noon to 6pm
NORTH Yorkshire’s largest LGBT+ celebration and York’s biggest free one-day festival, York Pride 2025, takes to the streets for its biggest, boldest and most fabulous event yet today, led off by the Pride Parade that will follow a new path through the streets from Parliament Street at midday.
On Knavesmire, the festival’s main stage will be headlined by Angels Of The North (6pm) and on the bill too will be Ryan Petitjean (1.10pm), tribute act Pet Shop Boys, Actually (1.35pm), Marcus Collins (2pm), Eva Iglesias (2.30pm), York drag superstar Janice D (3.35pm), La Voix (4pm), West End queen Kerry Ellis (5.15pm), The Cheeky Girls (5.35pm) and plenty more. Find the full line-up at yorkpride.org.uk/line-up.
Duncan Honeybourne: Performing the last concert of York Late Music’s 2024-2025 series this afternoon
Season’s finale: York Late Music presents Duncan Honeybourne, piano, Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York, today, 1pm
PIANIST Duncan Honeybourne performs new commissions commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of the influential French composer Erik Satie, written especially for this afternoon’s programme by Philip Grange, Fred Viner, Sarah Dacey, Andrew Hugill, Steve Plews, Sarah Thomas, Simon Hopkins, Jenny Jackson and others, some of whom will be heard at Late Music for the first time.
Each composer has been asked to provide a new miniature piano solo influenced or inspired in some way by Satie and their works will be interspersed with a selection of Satie’s own pieces, such as Gnossiennes and Gympnopédies. Box office: latemusic.org/duncan-honeybourne-piano/ or on the door.
Film event of the week: John Barry From York With Love, Everyman York, York, today at 2.30pm and 4pm
JOHN Barry From York With Love, Sean Parkin’s unauthorised documentary of the early career of the York-born film composer, will have two private screenings at Everyman York this afternoon.
Private, yes, but tickets are available, although for copyright reasons, those tickets are for the after-viewing party at The Crescent community venue. The film viewing is free but there will be no entry without an after-show ticket. Doors open at Everyman at 2pm; the after-view party is at 3.45pm. All profits go to the Future Talent charity. A further screening follows at 4pm. Tickets: fienta.com.
Lady Nade: Paying tribute to Nina Simone at Helmsley Arts Centre
Celebration of a legacy: Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm,
KNOWN for paying homage to those who have influenced her journey profoundly, Lady Nade holds Nina Simone in high regard for leaving behind a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion and love through her extraordinary body of work.
As a black woman, Lady Nade acknowledges Simone’s trailblazing role in paving the way for artists of her generation. Her high-energy performance is a heartfelt dedication to recreating the transformative sound that blended popular tunes of the era into a distinctive fusion of jazz, blues, gospel, and folk music. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
The fez, the spectacles and the bow tie: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
Comedy legends of the week: The Last Laugh, Grand Opera House, York, June 10 to 14,7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees
WHO will have The Last Laugh at the Grand Opera House, York, when British comedy triumvirate Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse reconvene in a dressing room in Paul Hendy’s play?
Find out in the Edinburgh Fringe, West End and New York hit’s first tour stop as Bob Golding, Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright take on the iconic roles in this new work by the Evolutions Productions director, who just happens to write York Theatre Royal’s pantomimes too. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Keeping the faith in Northern Soul: Chloe McDonald, left, and Martha Godber in John Godber’s Do I Love You?, on the dancefloor at York Theatre Royalfrom June 10
Weekender of the week: John Godber Company in Do I Love You?, York Theatre Royal, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees; post-show discussion on June 13
THE John Godber Company is on its third tour of John Godber’s hymn to keeping the faith in Northern Soul, with the same cast of Martha Godber, Chloe McDonald and Emilio Encinoso-Gil.
Inspired by Godber’s devotion to Northern Soul, Do I Love You? follows three twentysomethings, slumped in the drudgery of drive-through counter jobs, who find excitement, purpose and their tribe as they head to weekenders all over, from Bridlington Spa to the Tower Ballroom, Chesterfield to Stoke. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
Making a last stand: Pickering Musical Society bids farewell to musicals in Hello, Dolly!Picture: Robert David Photography
Goodbye to musicals: Pickering Musical Society in Hello, Dolly!, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
PICKERING Musical Society is preparing to raise the curtain on its final full-scale musical production, after more than a century, citing rising production costs and falling membership.
Set in the energetic bustle of 1890s’ New York, Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! follows the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi (society favourite Rachel Anderson) – a witty matchmaker, meddler and “arranger of things” – as she decides to find a match for herself. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk or in person from the box office on Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm.
Podcaster Blindboy Boatclub
Podcaster of the week: The Blindboy Podcast Live, York Barbican, June 10, 7.30pm
POLYMATH, author, screenwriter, songwriter, musician, producer and academic Blindboy Boatclub is on the biggest tour yet of his storytelling podcast, wherein he follows the Irish tradition of the Seanchaí, intertwining history, fiction, cultural critique and politics.
Drawing on his knowledge and chronic curiosity to democratise topics such as art, psychology, politics, science and music, Blindboy gives his insight into complex issues. Look out for a surprise special guest too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Christopher Simon Sykes’s photograph of Mick Jagger in concert on the Rolling Stones’ Tour of the Americas in 1975, on show at Sledmere House from June 13
Exhibition launch of the week: On Tour With The Rolling Stones 1975, A 50th Anniversary Exhibition of Photographs by Christopher Simon Sykes, Sledmere House, Sledmere, near Driffield, June 13 to July 6, except Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am to 5pm
IN June 1975, Christopher Sykes, of Sledmere House, joined the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas, known as T.O.T.A ’75: his first rock’n’roll itinerary as a snapper after specialising in photographing stately home interiors.
“You know going on tour is not like country life, Chrissie,” advised Mick Jagger on his first day of accompanying the Stones on their three-month tour of North America and Canada, playing 40 shows in 27 cities. The photos were used in a tour diary published the following year, and this exhibition showcases a selection of the best of the behind-the-scenes and stage pictures in the Courtyard Room. Tickets: sledmerehouse.com.
In Focus: Chalky The Yorkie at No 84 Sandwich Bar, Micklegate Arts Trail, York
Artist Chalky The Yorkie stands behind his Tiki bar at No 84 Sandwich Bar, created for the Micklegate Arts Trail
ROVING, rock’n’roll-loving York artist Chalky The Yorkie has always had a canny eye for spotting locations for his installation pieces.
Raise a glass to his latest artwork, the outdoor, Polynesian-style Tiki bar at No 84 Sandwich Bar, Julian Smith’s deli and cafe in Micklegate, created for the 2025 Micklegate Arts Trail but destined to remain in place after the festival ends on June 15.
“Last year Julian had a conversation with me about how it would be great to have a bar out here, at the back, which was full of bins at the time,” recalls Chalky. “So the bar was the first idea, but then, when we were thinking about the Arts Trail, two friends had suggested I should incorporate bikes, and another said it would be great to do something for the environment, repurposing things out of skips and the old bicycles.
Chalky The Yorkie’s Tiki bar installation poem on the plight of cyclists
“So what I’ve come up with is a bar built with scrap wood and salvaged wood after I was donated some leftovers by a builder to create the Re-Cycle Tiki Bar, to give something back to the planet. David Burton gave me one bike, along with one from his childhood and another was provided by Recycle York, in Walmgate.
“I thought I should create a memorial, taking the term ‘Re-cycle’ to highlight the plight of cyclists who lose their lives in accidents or come off their bikes and get injured in cycle lanes.”
Artist Chalky The Yorkie with No 84 owner Julian Smith at the Tiki bar
Originally Chalky considered designing a 1950s’ bar but then settled on a colourful Tiki bar. “The primary colours are there to match traffic lights, with red, amber, though it’s more yellow than amber, and green. I went for yellow, because it’s a more definitive colour,” he says. “The blues I use signify the pain of loss in a cycling accident.”
Incorporated in the installation too are Beaumont ceramics of exotic birds and figures, acquired from York Catering Supplies, in Walmgate, butterfly motifs, floral decorations and tinkling bells. “I like the Buddhist convention of chiming bells in remembrance of people as part of their memorial ceremonies,” says Chalky.
Welcoming Chalky’s installation, Julian says. “Chalky is part of the fixtures and fittings here. He even came around for our Christmas dinner!
It Can Happen To You – Take Care:Chalky The Yorkie’s Re-cycle memorial to cyclists
“We’re taking part in the Micklegate Arts Trail because it’s all about traders promoting local artists whose work they like, with Navigators Art giving us a platform to do that. Jasmine Foo has never exhibited before, and we picked her crochet work because my wife is a knitter. We’re delighted to be showing Sinead Corkery and Jude Redpath too – and Chalky’s cheeky Tiki bar is the icing on the cake.”
Inside the deli, look out too for Chalky’s day and night paintings of No 84, both featuring the family pet, Sid the dog, in the upstairs window.
Chalky The Yorkie’s painting of No 84 Sandwich Bar, Walmgate, York, at night
The fez, the spectacles and the bow tie: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
WHO will have The Last Laugh at the Grand Opera House, York, when British comedy triumvirate Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse reconvene in a dressing room in Paul Hendy’s play?
Find out from June 10 to 14 when Bob Golding, Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright take on the iconic roles in this new work by the Evolutions Productions director, who just happens to write York Theatre Royal’s pantomimes too.
“I’ve always been fascinated by what makes something – or someone – funny,” says the award-winning Hendy. “I wrote The Last Laugh to explore those questions, to examine comedy’s mechanics. How a pause, a look, or one word can change the way a joke lands – or doesn’t. I hope The Last Laugh brings some of the joy and laughter that these three men brought to so many.
“As you’ll see, Damian Williams is the perfect Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding embodies Eric and Simon Cartwright is Bob Monkhouse”
The Last Laugh writer-director Paul Hendy
Here the cast discusses the nostalgia and poignancy of The Last Laugh, the public response and the craft of comedy.
Do you have your own memories of Eric, Tommy and Bob?
Bob Golding: “I have strong and fond memories of all the comics. I especially remember a Christmas special where Eric & Ernie were dressed as turkeys. I was mesmerised at their ability to make not just me laugh but my parents, my younger brother and my elderly grandmother, who would chuckle and mutter “silly b***ers” under her breath.”
Damian Williams: “I have so many fond memories of these iconic men from watching them at Christmas with the family, particularly sitting with my dad watching Tommy Cooper and seeing him crying with laughter. I grew up with them and was certainly influenced by them. Tommy is the reason I got into the business.”
Simon Cartwright: “All three were iconic legends of British light entertainment and featured in positive childhood memories for me. I enjoyed watching Bob Monkhouse presenting in the very early ’70s – I would have been six years old – on programmes like The Golden Shot and then into the ’80s with Bob’s Full House. They are fond memories of a time that I can recall, happier family environments when we’d all watch stuff together.”
Having a laugh: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
Without giving too much away, what happens in The Last Laugh and why does the play resonate with audiences today?
Golding: “Well, put simply, The Last Laugh is what happens when you put three comedy legends in a dressing room and lock the door. You’ve got Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse, and yours truly – Eric Morecambe – putting the world to rights, one laugh at a time.
“It’s a love letter to comedy, to friendship, and to those glorious gags that never get old (unlike us!). But it’s not just about jokes—it’s about legacy, about life, and about how laughter carries us through the darkest moments.
“Audiences are coming in expecting a chuckle and leaving with a lump in their throat – and possibly a stitch in their side. It reminds people why comedy matters, especially in today’s world where we could all do with a bit more joy and a lot more heart.”
Williams: “Watching The Last Laugh is the closest you’ll get to spending 80 minutes in the company of these great men. It’s about the art of comedy, the relationship between these three men and what’s it’s really like to be funny for a living. It’s full of laughs, nostalgia, warmth and love.”
Cartwright: “It reflects on a time when families would sit down and watch television together. Nowadays that’s very rare because of streaming, people being dissipated around family lives and watching things on their smartphones.
“I think people do remember times when they sat down together, the halcyon days. Looking back into the ’60s and 70s, people seem to think they were happier times.”
Dressing room discussions: Damion Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
The show has played the Edinburgh Fringe, London’s West End and New York ahead of its UK tour opening in York next week. What has been the response so far?
Golding: “Oh, it’s been an absolute riot – in the best possible way! Edinburgh? Huge laughs and standing ovations. The West End? Packed houses, five-star reviews and audiences who didn’t want to leave the theatre. And New York? Well, they absolutely loved it, even if they didn’t know who Eric was!
”We’ve had people in tears – happy ones! They have told us how much it meant to see their comedy heroes brought back to life. And the joy is infectious. Every single night has felt like a celebration, not just of these three men, but of what it means to really laugh. It’s been the experience of a lifetime.”
Williams: “The response has been amazing. It really has struck a chord with people. The comments and the reviews have been fantastic. We really didn’t know how it would be received when we started and it’s totally blown our minds.”
Cartwright: “We’ve had a remarkable reaction from the public, getting standing ovations and moving people – particularly men of a certain age becoming quite emotional. I think they can apply positives memories from their youth, and somehow connect with these comedians, triggering those thoughts and memories.
“It was also a time when comedy was a lot more innocent, and I think people appreciate that the comedians we’re representing were not particularly political or had an agenda other than being funny and making us feel good.”
In character, not caricature: Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe, Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse. Picture: Pamela Raith
How do you find the balance between playing a caricature and making it your own?
Golding: “I try to avoid the word ‘caricature’ as it conjures a larger-than-life interpretation of the person I’m portraying. When it comes to playing a well-known person, I think it’s all about capturing the spirit of them and avoiding cliché impressions or over-used gestures etc. I also feel that with every character I play there will always be an element of myself in it. It’s almost unavoidable.
“I’ve played Eric for over 16 years now, so I think my connection and respect for him has almost certainly become stronger and I have never lost sight of the fact that I’m merely on the coat-tail of his greatness and talent. It’s been a huge honour.
Williams: “As an actor, I wanted to play Tommy as the man he was and try to avoid just doing an impression. It’s been interesting to really study him and to learn more about who he was. The three of us have worked incredibly hard to capture them without doing a caricature.”
Cartwright: “First and foremost, I knew Bob Monkhouse personally, so from a method-acting point of view, I can really draw on and recall what he was like off-stage, so I have that distinct advantage. These are three very vulnerable men who share the love of making people laugh, and they get there in different ways.
“It’s all about finding authenticity and truth, rather than trying to create a caricature or an impression. We’re not doing that, we’re going for truth and sentiment. I think the more we perform this, the more truth we’re finding in the words, and it’s resonating with our own personalities as well.”
“It’s very much a ‘feel good’ piece of theatre and a reassuringly British experience,” says Bob Golding, centre, of Paul Hendy’s play The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
Are there any cities or venues on the tour where you will be especially excited to perform?
Golding: “I love touring! Of course, I miss my family, but I love seeing all the different theatres and feeling the energy of the different audiences.
“I think we are lucky here in the UK as it does provide many of those lovely pockets. I love the history and charm of a place like York, for example, but then also the buzz of the Glasgow nights is exciting and appealing too.
“Milton Keynes is very close to my actual home, so I will certainly look forward to being able to sleep in my own bed during that week, but overall, I am comforted by the ‘safe space’ of every theatre we visit. For an actor, the theatre is the home away from home.”
Williams: “I can’t wait to start the tour and bring it to some amazing cities. Personally, I’m looking forward to the Sheffield audiences, as it’s where I do panto every Christmas [playing the Lyceum dame], and Southend as it’s my hometown.”
Cartwright: “I’m looking forward to Sheffield – I have an affinity to Sheffield. There’s always this feeling that the audiences get warmer as you go further north, even though the temperature might get cooler outside.
“It will be interesting to try Glasgow as well – we mention the Glasgow Empire [in the play], the infamous venue where every comic failed. Will we be able to get the Glaswegian crowds to reflect warmly on our efforts? I do hope so.”
The poster for The Last Laugh, bound for York next week after playing the Edinburgh Fringe, the West End and New York
What do you hope audiences will take away from The Last Laugh: not only laughter, but maybe something deeper too?
Golding: “What we’ve certainly found with The Last Laugh is that people of a certain age have left in a bit of an emotional state after enjoying the play. They’ve laughed and they’ve cried as I think it awakens a more innocent time in our youth when elder family members were still with us, and possibly reminds us of what those times mean to us.
“The laughter hopefully evens out the more poignant and sadder feelings though. It’s very much a ‘feel good’ piece of theatre and a reassuringly British experience.”
Williams: “What we’ve learnt so far is that the audiences are totally transported back to a time when they sat as a family and watched these great comedians on the TV. We can totally feel the love from the audience as soon as the play starts. You’ll be laughing one minute and crying the next. You’ll learn more about these men and what it was really like to be them. “
Cartwright: “I hope that audiences take away a new and fresh insight into the three comedians. I hope that a younger generation, who might not have seen the comedians before, discover them and walk away with an interest, and we ultimately keep their memories alive. I hope for the older generations we’re a warm reminder of a bygone age, the golden age of British comedy.”
The Last Laugh, Grand Opera House, York, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees. In the second half, a Q&A session will enable audience members to put their questions to the cast. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell. Picture: Johan Persson
YORK had to wait 30 years for a first visit by Matthew Bourne’s dandy dance company. That came in March 2017 with Early Adventures, when he vowed to return in his post-show Q&A.
True to his word, he did so in October 2021 with another mid-scale touring work on his world premiere tour of The Midnight Bell, and now he does again with the same show in a case of For Whom The Midnight Bell Tolls Twice.
No complaints here, nor from the exhilarated, enraptured full house on the first night. Some of the original cast remains, joined by actor-dancers steeped in his dance dramas.
Not a word is said in The Midnight Bell, but evocative 1930s’ music abounds – dancers miming in character to the oh-so very English Al Bowlly, Elisabeth Welch and Leslie A. “Hutch” Hutchinson’s male interpretation of George and Ira Gershwin’s The Man I Love – to complement Terry Davies’s nightlife score and Paul Groothuis’s supreme sound design, ear-piercing tinnitus screeching, rain dancing on the roof, et al.
Inspired by the novels of Gaslight playwright Patrick Hamilton, Bourne’s storytelling through dance is so expressive that he creates a narrative language in visual form. You find yourself drawn to each character’s path as seamlessly as that story moves from beautifully framed scene to beautifully framed scene on a typically wondrous set design by Lez Brotherston, replete with the ever-changing London skyline that matches the mood of the scene.
Even the Magritte-style multitude of suspended window frames, the ever-populated bed and the pub bar move with the graceful swish of choreography. Bourne applies wit too: a red telephone box is represented by only the Telephone neon sign and the top of the box; the phone itself is pulled discreetly from the jacket of waiter Bob (Andrew Monaghan).
Brotherston’s costume designs are fabulous too. From lines and contours to hats and correspondent brogues, here is such elegance to meet Bourne’s eloquence in sensuous movement.
Set in The Midnight Bell pub, the surrounding bedsitland, rooms to rent, gated park, members-only club and cinema seats of London, Bourne’s work is billed as a “dance exploration of intoxicated tales from darkest Soho, delving into the underbelly of early 1930s’ London life”.
Devised and directed by Bourne, he peoples the tavern with a lonely hearts’ club of drinkers and staff; troubled souls more at the unhappy hour, rather than happy hour, stage of intoxication.
All have a drink in one hand, slammed down on tables at the outset. All are looking for a refill as much of the heart as the glass, or at least some form of connection, but will they be sated or are they destined for the loneliness of the lovelorn?
What couplings will end up in that bed in cleverly overlapping storylines involving a young prostitute, Jenny Maple (Ashley Shaw), the waiter, the barmaid Ella (Bryony Pennington) and the oddball regular Mr Eccles (Danny Reubens)?
On to the not-so-merry-go-round spin the bespectacled lonely spinster Miss Roach (Michela Meazza); the pickpocket cad Ernest Ralph Gorse (Glenn Graham); the out-of-work actress Netta Longdon (Cordelia Braithwaite), and the schizophrenic, tinnitus-troubled, tortured romantic George Harvey Bone (Alan Vincent).
The forbidden The Man I Love storyline entwines West End chorus boy Albert (Liam Mower) with new customer Frank (Edwin Ray), taking risks in that repressed era, captured in Bourne’s most sublime, serpentine choreography of this remarkable show.
Bourne calls these stories of requited and more often unrequited love in restlessly on-edge London “bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption”. “Bitter comedies” could not put it better, the humour being as dark as London porter in this neon-lit world, but all life is here, sad, bad, mad, yet hopefully happy hereafter too, stamped with the distinctive Bourne identity, as full of panache as punch.
After Emma Rice’s take on Alfred Hitchcock’s North By North West and Gary Oldman’s residency in Krapp’s Last Tape, and now The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal is having a cracking 2025, as bright as Bourne’s dance hall mirror ball that dances with delight.
New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, tonight and tomorrow (6/6/2025) at 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.Choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne will be in conversation with Theatre Royal chief executive Paul Crewes after tomorrow’s performance (6/6/2025).
Angels Of The North: Headline act on the main stage at York Pride on Knavesmire on Saturday
NORTH Yorkshire’s largest LGBT+ celebration and York’s biggest free one-day festival, York Pride 2025, takes to the streets for its biggest, boldest and most fabulous event yet on Saturday.
“We are so proud to stand together in love, solidarity and Pride,” says chair Greg Stephenson. “As we celebrate this weekend, we must also reflect. Around the world – and here in the UK – our trans and non-binary community is under increasing attack, facing rising hate, hostile attack, and systemic challenges.
“At York Pride, we stand proudly and unequivocally with our trans and non-binary siblings. You are loved, you are valued, and you are welcome here.
“Pride has always been a protest as well as a celebration. We march not just for ourselves, but for those who cannot. We raise our voices for those still silenced. And we will continue to champion inclusion, equality and visibility for all members of our LGBT+ family.”
In 2024, more than 17,500 people filled the city streets for a record-breaking York Pride, and once more the festival promises to be bold, inclusive and joyful in 2025, led off by the Pride Parade that will follow a new path through the streets with an updated starting point on Parliament Street at midday.
On Knavesmire, the festival’s main stage will be headlined by Angels Of The North (6pm) and on the bill too will be Ryan Petitjean (1.10pm), tribute act Pet Shop Boys, Actually (1.35pm), Marcus Collins (2pm), Eva Iglesias (2.30pm), York drag superstar Janice D (3.35pm), La Voix (4pm), West End queen Kerry Ellis (5.15pm), The Cheeky Girls (5.35pm) and plenty more. Find the full line-up at yorkpride.org.uk/line-up.
Look out too for the Cabaret Stage, featuring PJ Taylor, Emily Moran, Ferne Ando, Oliver James Perkins, Malin Fox, Queer Arts Rainbow Choir, The Drag Lord Victorious, Miss Kitty Lee, Coldhell, Liv Harper and 5.45pm headliners The Movement Project.
Knavesmire will play host to a multitude of main arena stalls and tents, including the York Pride Quiet Tent, City of York Council, the Diocese of Middlesbrough LGBT Outreach, York Mind, Amnesty International York, Christians At Pride In York, Sherlock Holmes’ Imaginarium, Barnardo’s North Fostering and Adoption and York St John University.
In a new addition for 2025, York Trans Pride will have a dedicated space to celebrate trans lives through visibility, community and empowerment, supported by Generate, York LGBT Forum, The Portal Bookshop, Know York LGBT and York Pride.
Queer Arts York will play host to the Queer Arts LGBT+ Community Arts Space hub, celebrating creativity, self-expression and community connection. Expect a joyful mix of arts and crafts activities, a participatory mural, interactive workshops and creative drop-ins and moments of performance, movement and expression.
The Pride day will conclude with an Official Pre-After Party with Charra Tea, from RuPaul UK Drag Race, from 7.30pm at Yates York and the Official AfterParty at Ziggy’s (bar and lounge from 7pm; downstairs from 10m to 4am).
York drag act Ginger Slice and York Mansion House duty manager Rio Sambrook demonstrating Georgian fan language in the Guildhall council chamber. Look out for their demonstration at York Pride
Among the festival highlights, Rio Sambrook, York Mansion House duty manager and chair of City of York Council’s staff LGBT+ network, will be giving a demonstration of Georgian fan language to drag performer Ginger Slice at the Georgian Festival stall between 1pm and 6pm.
“Fan language was a secret code of postures and motions for communicating by using a fan, central to Georgian ball culture, as a rebellion against the repression of young women and controlling of speech and lack of a voice,” says Rio, who will be dressed in Georgian inspired costume on Saturday.
“It was a time when young women’s voices were suppressed and they couldn’t speak freely, and it’s now had a strong resurgence in the LGBTQIA community and has a strong association with drag and Pride events.”
In the mid-20th century, gay people had their own secret language, spoken during a time of oppression. “Polari” was a way to communicate discreetly with each other when homosexuality was illegal – and later too when decriminalised but hostility remained widespread in society.
“Polari is an historic mix of language that was developed by sailors, who would have spoken the language at ports,” says Rio. “It was also used by Kenneth Williams [and Hugh Paddick] for the characters Julian and Sandy on the BBC radio show Round The Horne in the 1960s.
“Its use ended because of that, but when Princess Anne told photographers to “naff off” after falling off a horse, ‘naff’ was originally a Polari word.”
Ginger Slice chips in: “‘Drag’ originates as a Polari word too, standing for Dressed As A Girl.” Ginger, a South Yorkshire-born photographer and graphic designer, now settled in York, will be donning her 90s’ Girl Power finery at the weekend in her nod to Ginger Spice.
“There are different moves with the fan to indicate love,” says Ginger. “The full fan, spread out like a peacock, is saying ‘I’m available’. It all starts with eye contact and the fan language takes over.
“In a world obsessed with language, with so many words for everything, it’s fascinating when you take all the words out of it for sign language, because we sometimes have to try to communicate in a way that others won’t understand.”
Rio adds: “If you are trying to fix up a meeting, showing three points of the fan will indicate 3pm. If you hold the fan with the back showing, it means, ‘I never want to see you again’. A closed fan, placed against the chest, indicates you’re in love.”
Further symbols come into play too. “It could be the colour of the handkerchief you are wearing, or which back pocket you’re wearing it in,” says Ginger. “They are like the emojis of their time.”
The artwork for the 2025 York Festival of Ideas, making waves until June 13
A FESTIVAL full of bright ideas leads off Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for cultural sustenance and enlightening entertainment.
Festival of the week: York Festival of Ideas, running until June 13
YORK Festival of Ideas 2025 explores the theme of Making Waves in more than 200 mostly free in-person and online events designed to educate, entertain and inspire.
Led by the University of York, the festival features world-class speakers, performances, exhibitions, tours, family-friendly activities and much more. Topics range from archaeology to art, history to health and politics to psychology. Browse the programme at yorkfestivalofideas.com.
New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Johan Persson
Dance return of the week: New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees
IN 1930s’ London, ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and fog-bound streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart: bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption.
Inspired by the work of English novelist Patrick Hamilton, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell returns to York Theatre Royal, where it first played in October 2021, with a 14-strong cast of New Adventures’ actor-dancers, music by Terry Davies and set and costume design by Lez Brotherston. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
The poster artwork for NE Theatre York’s fully staged concert performances of Carousel
Musical of the week: NE Theatre York in Carousel, Tempest Anderson Hall, Museum Gardens, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
STEVE Tearle directs NE Theatre York in fully staged concert performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel with an 18-piece orchestra conducted by Joe Allen. The cast for this tale of hope, redemption and the power of love will be led by Kit Stroud as Billy Bigelow; Rebecca Jackson as Julie Jordan; Maia Beatrice as Carrie Pepperidge; Finlay Butler as Mr Snow and Perri Ann Barley as Aunt Netty.
Cue such R&H classics as June Is Burstin’ Out All Over, If I Loved You, When I Marry Mister Snow, Blow High, Blow Low and the iconic Liverpool and Celtic terrace anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/netheatre-york.
King Creosote’s Kenny Anderson: Serving up a Storm In A Teacup at The Crescent, York
Scottish visitor of the week: Please Please You and Brudenell Presents host King Creosote, The Crescent, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm
KING Creosote follows up 2024’s springtime tour Any Port In A Storm with his Any Storm In A Teacup travels from April to June this year, again with a mix of modular synths, his back catalogue from 50 studio albums and his November 2023 album I Des, the first King Creosote recording in seven years.
As ever, Scotsman Kenny Anderson’s performance will be marked by his singular voice, allied to roguish, roving, ever-evolving, gorgeous songs in the key of Fife. Box office, for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.
Lady Nade: Paying tribute to Nina Simone. Picture: Joseph Branston
Celebration of a legacy: Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm,
KNOWN for paying homage to those who have influenced her journey profoundly, Lady Nade holds Nina Simone in high regard for leaving behind a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion and love through her extraordinary body of work.
As a black woman, Lady Nade acknowledges Simone’s trailblazing role in paving the way for artists of her generation. Her high-energy performance is a heartfelt dedication to recreating the transformative sound that blended popular tunes of the era into a distinctive fusion of jazz, blues, gospel, and folk music. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Pink Floydian: Showcasing the golden era of progressive rock at Milton Rooms, Malton
Tribute gig of the week: Pink Floydian, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 7.30pm
PINK Floydian’s immersive experience transports fans back to the golden era of progressive rock in a two-and-a-half hour show that takes in the Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and David Gilmour eras.
From the lush landscapes of Shine On You Crazy Diamond to the haunting refrain of Great Gig In The Sky to the anthemic Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here, Pink Floydian undertake a magical journey through Pink Floyd’s illustrious recording career. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Rachel Anderson’s Dolly Gallagher Levi, centre, and the ensemble in Pickering Musical Society’s Hello, Dolly!Picture: Robert David Photography
Goodbye to musicals: Pickering Musical Society in Hello, Dolly!, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
PICKERING Musical Society is preparing to raise the curtain on its final full-scale musical production, after more than a century, citing rising production costs and falling membership.
Set in the energetic bustle of 1890s’ New York, Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! follows the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi (society favourite Rachel Anderson) – a witty matchmaker, meddler and “arranger of things” – as she decides to find a match for herself. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk or in person from the box office on Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm.
Christopher Simon Sykes’s photograph of Mick Jagger in concert on the Rolling Stones’ Tour of the Americas in 1975, on show at Sledmere House from June 13
Exhibition launch of the week: On Tour With The Rolling Stones 1975, A 50th Anniversary Exhibition of Photographs by Christopher Simon Sykes, Sledmere House, Sledmere, near Driffield, June 13 to July 6, except Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am to 5pm
IN June 1975, Christopher Sykes, of Sledmere House, joined the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas, known as T.O.T.A ’75: his first rock’n’roll itinerary as a snapper after specialising in photographing stately home interiors.
“You know going on tour is not like country life, Chrissie,” advised Mick Jagger on his first day of accompanying the Stones on their three-month tour of North America and Canada, playing 40 shows in 27 cities. The photos were used in a tour diary published the following year, and this exhibition showcases a selection of the best of the behind-the-scenes and stage pictures in the Courtyard Room. Tickets: sledmerehouse.com.
Making a stand: Pickering Musical Society in Hello, Dolly! All pictures: Robert David Photography
ANTICIPATION is building with only one week to go as Pickering Musical Society prepares to raise the curtain on its final full-scale musical production, Hello, Dolly!
Luke Arnold’s show will run from June 10 to 14t at the Kirk Theatre, Pickering, with evening performances at 7.30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
After more than a century of staging book musicals in the Yorkshire town, the society has decided to step away from staging spring musicals in future seasons, citing rising production costs and a shrinking membership base.
Before that curtain falls, however, the society is determined to deliver one of its most dazzling and memorable shows to date.
Tim Tubbs’s Horace Vandergelder and Rachel Anderson’s Dolly Gallagher Levi in Pickering Musical Society’s Hello, Dolly!
Theatre manager and director Arnold says: “It has been a difficult decision to make, but the soaring costs associated with performance rights, casting demands and mounting a full musical such as Hello, Dolly! have made it increasingly challenging to continue.
“That said, we do not aim to go quietly! We’ve poured everything we have into this production — from the dazzling costumes to the towering set pieces — and I believe it will be a truly show-stopping finale.”
Set in the energetic bustle of 1890s’ New York, Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! follows the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi — a witty matchmaker, meddler, and “arranger of things” — as she decides this is the time to find a match for herself.
The musical is filled with Broadway classics, including Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Before The Parade Passes By, It Only Takes A Moment and the title number, Hello, Dolly!
Jack Dobson’s Barnaby Tucker in Pickering Musical Society’s Hello, Dolly!
Arnold’s cast is led by society favourite Rachel Anderson as the effervescent Dolly, while Tim Tubbs returns to the Kirk Theatre after his performance as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady to play the curmudgeonly half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder.
Stephen Temple and Jack Dobson bring comic warmth as Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, joined by a strong principal cast that features Paula Paylor, Danielle Long, Courtney Brown and Will Smithson as the artistic and earnest Ambrose Kemper.
Adding to the production’s scale and sparkle, a ten-piece professional orchestra will provide live musical accompaniment throughout the show, bringing Herman’s beloved score to life.
Also joining the ensemble will be talented students from the Sarah Louise Ashworth School of Dance, contributing energetic and stylish choreography to the show’s biggest numbers.
Pickering Musical Society musical director Clive Wass and members of his ten-piece orchestra
Behind the scenes, Hello, Dolly! marks one of the most ambitious technical undertakings in the society’s long history. The production team has installed a complex array of lighting and sound equipment, with more arriving daily as the full vision comes together.
The centrepiece of the elaborate set is the Harmonia Gardens staircase, a grand and glamorous showstopper in its own right. Meanwhile, the wardrobe department, led by the tireless Maureen Symonds, has been hard at work for months crafting a rich collection of period costumes designed to dazzle.
Early ticket demand has been strong: two performances are nearing sell-outs and bookings have been brisk for the rest of the week. Audiences are urged to book soon to avoid disappointment.
Sue Smithson and cast members in Pickering Musical Society’s Hello, Dolly!
Although Hello, Dolly! will be the final musical to be staged by Pickering Musical Society, the society’s commitment to live performance will continue.
The annual pantomime, a firm fixture in the Kirk Theatre calendar, continues to go from strength to strength, drawing large audiences each winter.
The society’s popular concert, previously held in October, will shift to June from 2026 onwards to ensure Pickering audiences can still enjoy high-quality musical entertainment each year.
The society emphasises that Hello, Dolly! is not a goodbye, but a celebration: a tribute to the talent, community spirit and dedication that has defined the society’s musical legacy for generations.
Pickering Musical Society in Hello, Dolly!, Kirk Theatre, Pickering,June 1o to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01751 474833; kirktheatre.co.uk or in person from the box office, open Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm.
NE Theatre York director Steve Tearle with his pooch Millie Bell
NE Theatre York will no longer provide press tickets for reviews, donating them instead to charity.
“Our reason for going forward without professional reviews is simple really,” says chairman, director and producer Steve Tearle.
“As we are a diverse and inclusive company, we create a safe environment for everyone and build up confidences to a level to get them on the stage and start to have faith in themselves and above all self-belief.
“For instance, we had 27 people on the stage for The Sound Of Music [Joseph Rowntree Theatre, April 29 to May 3] that had never been on stage or sang before. Twenty of these had to sing in Latin. It was a wonderful, outstanding achievement. To which we celebrated that success.”
Steve’s statement, on behalf of the NE Team, continues: “Professional reviews are always open to individual interpretation, and they should be, but do tend to compare and rate.
“They can lead to people feeling let down, disappointed in themselves, and can create personal setbacks. They also can go against everything we have achieved with that individual, even ourselves.
Rebecca Jackson as Maria in The Sound Of Music, the last NE Theatre York show to be reviewed by CharlesHutchPresson April 30after more than three decades
“This has been been proved already with the cast and the team. Hence the time to change. Therefore, we have added this into our manifesto.
“The teams and myself have made the decision not to invite any professional reviewers to ensure that we have put our cast first and put the people ahead of the company.
“We sell tickets based on the campaigns we create around each the show; creating different campaigns for different demographics.
“I have also found out, with the help of some market research, that previews are better than reviews to sell tickets for our company as we are only in the theatre for a small limited time.”
Did you know?
FORMED in 1914 as the New Earswick Dramatic Society, the society has mutated into New Earswick Dramatic and Operatic Society, New Earswick Operatic Society, New Earswick Musical Society, latterly NE Musicals York, NE and now NE Theatre York. “NE” stands for New Exciting Theatre York.
Coming next: Carousel, Tempest Anderson Hall, Museum Gardens, York, June 5 to 7
NE Theatre York’s poster artwork for Carousel, The Fully Staged Concert
NE Theatre York will present a fully staged concert version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel at Tempest Anderson Hall, Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York, from June 5 to 7.
After the sold-out run of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound Of Music at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, director Steve Tearle is turning his focus to another R&H favourite, Carousel, premiered on Broadway in April 1945.
This time, follow the swaggering path of carefree carnival barker Billy Bigelow as he falls in love with the sweet but naive mill worker Julie Jordan, but romance comes at the price of both their jobs.
The story turns darker still when Billy participates in a robbery to provide for Julie and their unborn child. After the heist goes wrong, Julie turns to her Aunt Netty for comfort. Meanwhile, Julie’s best friend Carrie Pepperidge has her eyes on Mr Snow, leading to a marriage proposal.
NE Theatre York cast members for Carousel: top row, Kit Stroud and Maia Beatrice; bottom row, Finlay Butler and Rebecca Jackson
Cue such R&H classics as June Is Burstin’ Out All Over, If I Loved You, When I Marry Mister Snow, Blow High, Blow Low and the iconic Liverpool and Celtic terrace anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Tearle’s cast for this tale of hope, redemption and the power of love will be led by Kit Stroud as Billy Bigelow; Rebecca Jackson as Julie Jordan; Maia Beatrice as Carrie Pepperidge; Finlay Butler as Mr Snow and Perri Ann Barley as Aunt Netty.
“This will be a fully staged concert version with 29 voices,” says Steve. “The score will be given its full glory with an 18-piece orchestra led by Joe Allen. “You get every word said, so you can follow the story between the songs. Projections will transport the audience to Middle America to capture every moment of the story.”
The composers are said to have regarded Carousel as their personal favourite among their works. In 1999, Time magazine named Carousel as the best musical of the 20th century.
Tickets for this week’s 7.30pm evening shows and 2.30pm Saturday matinee are on sale at ticketsource.co.uk/netheatre-york.
