Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor), Peter (Jesse Dunbar)Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe) and Susan (Joanna Adaran) in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York, Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, and Hull New Theatre
MICHAEL Fentiman’s breathtaking production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe visits the Grand Opera House, York, from April 22 to 26 on the tour marking the 75th anniversary of C S Lewis’s novel.
Step through the wardrobe into the enchanted kingdom of Narnia where a world of wonder awaits. Join the Pevensie children, Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe), Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor), Susan (Joanna Adaran) and Peter (Jesse Dunbar) as they meet new friends, face dangerous foes and learn the lessons of courage, sacrifice and the power of love.
Waving goodbye to wartime Britain, the children embark on the most magical of adventures in the frozen, faraway land, where they encounter Mr Tumnus, the faun (Alfie Richards), talking beavers, Aslan, the noble king of Narnia (Stanton Wright) and the coldest, most evil White Witch (Katy Stephens).
Stephens has played leading roles at Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she is an associate artist. She was part of the team that won the Olivier Award for Best Ensemble Performance for the RSC’s Histories Cycle, in which her roles included Joan of Arc and Margaret of Anjou.
Katy Stephens’s White Witch in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. Picture: Ellie Kurttz
“I’m thrilled to bring this show to life for audiences,” says Katy, who also plays Mrs Macready in Fentiman’s production. “They won’t believe their eyes and ears! For two and a half hours, they’ll be completely transported. It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon or evening – a show that will captivate both adults and children alike.
“The level of talent on stage is incredible. I’ve been in awe of the stunning musicianship, beautiful dancing, and powerful performances. I’ve laughed, I’ve been moved, and I feel so privileged to be part of this production.
“I know the audience will feel the same way. Above all, it’s a beautiful, powerful, and truly magical show – the warmest, most enchanting spectacle you could imagine.”
The cast also features Archie Combe as Mr Pope and Foxtrot; Andrew Davison as Mr Wilson Schroedinger, Jack Rabbit, Aslan Puppeteer and Head Cruel; Anya de Villiers as Mrs Beaver; Molly Francis, as Mrs Pevensie, Aslan Puppeteer and Robin; Ruby Greenwood (on-stage Swing); Ffion Haf as Miss Gumley-Warmley and Phoenix) and Rhiannon Hopkins as Miss Chutney and Blue Badger.
Alfie Richards’ Mr Tumnus in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
Alfie Richards has further roles as White Mouse and Badger; Joe Keenan plays Mr Granville, Spirit of the Moon and Red Squirrel; Ruby Greenwood, Oliver Magor, J B Maya and Luca Moscardini, on-stage Swings; Kraig Thornber, The Professor, Father Christmas and Wise Owl; Ed Thorpe, Mr Beaver; Rhodri Watkins, Mr Brinkworth, March Hare and Aslan Puppeteer; and Shane Anthony Whiteley, Maugrim, Satyr and White Stag.
Fentiman, whose direction is based on the original production by Sally Cookson, is joined in the production team by set and costume designer Tom Paris; composers Barnaby Race and Benji Bower; choreographer Shannelle ‘Tali’ Fergus; lighting designer Jack Knowles and sound designer Tom Marshall.
In the team too are original puppetry director Toby Olié; original puppetry designer Max Humphries; aerial director Gwen Hales; fight director Jonathan Holby; Illusionist Chris Fisher; musical director Ben Goddard and hair and make-up designer Susanna Peretz.
Fentiman says: “I’m delighted to be taking our beautiful production of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe on a major tour of the UK and Ireland in 2025. The production celebrates the magic of live theatre and is led by a multi-talented cast of actors, singers, musicians, dancers and puppeteers; it is a celebration of the possibilities of the collective imagination and the boundless wonders of individual skill.”
Producer Chris Harper says: “We can’t wait for children and adults alike to join us on this spectacular new journey through the wardrobe, and are proud to be marking the 75th anniversary of the publication of CS Lewis’s novel with this tour.”
Lewis’s book was first published in October 1950, since when more than 85 million copies in 60 languages have been sold, making it one of the top ten best-selling books of all time. The stage adaptation enjoyed a London run in 2022-2023 and is now on a nationwide tour after a Christmas season at Leeds Playhouse, where it was first produced.
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Grand Opera House, York, April 22 to 26, 7pm plus 2pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Further Yorkshire runs will follow at Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, September 23 to 27, 7pm plus 2pm Wednesday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees (box office, 01274 432000 or) and Hull New Theatre, September 30 to October 4, 7pm and 2pm Thursday and Saturday matinees (box office, hulltheatres.co.uk). Age guidance: six upwards.
The poster for the return of The Storm Whale, playing York Theatre Royal Studio from tomorrow to Saturday
YORK writer-director Matt Aston’s revival of his uplifting stage version of The Storm Whale, adapted from Benji Davies’s brace of books, will make a splash at York Theatre Royal Studio from tomorrow.
Premiered in 2019, Aston’s play for ages four to eight combines puppetry, original songs and dialogue in a magical theatrical adventure of loneliness, love and courage rooted in Davies’s books The Storm Whale and The Storm Whale In Winter.
“It’s so great to bring the show back to York Theatre Royal, where it all began, and to share this beautiful story with a whole new audience of children and their families,” says Matt, ahead of the Easter holiday run. “Benji Davies’s books have such a captivating and heartwarming message, and I think people of all ages will find something to love in the show.”
In The Storm Whale, Noi lives with his dad and six cats by the sea. One summer, while dad was busy at work, Noi rescued a little whale, washed up on the beach. A friendship began that would change their lives forever.
When his father takes one last trip in his fishing boat the following winter, Noi is alone once more and longs to see his friend again. Will it take another storm to bring them back together?
The Storm Whale writer-director Matt Aston in Rowntree Park. Picture: Livy Potter
“Our show follows the story of a young boy, Noi, and his friendship with a whale and looks at how, through the power of friendship and courage, you can overcome loneliness,” says Matt.
“Those who know Benji’s books will absolutely believe that his characters have come right off the page and to life on the stage. Lydia Denno’s designs are stunning and the show is a real visual treat with puppets beautifully crafted by Keith Frederick.
“The music by Julian Butler is also fabulous and there are some gorgeous earworms in there that you won’t be able to stop humming after seeing the show.”
Matt had worked previously on a stage adaptation of Davies’s book Grandad. “That was a delight to make,” he says. “The Storm Whale was already published at this point but when Benji later wrote The Storm Whale In Winter, I saw straight away how both stories could work together as a complete story arc to make one show.
“Bringing stories like these from the page to the stage is really all about pulling out the wider story of what’s going on underneath by developing the characters and their relationships. The book is the starting point and then you look at how you can bring it to life through the music, the puppetry and the sets.
The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio in 2019. Picture: Northedge Photography
“Whenever I do a show for children, it’s always vital to think about the grown-ups who will be coming with them. It’s important to ensure that the parents, grandparents and carers are not forgotten and that there’s something for them to enjoy. It’s a really moving story about the power of friendship and love overcoming loneliness and both adults and children alike can relate to that.”
Matt is an advocate for children experiencing theatre from a young age. “For me, there isn’t anything like the experience of live theatre,” he says. “The power of just sitting in a room and listening to a good story being simply told is truly magnificent. I really believe that the art of storytelling is central to a child’s development, and whether that’s through music, movement or puppetry, it can make such a difference at an early age to have exposure to that.
“We’ve had some really lovely feedback from parents about how children have been really transported by the stories and going home and acting them out. The power of the live experience of watching theatre is, for me, really special and I can’t wait for a whole new audience of four, five and six-year-olds to come and see it.”
Finally, why should children and adults alike see this show, Matt? “It’s captivating, heartwarming and has a really good heart. There is something for all ages to love – it’s a theatrical experience for the parents as well as the children. For fans of the books, it’s a great way to see them brought to life on the stage and for those new to the stories, you’ll hopefully find a new favourite.”
York Theatre Royal, Engine House Theatre, Little Angel and The Marlowe, Canterbury present The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio, April 15 to 19, 10.30am and 1.30pm. Running time: 75 minutes, including interval. Age guidance: Four upwards. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Gary Oldman in rehearsal for Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape. Picture: Gisele Schmidt
GARY Oldman’s return to the York Theatre Royal stage after 45 years in Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape from today had sold out, but a combination of returns and additional seats are newly available. Hurry, hurry.
Once the pantomime Cat that fainted thrice in Dick Whittington in his 1979 cub days on the professional circuit in York, Oscar winner Oldman now directs himself – and provides the set design too – in Beckett’s melancholic, tragicomic slice of theatre of the absurd in his first stage appearance since 1987.
“York, for me, is the completion of a cycle,” says Oldman.“It is the place ‘where it all began’. York, in a very real sense, for me, is coming home. The combination of York and Krapp’s Last Tape is all the more poignant because it is ‘a play about a man returning to his past of 30 years earlier’.”
What happens over the course of 50 minutes in Krapp’s Last Tape? Each year, on his birthday, Krapp records a new tape reflecting on the year gone by. On his 69th birthday, Krapp, now a lonely man, is ready with a bottle of wine, a banana and his tape recorder. Listening back to a recording he made as a young man, Krapp must face the hopes of his past self.
Oldman, who turned 67 on March 21, now takes on a role premiered by Patrick Magee in 1958 and since played by the likes of Albert Finney, Harold Pinter, John Hurt, Stephen Rea and Kenneth Allan Taylor, the long-running Nottingham Playhouse pantomime dame, writer and director, in the play’s last performance at York Theatre Royal in 2009.
Gary Oldman with York Theatre Royal chief executive Paul Crewes surveying the main house auditorium
Oldman has been considering going back to the stage for a long time. “I have never been far from the theatre and, in fact, have been discussing plays and my return to the theatre for nearly 30 years,” he posted on Instagram.
The April 14 to May 17 production of Beckett’s one-act monodrama was set in motion in March 2024, when Slow Horses star Oldman paid a visit to the St Leonard’s Place theatre , where he met chief executive Paul Crewes.
“When Gary visited us, it was fascinating hearing him recount stories of his time as a young man, in his first professional role on the York Theatre Royal stage,” says Crewes. “In that context when we started to explore ideas, we realised Krapp’s Last Tape was the perfect project.”
The youngest of three children in a working-class London family, Oldman left school at 16 and began acting in productions with Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre.
He applied for RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) but his rejection came with the advice to do something else for a living. Advice that he ignored, instead winning a scholarship to Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, from where he graduated with a BA in acting in 1979.
Pantomime puss: Gary Oldman’s Cat, with Berwick Kaler’s dame, centre, in Dick Whittington And His Wonderful Cat at York Theatre Royal in 1979-80
Whereupon he headed north to start out in the repertory ranks at York Theatre Royal in 1979 in a repertory season of nine shows, taking in She Stoops To Conquer, Thark, Privates On Parade and Romeo And Juliet, topped off by playing the Cat in furry suit, mittens and nylon whiskers in Berwick Kaler’s third York pantomime, Dick Whittington And His Wonderful Cat, that Christmas.
Dame Berwick later told the Guardian in an interview in 2018: “Gary has gone on to become one of our greatest screen actors but I’m afraid he was a bit of a lightweight when it came to pantomime.
“He kept fainting inside the costume. On at least three occasions I had to turn to the audience and say, ‘Oh dear, boys and girls, I think the poor pussy cat has gone to sleep’!”
Another actor in the rep company, Michael Simkins, has recalled the “bruising schedule of 50 performances in seven weeks, not to mention the drunken and relentless partying in various digs and rented bed-sits after curtain down”.
Oldman moved on to the Colchester rep and Glasgow Citizens Theatre, where he performed with Rupert Everett. He has called his time there “a coming of age – the work was joyful, bold and exhilarating. In the years that followed no other theatre experience could match it,” he said.
While appearing in Edward Bond’s controversial play Saved at the Palace Theatre, in Westcliff, he was “spotted” by Royal Court Theatre director Max Stafford-Clark. Or, rather, he had Oldman drawn to his attention – by Oldman himself.
Gary Oldman in the York Theatre Royal dressing rooms. Picture: Gisele Schmidt
Like many young actors, he had written to the director setting out why he wanted to work at the cutting-edge London theatre. Stafford-Clark recalls that “it was a particularly well-argued letter”, so he went to see Saved.
Many of the audience – only about 30-strong – walked out but the director duly cast him in Bond’s The Pope’s Wedding, at the Royal Court. Saved, meanwhile, won him the British Theatre Association Drama Magazine award for 1985 and the Time Out Fringe award as best actor.
Roles ensued with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Royal Court in new works by Bond and Caryl Churchill. Harold Pinter was lined up to direct him in his play The Caretaker in the West End.
Oldman’s last stage performance was in 1987 in Churchill’s satirical play Serious Money at the Royal Court. By then, he had appeared in his break-out screen role as damaged punk Sid Vicious in Sid And Nancy, his 1986 alarm call to herald a career in films that have grossed 11 billion dollars. “I never thought I’d get into films in a thousand years,” he once said.
Today, he opens in a theatre show for the first time in 38 years, back in York for his “completion of a cycle”, banana in hand in Krapp’s Last Tape.
Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape, York Theatre Royal, April 14 to May 17. Box office: 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
The poster for Gary Oldman’s return to York Theatre Royal after 45 years in Krapp’s Last Tape, performed, directed and designed by the erstwhile pantomime puss
Gary Oldman in rehearsal for Krapp’s Last Tape, opening at York Theatre Royal on April 14. Picture: Gisele Schmidt
GARY Oldman’s return to York Theatre Royal tops the bill of Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations. Chocolate is in the air too.
York theatre event of the year: Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape, York Theatre Royal, April 14 to May 17
ONCE the pantomime Cat that fainted thrice in Dick Whittington in his 1979 cub days on the professional circuit in York, Oscar winner Gary Oldman returns to the Theatre Royal to perform Samuel Beckett’s melancholic, tragicomic slice of theatre of the absurd Krapp’s Last Tape in his first stage appearance since the late-1980s.
“York, for me, is the completion of a cycle,” says the Slow Horses leading man. “It is the place ‘where it all began’. York, in a very real sense, for me, is coming home. The combination of York and Krapp’s Last Tape is all the more poignant because it is ‘a play about a man returning to his past of 30 years earlier’.” Tickets update: New availability of returns and additional seats on 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Margaret Beech: Making “paper magic” for York Open Studios in Oaken Grove, Haxby, York
Art event of the week: York Open Studios, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm
YORK Open Studios showcases 163 artists and makers at 116 locations in its largest configuration yet in its 24 years. Artists and makers, including 38 new participants, span ceramics, collage, digital art, illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, textiles and wood, Full details and an interactive map can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk; brochures in shops, galleries, cafes and tourist hubs. Admission is free.
Wrongsemble: Performing Three Little Vikings, a tale of cooperation, bravery and making your voice heard, at Helmsley Arts Centre
Ryedale children’s show of the week: Wrongsemble in Three Little Vikings, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 2.30pm
LEEDS company Wrongsemble present a bold and funny adventure story for little rebels by Bethan Woollvin, creator of Little Red and I Can Catch A Monster.
Once upon a time in a Viking village, everything seems to be going wrong. Chickens are disappearing, trees are falling down. When the silly Chieftain won’t listen, can the three littlest Vikings figure out how to save the day in a 50-minute tale of cooperation, bravery and making your voice heard. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Mark Stratford in Macready! Dickens Theatrical Friend, on tour at Theatre@41, Monkgate
Dickens of a good show of the week: Mark Stratford in Macready! Dickens’ Theatrical Friend, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 7.30pm
WRITER-PERFORMER Mark Stratford’s solo play tells the story of Macready, the Victorian actor-manager to whom Charles Dickens dedicated his novel Nicholas Nickleby. Capturing the joy, graft and tribulations of a life lived in theatre with passion, humour, emotion and multiple characters, Stratford journeys through the fascinating world of Victorian theatre and the extraordinary, conflicted life of Macready, from his first tentative steps on stage in a tatty country theatre to his final Drury Lane performance. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Daniele Coombe, left, Rebecca Wheatley, Maureen Nolan and Carli Norris in Menopause The Musical 2 – Cruising Through The Menopause at the Grand Opera House
Musical of the week: Menopause The Musical 2 – Cruising Through The Menopause!, Grand Opera House, York, Sunday, 6pm
CARLI Norris, from Doctors, Hollyoaks and EastEnders, Maureen Nolan, of The Nolans, Rebecca Wheatley, from Casualty, and West End actress Daniele Coombe star in the final UK tour of this menopausal sequel.
Fast forward five years as the same characters set off on the high seas in this heartfelt, reassuring look at the “joys” of the menopause. Cue hot flushes, mood swings, memory lapses and weight gain on a bumpy trip of self-discovery, love and friendship, backed by a soundtrack of parodied hits. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The Storm Whale: Returning to York Theatre Royal next week after its first plunge in 2019. Picture: Northedge Photography
Revival of the week: The Storm Whale, York Theatre Royal Studio, April 15 to 19, 10.30am and 1.30pm
YORK writer and director Matt Aston revives his 2019 stage adaptation of Benji Davies’s tales of loneliness, love and courage, The Storm Whale, in a show built on puppetry, original songs and dialogue.
Noi lives with his dad and six cats by the sea. One summer, while dad was busy at work, Noi rescued a little whale, washed up on the beach. A friendship began that changed their lives forever. The following winter, his dad takes one last trip in his fishing boat. Alone once more, Noi longs to see his friend again. Will it take another storm to bring them back together? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
York Chocolate Festival: City centre will be chock-a-block with chocs’n’eggs for Easter
Festival of the week: York Chocolate Festival 2025, April 16 to 20, 10am to 5pm
YORK Chocolate Festival showcases everything sweet and chocolate from independent businesses in Parliament Street and around the city.
Highlights include the York Chocolate Festival Market; Chocolate Taste Trail; Ashley McCarthy’s Chocolate Sculpture and Family Easter Egg Hunt. Entry to the festival and market is free; some activities and events require tickets. Full programme at: yorkfoodfestival.com/programme.
Showaddywaddy: Rock’n’roll revivalists standing under the moon of love at the Grand Opera House
Rock’n’roll nostalgia of the week: Showaddywaddy, Grand Opera House, York, April 17, 7.30pm
SHOWADDYWADDY make the bold claim to be “the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world”, living up to that title for the past five decades, they say.
Formed in 1973 in Leicester, they have sold more than 20 million records. Here come Hey Rock And Roll, Under The Moon Of Love, Three Steps To Heaven, When, Blue Moon, Pretty Little Angel Eyes et al. Box office: atgtickjets.com/york.
The Talkinator: Written by a human, performed by a human, Patrick Monahan
Comedy gig of the week: Patrick Monahan: The Talkinator, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, April 18, 8pm
IN 2024, amid much talk of about AI taking over humans, only one man can out-talk the chat-bots and robots. Step forward Irish-Iranian comedian Patrick Monahan for one hour of stand-up comedy written by a human, performed by a human. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
The Divine Comedy: New album and York Barbican tour date. Picture: Kevin Westerberg
Gig announcement of the week: The Divine Comedy, York Barbican, October 21
NEIL Hannon will promote The Divine Comedy’s 13th studio album, September 19’s Rainy Sunday Afternoon, on a 16-date autumn tour. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, April 17 at 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/the-divine-comedy-2025/.
Written, arranged and produced by Hannon and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the album spans his usual range of emotions – sad, funny, angry and everything in between – as he “works through some stuff”: mortality, memories, relationships and political and social upheaval.
Thomas Frere and Cal Stockbrige in Clap Trap Theatre’s Switcheroo
NORTH Yorkshire company Clap Trap Theatre will stage Tom Needham’s Switcheroo at York Theatre Royal Studio from May 22 to 24.
Billed as “unique and entertaining”, the play is based on the very simple premise that “it’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it”.
Penned by the BAFTA-nominated Needham, the story follows three siblings who, when it comes to scattering their mother’s ashes, are hit with a bombshell revelation that turns their world upside down.
The first act is a full-blown, larger than life comedy. After the interval, the actors swap characters to repeat it as a serious drama.
Directed by Riding Lights artistic director Paul Birch, the cast features Thomas Frere (Alex/Sam), whose credits include Candide(Liverpool Everyman) and Return To The Forbidden Planet (UK tour), Clap Trap co-founder Cal Stockbridge (Sam/Pat), who has starred in A Midsummer Night’s Dreamand Doubt andDominic Goodwin (Pat/Alex), seen previously in Two, The Long Mirror and Not About Heroes.
Dominic Goodwin, left, and Thomas Frere in Clap Trap Theatre’s production of Tom Needham’s Switcheroo
Clap Trap Theatre was founded in 2007 by Stockbridge and Gareth Jenkins to “bring intimate theatrical productions of both new and classical works to a wide variety of venues around Yorkshire and beyond”.
They rehearse at a small holding near Pickering, in Ryedale, in a converted barn shared with bats. “Over the past 18 years, we’ve performed in arts centres, major theatres, village halls, Methodist chapels, and Quaker meeting houses all over the UK,” says Cal.
“We’ve commissioned and performed seven new plays during this period and we’re delighted to be touring Tom Needham’s Switcheroo, opening at the York Theatre Royal Studio in May.”
Clap Trap Theatre in Switcheroo, York Theatre Royal Studio, May 22, 7.45pm; May 23, 7.45pm with post-show discussion; May 24, 2.30pm and 7.45pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Re-Lording Richard 3.0 writer-performer Philipp Sommer
YORK’S own King Richard III looks back at his history with Alexa at his side – a modern voice in 1485 – in Philipp Sommer’s Re-Lording Richard 3.0 at York St John University Creative Centre Auditorium on April 24 at 7.30pm.
The Berlin writer-performer is bringing his reimagining of Richard’s origin story to York as part of the 2025 York International Shakespeare Festival.
Re-Lording Richard 3.0 brings Richard III to the stage so that he may share his fears, his doubts, his joy and loyalty in this 50-minute retort to Shakespeare’s hatchet job, performed in English.
“Shakespeare’s play underpins his person as the embodiment of evil, but is that all he was?” asks Sommer. “Then, it was theatre; now, it’s social media that provides a platform for propaganda.”
The poster for Philipp Sommer’s Re-Lording Richard 3.0, playing York St John University Creative Centre Auditorium on April 24
Sommer describes his play as a “drama-dy”, combining drama and comedy. “‘Everyone has seen Richard III by Shakespeare, but have you seen Shakespeare by Richard III? This is the story from Richard’s point of view.”
Richard settles his accounts with Shakespeare, as Richard and Alexa ask the question: “Has the world really changed?”
Re-Lording Richard 3.0 supports the festival’s mission of bringing international voices to York to celebrate and elaborate upon Shakespeare’s work.
Founded in 2015, the festival is marking its tenth anniversary with this season’s April 22 to May 4 programme. For full details and tickets, go to yorkshakes.co.uk.
Produced by the community arts charity Parrabbola, the festival is now an annual event, returning to live performance in 2023 after a Covid-enforced break, with support from York St John University.
Dan Poppitt’s Roger, left, Gi Vasey’s Mimi and Mikhail Lim’s Benny in Inspired By Theatre’s RENT, opening at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre tomorrow. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
“THIS isn’t just another revival; for us, it’s personal,” says Inspired By Theatre director Dan Crawfurd-Porter as the York company prepares to open RENT at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre tomorrow (10/4/2025).
“RENT was the show that opened my eyes to what theatre could truly be, beyond just performance, and beyond just entertainment,” says Dan, recalling his first encounter with Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking American musical in 2021.
“It fuelled my love for stories that matter and ignited my desire to produce theatre. I discovered community theatre after a crisis point in my own life, joining my first show, Jesus Christ Superstar, at 21.
“That same year, 2021, I saw RENT for the first time, and everything changed. I fell in love with Jonathan Larson’s work, from his early pieces to his role in transforming what musical theatre could say and do.
“It inspired me to create a company with a purpose. We started by producing Tick, Tick… BOOM!, Larson’s semi-autobiographical piece, always with the long-term intention of bringing RENT to life.”
Dan continues: “For Inspired By Theatre as a whole, RENT reflects our core values: community, inclusion, and using theatre as a tool for connection and change. This show allows us to bring those values to the forefront, and create work that inspires, just like RENT once inspired me.”
RENT follows on from Crawfurd-Porter’s July 2024 staging of another iconic American rock musical, Green Day’s American Idiot. “RENT tells a story of love, resilience and artistic defiance, making it as relevant today as it was when it debuted 30 years ago,” says Dan.
On the boulevard of broken dreams: Dan Poppitt’s Tunny, left, Iain Harvey’s Johhny and William Thirlaway’s Will in Bright Light Musical Productions’ York premiere of Green Day’s American Idiot last July. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Set in the heart of New York City’s East Village at the apex of the AIDS epidemic, RENT follows a group of young artists struggling to survive, create and hold onto hope in the face of uncertainty.
“RENT redefined what musical theatre could be,” says Dan. “It brought rock music, queer voices and the reality of the HIV/AIDS crisis to the mainstream stage with honesty and heart. You can draw a straight line from RENT to shows like Spring Awakening, Next To Normal, Dear Evan Hansen, and Hadestown. It paved the way for modern musical theatre to be bold, raw and real.”
Larson’s musical made its Broadway debut on April 29 1996 and has not dated over the past three decades, reckons Dan. “Homophobia, housing insecurity, the cost of living crisis, cuts to arts funding, and the pressure on young people to ‘make it’ in a gig economy, these are all still with us,” he says. “The show may be set in the ’90s, but its message is absolutely timeless. And that reminder, to love boldly, live fully, and stand by your community, feels more essential than ever.
“RENT celebrates bravery, defiance, creativity and unconditional love. It shows young people at their most vulnerable, but also their most powerful, unafraid to break rules, build community and fight for something better.”
In his directorial role, Dan’s biggest challenge has been to strike a balance between emotional truth and theatricality. “With RENT, you can’t fake it,” he says. “It requires vulnerability and sincerity, every single night. The other challenge has been finding the balance between honouring the original and bringing our own perspective to it, making sure it feels fresh while staying true to Larson’s vision.”
Dan holds no truck with naysayers’ contention that Rent has only good song, the life-measuring Seasons Of Love. “Reducing the score to just one number completely overlooks the musical and emotional richness of the show,” he counters.
“Jonathan Larson created a soundtrack that doesn’t just support the story, it is the story. “Light My Candle and Goodbye Love are two of the finest examples of storytelling through song in musical theatre. One Song Glory is heartbreakingly raw. Take Me Or Leave Me is a powerhouse duet that has become a rite of passage for performers.
“This isn’t just another revival; for us, it’s personal,” says RENT director Dan Crawfurd-Porter
“And La Vie Bohème? It’s more than a song, it’s a celebration and a protest. Even the quieter numbers, Halloween, Without You and I’ll Cover You (Reprise), are deeply affecting, layered with vulnerability and truth. “The brilliance of RENT’s score is that it’s urgent, messy and honest, just like the characters themselves. Larson created a musical landscape that’s not only memorable, but profoundly human too.”
Describing the set and costume design for RENT, Dan says: “It’s layered, authentic and curated with so much thought. Days spent painting by a team led by Gi Vasey. A scaffold making a return to the stage but being transformed.
“So many set pieces and props have been built or sourced for this show. There will be no doubt what world the audience has entered into. Our set incorporates real panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt, giving a powerful visual tribute to those lost to HIV/AIDS.
“The costumes are grounded in 1990s’ realism. But they’re not just era-accurate, they’re character-driven. Each look reflects not just the time, but the personality, story and identity of the person wearing it.”
Why should anyone who has not seen RENT see it for the first time, Dan? “Because it’s theatre that hits you in the heart,” he says. “You’ll laugh, cry and maybe leave thinking a little differently about the people around you. It’s the kind of show that stays with you.”
Why should someone who has seen RENT see it again? “Like with every production of RENT, we’re telling this story with new energy and new voices, no version of the show is the same,” says Dan. “This production will move you, challenge you and remind you to measure your life in love.”
Inspired By Theatre in RENT, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow (10/4/2025) to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: https://www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/all-shows/rent/2761.
Director Dan Crawfurd-Porter on Inspired By Theatre’s cast for RENT
Inspired By Theatre’s principal cast for RENT: left to right, Maddie Jones, Jess Gardham, Iain Harvey, Dan Poppitt, Gi Vasey, Mikhail Lim, Joseph Hayes and Fen Greatley-Hirsch. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
THE principal cast comprises Green Day’s American Idiot leading man Iain Harvey as Mark; Dan Poppitt as Roger; Gi Vasey as Mimi; Joseph Hayes as Tom Collins; Maddie Jones as Maureen; York blues singer Jess Gardham as Joanne; Fen Greatley-Hirsch as Angel and Mikhail Lim as Benny.
In the ensemble will be: Richard Bayton; Katie Brier; Kailum Farmery; Rebecca Firth; Jack Fry; Chloe Pearson; Lucy Plimmer-Clough; Fernadna Aqueveque Retamal; Connie Richards; Josh Woodgate and Tiggy-Jade.
“This production brings together returning favourites and exciting new members of the company, and I’ve never seen a cast quite like this before,” says Dan. “We’ve assembled a powerhouse of performers, ready to bring this iconic show to life like never before.
“What excited me about this cast is first and foremost their commitment to the project. It’s unwavering. Their passion for the project matches mine. And then the talent that goes with that is so high.
“Our audition standard was incredible, which although it led to tough decisions with those we had to turn away, it meant we could really curate the perfect cast for my vision. This commitment and talent has felt like an absolute blessing throughout the process. The talent, commitment, closeness, understanding and diversity, makes them a force to be reckoned with within any amateur theatre scene.”
Dan, introduce your new cast members and why you choose them…
“BUILDING on the strength of our American Idiot company, we’ve welcomed an incredible group of new performers into the Inspired By Theatre family for RENT. Each brings something uniquely powerful to the production.
“Gi Vasey trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Performance Design and is a multidisciplinary theatre-maker. She’s a standout talent as Mimi, with a voice and emotional depth that captivate, but her contribution goes far beyond performance. As an experienced scenic designer, Gi has spent entire days painting. Her presence has elevated every aspect of the production.
Maddie Jones’s Maureen, left, and Jess Gardham’s Joanne in Inspired By Theatre’s RENT. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
“Maddie Jones, returning to the stage after a break, has delivered a Maureen that’s bold, eccentric and magnetic. Her RENT audition left no doubt, she had it. Every rehearsal since has confirmed she’s the perfect mix of chaos, charm, and charisma.
“Jess Gardham is a multi-award-winning singer-songwriter with international touring experience and a rich theatre background. Her professionalism, warmth and sheer vocal ability have been a gift to this process.
“Mikhail Lim is well known in the York theatre scene as both a performer and director, and we’re thrilled to finally have him in an Inspired By Theatre production. His stage presence is commanding, his voice outstanding, and he brings an emotional honesty that makes every scene land. “Fen Greatley-Hirsch has one of the most impressive CVs we’ve seen, with experience across Shakespeare, contemporary plays and musicals. His portrayal of Angel is nothing short of beautiful, sensitive, joyful and deeply moving.
“Joseph Hayes returned to the stage for the first time in seven years to join RENT, and his audition stunned the panel. His command of the role and delivery of I’ll Cover You (Reprise) is emotionally devastating in the best possible way. His name was the very first on our cast list.
“Katie Brier, a trained musical theatre performer (Leeds College of Music and London College of Music), brings not just vocal brilliance but also humour, musical intelligence and an infectious energy to the room. Having worked with her previously in York, we knew she was the perfect fit for this show and company.
“Lucy Plimmer-Clough, with a BA and MA in Music from the University of York, brings exceptional musicianship and vocal strength to the production. Her standout performance in one of RENT’s most iconic musical moments will leave audiences speechless.
“Connie Richards, who was due to play Mimi in another RENT production that was sadly cancelled, was a brilliant surprise at auditions. Her talent is immense, and having someone of her calibre in our ensemble is a testament to just how deep the talent runs in this cast.
Fen Greatley Hirsch’s Angel, left, and Joseph Hayes’s Tom Collins in RENT. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
“Fernanda Aqueveque Retamal began her theatre journey in Chile in 2001 and trained under renowned director Fernando Cuadra. Performing in a second language and bringing a unique international perspective to the production, Fernanda adds richness and diversity that’s not only rare but perfect for a show like RENT.”
One last question:
Why did you change the company name from Bright Light Musical Productions to Inspired By Theatre, Dan?
“Bright Light Musical Productions was a name chosen quickly in our early days, before we truly knew what we were building. As we grew, developed our voice, and began producing work with real purpose, it became clear that we needed a name that reflected who we are now, not who we were then,” he explains.
“Inspired By Theatre captures the heart of what we do. We’re inspired by the people we work with, the stories we choose to tell and the communities we engage.”
In the Inspired By Theatre diary for 2026:
1. Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, February 11 to 14 2026
2. Spring Awakening, coming-of-age rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sate, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, May 20 to 23 2026
3. A third project, still under wraps, coming to Joseph Rowntree Theatre in October 2026
“We’re thrilled to announce these shows,” says Dan. “2026 is going to be huge!”
Iain Harvey’s Mark in Inspired By Theatre’s RENT. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Mr Willy Wonka, played by Jonathan, in Ryedale Youth Theatre’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory at the Milton Rooms, Malton
MISSING out on Gary Oldman’s sold-out Krapp’s Last Tape on his York Theatre Royal return? Charles Hutchinson digs up plenty of consolation prizes.
Ryedale musical of the week: Ryedale Youth Theatre in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Milton Rooms, Malton, tonight to Saturday, 7.15pm plus 2pm Thursday and Saturday matinees
RYEDALE Youth Theatre brings Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory to the Malton stage in a magical adventure that journeys into Willy Wonka’s fantastical world.
Expect stunning performances and enchanting music in a family-friendly production perfect for all ages. Only 100 tickets are still available after sales of 1,200. Box office: yourboxoffice.co.uk/ryedale-youth-theatre.
Inspired By Theatre’s principal cast members in Rent, playing the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, from tomorrow
York musical of the week: Inspired By Theatre in Rent, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
YORK company Inspired By Theatre follow up Green Day’s American Idiot with another groundbreaking rock musical, Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winning story of love, resilience and artistic defiance.
Set in New York City’s East Village at the height of the AIDS epidemic, Rent follows a group of young artists struggling to survive, create and hold on to hope in the face of uncertainty. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Welcome back: Gary Oldman in the York Theatre Royal dressing rooms
York theatre event of the year: Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape, York Theatre Royal, April 14 to May 17
ONCE the pantomime Cat that fainted thrice in Dick Whittington in his 1979 cub days on the professional circuit, Oscar winner Gary Oldman returns to the Theatre Royal to perform Samuel Beckett’s melancholic, tragicomic slice of theatre of the absurd Krapp’s Last Tape in his first stage appearance since the late-1980s.
“York, for me, is the completion of a cycle,” says the Slow Horses leading man. “It is the place ‘where it all began’. York, in a very real sense, for me, is coming home. The combination of York and Krapp’s Last Tape is all the more poignant because it is ‘a play about a man returning to his past of 30 years earlier’.” Tickets update: New availability of returns and additional seats on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Abigoliah Schamaun: In pursuit of the “Holy Visa” in Legally Cheeky, on tour at Pocklington Arts Centre
Comedy gig of the week: Abigoliah Schamaun, Legally Cheeky, Pocklington Arts Centre, tomorrow, 8pm
ABIGOLIAH Schamaun thought she had it all; the flat, the career, the life partner. This US transplant was living the American Dream…in London. Then one day, the Wicked Witch of Westminster, told Abigoliah to click her sparkly heels and go “home”. In that moment, everything changed. To lose would mean losing everything.
Abigoliah’s quest for the Holy Visa began, and the fight was very much on. Legally Cheeky charts her journey in a heart-warming tale of highs, lows, twists and turns as she recounts the year that shook her and partner Tom to the core. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Snake Davis, right, will be teaming up with Stu Collingworth at Helmsley Arts Centre on Fridaynight
Jazz gig of the week: Snake Davis with Stu Collingworth, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm
SAXOPHONIST to the stars Snake Davis will be joined by Hammond organist, composer and vocalist Stu Collingwood for an evening of soul pop and jazz. Davis performs regularly with famous artists at huge venues but is “far happier being himself at Helmsley Arts Centre”.
Collingworth has toured with Tony Christie, Alan Barnes and Elaine Delmar and has a residency at Charts in Newcastle. He and Davis have enjoyed a creative partnership for a decade, fired by a love of melody and groove. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Aleysha Jade in Curious Investigators at Pocklington Arts Centre on Saturday. Picture: Grant Archer
Family show of the week: One Tenth Human in Curious Investigators, Pocklington Arts Centre, Saturday, 1.30pm
SCRIBBLE and Clipboard have a job to do, sorting out the recycling, but Scribble keeps finding new things to investigate. When she discovers a mysterious egg hidden in the rubbish, the pair needs the audience’s help to rescue an unborn chick. Can you save a mysterious egg from a smashing and what will you discover along the way?
Curious Investigators is a cracking adventure, created in collaboration with engineering experts from Lancaster University, in a delightfully surprising, highly visual show for three to seven-year-olds and their grown-ups, hatched by One Tenth Human. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Wrongsemble in Three Little Vikings, a story of cooperation, bravery and making your voice heard at Helmsley Arts Centre
Children’s show of the week: Wrongsemble in Three Little Vikings, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 2.30pm
A TRIO of brave little Viking girls saves the day in Leeds company Wrongsemble’s bold and funny adventure story for little rebels by Bethan Woollvin, creator of Little Red and I Can Catch A Monster.
Once upon a time in a Viking village, everything seems to be going wrong. Chickens are disappearing, trees are falling down. When the silly Chieftain will not listen to the three littlest Vikings, can they work together to figure out how to save the day in a 50-minute tale of cooperation, bravery and making your voice heard. Suitable for age three upwards. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Mark Druery: Taking part in York Open Studios this weekend
Art event of the month: York Open Studios, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm
YORK Open Studios showcases 160 artists and makers at 117 locations in its largest configuration yet in its 24 years. Artists and makers, including 38 new participants, span ceramics, collage, digital art, illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, textiles and wood, Full details and an interactive map can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk; brochures in shops, galleries, cafes and tourist hubs. Admission is free.
The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon: New album and York Barbican autumn date. Picture: Kevin Westenberg
Gig announcement of the week: The Divine Comedy, York Barbican, October 21
NEIL Hannon will promote The Divine Comedy’s 13th studio album, September 19’s Rainy Sunday Afternoon, on a 16-date autumn tour. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, April 17 at 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/the-divine-comedy-2025/.
Written, arranged and produced by Hannon and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the album spans his usual range of emotions – sad, funny, angry and everything in between – as he “works through some stuff”: mortality, memories, relationships and political and social upheaval.
Stephen Smith in his quadruple bill of Edgar Allan Poe horror stories. Picture: Cat Humphries
THREEDUMB Theatre’s One Man Poe will return to York on June 1, switching to Theatre@41, Monkgate, after a sold-out 2024 show at the York Medical Society.
“Last June we presented our quadruple bill of Edgar Allan Poe stories at the Stonegate venue, selling out our one-night-only performance weeks in advance,” says director and performer Stephen Smith.
“The show went on to sell out its entire 21-show run at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, also winning the Spookies Award for Best Horror Solo Show.
Stephen Smith in One Man Poe. Picture: Alya Sayer
“We’re bringing the show back to York for another spooky summer show, but this time we’re ‘upscaling’ to the wonderful team at Theatre@41 for a 2025 Edinburgh Fringe preview at 6pm.”
To commemorate the 175th anniversary year of Edgar Allan Poe’s mysterious death in 1849, Smith performs four of the American author’s most spine-chilling classics, back to back and unabridged: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit And The Pendulum,The Black Cat and The Raven.
Poe’s archaic language, paired with Smith’s award-winning tour-de-force performance offers gothic horror fans and classical literature lovers an atmospheric evening rich with imaginative storytelling in a “marathon of the macabre”.
Stephen Smith: Returning to York for an Edinburgh Fringe preview of One Man Poe. Picture: Alya Sayer
“I was a huge fan of the late Roger Corman/Vincent Price’s Poe-cyclewhen a child, reigniting my love of classical horror stories during the pandemic by creating online renditions of Poe’s work via Facebook Live,” says Stephen, who formed Threedumb Theatre in Liverpool and is now based in London. “When the theatres reopened, I combined four of Poe’s most popular pieces in a solo show and named the extravaganza One Man Poe.”
First performed in 2021 at Watford Palace Theatre, One Man Poe has had multiple runs in London, on tour in the UK and internationally in Dubai and Off-Broadway in New York. Since its American premiere in 2022 at the Poe Fest International in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, One Man Poe has been booked for those events on an annual basis.
The140-minute show features music by Joseph Furey and sound design by Furey and Django Holder and is supported by Watford Palace Theatreand theLiverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Mark Simmonds’s Prospero, staff in hand, in The Tempest at Theatre@41, Monkgate
AFTER focusing on musical theatre, adventurous York company Black Sheep Theatre Productions stretched its wings by staging Shakespeare’s everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink last play with original music by founder, director and musical director Matthew Peter Clare and Gregory Parker.
Several of Ariel’s speeches were turned into song for Gemma-Louise Keane, on her return to the stage after a long break where you may have seen her fronting the band Kisskisskill or on York’s ghost tour circuit as Deathly Dark Tours’ Daria Deathly. Inspired casting by Clare, finding a performer with bags of stage presence and personality, coupled with an individual look and voice, typified by her rendition of Full Fathom Five.
Mark Simmonds, who has made his mark as much in Jorvik Gilbert and Sullivan Society, York Opera and York Light Opera Company as in York Settlement Community Players, has a natural musicality and resonant timbre to his voice.
Charlie Clarke’s Trincula in The Tempest. Josh Woodgate’s Caliban adopts a prone position beneath his bags of wood
Allied with being tall, this gave him righteous if sinister command as the dispossessed Milanese duke, Prospero, a command exacerbated by conducting his magical, storm-stirring powers from the John Cooper Studio’s mezzanine level, as well as in his treatment of his island slaves, Ariel and Caliban (more of whom, later).
Clare built his production on a brace of interlinking triangles, bringing magic, music and mayhem to the play’s three plot lines of comedy, tragedy and romance, fuelled by familiar Shakespeare tropes of mistaken identity, a family at war, murderous plotting and plot-thickening intrigues. The magic emanated from Prospero, and so too did the mayhem that ensued in the torrid tale of a shipwreck and its high-society survivors, spilling out onto Prospero’s island.
The music emanated from percussionist Clare’s band of eight: Helen Warry and Elle Weaver’s violins; Clare Pearson’s viola and Lindsay Illingworth’s violoncello; Fergus Vickers’ guitar, Rosie Morris’s contrabass and, best of all, Sarah Paterson’s harp.
Chloe Pearson’s Fernanda, left, and Freya McIntosh’s Miranda in The Tempest
The underscoring was particularly effective, often beautiful too, and most ambitious of all was the transformation of the play within the play into a song, Blessings, with vocal interplay and solos for Maddie Jones’s Iris, Molly Whitehouse’s Ceres and Rocks Nairn-Smith’s Juno.
The Tempest is a restless, breathless play of constant struggle and ultimate resolution, a maelstrom of tortured emotions, terror, a need to find a home, love, a safe place in the world, a reason to shake off boredom or cast off grief. Or as Clare put it: a play of “family and love, subjugation and bloody plots, reconciliation and forgiveness, euphoria and despair”.
Hence its helter-skelter tumble of tragedy and comedy that Clare addressed successful by applying “more Brechtian style” for the more absurd characters, such as Charlie Clarke’s Trincula, Dan Poppitt’s Alonso, and especially the outstanding John Woodgate’s cruelly abused Caliban, while favouring naturalism for the plot-driven likes of Prospero, Meg Conway’s viperous Antonia and the Sapphic love of Freya McIntosh’s Miranda and Chloe Pearson’s Fernanda.
Josh Woodgate’s Caliban and Gemma-Louise Keane’s Ariel in Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ The Tempest
Mikhail Lim’s Gonzalo, Rosie Stirling’s Sebastyne and Jack Fry’s Master of Ships all contributed to the pleasures of this Tempest kicking up a storm anew, aided by Molly Whitehouse’s playful costumes, Charlie Clarke & Josh Woodgate’s striking, circus and cabaret-inspired make-up and Will Nicholson’s sound and lighting design, fast making himself the go-to-guy of York technicians in 2025.
After Woodgate’s turn as Caliban, eye-catching from the moment he emerged bleary eyed from beneath the shelter of the raised stage, CharlesHutchPress looks forward to his future performances, led off by his ensemble role in Inspired By Theatre’s Rent from Thursday to Saturday this week at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.
Black Sheep Theatre Productions “stretching out its wings” in The Tempest in a radiant scene for Gemma-Louise Keane’s Ariel
Coming next from Black Sheep Theatre will be a return to Theatre@41 for an original play, The Inner Selves, from May 13 to 17. This four-hander charts the decline of two people’s mental health, and their marriage, as shown through Henry and Nora and the cacophonic assault of their inner thoughts. The play revolves are one bad day of mediocrity and boredom being the final straw for the pair as emotions come to a boil. Will this marriage survive? Even until morning?
Not for young children, its content warning takes in: alcohol, smoking, swearing, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, discussion of self-harm, marriage, divorce, loss of child, suicidal thoughts, mental health.
Tickets for the 7.30pm evening performances and 2.30pm Saturday matinee are on sale at tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Meg Conway, returning to the York stage after a nine-year hiatus, as Antonia and assistant director Mikhail Lim as Gonzalo in Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ The Tempest
