What’s on in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 21, from Gazette & Herald

Simon Withyman’s photograph of an urban fox from the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition at Nunnington Hall. Picture copyright: British Wildlife Photography Awards/Simon Withyman

GO wild in the country, have  fun at the fete or make a date with dramatic dancing, recommends Charles Hutchinson.  

Exhibition of the week: British Wildlife Photography Awards, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, on show until July 13

THE British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition celebrates the diversity of British wildlife and wild spaces through a collection of inspirational photographs and films, while raising awareness of British biodiversity, species and habitats. Normal admission prices apply, with free entry to National Trust members and under fives. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

Mick Liversidge, left, and Chris Pomfrett in a scene from York Actors Collective’s York premiere of Tiger Country

Hospital drama of the week: York Actors Collective in Tiger Country, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, 7.30pm, tonight to Friday; 2.30pm and 6pm, Saturday

NINA Raine’s doctors-and-nurses drama, last performed at Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2014, is revived by Angie Millard’s company York Actors Collective.

This fast-paced play considers doctors’ dilemmas as a range of clinical and ethical issues come under the spotlight in a busy hospital. Professionalism and prejudice, turbulent staff romances, ambition and failure collide as Raine depicts an overburdened health service and the dedicated individuals that keep it going. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

May half-term event of the week: Fun At The Fete, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, until Sunday, 10.30am to 5pm daily; last admission 4pm

BE transported to the fun of a village fete with themed games throughout the gardens. Families can compete against each other in hoopla, tin can alley, stilt walking and more besides.

For children who prefer a more relaxed day out, a creative hub is set up in the cutting garden for drawing and painting, while inside the house they can  create their own mini-maypole wand to take home. Normal admission applies, with free entry for National Trust members and under fives. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

Nick Mohammed’s alter-ego, Mr Swallow, in Show Pony, cantering into the Grand Opera House next week and in the autumn. Picture: Matt Crockett

Comedy gig of the week: Nick Mohammed Is Mr Swallow in Show Pony, Grand Opera House, York, tonight and October 23, 7.30pm

COMEDIAN, writer, Ted Lasso regular and Taskmaster loser Nick Mohammed transforms into his alter-ego, Mr Swallow, in Show Pony, a new show that will “cover everything from not having his own sitcom to not having his own sitcom… and everything in between (critical race theory). As per – expect magic, music and a whole load of brand-new mistakes”.  Box office:  atgtickets.com/york.

Jenny Don’t And The Spurs: Country meets garage at Pocklington Arts Centre. Picture: Chris Hogge

Country cowpunk gig of the week: Jenny Don’t And The Spurs, Pocklington Arts Centre, tonight, 8pm

AFTER playing Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, the Portland, Oregon garage, country, honky-tonk and rock’n’roll band Jenny Don’t And The Spurs bring their European tour to Pocklington for one of only four English shows, kitted out as ever with rhinestones on their custom outfits, handcrafted by Jenny herself.

As heard on June 2024 album Broken Hearted Blue, her songwriting is influenced by the contrasting landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern desert, with her band of drummer Buddy Weeks bass player Kelly Halliburton and lead guitarist Christopher March merging their garage-rock origins with country driving tempos, gritty fuzz tones and outlaw attitude. London-based Californian country singer Savannah Gardner supports. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Sir Tim Rice: Mulling over a life in musicals at the Grand Opera House, York

Musical knight of the week: Sir Tim Rice, My Life In Musicals – I Know Him So Well, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

LYRICIST supreme Sir Tim Rice reflects on his illustrious career at the heart of musical theatre, sharing anecdotes behind the songs, both the hits and the misses, complemented by stories of his life and live performances by leading West End singers and musicians, led by musical director Duncan Waugh. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Freida Nipples: Baps And Buns Burlesque at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb

Cabaret night of the week: Freida Nipples presents Baps And Buns Burlesque, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, Friday, 7pm to 11pm

YORK’S queen of burlesque, Freida Nipples, returns to Rise with her latest selection of sensational cabaret artists, from drag queens to acrobats. Prompt booking is advised as her Baps And Burlesque shows have a habit of selling out, in keeping with her burlesque nights at York Theatre Royal Studio, The Basement at City Screen and Impossible York.

“Prepare yourselves for an evening of debauchery and glamour in Acomb,” says Freida. “The big question is: are you ready for it?!” Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.

New Adventures in the 2021 production of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, returning to York Theatre Royal next week. Picture: Johan Persson

Dance return of the week: New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, June 4 to 7, 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, alongside the Olivier and Tony award-winning team of Terry Davies (music), Lez Brotherston (set and costume design), Paule Constable (lighting design) and Paul Groothuis (sound design). Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Strictly between us: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara look forward to A Night To Remember at York Barbican

Strictly show of the week: Aljaž And Janette: A Night To Remember, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm  

STRICTLY Come Dancing husband-and-wife duo Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara team up in their new show with their live big band, fronted by boogie-woogie maestro Tom Seals and an ensemble cast of dancers and singers.

Strictly regular Aljaž and It Takes Two and Morning Live host Janette take to the York Barbican dancefloor to perform routines to music from the Great American songbook right up to modern-day classics. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Aljaž and Janette move York date to April 2022…but here comes their streamed show

Strictly between us: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara and a model of an Oscar

STRICTLY Come Dancing regulars Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara are moving their Remembering The Oscars show at York Barbican for a second time.

The persistent pandemic has enforced a switch to April 7 2022, for the only Yorkshire performance of next year’s tour, after an earlier change from Spring 2020 to March 2021.

“Due to the continuing uncertainty regarding the unlocking of mass gatherings for events in the entertainment sector, it has been decided to reschedule the tour to Spring 2022,” the official statement reads, after the 41-date tour was postponed again, this time rescheduled for March 19 to May 7 2022.

All tickets will remain valid for the new dates. As announced earlier, the tour’s producers and Aljaž and Janette will be making ten free VIP tickets available to NHS staff at every venue as a way of showing their gratitude to front-line workers, with a meet & greet with the two dancers as part of the package. Information on how to claim these tickets will be announced “as soon as normal services resume”. 

In Remembering The Oscars, husband and wife Aljaž and Janette will give the red-carpet treatment to Oscar-winning songs, dances, movies and stars.

Slovenian-born dancer and choreographer Aljaž, 31, says: “We’re devastated to have to postpone for a second time what we truly believe is our best show to date. However, everybody’s health and safety comes first, so we know it’s absolutely the right decision to make.

“Equally, we’re thrilled audiences across the UK will still get to see our amazing show next year, by which point we all hope the pandemic will finally be behind us.”

Miami-born Cuban-American dancer and choreographer Janette, 37, adds: “Like all performers, we’re very much looking forward to the moment when we can all get back on the stage and put on a real show for everyone.

The poster for Aljaž and Janette’s rearranged Remembering The Oscars tour in 2022

“It will be a memorable and emotional moment for both the cast and audience that’ll be worth waiting for. In the meantime, stay safe everybody.”

Tickets remain valid for the new York Barbican date, but ticket holders unable to attend the April 7 2022 show should contact yorkbarbican.co.uk for refund details.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the latest tour postponement, Aljaž and Janette are to star in a streamed performance of the still-to-be-debuted Remembering The Oscars for a limited three-week season starting on March 27.

In this one-hour special, Aljaž & Janette will celebrate the greatest award-winning songs, films and dance routines from the Golden Ages of Hollywood through to Disney family favourites and beyond.

The Strictly duo will be joined by a cast of singers and dancers on a specially constructed stage, backed by a large LED screen that will show brand-new filmed content, as they dance their way through bespoke and original and musical arrangements of more than 25 songs.

Among the films in the spotlight will be Dirty Dancing, Mary Poppins, Flashdance, Cabaret, The Wizard Of Oz, An American In Paris, The Lion King, La La Land, Toy Story, Singin’ In The Rain, Frozen, A Chorus Line, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and Scent Of A Woman, among others.

The performance will be intercut with commentaries from Aljaž and Janette, complemented by backstage behind-the-scenes content; their personal account of how the show and its routines were created; why they picked certain songs; how they devised each of the show’s sections and the influences behind their performances.

Shot using ten high-definition cameras, the pay-per-view event will premiere on Saturday, March 27 at 7.30pm and can be watched on demand via Smart TVs, computers, tablets and phones until April 17.

Up stream: Aljaž and Janette announce “the streaming event of the year!”

All tickets come with a free digital 32-page programme, packed with exclusive photos, interviews, Oscar trivia and much more. Options to upgrade include an after-show pass to an In Conversation with Aljaž and Janette and an exclusive 30-minute behind-the-scenes film, featuring additional footage with access to the dressing rooms, rehearsals and backstage.

Aljaž and Janette say: “We feel awful having to postpone our Remembering The Oscars tour for a second time due to the pandemic, but we’re delighted to have been given the opportunity to film some of the highlights from the show.

“Hopefully this will give our audience and fans a taster of what is to come next year. We love and miss you and hope you enjoy the show.”

Many of the postponed tour’s venues, such as Birmingham Symphony Hall, Newcastle Theatre Royal and Northampton’s Derngate Theatre, have come together to help to promote the stream.

The show’s co-producers, Steven Howard for The TCB Group and David Shepherd, have commented jointly: “The support we have from our friends in the regions is invaluable. While venues remain closed, they are working with us to promote this very special streamed performance of Remembering The Oscars to their respective audiences.

“We all know how important local venues are to the cultural fabric of the UK, so we hope this goes someway to supplement the public’s craving for live performance.”

Tickets are available at £15 from: https://tcbtv.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/remembering_the_oscars or www.rememberingtheoscars.com.

Further offers:

In Conversation with Aljaž and Janette: £5

Aljaž and Janette answer all your questions and talk about the show, their dreams and aspirations for the future. In Conversation is a revealing insight into their Remembering The Oscars journey and the inspirations behind their choice of songs and dance routines. They will be joined by “some very special guests”.

Behind The Scenes with Aljaž and Janette: £5

Exclusive 30-minute film featuring additional footage with access to the dressing rooms, rehearsals and backstage of Remembering The Oscars.

Strictly’s Aljaž and Janette move Barbican show to 2021 and invite NHS heroes

Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara: Remembering The Oscars tour moves to Spring 2021

REMEMBER the new York Barbican date for Remembering The Oscars. Strictly Come Dancing couple Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara are rescheduling their postponed April 10 show for April 21 next year.

In keeping with all 38 dates, ten free VIP tickets will be made available to NHS staff “as a way of the producers and Aljaž and Janette showing their gratitude to these front-line heroes” caught in the eye of the Coronavirus pandemic storm.

This will include a meet & greet with the Strictly duo, and information on how to claim these tickets will be announced very soon “once normal services resume”. 

Aljaž and Janette say: “We know what we are offering is a relatively small gesture, but we want to acknowledge the amazing effort of the NHS staff who are facing unimaginable pressure on a daily basis as they treat patients across the UK affected by Coronavirus.

“We’ll be rolling out the proverbial red carpet for these heroes and we look forward to thanking them in person throughout the tour.”

The 2020 tour of Škorjanec and Manrara’s new dance spectacular had been due to start earlier this month, but was postponed after theatres closed nationwide in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The tour now will run from March 20 to May 4 2021 and all tickets will remain valid for the rearranged dates of Remembering The Oscars, wherein Aljaž and Janette will give the red-carpet treatment to Oscar-winning songs, dances, movies and stars. 

Janette says: “We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to put on this magnificent show, which we are so proud of, in 2021. We hope that when these difficult times pass, we can bring joy and smiles to everyone’s hearts; nothing would make us happier.” 

Aljaž added: “It was heart-breaking to not be able to open with our show this year, but we are now so thrilled that our beautiful show will still be seen by the UK audiences next year. We cannot wait to be back on stage and perform for you all.”

York Barbican is the only Yorkshire date on the tour. Ticket holders unable to attend the April 21 2021 show should contact the Barbican box office, 0203 356 5441.