Tag: Dominic Goodwin

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More Things To Do in York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 29, from The York Press

Danger, danger for a ranger at close quarters with a dinosaur’s teeth in Dinosaur Adventure Live: Danger On T-Rex Mountain at York Theatre Royal

DINOSAUR adventures and Knavesmire’s music showcase weekend, a not-so-sweet Transylvanian transvestite and a French farce promise variety aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s week ahead.

Children’s show of the week: Dinosaur Adventure Live, Danger On T-Rex Mountain, York Theatre Royal, today, 2.30pm

SIXTY-FIVE million years in the making, Dinosaur Adventure Live brings a fusion of family-friendly storytelling, puppetry and roarsome science to the stage as the ancient world of dinosaurs crashes back to life for gasps, giggles and occasional jump-scares.

From a shadowy raptor on the loose to baby dinosaurs that you can feed (carefully!), Mike Newman’s show blends humour, thrills and hands-on learning into an interactive stage experience. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Liz Foster: Exhibiting her abstract artworks in Arnup Studios’ first collective show at Pyramid Gallery

Exhibition launch of the week: Arnup Studios at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, today, 11am to 2pm, then running until September 27

CERAMICIST Hannah Arnup, landscape and natural world artist Michelle Galloway, abstract artist Liz Foster, plein-air and studio artist Kate Pettitt, British wildlife ceramicist Penny Phillips and handmade jewellery designer Emma Welsh will be on hand at today’s opening of Holtby-based Arnup Studios’ first collective exhibition at Pyramid Gallery. Gallery opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

Justine Warner with exhibits from today’s showcase of experimental textiles and mixed media at Laburnum Cottage, Sheriff Hutton 

Art showcase of the week: Experimental Textiles and Mixed Media, Laburnum Cottage Art Studio, West End, Sheriff Hutton, near York, today, 10am to 5pm

NORTH Yorkshire Open Studios textile and mixed-media artist, Landscape Artist Of The Year 2022 contestant, teacher and workshop tutor Justine Warner plays host to an exhibition of one year of student work, showcasing skills, workbooks and final pieces based on a wide range of experimental textile techniques that employ exciting and unusual materials in creative ways.

Look at how Bondaweb, Lutradur, soluble fabrics, metal, foils, gel printing, transfer printing, batik, tetra pack printing, block printing and heat-shrink can be used and  speak with some of the students who experimented with them.

Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s introverted office worker Thomas struggling with his bothersome briefcase in Skedaddle Theatre’s A Brief Case Of Crazy

Silent love story of the week: Skedaddle Theatre & Shoddy Theatre present A Brief Case Of Crazy, York Theatre Royal Studio, today, 2pm & 7pm

INSPIRED by the timeless genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mr Bean,Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Samuel Cunningham and Lennie Longworth’s physical comedy A Brief Case Of Crazy is a silent love story with a very loud heart, told through slick choreography, mime, clowning and puppetry.

Meet Thomas, an awkward, introverted office worker with a quiet crush on his equally shy colleague, Daisy. His quest for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover that what’s on the inside counts most? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Five upwards.

Dominic Goodwin in a triptych of his myriad roles in Twice Nightly

Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Friargate Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm

RYEDALE writer, performer and pantomime dame Dominic Goodwin is touring his first one-man comedy show, directed by York director and actor Thomas Frere.

Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. Box office: York, 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.

CMAT: Songs of identity, grief and beauty standards at Scarborough Open Air Theatre tonight 

Coastal gig of the week: CMAT, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, today, gates 6pm

CMAT, alias Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, burst on to the music scene six years ago with her debut single Another Day (KFC). The Dublin-born, County Meath-raised singer and songwriter has since released three bitingly humorous, emotionally honest albums, 2022’s If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, 2023’s Crazymad, For Me and 2025’s  Mercury Prize-nominated Euro-Country, her exploration of identity, grief and beauty standards, exemplified by Take A Sexy Picture Of Me. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk.

Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, doing the Time Warp again at the Grand Opera House next week. Picture: David Freeman 

Musical of the week: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Grand Opera House, York, July 20 to 25, Monday to Thursday, 8pm; Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm

STEPHEN Webb leads the cast as Dr Frank N Furter on The Rocky Horror Show’s latest return to the Grand Opera House, joined by comedian Jackie Clune as the Narrator. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, Richard O’Brien’s outré musical tells the story of squeaky-clean American college sweethearts Brad and his fiancée Janet’s very frank encounters at the freaky doctor’s Transylvanian castle after their car breaks down.

Cue an adventure full of fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity, bursting with timeless songs and outrageous outfits as O’Brien combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music while encouraging audience participation. Those audiences are sure to dress up in the most outrageous fancy dress. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Lenny Pearce: Techno for toddlers at York Barbican 

Techno dance moves for children: Lenny Pearce, Toddler Rave World Tour Part 2, York Barbican, July22, 3.30pm

LENNY Pearce is a force in family entertainment, captivating a global audience as the pioneer of Toddler Techno. Driven from his passion as a father, and his strong commitment to his home life, Lenny makes songs and videos and performs live shows where he spins children’s favourites, remixed into modern hits that keep young ones and parents alike dazzled. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Andrew O’Neill: Looking to Escape at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Andrew O’Neill 

Fringe shows of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, presents Joe Sellman-Leava in Copycat (Work In Progress), July 23, 7.30pm; Andrew O’Neill: Escape, July 24, 8pm

DOES AI spell the end of humanity, or the dawn of a new utopia, ponders Fringe First winner Joe Sellman-Leava. He might be a technophobe, but he is determined to find out by using innovative design and a whirlwind of uncanny impressions to tell the story of a teacher, a student, and a copycat dictator to examine the links between art, fascism and rapid technological change. 

HOW do we get out of this mess, asks cult comedian Andrew O’Neill in his surreal, political show, Escape, about the ways in which we disagree with each other, while suggesting some ways we can find our way out. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Airline hostesses at the treble: Bethan Olliver as Gloria, left, Val Debenedetti as Gabriella Jorja Cartwright as Gretchen in Rowntree Players’ Boeing Boeing 

Farce of the week: Rowntree Players in Boeing Boeing, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, July 23 to 25, 7.30pm

MARC Camoletti’s high-flying 1960s’ French farce Boeing Boeing is cleared for take-off in Hannah Shaw’s English-language production for Rowntree Players. Meet self-styled Parisian lothario Bernard, who has Italian, German and American fiancées, each one a beautiful airline hostess with frequent “layovers.”

He keeps “one up, one down, and one pending” until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris, and to Bernard’s apartment, at the same time. Shaw’s cast features Max Palmer as Bernard, Lizzie Lawton as Robert, Rebecca Thomson as Berthe, Jorja Cartwright as Gretchen, Bethan Olliver as Gloria and Val Debenedetti as Gabriella. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Craig David: TS5 DJ set at York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend next Friday

Outdoor concerts of the week: York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, Knavesmire, York, Craig David presents TS5, July 24, and Tom Grennan, July 25

SOUTHAMPTON singer-songwriter and DJ Craig David presents his TS5 DJ set on Music Showcase Friday’s double bill of racing and old-skool anthems, from R&B to Swing Beat, Garage to Bashment, plus current House hits, when he combines his song and MC skills.

Bedford singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is Saturday’s post-racing performer, drawing on such hits as Little Bit Of Love, Let’s Go Home Together, Remind Me, Here and How Does It Feel, plus songs from his number one albums Evering Road, What Ifs & Maybes and Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be and top-five debut Lighting Matches. Tickets: yorkracecourse.co.uk; no booking fees; free parking on race day.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 29, from Gazette & Herald

Eliza Carthy: Performing with The Restitution at Ryedale Festival

A MYTHICAL tale of a goddess, a near-future re-spinning of the selkie myth, an Arthurian quest of a lifetime, a bothersome briefcase in a love story and  a nostalgia trip to variety’s golden days keep Charles Hutchinson  entertained.

Folk gig of the week: Eliza Carthy and The Restitution, Ryedale Festival, Selby Abbey, tonight, 7pm

FLAMBOYANT Robin Hood’s Bay fiddler and singer Eliza Carthy continues to re-imagine traditional music with fiery imagination and fearless individuality. The daughter of Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, she grew up immersed in the folk world, and here she performs with her powerhouse touring band in one of Yorkshire’s most atmospheric and beautiful settings. For the full festival programme and tickets, go to: ryedalefestival.com.

Megan Drury in Wright & Grainger’s SELENE at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

Radical myth revamp of the week: Wright & Grainger and Theatre@41 present Megan Drury in SELENE, Halfway To Edinburgh Season, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 7pm, and tomorrow, 8.30pm

AUSTRALIAN actor Megan Drury stars in Easingwold duo Phil Grainger and Alexander Flanagan Wright’s tale of the goddess and the dark side of the moon in a radical explosion of an ancient myth.

A young girl watches the moon landings on repeat. A teenager makes a list of all the things they are not. A young adult starts to discover who they are. Expect a story addressing the light sides of us, the dark sides of us, the things orbiting around us as we grow up and not least the wild stuff inside us. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

The Three Inch Fools: Epic tale of Arthurian adventure and medieval mayhem at Helmsley Walled Garden

Outdoor theatre show of the week: The Three Inch Fools in King Arthur And The Holy Fail, Helmsley Walled Garden, tomorrow, 7pm

FOUNDED by Cumbrian brothers James and Stephen Hyde, The Three Inch Fools present an epic tale of Arthurian adventure and medieval mayhem, set in a land of daring quests, dashing knights and endless jousting.

Waiting in the wings is a would-be hero, by the name of Arthur, but when Camelot is rocked to its core by a tragic – and frankly improbable – incident involving a large table of an undisclosed shape, Arthur is thrust into the quest of a lifetime, Destiny awaits, chivalry calls and the quest to end all quests begins. Bring chairs, blankets and cushions. Picnics welcome. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s introverted Thomas and Lennie Longworth’s equally shy Daisy in A Brief Case Of Crazy

Silent love story of the week: Skedaddle Theatre & Shoddy Theatre present A Brief Case Of Crazy, York Theatre Royal Studio, tomorrow to Saturday, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee

INSPIRED by the timeless genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mr Bean,Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Samuel Cunningham and Lennie Longworth’s physical comedy A Brief Case Of Crazy is a silent love story with a very loud heart, told through slick choreography, mime, clowning and puppetry.

Meet Thomas, an awkward, introverted office worker with a quiet crush on his equally shy colleague, Daisy. His quest for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover that what’s on the inside counts most? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Five upwards.

Hannah Davies & Jack Woods: Re-imagining selkie myth in a not-too-distant future

Dystopian vision of the week: Hannah Davies & Jack Woods in The Ballad of Blea Wyke, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm

IN North Yorkshire writer and storyteller Hannah Davies and musician Jack Woods’ dystopian re-imagining of the selkie myth in a not-too-distant future, a young woman wants to see the sea. A stranger stands on a cliff. The last grey seal swims towards the shore. 

On her 18th birthday, tough care-leaver Cerys breaks the city’s lockdown and travels to the coastal cliffs that birthed her, the crumbling landscape drawing her back to her mythic past. Cue a haunting interweaving of story, music, poetry and song. Box office: Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Dominic Goodwin in a triptych of his myriad roles in Twice Nightly

Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Friargate Theatre, York, Friday and Saturday, 7.30pm

RYEDALE writer, performer and pantomime dame Dominic Goodwin is touring his first one-man comedy show, directed by York director and actor Thomas Frere.

Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. Box office: York, 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.

Tommy Banks; Turning up the heat at York Theatre Royal

Culinary event of the week:  An Evening with Tommy Banks: Spinning Plates: Live, York Theatre Royal, Friday, 7.30pm

MICHELIN-STARRED chef and entrepreneur Tommy Banks makes the trip from his Oldstead family farm to York Theatre Royal to bring his extraordinary story to the stage for the first and only time. Told across three intersecting timelines – the past 25 years, the defining 12 months and the opening night for his latest pub —each moment teeters on a knife-edge.

Banks runs the Black Swan at Oldstead, Roots York, in Marygate, York, and the Abbey Inn at Byland, as well as co-founding Jeopardy Hospitality, whose first venture is the General Tarleton at Ferrensby, Knaresborough. For one night only, he combines storytelling and immersive cinema to lift the lid on hospitality service at its most intense. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

CMAT: Songs of identity, grief and beauty standards at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Coastal gig of the week: CMAT, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Saturday, gates 6pm

CMAT, alias Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, burst on to the music scene six years ago with her debut single Another Day (KFC). The Dublin-born, County Meath-raised singer and songwriter has since released three bitingly humorous, emotionally honest albums, 2022’s If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, 2023’s Crazymad, For Me and 2025’s  Mercury Prize-nominated Euro-Country, her exploration of identity, grief and beauty standards, exemplified by Take A Sexy Picture Of Me. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk.

Danger on T-Rex Mountain in Dinosaur Adventure Live at York Theatre Royal

Children’s show of the week: Dinosaur Adventure Live, Danger On T-Rex Mountain, York Theatre Royal, Saturday,  2.30pm

SIXTY-FIVE million years in the making, Dinosaur Adventure Live brings a fusion of family-friendly storytelling, puppetry, and roarsome science to the stage as the ancient world of dinosaurs crashes back to life for gasps, giggles and occasional jump-scares.

From a shadowy raptor on the loose to baby dinosaurs that you can feed (carefully!), Mike Newman’s show blends humour, thrills and hands-on learning into an interactive stage experience. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as music & comedy festival season blooms. Hutch’s List No. 28, from The York Press

Super Furry Animals: Flower power in the botanical gardens at Live At York Museum Gardens. Picture: Ryan Eddleston

NINE comedians on one day in a garden, a mythical tale of a goddess and the dark side of the moon, a near-future re-spinning of the selkie myth and a bothersome briefcase in a love story keep Charles Hutchinson’s head spinning with artistic possibilities.  

Rock gig of the week: Futuresound presents Live At York Museum Gardens, Super Furry Animals, today, gates 4pm

FUTURESOUND’S third season of Live At York Museum Gardens concerts climaxes today with Welsh psychedelic rock band Super Furry Animals’ headline set. On the bill too are  singer-songwriter Baxter Dury, indie-pop septet Los Campesinos!, Nottingham alt-country band Divorce and North Wales psychedelic act Pys Melyn.  Box office: futuresoundgroup.com/york-museum-gardens-events.

The Gesualdo Six: Performing Wishing Tree: A Choral Journey 1 at St Lawrence’s Church, York, on July 14 at 3pm at Ryedale Festival. Picture: Ash Mills

Festival of the week: Ryedale Festival, until July 26

RYEDALE Festival presents 60 events this month in 40 different venues, including Tenebrae, The Gesualdo Six, John Wilson & Sinfonia of London’s An English Summer, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Opera North.

Taking part too are tenor Mark Padmore and pianist Christopher Glynn, Sheku & Isata Kanneh-Mason, pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, Eliza Carthy and The Restitution, soprano Erika Baikoff, cellist Laura van der Heijden, BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists and Kirkbymoorside Town Brass Band. For the full festival programme and tickets, go to: ryedalefestival.com.

Cutting a dash: Russell Kane’s 7.10pm set will last 25 minutes at York Comedy Festival tomorrow

Comedy event of the week: Futuresound presents York Comedy Festival, Live At York Museum Gardens, York, tomorrow, gates 3pm

TOPICAL comedian Russell Howard (9.30pm) and Geordie surrealist Ross Noble (8.35pm) take top billing at the second open-air York Comedy Festival, promoted by Futuresound.

In tomorrow’s line-up too will be Irish stand-up and podcast sensation Joanne McNally (7.40pm); stand-up and presenter Russell Kane (7.10pm); Big Kick Energy podcaster and comedian Suzi Ruffell (6.15pm); Alex Lowe’s 82-year-old comic creation Barry From Watford (5.45pm); cult stand-up hero and viral sensation Jeff Innocent (4.50pm)  and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Nabil Abdulrashid (4.20pm), all hosted by Jarred Christmas. Box office: yorkcomedyfestival.com.

Megan Drury in Wright & Grainger’s SELENE, part of Theatre@41’s Halfway To Edinburgh Season

Radical myth revamp of the week: Wright & Grainger and Theatre@41 present Megan Drury in SELENE, Halfway To Edinburgh Season, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, July 15, now 7pm; July 16, 8.30pm

AUSTRALIAN actor Megan Drury stars in Easingwold duo Phil Grainger and Alexander Flanagan Wright’s tale of the goddess and the dark side of the moon in a radical explosion of an ancient myth.

A young girl watches the moon landings on repeat. A teenager makes a list of all the things they are not. A young adult starts to discover who they are. Expect a story addressing the light sides of us, the dark sides of us, the things orbiting around us as we grow up and not least the wild stuff inside us. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

UPDATE: 13/7/2026

STATEMENT from Team 41: “As you may have noticed the show now partially clashes with England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina.

“To allow people to catch as much of the match as possible, we’ve moved the start time for Wright & Grainger’s SELENE to 19:00. 

“The show is 70 minutes long, so you’ll hopefully be able to enjoy Wright & Grainger’s SELENE and then see the match from the first Hydration Break.

“There is another performance of SELENE on Thursday at 8.30pm, so if you would prefer to move to that show, send an email to boxoffice@41monkgate.co.uk.” 

Silence is golden: Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s Thomas in A Brief Case Of Crazy at York Theatre Royal Studio

Silent love story of the week: Skedaddle Theatre & Shoddy Theatre present A Brief Case Of Crazy, York Theatre Royal Studio, July 16 to 18, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee

INSPIRED by the timeless genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mr Bean,Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Samuel Cunningham and Lennie Longworth’s physical comedy A Brief Case Of Crazy is a silent love story with a very loud heart, told through slick choreography, mime, clowning and puppetry.

Meet Thomas, an awkward, introverted office worker with a quiet crush on his equally shy colleague, Daisy. His quest for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover that what’s on the inside counts most? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Five upwards.

Hannah Davies & Jack Woods: Performing The Ballad Of Blea Wyke at Helmsley Arts Centre on July 17. Picture: Matt Jopling

Dystopian vision of the week: Hannah Davies & Jack Woods in The Ballad of Blea Wyke, Helmsley Arts Centre, July 17, 7.30pm

IN North Yorkshire writer and storyteller Hannah Davies and musician Jack Woods’ dystopian re-imagining of the selkie myth in a not-too-distant future, a young woman wants to see the sea. A stranger stands on a cliff. The last grey seal swims towards the shore. 

On her 18th birthday, tough care-leaver Cerys breaks the city’s lockdown and travels to the coastal cliffs that birthed her, the crumbling landscape drawing her back to her mythic past. Cue a haunting interweaving of story, music, poetry and song. Box office: Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Dominic Goodwin in a triptych of three of his multiple roles in Twice Nightly at Friargate Theatre

Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Friargate Theatre, York, July 17 & 18, 7.30pm

RYEDALE writer, performer and pantomime dame Dominic Goodwin is touring his first one-man comedy show, directed by York director and actor Thomas Frere.

Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. Box office: York, 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.

Turning up the heat: North Yorkshire chef Tommy Banks

Culinary event of the week:  An Evening with Tommy Banks: Spinning Plates: Live, York Theatre Royal, July 17, 7.30pm

MICHELIN-STARRED chef, restaurateur and hospitality leader Tommy Banks makes the trip from his Oldstead family farm to York Theatre Royal to bring his extraordinary story to the stage for the first and only time. Told across three intersecting timelines – the past 25 years, the defining 12 months and the opening night for his latest pub —each moment teeters on a knife-edge.

Banks runs the Black Swan at Oldstead (head chef since June 2013), Roots York, in Marygate, York (since 2018) , and the Abbey Inn at Byland (since 2023), as well as co-founding Jeopardy Hospitality, whose first venture is the General Tarleton at Ferrensby, Knaresborough, in 2025.

His debut cookbook, Roots, was published by Orion in April 2018. He set up the food box business Made In Oldstead in 2020, Banks Brothers canned wine company in 2021, Tommy’s Pie Shop in 2024 and Tommy Banks Hospitality, for large-scale events, stadia catering and corporate hospitality nationwide, in 2025.

In 2019, Banks became resident chef at Lord’s Cricket Ground; in 2022, chef partner of Twickenham Stadium; in 2025, chef partner of Sunderland AFC. A lifelong Sunderland supporter, he now leads the culinary offering at Banks on the Wear and oversees corporate hospitality at the football ground.

Exemplified by the three-acre kitchen garden by the Black Swan, sustainability sits at the heart of everything Banks does. His field-to-fork commitment to responsible growing, foraging and low-impact cooking has been recognised with a Michelin Green Star, while his dedication to nurturing future talent continues through apprenticeship programmes and industry partnerships.

For one night only, he combines storytelling and immersive cinema to lift the lid on hospitality service at its most intense, reflecting on a lifetime of ambition, vulnerability, risk and pressure (cookers). 

Set against a turbulent backdrop, where soaring business rates and crushing VAT force three pubs to close every week, Banks exposes the brutal reality of keeping the doors open while revealing the plate-spinning demands of leadership and what it takes to pursue excellence.

Along the way, discover the community of talent he has built in the once-sleepy village of Oldstead, firmly rooted in camaraderie, resilience and Yorkshire grit. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

This Is Torture for Sean Walsh: Anxiety levels rising at Harrogate Theatre, York Theatre Royal and the SJT, Scarborough. Picture: Jiksaw

Gig announcement of the week: Sean Walsh, This Is Torture, Harrogate Theatre, October 6, and York Theatre Royal, November 6, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, April 14 2027

I’M A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2022 series survivor Sean Walsh has decided to name his latest stand-up tour show after the phrase he says the most: “This Is Torture”.  The dishevelled Camden comedian will be bringing his signature blend of chaos and charm to Harrogate, York and the newly added Scarborough to put himself through an anxiety filled-hour, as he indeed will on no fewer than 71 occasions on a tour now extended by 37 dates.

The ever-observant Walsh’s podcasting portfolio takes in co-hosting Oh My Dog! with Jack Dee, where guests discuss their special canine bonds, and What’s Upset You Now?, putting the world to rights in cathartic trips to the pub with Paul McCaffrey. In addition, on Class Clown, he sits down with the boldest rule-breakers in entertainment to explore the personal battles that shaped them.

In 2024, he made his Shakespearean debut as Malvolio in Twelfth Night at Stafford Gatehouse, then played Yvan in a tour of Yasmina Reza’s Art. Tickets: www.seannwalsh.com; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk; York, 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; Scarborough,01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

In Focus: Navigators Art presents Moss Glow And Shadow Bloom, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight 7.45pm

York singer Gabriella Hunzinger

YORK arts collective Navigators Art’s final gig before a summer break brings together four Yorkshire performers whose work conjures unique worlds up in a magical programme of electronic, acoustic and vocal sounds, influenced by folk traditions and environmental awareness.

Combining ancient and modern iconography, art, poetry and music, the bill features York singer Gabriella Hunzinger, No Spinoza, previewing forthcoming album Jupiter’s Great Hurricane, Sheffield experimental songwriter Pefkin and Things Found And Made’s lost cinematic folk-tales.

No Spinoza’s Thomas Pearson

GABRIELLA HUNZINGER: Her songs take wisdom from nature’s seasonal cycles and explore connections between ourselves, the earth and what lies beyond our conscious experience. Accompanied by cellist Filipe Massumi and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Webster.


NO SPINOZA: Welcome to the thematic universe of forthcoming album Jupiter’s Great Hurricane, where Thomas Pearson’s songs bridge history and legend, ancient and modern. Featured in session on BBC Introducing.

Pefkin

PEFKIN: Sheffield performing and recording artist. Multi-instrumentalist and experimental songwriter of slowly unfolding psychedelic hymnals, inspired by nature.

THINGS FOUND AND MADE: Lost cinematic folk-tales: imagined histories, half remembered rituals of sound and nature, from York.

Tickets:  https://www.ticketsource.com/navigators-art-performance or on the door.

Things Found And Made

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Dominic Goodwin recalls variety’s golden days in solo comedy show Twice Nightly on tour in Helmsley, Richmond and York

Dominic Goodwin in a triptych of variety guises in Twice Nightly

DOMINIC Goodwin, one-time manager of Helmsley Arts Centre, pantomime dame and actor, returns to his old stamping ground with his first one-man comedy show in a celebration of the glory days of variety on Friday and Saturday.

Written and performed by Goodwin and directed by York director and actor Thomas Frere, Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over variety.

Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson), Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller.

“It’s been an honour to perform these stars’ material, and even more so to have the backing of the families,” says Dominic, who will be on tour until July 25, including further North Yorkshire performances at the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, on July 10 and 11 and Friargate Theatre, York, on July 17 and 18.

Dominic Goodwin at his most colourful in Twice Nightly

Here Dominic discusses Twice Nightly, variety’s golden age and going solo with CharlesHutchPress.


Introduce the show, Dominic…

“Freddie Francis has been a second spot comic for 30 years, touring the country on every variety bill going. We find him in 1956 recalling his life spent touring the halls; the ups, the downs, the riotous, the fantastic and the downright silly!

“He recalls his days entertaining the troops during the Second World War, playing at the infamous Glasgow Empire, and we discover what really happened when a speciality act lost her snake on stage!!

“Ultimately Twice Nightly is a fading memory of the variety stage. The death of something that has been part of everyone’s life for decades is now on the decline. Where will Freddie go when he finishes this tour? Who will he go back to, and ultimately who really cares?”

What are your own memories of the golden era of variety? Did you see any of the icons on stage?
“Oh how I wish I had! I’ve only ever seen them in YouTube clips. The sheer diversity of the acts on offer was extraordinary. From singers to comics, contortionists to animal acts like Rumba the man-eating lion! And even a guy who would walk on stage with a live bull!”

Who are your variety heroes?
“It would have to be Jimmy James – he of the “box routine” fame – and Norman Evans. Norman was the forerunner of Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough with their Ada & Cissie act. Norman did his ‘over the garden wall’ sketches with his character of Fanny Fairbottom. Very funny sketches and at the time there was nothing like it.

“I suppose the ultimate variety star would be Max Miller. He had the longest stage life and was top of the bill for longer.”

What has been the gestation of Twice Nightly from idea to stage?
“I originally wrote it in 2015 and performed in Scotland with a cast of eight, when [Easingwold actor, songwriter and magician] Phil Grainger was in it, but the intention was always to do it as a one-man play.”

Dominic Goodwin’s Dr Watson, left, and Julian Finnegan’s Sherlock Holmes in Kirkbymoorside company Pyramus and Thisbe Productions’ 2021 revival of Stuart Fortey’s two-hander Holmes And Watson: The Farewell Tour

What was the attraction of performing a solo show when we have often seen you in double acts previously?
“My friends at The Swallow [Scotland’s smallest theatre at Ravenstone, Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway], have asked about a return of Twice Nightly for a few years and after the success of Switcheroo last year I decided the time was right, while I was still young enough to tackle a one-man play!”

Why is the show called Twice Nightly?
“In the heyday days of variety, the shows would be performed twice nightly, at 6pm and 8pm, so the title kind of fits!”

Which variety acts feature in Twice Nightly?

“The show includes routines from amongst others, Max Miller, Rob Wilton, Jimmy James and Norman Evans, and renditions of many of the popular songs of the time, such as The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo, Happy Days Are Here Again and Goodnight Sweetheart.”

What form has the “backing of the [variety act] families” taken for Twice Nightly?
“That has been amazing! Firstly, the Max Miller Appreciation Society has been very helpful. They’ve given me permission to use his gags, and on the matinee of the week I’m doing in Brighton they have booked the theatre out for a social event! So they’ll all sit and watch the show and then we’ll have a little do.

“Jimmy James’s granddaughter has given me permission to do the box routine, and she is actually coming to the show on Thursday (25/6/2026) at Grantham! I had quite an online trawl to find her.

“The Norman Evans routine was written by Ronnie Taylor, who died in the 1970s, and all his scripts and ephemera went to the V&A, but his two daughters have also given me permission to perform a Fanny Fairbottom sketch!”

Dominic Goodwin in the role of Norman Evans’s variety character Fanny Fairbottom

Why did the good old days of variety die out? 

“Things changed, The Beatles, Cliff Richard etc. People wanted something different. When Johnnie Ray came to the UK in 1956, that was the beginning of the end. Then of course the introduction of television, people could see their favourite acts while sitting in their living rooms.”

Have you worked with director Thomas Frere previously and why did you pick him to direct Twice Nightly?
“Thom is a dear good friend and a top-notch director. We’ve worked together a few times now, although always as co-actors, from panto in 2009 to Switcheroo in 2025. This is the first time he’s sat in the director’s seat and I wouldn’t hesitate to hook him again.

“He knows instinctively what will work and what won’t. His understanding of the relationship between actor and audience is top-notch.

“We’ve together worked to give the show its shape and form. He’s also very well aware of when it’s time to stop for the day in the rehearsal room. Doing a one-man show is pretty knackering and generally he wouldn’t let me go on after 4pm.”

What are your happiest memories of your time as manager of Helmsley Arts Centre?
“Running the youth theatre for so many years and watching youngsters really get to grips with texts; meeting some top-class names, like Jonathan Miller, Nicholas Parsons and Robert Powell, and working alongside people who had a real love of the arts centre and its aims.”

Finally, Dominic, why should we see Twice Nightly?
“Come along for a laugh. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, you’ll go away having had a high old time. If you want to laugh, go! It’s not a show to be viewed as a piece of history; it’s full of fun, with an added dollop of pathos thrown in for good measure.”

Pyramus and Thisbe Productions presents Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Helmsley Arts Centre, June 26 & 27, 7.30pm; Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, July 10 & 11, 7.30pm; Friargate Theatre, York, July 17 & 18, 7.30pm.

Box office: Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk; Richmond, 01748 825252 or georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk; York, 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.

Dominic Goodwin making his point in Twice Nightly

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as Strictly stars come dancing in clash of shows. Hutch’s List No. 24, from The Press

Hal Cruttenden: Dishing out the comical blows at Pocklington Arts Centre tonight. Picture: Matt Crockett

OPEN studios across York and beyond, Strictly dancers in  tandem, Les Miserables in its school edition and Elvis Costello’s early years are among Charles Hutchinson’s joyful June recommendations.

Comedy gig of the week: Hal Cruttenden: Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It, Pocklington Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm

EALING comedian Hal Cruttenden’s new tour show promises to stick it to ‘The Man’, as long as ‘The Man’ doesn’t stick it back to him. Utilising his trademark hard-hitting comedy style, he pontificates on subjects such as middle-aged dating, social media, the insanity of modern politics and how his daughters love him but do not respect him. He believes that, after experiencing this gig, you will feel exactly the same way. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Es Devlin stands by her installation Library Of The Four Winds in the Temple of the Four Winds at Castle Howard. Picture: James Drury

Drawing workshop of the day: Es Devlin, Library Of The Four Winds, Temple of the Four Winds, Castle Howard, near York, today at 12 noon

TO mark today’s opening of her Library Of The Four Winds installation at the Temple of the Four Winds, Castle Howard, artist and designer Es Devlin will hold a 45-minute outdoor drawing workshop, with materials provided. Further workshops will follow at the installation every Saturday until September 26.

Devlin will be in conversation today with Nicholas Howard and Francis Terry in a 5.30pm event supported by the Georgian Society and National Lottery Heritage Fund. Library Of The Four Winds will be on show until September 27. For full details of the workshops, conversation and installation, go to: castlehoward.co.uk.

The Jazzville Quartet: Performing with Kirsty Hughes at The Old Paint Shop

Cabaret gig of the week: The Old Paint Shop presents The Jazzville Quartet, with Kirsty Hughes, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight, 8pm

YORK jazz combo The Jazzville Quartet are joined by University of York alumna and Royal Academy of Music graduate Kirsty Hughes, showcasing her love of Judy Garland and the great jazz singers in an intimate cabaret performance.

Piano maestro and arranger Alec Robinson, saxophonist Alex Fisher, double bassist Tim Murgatroyd and drummer Steve Hanley will be exploring the Great American Songbook too in a celebration of swing, Latin classics and haunting jazz ballads. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Shechter II in Hofesh Shechter’s In The Brain at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Todd MacDonald

New dance work of the week: Shechter II in In The Brain, York Theatre Royal, tonight, 7.30pm

HOFESH Shechter’s exhilarating new full-length work for Shechter II, In The Brain, is a raw, electrifying dive into movement, rhythm, and collective energy, taking a pulsing, urgent journey into the depths of our consciousness, where stories dissolve, identity fades and only the beat remains.

In The Brain is a space to break free, to lose yourself, to surrender to the rush of movement, the weight of bass and the euphoria of bodies locked in Shechter’s signature groove. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Abstract artist Mark Ibson

Exhibition of the week: Mark Ibson, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, until July 30

SELF-TAUGHT Bishop Wilton artist Mark Ibson’s abstract works are back on the bakery walls at Bluebird Bakery, where he is exhibiting new artworks in the form of experiments in surface texture and instinctive marking.

Initially a furniture and interior restorer, Ibsen began painting in 2012, holding his debut solo exhibition at Partisan, Micklegate, in May 2027 at the age of 47 after years of quietly painting and honing his skills at his studio in the former Herris Fisher blacksmith’s forge. “It seemed to be a natural progression,” he said at the time.

Ric Liptrot: Taking part in North Yorkshire Open Studios in York this weekend

Open invitation of the weekend: North Yorkshire Open Studios 2026, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm

MORE than 200 artists and makers are taking part in the second weekend of the summer edition of North Yorkshire Open Studios. Among those involved in and around York are Lucie Wake;  Alex Ash; Lincoln Lightfoot; Jon Haste; Ali Hunter; Veronica Ongaro; Di Gomery; Jill Tattersall; Evie Leach; Katrina Mansfield and Lesley Shaw.

So too are Lisa Power; Lu Mason; Ric Liptrot; Jo Walton; Kai West; Emily Littler; Hannah Arnup; Michelle Galloway; Janie Stevens; Toby Staunton; Gonzalo Blanco; Andrew Bloodworth; Justine Warner; Graham Jones; Nora Gaston and Freya Horsley. The full list of artists and makers can be found at nyos.org.uk.

Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu: Reborn at Grand Opera House, York

Strictly stars of the week combination number one: Amy & Carlos: Reborn, Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu, Grand Opera House, York, June 16, 7.30pm

AFTER making her stunning return to the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor, Amy Dowden MBE truly feels Reborn in her tour show, accompanied by fellow Strictly professional Carlos Gu.

Back on stage after a triumphant debut season, Amy and Carlos will be sharing an intimate portrait of their lives and journeys, wherein the inspirational and transformative power of dance shines through.  Reborn features world-class dancers, live vocalists and a soundtrack of iconic anthems from across the decades. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Nikita Kuzmin: Shining brightly in Supernova with Karen Hauer, on tour at York Barbican

Strictly stars of the week combination number two: Burn The Floor presents Nikita Kuzmin in Supernova, with special guest Karen Hauer, York Barbican, June 16, 7.30pm

STRICTLY Come Dancing fan favourite Nikita Kuzmin takes centre stage in the explosive dance spectacular Supernova, joined by very special guest star Karen Hauer, Strictly’s longest-serving female professional.

Created in collaboration with choreographer and BAFTA award recipient Jason Gilkison and presented by international dance sensations Burn The Floor, Supernova is fuelled by the firepower of world-class performers and global creatives in an evening where artistry meets innovation and Kuzmin’s trademark charm, power and charisma shine brighter than ever. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

NE Theatre York’s poster for next week’s School Edition production of Les Miserables

Youth theatre show of the week: NE Theatre York in Les Miserables School Edition, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, June 16 to 20, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

ALAIN Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of redemption will be performed by under-18s from NE Theatre York, directed by Steve Tearle, with a 15-piece orchestra under Joe Allen’s musical direction, projections by Tom Turner and the obligatory  barricade in the set design.

The musical tells the story of former prisoner Jean Valjean, who is pursued for 17 years by police inspector Javert against the backdrop of a brewing revolution in 19th-century Paris. The principal cast features Sam Brophy’s Jean Valjean, Will Roberts’s Javert, Emil Marczuk’s  Marius, Juliette Sellamuttu’s Fantine, Oscar Smith’s Enjolras, Callum Richardson’s Thenardier and Bella Gledhill’s Madame Thenardier. Box office:  01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Elvis Costello: Revisiting his 1977-1986 back catalogue in Radio Soul! at York Barbican

York gig of the week: Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton, Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello, York Barbican, June 17, 7.45pm

ELVIS Costello plays York Barbican for the first time since May 2013, joined by The Imposters’ Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher and Texan guitarist Charlie Sexton for a set list drawn from 1977’s My Aim Is True to 1896 Blood & Chocolate albums, complemented by “other surprises”.

“For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to 50years ago,” says Costello, 71. “You can expect the unexpected and the faithful in equal measure.” His special guest will be Emily Moment. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Dominic Goodwin in myriad roles in Twice Nightly at Helmsley Arts Centre

Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Helmsley Arts Centre, June 26 and 27, 7.30pm

WRITER and performer Dominic Goodwin, one-time manager of Helmsley Arts Centre, returns to his old stamping ground with his first one-man comedy show, directed by York director Thomas Frere.

Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over  variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. “It’s been an honour to perform these stars’ material, and even more so to have the backing of the families,” says Goodwin. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Al Dunn, Matt Freeman and Nick Bunt in Le Navet Bete’s Oh Zeus!. Picture: Mark Senior

In Focus: Le Navet Bete in Oh Zeus!, York Theatre Royal, June 18 to 20, 7.30pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee

CHAOTIC comedy specialists Le Navet Bete return to York Theatre Royal from tomorrow, this time with their riotous ride through the world of Greek mythology, Oh Zeus!.

The Exeter company previously toured their hit family shows Dracula: The Bloody Truth, King Arthur and Treasure Island to the St Leonard’s Place theatre.

Written by John Nicholson and Le Navet Bete and directed by Nicholson, Oh Zeus! finds the stability of Olympus being threatened by the marriage of Zeus’s daughter, Hebe, to a mere mortal, whereupon the King of the Gods hatches a plan to derail the wedding.

Cue three actors – company founders Al Dunn, Nick Bunt and Matt Freeman – playing 40 characters between them in a mythical farce that journeys through Ancient Greece, the Underworld and back.

Expect physical comedy, outrageous jokes, fast-paced pandemonium and togas aplenty in a show ideal for devotees of Fawlty Towers, Bottom and The Play That Goes Wrong.

Formed in 2008 in Exeter, Devon, Le Navet Bete travel around the UK and internationally, with support from Arts Council England, the Exeter Northcott Theatre and the Exeter Phoenix, on a mission to create and tour humorous, physical and accessible comedy theatre, replete with storytelling for “absolutely everyone (ages four to 104)” – although Oh Zeus! carries an age guidance of 12 plus. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 24, from Gazette & Herald

Ralf Little’s disillusioned British intelligence officer Alec Leamas in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Picture: Johan Persson

COLD War espionage, artist open studios on moor and coast, Wright & Grainger in short form and Elvis Costello’s early years revisited make their mark on culture guide Charles Hutchinson.

Thriller of the week: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees today, tomorrow and Saturday

FOR the first time, a John le Carré novel is being brought to life on stage by Chichester Festival Theatre in David Eldridge’s adaptation of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, a typically taut tale that journeys through the fog-shrouded terrain of Cold War espionage, deception and moral compromise.

Death In Paradise star Ralf Little’s disillusioned British intelligence officer, Alec Leamas, is ready to come in from the cold, until veteran agent George Smiley persuades him to take one final mission against the East German Secret Service. Deep undercover, Leamas finds his convictions tested and his defences breached by Liz Gold, a quietly defiant librarian, whose compassion threatens to thaw his frostbitten heart. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Rich Hall: Delivering comedy’s version of Chin Music at Pocklington Arts Centre

American comedian of the week: Rich Hall: Chin Music, Pocklington Arts Centre, tonight, 8pm

THE expression “chin music” has two meanings. One is idle talk; the other is a ‘brushback’ throw in baseball or cricket to intimidate the batter. Both describe North Carolina-born Rich Hall’s comedy: idle but intimidating, sharp, quick, splenetic and improvisational. Don’t duck out of seeing him in action in Pocklington tonight. Box office: 017589 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Florence Poskitt’s Rita and Jamie McKeller’s Frank in Black Treacle Theatre’s Educating Rita at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

Literature lessons of the week: Black Treacle Theatre in Educating Rita, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm

YORK actors Florence Poskitt and Jamie McKeller team up for the first time under Jim Paterson’s direction in Willy Russell’s warm, witty and moving double-hander about the power of education to change lives. When Rita, a working-class hairdresser hungry for something more, signs up for an Open University literature course, she meets disillusioned academic Frank, whose passion for teaching has long faded. 

Their weekly tutorials become a battle of ideas, humour and honesty as Rita’s confidence blossoms and Frank reckons with his own choices and the possibility of a second chance. Change comes with difficult choices for both student and tutor, who must reconsider who they are and who they want to be. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

The Bluffs’ poster for Unwritten: The Literary Improv Show at Rise@Bluebird Bakery

Unscripted silliness of the week: Unwritten: The Literary Improv Show, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, tomorrow, 8.30pm, doors 7.30pm

YORK troupe The Bluffs take classic short-form improv games and infuse them with storytelling flair in an evening of laughter, silliness and plot twists. Each fast-paced show is shaped by audience suggestions and spontaneous creativity. Expect scenes inspired by classic literature, unexpected character mash-ups and even a fanfiction-inspired musical number.

The Bluffs are drawn from a melange of theatrical, comedy and musical backgrounds, from festival stages to pantomime and competitive Theatresports. Box office: eventbrite.com/e/unwritten-the-literary-improv-show-tickets-1984763723726.

Easingwold creative duo Wright & Grainger: Presenting Say It & Play It at The Old Paint Shop

The Old Paint Shop presents: Wright & Grainger Say It & Play it, York Theatre Royal Studio, tomorrow, 8pm

FRIENDS and working partners since Easingwold schooldays, Wright & Grainger serve a carefully curated evening of stories, poems, songs and gentle chaos. Known for their internationally acclaimed adaptations of Ancient Greek myths, sometimes they do something a tad different.

Hence Say It & Play It will be a set full of Alexander Flanagan Wright & Phil Grainger’s shorter collaborative works, the poems that stand on their own, the beautiful tracks they have been writing. “It’s a gorgeous weave of our home-grown stuff, grown and told on home turf,” they say. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Paul Weller: Heading back to the East Coast to play Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Seaside excursion of the week: Paul Weller, TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Friday, gates 6pm

PAUL Weller follows up April’s release of Weller At The BBC Vol 2 with his return to Scarborough Open Air Theatre for the first time since July 7 2024. The Modfather, 68, will be expected to draw on material from his days in The Jam and Style Council, as well as his solo years, from 1992’s self-titled debut to July 2025’s Find El Dorado. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Mark Butler: Taking part in North Yorkshire Open Studios 2026

North Yorkshire Open Studios 2026, Moors and Coast, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm

MORE than 200 artists and makers are taking part in the second weekend of the summer edition of North Yorkshire Open Studios, including 73 representing the Moors and Coast. Among them will be Boo Barwick-Ward; Iona May Stock; Jo Naden; Sarah Sharpe, Alison Spaven; Anna Matyus; Pam Edwards; Deborah Wilkinson; Iona Harrison; Jonathan Pomroy and Stephen Bird.

So too will Rory Menage; Sue Slack; Mike Nowill; Studio Milena; Clare Belbin; Elizabeth Bailey; Lyn Bailey; Pauline Brown; Sally Parkin; Nettle Cottage Prints; Slab and Slip; Rebecca Callis; Kate Brown; Jess Shaw; Martin Gittins; Alice O’Neil and Gillies Jones. Full details can be found at nyos.org.uk.

Elvis Costello: Revisiting his early years in his Radio Soul! show at York Barbican. Picture: Ray Di Pietro

York gig of the week: Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton, Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello, York Barbican, June 17, 7.45pm

ELVIS Costello plays York Barbican for the first time since May 2013, joined by The Imposters’ Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher and Texan guitarist Charlie Sexton for a set list drawn from 1977’s My Aim Is True to 1896 Blood & Chocolate albums, complemented by “other surprises”.

“For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to 50years ago,” says Costello, 71. “You can expect the unexpected and the faithful in equal measure.” His special guest will be Emily Moment. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Dominic Goodwin: Performing Twice Nightly over two nights at Helmsley Arts Centre

Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Helmsley Arts Centre, June 26 and 27, 7.30pm

DOMINIC Goodwin, one-time manager of Helmsley Arts Centre, returns to his old stamping ground with his first one-man comedy show, written and performed by Goodwin and directed by York director Thomas Frere.

Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over  variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. “It’s been an honour to perform these stars’ material, and even more so to have the backing of the families,” says Goodwin. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

York printmaker Michelle Hughes holding a copy of her debut book, Printing Birds and Wildlife in Linocut

In Focus

Book event of the week: An Evening with Michelle Hughes, Printing Birds and Wildlife in Linocut, Kemps Books, Malton, tonight, 7.30pm

YORK linocut printmaker discusses her debut book, Printing Birds and Wildlife in Linocut, her creative story and upcoming tenth anniversary in business at Kemps Books. “Liz Kemp has been a huge supporter of my printmaking journey, selling my original prints in the early days, greeting cards over the years, and now stocking my book,” says Michelle. “Do come along and support a fabulous indie gift shop and bookshop.”

Published in February 2026, Michelle’s beautifully illustrated book shares how to design, carve and print birds and wildlife using traditional linocut techniques, guiding  readers from simple one-colour prints through to more advanced multi-colour methods, including jigsaw, reduction and multi-block printing.

“Whether you are completely new to linocut or already exploring printmaking, the book offers clear step-by-step guidance, practical tips and creative inspiration for capturing birds and wildlife in this rewarding craft,” says Michelle.

“During the evening you’ll enjoy my short talk about my journey to becoming a professional printmaker; behind-the-scenes insights into how the book was created, with a chance to see original prints and lino blocks featured in the book and a Q&A session about linocut printmaking, followed by a book signing.

Come and celebrate wildlife, printmaking and the joy of carving and printing by hand.” Tickets must be booked in advance in person in store or at kempsgeneralstore.co.uk/pages/events.

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REVIEW: Clap Trap Theatre in Switcheroo, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight and tomorrow, comedy ***, straight ****

Dominic Goodwin’s Pat, left, and Thomas Frere’s Alex in Clap Trap Theatre’s Switcheroo, played comically

SWITCHEROO writer Tom Needham is a BAFTA-nominated North Yorkshire playwright and scriptwriter who lives on a very small farm with, at the last count, three cats, three dogs, six ducks, seven chickens, five pigs, two horses, two turkeys, two llamas and one conure parrot by the name of Pearl.

He has an impressive writing stock too with 100-plus theatre and TV credits: 65 episodes of The Bill over 25 years; episodes of Casualty, EastEnders,  Wycliffe, Dangerfield, Dalziel & Pascoe, Silent Witness and more, plus his own series, Cold Blood and children’s show Retrace.

Needham is in his 13th year of writing for Ryedale company Clap Trap Theatre, Switcheroo being the latest addition to the ghost story The Room Upstairs, The Wrecker, The Rape Queen, Impact and Blindfold.

Rehearsed in Needham and company co-founder Cal Stockbridge’s converted barn near Pickering, shared with a small colony of bats, Switcheroo is heading out on a month-long tour, opening at York Theatre Royal Studio this week and running until June 24.

Directed by Riding Lights Theatre Company artistic director Paul Birch, opening night timer in hand, Switcheroo is spun on a simple premise: “It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it”. 

Three squabbling siblings, stuck in the mud of midlife, are confronted by a bombshell revelation in their mother’s will when charged with the task of scattering her ashes.

In keeping with the two faces of theatre, the play is first played out as a rollicking comedy, nudging into farce. Post-interval, the same play, the same dialogue, is replayed seriously seriously by the same actors, but now playing different roles, having done their own switcheroo.

And the way they say it most definitely changes, to the point where you wonder how it could ever have been a comedy in the first place, such is the impact in particular of Dominic Goodwin’s embittered, drunk, wounded Alex, the one who had looked after their mother in her last days.

Cal Stockbridge’s Pat in Switcheroo, played seriously straight

It would be wrong to divulge the plot, but let’s just say it forces Alex, Sam and Pat to confront their past, their relationships, their parental bonds, what is true, what is false, as family secrets bubble to the surface.

Thomas Frere transfers from wild-haired, wild-eyed, heavy-drinking Alex, shirt buttoned erratically, to the uptight, neat, trim, testy Sam, trying to hold things in check. Cal Stockbridge transforms from guarded, glacial Sam to exasperated Pat.

Goodwin, always a larger-than-life presence on stage, all the more so here, changes from the spoilt child of the family to the emotionally bruised Alex, albeit that both his characterisations are marked by self-pity.

Just wondered: could the production do its own switcheroo, where one performance is comedy first, then straight drama post-interval, and the next night would be played vice versa?

Needham answers that question in his programme note: “For a long time, I thought the straight version should go first and then be hammed up in the second, but it just didn’t work that way round.

“The straight version has to be performed second because we learn so much more from it – it contains the pain, the emotion and the truth.”

How right he is, but so too is his observation that Switcheroo is “two completely different plays. And yet, it isn’t.”

Clap Trap Theatre in Switcheroo: A Story Told Twice, York Theatre Royal, tonight, 7.45pm; tomorrow, 2.30pm and 7.45pm, all sold out; Helmsley Arts Centre, May 31, 7.30pm; The Old Dining Room, Thirsk Hall, Thirsk, June 5, doors from 6pm; Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, June 6 and 7, 7.30pm; Hutton Rudby Village Hall, June 8, 7.30pm; Askrigg Temperance Village Hall, Leyburn, Wensleydale Community Arts Festival, June 11, 7.30pm; Birdsall House, Birdsall, Malton, June 24 (no details available).

Box office: York, for returns, 01904  623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk; Thirsk, thirskhall.com/events; Richmond, georgiantheatreroyal.savoysystems.co.uk. For Hutton Rudby and Askrigg, go to claptraptheatre.com/2025-tour/. For Birdsall, phone 01944 316000.

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Clap Trap Theatre to stage Switcheroo, one half comedy, then swap roles, second half serious drama, at York Theatre Royal

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.

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More Things To Do in and around York from August 19 , courtesy of The Press, York

Keane: Heading to the East Coast on Saturday

OPEN-AIR cinema and myriad concerts, Proms and wild beasts affirm that summer is not yet over for Charles Hutchinson or for you.

Theatre one-off of the week outside York: Casey Jay Andrews in Every Wild Beast, Theatre At The Mill, Stillington, tonight (19/8/2021) at 7.30pm

FRINGE First award-winning theatre-maker and storyteller Casey Jay Andrews weaves folklore and fable into her magical coming-of-age tale of courage, curiosity and running away from big scary things.

Casey Jay Andrews: Weaving folklore and fable into a magical coming-of-age tale

What happens? The stars are empty, the moon has fallen from the sky and the mountains are full of monsters, as Barri collects newspaper clippings and listens to vinyl in her grandmother’s attic, while Sam tries to outrun a community support officer investigating the murder of several domestic badgers.

“If you like your storytelling full of beauty, skill, fable and reality, this will be right up your alley,” says Theatre At The Mill programmer Alexander Wright. Box office: tickettailor.com/events/atthemill.

Nile Rodgers: C’est Chic at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Coastal concerts of the week: Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Nile Rodgers & Chic, tomorrow (20/8/2021); Keane, Saturday, gates open at 6pm

AFTER Stereophonics, Kaiser Chiefs, Culture Club and Westlife, the Scarborough OAT summer season gathers still more pace by welcoming back Nile Rodgers & Chic, who first played there in 2018, tomorrow night.

Chic co-founder Rodgers and his band will be reactivating such dancefloor fillers as Le Freak, Good Times and Everybody Dance.

Saturday’s headliners, East Sussex chart-toppers Keane, drew a six-year hiatus to a close with their 2019 album Cause And Effect. The Sherlocks will be supporting. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Forever Tenors: Yorkshire classical-crossover singers Rob Durkin and Adam Lacey, performing at the Castle Howard Proms

Pomp and circumstance of the weekend: Castle Howard Proms, Castle Howard, Saturday (21/8/2021); gates, 5pm; concert, 7.30pm

YORKSHIRE’S own Forever Tenors, best friends Rob Durkin and Adam Lacey, are confirmed as the opening act at the Castle Howard Proms.

The classical crossover duo joins a bill featuring Welsh tenor Wynne Evans, alias Gio Compario off the telly, soprano Victoria Joyce and the London Gala Orchestra under the baton of Stephen Bell, plus a Spitfire flyover, lasers and a firework finale.

Castle Howard’s concert weekend opens with Café Mambo Ibiza’s sold-out show tomorrow (20/8/2021, gates, 4pm) and concludes with Queen Symphonic on Sunday, when Forever Tenors support again from 5pm. Box office: castlehoward.co.uk.

Evans, above: Wynne Evans will be the tenor soloist at the Castle Howard Proms

Film event of the week: The Luna Cinema at York Minster, August 24 to 29; doors, 6.45pm; screenings, 8.15pm

BAZ Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet opens five days of Luna Cinema open-air screenings against the backdrop of York Minster on Tuesday.

To follow will be the Elton John story, Rocketman, on Wednesday; The Greatest Showman on Thursday; Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, next Friday; Dirty Dancing next Saturday and Rian Johnson’s American mystery, Knives Out, next Sunday. Tickets are available from thelunacinema.com/york-minster2.

LS6 Theatre’s poster for Life Below, on tour at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York

Theatre one-off of the week in York: LS6 Theatre in 90’s Kids Only and Life Below, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Wednesday, 7.30pm

LS6 Theatre serve up a touring double bill of new theatre: writer-director Spike Woodley and Laurentz Valdes-Lea’s comedy-drama 90’s Kids Only and writer-director Dec Kelly’s gritty mining drama Life Below.

When did the universe begin? 1990. At least according to Ozzy and his friends in 90’s Kids Only, where what starts as a celebration of 1990s’ nostalgia ends in confusion, hysteria and the kidnapping of a beloved TV presenter.

In Life Below, Kelly chronicles two generations of a northern mining family that each had to endure treacherous conditions to stay alive. In 1984, Rosie Gooder fights for her community’s rights under the threat of Margaret Thatcher’s pit closures. Box office: josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

The Magpies: Playing The Crescent in York in September

Magpies in twos: First a North Yorkshire festival, now a York gig for The Magpies next month

FRESH from hosting their sold-out first festival last Saturday at Sutton Park, Sutton-on-the-Forest, contemporary roots trio The Magpies are off on a 16-date tour next month.

York guitarist, banjo-player and singer Bella Gaffney, clawhammer banjo player and singer Kate Griffinand fiddle-player and tunesmith Holly Brandon will be showcasing their June 2020 album, Tidings, and latest single I Will Never Marry, a traditional tale of lost love, handed down from woman to woman over the centuries.

Among the dates will be The Crescent, York, on September 10. Tour tickets are on sale at themagpiesmusic.com.

Matt Bowden at his Natural Landscape Of Yorkshire exhibition at City Screen, York

York exhibition of the week: Matt Bowden’s The Natural Landscape Of Yorkshire, City Screen, York, until September 11

FILM and television location manager and photographer Matt Bowden’s exhibition has re-opened at City Screen, York, after its Covid-enforced premature closure during lockdown.

“Growing up in North Yorkshire, with such natural beauty on my doorstep, meant it was almost inevitable I would develop an appreciation and interest in wildlife from an early age,” says Matt. “My grandfather Eric was a keen bird-watcher, often taking me to local nature reserves for days out, binoculars around our necks.  

“But the desire to capture images of wildlife came to me relatively late in life, as my growing interest in photography through my job collided with the joy and fascination I found in the natural world that surrounded me.”

Double act resumes: Dominic Goodwin as Dr Watson, left, and Julian Finnegan as Sherlock Holmes in Pyramis and Thisbe Productions’ revival of Holmes And Watson: The Farewell Tour

When is The Farewell Tour not the farewell tour? When Pyramus and Thisbe Productions revive Holmes and Watson next month

DOMINIC Goodwin thought he had called time on Stuart Fortey’s Holmes And Watson: The Farewell Tour in 2017, but now his double act with Julian Finnegan will have its miraculous Lazarus reawakening, on tour for 18 dates from September 3 to October 9.

Goodwin once more will play Dr Watson opposite Finnegan’s Sherlock Holmes in Kirkbymoorside company Pyramus and Thisbe Productions’ re-enactment of The Case of The Prime Minister, The Floozie and The Lummock Rock Lighthouse, an affair on whose outcome the security of Europe once hung by a thread.

For full details of a tour with 11 North and East Yorkshire performances, go to: pyramusandthisbeproductions.com

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When is The Farewell Tour not the farewell tour? When Finnegan and Goodwin launch revival of Holmes and Watson comedy hit

The Farewell Tour returns! Dominic Goodwin, left, as Dr Watson and Julian Finnegan as Sherlock Holmes in Pyramus and Thisbe Productions’ revival of Stuart Fortey’s play

FROM Frank Sinatra to Cher, the farewell tour often turns out not to be the farewell tour.

The latest case in point is Holmes And Watson: The Farewell Tour, a double-act show from Kirkbymoorside company Pyramus and Thisbe Productions that exited stage left in 2017 but now has its miraculous Lazarus reawakening, on tour for 18 dates from September 3 to October 9.

Wherever Holmes and Watson visit, be warned that Professor Moriarty surely will be hiding somewhere nearby.

“I toured the play from 2009 to 2017 and thought it would die then, but it would seem not!” says Dominic Goodwin, who once more will play Dr Watson opposite Julian Finnegan’s Sherlock Holmes.

“Wetherby Festival kicked it all off and asked me to bring it back, and within a couple of weeks we were 18 gigs to the good! Most dates are for venues that have already had the show before, but I think the need to laugh has never been greater!”

Written by Stuart Fortey and directed by David Robertson, Holmes And Watson: The Farewell Tour is built on the premise that, before slipping into well-earned retirement, Sherlock Holmes has prevailed on long-time companion Dr Watson, landlady Mrs Hudson and Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard to join him in a farewell tour of the British Isles.

For the first time ever – ignoring the 2009 to 2017 shows! – they will re-enact one of the detective’s most baffling unrecorded cases – The Case of The Prime Minister, The Floozie and The Lummock Rock Lighthouse – an affair on whose outcome the security of Europe once hung by a thread.

Shrouded in secrecy until now, this case has finally been approved by the Government for public disclosure.

What’s more, Mr Holmes has been entrusted by Her Majesty with the conveyance to the Tower of London of the fabled Satsuma Stone, stolen from the crown of William of Orange in the 17th century and discovered only recently in a midden in Maastricht.

Dominic Goodwin, left, and Julian Finnegan on their 2021 tour of Holmes And Watson: The Farewell Tour

“It is expected that the evening will include a glimpse of this priceless gem,” says Dominic. “In which case, one can only be thankful that Professor James Moriarty, the Napoleon of crime, fell to his death at the Reichenbach Falls. Or did he? Or is he still alive, planning another deadly strike as he lurks, unseen, in the wings?”

Holmes And Watson: The Farewell Tour, winner of the gold awards for performance and production at the 2013 Henley Fringe Festival, will play ten North and East Yorkshire venues: September 3, Kirkbymoorside Methodist Church; September 4, Wrelton Village Hall, near Pickering, and September 5, Wetherby Festival, Open Air Theatre, Church Street, Wetherby.

Coming next, September 17, Helmsley Arts Centre; September 18, Terrington Village Hall; September 19, Alne Village Hall, near Easingwold; September 22, Court House, Thirsk; September 24, Leyburn Arts and Community Centre; September 25, West Burton Village Hall, near Bedale, and October 7, Victoria Hall, Settle.

For a full list of dates for a tour that will stretch out to Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Scotland, go to: pyramusandthisbeproductions.com. Performances times and box-office details will be added tomorrow.

“I can guarantee a bit of a titter! It’s barking mad!” says Dominic, as he looks forward to stage one of Pyramus and Thisbe’s return.

“Then in May and June 2022, we will bring you more titters with Holmes And Mrs Hudson: For One Night Only from the mighty pen of Stuart Fortey. Thrill with excitement as Sherlock Holmes and his landlady Mrs Hudson reconstruct for your entertainment The Case of the Frivolous Vicars! Try and deduce who killed Constance McMerryweather in the vicarage garden with a quoits spike! Ask yourself what, if anything, has Aladdin to do with it? Quite a lot, actually!”

Deprived of his usual sidekick Dr Watson, Holmes teams up with Mrs Hudson, who proves more than equal to the task in hand. “But what exactly is her relationship with Holmes and is it for One Night Only?” ponders Dominic, a noted pantomime dame, who will be raiding the female wardrobe once more to play Mrs Hudson.

“With its smorgasbord of foreign languages, coded poems, ballet and opera, Holmes And Mrs Hudson will be pure fun and silliness from beginning to end.” The tour schedule will be announced soon.

Did you know?

DOMINIC Goodwin’s Twitter profile introduces him as: Big fun actor! Dame and businessman!! Owns Banks Music Publications [in York] with lovely Rosemary Goodwin. Gave up acting in 2014, but is slowly going back to it…