Matthew Rutherford, left, and Jared More in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s The Selfish Giant
RIDING Lights Theatre Company steps back into the magical world of the Giant’s garden in this season’s revival of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant.
Premiered under the artistic direction of the late Paul Burbridge in 2019, Jon Boustead’s stage adaptation of Wilde’s story from his 1888 collection The Happy Prince And Other Tales is being revived by the York company at Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, this week ahead of this autumn’s 18-date tour, all preceded by a performance at The Big Feastival over the August Bank Holiday weekend on Blur bassist Alex James’s farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire.
Artistic director Paul Birch directs Riding Lights returnees Jared More and Matthew Rutherford in an itinerary that will take in further Yorkshire performances at The Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds, September 13 (2pm); Skipton Town Hall, September 18 (11am & 2pm); CAST, Doncaster, September 27 (11am & 2pm); St Edmund’s Church, Roundhay, Leeds, September 28 (5pm); Gate Helmsley Village Hall, October 1 (6.30pm); Junction, Goole, October 4 (2pm), and Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, October 26 (2pm & 6pm) and October 27 (11am and 2pm).
In a 50-minute show full of music, beauty, bird song and stories, the Giant is cross when he returns to find children – children! – playing happily in his beautiful orchard. Every day after school, they laugh and play games under the blossom trees, prompting him to erect a big wall to terminate their fun. Worse still, once winter seizes the garden in its icy fingers, will summer ever come back?
Riding Lights brings a fast-moving combination of storytelling, interactive games, live music and puppetry to The Selfish Giant’s inspirational tale of love and generosity, suitable for children aged three upwards and their families.
Performances at 1.30pm and 4.30pm at Friargate Theatre will be complemented by free craft activities, available each day between 12.30pm and 6pm in the café/bar space, and a meet & greet with Jared and Matthew will follow each performance.
Jared, last seen on Riding Lights duty in Christmas Inn Trouble last winter, will play Jack, the Storyteller, as well as voicing the puppet of a little boy and joining Matthew in playing the daffodils Daffy and Dil and wintry double act Snow and Frost. Matthew will be Smog the Giant on his return to Riding Lights after appearing in Night Falls and As You Like It.
Jared More and Matthew Rutherford’s daffodil duo Daffy and Dil in Riding Lights’ The Selfish Giant
“One of my first jobs after theatre training was appearing in The Selfish Giant in Riding Lights’ Christmas tour in 2019, directed by Paul Burbridge, when we toured mainly around North Yorkshire,” recalls Jared, who bears a distinctive Isle of Man accent. “We them made a film version, filmed in 2020 when Covid restrictions were lifted before locking down again for Christmas that year.”
Paul is delighted that Riding Lights is revisiting The Selfish Giant, a story that shows another side to Oscar Wilde. “He wrote a lot of children’s stories and this one really fits in with those stories being sweet and kind and loving, when we think of Wilde having an acerbic wit in his comedies of manners. The Selfish Giant shows a side of him that people maybe don’t know as well.”
At the same time, the imposition of barriers in The Selfish Giant chimes with his own experiences. “Wilde knew what it was like to be excluded,” says Paul. “In the story, you have to go to a sad place to then have the redemption arc,” says Jared.
“It’s also about friendship and care, with a message that when someone is feeling sad, it’s best to stick around,” says Paul. “I like how the little boy brings care back to Smog’s life,” says Jared.
“If someone thinks the story is about bereavement, that works,” says Paul. “If they think it’s about lost friendship, that works too.” “Or if they think it’s about bullying, that also works,” says Matthew.
“As it’s a story for age three upwards, we’ve talked about it being about an emotional, rather than intellectual, response,” says Paul. “I love that we can make a work that is playful and celebratory but it’s also not frightened to tread on emotional territory – and you can really feel that emotional response being experienced together in the room.”
Matthew says: “It’s fun to perform, particularly with it being interactive, so there are these emotional moments that really hit home, but we also get the children in the audience to plant flowers in the Giant’s garden and later water them – and there’s something magical about that.
The Selfish Giant director Paul Birch
“Those moments connect us and we can honour children being part of the creative process, engaging with them in a way that is a privilege for us, when that would be harder with older audiences.”
Jared says: “One of the things I love about it is the essential ‘liveness’ to the show, where we’re actively inviting involvement. You have to go with how they react, so you are co-creating with the children, collaborating with them, which is something I love with children’s shows.”
Matthew adds: “There are those moments where the children can be complicit in it, like when a child spotted I had the wrong sock on the wrong foot and I could then acknowledge that they’d spotted it.”
This week’s audiences should expect a show delivered at breakneck pace. “That’s not to say it doesn’t have light and shade, but it’s definitely high energy,” says Jared.
“But we’ve also trimmed it slightly to focus on the storytelling in the slower moments, which then resonate more,” says Matthew.
“It’s not frenzied storytelling, but when the show’s fast, it really is fast,” says Paul.
Riding Lights Theatre Company presents The Selfish Giant, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate Theatre, York, until Saturday, 1.30pm and 4.30pm, and then on tour from September 12 to October 29. Box office: ridinglights.org/theselfishgiant.
Jared More, left, and Matthew Rutherford in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s The Selfish Giant
A GIANT in a garden, Wendy turning piratical in a re-imagined Peter Pan, a slapstick take on The Three Musketeers and an enlightening Helmsley exhibition are among Charles Hutchinson’s highlights in the week ahead.
Inspirational tale of love and generosity of the week: Riding Lights Theatre Company in The Selfish Giant, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, until Saturday, 1.30pm and 4.30pm
STEP into the magical world of the Giant’s garden, a place full of music, beauty, bird song and stories in Jon Boustead’s stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant. The Giant, however, is cross when he returns to find children – children! – playing happily in his beautiful orchard, whereupon he erects a big wall to put a stop to all the fun.
Once winter seizes the garden in its icy fingers, will summer ever return? Through storytelling, interactive games, live music and puppetry, York company Riding Lights presents a 50-minute play for family audiences. Box office: 01904 613000 or friargatetheatre.co.uk. Age recommendation: Three upwards.
York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s cast in Wendy & Peter Pan. Picture: James Drury
Neverland revamped: York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre in Wendy & Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow to Saturday, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee
YORK Theatre Royal Youth Theatre returns to the Main House stage for the first time since 2019 for 46 performers, aged eight to 19, to present Ella Hickson’s feminist take on J M Barrie’s Peter Pan in Lydia Crosland and Sophie-Jade Howell’s large-scale production.
A quiet sadness permeates the Darling household, until the unexpected arrival of a mischievous young boy called Peter and a rather sassy fairy, Tink, whereupon Wendy leads the rebellious lost boys, takes on the terrifying Captain Hook, finds the key to her parents’ lost happiness and discovers the power of being brave and strong. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
The poster for Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries
Spoken-word gig of the week: Say Owt presents Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries by Pete the Temp, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm
POET, author and comic Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries is a spoken-word show about rebellion, resistance and wild imagination. The 1800s’ Romantic movement began as a rebellion: against empire, industry and the mechanisation of the soul. Yorkshire became the epicentre of its rebellion.
Tomorrow’s storytelling stage show fuses scholarship with music, comedy and poetry in a spellbinding history of riot, repression and psychedelic experimentation. As we face this age of despair, find out what we can learn from past dreams of freedom and renewal. Bangladeshi-Geordie spoken-word poet and creative practitioner Tahmina Ali supports with her explorations of identity, belonging, motherhood, mental health and cultural inheritance, viewed through a distinctly northern lens. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Our Star Theatre Company: Whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps in The Three Musketeers
Slapstick silliness of the week: Our Star Theatre Company in The Three Musketeers, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Friday, 7.30pm
OUR Star Theatre Company’s re-telling of The Three Musketeers is packed with humour, audience participation and energetically silly turns as a small troupe of performers gears up for its debut performance of Alexandre Dumas’s story.
However, what starts as a simple theatrical endeavour soon unravels into a whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps. From forgotten lines to chaotic set changes, the actors become entangled in a series of blunders. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
York actress Frances Marshall in rehearsal for Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar. Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Premiere of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Friday to October 4
ALAN Ayckbourn’s 92nd play is his first courtroom drama, one set in the future, as he explores the question that artists have been asking for centuries: what makes us human?
In 2194, humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on Earth looks very different. Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case. Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The evidence is polarising and selecting an impartial jury is proving a challenge. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
See the world more curiously in: Be Like Blippi, York Barbican, Saturday, 1pm and 4pm
JOIN Blippi and Meekah for a one-of-a-kind interactive adventure that inspires children to move, play and explore like Blippi in a new show packed with high-energy music and surprises, featuring fan favourites The Excavator Song, Monster Truck, Dino Dance and Curious Like Me.
Equipped with Blippi’s signature mix of play, learning, and exploration, Be Like Blippi invites you to break out your orange Blippi glasses and ignite your spark of curiosity. Please note, Blippi and Meekah will be played by professional stage performers. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
The Illegal Eagles: Checking into the Hotel California at York Barbican
Tribute gig of the week: The Illegal Eagles, Hotel California Tour, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm
THE Illegal Eagles mark 30 years on the road in 2026 with their new Hotel California Tour. Renowned for their vocal and guitar prowess and ability to re-create the legendary sound of the Eagles, the tribute act’s milestone itinerary features a full performance of the iconic Hotel California album, featuring Life In The Fast Lane, New Kid in Town and the unforgettable title track. Expect all the timeless Eagles greatest hits too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Robert Dutton & Andrew Moodie: Launching Into The Light exhibition at Helmsley Arts Centre
Exhibition of the week: Robert Dutton & Andrew Moodie, Into The Light, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 8 to 30
THIS exhibition presents landscapes that evoke a strong affinity for different reasons. Dramatic mountainous terrain, breathtaking moorland landscapes and coastal sea sand and communities all have their place.
“We hope that Into the Light may extend beyond the artwork to suggest a sense of optimism, moving from darkness to light, in a sometimes troubled world,” say artists Robert Dutton and Andrew Moodie. “The paintings are presented both to inspire you and also to bring you that same sense of awe and wonder with nature that we felt as we painted them, enjoying the unique quality of the light that led us to each location.”
Jeanette Hunter’s Pearl, left, Jackie Cox’s Jan, Nicki Clay’s Shelley and Gemma McDonald’s Linda in MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines
Racing romp of the week: MARMiTE Theatre in Ladies Day, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 8 to 12, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
LIFE is one long slog for four fish factory packers from Hull, Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda, but their fortunes could change when they head to Knavesmire on the day Royal Ascot came to York in 2005.
Factory hairnets make way for fascinators as the friends hit the racecourse for an unforgettable day out. Secrets are spilled, along with copious amounts of champagne, as their friendships are tested to the limits in Martyn Hunter’s s production of Amanda Whittington’s comedy gem. Box office:https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Louisa Ashdown in the rehearsal room for Hephaestus Theatre’s Richard iii Redux
Introducing: Hephaestus Theatre in Richard iii Redux, The Basement, City Screen Playhouse, York, September 10, 7.30pm
UNIVERSITY of York theatre graduates Eleanor Doig (producer) and Louisa Ashdown (director and performer) introduce new York company Hephaestus Theatre in Kaite O’Reilly and Phillip Zarrilli’s dark comedy Richard iii Redux.
The company’s mission is to tell disabled stories and put disabled and neuro-diverse actors on stage and behind the scenes, this time with Ashdown playing The Actor opposite Georgina Way’s Presenter (on film) in a journey to find who the real Richard iii was while exploring the challenges of being a disabled actor. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk.
The poster for Wildflower Wildfire’s Botanically Brontë – A Literary Cocktail Experience. Artwork by Laura Crow. Calligraphy by Emily Hansen, Leaf on Letters
WILDFLOWER Wildfire invites you to step in the world of Yorkshire’s scribbling siblings, the Brontës, for Botanically Brontë – A Literary Cocktail Experience at Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, on September 25.
This original immersive theatre event blends storytelling, performance and botanical drinks in a journey through the seasons alongside Charlotte, Anne, Emily and Branwell Brontë, exploring their lives, relationships and literary legacy.
“Across the performance, audiences will be served four specially created botanical cocktails, each inspired by a different season and member of the Brontë family, from the bright florals of Elastic Springs to the bittersweet Last Winter Rose,” says event creator Xandra Logan, York actress, writer and producer – and barrister to boot – who has moved into theatre development to make this 90-minute piece for this autumn’s York Food and Drink Festival.
Miles John: Playing Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls
“Expect literature, atmosphere, storytelling and a little theatrical magic as the world of the Brontës is brought to life around you. No prior knowledge of the Brontës needed.”
Incorporating bespoke cocktails as part of the package, “there will be both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options to suit audience preference”.
The cast comprises Vicki Glover as Charlotte Brontë; Xandra Logan as Emily Brontë; Leah Paige as Anne Brontë; Katie Leckey as Branwell Brontë; Adam Marsdin as Patrick Brontë; Miles John as Arthur Bell Nicholls; Laura Haynes Bury as Martha Brown and Molly Meleady-Hanley as The Phantom.
Xandra Logan: Founder of Wildflower Wildfire, who will play Emily Brontë
“The production is an ensemble piece and the characters all make up an important part of the Brontë story,” says Xandra. “The actors are largely based in this region or derived from here. The production is an ensemble piece and the characters all make up an important part of the Brontë story.”
Drawing on her Yorkshire roots, Xandra is “delighted to portray Emily and explore her fierce imagination, independence and connection to the landscape that shaped her work.”
Her latest role follows screen appearances in Cut Deep, Closing Time and Before The Leaves Turn and the title role on stage in Mary Rose.
Vicki Glover: “Delighted to return to the Brontë world as Charlotte”
Vicki Glover trained on the RADA Foundation course and is completing her BA (Hons) Acting studies at Manchester School of Theatre. Acting professionally since the age of 14, her credits include Shrek 2, The Murder Trial Live, The Manson Family Massacre and Operation Sparrowhawk. “After portraying Emily Brontë, Catherine Earnshaw and Catherine Linton previously, I’m delighted to return to the Brontë world as Charlotte,” she says.
West Yorkshire actress Leah Paige, who has experience across stage and screen, will play Anne. “Passionate about bringing overlooked stories to life, I’m thrilled to portray the often-underestimated Anne Brontë, celebrating her quiet strength, kindness and unwavering principles,” says Leah, who will make her feature debut on Amazon Prime later this year.
Northern Irish actor and director Katie Leckey (they/them), who will play Branwell Brontë, holds an MA in Theatre-Making from the University of York and is co-founder and artistic director of York company Griffonage Theatre, for whom they perform, write and direct.
Katie Leckey: “Looking forward to giving a voice to the often-underrepresented Branwell”
Leah Paige: “Passionate about bringing overlooked stories to life“
Their credits include A Kingdom Jack’d (Merchant Adventurers’ Hall), Shakespeare and Rome (York Museums Trust/York International Shakespeare Festival), Queer Spaces (York Theatre Royal/Stephen Joseph Theatre), Dung Beetle Dan (Thunk-It Theatre, Deer Shed Festival) and The Courteous Enemy (Edinburgh Fringe).
“I’m looking forward to giving a voice to the often-underrepresented Branwell and bringing his poetry to life in Botanically Brontë,” says Katie.
Last seen on stage in York in Party Piece at Theatre@41, Monkgate. and as Dr Little in Goodnight Mister Tom at Harrogate Theatre, Adam Marsdin will play Patrick Brontë. Alongside numerous film credits across Yorkshire, he presents Pantheon Mythology, trains at NGA Leeds and is an Equity member.
“I relish exploring the warmth behind the disciplined Victorian father,” says Adam Marsdin of his role as Patrick Brontë
“I relish exploring the warmth behind the disciplined Victorian father: Patrick’s delight in his children’s imaginations, his love and pride in who they become, and the poignancy of a man who ultimately outlived them all,” says Adam.
Miles John, a professional actor raised in Scarborough and trained at UCA Farnham, is cast as Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls. Working across stage, screen and voiceovers, his credits include Watch Me Die (Edinburgh Fringe), Loot (York Theatre Royal), The Grieving Stones (feature film), For King And Country (short film) and Pipistrelle Pipistrelle (radio drama).
Laura Haynes-Bury’s role will be Martha Brown. “I have particularly enjoyed exploring Martha as the eyes and ears of the Brontë household, offering an intimate glimpse into the family’s lives,” says Laura, whose credits include Till The Stars Come Down for York Actors Collective and various site-specific theatre performances.
Molly Meleady-Hanley: Appearing as The Phantom in Botanically Brontë
After graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice, Sheffield-born actor and playwright Molly Meleady-Hanley will play The Phantom.
Her credits include Bigmouth at the Courtyard Theatre, London, as part of Camden Fringe, a self-written production at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, and feature film Fritz And Matlock with Invisible Engine Films. “I’m excited to explore the world of the Brontës and sisterhood in Botanically Brontë as The Phantom,” she says.
Tom Grennan: Performing after this afternoon’s race card on Knavesmire
VETERANS James Taylor and Tom Jones on the coast, Knavesmire’s music showcase, York Proms and Johnny and June’s country musical stand out in Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for the week ahead.
Race day concert of the week: York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, Knavesmire, Tom Grennan, today
BEDFORD singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is today’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.
Tom Jones: Returning to Scarborough Open Air Theatre tomorrow
Coastal concerts of the week: Scarborough Open Air Theatre, An Evening with James Taylor and His All-Star Band, today; Tom Jones, with Stone Foundation, tomorrow; gates open at 6pm
MASSACHUSETTS singer, songwriter and guitarist, Laurel Canyon folk luminary, six-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame inductee James Taylor, 78, draws on six decades of songs, from his self-titled 1968 debut to 2021’s 19th studio album, American Standard, tonight.
Tom Jones, or Sir Tom Jones since 2006, to be more formal, returns to Scarborough this weekend aged 85 to perform such favourites as It’s Not Unusual, What’s New Pussycat?, Delilah, Green, Green Grass Of Home, A Boy From Nowhere, Kiss, Mama Told Me Not To Come and Sex Bomb. Joining Sir Tom will be the eight-piece soul collective Stone Foundation. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Hannah Maxwell: Fiercely hopeful exploration of human connection in the Information Age at Theatre@41, Monkgate. Picture: Christa Holka
Fringe shows of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, presents Hannah Maxwell: Turn Your ****ing Phones Off (Work in Progress), today,6.30pm; Kate McCabe and Adam Perrott,The Name Of The Dame, tomorrow, 7.30pm
PERFORMED in traverse with an immersive technical design by Benji Huntrods, theatre-maker Hannah Maxwell’s Edinburgh Fringe-bound new performance artwork is a dark, absurd and fiercely hopeful exploration of human connection in the Information Age, expounding playfully on the rise of Big Tech, attention-hacking innovations and surveillance capitalism, while recounting Maxwell’s personal struggles with phone addiction and her bid for a life in analogue.
Dames, detectives, stylish hats and ‘car chases’ combine in comedians Kate McCabe and Adam Perrott’s hour-long film-noir parody. “If you like Airplane and Police Squad, the oeuvre of Mel Brooks, dicey puns and sight gags, this show is probably for you,” they say. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Totally Visible Theatre Company in a scene from Invisible, to be spotted at Friargate Theatre tonight
Bonds of friendship of the week: The Totally Visible Theatre Company in Invisible, Friargate Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm
FIVE women meet up on a Saturday morning, as they have done every week for years, but this time they have a plan. Fast forward one year and their lives have changed irrevocably.
Celebrating the bonds of friendship and the fascinations and pitfalls of contemporary life, Invisible is a frank, fast-paced, all-female comedy-drama that ruminates on how older women are perceived in society, the relationships they forge and, most importantly, their “invisibility” in writer-director Jane Barrie’s exploration of sisterhood, motherhood and the effects of upbringing. Box office: 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.
Ashley Stillburn: York-born tenor making his York Proms debut tomorrow
Picnic concert of the week: York Proms, York Museum Gardens, tomorrow, 5.30pm
RUN by classical chart-topping York soprano Rebecca Newman and now in its ninth year, York Proms features music from the world of classical and opera, film soundtracks and show songs. Increasing the orchestra size this summer enables the inclusion of John Williams cinema compositions.
The soloists are York-born tenor and West End musical actor Ashley Stillburn in his York Proms debut and British/Irish soprano Jennifer Coleman, making her third appearance. Tickets update: Available today but NOT tomorrow at yorkproms.com/collections/tickets-2026.
Christopher Ryan Grant’s Johnny Cash and Christina Bianco’s June Carter Cash in The Ballad Of Johnny & June, on tour at Grand Opera House, York, next week. Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
Musical of the week:The Ballad Of Johnny & June, The Johnny Cash Musical, Grand Opera House, York, July 28 to August 1, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday matinees
THIS thrilling musical from Jersey Boys director Des McAnuff celebrates the love, music and mayhem of country music couple Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. Electrifying chemistry marks the performances of Christopher Ryan Grant’s Johnny and Christina Bianco’s June in a story observed through the eyes of Ryan O’Donnell’s John Carter Cash, their son. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
In addition, the trio gives a special pop-up performance of songs from the show at Forty Five Vinyl Cafe, the Nashville-inspired concert venue, record store and coffee house in Micklegate, on July 29 at 1pm.
“Tribute” show of the week: Songs Of presents The Songs of Joni Mitchell, with Jesca Hoop & Lail Arad, The Citadel, York, July 31, doors 7pm, show 7.45pm
JESCA Hoop & Lail Arad, acclaimed singer-songwriters in their own right, perform intimate interpretations of their favourite Joni Mitchell songs, accompanied by Richard Sears on piano and special guest Naima Bock. Hoop presented Legend: The Joni Mitchell Story, the award-winning six-part BBC radio documentary and podcast on the Canadian singer-songwriter. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Jesca Hoop: Intimate interpretations of Joni Mitchell songs at The Citadel
Political drama of the week: Handbagged, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, July 31 to August 29
MOIRA Buffini’s 2014 Olivier Award-winning play imagines what happened behind closed palace doors when two of the 20th century’s most powerful women, Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, locked handbags. Meeting once a week for 11 years, one believed there was no such thing as society; the other committed her life to serving it.
Spanning 1979 to 1990, Handbagged asks if The Queen and the Iron Lady ever found common ground or did their stiff upper lips reign supreme? Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder directs the SJT cast of Pandora Clifford, Liz Garland, Alexandra Mathie, Deven Modha, Simon Darwen and Meriel Scholfield. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
Alexandra Mathie, left, and Pandora Clifford in rehearsal for Handbagged at Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Shakespeare show of the week: Four Forty Theatre in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, July 31, 7.30pm
FOUR Forty Theatre (or 440 Theatre, as their website uses both names) tackle Shakespeare’s romantic romp of a chaotic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with their trademark irreverence, wit and theatrical ingenuity, directed by Dominic Gee-Burch, formerly of fellow high-speed Shakespeare humorists Oddsocks Productions.
Lovers are enchanted, fairies feud and a troupe of hapless players rehearse their way into disaster, all in a single moonlit night. Inventive staging, breakneck character changes and playful dismantling of tradition mark out Four Forty’s mischief-making take on Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy: part affectionate homage, part riotous reinvention. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Four Forty Theatre: Mischief-making in the woods in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Art event of the week: Carolyn Coles & Mike Marshall, Beyond The Nab, St Mary’s Church, Sandsend, near Whitby, today, tomorrow & Monday, 10am to 5pm
ARTISTS and fossil collectors Carolyn Coles and Mike Marshall are sharing their love of the north east coastline in Beyond The Nab at St Mary’s Church, Sandsend, near Whitby.
Held at this beautiful church located at the end of the Sandsend Valley at the bottom of Lythe Bank, the special four-day event takes place in one of Yorkshire’s prettiest valleys, noted for its picturesque, high-end stone cottages, rich local history, tied to the Mulgrave Estate, and ancient woodlands leading to the ruins of Mulgrave Castle.
On show and sale are contemporary paintings with a traditional twist, sculptured fossils, evocative photography, jet jewellery, cards and prints, with both York seascape artist Carolyn Coles and East Coast fossil legend Mike Marshall on hand to guide you through the works.
South Bank Studios artist Carolyn will be demonstrating painting techniques while Mike, who runs Yorkshire Coast Fossils, will be glad to identify any fossil you bring along. A pop-up cafe will serve light refreshment in aid of the church, championed by volunteer Helen Lloyd.
Mike Marshall looking out to sea
Carolyn explains the idea behind the event as a “brilliant medley of art and heritage, combining contemporary art and sculpture with traditional techniques”. “We talked about coming together professionally as our work is a perfect compliment and we have such a shared love of the area,” she says.
Carolyn has had a busy 2026, joining wildlife sculptor Karen Fawcett and PICA Studios ceramicist Emily Stubbs in The Sky’s The Limit exhibition at Pyramid Gallery, York, from late-January to mid-March and taking part in York Open Studios in April.
“My dream is to open a studio and gallery and live by the coast, so this event is a huge pleasure to hold,” she says.
York artist Carolyn Coles enjoying painting in plein air at Sandsend
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 mayhemat 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: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Elf Lyons, the woman on the edge at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York
Comedy gig of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh Season presents Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge (Work In Progress), Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 7.30pm
LET London comedian, classically trained clown and Sky Arts Award winner Elf Lyons introduce this Work In Progress preview of her Edinburgh Fringe-bound show Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge: “I’m sorry, I’ve said too much…”
She does, however, go on to say it will be “a completely normal, autobiographical (and in no way complex) observational stand-up show about love. A perfect show to take yourself to. Inspired by Vertigo, Apollo 13 the opera Pagliacci. Directed by Ingmar Bergman.” Box office: tickets.41monkgate.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.
Matt Ford: In full swing at Milton Rooms, Malton
In the swing of things: Ryedale Festival presents Matt Ford and The Swing Legends Band, Milton Rooms, Malton, Sunday, 7pm
BRITISH singer and BBC Proms regular Matt Ford is joined by a full band to celebrate the songs of Frank Sinatra and fellow crooning legends Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé. From late-night ballads to high-octane numbers shaped by elegance and irresistible wit, this is music that still knows exactly how to swing. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
SledOne’s mural, What Walks Amongst Us, taking shape at AcombFest. Picture: Art of Protest
MURALS in Acomb, early music beyond borders, Mystery Plays on waggons, a political swansong and compact Shakespeare keep Charles Hutchinson’s thoughts off the July heatwave.
Art event of the week: AcombFest, Acomb, York, today and tomorrow
CURATED by Art of Protest, York’s first international street art festival continues today and tomorrow with its theme of A Return To Nature, featuring 20 art installations, live murals, RARE Collective’s Paint Jam, spray battles and more than 30 bands, DJs and performers, across 22 venues.
Look out too for interactive family-friendly workshops, an art market, history walks and talks, special events and tastings and a community cinema. Muralists taking part include SMUG, from Australia, Sheffield muralist Peachzz, wildlife artist Curtis Hylton and Acomb’s very own SledOne. For full details, go to: https://acombfest.co.uk/.
Baroque collective Solomon’s Knot: Performing Friedrich Nicolaus Bruhns’ St Mark Passion, directed by Jonathan Sells, at The Quire, York Minster, on July 10
50th anniversary event of the summer: 2026 York Early Music Festival, Beyond Borders, until July 11
THE premier British early music festival marks its 50th anniversary with a celebration of “just how far early music has travelled – beyond the borders of the myriad historic venues of our city to a worldwide audience,” says director Delma Tomlin.
The festival welcomes The Sixteen, B’Rock Orchestra & Vocal Consort, Imago Mundi, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, Solomon’s Knot and NCEM Platform Artists Anacronia and Contre le temps, among others. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk/yemf.
Bodhan Pitel’s Herod in DSpace Ukrainian Theatre’s The Massacre of the Innocents in the York Mystery Plays 2026. Picture: John Saunders
Theatrical outdoor event of the week: 2026 York Mystery Plays, streets of York, tomorrow, 10.30am to 4.50pm
THE four-yearly staging on the York Mystery Plays on pageant waggons takes place at four locations across the city: free viewing at the Minster Refectory Gardens, Deansgate, (from 10.30am) King’s Square (from 11.10am), St Sampson’s Square (from 11.50am) and ticketed seats at Dean’s Park (from 12.30pm). Ten core plays will be complemented by further extracts to tell the story from The War In Heaven to Doomsday. For full details, go to yorkmysteryplays.co.uk; tickets, ticketsource.com/york-festival-trust.
Clive Francis as Sir Humphrey Appleby in I’m Sorry, Prime Minister. Picture: Johan Persson
Political drama of the week: I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, Grand Opera House, York, July 7 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees
JIM Hacker is back, older, but perhaps not wiser, and still utterly baffled by the real world. Hoping for a quiet retirement from government as the master of Hacker College, Oxford, Jim (Robert Kitson, replacing Simon Rouse) instead finds himself facing the ultimate modern crisis: cancelled by the college committee. Enter Sir Humphrey Appleby (Clive Francis), who has lost none of his love for bureaucracy, Latin phrases and well-timed obstruction.
Can Humphrey and Jim outmanoeuvre the hostile students, the Fellows and reality itself? Or is it finally time to say “I’m Sorry, Prime Minister”? Brimming with wit, nostalgia and more double-speak than a press briefing, the final chapter in the evergreen comedy series is written and directed by Jonathan Lynn,co-directed byMichael Gyngell and presented by The Barn Theatre, Cirencester. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Reduced Shakespeare Company’s 2026 tour cast for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Shakespeare shake-up of the week: Reduced Shakespeare Company in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), York Theatre Royal, July 7 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees
MARKING 30 years of performances in the UK, the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s 2026 tour company of Efé Agwele, Woogie Jung, Tom Pavey and Kiran Raywilliams presents Hamlet told backwards, a micro-condensed Othello scored to a ukulele, a carnage-filled Titus Andronicus presented as a YouTube cookery tutorial and the History Plays as a manic football game, passing the crown from king to king.
Californian co-founders Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield have re-booted, re-imagined, reinvented and updated the restless comedy for a new generation to undertake a rollercoaster ride through all 37 of the Bard’s First Folio of plays. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Stephen Smith’s Claude Monet in A Montage Of Monet
Busiest actor of the week: Threedumb Theatre presents Stephen Smith in A Montage Of Monet, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, July 8, 7.30pm and July 11, 3pm; One Man Poe, Ripon Theatre Festival, Ripon Arts Hub, July 10, 8pm; One Man Poe world premiere, York Medical Society, July 11, 7.30pm
THREEDUMB Theatre artistic director and actor Stephen Smith performs Joan Greening’s new play exploring French Impressionist artist Claude Monet’s life and loves: his two marriages, his first wife’s devastating death, his lover’s erratic behaviour, his suicide attempt, his thoughts on fellow Impressionists and the torment of his failing eyesight. The 55-minute Monet montage combines projection design and Joe Furey’s music with Smith’s storytelling in two York performances.
Smith also presents four of Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic horror works (The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and The Pendulum, The Black Cat and The Raven) in Ripon, followed by the world premiere of his latest Poe double bill (The Business Man and The Case of M. Valdemar) in York. All six, amounting to 18,000 Poe words, will be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe. Box office: York, 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; Ripon, ripontheatrefestival.org.
Musical of the week: Top Hat and Tails Theatre in Little Shop Of Horrors!, Friargate Theatre, York, July 9 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
MEEK floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he calls Audrey II, a foul-mouthed carnivore that promises him fame and fortune if he keeps feeding it with blood. Over time, however, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s plans for global domination in Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s sci-fi B-movie monster spoof, presented here with a live band and professionally hand-crafted puppets. Box office: ridinglights.org.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys: Summer of Hits show at York Museum Gardens on Thursday
Music festival of the week: Futuresound presents Live At York Museum Gardens, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, July 9, gates 5pm; Self Esteem, July 10, gates 5pm, and Super Furry Animals, July 11, gates 4pm
WIRRAL synth-pop pioneers Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark open Futuresound’s third season of Live At York Museum Gardens concerts on Thursday with a Summer of Hits bill featuring Heaven 17, China Crisis and rising Newcastle singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin.
Mercury Prize nominee Self Esteem, aka Rotherham singer, songwriter and actress Rebecca Lucy Taylor, tops Friday’s line-up, featuring London indie group The Big Moon, South African ghetto funk musician Moonchild Sanelly and Nigerian-born musician and spoken-word artist Joshia Idehen.
Welsh psychedelic rock band Super Furry Animals are next Saturday’s headliners, joined by singer-songwriter Baxter Dury, indie-pop septet Los Campesinos!, Nottingham alt-country band Divorce and North Wales psychedelic act Pys Melyn. Box office for July 10 and 11: futuresoundgroup.com/york-museum-gardens-events.
If I Knew The Way, I Would Take You Home, by Matt Sewell
In Focus: Birds of the week: Matt Sewell exhibition for RARE Collective at WET, Micklegate, York,until mid-July
SHROPSHIRE artist, illustrator and author Matt Sewelll is the latest street art luminary to be showcased in RARE Collective’s collaboration with WET wine bar, in Micklegate, York, in aid of SASH (Safe and Sound Homes), the York youth homelessness charity.
“We’re really chuffed to have Matt return to York with his fabulous Riso prints,” says RARE Collective exhibition organiser Sharon McDonagh. “If you came to the Vandalfest charity street art show last year, you would have seen his cracking bird mural on Floor 3 of the big disused office block in Low Ousegate.
Artist Matt Sewell at work
Sewell is an avid ornithologist, contributing regularly to the Caught By The River website and publishing the books Our Garden Birds, Our Songbirds, Our Woodland Birds, Owls, Penguins and A Charm Of Goldfinches And Other Collective Nouns.
He has illustrated for the Guardian, Barbour, V&A Museums, BBC, National Trust, Greenpeace, Big Issue and Levi’s and painted walls for Helly Hansen, Puma and the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). He has exhibited in Great Britain, New York, old York, Tokyo and Paris.
Cuckoo Cuckoo Cuckoo, by Matt Sewell
Under RARE Collective’s partnership with WET, artists and photographers exhibit their work in a six-week solo show. As well as at WET, work can be bought online both during and after the exhibition run at rarecollective.co.uk.
In addition, a selection of Sewell’s prints is featuring in RARE Collective’s exhibition for AcombFest at The Crooked Tap, on show until August 15 in support of SASH.
Matt Sewell’s wall of bird prints for sale at WET
Exhibiting too are: spAm (Sharon McDonagh), Sola, Alison Jagger, Al Murphy, Anthony Appleyard, Boxxhead, HazardOne, Lady Mkei, Lincoln Lightfoot, Liskbot, Michael Dawson, Nicolas Dixon, Slice Of Lino, STATIC and Stephen Bottrill.
“RARE are working in collaboration with the Art of Protest Project, after being invited by AcombFest curator Jeff Clark and the AOP team to curate the live PaintJam at the Carlton Tavern, in Acomb Road, Holgate, today and tomorrow,” says RARE Collective curator Sharon McDonagh.
“This will involve nine artists painting live from 10am to 4pm each day (Boxxhead, HazardOne, Lady Mkei, Lincoln Lightfoot, Liskbot, Nicolas Dixon, Sola, spAm and VYZ); live DJ sets by Alilou, Bob Yenz, Conor Rogan, Free Da Karlos and Sola plus guests, audiovisual artists Fred DWolf, Sonas and JohnManBand on a huge screen, cocktails and mixology by Tulum Spirits Collective and street food by El Chappo, all in support of SASH.”
Did you know?
MATT Sewell is also a musician, performing as Sewell &The Gong with Chris Tate and as the deep-cut compiler of the compilation series A Crushing Glow.
Matt Sewell’s work environment
In Focus too: Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance, 30th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, July 6 to 8, 7.45pm
THE 30th anniversary tour of Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance promises a grand celebration of the revolutionary Irish dance production’s legacy after captivating more than 60 million fans in 60 countries since its 1996 debut.
The 30 Years of Standing Ovations tour will feature “brand-new choreography, stunning costumes, state-of-the-art special effects and cutting-edge lighting, ensuring that the production continues to push boundaries and deliver an unforgettable experience”.
Creative manager James Keegan says: “Michael Flatley has taught me that there are no boundaries in the creative space. When he burst onto the scene in the mid-90s, he took traditional Irish dancing to a place nobody had ever dreamed of, and that has been the key to the show’s success.
“Michael often says in rehearsals that we need to push the boundaries as much as we can, and if it’s too far or doesn’t work, we can always pull it back. That mindset is what keeps Lord Of The Dance evolving.”
Lord Of The Dance on its 30th anniversary tour. Picture: Brian Doherty
Keegan believes that the core elements of Flatley’s visionary production – choreography, music and storytelling – remain timeless while still evolving. “What made Lord Of The Dance famous 30 years ago is still what makes it work today: 40 of the greatest Irish tap dancers in the world performing in one line in perfect sync. It’s a spectacle that never loses its magic,” he says.
Reflecting on Flatley’s impact, Keegan says: “Professional Irish dancing didn’t really exist until Michael created his shows and added a more entertaining twist to the art form.
“He wasn’t just a dancer; he was a highly tuned athlete who could perform at astonishing levels for a full two-hour show, seven days a week. Today, we see young competitive dancers around the world striving to reach the levels he set.”
But beyond the footwork and the spectacle, Keegan reckons Flatley’s greatest legacy is his ability to inspire. “Michael’s motto has always been, ‘Nothing is impossible.’ He took an already intricate dance form and pushed it even further, breaking records like 38 taps per second and incorporating upper body movements that defied tradition,” he says.
Michael Flatley
“I’ve seen it time and time again: a dancer who never thought they could be a lead receives Michael’s encouragement, and before long, they are fulfilling their dream on stage.”
For Keegan, one moment stands out above the rest. “In 1997, I was a ten-year-old competitive Irish dancer in Manchester, struggling with the name-callers and the challenges of being a young male dancer,” he says.
“Then Lord Of The Dance came to town. Watching Michael and the cast that night at the Apollo Theatre changed everything for me. The masculinity, the precision, the energy, it was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
“I met Michael at the stage door, and suddenly, I knew that being an Irish dancer could mean being a superstar. Nineteen years later, I had the honour of sharing his final show with him at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, in 2016. It was a full-circle moment I will never forget.”
Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance dancers
As Lord Of The Dance embark on its 30th anniversary tour, Flatley reflects on the journey. “The magic of Lord Of The Dance lives on in the hearts of our audience, and I am thrilled to bring this iconic show back to the UK in 2026,” he says.
“30 Years of Standing Ovations celebrates the incredible journey we’ve shared with fans over the years. It’s a tribute to the enduring power of dreams, the joy of dance and the unwavering support of our audience. This tour is our way of saying thank you for three decades of unforgettable memories.”
Although Flatley, now 67, retired from performing during his final tour in 2016, he has remained at the helm of Lord Of The Dance, guiding its evolution while preserving its timeless magic.
Now, as the production prepares for its biggest celebration yet, fans can look forward to a breathtaking spectacle that honours the past, embraces the present, and inspires the future of Irish dance.
Becky Hill: High-energy performance on Knavesmire track
THE York Mystery Plays on waggon wheels, Becky Hill on Knavesmire, Calendar Girls in the round and early music beyond borders promise high summer times for Charles Hutchinson.
Under starter’s orders: Becky Hill, Summer Music Saturday, York Racecourse, today, first race at 1.20pm
BECKY Hill, two-time BRIT Award winner for Best Dance Act, opens the summer of post-racing concerts at York Racecourse, promising a high-energy performance on the “Glastonbury-style stage” after tomorrow’s seven-race card. For her set list, she can pick from such hits as Gecko; Back & Forth; Wish You Well; Lose Control; Better Off Without You; Heaven On My Mind; Remember; My Heart Goes; Run; Crazy What Love Can Do; History and Disconnect. For race-day tickets, go to: yorkracecourse.co.uk.
Kirkgate at York Castle Museum in full summer bloom with floral displays and new projections. Picture: Gareth Buddo Furmoto Photography
Flower power of the week: Summer at York Castle Museum, in bloom until September 6, open Mondays, 11am to 5pm; Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm
YORK Castle Museum is capturing the essence of ‘grand days out’ and celebrating iconic summers across two contrasting centuries this summer season. Drawing on the breadth of the museum’s social history collection, Victorian York Galas and the Swinging ’60s are the programme’s key focus with games, crafts and seasonal decorations providing nostalgia and summer fun for visitors.
Further highlights include Last Stop Before Kirkgate, Novo Theatre’s immersive experience replicating a 19th century coaching inn and arrival into York, and Yorkshire artist Pippa Dyrlaga’s paper-cut hot air balloons, telling the story of balloon rides during the galas. Tickets: yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk.
Richard Ashcroft. Picture: Dean Chalkley
Coastal gigs of the week: TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Richard Ashcroft, today; Billy Ocean and Marti Pellow, tomorrow, gates open at 6pm
THE Verve frontman, songwriter and producer Richard Ashcroft, two-time Ivor Novello and triple BRIT Award winner, headlines today’s Scarborough bill, joined by DJ Wayne, original Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan and Yorkshire indie rockers Apollo Junction.
Trinidadian-British soul singer Billy Ocean (real name Leslie Sebastian Charles, by the way) takes top spot tomorrow, airing such hits as Red Light Spells Danger, Love Really Hurts Without You, Caribbean Queen and When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going. His very special guest is former Wet Wet Wet singer and musicals star Marti Pellow; Katie Owen supports too. Box office: scarbroughopenairtheatre.com.
Christina Meehan’s Annie, left, and Karen Holmes’s Chris in Calendar Girls The Musical at Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Make a date with: Calendar Girls The Musical, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, today until July 25
AS director Paul Robinson reveals: “Our new in-the-round staging of Tim Firth and Gary Barlow’s Calendar Girls brings the audience into the heart of the Rylstone Women’s Institute, making this true story of friendship and determination feel more personal and immediate.
“This intimate production will create a unique, shared experience, reminiscent of gathering around a community hall or a close friend’s living room, allowing for a deeper connection to the characters and creating a collective, communal atmosphere that fully immerses everyone in the moving story of these ‘ordinary women’ doing something quite extraordinary.” Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
Cathy Sara’s Villeyn and Thomas Frere’s Jongleur in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s Mistero Buffo. Picture: John Shepherdson
2026 York Mystery Plays Fringe play of the week: Riding Lights Theatre Company in Mistero Buffo, Friargate Theatre, York, today, tomorrow, then July 1 to 4, 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm matinees on July 3 & 4
TWO wild strangers roll into York for the 2026 York Mystery Plays Fringe to tell tales destined to turn the city upside down. Combining ferocious wit and fearless physical storytelling, Paul Birch’s two-hander production for York’s Riding Lights Theatre Company tears into faith, power, profit and hypocrisy by turning ancient Bible stories into urgent, humorous modern theatre with a clear spiritual heart.
Written by Nobel prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, translated by Ed Emery and performed by Yorkshire actors Thomas Frere and Cathy Sara, this 1969 take on the Mystery Plays will appeal to Fringe theatregoers with a taste for subversive and unapologetic comedy with bite. Box office: www.ridinglights.org.
Bodhan Pitel’s Herod in DSpace Ukrainian Theatre’s The Massacre of the Innocents. Picture: John Saunders
Theatrical event of the week: 2026 York Mystery Plays, streets of York, tomorrow and July 5, 10.30am to 4.50pm; Sunset in the Shambles Market, June 30 and July 1, 7.45pm
THE four-yearly staging on the York Mystery Plays on pageant waggons takes place at four locations across the city: free viewing at the Minster Refectory Gardens, Deansgate, (from 10.30am) King’s Square (from 11.10am), St Sampson’s Square (from 11.50am) and ticketed seats at Dean’s Park (from 12.30pm). Ten core plays will be complemented by further extracts to tell the story from The War In Heaven to Doomsday. For full details, go to: yorkmysteryplays.co.uk.
Special midsummer performances of five plays will be held in Shambles Market on June 30 and July 1, introduced by the York Waits musicians before Pageant Master Dr Alan Heaven guides the audience through each play, from the Creation sequence to the End of Days in the interactive show Doomsday. These shows begin at 7.45pm and end as the dusk is deepening before 10pm. Tickets: ticketsource.com/york-festival-trust.
The Choir Of Man: “The best trip to your local you’ll ever have” at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: The Other Richard
Foot-stomping musical celebration of the week: The Choir Of Man, Grand Opera House, York, June 30 to July 2, 7.30pm; July 3, 4pm and 8pm; July 4, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
SET in the The Jungle pub on stage, The Choir Of Man is billed as “the best trip to your local you’ll ever have” as a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with tap dance and soulful storytelling in an uplifting celebration of community and friendship.
The debut UK & Ireland tour cast features Gustav Melbardisas Maestro; Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi as Poet; Levi Tyrell Johnson as Hard Man; Ben Mabberley as Joker; Rob Godfrey as Beast; Jack Skelton as Handyman; Joshua Lloyd as Barman; Sam Walter as Romantic and Aaron Pottenger as Bore performing Queen, Luther Vandross,Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, AviciiandKaty Perry hits. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Solomon’s Knot: Performing at York Early Music Festival on July 10
50th anniversary event of the summer: 2026 York Early Music Festival, Beyond Borders, July 3 to 11
THE premier British early music festival marks its 50th anniversary with a celebration of “just how far early music has travelled – beyond the borders of the myriad historic venues of our city to a worldwide audience,” says director Delma Tomlin.
Opening with Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, presented by I Fagiolini, and closing with Solomon’s Knot’s rendition of Bruhns’s St Mark Passion, the festival welcomes The Sixteen, B’Rock Orchestra & Vocal Consort, Imago Mundi, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and NCEM Platform Artists Anacronia and Contre le temps, among others. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk/yemf.
In Focus: Ripon Theatre Festival, July 5 to 12
Maybe You Like It in Down To Chance: Playing Ripon Theatre Festival at Ripon Arts Hub on July 11 at 8pm
RIPON Theatre Festival 2026 celebrates five years of culture, colour and community spirit from July 5 to 12 with eight days and nights of performances focused on theatre in all its forms, from storytelling and puppetry to cabaret, Shakespeare and circus.
Top talent from Edinburgh & beyond
THE festival welcomes hit shows from the Edinburgh Fringe at Ripon Arts Hub, including Stephen Smith’s One Man Poe on July 10 at 8pm, fast-paced thriller Down To Chance on July 11 at 8pm The Poetical Life Of Philomena McGuinness on July 12 at 2.30pm.
Quirky & unique
RIPON Theatre Festival makes the most of the city’s venues and open spaces with pop-up events showcasing theatre everywhere. A knitting cabaret from Canada, a one-man show about British pub life, walkabout acts, Pop-up Puppetry and Poetry for Breakfast are among the acts that will appear in friendly cafes, pubs and independent shops. Look out too for a show performed inside a vintage bus.
The Big Weekend for families
SUPPORTED by Arts Council England through the National Lottery for a second year, the Big Weekend of free family entertainment on July 11 and 12 will feature street arts and circus theatre from across the four nations and beyond. Highlights include dance-circus troupe Circo Rumbaba and comedy, cooking and circus with Do What Ya Mamma Told Ya.
Reaching out to all the community
IN the weeks leading up to the festival, activities in care homes, “making and creating” sessions with learning-disabled adults and intergenerational music sessions ensure the event reaches all corners of the community.
This includes a schools’ programme featuring Opera North’s Little Listeners and the madcap Rubbish Shakespeare Company.
Supporting new writing & regional talent
ESTABLISHED regional artists, such as Victoria Firth and Kathryn Hanke, from Huddersfield, in Batty! at Ripon Arts Hub on July 9 at 8pm, feature alongside up-and-coming artists such as Constance Peel, from Boston Spa, performing the new play Service Please at The Water Rat on July 6 at 6.30pm.
Providing a platform for locally-inspired works-in-progress, the festival offers audiences the first chance to experience York’s Out Of Character Theatre Company in Outcast’s exploration of life in medieval Ripon and Imogen Wood’s work-in-progress, Jord, whose starting point is the petrifying powers of Mother Shipton in a union of live music, poetry and storytelling that challenges the fascination and obsession with women staying young and delaying ageing.
Summer season finale
RIPON Theatre Festival stretches beyond July 12 for a post-festival open-air Shakespeare finale at Ripon Raceourse on July 24, when The Duke’s Theatre Company presents Romeo & Juliet at 7pm (preceded by North Yorkshire Council-supported performances at Prince of Wales Terrace, Scarborough, on July 22 and Valley Gardens, Harrogate, on July 23). Box office: thedukestheatrecompany.co.uk.
Festival director Katie Scott says: “Ripon Theatre Festival is celebrating a five-year milestone birthday and we are proud of all that we have achieved so far.
“Community led, but showcasing some of the best professional touring work alongside an inclusive and lively outdoor and family programme, the festival is hugely valued for its variety and originality. We can’t wait to share our 2026 offering and bring the joy of live performance to an even wider audience.”
For the full programme and tickets, go to: ripontheatrefestival.org.
Amber Topaz in Red, Ripon Arts Hub, July 8, 7.30pm
Amber Topaz in Red
YORKSHIRE-BORN international cabaret and burlesque siren Amber Topaz celebrates redheaded musical theatre stars of stage and screen in her classy, sassy, fabulous musical revue Red.
Her delicious cocktail of Old Hollywood glamour and West End and Broadway classics is “full to the brim with iconic show-stopping numbers, honouring these formidable flame-haired trailblazers that have shaped musical theatre herstory”.
From the golden era of Hollywood to the bright lights of Las Vegas, Red embodyies legendary artists such as Rita Hayworth, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Shirley MacLaine, Gwen Verdon and many more.
As a teenager, Amber left her Yorkshire roots to move to London and enter the world of cabaret and burlesque, since when she has travelled widely with her combination of frivolous and thought-provoking cabaret.
Fladam, Astro Norma, Ripon Library, July 11, 10.30am and 12 noon
Fladam’s Florence Poskitt & Adam Sowter in Astro Norma
YORK duo Fladam, Florence Poskitt and Adam Sowter, present their out-of-this-world musical comedy Astro Norma at Ripon Library, where they invite audiences aged three to ten to blast off on a madcap 45-minute quest to find Grandpa’s lost star, but beware, the sneaky Silencer is hot on her trail , ready to silence the tunes.
Packed with awesome aliens, rib tickling robots and interplanetary puppets, this joyful space odyssey will have young theatregoers reaching for the stars.
The tour poster for Joe Dennis’s Tides (An Autism Story), visiting Friargate Theatre, York, next month
JOE Dennis’s “beautifully bittersweet” solo show, Tides (An Autism Story), will be making waves at Friargate Theatre, York, on June 19 at 7.30pm.
“This semi-autobiographical theatre piece is based around my own personal experience of growing up with autism,” says writer-performer Joe. “It’s a wonderful show and has a very important message about kindness and the importance of being kind to others.
“It spreads the word about a very relevant subject matter and is equally funny and happy at the same time.”
Based on real experiences of growing up on the autism spectrum, Tides (An AutismStory), was launched in 2024 at The Hope Theatre in London – when entitled Tides – at the tail end of Autism Acceptance Week, raising £100 for London’s Autism Charity Group.
“The show then toured the UK, playing in Guildford, Salford and at the Camden Fringe,” says Joe. “Last year, it was performed at London’s Union Theatre, sold out at New Wimbledon Theatre, took the Newcastle Fringe Festival by storm, achieving the runner-up position in the festival’s theatre award, all before a week-long run at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe.”
Tides (An Autism Story) follows the life of Dylan Ward as he navigates his way through primary school, secondary school, college, university, his first full-time job and Covid, all while struggling to fit in with what some would call “conventional norms” as a result of his autism causing him to misunderstand situations.
Along the way, Dylan meets classmates who do not understand him, teachers who dismiss or bully him and managers who cannot comprehend his attitude to work, although this never stops him trying.
Joe emphasises the importance of depicting autism on stage and why he wanted to share this story. “Growing up autistic was incredibly challenging,” he says. “Seeing the world in a way that was different to everybody else, not always feeling like you fit in or understand such a mad world.
“Worse still, the fact that other students and even teachers wouldn’t always take the time to understand, and the impact of how I affected others, in turn affected me. I wanted to put that on stage to show what it’s like from the perspective of someone on the spectrum and to put the word out that no matter how someone else behaves, everyone really is just human deep down.”
Tides (An Autism Story) marked the directorial debut of Will Sutherland, who felt “honoured” to be asked to direct Joe’s show. “It’s a wonderfully charming script, full of humour, heart and some very real and relatable drama,” he says.
“Joe and I studied together at drama school, so I knew how personal this was for him, and I felt it my duty to ensure I did it justice.”
Will played a big role in the show’s production design too. “One of Dylan’s fixations is his compulsion to draw,” he says. “I thought it would be fun to buy a few notebooks and markers and go to town with a ton of cartoony drawings that we could stick to the walls and around the audience to help immerse them in this world.”
Joe has nothing but praise for Will for these drawings. “Not only are they absolutely brilliant – seriously, he’s an exceptional artist), but also he gave this show something of a genuine identity. I can’t thank Will enough for everything he’s done for this show.”
Joe “couldn’t be happier with the response to this show”. “I really believe in the message and I love how it’s connected with people,” he says. “People have personally told me that they connected to it because they are on the spectrum and they felt really seen. It means a lot to receive feedback like that.”
Joe Dennis in Tides (An Autism Story), Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, June 19, 7.30pm.Box office: 01904 613000 or friargatetheatre.co.uk.
Step this way: Jorvik Comedy Award search for champion comedian starts on February 12
FOUR heats, 36 hopefuls, one ultimate Viking comedy champion. Who wil ltake the crown in the Jorvik Comedy Award 2026 competition in York?
Presented by Fair Laughs and hosted by veteran Get Up Stand Up comic Tony Vino, the search for York’s funniest comedian will be supported by Indie York and the JORVIK Viking Centre, with Heat 1 as part of JORVIK Viking Festival Fringe pre-event.
Thirty-six of Yorkshire’s sharpest new comedians will descend on Friargate Theatre, in Lower Friargate. Across the four heats, nine feisty acts each will perform a tight, gag-filled ten-minute set, with only two winners per heat going through to the June 11 final.
The line-up for Heat 1
Quick-witted Tony Vino will invite the hopefuls to the stage as they try to impress the panel of esteemed judges. No safety nets. No sympathy laughs. Only jokes that land or die trying. One title. One year. One winner.
Who is taking part?
Heat 1: Thursday, February 12, 8pm
Marty Riley, Ben Robinson, Stuart Thomas, Fil Milton, Alex Camp, Graeme Rayner, Robby T, Louis Etienne and Diane Fitton.
The line-up for Heat 2
The line-up for Heat 3
Heat 2: Thursday, March 12, 8pm
Liam Alexander, Daniel Colbeck, Josh Sedman, Wendy King, Jake Breeze, Edi Johnson, Laurence Tuck, Rex Purnell and Mikey Milligan.
Heat 3: Thursday, April 9, 8pm
Alfie Carter, Henning Nilsen, Ravi Saini, Jonathon Kiernan, Fred Carver, Stephen Catling, Bobby Jethro, Maxine Wade and Lewis Howard.
The line-up for Heat 4
Heat 4: Thursday, May 14, 8pm
Charlie Lewis, Tim Biglowe, Michael Carter, Benny Shakes, Halls of Ridiculous, Matt Wheelwright, Dom Hutchins, Kie Carson and Debra Holt.
Further comedy events at Friargate Theatre include the monthly home-grown Right Here Right Now improv comedy show (audience participation optional but encouraged!) and monthly Get Up Stand Up live comedy acts hosted by Tony Vino.
Look out too for Alfie Moore: Fair Cop Live – Radio Warm-Up on July 9, when he brings a new show to York ahead of recording his BBC Radio 4 comedy series It’s A Fair Cop.
For tickets for the Jorvik Comedy Award and Friargate Theatre comedy events, call 01904 655317 or go to https://friargatetheatre.co.uk/.
The poster for the Jorvik Comedy Award heats and final at Friargate Theatre
Jared More and Katie Coen feeling stressed out at the Bethlehem Inn in Riding Lights’ Christmas Inn Trouble
CHRISTMAS shows in myriad merry modes dominate Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for the week ahead.
Magical new twist on the Nativity of the week:Riding Lights Theatre Company in Christmas Inn Trouble, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, today, 1.30pm and 4pm, then December 21 to 24, 11am, 1.30pm and 4pm
BOTHER aplenty is afflicting The Bethlehem Inn and Spa, where taps are leaking, the rats are squeaking and the rooms are fit to burst. So many guests have arrived that parking your camel is impossible and, if things were not bad enough already, a rascally Roman soldier has come to make sure everything is above board.
Written by Rachel Price, directed by Riding Lights artistic director Paul Birch and starring Jared More and Katie Coen, festive farce Christmas Inn Trouble “turns the traditional tale on its head” in a slapstick comedy perfect for telling the Nativity story to primary-school aged children and their families. Box office: 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/christmasinntrouble.
Eve Lorian: Conducting Prima Choral Artists’ Family Christmas Concert at St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York
Choral concert of the week: Prima Choral Artists, Family Christmas Concert, St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, today, 4pm to 5pm
PRODUCED and conducted by Prima Choral Artists director Eve Lorian, today’s concert unites her choir with the New World String Quartet, organist James Webb and pianist Greg Birch in reflective and cheerful Christmas celebrations.
Here come high-spirited festive classics, modern choral arrangements and string and organ repertoire, including works by Tchaikovsky and Rawsthorne. Box office: primachoral.com and on the door.
The Queeries: Fun, frolicsome fiddling at Navigators Art’s As Yule Like It
All cracker, no cheese festive menu of the week: Navigators Art presents As Yule Like It, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 7.30pm (doors 7pm)
NAVIGATORS Art promises “All cracker, no cheese” at As Yule Like It, tonight’s live, local and loud showcase of “some of York’s finest and most individual sounds”. On the bill are University of York music student Cast Beatbox, racing up the ranks in national contests; Knitting Circle, York’s socially conscious and urgent post-punk trio, and York St John University folkies The Queeries, purveyors of fun, frolicsome fiddling.
Performing too will be Tang Hall Smart tutor and passionate singer-songwriter Toemouse, offering an invitation to a mystical ride, and Weather Balloons with a set of Boschian vignettes and betrayals of guitar music from a soft-rock renegade off duty from regular band Fat Spatula. Some material may not be suitable for young children. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/navigators-art-performance.
Hole Of Horcum, 2025, from Donna Maria Taylor’s This Rugged Earth exhibition at Rise@Bluebird Bakery
Exhibition of the week: Donna Maria Taylor, This Rugged Earth, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, until February 12 2026
SOUTH Bank Studios resident artist Donna Maria Taylor’s latest collection of paintings, This Rugged Earth, is inspired by the world around her and her travels both in the United Kingdom and Europe.
“The majority of the new work nod to my love of rugged hillscapes and mountainous landscapes,” says Donna, who will be exhibiting at York Open Studios and York Hospital in 2026.
Hannah Christina’s Rosie and Emilio Encinoso-Gil’s Rex in Pocklington Arts Centre’s Christmas show, Jingle All The Way
Deer double act of the week: Jingle All The Way, Pocklington Arts Centre, today, tomorrow, 1.30pm; Monday, 4.30pm; Tuesday, 10.30am and 4.30pm
FROM the team behind The Elves And The Shoemaker Save Christmas and Jack Frost’s Christmas Wish comes Elizabeth Godber’s latest Christmas family adventure, co-directed by Jane Thornton with musical direction by Dylan Allcock.
Reindeer siblings Rex (Emilio Encinoso-Gil) and Rosie (Hannah Christina) are reluctant to start at a new school just before Christmas, especially when that school is the East Riding Reindeer Academy, home of supreme athletes. Santa, however, has a position free on his sleigh squad; could this be Rex’s big chance? Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Northern Ballet’s dancers in a flurry of snow in The Nutcracker at Leeds Grand Theatre. Picture: Sophie Beth Jones
Ballet of the week: Northern Ballet in The Nutcracker, Leeds Grand Theatre, until January 4 2026
LEEDS company Northern Ballet’s much-loved festive production of The Nutcracker – premiered in 2007 – is revived anew this winter, featuring lavish costumes and Charles Cusick Smith sets that capture the 19th century Regency England setting beautifully for the timeless story of Clara and her wooden Nutcracker doll. As the clock strikes midnight, she finds herself being whisked away on a magical adventure filled with dancing snowflakes and a whole host of colourful characters.
Choreographed by former artistic director David Nixon CBE, the ballet is performed to the instantly recognisable music of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky that first accompanied Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s original choreography in 1892. Glory be, that score will be performed live under conductor Yi Wei. Box office: https://northernballet.com/the-nutcracker.
Gemma Curry and her Arctic Fox puppet in Yuletide Tales at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb
Where the Northern Lights dance and old tales come alive: Hoglets Theatre in Yuletide Tales, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, Sunday, doors 4pm
GATHER round as the snow begins to fall and step into a world of wonder, cheeky robins and enchanted polar bears in Yuletide Tales, York company Hoglets Theatre’s heartwarming festive show for families, full of original songs, puppetry and magical storytelling.
Join cheerful storyteller Gemma Curry and her mischievous Arctic Fox friend as they journey through wintery folktales from the icy kingdoms of the North to the shimmer of the Northern Lights. Re-imaginings of traditional stories East Of The Sun And West Of The Moon, The Arctic Fox And The Northern Lights and How The Moon Got Its Cloak are accompanied by gentle audience interaction and a message of warmth and togetherness. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.
The poster for Anton Du Beke’s festive song-and-dance show with friends at York Barbican
Dandy dancing of the week: Christmas With Anton Du Beke & Friends, York Barbican, Sunday, 5pm
EMBARK on a dazzling journey into a festive wonderland as Strictly Come Dancing judge and ballroom king Anton Du Beke joins forces with his dynamic live band, vocalist Lance Ellington and troupe of dancers for a magical evening of cherished Christmas songs, captivating dance and festive humour. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Recommended but sold out already is Robert Plant’s Saving Grace gig, Ding Dong Merrily, at York Barbican on December 23 (doors 7pm), when Plant, co-vocalist Suzi Dian drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley and cellist Barney Morse-Brown showcase September 26’s Saving Grace album, “a song book of the lost and found”.
David Ward Maclean: Marking Winter Solstice with “iceberg songs with penguins on them”
Solo show of the week: David Ward Maclean Winter Solstice Concert, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, Sunday, 7.30pm
JOIN York singer-songwriting legend David Ward Maclean for a lovely night of songs to mark the Winter Solstice, drawing on material from the past 20 years for his two sets. “My songs are icebergs. With penguins on them,” he says. “All revenue will go straight to recording my new album Pilgrims.” Box office: https://wegottickets.com/event/668355/.
