Tag: grand opera house york

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Who will be having a ball in Cinderella at the Grand Opera House? Meet the panto cast

Cinderella cast members Luke Attwood, Brandon Nicholson, Lisa George, Tobias Turley, Rachel Grundy and Jimmy Bryant

THE Grand Opera House pantomime cast has assembled for the first time in York to give a flavour of what lies in store in Cinderella this winter.

In attendance for the UK Productions press day were Rachel Grundy (Cinderella); Tobias Turley (Prince Charming); Lisa George (Fairy Godmother); Jimmy Bryant (Buttons); Yorkshireman Bradley Judge (Dandini), and Ugly Sisters double act Luke Attwood (Harmony Hard-Up) and Brandon Nicholson (Melody Hard-Up).

“I was here at the Grand Opera House in The Rocky Horror Show, though I’ve never been in York at Christmas, which I’m looking forward to,” says West End musical actress Rachel Grundy, who has appeared in such shows as Legally Blonde and Starlight Express.

“The first time I worked with UK Productions was the Legally Blonde UK tour. I’ve done pantomimes at Bath Theatre Royal, Blackpool Grand Theatre, New Brighton, Bournemouth and Basingstoke, where I did Cinderella.”

Tobias Turley, who came to fame on ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream, has appeared on the York stage previously in the Strictly Come Dancing Tour. “My first job out of drama school [at Doreen Bird College] was in Sleeping Beauty at Mansfield, but I haven’t come back to pantomime since then until now. That was four years ago,” he says.

“I’ve been very lucky working in theatre since being on telly, playing one of the Jets, Diesel, in West Side Story, appearing in Heathers and Mamma Mia! The Musical, then White Rose at the Marylebone Theatre and Hot Mess in the Pleasance Courtyard at the Edinburgh Fringe, which will be going in to the Southwark  Playhouse Elephant for three weeks.”

Traditionally, Cinderella and Prince Charming are this pantomime’s straight roles. “You need that to keep the story flowing, with the story arc being continued throughout,” says Rachel. “You need those strong pillars.”

New addition: Leeds lad Bradley Judge, confirmed for Dandini role in Cinderella

Tobias adds; “The first time I did panto, I was thinking ‘I’m not getting laughs’, but you need both types in panto. They’re the fluff and we’re the plot – and what wonderful fluff they are!”

Neither Rachel or Toby will be heading home for Christmas Day. “My brother lives near Huddersfield,” she says. “I’ll be staying with a good friend of mine,” he says.

Coronation Street star Lisa George, whose sister lives in a village on the outskirts of York, is no stranger to pantomime, especially Cinderella. “This will be my fourth Cinderella,” she says. “I played Dandini with Jimmy Cricket, Suranne Jones and Linda Nolan at Tameside Hippodrome in 1997; Petunia Pumpkin [the Fairy Godmother role] at Oldham Coliseum in 2013; Fairy Godmother in Swindon, at the Wyvern Theatre, last Christmas, and now York.

“I’ve played Fairy Bowbells in Dick Whittington too. I love playing fairy! She’s just a lovely character and she’s ageless – though one day I’d love to see her in a pinny and rubber gloves!”

Actor and comedy performer Jimmy Bryant will be working in York for the first time. “Buttons is especially there for the children, as he’s the closest to them in his character,” he says. “Part of his role is to be their voice on stage; he does the most direct speaking to the audience. He’ll be their best friend.”

Buttons will be a contrasting role to his pantomime appearance last winter. “I usually play the funny chap who’s there to have loads of laughs and bring the audience with me, but last year I was the villain – a very stupid villain – at the Cheltenham Everyman, where I was Herr Kutte, a German villain, which was really fun to do as they wanted someone who wasn’t too scary.”

Bradley Judge, from Leeds, has appeared previously in pantoland in Aladdin in New Brighton and Jack And The Beanstalk in Mansfield and has done musicals aplenty since studying musical theatre at Guildford School of Acting. “The last big show I was in was Sister Act, which came to the Leeds Grand,” he says.  

Lisa George: Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother

“For playing Dandini, I’ve not got the whole script yet, but from what I’ve seen he’s got a little comedy in his role, with a bit of a cheeky wit about him.”

West End drag double act and real-life partners Luke Attwood and Brandon Nicholson will bring Harmony and Melody to Cinderella in their York debut. “This is our seventh year together in pantomime,” says Luke. “I used to be a dancer in pantomime for many years. One year I auditioned for Ugly Sister at Wimborne, on  my own to be paired with someone else, and then Brandon auditioned to be Dandini…

…”I didn’t want to wear women’s clothing!” interjects Brandon. “Then the director, Lee Redwood, said Brandon had auditioned for Dandini, and he suggested we should work together as Ugly Sisters,” says Luke.

“Since then we’ve built up a full set of costumes, stored in Brandon’s old bedroom at his mum and dad’s house.”

After playing such Strictly Come Dancing–rooted double acts as Tess and Claudia and Shirley and Darcey, Luke and Brandon will be adding Harmony and Melody Hard-Up to their repertoire. “It’s our first time with UK Productions,” says Brandon. “We saw their Cinderella in Blackpool and thought, ‘we want to be in that’!

“Anthony Williams [UK Productions’ executive pantomime director] came to see us in pantomime in Blackpool, and now we’re doing Cinderella in York. It’s the number one-selling pantomime, so it’s great to be in it this winter.”

UK Productions presents Cinderella at Grand Opera House, York, from December 6 to January 4 2026. Box office:  atgtickets.com/york.

Cinderella stars Tobias Turley and Rachel Grundy

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Childs’ play for Erin as she plays Dorothy in York Stage’s The Wizard Of Oz at Grand Opera House, York, from Friday

Erin Childs’ Dorothy looking out of the farm window

ERIN Childs is feeling at home in the lead role of Dorothy as York Stage skip down the Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard Of Oz at the Grand Opera House, York.

“It’s so iconic,” says the 17-year-old A-level student from Dunnington, sitting in the Cumberland Street theatre’s foyer bar before performing songs from the show at a Networking and Meet The Team evening last Wednesday.

“I’m quite young to be playing Dorothy as it’s a very big role. I’m so grateful for the opportunity with a company that has such professional standards.”

Erin, who is studying Musical Theatre among four A-levels from this term, will take to the stage from Friday buoyed by achieving her LAMDA Grade 8 Award. “I got a distinction!” she says excitedly.

For the past seven years, she has trained under The Wizard Of Oz director Nik Briggs at York Stage School,  making her mark in a series of York Stage shows.

“My first was The Sound Of Music, when I played Brigitta von  Trapp, and I’ve also done Everybody’s Talking  About Jamie, playing Pritti Pasha at the Grand Opera House, and in May I was in A Midsummer Night’s Dream [set on a modern-day northern council state],” says Erin. “I was a chav fairy, Peaseblossom, and it was a very fun show to do.”

Erin Childs’ Dorothy with Toto (Freddie) in a field at York Maze

How is her American accent coming along for farm girl Dorothy? “I would say we’re doing it more generalised American than Kansas, just to save on confusion, because Kansas is a midwestern  American accent, which might be confusing, and we have to make it as accessible as possible,” says Erin.

She is looking forward to “bringing my own twist” to Dorothy in what she describes as “a kind of modernised” take on The Sound Of Music’s heartwarming tale of friendship, courage and the belief that there’s no place like home.

Erin’s Dorothy, her dog Toto and her friends, the Scarecrow (Flo Poskitt), Tin Man (Stu Hutchinson) and Cowardly Lion (Finn East), must journey to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard (Ian Giles).

In navigating the enchanting landscape of Oz, Dorothy will be watched closely by Glinda, the Good Witch (Carly Morton) as the Wicked Witch of the West (Emily Alderson) plots to thwart Dorothy’s quest and reclaim the magical ruby slippers.

“She’s going on this emotional journey, a journey of self-discovery, that everyone goes on with her, as she really embodies that we’re all searching for the same things – especially love – as we all have the same emotions,” says Erin. “She also finds love in herself, accepting who she is.”

She is thrilled by the prospect of singing Over The Rainbow. “It’s so special; a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Everyone knows the song, and the fact that I have this opportunity is incredible,” she says. “The Jitterbug is brilliant to do too because of the fantastic choreography that goes with it.”

Erin Childs’ Dorothy walking through the maze at York Maze in her ruby slippers

Erin will perform with not one but two Totos. “We have a puppet Toto, commissioned from Elanor Kitchen, and ‘real’ Toto, our director Nik’s dog, Freddie,” she says. “Nepotism at its finest,” Nik jokes.

“I’ve worked with Freddie at nearly every rehearsal to get that bond with him. He’s very unpredictable but his cuteness will override everything.”

If Freddie is a new acquaintance, Erin has worked with all her fellow principal cast members previously. “They’re phenomenal. What they bring to life in their characters is just amazing,” she says.

Erin has had a busy summer, combining The Wizard Of Oz rehearsals with working in the entertainments team at York Maze under York actor, entertainer and magician Josh Benson. “It’s involved lots of hosting and dancing,” she says. “Hopefully I’ll be doing the Halloween show there this year too.”

York Maze, by the way, has played its part in York Stage’s publicity campaign for The Wizard Of Oz. Photographs of Erin’s Dorothy, amid the sweetcorn sheaths, in ruby slippers and with Freddie in Toto mode, were taken there, along with the filming of the show’s promotional video, featuring Erin in costume singing Over The Rainbow.

The Yellow Brick Road awaits.

York Stage in The Wizard Of Oz, Grand Opera House, York, September 12 to 20. Performances: 7.30pm, September 12, 13, 19 and 20; 7pm, September 16, 17 and 18; 4pm, September 14; 2.30pm, September 13 and 20. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Over the rainbow: Erin Childs’ Dorothy following a path through the maze at York Maze

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More Things To Do in York & beyond when willow whispers and cinema pops outdoors. Hutch’s List No.39, from The York Press

Willow artist Laura Ellen Bacon in the saloon at her Whispers Of The Wilderness exhibition at Beningbrough Hall. Picture: Anthony Chappel-Ross

WILLOW sculptures, outdoor cinema, musical premieres and the Yellow Brick Road are beckoning Charles Hutchinson. 

Exhibition opening of the week: Laura Ellen Bacon, Whispers Of The Wilderness, Exploring Wilderness Gardens, Beningbrough Hall, near York, until April 12 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm

WHISPERS Of The Wilderness brings together contemporary large-scale willow sculptures by Laura Ellen Bacon, historic pieces from across the National Trust collection to showcase Wilderness Gardens through time and a new drawing studio designed by artist Tanya Raabe-Webber.

Complemented by a new soundscape, audio chair, sketches of the developing sculptures and more, the exhibition is a sensory experience across the first-floor Reddihough Galleries and Great Hall. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/beningbrough.  

Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Sunday’s screening at Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema at York Museum Gardens

Film event of the week: City Screen Picturehouse presents Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema, York Museum Gardens, York, Stop Making Sense (PG), tonight, 6.30pm; 10 Things I Hate About You (12A), Sunday, 6.30pm

JONATHAN Demme’s Stop Making Sense, capturing David Byrne’s Talking Heads in perpetual motion at Hollywood’s Panatges Theatre in December 1983, re-emerges in a 40th anniversary restoration of “the greatest concert film of all time”.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Allison Janney, Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger star in 10 Things I Hate About You, wherein Cameron falls for Bianca on the first day of school, but not only his uncool status stops him from asking her out. Blankets, cushions and small camping chairs are allowed. Box office: picturehouses.com/outdoor-cinema/venue/york-museum-gardens.

Hal Cruttenden: Reflecting on the insanity of modern politics at Burning Duck Comedy Club. Picture: Matt Crockett

“Take no prisoners” gig of the week: Hal Cruttenden Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 8pm

HAL Cruttenden promises to stick it to ‘The Man’, as long as ‘The Man’ does not stick it back to him. Expect hard-hitting pontificating on middle-aged dating, social media, the insanity of modern politics and his daughters loving him but not respecting him. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Artist Kerry Ann Moffat with her oil painting Sunlight Catching Wooden Sculpture at the Created In York pop-up gallery in High Petergate, York

Pop-up art space of the week: Created In York, hosted by Blank Canvas by Skippko charity, 22 High Petergate, York, 10.30am to 5pm, Thursdays to Saturdays; 11am to 4pm, Sundays

CHAMPIONING change through creativity, York art charity Skippko’s rolling programme of three-week Created In York shows is running in High Petergate until December 2025 in tandem with York Conservation Trust. On show until September 14 are oil paintings by Kerry Ann Moffat and linocuts and woodblock prints by Rachel Holborow.

York RI Golden Rail Band: Performing Sounding Brass and Voices with York RI Golden Railway Band. Picture: Keith Meadley

Musical partnership of the week: Sounding Brass and Voices, York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and York RI Golden Rail Band, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm

YORK Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and York RI Golden Rail Band reunite for a fourth joint concert in a tender and thrilling pairing of brass and voices, celebrating 100 years of music.

“From romantic film music to toe-tapping hits, there will be something for everyone,” says Golden Rail Band conductor Nick Eastwood.  Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Musicals Across The Multiverse choreographer Connie Howcroft, right, working on moves with Zander Fick, Ben Holeyman, Abbie Law and Lauren Charlton-Matthews

Interdimensional journey of the week: Wharfemede Productions in Musicals Across The Multiverse, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 10 to 13, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee

DIRECTOR Helen “Bells” Spencer and musical director Matthew Clare follow up 2023’s Musicals In The Multiverse 2023 with another blend of iconic musical theatre hits reconfigured with surprising twists. 

“Think unexpected style swaps, minor to major key switches, gender reversals, era-bending reinterpretations, genre mash-ups and more,” says Bells.” Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Debbie Isitt’s cast in rehearsal for the world premiere of Military Wives – The Musical at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Danny With A Camera

World premiere of the week: Military Wives – The Musical, York Theatre Royal, September 10 to 27, times vary

YORK Theatre Royal stages the world premiere of writer-director Debbie Isitt’s musical based on the 2019 film, rooted in Gareth Malone’s The Choir: Military Wives project.

Faced with husbands and partners being away at war, the women are isolated, bored and desperate to take their minds off feelings of impending doom. Enter Olive to help them form a choir. Cue a joyous celebration of female empowerment and friendship, courage and ‘unsung’ heroes. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Libby Greenhill’s Medium Alison, left, Hattie Wells’s Young Alison and Claire Morley’s Alison in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Fun Home

York premiere of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Fun Home, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, September 10 to 19, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday matinees

ROBERT Readman directs the York premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Krow’s five-time Tony Award winner, based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel. 

When her volatile father dies unexpectedly, Alison (Claire Morley) recalls how his temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, she relives her unique childhood at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her sexuality and the looming, unanswerable questions of her father’s hidden desires. Box office: ticketsourse.co.uk/pickmeuptheatrecom.

Rob Newman: Wondering where we are going in Where The Wild Things Were at The Crescent

The future, now: Burning Duck Comedy Club presents Rob Newman, Where The Wild Things Were, The Crescent, York, September 11, 7.30pm

ROB Newman wants to discuss where we are and where we are going, from future cities and philistine film directors to Dorothy Parker’s Multiverse Diaries. Throw in Pythagorean gangsters, intellectual bingo callers and a crazy character called Arlo for a comedic “tour-de-force utterly unlike anything else you will ever see anywhere else”. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Mick Tickner: Headlining the Funny Fridays bill at Patch

Comedy gathering of the week: Funny Fridays, at Patch, Bonding Warehouse, Terry Avenue, York, September 12, 7.30pm

AFTER May and June sell-outs and a summer break, Funny Fridays returns for a third night of stand-up hosted by promoter and comedian Katie Lingo. On the £10 bill are 2023 Hull Comedian of the Year Hannah Margaret, Jamie Clinton, Kerris Gibson, James Earl Marsters and headliner Mick Tickner. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk/e/funny-fridays-at-patch-tickets-1473792325519?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Erin Childs’ Dorothy with Toto (Freddie) in York Stage’s The Wizard Of Oz

Ruby slippers of the week: York Stage in The Wizard Of Oz, Grand Opera House, York, September 12 to 20, times vary

UNDER Nik Briggs’s direction, York Stage skips down the Yellow Brick Road as Erin Childs’ Dorothy, Toto and her friends, the Scarecrow (Flo Poskitt), Tin Man (Stu Hutchinson), and Cowardly Lion (Finn East), journey to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard (Ian Giles).

In navigating the enchanting landscape of Oz, Dorothy is watched closely by Glinda, the Good Witch (Carly Morton) as the Wicked Witch of the West (Emily Alderson) plots to thwart Dorothy’s quest and reclaim the magical ruby slippers. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as XXX exits and a cosmic piano arrives. Hutch’s List No. 38, from The York Press

Oh No! Have we missed Harland Miller’s XXX exhibition of Letter Paintings at York Art Gallery? No, this weekend is the last chance

HARLAND Miller’s XXX finale and Fangfest’s 25th anniversary, a comic convention and a cosmic piano are among Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations as August makes way for September. 

Do not miss: Harland Miller, XXX, York Art Gallery, ends on Sunday, open daily 10am to 5pm

THIS weekend is the last chance to see York-raised Pop artist and writer Harland Miller’s return to York Art Gallery with XXX, showcasing paintings and works on paper from his Letter Paintings series, including several new paintings, not least ‘York’, a floral nod to Yorkshire’s white rose and York’s daffodils. 

Inspired by his upbringing in 1970s’ Yorkshire and an itinerant lifestyle in New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Paris during the 1980s and 1990s, Miller creates colourful and graphically vernacular works that convey his love of popular language and attest to his enduring engagement with its narrative, aural and typographical possibilities. Tickets: yorkartgallery.org.uk.

 Fladam’s Flo Poskitt and Adam Sowter: Premiering their shiny new musical comedy, Astro-Norma!, at York Explore today

Intergalactic musical family adventure of the week: Fladam Theatre in Astro-Norma And The Cosmic Piano, York Explore Library and Archive, Library Square, York, today, 11am and 2pm

FROM the creators of Green Fingers and the spooky HallowBean comes Astro-Norma And The Cosmic Piano, wherein Norma dreams of going into space, like her heroes Mae Jemison and Neil Armstrong, although children can’t go into space, can they? Especially children with a very  important piano recital coming up.

But what bizarre-looking contraption has just crash-landed in the garden? Is it a bird? Or a plane? No… it’s a piano?! No ordinary piano. This is a cosmic piano! Maybe Norma’s dreams can come true? Join Fladam duo Flo Poskitt and Adam Sowter for a 45-minute show full of awesome aliens, rib-tickling robots and interplanetary puns. Box office: tickettailor.com/events/exploreyorklibrariesandarchives.

You, Me And Who We’ll Be: Josie Brookes and Tom Madge’s exhibition at Nunnington Hall

Children’s exhibition of the week: Josie Brookes and Tom Madge, You, Me And Who We’ll Be, Nunnington Hall, near York, until September 7

ENTER the colourful worlds of children’s illustrators Josie Brookes and Tom Madge. Through bold, eye-catching artwork, the Newcastle-upon-Tyne duo creates stories that explore the many ways we can help and understand each other, make friends and build relationships.  

Discover your own helpful superpower in the Big Small Nature Club or join best friends Nader and Solomiya on a journey to find home. A dress-up station lets you share in the adventures of Molly the Flower. Before you go, help the story grow by adding your own artwork to the interactive gallery. Tickets: Normal admission charges at nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/exhibitions.

York Unleashed Comic-Con: Special guests, stage talks, cosplay masquerade, attractions and merchandise market at York Racecourse

Convention of the week: York Unleashed Comic-Con, York Racecourse, Knavesmire, York, Sunday, 11am to 5pm

UNLEASHED Events welcomes Tom Rosenthal, Tim Blaney, Peter Davison, Phil Fletcher and special guest Atticus Finch Wobbly Cat to a comic convention featuring stage talks, cosplay masquerade and plenty more.

Comic artists and authors Jim Alexander, Elinor Taylor, Blake Books, Jessica Meats, Paolo Debernardi and Ben Sawyer are appearing too. Attractions include Doctor Bell, Bumblebee Camaro, Johnny 5, Milestone 3D, Imagination Gaming, Battle Ready Academy, Mos Eisley Misfits, Tom Daws Dimple Magician, Rexys Reviews and Iconic Movie Scenes, plus a market selling merchandise and collectables from favourite franchises. Tickets: unleashedtickets.co.uk.

SmART art: One of 100 artworks for sale at the pop-up SmART Gallery at York Racecourse

Art event of the week: SmART Gallery, Racecourse Road, York, YO23 1EU, Sunday, 11am to 2.30pm

SUNDAY’S outdoor, inclusive community art gallery, SmART Gallery, will raise money for the Christmas appeal run by Crisis, the homeless charity, and voluntary work in Sierra Leone next Easter.

The event features more than 100 pieces of art work produced by the York community. Blank canvases are sold for £10, then returned once the art work has been created in any medium. Browsers can submit a secret bid on the day for anything they would like to buy. Any unsold artwork will remain on the fence opposite York Racecourse’s main entrance for five months for all to enjoy.

Austentatious: Improvising new Jane Austen novel from audience suggestions at Grand Opera House, York

Improv show of the week: Show And Tell present Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, Grand Opera House, York, September 5 and 6, 7.30pm

AS seen every week in the West End since 2022 and in York in a sold-out show in January, the all-star Austentatious cast will improvise a new Jane Austen novel, inspired entirely by a title from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, this riotous, quick-moving comedy comes with guaranteed swooning.

The revolving Austentatious cast includes numerous award-winning television and radio performers, such as Cariad Lloyd (QI, Inside No.9, Griefcast, The Witchfinder),Joseph Morpurgo (Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee), Rachel Parris (The Mash Report), Graham Dickson (After Life, The Witchfinder) and more. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Pottery workshop at 25th anniversary Fangest Festival of Practical Arts in Fangfoss

Silver anniversary of the week: Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts, Fangfoss, East Riding, September 6 and 7, 10am to 4pm each day

FANGFOSS is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fangfest with the All Things Silver flower festival; veteran cars; archery; the Stamford Bridge Heritage Society; music on the village green; children’s games; the Teddy Bear Trail and artists aplenty exhibiting and demonstrating their work. 

Opportunities will be provided to try out the potter’s wheel, spoon carving and chocolate making. Some drop-in activities are free; more intensive workshops require booking in advance. Look out too for the circus skills of children’s entertainer John Cossham, alias Professor Fiddlesticks, and the Pocklington and District Heritage Trust mobile museum. Admission is free.

Suede: Returning to York Barbican next February on Antidepressants tour. Picture: Dean Chalkley

Show announcement of the week: Suede, Antidepressants UK Tour 2026, York Barbican, February 7 2026

AFTER playing York Barbican for the first time in more than 25 years in March 2023, Suede will make a rather hastier return on their 17-date January and February tour. Brett Anderson’s London band will be promoting  tenth studio album Antidepressants, out on September 5 on BMG.

“If [2022’s] Autofiction was our punk record, Antidepressants is our post-punk record,” says Anderson. “It’s about the tensions of modern life, the paranoia, the anxiety, the neurosis. We are all striving for connection in a disconnected world. This was the feel I wanted the songs to have. This is broken music for broken people.” Box office: York, yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/suede26.

REVIEW: National Theatre in War Horse, Leeds Grand Theatre, until Sept 6 *****

Tom Sturgess (Albert Narracott), left, with Diany Samba-Bandza, Jordan Paris and Eloise Beaumont-Wood (Baby Joey) in War Horse, on tour at Leeds Grand Theatre. Picture: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

ELEVEN years since first encountering the National Theatre’s remarkable War Horse at the Alhambra, Bradford, a return visit brought out all the awe, wonderment and anger anew at Leeds Grand Theatre amid the turbulence of 21st century conflicts, conflagrations and ever more warmongering.

Michael Morpurgo’s source novel was ostensibly a tale for children, as was Michelle Magorian’s Second World War story Goodnight Mister Tom, but Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris’s theatrical tour de force is a show for everyone.

The most successful play in the history of the National Theatre, collecting more than 25 awards and playing to 8.3 million people worldwide, War Horse is a complete piece of theatre, replete with technical aplomb, extraordinary puppetry, grand design and foundation-shaking sound to complement Nick Stafford’s beautiful, powerful storytelling.

For all those theatrical tools, the story is king, told with imagination and wonder beyond even the cinematic scope of Steven Spielberg’s 2011 film version.

More remarkable still, Morpurgo’s central character is a horse, whose journey is charted from Devon farm to the fields of the Somme, in the service of first the British and then the Germans in the First World War.

Directors Elliott and Morris and designer Rae Smith had the original vision, put into flesh by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company’s Adrian Kohler. Not so much flesh as leather tack and a wooden see-through framework that exposed the three puppeteers, gloved and dressed to add to the sense of equine power in life-sized Joey, whose transformation from colt to magnificent beast is a coup de theatre that takes the breath away.

From the highly physical ensemble acting of revival director Katie Henry’s cast to the deafening sounds of war (by sound designer Christopher Shutt) and the omnipresent animation and projection designs of Nicol Scott and Ben Pearcy that depict war so devastatingly, every last detail counts. Anne Marie Piazza’s singing of John Tams’s affecting folk songs is even more haunting for its female interpretation.

At the core is the bond of a boy and his horse, Tom Sturgess’s stoical farm boy Albert Narracott and noble Joey, as boy becomes man all too young in the most brutal passage of rights in the trenches. War divides but it also unites, bringing out the best and worst on all sides (as Morpurgo’s equal focus on the Germans emphasises).

Co-produced with Michael Harrison, Fiery Angel and Playing Field, this “all-new tour” for 2024-2025 is a triumph once more. The National Theatre and British theatre at their best.

National Theatre in War Horse, Leeds Grand Theatre, until September 6, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 37, from Gazette & Herald

You, Me And Who We’ll Be: Josie Brookes and Tom Madge’s enchanting exhibition at Nunnington Hall

CHILDREN’S outdoor adventures and diverse exhibitions, improvised Austen and American folk blues are among Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations as August makes way for September. 

Children’s exhibition of the week: Josie Brookes and Tom Madge, You, Me And Who We’ll Be, Nunnington Hall, near York, until September 7

ENTER the colourful worlds of children’s illustrators Josie Brookes and Tom Madge. Through bold, eye-catching artwork, the Newcastle-upon-Tyne duo creates stories that explore the many ways we can help and understand each other, make friends and build relationships.  

Discover your own helpful superpower in the Big Small Nature Club or join best friends Nader and Solomiya on a journey to find home. A dress-up station lets you share in the adventures of Molly the Flower. Before you go, help the story grow by adding your own artwork to the interactive gallery. Collages, prints and animation add up to plenty to inspire children. Tickets: Normal admission charges to Nunnington Hall apply at nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/exhibitions.

Kate Stables of This Is The Kit: Playing The Crescent in York tomorrow

York gig of the week: This Is The Kit, The Crescent, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

THIS Is The Kit is the pseudonym of Winchester-born, Paris-dwelling songwriter, banjo strummer and pinhole camera aficionado Kate Stables, who makes albums of  “cataclysmic honesty and welcoming tonal embraces” that place companionship at a premium.

Stables will be accompanied in her experimental folk quartet by bass player Rozi Plain, drummer Jamie Whitby-Coles and guitarist Neil Smith, as she was at The Citadel, the former Salvation Army HQ in Gillygate, York, in November 2021. Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com/events.

Mandi Grant: Launching There Are Places To Remember exhibition at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, tomorrow

York art preview of the week: Mandi Grant, There Are Places To Remember, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, tomorrow, 6pm to 9pm

BE among the first to see South Bank Studios artist Mandi Grant’s new collection There Are Places I Remember on the bakery walls in Acomb. On show will be lyrical paintings of shapes, colour and textures in a combination of oil, acrylic and wax techniques.

Wine, soft drinks and nibbles will be served. Tickets are free but please register to attend at eventbrite.com/e/mandi-grant-art-preview-evening-tickets-1515431479349?aff=oddtdtcreator. Mandi’s exhibition will run until October 23.

Nunnington Hall: Playing host to Dawn Of The Dinos

Children’s adventures of the week: Dawn Of The Dinos, Nunnington Hall, near York, until August 31, 10.30am to 5pm

ENTER the Nunnington that time forgot with outdoor dinosaur-themed games around the gardens and main lawn for the family as you don your explorer’s hat and stomp around with your favourite dinosaurs.

In addition, around the gardens you can find a quiet creative hub with art supplies  and children can enjoy the Lion’s Den play area, where little explorers can climb up, over and wobble along a natural obstacle course, including tree-stump steps, a rope bridge and a wooden climbing frame to conquer. Inside the house, family-friendly art events and activities are running too. Normal admission applies, with free entry for National Trust members and under fives at nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/events.

Jake Xerxes Fussell: North Carolina singer, guitar picker and composer making York debut on September 3

American folk music for anxious times: Jake Xerxes Fussell, National Centre for Early Music, York, September 3, 7.30pm

PLEASE  Please You & Brudenell Presents promote the York debut of North Carolina singer, guitar picker and composer Jake Xerxes Fussell, whose intuitive creative process draws from traditional music and archival field recordings, incorporating elements of Southern folk song and blues into new works for the anxious modern world.

Folklorist Fussell released his fifth album, When I’m Called, last summer as his first on Fat Possum Records. He teamed up again with producer James Elkington to write and record music for Max Walker-Silverman’s feature film Rebuilding, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Austentatious: Improvising new Jane Austen story from audience suggestions at Grand Opera House, York

Improv show of the week: Show And Tell present Austentatious, An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, Grand Opera House, York, September 5 and 6, 7.30pm

THE all-star Austentatious cast will improvise a new Jane Austen novel, inspired entirely by a title from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, this riotous, quick-moving West End hit comedy guarantees swooning.

The revolving Austentatious cast includes numerous award-winning television and radio performers, such as Cariad Lloyd (QI, Inside No.9, Griefcast, The Witchfinder),Joseph Morpurgo (Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee), Rachel Parris (The Mash Report), Graham Dickson (After Life, The Witchfinder) and more. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Pottery workshop at Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts

Silver anniversary of the week: Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts, Fangfoss, East Riding, September 6 and 7, 10am to 4pm each day

FANGFOSS is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fangfest with the All Things Silver flower festival; veteran cars; archery; the Stamford Bridge Heritage Society; music on the village green; children’s games; the Teddy Bear Trail and artists aplenty exhibiting and demonstrating their work. 

Opportunities will be provided to try out the potter’s wheel, spoon carving and chocolate making. Some drop-in activities are free, while others are more intensive workshops that require booking in advance. Details of these can be found at facebook/fangfest or Instagram:@fangfestfestival. Look out too for the circus skills of children’s entertainer John Cossham, alias Professor Fiddlesticks, and the Pocklington and District Heritage Trust mobile museum. Admission is free.

Anton Du Beke: Making a song and dance out of Christmas at York Barbican

Show announcement of the week: Anton Du Beke in Christmas With Anton & Friends, York Barbican, December 21, 5pm

STRICTLY Come Dancing judge and dashing dancer Anton Du Beke will return to York Barbican with his festive show, Christmas with Anton & Friends, whose debut tour visited York on December 10 last year. Anton, 59, will be joined as ever by elegant crooner Lance Ellington, a live band and a company of dancers to create an evening of song and dance with added Christmas dazzle, concluding with a big medley.

“I loved doing the shows so much last year – they were simply magical – so I genuinely can’t wait to get on the road and do it all again,” says the King of the Ballroom. Box office:  yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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Glynis Barber and Bob Barrett to star in Agatha Christie’ Death On The Nile at Grand Opera House in Fiery Angel’s 2026 tour

Glynis Barber’s Salome Otterbourne in Fiery Angel’s 2026 production of Death On The Nile, bound for Grand Opera House, York.  Picture: Jay Brooks

GLYNIS Barber and Bob Barrett are to join Mark Hadfield’s Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile at the Grand Opera House, York, from March 3 to 7 2026.

Barber will play Salome Otterbourne and Barrett will take the role of the Belgian detective’s trusted friend Colonel Race in the UK & Ireland tour of the European premiere of Ken Ludwig’s new stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1937 thriller.

Death On The Nile will reunite Ludwig, director Lucy Bailey and producers Fiery Angel, whose sell-out tours of Christie’s And Then There Were None and Murder On The Orient Express visited the Grand Opera House in November 2023 and March 2025 respectively.

Glynis Barber became a household name when she starred opposite Michael Brandon in the television series Dempsey And Makepeace.  Further  TV credits include series regulars Norma Crow in Hollyoaks, Gertrusha in NBC’s The Outpost and Glenda Mitchell in EastEnders, as well as Jean McAteer in The Royal, DCI Grace Barraclough in Emmerdale, Fiona Brake in Night & Day and Soolin in Blake’s 7. 

Her previous brushes with Agatha Christie came when she starred as Cora van Stuyvesant in Agatha Christie’s Marple: Endless Night and as Lola Brewster in Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side. 

Her recent theatre credits include The Best Man (West End), Stalking The Bogeyman (Southwark Playhouse), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (West End) and The Graduate (UK Tour).

Completing his Agatha Christie hat-trick at the Grand Opera House: Bob Barrett’s Colonel Race in Lucy Bailey’s touring production of Death On The Nile, heading for York next March. Barrett played Doctor Armstrong in And Then There Were None in 2023 and Monsieur Bouc in Murder On The Orient Express in 2025. Picture: Jay Brooks

“I couldn’t be more excited to be returning to the stage and working with the brilliant team at Fiery Angel and director Lucy Bailey,” said Glynis.  “This iconic play from Agatha Christie’s phenomenal body of work keeps audiences on the edge of their seat and I can’t wait to be part of a cast that will bring this gripping drama to theatres all over the UK and Ireland.”

Bob Barrett is best known as Sacha Levy in the long-running Holby City, a role he played from 2010 to 2022.  On film, he played George Bryan in John Madden’s Shakespeare In Love.  On stage, he played the Grand Opera House in And Then There Were None and Murder On The Orient Express. 

 “To have the chance of being in one Agatha Christie tour, getting to work with the incomparable team of Lucy Bailey and Fiery Angel, was special,” said Bob. “To get to be in three is a great privilege I shall never forget.” 

What happens in Death On The Nile? On board a luxurious cruise under the heat of the Egyptian sun, a couple’s idyllic honeymoon is cut short by a brutal murder.  As secrets buried in the sands of time finally resurface, can the world-famous detective Hercule Poirot untangle the web of lies and solve another crime?

Director Lucy Bailey will be joined in the production team by designer Mike Britton, lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, sound designer Mic Pool, movement director Liam Steele and associate director Lucy Waterhouse. Helena Palmer is the casting director.

The UK & Ireland Tour is presented by Fiery Angel in association with Agatha Christie Limited. Further casting is to be announced.

Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile, Grand Opera House, York, March 3 to 7 2026, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Age guidance: 12 plus. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The 2026 tour poster for Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile

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West End stars Tobias Turley and Rachel Grundy to join Cinderella panto cast at Grand Opera House from December 6

Meet Prince Charming and Cinderella, Tobias Turley and Rachel Grundy, in UK Productions’ Cinderella at the Grand Opera House, York

WEST End performers Tobias Turley and Rachel Grundy are joining the pantomime cast for Cinderella at the Grand Opera House, York, from December 6 to January 4 2026.

Turley, breakout star of ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream, will play Prince Charming, opposite musical theatre actress Grundy as Cinderella in the UK Productions show.

Somerset-born Turley rose to fame as the winner of the 2023 series, captivating audiences with his commanding vocal performances. Since then, he has lit up stages in Mamma Mia! The Musical, Heathers The Musical, Hot Mess and West Side Story.

This winter he will bring his velvet voice and romantic flair to a festive performance that “promises to sweep audiences off their feet”. “I’m really looking forward to stepping into the role of Prince Charming in York this Christmas,” says Tobias. “It’s a fantastic story, and I can’t wait to be part of the fun and festive magic of panto season.”

Grundy’s musical theatre credits span the West End and major UK tours. Known for her vocal power and stage charm, she has played Janet in The Rocky Horror Show, Brooke in Legally Blonde: The Musical, and Dinah in Starlight Express.

Her Cinderella will bring a mix of modern sparkle and heartfelt storytelling to the classic fairytale heroine. “I’m over the moon to be playing Cinderella in York this Christmas!” says Rachel. “Panto season is always such a magical time, and it’s a dream come true to don the glass slippers in such a stunning city. I’ll be sweeping from the Shambles to the stage – and I can’t wait to bring some sparkle to the beautiful Grand Opera House!”

Josh Brown, venue director for the Grand Opera House York, says: “Tobias and Rachel come with strong West End credentials and will be a huge hit in York. We’re thrilled to welcome such exceptional talent to the Grand Opera House stage in what will be another hugely popular, show-stopping panto from UK Productions.”

Taking on the role of the Fairy Godmother will be musical theatre performer, singer and Coronation Street alumna Lisa George, who played Beth Tinker on the Weatherfield cobbles for a decade.

Jimmy Bryant’s Buttons, Lisa George’s Fairy Godmother and Luke Attwood’s Harmony Hard Up and Brandon Nicholson’s Melody Hard Up in Cinderella

Casting spells, commanding laughs and guiding the heroine on her journey to the ball, she will be equal parts maternal, magical and mischievous in a performance of grace, gusto and glitter.

Comedy performer Jimmy Bryant will bring buckets of warmth, cheek and infectious energy to Buttons. Stealing scenes (and shoes) will be the Ugly Sisters, played with outrageous flair, sky-high heels and industrial-strength hairspray by West End drag stars Luke Attwood and Brandon Nicholson.

Here comes a “double dose of diva energy, armed with cutting one-liners, scandalous shade and a wardrobe so fierce it should come with flashing lights and a fire hazard warning”.

They promise to wreak havoc with style and to sabotage the slipper with flair, delivering their Harmony and Melody Hard Up double act with “costume changes quicker than a royal scandal, insults wrapped in rhinestones and comedic timing so sharp it could slice through a pumpkin carriage”.

“Cinderella and Prince Charming better watch their backs,” warn Attwood and Nicholson. “Because this year, it’s not about finding the shoe, it’s about stealing the spotlight. We’ve got the looks, the legs and the lungs to belt a ballad from Bootham to Blackpool. York, darling, prepare yourselves…the real stars of the ball have arrived!”

At the heart of Cinderella will be a new script by Jon Monie, winner of Best Script at the Great British Pantomime Awards, whose writing combines snappy dialogue and set-pieces with nods to pantomime traditions, contemporary wit and magical storytelling.

Martin Dodd, of UK Productions, enthuses: “This year’s Cinderella is supercharged with energy, glamour and world-class talent. With stars of the West End and screen lighting up the stage, this production is bursting with magic, music and mayhem. From jaw-dropping vocals to laugh-out-loud comedy, it’s pantomime at its absolute finest, unmissable, unforgettable and undeniably spectacular!”

“Tickets are flying faster than Cinderella’s coach at midnight; don’t be the one left holding a pumpkin,” says Ryan Harper, head of marketing and communications. “Book now, or risk missing the most magical, side-splitting, show-stopping event in York this Christmas!”

For tickets, go to: atgtickets.com/york.

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REVIEW: Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions in A Man For All Seasons, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday ****

Principled politician: Martin Shaw’s Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons. Picture: Simon Annand

SHAKESPEARE’S history plays still pop up. So too the ancient Greek tragedies and the Jacobean revengers’ tales, yet rarely do they tour, but why not in this turbulent political age?

Theatre should be more than an escape, more than yet another transfer from film to musical, a belief reinforced by the political dramas of David Hare and James Graham and indeed His Last Report, York Theatre Royal’s on-going community play about York social reformer Seebohm Rowntree.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions’ West End-bound revival of Robert Bolt’s witty, wise and waspish A Man For All Seasons only emphasises how there should be a more regular place on our stages for proper, heavyweight political dramas that make us look at the malpractice of our own times.

Latterly in theatreland, Henry VIII has been infamous for his wives’ revenge musical, SIX, conducted like a cross between a pop concert and a rap battle. Harry makes no appearance in that show, where he is given six of the best in pugilistic putdowns. 

Gary Wilmot: Comedic star turn as The Common Man in A Man For All Seasons. Picture: Simon Annand

In Bolt’s 1960 play, Henry is restricted to a cameo, a look-at-me, pouting, petulant flash Harry in the manner of Rik Mayall’s Lord Flashheart in Blackadder, but his constant threat, his greater-than-God arrogance, is omnipresent.

Orlando James was absent on press night, but understudy Huw Brentnall did such a fine job that his rowdy, ruthless, buffoonish Henry received pantomime villain boos for all his narcissism, boasting of his best-in-class legs, boat, grasp of Latin (only to be outdone by Rebecca Collingwood’s bright spark Margaret More) and song-writing.

Bolt’s humour, such a strong suit throughout, is at its best here, and all the while, it is impossible not to think of President Trump and his need to be centre of attention, his need for an instant response, his constant craving of change.

By dint of his restriction to one scene, Bolt’s Henry III is a caricature, but the man for all seasons of the title, Martin Shaw’s Sir Thomas More is wholly rounded, a legal brain in the tradition of the brightest barriers, treated with due gravitas by Bolt.

Political intrigue and religious conflicts in A Man For All Seasons, on tour at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Simon Annand

Shaw had first played him in 2006 and wanted more of his More in 2025 for all manner of reasons: a chance to work again with Jonathan Church after their West End collaboration on Hobson’s Choice in 2016; a return to the beautiful Theatre Royal Bath; his appreciation of Bolt’s writing and his relish for playing More.

At 80, the erstwhile star of The Professionals, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently retains stage presence, theatrical heft and the timing and know-how of delivery, but the absence of amplification exposes his voice, which sometimes loses clarity in Act One, although he then over-compensates in his stentorian last speech. 

That said, his principled, prayerful Lord Chancellor More, refusing to endorse Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, is a wholly admirable, decent and dignified figure, sticking to his religious beliefs under the kind of pressure that would have modern-day politicians buckling.

If Shaw’s More is steadfast, Gary Wilmot’s comedic star turn, The Common Man, is the chameleon with the survival instincts of a cat, playing all manner of downstairs roles, from messenger to pub landlord to jobsworth jailor. 

Orlando James’s Henry VIII making demands of Martin Shaw’s Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons. Picture: Simon Annand

Each one finds him seeking to outwit yet live off the upstairs world at a price, tirelessly breaking down theatre’s fourth wall in direct address to the audience that recalls Shakespeare’s smart fools. Living on his wits, Wilmot’s Common Man is a radiant joy throughout, cheeky yet somehow never in danger of the chop amid the mayhem of all the political machinations around him.

Central to those machinations, as Henry VIII imposes the Church of England in a breakaway from Rome, is the relentless quest of Henry’s hitman, Edward Bennett’s venal Thomas Cromwell, to bring down More by stealth, applying every trick in the book, bending the truth, with cruel humour to boot.

Church’s direction brings out all the nuances, the intelligence, the lyricism, the delight in verbal jousts in Bolt’s supreme script, and while A Man For All Seasons may feel old-fashioned, right down to Simon Higlett’s dark, austere wooden set, that is only because plays of such depth, such vision, such brio, are too rarely staged today.

A Man For All Seasons runs at Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

 

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 33, from Gazette & Herald

Flo & Jones: Florrie Stockbridge, left, and Helmsley Arts Centre artistic director Natasha Jones team up to perform at Kirkbymoorside Gateway To The Moors Music Festival

KIRKBYMOORSIDE’S three-day music festival and The Three Inch Fools’ garden comedy catch Charles Hutchinson’s eye as August arrives.

Festival of the week: Kirkbymoorside Gateway To The Moors Music Festival, Friday to Sunday

BOOTLEG 60s play the Sixties Night at Kirkbymoorside Memorial Hall on Friday (8.30pm), followed by The Breeze, supported by PJ, at Saturday’s Country Night (8pm). PJ will be holding a line-dancing class that day too (3pm). Sunday afternoon’s 1940s Tea Dance combines afternoon tea and a glass of fizz with Forties’ music, featuring DJ Lynne and Bev Martin (2pm).

All Saints’ Church plays host to Carrie Martin and John Drakes on Friday, from 5.30pm; Saturday performances by Wounded Bear at 2pm, Flo & Jones at 4.30pm and Jazz with John Lane & Friends at 7.30pm, then Sunday’s 2pm concert by Moorland Voices & Friday Orchestra Quartet.

Ryedale singers play for free in pubs and cafes on Saturday; teenage band Chocolatebox perform at the White Swan on Saturday afternoon (12.30pm); David Swann & Friends are in action at the Methodist Church on Sunday (4.30pm). Look out for classical, brass band, children’s disco, open-mic and history walk events too. For more information and tickets, go to: kirkbymoorsidetown.co.uk/gateway-to-the-moors-music-festival.

The Three Inch Fools: Heading to Helmsley Walled Garden to present Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Outdoor play of the week: The Three Inch Fools in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Helmsley Walled Garden, Helmsley, Friday, 7pm. Gates open at 6pm

ON Midsummer’s eve, deep in an enchanted forest, mischief is stirring in Cumbrian company Three Inch Fools’ staging of Shakespeare’s comedy. The Fairy King and Queen are feuding, four runaway lovers are tying themselves in knots, and a troupe of “Rude Mechanical” actors is preparing a theatrical extravaganza destined to impress. Put shape-shifting trouble-maker Puck at the helm, and the course of true love will never run smooth.

Bring cushions and camping chairs, but no umbrellas, to James and Stephen Hyde’s tenth anniversary open-air adventure, part of a summer tour of 136 performances at 112 locations. Come prepared for the weather: the performance will continue, come rain or shine. Box office: helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk.

Faithless: Bringing Mass Destruction to Scarborough Open Air Theatre this weekend

Coastal gig of the week: Faithless and Orbital, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Saturday. Gates open at 6pm

RETURNING to the concert platform last year after an eight-year hiatus, Faithless remain one of the most influential, boundary-pushing electronic acts of the 21st century with 17 Top 40 singles and six Top Ten albums to their name. Here come Salva Mea, One Step Too Far, Mass Destruction, Insomnia, God Is A DJ et al.

First up will be  Phil and Paul Hartnoll’s electronic duo Orbital, whose music draws on ambient, electro, punk and film scores, spread across ten albums. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Orland James’s Henry VIII and Martin Shaw’s Sir Thomas More, right, in Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Simon Annand

Political play of the week: A Man For All Seasons, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees

NOW 80, The Professionals, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently star Martin Shaw plays Sir Thomas More: scholar, ambassador, Lord Chancellor, friend to King Henry VIII  and a man of integrity in Robert Bolt’s play, directed by Jonathan Church.  

When Henry demands a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, clearing the way for him to marry Anne Boleyn, the staunchly Catholic Thomas is forced to choose between loyalty and conscience, committing an act of defiance that will lead only to the ultimate price. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Alligators: Snapping into blues action at Milton Rooms, Malton

Blues gig of the week number one: Ryedale Blues Club, The Alligators, Milton Rooms, Malton, tomorrow, 8pm

EAST Yorkshire electric blues trio The Alligators formed in 2004 to play old-style rhythm & blues with the classic line-up of guitar, bass and drums. Concentrating on a live sound rooted in Chicago, New Orleans and Texas blues, slide guitar features heavily in several numbers. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Alex Voysey: Best Of The Blues at Kirk Theatre, Pickering. Picture: Tony Cole Photography

Blues rock gig of the week number two: The Alex Voysey Blues Band presents Best Of The Blues, Kirk Theatre Pickering, Saturday, 7.30pm

NOMINATED for Contemporary Blues Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year in the 2025 UK Blues Federation Awards, guitarist Alex Voysey combines tracks from his May 2024 album Blues In Isolation with material from his inspirations, Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King, Keb Mo and many more. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

York Stage’s poster for Disney’s Dare To Dream Jr at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York

Musical revue of the week: York Stage in Disney’s Dare to Dream Jr, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Friday, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2pm and 4pm

HONOURING 100 years of Disney music, this60-minute revue follows eager trainees on their first day at a fictional Walt Disney Imagineering Studio. As they set out to help each other discover their dreams, they work together to explore the power of those dreams to unite, inspire and make anything possible.

Disney’s Dare To Dream Jr includes songs that appear for the first time in a Disney stage musical, notably fan favourites from The Princess And The Frog, Coco, Enchanto and Frozen II in a showcase of contemporary songs, timeless classics and new medleys. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Hitting the sweet spot: Sweet Legacies exhibition at York Theatre Royal

Exhibition of the week: Sweet Legacies, York Theatre Royal, until August 3

YORK Theatre Royal’s foyer is transformed into a pop-up exhibition of photography, visual arts, audio, film and more as part of the Sweet Legacies community engagement project. The project has seen the Theatre Royal work with 22 community groups across the city to put on a series of fun, free and inclusive activities and events. Admission is free.

James Dowdeswell: Headlining Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at The Basement on Saturday

Comedy gig of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, Saturday, 8pm

JAMES Dowdeswell, from the BBC’s Russell Howard’s Good News and Ricky Gervais’s Extras, combines deft stand-up with daft stories in his erudite, off-the-cuff headline set this weekend. A comedic authority on beer, wine and pubs, he is the author of The Pub Manifesto: A Comedian Stands Up For Pubs. 

On the bill too are northern humorist Anth Young, Scotland-based Singaporean comic Laura Quinn Goh and regular host Damion Larkin. Box office: lolcomedyclubs.co.uk.

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Martin Shaw finds all manner of reasons to revisit A Man For All Seasons for more of Sir Thomas More on Grand Opera House debut

Portrait of a scholar, ambassador, Lord Chancellor and friend to King Henry VIII: Martin Shaw’s Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons

YORK is the only city in the north to be playing host to Jonathan Church’s production  of Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons.

Playing the Grand Opera House from July 29 to August 2, the cast will be led by Martin Shaw, from The Professionals, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently, in the role of Sir Thomas More and star of stage and screen Gary Wilmot as The Common Man.

“This is the first time I’ve worked with Gary and I hope it will not be the last,” says Martin. “It’s been a complete joy. He’s very funny and multi-talented.”

Welcoming A Man For All Seasons to York before its London run at the Harold Pinter Theatre from August 6 to September 6, venue director Josh Brown says: “We’re thrilled that the Grand Opera House has been selected as the only venue in the north of the UK to host this magnificent play. We’re confident it will be a hit with both visitors and locals alike, offering a fantastic opportunity for history enthusiasts and theatre lovers to experience a high-quality production about such fascinating and influential figures.” 

Written in 1960, Bolt focuses on the greatest, most powerful and dangerous figures who shaped English history in his story of Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), scholar, ambassador, Lord Chancellor and friend to King Henry VIII.

Above all, More was a man of integrity, loved by the common people and his own family, who stuck doggedly to his pious principles and moral convictions when Henry VIII demanded a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, at any price, clearing the way for him to marry Anne Boleyn.

In A Man For All Seasons, Shaw’s staunchly Catholic More is forced to choose between his loyalty and his own conscience, committing an act of defiance that will lead him to paying the ultimate price.

Birmingham-born Shaw, now 80, first played More in A Man For All Seasons in 2006. “We were at the Haymarket for quite a long time and we got life-changing reviews, the kind you wish you would always receive” he recalls.

“The character of Thomas More and the beauty of the play never quite left my mind, so I got in touch with Jonathan, as it’s such a joy to perform at the Theatre Royal Bath.”  The Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Theatre Royal Bath co-production duly ensued.

“It’s a beautiful play, wonderfully well written, about integrity, principle and religious beliefs, of God being a higher power,  and I had this amazing attachment to the character of Thomas More, but it hadn’t been done for a long time, but why not?” says Martin.

Annie Kingsnorth, left, Martin Shaw and Abigail Cruttenden in Jonathan Church’s production of A Man For All Seaons, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York, next week. Picture: Simon Annand

“It’s all part of the general dumbing down, where people of a good, rational mind will be thinking, ‘how can it be that the first thing that suffers is the arts?’.”

Martin places Henry VIII in the pantheon of narcissistic leaders. “I think it’s entirely true that these people are self-obsessed and do not think about anyone else. It’s a very good analogy to make comparisons with Donald Trump.”

Does his portrayal of Sir Thomas differ from 19 years ago? “Nothing different,” says Martin. “When I do a role, it’s moment by moment, working with the script and my reaction to others in the room. It’s nothing planned. It just happens,” he explains.

“My job is to empathise with the character I’m playing. Had I been playing Thomas More in Wolfe Hall, I would have empathised with Hilary Mantel’s version too. I can only empathise each time with the script that’s been written: the Thomas More that’s been presented to me.”

He loves the unpredictability of each performance. “Theatre is an amplified version of the thrill of life, as you’re reacting and swapping thoughts with other people, and the audience is another part of the cast, contributing their feelings throughout,” he says.

Could Henry VIII and Thomas More both be right in their actions? “The problem for us always is that facts are not nuanced. One person’s motive might be to do evil to satisfy lust, yet another person could work with the same facts and believe they’re acting from the point of love. The motive behind each person defines them,” says Martin.

“That’s where the clash between Thomas and Henry lies. The undeniable facts might be identical but the motives for action will be different.”

He has enjoyed reuniting with Jonathan Church after playing Henry Hobson in his Vaudeville  Theatre production of Harold Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice in London in 2016. “Jonathan is a very calming presence, a good hand on the tiller,” says Martin.

“Hobson was entirely the opposite of Thomas More and that’s the joy of the job I do: playing  people  at the opposite ends of the scale. Hobson was like Henry VIII: an utterly self-centred, alcoholic man, though he eventually saw the light, but only because he had no choice.

“I would say Hobson’s Choice is one of the most beautifully written plays in the English language that can be compared to [Shakespeare’s] King Lear.”

After West End appearances in such plays as The Best Man and Twelve Angry Men, Martin will be chalking up a first next week. “I’ve never been on stage in York before,” he says. “I’m looking forward to it a lot.”

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions present A Man For All Seasons, Grand Opera House, York, July 29 to August 2, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.