Isabel Azar’s Clare in rehearsal for Black Treacle Theatre’s Poor Clare at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Jim Paterson
FROM the 16th Aesthetica Film Festival to a nocturnal ghost sculpture trail, Strictly stars after hours in Vegas to punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke, Charles Hutchinson says yes to November events.
Life-changing story of the week: Black Treacle Theatre in Poor Clare, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
THE lives of the young St Clare and St Francis of Assisi are the subject of American playwright Chiara Atik’s comedy Poor Clare, presented in York for the first time by Black Treacle Theatre, directed by Jim Paterson.
Noblewoman Clare (Isabel Azar) is set for marriage to a rich aristocrat and a life of wealth and privilege in 13th century Assisi, but then she meets Francis (PJ Gregan), whose strong faith and commitment to rejecting the established order and serving the poor makes her look at her life in a new way. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Ghosts After Dark: Taking over York Museum Gardens for five nights from November 4
Sculpture trail of the week: York BID and York Museums Trust present Ghosts After Dark, York Museum Gardens, today to Sunday, 5.30pm to 9.30pm; timed entry slots until 8pm
AFTER the Ghosts In The Gardens free public art trail of 70 wire-mesh sculptures – including ten new ones – across 32 city-centre locations concludes on Sunday, Ghost After Dark takes over for five atmospheric nights of nights of live storytelling, light, smoke and sound next week in the Museum Gardens, plus King’s Manor courtyard and Library Lawn, the Anglian Tower, Edible Wood, Artists’ Garden, St Olave’s churchyard and the area beside York Art Gallery.
Representing a fascinating person, creature or story connected to York’s history, each sculpture was made by York creative agency Unconventional Design. A new interactive experience and the inaugural night market will be further highlights of the 90-minute trail. Bookings: www.theyorkbid.com/ghosts-after-dark/.
Heading for the Aesthetica Film Festival in York
Festival of the week: Aesthetica Film Festival, York, today to Saturday
IN its 16th year under the artistic directorship of Cherie Federico, Aesthetica Film Festival welcomes filmmakers, games developers and virtual reality experts from around the world. The five-day programme comprises screenings, VR & games labs, a podcasting lounge, industry masterclasses and workshops, networking sessions, live performances, pitching opportunities, the New Music Stage and much more. For the full programme and tickets, go to asff.co.uk.
Strictly Come Dancing stars Pasha Kovalev, Brendan Cole, Vincent Simone, Ian Waite and James Jordan head to York Barbican in Legends in Vegas: After Hours. Picture: Ryan Howard
From Strictly to Sin City dance show of the week: The Legends in Vegas: After Hours, York Barbican, tonight, 7.30pm
THE Legends, alias Strictly alumnae Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite, reunite for a third tour, Vegas: After Hours, where the dance floor never sleeps as they bring the spirit of Sin City to life through breathtaking routines and nonstop entertainment, set to a soundtrack inspired by the greatest Las Vegas performers of all time.
Think neon lights and electric nights, roulette tables spinning, glamorous showgirls, dazzling casinos, desert sunsets, lavish pool parties, whirlwind weddings, iconic hotels and world-class entertainment, captured in dance. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Julie Russell Wilson’s Miss Marple, centre, leading the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company cast in Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced
Murder mystery of the week: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
WHEN a mysterious announcement appears in the local newspaper, stating the date and time a murder will take place in a quiet village home, curiosity and disbelief turn quickly to alarm: it is chillingly clear that the threat is all too real.
What follows is a classic Agatha Christie puzzle of mixed motives, concealed identities and long-held secrets for the sharp-witted Miss Marple (Julie Russell Wilson) to unravel in Alex Schofield’s fundraising production in aid of the JoRo. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
An artwork from Kate Brown’s Among exhibition at Helmsley Arts Centre
Exhibition of the week: Kate Brown, Among, Helmsley Arts Centre, until February 26 2027
NORTH Yorkshire artist Kate Brown gathers new and existing works on paper that reflect on her engagement with place through lived experience, observation and making, “inviting a slower way of looking, encouraging reflection on our place within the environments we inhabit and the relationships that shape them”.
Using ink, pigment, copper leaf and natural materials, she creates layered compositions that evolve through an intuitive process of accumulation, erasure and response. Rather than depicting specific landscapes, the works emerge from direct encounters with the natural world and from the ongoing use of mind maps and rhizomatic diagrams as tools for thinking, connecting and understanding. Organic forms, shifting marks and delicate surfaces suggest patterns of growth, movement and relationship, alluding to seasonal change and the transient nature of experience.
Special guest Heather Findlay performing with the John Hackett Band
Ryedale gig of the week: John Hackett Band with special guest Heather Findlay, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm
YORK singer-songwriter Heather Findlay will be the special guest of John Hackett Band, the prog-rock band led by Steve Hackett’s brother, whose second album, Red Institution, was released last year.
From Hackett’s pastoral flute textures, through the funky interplay between drummer Duncan Parsons and bassist Jeremy Richardson, to the intricacies of Nick Fletcher’s lead guitar, the group embraces pop, rock, jazz, classical, funk and all stops in-between, from tender ballads to hair-raising instrumental workouts. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Dr John Cooper Clarke: Showcasing new poetry collection Have It at the Grand Opera House, York
Punk poet of the week: Dr John Cooper Clarke, Grand Opera House, York, Friday, doors 7pm
SALFORD sage Dr John Cooper Clarke’s anarchic punk poetry and no-nonsense approach to his work has led to a career spanning cultures, art forms and continents, drawing audiences from clubs to arenas. On his 20-date tour, Cooper Clarke, 77, promotes his new collection, Have It, the follow-up to 2024’s What, as well as performing fan favourites with his trademark machine-gun delivery. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The Shires’ Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes: Playing songs from Bonfire the night after Bonfire Night at York Barbican
Country gig of the week: The Shires, York Barbican, Friday, 7.30pm
BRITISH country duo The Shires – Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes – promote their sixth studio album, July 3’s Bonfire, on their 12-date UK tour, their first with a full band in four years. Expect new songs celebrating togetherness, escapism and positivity, complemented by fan favourites. Kaylee Bell supports. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Seann Walsh: Find out why “This Is Torture” at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Jiksaw
York comedy gig of the week: Seann Walsh, This Is Torture, York Theatre Royal, Friday, 8pm
I’M A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2022 series survivor Seann Walsh has decided to name his latest stand-up tour show after the phrase he says the most: “This Is Torture”. The dishevelled Camden comedian brings his signature blend of chaos and charm to York to put himself through an anxiety filled-hour. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Karl Bushby: The Man Who Walked The World
In Focus: Norwell Lapley Productions present Karl Busby: The Man Who Walked The World, York Theatre Royal, November 22, 6.30pm
KARL Bushby, the Yorkshireman who walked the world, will set out to York Theatre Royal from his Hull home on November 22 to tell his extraordinary story.
Adventurer Karl, now 57, set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998 with the almost unimaginable ambition of walking all the way home to East Yorkshire.
He made himself two promises: he would use no transport to advance his journey and he would not return home until he had completed the entire expedition on foot. After 28 years, he was welcomed home to Hull on November 2.
Along the way, Karl has crossed some of the world’s most hostile landscapes, faced life-threatening dangers and endured immense physical and psychological challenges, pushing himself to limits few could comprehend.
From navigating the perilous Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia, to tackling the frozen expanse of the Bering Strait, between Russian and Alaska, his journey is a remarkable testament to courage, resilience and the indomitable human spirit.
Now, York audiences are invited to step inside an adventure spanning continents, cultures and generations. Through first-hand storytelling, Karl will reveal the experiences behind the headlines: the moments when survival hung in the balance, the obstacles that threatened to derail his mission, the sacrifices demanded by a life on the move and the extraordinary determination that kept him heading towards home. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.