Writer-director Matt Aston, left, and The Wedding Present’s David Gedge at the Recepetion: The Wedding Present Musical press night. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick
WHEN York writer-director Matt Aston first suggested making a musical from The Wedding Present’s songs of love, loss and longing, Leeds songwriter David Gedge was intrigued.
“I’d never imagined my songs being used in a musical – I know nothing about the format and I’m not even sure I like it – but I loved how Mamma Mia! reimagined ABBA, and I’ve always been up for trying new things,” he said. “I’m excited to see how the show brings the songs to life in a new way.”
Performed by Aston’s cast of predominantly young actor-musicians and a community quintet of dancing waitresses, Reception: The Wedding Present Musical certainly does that.
And maybe we should not be surprised because Gedge already had expanded his template from trademark thrashing guitars to Cinerama’s more cinematic, French-infused pop and a BBC Big Band re-tooling of the Weddoes’ songs. The sudden burst of Rebecca Levy’s saxophone at one point is a nod to that reinvention.
Caught on camera: Rebecca Levy’s Estrella, left, Amara Latchford’s Sally and Zoe Allan’s Rachel in Reception: The Wedding Present Musical
Can indie rock songs work in theatre? Aston was sure they could: “The BBC Big Band arrangements for the songs were astonishing, as different as you could possibly imagine but David’s lyrical and conversational storytelling still shone through,” he said. “His lyrics are cinematic, emotional and rich with story – they felt naturally theatrical.
“Then later seeing Wedding Present and Cinerama concerts backed with 16-piece orchestras and full choirs helped cement the thought that the songs could work perfectly in a musical.”
Reception is not a jukebox musical. Instead its structure and style is closer To Sunshine On Leith, Stephen Greenhorn’s 2007 show for the Dundee Rep Ensemble that interwove The Proclaimers’ rousing songs into the story of two young Scottish soldiers returning to their families in Edinburgh after serving in Afghanistan. A TMA Award for Best Musical and Dexter Fletcher’s 2013 film version followed.
Just as Charlie and Craig Reid’s songs for The Proclaimers are full of acerbic wit, wry observation, lovelorn yearning and narrative detail, so too are Gedge’s arch, romantic yet often disappointed songs of love and loneliness, life’s high hopes and low blows, break-ups and breakdowns, chance and no chance.
When Harry met Rachel: Lawrence Hodgson-Mullings and Zoe Allan in Reception: The Wedding Present Musical
In the Weddoes’ 40th anniversary year, Matt Aston utilises both Wedding Present and Cinerama songs and a new Gedge composition, Hot Wheels, within his “coming-of-age story of love, friendship, growing up, regret and reconnection that heads back to the sticky dance floors and crimped hair of 1980s’ Leeds”.
That story begins at the end in 1990, the rivals at war in an ill-fated love triangle, before heading back to the innocence of 1985, the year when Leeds University mathematics student Gedge formed The Wedding Present.
That summer, a group of Leeds student friends is celebrating the dying embers of university days, with plans afoot, but life’s paths will meet cul de sacs, dead ends, U turns, bumps in the road, as Gedge’s songs know only too well.
Events entangle, unfold and entangle again at a graduation ceremony, funeral, wedding and reception over a span of five turbulent, formative and transformative years. “You should always keep in touch with your friends…or should you,” asks Aston, quoting a Wedding Present song title as he explores how we grow together and apart.
Zach Burns’ Joe and Hannah Nuttall’s Jane in Reception: The Wedding Present Musical
In creative consultant Gedge’s presence on press night, the audience have taken their seats either at Wedding Guest tables – each delineated with the cover of a Wedding Present album – or on the banks of seating behind, facing Hannah Sibai’s end-on stage that takes the open-plan form of a wedding reception with white decor, dance floor and balloons, complemented by the striking triptych projections of Lee Thacker that mirror his black-and-white illustrations for Gedge’s autobiography Tales From The Wedding Present.
Lawrence Hodgson-Mullings’ Harry is going out with Zoe Allan’s North Easterner Rachel; his best friend, Richard Lounds’s John, is urging him to head to Seattle. Keep an eye on him. Friends Sally (Amara Latchford), Jane (Hannah Nuttall) and Estrella (Rebecca Levy), forever armed with her Camcorder, are always on hand.
Rachel’s brother Joe (Zach Burns) has a slow-burning thing for Jane in the second love story, while Latchford’s Sally has ‘previous’ with John. Rachel and Joe’s Dad (Matthew Bugg) is the one seasoned adult amid all the young folks with all the life experience of Shakespeare’s young lovers in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Gedge has described his lyrics as “typically little stories”; little, yes, but universal, in the way that love is. Aston’s anxious characters are everyday types, experiencing teething problems in coltish lives that are more prosaic than poetic. Post-university red-brick students on a learning curve in life.
They are not the gilded youth of Evelyn Waugh’s Oxford spires, but provincial average Joes and Janes. Not particularly bright (unlike Chris Davey’s sometimes intrusive lighting), not particularly witty, nor particularly interesting or enlightening, but we recognise them in kitchen-sink dramas and soaps.
Caitlin Lavagna’s vicar Emma leading the funeral ceremony in Reception: The Wedding Present Musical
Reception’s combination of storytelling, impactful projection and drama-filled song peaks with the suspense of Act One’s closing scene on Brighton pier, suspense that is broken by the unexpected, rug-pulling opening to Act Two: a funeral that plays out in full, led by vicar Emma (Caitlin Lavagna), to establish a better balance of chat and song.
What Reception does have throughout is a restless energy, to match The Wedding Present in concert, captured in the choreography of York’s Hayley Del Harrison as much as in the fractious exchanges in Aston’s dialogue, where the wittiest moment comes in a late cameo by Jack Hardy’s Keir/Keith/Kevin – no-one is ever sure of his name – who turns out to be Keir Starmer in his Leeds University days.
As you would want from a musical, what works best by far are Gedge’s songs, delivered in myriad settings, from string quartet to piano, Ukrainian folk band to full-on guitars by instrument-swapping actor-musicians in fine voice, emphasising the melody and diversity of his love songs to accompany his home truths.
My Favourite Dress takes on new poignancy as a despairing, broken-hearted ballad for Burns’s Joe and Nuttall’s Jane. As John Peel once said: “The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the rock’n’roll era. You may dispute this, but I’m right and you’re wrong!” Reception affirms that again and again.
Perfect Blue Productions and Engine House Theatre in Reception, The Wedding Present Musial, at Slung Low, The Warehouse, Crosbt Road, Holbeck, Leeds, until September 6. Box office: 0113 213 7700 or at leedsplayhouse.org.uk. Wedding Guest table packages are available.
Coming on leaps and bounds: The community ensemble in gymnastic action in Reception: The Wedding Present Musical
York writer-director Matt Aston, left, walking through Leeds with The Wedding Present’s singer, lyricist, guitarist and only permanent member, David Gedge
THIS is a story of love gone wrong, love gone right and then love gone wrong again, in keeping with David Gedge’s songs that inspired Reception, The Wedding Present Musical.
Presented by Perfect Blue Productions and York writer-director Matt Aston’s company Engine House Theatre, the world premiere will be staged at Slung Low’s theatre space, The Warehouse, in Holbeck, Leeds, from August 22 to September 6.
The plot opens in 1985, the year when Leeds University mathematics student Gedge formed The Wedding Present (and fellow student Keir Starmer was among the early enthusiasts).
That summer, a group of Leeds friends is celebrating the end of university days, but life does not always work out as planned. Events both entangle and unfold at a graduation ceremony, funeral, wedding and, of course, the receptions that follow over a span of five turbulent years. “You should always keep in touch with your friends…or should you,” asks Aston, as he explores how we grow together and apart.
Featuring songs by Leeds-born Gedge’s semi-legendary indie band, full of frantic energy and distorted guitars,and his more cinematic, French pop-inspired group Cinerama,this new musical heads back to the sticky dance floors and crimped hair of 1980s’ Leeds for a coming-of-age story of love, friendship, growing up, regret and reconnection.
Reception marks the 40th anniversary of The Wedding Present’s debut single, Go Out And Get ’Em Boy, the first of many to be aired by late-night BBC Radio One maverick John Peel, who once said: “The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the rock’n’roll era. You may dispute this, but I’m right and you’re wrong!”
The “Weddoes” chalked up 18 Top 40 singles and built a devoted cult following – Aston, for example, has seen them in concert more than 50 times – drawn to the searing wit and narrative candour of Gedge’s arch, romantic yet perennially disappointed songs of love and longing, life’s high hopes and low blows, break-ups and breakdowns, chance and no chance.
The likes of indie classics My Favourite Dress, Kennedy, Brassneck and Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft will be performed in new arrangements by Aston’s dynamic ensemble of actor-musicians, along with a new Gedge composition, written expressly for the premiere.
“It was almost 20 years ago when I had the first inkling that a Wedding Present musical might work,” says Matt. “David had returned to Leeds to perform a selection of his songs with the BBC Big Band for Radio 3.
“The arrangements for the songs were astonishing, as different as you could possibly imagine but David’s lyrical and conversational storytelling still shone through. His lyrics are cinematic, emotional and rich with story – they felt naturally theatrical.
“Then later seeing Wedding Present and Cinerama concerts backed with 16-piece orchestras and full choirs helped cement the thought that the songs could work perfectly in a musical.
“Early in 2019 I met Tony Ereira, director of Leeds-based record labels Come Play With Me and Clue Records, at – where else?! – a Wedding Present gig in Leeds, and the idea of getting the play off the ground started take shape.
“Now, with this phenomenal cast of multi-talented actor-musicians, we’ve found the perfect group to bring that vision to life with heart, humour and edge. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Gedge, The Wedding Present guitarist, lyricist, singer, biographer and strategist, is intrigued by what lies in store at The Warehouse: “When Matt approached me with the idea of a Wedding Present musical, I was intrigued…I’d never imagined my songs being used in a musical – I know little about the format and I’m not even sure I like it – but I loved how Mamma Mia! reimagined ABBA, and I’ve always been up for trying new things,” he says. “I’m excited to see how the show brings the songs to life in a new way.
“It goes back to writing songs with stories in them, and then Matt having the idea to link them together and get a story out of that, which didn’t require much input from me, as he’s an amazing writer and director.”
Reflecting on his propensity to focus on love, loss and longing in his songs, David says: “I gave up many years ago trying to expand from that narrative when I was thinking ‘why am I always honing myself down to songs about relationships?’, but it’s because I’m good at it!
“People connect to songs about relationships because they relate it to their own experiences and things that have happened to them. I do feel it’s the perfect subject for pop songs, wanting a girl, loving a girl, so I might be limiting the subject, but it’s a massive subject and an ageless one, going back to Shakespeare’s plays.”
Plenty of mathematicians are good musicians too, but David says: “There’s a logic to writing songs, some things work, some things, but in making music, you can always go off at tangent, whereas in Maths there is only a right or wrong answer – but Maths does help me do the accounts!”
Tickets for a musical that “thrums with real emotion, biting wit and restless energy, like the band that inspired it” are on sale on 0113 213 7700 or at leedsplayhouse.org.uk. Wedding Guest table packages are available.
Writer-director Matt Aston, back row, left, and The Wedding Present and Cinerama frontman David Gedge, back row, right, with cast members for Reception: The Wedding Present Musical. Picture: Northedge Photography
Who will be in the cast for Reception, The Wedding Present Musical?
Zoe Allan as Rachel
Rachel is a confident yet vulnerable graduate of Leeds University who, having experienced loss and pain early in life, has carefully planned a future of love and security. Or so she thought.
Zoe is a passionate working-class performer from the North East with a versatile background across stage, screen and independent film projects. Her credits include Pippin, directed by Barbara Houseman, and When We Strike, an original musical developed by BYMT.
She graduated from Leeds Conservatoire’s Musical Theatre programme and is excited to be back in Leeds for this production.
Lawrence Hodgson‐Mullings as Harry
Harry is Rachel’s first love. Leeds born and bred, he has never left Yorkshire and dreams of adventure before settling down.
Leeds native Lawrence can next be seen in Sally Wainwright’s Riot Women for Drama Republic and the BBC. His screen work includes Fool Me Once (Netflix), Catherine Called Birdy (Working Title), complemented by stage roles in The Enormous Crocodile (Leeds Playhouse/Regent’s Park), Dick Whittington (National Theatre), and The Panopticon (National Theatre of Scotland).
After cutting his teeth with Leeds Playhouse Youth Theatre, he trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and was a Spotlight Prize finalist. He is a violinist and baritone singer too.
Richard Lounds as John
John is Harry’s best friend. A couple of years older than the rest, he is a source of steady support and advice.
Richard is a performer, musician and dramaturg who trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His credits include LIFELINE Off-Broadway(Signature Theatre, New York), The Storm Whale ((Little Angel, York Theatre Royal), The Secret Garden (Tabard Theatre), The Mould That Changed The World and Mr Men And Little Miss On Stage. As a vocalist, he has toured internationally and was a choral scholar at Merton College, Oxford.
Amara Latchford as Sally
Sally is Rachel’s best friend and John’s on/off girlfriend. She has loved university life but is ready for what’s next.
Amara is a graduate of Leeds Conservatoire’s Actor Musician programme, who plays piano, guitar and violin. Their credits include Vernon God Little (Leeds Conservatoire, 2024); The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Tutti Frutti, 2024); The Polar Express (London Euston, 20th Anniversary, 2024); The Storm And The Minotaur (Slung Low, 2025), and All My Pretty Ones (Birmingham Rep, 2025).
Particularly passionate about movement, and ways stories can be communicated through the body, they are training in Kung Fu and various dance styles. Drawing on their wealth of experience in songwriting and composing their own music, they aim to release an EP at the end of the summer.
They describe themselves as a creative octopus, with a vibrant curiosity and desire to explore as many creative avenues as humanly possible. Others have described Amara as a bold and fearless performer.
Matthew Bugg as Dad
Dad to Rachel and Joe, he has moved to Leeds to be close to them after a shared family tragedy.
Matthew, a theatre artist with 25 years’ experiences across many disciplines, is the creator of Miss Nightingale, writing, directing and performing in the hit musical that toured the UK five times between 2011 and 2017, then played the Vaults and Hippodrome Theatre in London.
Jack Hardy in rehearsal for his role as Keir/Keith/Kevin. Picture: Northedge Photography
He has worked as an actor, choreographer or composer on seven other West End shows including Zorro, The Secret Of Sherlock Holmes, Dear Lupin, Our Man In Havana and Cirque Berserk.
Touring works include: King Lear (ATG); Angelina Ballerina (UK and international tour); The Handyman; Star Quality; Lark Rise To Candleford; Quartet; The Hound Of The Baskervilles; Northanger Abbey; Jamaica Inn; Three Men In A Boat and numerous shows for the Agatha Christie Company.
He teaches musical theatre at Leeds Conservatoire and has extensive experience as a composer, lyricist and musical director. He is an active member of Mercury Musicals Development and a judge for the Stiles and Drewe songwriting competition.
Rebecca Levy as Estrella
Estrella is a mature, perpetual student, who has done course after course. She thinks she is better than everyone else… and probably is. But she means well.
Rebecca graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2016 and is an actor, singer-songwriter and youth facilitator. Her credits include Rapunzel (Liverpool Everyman); Cinderella, Vernons Girls (Royal Court, Liverpool), A Letter To Harvey Milk and Mamma Mia! The Party. She released her debut album, How to Keep Your Girlfriend 101, in 2019. She is an emerging composer, with credits including Animal Farm for NYMT.
Hannah Nuttall as Jane
Jane is the quiet one of the group…most of the time. A Doris Day obsessive and happily single, she is not quite sure where life will take her next.
Hannah trained at Italia Conti Academy. Her credits include Yeast Nation (Southwark Playhouse), Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella (Theatre Royal Wakefield), Soho Songs (Crazy Coqs) and In The Time Of Dragons. She is a theatre educator and composer too, including for The Girl Who Saved The Sea (Beansprout Theatre Company).
Zach Burns as Joe
Joe is Rachel’s younger brother – a fact her friends never let him forget. Mature beyond his years, he is finding his place in the world.
Zach trained at the Royal Academy of Music. Credits include Yesterday (Workshop), Sleeping Beauty (Radlett Centre), and Potty The Plant (Edinburgh Fringe). He has recording credits as a vocalist on The Sandman (Netflix) and Idols (Yungblud) and is known for his work in new musical theatre and actor-musician collaborations.
Caitlin Lavagna as Emma
Emma is the rector of Leeds Minster, an upstanding and respected member of the local community.
Caitlin is a Welsh-Gibraltarian actor-musician, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who graduated from Rose Bruford College. Credits include Housemates (Sherman Theatre, Cardiff), Operation Julie(Theatr na nÓg), Vernons Girls (Royal Court, Liverpool), and Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical.
Also a singer-songwriter, whose single October won Best Actress and Best Music Video at the Celynen Film Festival. She was named Best Female Act at the 2025 Radio Wigwam Awards. Drummer and vocalist for the band Big Wednesday.
Jack Hardy as Keir/Keith/Kevin
Barman at the pub that hosts all the receptions, although no-one ever gets his name right. A political activist with big ambitions, he is searching for his voice.
Leeds-born actor and musician Jack attained A Levels at CAPA College before continuing his journey at ArtsEd on the BA Acting course. From 2021 to 2024, he completed his training on the Actor Musician BA programme at Leeds Conservatoire. Multi-instrumentalist musician, playing piano, guitar, synth, bass, drums and voice. Passionate writer and songwriter with a love for stories that blend music and performance.
Matt Aston on a bench in Rowntree Park, York, when directing Park Bench Theatre under Covid restrictions. Picture: Livy Potter
Did you know?
RECEPTION writer-director Matt Aston’s credits include The Storm Whale and Grandad’s Island at York Theatre Royal and the Park Bench Theatre seasons in Rowntree Park, York, as well as directing Line Of Duty star Vicky McLure in Stephen Lowe’s Touched, James Bolam in William Ivory’s Bomber’s Moon and David Mamet’s Oleanna with Alistair McGowan.
Artistic director of Engine House Theatre and winner of the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Encouragement of New Writing.
The Wedding Present to release 40th anniversary retrospective 40 on September 19 on vinyl and CD
Jonathan Hitchen’s artwork for The Wedding Present’s compilation album 40
ON September 19, CLUE Records will release 40, a “chronological, aural journey” through The Wedding Present’s album tracks, singles and B-sides. Frosted clear quadruple vinyl box sets and quadruple CD sets are available for pre-order at https://cluerecords.myshopify.com/collections/the-wedding-present-40.
After 13 studio albums, 20 compilations and a heap of singles, EPs, live albums and live sessions – with more on the way – 40 will be a “commemorative reflection of this complex and fascinating catalogue”.
Artwork by the Weddoes’ regular cover designer Jonathan Hitchen will be complemented by extensive sleeve notes by David Gedge, along with music writer Mark Beaumont. Gedge’s commentary provides an insight into the workings of his band and a track-by-track guide to the compilation.
The track listing will be: Side A/CD1, Go Out And Get ’Em Boy; You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends; Anyone Can Make A Mistake; Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft; A Million Miles; My Favourite Dress.
Side B/CD1, Nobody’s Twisting Your Arm; Davni Chasy; Give My Love To Kevin (Acoustic Version); Kennedy; What Have I Said Now.
Side C/CD2, Bewitched; Take Me!; Brassneck; Crawl. Side D/CD2, Dalliance; Dare; Suck; Blonde; Corduroy. Side E/CD2, Heather; Blue Eyes; Come Play With Me; Flying Saucer; Click Click.
Side F/CD3, Spangle; Convertible; Montreal; Kansas; I’m From Further North Than You ; Interstate 5. Side G/CD4, Perfect Blue; Don’t Take Me Home Until I’m Drunk; Boo Boo; Deer Caught In The Headlights. Side H/CD4, Two Bridges; Rachel; I Am Not Going To Fall In Love With You; Science Fiction; Hot Wheels.
Two Big Egos In A Small Car podcast special with David Gedge
The Wedding Present’s David Gedge with Two Big Egos In A Small Car podcaster Charles Hutchinson, pictured outside Leeds University Union in April 2025
Listen to David Gedge discuss 40 years Of The Wedding Present, the Reception musical and his Rise@Bluebird Bakery show with Two Big Egos In A Small Car podcasters Charles Hutchinson and Graham Chalmers at:
Sonnets In Bloom scriptwriter Natalie Roe, left, and director Josie Connor on a churchyard bench at Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, where York Shakespeare Project’s summer production is being staged
FROM War Horse to Leeds Festival, the Wedding Present musical to Bombay Bicycle Club, August puts the highs into Charles Hutchinson’s summer.
Churchyard drama of the week: York Shakespeare Project presents Sonnets In Bloom, Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, York, August 15 to 23, 6pm and 7.30pm, plus 4.30pm, August 16 and August 23
REVEREND Planter is very excited that his church is hosting the regional leg of Summer in Bloom. You are warmly invited to enjoy a complimentary drink and to see the goings-on. Participants will be arriving with their prized entries, some more competitive than others, but where is the special guest? And who will win the People’s Vote?
Welcome back Sonnets In Bloom as YSP’s 50-minute summer show returns to Holy Trinity’s churchyard with a new director, Josie Connor, new scenario script writer, Natalie Roe, and nine new sonneteers among the dozen presenting a new collection of characters, each finding a way to share one of Shakespeare’s celebrated sonnets. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age recommendation: 14 plus.
Lucy Hook Designs’ poster for York River Art Market’s tenth anniversary
Art event of the weekend: York River Art Market, Dame Judi Dench Walk, by Lendal Bridge, York, August 16 and 17, 10am to 5.30pm
YORK River Art Market returns for its tenth anniversary season by the Ouse riverside railings, where 30 artists and designers will be setting up stalls each day.
Organised by York artist and tutor Charlotte Dawson, the market offers the chance to buy directly from the makers of ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints, photographs, clothing, candles, soaps, cards and more besides. Admission is free.
Tom Sturgess (Albert Narracott), Diany Samba-Bandza, Jordan Paris and Eloise Beaumont-Wood (Baby Joey) in War Horse, on tour at Leeds Grand Theatre. Picture: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Yorkshire theatre event of the week: National Theatre in War Horse, Leeds Grand Theatre, August 19 to September 6
WAR Horse, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s novel by Nick Stafford and originally directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, has become the most successful play in the National Theatre’s history, collecting more than 25 awards and playing to 8.3 million people worldwide.
Now comes an all-new tour, co-produced with Michael Harrison, Fiery Angel and Playing Field, that takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from rural Devon to the trenches of First World War France. Life-sized horses by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company bring breathing, galloping, charging equines to thrilling life on stage. Box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.
Chappell Roan: Performing her biggest British show yet at Leeds Festival on August 23. Picture: from Leeds Festival website
Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, August 21 to 24
ALWAYS the festival to mark the end of the summer season of outdoor joys, Leeds Festival welcomes Travis Scott as the Friday headliner in his only European festival appearance. Sammy Virji, D-Block Europe, Trippie Redd and Amyl And The Sniffers are in action on that day too.
The Saturday bill features Hozier, Chappell Roan, in the Midwest Princess’s biggest UK show yet, AJ Tracey, The Kooks, Bloc Party and Rudim3ntal, while the Sunday finale presents Bring Me The Horizon, Limp Bizkit, Becky Hill, Enter Shakiri and Wunderhorse. For the full line-up and ticket details, head to: leedsfestival.com.
Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes: Playing Rise@Bluebird Bakery. Picture: Richard Reid
Australian double bill of the week: Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes and Melody Pool , Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb York, August 21, doors open at 7.30pm
LACHLAN Bryan & The Wildes are appearing in “full band mode” in the UK for the first time this summer, stopping off at Rise. Until now, at Maverick Festival in 2019, 2023 and 2024 and shows around these isles as headliners or supporting good friends Hannah Aldridge and Alan Fletcher, the band has travelled the Northern Hemisphere mostly as a three-piece.
That all changes as the usual suspects, Melbourne storyteller Lachlan, guitarist Riley Catherall and bass player Shaun Ryan, are joined by Ben Middleton on drums and Yorkshire’s own Emily Lawler on the fiddle and viola. Australian songwriter Melody Pool supports. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.
The cast for Reception with writer-director Matt Aston, back row, far left, and The Wedding Present’s David Gedge, back row, far right, at Slung Low, The Warehouse, Holbeck, Leeds. Picture: Northedge Photography
Musical world premiere of the week: Perfect Blue Productions and Engine House Theatre present Reception, The Wedding Present Musical, at Slung Low, The Warehouse, Holbeck, Leeds, August 22 to September 6
SET in 1980s’ Leeds, Reception: The Wedding Present Musical follows a group of university friends whose lives remain entangled over five turbulent years. Through weddings, funerals, graduations – and, of course, the receptions that follow – York writer-director Matt Aston’s new drama explores how we grow together and apart, all scored to David Gedge’s 40 years of searingly personal, sharply observed song-writing for The Wedding Present and Cinerama.
Like the Leeds band that inspired it, the musical thrums with raw emotion, biting wit and restless energy, performed by a dynamic ensemble of actor-musicians, weaving a story of love, regret and reconnection through the melodic force of Gedge’s music. Box office: 0113 213 7700 or leedsplayhouse.org.uk.
Bombay Bicycle Club: Riding into York Barbican on August 22. Picture: from Bombay Bicycle Club website
York gig of the week: Bombay Bicycle Club, supported by Divorce, York Barbican, August 22, doors 7pm
LED as ever by vocalist, pianist and guitarist Jack Steadman, Bombay Bicycle Club’s set list will draw on songs from the Crouch End band’s six albums that span folk, electronica and world music, as well as indie guitar rock. The latest addition, 2023’s My Big Day, parades a revelatory set of vibrant, joyous compositions that bask in the sunshine. Feel the heat next Friday. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Luke Haines & Peter Buck: Teaming up at Pocklington Arts Centre
Gig of the week outside York: Luke Haines & Peter Buck, Pocklington Arts Centre, August 22, 8pm
LUKE Haines, Walton-on-Thames musician, songwriter and author of Freaks Out! and Bad Vibes: Britpop And My Part In Its Downfall, is best known for his bands The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder. Now his collaborator is Peter Buck, co-founder and lead guitarist of R.E.M for 31 years.
On July 28, Haines & Buck released the third in their “psychiatric trilogy” of albums, Going Down To The River…To Blow My Mind,following Beat Poetry for Survivalists in 2020 and All The Kids Are Super Bummed Out in 2022. Their tour takes in further Yorkshire gigs at Hebden Bridge Trades Club on August 27 and Leeds Brudenell Social Club on August 28. The Minus 5 support. Box office: Pocklington, for returns only, 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk; Hebden Bridge, thetradesclub.com/events/hainesbuck; Leeds, brudenellsocialclub.co.uk.
DAVID Gedge, long-time leader of The Wedding Present, discusses his “semi-legendary” Leeds indie band’s 40-year-career and his life in the music industry, in conversation with Amanda Cook at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb tonight.
York writer/director Matt Aston joins him too on the eve of rehearsals for Reception – The Wedding Present Musical, ahead of its premiere at Slung Low, The Warehouse, Holbeck, Leeds, from August 22 to September 6.
Tonight’s event concludes with Gedge’s 20-minute acoustic set drawn from The Wedding Present’s cornucopia of arch, romantic yet perennially disappointed songs of love, life’s high hopes and woes, chance and no chance. Box office: eventbrite.com.
Listen to David Gedge discuss 40 years Of The Wedding Present, the Reception musical and his Rise@Bluebird Bakery show with Two Big Egos In A Small Car podcasters Charles Hutchinson and Graham Chalmers at:
The Wedding Present’s David Gedge, right, with Reception writer-director Matt Aston walking through Leeds. They will discuss the new musical tonight at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York
Amelia Donkor and Antony Jardine: Playing Gulie Harlock and Seebohm Rowntree respectively alongside 100-strong community ensemble in His Last Report at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Millie Stephens
YORK Theatre Royal’s community play takes top billing in Charles Hutchinson’s selections for summer satisfaction.
Community play of the week: York Theatre Royal and Riding Lights Theatre Company present His Last Report, York Theatre Royal, today to August 3
FOCUSING on pioneering York social reformer Seebohm Rowntree and his groundbreaking investigation into the harsh realities of poverty, Misha Duncan-Barry and Bridget Foreman’s play will be told through the voices of York’s residents, past and present.
Seebohm’s findings illuminate the struggles of the working class, laying the foundation for the welfare state and sparking a movement that will redefine life as we know it. However, when fast forwarding to present-day York, what is Seebohm’s real legacy as the Ministry begins to dismantle the very structures he championed in His Last Report’s York story with a national impact? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Bean there, done that: “Appetite For Destruction” artist Lincoln Lightfoot takes his spay can to York’s iconic Bile Beans mural advert at VandalFest
Street art takeover of the summer: Vandals At Work present VandalFest, today, Sunday, then July 25 to 27, 11am to 6pm
VANDALS At Work reunite with youth homelessness charity Safe and Sound Homes (SASH) for VandalFest, the immersive street art takeover of a disused office block with a 2025 theme of the playful, cheeky, witty and mischievous.
Among more than 30 artists from the UK and beyond are Bristol graffiti pioneer Inkie, subversive stencilist Dotmasters, inflatable prankster Filthy Luker, master of optical illusions Chu, rooftop renegade Rowdy and York’s own Sharon McDonagh, Lincoln Lightfoot and Boxxhead. Entry is free, with a suggested £3 donation to SASH.
Craig David: In party mood at Scarborough Open Air Theatre today
Coastal gigs of the week: TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Craig David TS5 Show plus special guest Patrick Nazemi, today; Judas Priest, July 23. Gates open at 6pm
SOUTHAMPTON rhythm & blues musician Craig David parades his triple threat as singer, MC and DJ at his TS5 party night – patented at his Miami penthouse – on the East Coast this weekend. On the 25th anniversary of debut album Born To Do It, expect a set combining old skool anthems from R&B to Swing Beat, Garage to Bashment, while merging chart-topping House hits too.
Judas Priest, formed in Birmingham in 1969, are still receiving a Grammy nomination in 2025 for Best Metal Performance, on top of being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, appointed by shock rocker Alice Cooper, in 2022. Their 19th studio album, Invincible Shield, was released in March 2024. Wednesday’s support act will be Phil Campbell & The B**stard Sons. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Heather Leech in Gleowit Productions’ King Harold’s Mother at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Historical solo show of the week: Gleowit Productions in King Harold’s Mother, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm
IN 1066, a mother loses four sons; three killed at the Battle of Hastings, one branded as a traitor. However, these are times of turmoil, where crowns on the head go with swords in the hand, and this mother has lost everything.
Two years later in Exeter, King Harold’s mother, Gytha Thorkelsdottir, makes her last stand against the might of the new king, William. She is forced to face the consequences of her own actions, to accept the overwhelming might of the Conqueror. Is nothing all she is left with? Is nothing better than this, asks Gleowit Productions in King Harold’s Mother, written and performed by Heather Leech. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Dame Harriet Walter: Pride And Prejudice celebration at Wesley Centre, Malton
Ryedale Festival theatre event of the week: Pride And Prejudice, Dame Harriet Walter, Melvyn Tan and Madeleine Easton, Wesley Centre, Malton, Sunday, 7pm
THIS theatrical retelling of Pride And Prejudice by novelist and Austen biographer Gill Hornby marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Star of stage and screen Dame Harriet Walter brings the romance of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy to life in an intimate drawing-room setting, in much the same way that Jane herself first read the story aloud to family and friends.
Carl David’s score for the 1995 BBC television adaptation will be performed by pianist Melvyn Tan and violinist Madeleine Easton. The festival runs until July 27; full details and tickets at ryedalefestival.com. Box office: 01751 475777.
The Wedding Present’s David Gedge, left, and Reception writer-director Matt Aston, pictured walking through Leeds, will be teaming up for a chat at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, on Sunday
Gig and chat show the week: An Evening of Conversation and Music with David Gedge from The Wedding Present, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, Sunday, 8pm, doors 7pm
DAVID Gedge, long-time leader of The Wedding Present, discusses his “semi-legendary” Leeds indie band’s 40-year-career and his life in the music industry, in conversation with Amanda Cook. York writer/director Matt Aston joins him too on the eve of rehearsals for Reception – The Wedding Present Musical, ahead of its premiere at Slung Low, The Warehouse, Holbeck, Leeds, from August 22 to September 6.
Sunday’s event concludes with Gedge’s 20-minute acoustic set drawn from The Wedding Present’s cornucopia of arch, romantic yet perennially disappointed songs of love, life’s high hopes and woes, chance and no chance. Box office: eventbrite.com.
Listen to David Gedge discuss 40 years Of The Wedding Present, the Reception musical and his Rise@Bluebird Bakery show with Two Big Egos In A Small Car podcasters Charles Hutchinson and Graham Chalmers at:
Out with the old, in with New: Harvey Stevens’ Jamie, front left, with his Sheffield school classmates in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Musical of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, July 22 to 26, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee
AT 16, Sheffield schoolboy Jamie New is terrified of the future and has no interest in pursuing a traditional career. He wants to be a drag queen. He knows he can be a sensation. Supported by his loving mum and encouraged by friends, can Jamie overcome prejudice, beat the bullies and step out of the darkness, into the spotlight?
Written by Tom MacRae and The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie Sells, this joyous underdog story is staged by York company Pick Me Up Theatre with Harvey Stevens, 15, and Gemma McDonald leading the cast. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
The poster for Steve Steinman’s Love Hurts, Power Ballads & Anthems!, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York
Jukebox show of the week: Steve Steinman’s Love Hurts, Power Ballads & Anthems!, Grand Opera House, York, July 24, 7.30pm
FROM the producers of Anything For Love and Vampires Rock comes the latest Steve Steinman venture, this one built around power ballads and anthems performed by a powerhouse cast of singers and a seven-piece band.
Love Hurts embraces Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Whitesnake, Billy Idol, Aerosmith, Tina Turner, Cutting Crew, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Rainbow, Van Halen, Europe, Air Supply and more. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor: On course for Knavesmire
Dancefloor double bill of the week: Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Natasha Bedingfield, York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, July 25.Gates, 4pm; first race, 5.30pm; last race, 8.23pm
AT the only evening meeting of the Knavesmire racing calendar, kitchen disco queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor and fellow Londoner Natasha Bedingfield each play a set after the seven-race sporting action.
Ellis-Bextor, 46, will draw on her five top ten albums and eight top ten singles, such as Murder On The Dancefloor and Take Me Home, from a pop career now stretching beyond 25 years. Bedingfield , 43, has the hits Unwritten, Single, These Words, I Wanna Have Your Babies and Soulmate to her name. For race-day tickets, go to: yorkracecourse.co.uk.
In Focus: The Floating Fringe, Arts Barge, York, July 24 to 26
The launch poster for The Floating Fringe
ALL aboard for The Floating Fringe, a celebration of grassroots, home-grown performances on the Arts Barge, moored at Foss Basin Moorings, off Tower Street, York.
This bold new arts festival is taking over the Selby Tony former cargo barge for three jam-packed days of comedy, theatre and family entertainment, offering a long-overdue space for the city’s vibrant and emerging Fringe scene.
“Led by a new generation of creatives, The Floating Fringe is here to shake things up,” says lead organiser Kai West, the York artist, printmaker and Bull band member. “It’s a spirited response to past commercial Fringe attempts that failed to take root, replacing polished formulas with passion, playfulness and local and up-and-coming talent.
“This is about more than just putting on a show. It’s about building a community. With its intimate setting and grassroots ethos, The Floating Fringe aims to be the artistic home for Fringe arts, acts and audiences alike: a long-awaited space for expression where alternative, up-and-coming and independent voices can truly thrive.”
Kai continues: “York has always had the talent, the audiences and the appetite for Fringe. What it’s been missing is a space that actually belongs to the community. After seeing other commercial attempts come and go, we wanted to create something independent, accessible and genuinely rooted in York’s creative scene. The Arts Barge has always been about building something meaningful for York, by York. The Fringe is just another part of that.”
The Arts Barge itself is part of that story. A passion project years in the making, it was crowd-funded and community-built by the Arts Barge Project to bring an accessible floating arts space to York. Now fully operational and moored in the centre of the city, the barge is more than a venue. “It’s a symbol of what’s possible when local creatives are given the freedom to build something of their own,” says Kai.
From comedy to original theatre and family-friendly daytime shows, The Floating Fringe promises a weekend packed with performances, connection and grassroots energy. “Whether you’re a Fringe fanatic or just curious to see what York’s creative underground has to offer, everyone is welcome aboard,” says Kai.
5pm to 6pm, Robocop vs The Terminator vs Gabriel Featherstone. Three titans of entertainment face off in a bloody, mind-mangling, no-holds-barred battle to the death.
6.30pm to 7.30pm, Richard Brown: Nauseatingly Woke Full-Grown Jellyfish. Underground Fringe favourite known for thoughtful, intelligent and dark alternative comedy.
8pm to 9pm, Seymour Mace Does Things With Stuff. “It’s better than watching people do things,” says Seymour. “It’s better than paying to watch people do things. I was doped up on watching other people do things. I forgot how to do things I’ve just remembered. Look what I done!”
9.30pm to 10.30pm, Theo Mason Wood: Legalise Kissing. York-raised Netflix writer and award-winning comedian delivers a punk-clown manifesto on love, identity and modern chaos in a genre-defying mix of stand-up, surreal storytelling and live techno anthems. “This is comedy like you’ve never seen before,” says Mason Wood.
Bobby Cockles
Friday
5pm to 6pm, Clown: Bobby Cockles Goes To Hell! The Good Room presents a dark stand-up journey through the terrible adventure of a cursed Cockney clown. Being in love can be absolute hell!
6.30pm to 7.30pm, Eryn Tett Is Sponsored By The Global Megacorp Institute of Manchester, work in progress. Multi award-winner is developing her next show: an immersive comedy packed with her trademark offbeat (mostly “yo mama”) jokes, top-secret ceremonies and a non-stop handshake.
8pm to 9pm, York The Plank: A Bunch of Local Legends. Fast, furious and gloriously chaotic stand-up comedy showcase helmed by Chris Booker, comedian, aspiring sci-fi writer and charmingly under-qualified sea captain for the night.
9.30pm to 10.30pm, Thor Odin Stenhaug, One Night Stand Baby. A show about love, life (drawings) and being not only a son to your parents but more like a mutual friend.
Sir Dickie Benson
Saturday
2pm to 3pm, Moon Rabbit Theatre presents Shirley: A Ghost Story. Why do people write ghost stories? Is it to explain away the fear? To spread it? Or do they write to reveal the ghosts inside them?
3.30pm to 4.30pm, Caroline McEvoy: Train Man. Tale of sibling rivalry in post-Troubles Northern Ireland, told with gut-punch gags and emotional blows as McEvoy reckons with her lifelong battle with her younger brother, who loves trains and getting his way.
5pm to 6pm, Alfie Packham: My Apologies To The Chef. Voilà! Alfie serves up new jokes in his fresh show about friends, family, loneliness, enemies – and which of these he prefers. Bon appétit.
6.30pm to 7.30pm, Jain Edwards, She-Devil. Jain isn’t like other girls. She’s worse. But she’s finally ready to lean in (and receive a little forehead kiss from hubby). Expect silly, subversive comedy in a show about conspiracy theories, autism and men turning on you.
9.30pm to 10.30pm, Sir Dickie Benson Interacts With The Audience Whether They Like It Or Not. Encounter the last Hollywood hell-raiser; an octogenarian, thespian barbarian with a pint of vodka and a smouldering hash pipe whose capacity for drink is matched only by his boundless charm and mercurial temper.
Dr Adam Parker, curator of archaeology at York Museums Trust, holding the Thor’s Hammer Pendant at the Viking North exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum, York
VIKING treasures, street art moved indoors, Fringe comedy previews and Ryedale Festival’s classical lustre bring out the summer smiles in Charles Hutchinson.
Museum launch of the week: Viking North, Yorkshire Museum, York
VIKING North is filled with magnificent objects, many unseen for generations and others that have never been on public display, adding up to “the best collection of Viking finds to be shown outside London” as these Viking treasures reveal the North’s power base, wealth and skills.
Telling the story of the Viking Age in the North of England from AD866 to 1066, the exhibition is underpinned by new archaeological research and cutting-edge technology and features objects from Yorkshire Museum’s own collection, the Vale of York hoard, co-owned with the British Museum, and specially loaned national and regional items, including from the Viking Army Camp at Aldwark, North Yorkshire.
Sea, Swell, Scribe: Jo Walton, Ruth King and Nicky Kippax combine in Pyramid Gallery’s exhibition of paintings, pottery and poetry
Exhibition launch of the week: Sea, Swell, Scribe, Jo Walton, Ruth King and Nicky Kippax, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, from today, 11am, to August 31, open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday
WHAT happens when you let a poet loose in an art gallery with a piece of charcoal? If the juxtaposition of sumptuous curvy and pointy pots against a backdrop of textured metallic atmospheric paintings is inspiring her, then she will scribble words and phrases all over the plinths
York artist Jo Walton, from Rogues Atelier, potter Ruth King, from the Craft Potters Association, and poet Nicky Kippax, from Bluebird Bakery, combine in a show planned and organised by Pyramid gallery manager Fiona Macfarlane and curated by Walton. Kippax has written Eksphratic verse in response to the paintings and pots.
Street artist Al Murphy in his Naughty Corner at VandalFest at 2, Low Ousegate, York
Street art takeover of the summer: Vandals At Work present VandalFest, today and tomorrow, July 18 to 20 and July 25 to 27, 11am to 6pm
VANDALS At Work reunite with youth homelessness charity Safe and Sound Homes (SASH) for VandalFest, the immersive street art takeover of a disused office block at 2 Low Ousegate, York, with a 2025 theme of the playful, cheeky, witty and mischievous.
The stripped-out interior provides four floors of blank canvas for bold, site-specific “intervention” that cover walls, floors and ceilings, complemented by live DJ sets. Among more than 30 artists from the UK and beyond are Bristol graffiti pioneer Inkie, subversive stencilist Dotmasters, inflatable prankster Filthy Luker, master of optical illusions Chu, rooftop renegade Rowdy and York’s own Sharon McDonagh, Lincoln Lightfoot and Boxxhead. Entry is free, with a suggested £3 donation to SASH. Visitors can support the cause by buying limited-edition artworks and merchandise.
Ryedale Festival artist in residence and soprano Claire Booth
Festival of the week; Ryedale Festival 2025, until July 27
THIS North Yorkshire festival of delights will be led off by 2025’s artists in residence, saxophonist Jess Gillam, soprano Claire Booth and viola player Timothy Ridout, along with Quatuor Mosaiques, VOCES8 and composer Eric Whitacre.
Pianists Sir Stephen Hough and Dame Imogen Cooper, organist Thomas Trotter, Arcangelo, York countertenor Iestyn Davies and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s festival debut are further highlights. Jazz, folk and literature weave into the programme too: reeds player Pete Long and vocalist Sara Oschlag salute Duke Ellington; Barnsley’s Kate Rusby showcases her new album, When They All Looked Up, and Dame Harriet Walter channels Jane Austen’s wit in Pride And Prejudice. Full details and tickets at: ryedalefestival.com. Box office: 01751 475777.
McFly: Heading to the Scarborough seaside today
Coastal gig of the week: McFly, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, today; gates open at 6pm
MCFLY’S Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd head to the Yorkshire coast to perform 5 Colours In Her Hair, Obviously, All About You, You’ve Got A Friend, I’ll Be OK, Star Girl, Don’t Stop Me Now, Obviously et al. Twin Atlantic and Devon complete the bill. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Josie Long: Opening Theatre@41’s week of Edinburgh Fringe previews and comedy nights. Picture: Matt Crockett
Comedy event of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, July 13 to 19
A WEEK of Edinburgh Fringe previews and comedy nights takes over Theatre@41, Monkgate, kicking off with comedian, writer, podcaster and filmmaker Josie Long’s Work In Progress on July 13 at 2pm, followed by two Mark Watson selections, Sam Nicoresti and Lulu Popplewell’s Fresh For The Fringe double bill at 7.30pm.
Molly McGuinness and Phil Ellis are in preview mode on July 14 (8pm); Nina Gilligan discusses memory loss, health anxiety and goldfish-related trauma in Goldfish on July 16 (8pm), and Hayley Ellis navigates middle age in Silly Mare (Work in Progress) on July 17 (8pm). Susan Riddell and Kate Dolan, on July 18 (7.30pm), and Barmby Moor surrealist Rob Auton and Chloe Petts, on July 19 (7.30pm), round off the festival previews. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Phil Grainger, left, and Alexander Flanagan Wright. Picture; Charlotte Graham
News just in: Wright & Grainger in The Gods The Gods The Gods, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, July 15, 7.30pm
IN a very late addition to Theatre@41’s packed programme for next week, Easingwold duo Wright & Grainger return their Edinburgh Fringe gig theatre hit The Gods The Gods The Gods to North Yorkshire soil for one night only.
Combining 12 tracks, four stories, three performers and one exhilarating experience, Alexander Flanagan Wright and Phil Grainger mix big beats, heavy basslines, soaring melodies and heart-stopping spoken word into a show that has headlined festivals and sold out venues from Wānaka Festival of Colour in New Zealand to the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai, India, to Stillington Mill. Please note: this event is standing room only; chairs will be available for those unable to stand. Box office:tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Georgi Mottram: Classical BRIT Award nominee performing at Voices United concert in aid of St Leonard’s Hospice
Charity event of the week: Ian Stroughair presents Voices United: Rubies For Our Angel, Grand Opera House, York, July 18, 7.30pm
YORK cabaret artiste and West End musical actor Ian Stroughair co-hosts this fundraiser to mark St Leonard’s Hospice’s 40th anniversary with radio presenters Joanita Musisi and Laura Castle, introducing a night of musical theatre and rock and pop classics.
On the bill will be Stroughair in Velma Celli drag diva regalia; York singer Jessica Steel and guitarist Stuart Allan; York musical theatre actress Joanne Theaker; retro party band Jonny And The Dunebugs; The Voice UK 2024 semi-finalist Lois Morgan Gay and West End classical singer Georgi Mottram. Box office: https://shorturl.at/G3qhV or atgtickets.com/york.
Dance isSO embracing:Dancefloor double act Anton & Giovannireunite for Together Again at York Barbican
Dance show of the week: Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice in Together Again, York Barbican, July 18, 7.30pm
STRICTLY Come Dancing alumni Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice promise “more fun, more dance, more song and even more entertainment than ever before” in the terpsichorean double act’s new show Together Again, full of breathtaking routines, stunning choreography and a seamless blend of Ballroom, Latin and musical theatre. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Ancient Hostility: Harmony singing and drones at YO Underground 4 in The Basement
Navigators Art presents YO Underground 4, The Basement, City Screen, York, July 18, 7.30pm to 10.30pm
YORK arts collective Navigators Art plays host to a night of live, local and left-field folk song, electronica and film at The Basement. On the adventurous bill of York and regional acts will be: Andrew Metheven’s lo-fi folk music from the hills and the concrete; Ancient Hostility’s harmony singing and drones from members of Dawn Ray’d and All In Vain, and transdisciplinary artist Hannah-May Batley’s traveller ballads, storytelling, writing, performance and pigments.
Participating too will be: Mark Hanslip, who has a “PhD in shoving saxophones through computers” (possibly not literally); Namke Communications’ electronics and echoes, and multidisciplinary artist Things Found And Made, rummaging in zines, films, music, storytelling, pop-culture, esoterica and folklore. Box office: bit.ly/nav-events
The Wedding Present’s David Gedge, right, walking in Leeds with Reception writer-director Matt Aston
Gig announcement of the week: An Evening of Conversation and Music with David Gedge from The Wedding Present, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, July 20, 8pm, doors 7pm
DAVID Gedge, long-time leader of The Wedding Present, discusses his “semi-legendary” Leeds indie band’s 40-year-career and his life in the music industry, in conversation with Amanda Cook. York writer/director Matt Aston join him too on the eve of rehearsals for Reception – The Wedding Present Musical, ahead of its premiere at Slung Low, The Warehouse, Holbeck, Leeds, from August 22 to September 6.
Next Sunday’s event concludes with Gedge’s 20-minute acoustic set drawn from The Wedding Present’s cornucopia of arch, romantic yet perennially disappointed songs of love, life’s high hopes and woes, chance and no chance. Box office: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-david-gedge-from-the-wedding-present-tickets-1472506409309?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Listen to David Gedge discuss 40 years Of The Wedding Present, the Reception musical and his Rise@Bluebird Bakery show with Two Big Egos In A Small Car podcasters Charles Hutchinson and Graham Chalmers at:
Laura Soper’s Noi with the beached Storm Whale in The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio. Narrator Charlotte Benedict looks on. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick Photography
YORK writer-director Matt Aston launched his premiere of The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio in December 2019.
Now his adaptation of two enchanting Benji Davies stories, The Storm Whale and The Storm Whale In Winter, takes the plunge for a second time in a run that coincides with the Easter holidays in a co-production by Aston’s company, Engine House Theatre, York Theatre Royal, The Marlowe, Canterbury and Little Angel Theatre, London.
Apparently it takes only two and a half minutes each to read Davies’s award-winning works. Put together in one show, they are stretched to 75 minutes, including an interval, with your reviewer’s guarantee that children aged four upwards will have a whale of a time, topped off by a little “mild peril” in Act Two.
Lydia Denno’s original set was metaphorically lost at sea after Covid, and so she has re-created the delightful sea-front design with its scaled-down versions of a lighthouse and the island home where a little boy, Noi (York-born Laura Soper) lives with his fisherman Dad (Richard Lounds).
So do their six cats with such Kent town names as Deal and Sandwich, the family favourite represented by a puppet that has a habit of leaping onto Dad’s shoulder. The other five occupy picture frames, or more precisely, appear to be bursting out of the frames with playful intent.
The Storm Whale writer-director Matt Aston
The house front seen in miniature is then replicated in full scale, with a washing line, fishing netting, steps, a boat and a porch, from where Soper’s awkward, restlessly inquisitive Noi surveys the waves, craving company when hard-working Dad is fishing at sea.
Noi tries to reassure himself that “it’s OK to be on your own but not OK to be lonely”, but that loneliness is threatening to come crashing over him like a wave.
Loneliness that is shared by Flo, Davies’s narrator, played with a joyous heart by York actress Charlotte Benedict (formerly Charlotte Wood), who begins by looking back on the story from the distance of humorously erratic adult memories.
Childhood days when she would lick her strawberries and cream-coloured lighthouse home in the hope of a sweet flavour. Flo’s own story will flow in and out of Noi’s tale, and she too is often on her own, both back then and 20, 30, 40 years on.
Charlotte Benedict’s Narrator in The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick Photography
Aston’s beautifully told production delights in theatre’s time-honoured tools of storytelling and puppetry, coupled with Julian Butler’s acoustic folk songs (one with a hint of The Pogues’ Fairytale Of New York, no less), as we encounter the height of a storm and Noi’s subsequent encounter with a little whale, washed up on the sand.
Soper brings comedic physical theatre skills to Noi’s struggle to lift the whale into the house bath (later to double as Dad’s fishing boat) as the bond of friendship grows and audience hearts swell with the loveliness of it all.
Post-interval, the forewarned “mild peril” takes the form of Dad undertaking his last fishing trip, when his boat becomes stuck in the frozen waters of deep winter. In his enforced absence, Noi desperately wants to see the whale once more, whereupon two storylines overlap with a sense of wonder at the finale, enhanced by the puppetry’s finest moment.
Soper captures the insatiable curiosity of a ten-year-old boy, in movement and facial and vocal expression, depicting a child seeking treasures, experiences and friendship alike, with bountiful love to give, as he comes to terms with the loss of his mother.
Lounds’ widower Dad has a phlegmatic front, necessary for his fishing work, but a jolly disposition too, full of kindness yet burdened by the weight of responsibility of now being Noi’s sole guide on their isolated island.
The poster for Matt Aston’s production of The Storm Whale
You will love the detail in Denno’s set and costume designs, from the cotton-wool snowy rooftops in winter to the starfish “badge” on Noi’s striped jumper.
Hayley Del Harrison’s movement direction flows as pleasingly as the storytelling, and when the lighthouse light switches on as a beacon to guide Dad to safety, it also serves to remember the work of original lighting designer Jason Salvin (whose torch is now carried by Christopher Flux).
“The Storm Whale was Jason’s last show before he passed away in November 2020,” says Aston. “The show is always now dedicated to him.”
What a magical, moving, beautiful show it is.
York Theatre Royal, Engine House Theatre, Little Angel and The Marlowe, Canterbury present The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio, today and tomorrow, 10.30am and 1.30pm. Running time: 75 minutes, including interval. Age guidance: Four upwards. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
The poster for the return of The Storm Whale, playing York Theatre Royal Studio from tomorrow to Saturday
YORK writer-director Matt Aston’s revival of his uplifting stage version of The Storm Whale, adapted from Benji Davies’s brace of books, will make a splash at York Theatre Royal Studio from tomorrow.
Premiered in 2019, Aston’s play for ages four to eight combines puppetry, original songs and dialogue in a magical theatrical adventure of loneliness, love and courage rooted in Davies’s books The Storm Whale and The Storm Whale In Winter.
“It’s so great to bring the show back to York Theatre Royal, where it all began, and to share this beautiful story with a whole new audience of children and their families,” says Matt, ahead of the Easter holiday run. “Benji Davies’s books have such a captivating and heartwarming message, and I think people of all ages will find something to love in the show.”
In The Storm Whale, Noi lives with his dad and six cats by the sea. One summer, while dad was busy at work, Noi rescued a little whale, washed up on the beach. A friendship began that would change their lives forever.
When his father takes one last trip in his fishing boat the following winter, Noi is alone once more and longs to see his friend again. Will it take another storm to bring them back together?
The Storm Whale writer-director Matt Aston in Rowntree Park. Picture: Livy Potter
“Our show follows the story of a young boy, Noi, and his friendship with a whale and looks at how, through the power of friendship and courage, you can overcome loneliness,” says Matt.
“Those who know Benji’s books will absolutely believe that his characters have come right off the page and to life on the stage. Lydia Denno’s designs are stunning and the show is a real visual treat with puppets beautifully crafted by Keith Frederick.
“The music by Julian Butler is also fabulous and there are some gorgeous earworms in there that you won’t be able to stop humming after seeing the show.”
Matt had worked previously on a stage adaptation of Davies’s book Grandad. “That was a delight to make,” he says. “The Storm Whale was already published at this point but when Benji later wrote The Storm Whale In Winter, I saw straight away how both stories could work together as a complete story arc to make one show.
“Bringing stories like these from the page to the stage is really all about pulling out the wider story of what’s going on underneath by developing the characters and their relationships. The book is the starting point and then you look at how you can bring it to life through the music, the puppetry and the sets.
The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio in 2019. Picture: Northedge Photography
“Whenever I do a show for children, it’s always vital to think about the grown-ups who will be coming with them. It’s important to ensure that the parents, grandparents and carers are not forgotten and that there’s something for them to enjoy. It’s a really moving story about the power of friendship and love overcoming loneliness and both adults and children alike can relate to that.”
Matt is an advocate for children experiencing theatre from a young age. “For me, there isn’t anything like the experience of live theatre,” he says. “The power of just sitting in a room and listening to a good story being simply told is truly magnificent. I really believe that the art of storytelling is central to a child’s development, and whether that’s through music, movement or puppetry, it can make such a difference at an early age to have exposure to that.
“We’ve had some really lovely feedback from parents about how children have been really transported by the stories and going home and acting them out. The power of the live experience of watching theatre is, for me, really special and I can’t wait for a whole new audience of four, five and six-year-olds to come and see it.”
Finally, why should children and adults alike see this show, Matt? “It’s captivating, heartwarming and has a really good heart. There is something for all ages to love – it’s a theatrical experience for the parents as well as the children. For fans of the books, it’s a great way to see them brought to life on the stage and for those new to the stories, you’ll hopefully find a new favourite.”
York Theatre Royal, Engine House Theatre, Little Angel and The Marlowe, Canterbury present The Storm Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio, April 15 to 19, 10.30am and 1.30pm. Running time: 75 minutes, including interval. Age guidance: Four upwards. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
David Gedge: Songwriter and frontman of The Wedding Present and Cinerama
YORK writer-director Matt Aston’s new musical inspired by David Gedge’s songs for The Wedding Present and Cinerama, will premiere at Slung Low’s theatre space, The Warehouse, in Holbeck, Leeds, from August 22 to September 6.
Reception’s story of love, loss, break-ups and breakdowns – everything you would expect from a Wedding Present song – is built around a group of Leeds University friends that keeps in touch over five years of trials, tribulations and life events, from a graduation ceremony and a stage & hen do to a funeral, wedding and, of course, the accompanying reception.
Set in and around Leeds in the late-1980s, Reception will be presented to a mixture of cabaret-style seating – with ‘wedding guests’ enjoying a glass of fizz on arrival and a three-course meal – as well as more traditional raked seating.
The idea of a musical spun around Gedge’s songs had been brewing for writer and director Matt Aston over several years and serendipitously comes to fruition on the 40th anniversary of the Weddoes’ debut single Go Out And Get ’Em Boy – on the Reception Records label that prompted the show’s title.
Matt met Tony Ereira, director of Leeds record labels Come Play With Me and Clue Records, inevitably at a Wedding Present gig, in Leeds in early 2019, when the seeds of the play were duly sown.
“I started talking about it with David [Gedge] five years ago, just before the Covid lockdown,” recalls Matt. “We raised money through crowdfunding, I wrote the draft script and did some R&D (research and development), and got the show pencilled in for a couple of venues, but they fell through in the Covid backlog.
“But then, in 2024, I met Alan Lane at Slung Low, where I went to see their new space in Holbeck. He was really up for it and we set it in motion before Alan left to become artistic director for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Alan is still Slung Low’s vice-chair, and venue manager Matt Angrove has taken over the arrangements for the show.
“They’ve been great in finding dates for us and in liaising with The Wedding Present to fit in with the 40th anniversary.”
Reception will wrap its story around songs from four decades of The Wedding Present, Cinerama’s back catalogue and a new Gedge composition.song.
The Wedding Present & Cinerama: the back story
THE Wedding Present were formed in 1985 by David Gedge, who had graduated from the University of Leeds in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 1981, and continue to tour and release new music today with vocalist and guitarist Gedge as the only constant member.
Their songwriting has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of The Fall, Buzzcocks and fellow Leeds band Gang Of Four to more varied forms. They have bothered the UK Singles Chart’s Top 40 on 18 occasions, including a history-making run of 12 singles – one for each month – in 1992, matching Elvis Presley’s achievement for a single year.
Cinerama were formed by Gedge in 1998, subsequently released a series of singles and albums significantly different in musical style to The Wedding Present, rooted in French-influenced cinematic/soundtrack-style arrangements.
Whistle blower: Sean McKenzie as James ‘Parky’ Bell in Mike Kenny’s The Park Keeper. All pictures: Northedge Photography
The Park Keeper, Park Bench Theatre, The Friends Garden, Rowntree Park, York, until July 17. Box office: 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
MIKE Kenny has been thinking about retirement but has no thoughts of retiring.
The prolific York playwright has turned 70, and only the other day, as he crossed Millennium Bridge, a teenager chirped up: “You won’t be here in ten years, mush”. Kenny was not offended, instead smiling at what he thought was probably a fair point after a life lived to the full in the allotted span of three score years and ten.
As a writer, save for a sudden shortage of commissions, inspiration or writer’s block, the conventional clocking off with a watch does not apply, but whatever hand is dealt, Kenny nevertheless has been contemplating the impact of retirement.
His landmark birthday has its played, but it is as much to do with the subject matter of his latest commission from Matt Aston, artistic director of Engine House Theatre and director of Park Bench Theatre, the York company Aston set up last summer after the first lockdown to stage three monologues in the socially distanced Friends Garden.
Now, after lockdown three, Park Bench Theatre returns with The Park Keeper to mark Rowntree Park’s centenary with the story of its first park keeper, James ‘Parky’ Bell, who was in charge from 1921 to 1945.
When the cap still fits, but time is up: Sean McKenzie’s ‘Parky’ Bell contemplates a future after being “kicked out of paradise”
July 16 was his retirement day, and as the 55-minute monologue opens, Sean McKenzie’s immaculately dressed and well-groomed Bell is preparing his retirement speech, breaking down theatre’s fourth wall to ask us if he can try it out on us.
At the same time, Bell has his beady eye on the park, quick to blow his famous shrill whistle when he spots a miscreant. “I know where you live,” he shouts. “I don’t,” he admits to the audience.
Where Kenny has a choice whether to retire or not but won’t because the creative juices still flow so zestfully, Bell has no such choice and does not feel ready to concentrate on gardening or whatever.
Like so many men, he is defined by his job; his validation, even if the physical strength is not what it once was. “I can’t do as much as I once did,” he concedes. Retirement? “I don’t know how to stop. What will I do,” he asks, forlornly. “If I’m not ‘Parky’, who am I? What am I.”
All this is supposition because Kenny has worked from skeletal information. What is known is that Bell and his family did live in the lodge that now houses the Reading Room café; the blast of the Bell whistle was feared by all; he did make a retirement speech.
Bench duty: York playwright Mike Kenny, commissioned to write the play marking the 100th anniversary of Rowntree Park
Kenny fleshes out the story to make Bell a Rowntree cocoa factory worker, a survivor of the First World War (unlike his best friend) and what ensues is a study of the futility and terrible impact of war; the senseless death of so many young men; father-and-son relationships; the value of recreation and public play areas for the ordinary man, woman and child; the denuding effect of retirement.
This is the “what’s it all been for?” moment of reflection for a man who has no faith in religion, for whom hope has been hollowed about by the experience of a war that left him angry at everything and everybody; for whom heaven is empty.
“We all came back with stories. We just couldn’t tell them,” says Bell. That said, in the absence of faith, he found purpose, subsequently loving his work in his “back garden”, Rowntree Park, calling it a “miracle”, where 54,000 plants and trees were planted by the Rowntree family and the park life made him well again.
All the while, The Park Keeper becomes as much a story of Mike Kenny as James ‘Parky’ Bell, who keeps rising from his park bench note-making, still on duty to the last, but suddenly in the grip of a memory, something that troubles, angers or baffles him, and troubles the playwright too.
Consequently, it is both the most personal piece Kenny has ever written and yet a tribute to a stoical, staunch, hard-working pillar of a bygone time, when as many as 12 gardeners worked at Rowntree Park.
Taking his last stand: Sean McKenzie’s ‘Parky’ Bell in the Friends Garden at Rowntree Park, York.
Kenny’s authorial voice is strong – typified by his townie quip that “in the country[side], everywhere belongs to someone” – but Sean McKenzie’s rounded performance makes Bell’s voice equally strong and opinionated under Aston’s well-balanced direction. “First of all they take all your time, then you get a watch, so you can see all your seconds tick away,” Bell says of his retirement gift.
McKenzie’s eyes say it all in a performance where he finds the poetry, the profundity, but also the guiding principles of the working man.
Kenny makes reference to cheeky lads calling Bell a “jumped-up caretaker”, but he has Bell saying, “If we take care of it, it will take care of us”, a message for our times when climate change threatens our future as much as war ever did.
Bell hopes for a fairer world, wishing that something can be done to make this world right. Clearly, Kenny has the same wish. “I’m about to get kicked out of paradise,” bemoans Bell. “On with the future. Cheers,” his speech concludes, but with all the uncertainty whether peace will last after the handshakes in Romeo & Juliet.
Kenny has placed us in the last chance saloon, but who will blow ‘Parky’ Bell’s whistle to stop the pattern of bad behaviour?
