More Things To Do in York & beyond when you need to know your arts from your Elbow. Hutch’s List No. 28, from The Press

Olly Murs: Returning to familiar turf at York Racecourse’s first Summer Music Saturday meeting this afternoon

AS the outdoor concert season awakens, a festival goes to heaven and hell and a koala tries something new in Charles Hutchinson’s list for the upcoming week.

Back on track: Olly Murs, York Racecourse, Summer Music Saturday, today, first race at 1.55pm; last race, 5.25pm, followed by concert

ESSEX singer, songwriter, actor and television personality from Olly Murs completes his hat-trick of appearances at York Racecourse this weekend, having played the Knavesmire track in 2010 and 2017.

Performing after today’s race card, his set list will draw on his seven albums and 25 singles, including the number ones Please Don’t Let Me Go, Heart Skips A Beat, Dance With Me Tonight and Troublemaker. Race day tickets: yorkracecourse.co.uk.

Marcelo Nisinman: Argentinean bandoneon player, performing Martin Palmeri’s Misatango at York Guildhall today

Reverence and rhythm of the week: Prima Choral Artists presents Scared Rhythms: From Chant To Tango, York Guildhall, The Courtyard, Coney Street, York, tonight, 7.30pm

ARGENTINEAN bandoneon maestro and composer Marcelo Nisinman performs Martin Palmeri’s Misatango as the finale to director Eve Lorian’s Sacred Rhythms – From Chant To Tango concert.

He joins the 60-strong Prima Choral Artists choir, pianist Greg Birch, Yorkshire mezzo-soprano soloist Lucy Jubb and the New World String Quintet for tonight’s journey through sacred and spiritual choral music. Box office: primachoral.com.

Justin Moorhouse: Giving two of the greatest performances of his life at Pocklington Arts Centre this weekend

Comedy gigs of the week: Justin Moorhouse, The Greatest Performance Of My Life, Pocklington Arts Centre, today, 3pm and 8pm

ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE comedian, radio presenter and actor Justin Moorhouse covers subjects ranging from pantomimes to dreams, how to behave in hospitals, small talk, realising his mum is a northern version of Columbo, and how being a smart-mouthed child saved him from a life of continually being beaten up. Funny, interesting, perhaps it will warm the soul too. Box office:  01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Bluebird Bakery: Makers’ Summer Fair on Sunday in Acomb

Arts and crafts of the week:  Makers’ Summer Fair, Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, Sunday, 10am to 3pm; The Fox Summer Craft Market, The Fox Inn, Holgate Road, York, Sunday, 1pm to 5pm

ARTISAN baker and cafe Bluebird Bakery plays host to York artists and makers’ craft, jewellery, print, ceramic, plant, candle and woodwork stalls under one roof.  Meanwhile, The Fox Inn holds its second annual Summer Craft Market, featuring live music, handmade gifts, craft stalls and street food vendors.  

Swift service: Xenna pays homage to Taylor in Miss Americana at York Barbican

Tribute gig of the week: Miss Americana: The Eras Experience, A Tribute To Taylor Swift, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm

STEP into Step into world ofTaylor Swift and her Eras experience in Xenna’s homage to the Pennsylvania  pop sensation’s music, style and stage presence, from her country roots to such hits as Love Story, Blank Space and Shake It Off. Cue replica costume changes, storytelling and dancers too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Dawn Landes: Amplifying the voices of women who fought for equality at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb

Country gig of the week: Dawn Landes, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, July 2, 8pm

AMERICAN country roots singer-songwriter Dawn Landes showcases The Liberated Woman’s Songbook, her March 2024 album that re-imagines music from the women’s liberation movement.

Inspired by a 1971 songbook of the same name, Landes breathes new life into powerful songs spanning 1830 to 1970, amplifying the voices of women who fought for equality throughout history. Box office: seetickets.com/event/dawn-landes/rise-bluebird/.

James Sheldon’s Mr Darcy and Rosa Hesmondhalgh’s Lizzy Bennet in Pride And Prejudice at the SJT, Scarborough

Introducing America’s most performed living playwright to North Yorkshire: Pride And Prejudice, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, July 3 to 26, 7.30pm plus 1.30pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

LOTTE Wakeham directs American writer Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s story of love, misunderstandings and second chances, staged with music, dancing,  humour aplenty and a cast led by Rosa Hesmondhalgh’s Lizzy Bennet (CORRECT) and James Sheldon’s Mr Darcy in a whirl of Regency parties and courtship as hearts race, tongues wag and passions swirl around the English countryside. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

The Koala Who Could: Up a tree at York Theatre Royal for three days next week. Picture: Pamela Raith

Children’s show of the week: The Koala Who Could, York Theatre Royal, July 3, 1.30pm; July 4, 10.30am and 4.30pm; July 5, 11am and 2pm 

JOIN Kevin the koala, Kangaroo and Wombat as they learn that “life can be great when you try something new” in this adaptation of Rachel Bright and Jim Field’s picture book, directed by Emma Earle, with music and lyrics by Eamonn O’Dwyer.

Danny Hendrix (Wombat/Storyteller 1), Sarah Palmer (Cossowary/Storyteller 2) and Christopher Finn (Kevin/Storyteller 3) perform this empowering story of embracing change – whether we like it or not. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Richard Hawley: Playing Coles Corner with strings attached at Live At York Museum Gardens on July 5. Picture: Dean Chalkley

Open-air concerts of the week: Futuresounds presents Live At York Museum Gardens, Elbow, July 3; Nile Rodgers & CHIC, July4; Richard Hawley, July 5; gates open at 5pm

LEEDS promoters Futuresound Group’s second summer of outdoor concerts in York begins with Bury band Elbow’s sold-out show next Thursday, when Ripon singer-songwriter Billie Marten and Robin Hood’s Bay folk luminary Eliza Carthy & The  Restitution support.

New York guitarist, songwriter and producer Nile Rodgers and CHIC revel in Good Times, Le Freak, Everybody Dance and I Want Your Love next Friday, supported by Maryland soul singer Jalen Ngonda. Sheffield guitarist and crooner Richard Hawley revisits his 1995 album Coles Corner with a string section on its 20th anniversary next Saturday, preceded by Leeds band English Teacher and Manchester-based American songwriter BC Camplight. Box office: seetickets.com.

Le Consort: French orchestral ensemble, making York debut with Vivaldi concert at National Centre for Early Music on July 6

Festival of the week:  York Early Music Festival, Heaven & Hell, July 4 to 11

EIGHT days of classical music adds up to 19 concerts featuring international artists such as The Sixteen, The Tallis Scholars, Academy of Ancient Music, viol consort Fretwork & Helen Charlston and the York debut of Le Consort, performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons “but not quite as you know it”.

Directed by Delma Tomlin, the festival weaves together three main strands: the 400th anniversary of Renaissance composer Orlando Gibbons, the Baroque music of Vivaldi and Bach and reflections on Man’s fall from grace, from Heaven to Hell. Full programme and tickets at ncem.co.uk/whats-on/yemf/. Box office: 01904 658338.

In Focus: Harry Baker, Wonderful 2.0, The Crescent, York, Sunday (29/6/2025)

Poet, mathematician and world slam champ Harry Baker

YOUNGEST ever World Poetry Slam champion Harry Baker’s two Wonderful 2.0 shows at The Crescent , York, tomorrow have sold out. Wonderful news for Harry; not so wonderful if you were yet to book for either bite of the poetic cherry, the 3.30pm all-ages matinee or 7pm evening event.

Enough negativity. Let this preview be suffused with positivity. “One thing that I know that I will always find amazing is what a thing it is to live a life,” posits Maths graduate Harry, who always looks for plus signs. “P.S. Let’s also do this loads before we die.”  Good, because that means Baker will be back and next time you can be quicker off the mark.

Baker, the 34-year-old poet, mathematician, writer and comedy turn from Ealing, London, first spread his Wonderful wings from April to August 2024, visiting The Crescent on May 20 with poems about wellies, postcodes and his favourite German wheat beer Schöfferhofer on his sold-out 40-date itinerary.

At the time, the “Maths-loving, TED-talking, German-speaking, battle-rapping, happy-crying, self-bio-writing unashamed human” said:  “After the mental health struggles I shared in my last show, this time around the plan was to have a fun time touring a fun show full of fun poems to celebrate coming out of the other side. But it hasn’t quite worked out like that.

“For the first time ever I have been to more funerals than weddings in the last year. I have hit the age where everyone around me is either having babies or talking about having babies or definitely not having babies, and found out first-hand how complicated and painful that can be. And yet I am more fascinated and amazed by the world around me than ever before.”

Harry added: “From the transformational power of documenting moments of everyday joy to the undeniable raw energy of performing a garage song about Greta Thunberg, I am learning more than ever that life can indeed be incredibly hard sometimes, but that doesn’t make it any less incredible.

“If anything, it is the darkness that helps us to appreciate the light, just as it is the puddles that help us to appreciate the wellies. And what could be more wonderful than sharing all of this with the glorious folk who come along after reading about it here.”

Now he returns with a new message to accompany his poems about “all the important stuff, like hope, dinosaurs and German falafel-spoons”. “May one thing match the gravity of all you’ve ever done. This wonderful reality: The best is yet to come,” Harry pronounces.

“More full of wonder than ever”, he will celebrate wellies and postcodes once more, funerals and fertility journeys too, in his trademark amalgam of the playful, the vulnerable and the hopeful.

How would he sum up Wonderful 2.0? “I like ‘Wonderfuller’. It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but I like the connotation,” he says.

“Wonderful 2.0 hopes to make you cry with laughter, laugh through tears, or, dream scenario: both. The show will contain old faves as well as brand new work, celebrating what a thing it is to live a life.”

“What I ended up doing was I started writing a poem a day for the first 100 days of my son’s life, though ‘poems’ would be a generous description of the first ones,” says Harry

For all his popularity on TikTok and Instagram, Baker’s favourite place to be is still on stage in front of an audience, sharing his words in person. “By its very nature, I don’t think it makes sense for poetry to go viral,” he says.

“It is all about taking the time out of your day-to-day to stop and pay attention to the world and the wonder it contains, which it feels like so many of us are too busy to be able to carve out time to do. And yet I think it is precisely this reason why people have been able to connect with my work so much.

“From the vulnerability of sharing my own personal struggles with trying to conceive a baby, to the power of making list of requests in advance of what I would like to happen when I die (an obnoxious amount of sunflowers and negronis all round, please), or even just a stupid (yet subversive?) poem about how great my knees are, there is a playfulness and poignancy that has changed the way others look at the world too.”

Harry continues: “I have been performing for 15 years now and last year’s tour was my favourite by far, because of the openness audiences were willing to bring and share in, so that we could all have a cry and a laugh and go away feeling slightly more connected to one another and the world, and I am so excited for a chance to do this all over again.”

Assessing where he fits in as a performer, Harry decides: “I think I fall somewhere in between a band (where you hope they will do your favourite songs) and a stand-up (where you expect new material!). So, as well as keeping in the classics, I have updated the show with new poems about everything that has happened in the meantime, including (finally and joyfully) having a baby.”

Wonderful 2.0 picks up where Wonderful left off, knowing his “whole life was about to change but not knowing how he would feel”. It turns out that becoming a father, and experiencing a deep love for his child, has heightened his connection with the world around him, rather than numbed it.

“What I ended up doing was I started writing a poem a day for the first 100 days of my son’s life, though ‘poems’ would be a generous description of the first ones!

“People say ‘it’s the best thing in the world’ or that ‘you’re going to lose everything you’ve enjoyed’, so I thought to be able to have all these snapshots in the poems means you can have days where you were in the moment, thinking how fragile and precious life is, but also have days where it doesn’t feel like that, especially in those early days, when if feels like ‘this is it, it will never change’.

“But having written these things, less than a year later, I look back and feel like ‘I think you’re being a bit dramatic’…but that’s fine because some of it felt amazing, sometimes it felt raw and spiky.

“Hopefully these poems will feel precious to me and my wife, and by sharing them, anyone who has recently has a baby will connect with them, or, like my parents, they can relate with them, and those who haven’t had a kid can connect with these basic emotions.”

Harry’s aim was to “capture the newness, the helplessness and the tenderness, not to create a parenting manual”. To detach from the practice of finding punchlines to jokes felt important in his writing. “I wanted to lean into the emotional side of it and that’s something that changes from day to day,” he says.

“This is the point in between where you can say ‘life can be difficult but also amazing, and if anything, one heightens the other’,” says Harry

Harry had written candidly about how long it took the couple to become pregnant. “To be so honest about that painful experience gave permission to connect with that, and now these new poems feel like an evolution,” he says.

“People have thanked me for ‘saying things they couldn’t’. I’ve been trying to open up in a way that is safe for me and safe for others, and having honed those skills, or muscles, I was ready to apply it to the new poems.

“It’s also trying to acknowledge that just because I have this child and this joyful outcome, it doesn’t negate the experience I’ve been through.”

The sequel to his Wonderful poetry collection will be published by Canongate next March. “This is the point in between where you can say ‘life can be difficult but also amazing, and if anything, one heightens the other’. If you can share the hard times with people, just as you share the joyous times, they’re more bearable for that.”

Poems have an intensity that suits the combative nature of slams. “When I started out, I was entering these poetry slams where you have to say everything in three minutes, win over the audience, be funny, get them on board, deliver a message, wrap it up and send it off into the sunset,” says Harry.

“That was such a good training ground because you have to convey things in such a short space of time. That’s why these Wonderful shows are such a joy to do, particularly when the poems can feel vulnerable and heartfelt, and it’s up to you where you take it next.”

Next year’s poetry collection, Tender, will reflect that. “Why ‘Tender’? I think it was that thing of wanting to lean into the feeling of vulnerability, but as well as the connotation of being tender where you feel bruised, there’s the ripeness and readiness too.”

Did you know?

HARRY Baker’s honest, heartfelt and hopeful poems have reached more than ten million people on TikTok  and Instagram.

Raised in a Christian community, Baker is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2’s Pause For Thought.

He tours the UK in comedy-rap-jazz duo Harry and Chris Baker, also appearing on The Russell Howard Hour.

Baker released his third poetry collection, Wonderful, in May 2024, featuring fan favourites Wellies, Sunflowers and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Published by Burning Eye, copies are available at gigs, all good bookshops and www.harrybaker.co.

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 27, from Gazette & Herald

Hats galore: Be Amazing Arts Youth Theatre’s guys in Guys And Dolls at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York

BE Amazing Arts and more amazing arts besides add up to attractions aplenty for Charles Hutchinson’s list of recommendations

Burgeoning talent of the week: Be Amazing Arts Youth Theatre in Guys And Dolls, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

MALTON company Be Amazing Arts Youth Theatre heads to York to present Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows’ musical fable of Broadway, Guys And Dolls.

Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, this oddball romantic comedy finds gambler Nathan Detroit seeking the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Into the story venture his girlfriend, nightclub performer Adelaide, fellow gambler Sky Masterson and straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

The Wandering Hearts: Introducing new album Deja Vu (We Have All Been Here Before) at Pocklington Arts Centre

Americana gig of the week: The Wandering Hearts, Pocklington Arts Centre, tomorrow, 8pm

BRITISH Americana and folk band The Wandering Hearts combine enchanting harmonies and heartfelt songwriting influenced by Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and First Aid Kit.

Tomorrow’s set by Tara Wilcox, Francesca “Chess” Whiffin and A J Dean-Revington features songs from 2018’s Wild Silence, 2021’s The Wandering Hearts and 2024’s Mother, complemented by a showcase of new album Deja Vu (We Have All Been Here Before), released on June 20. Norwich singer-songwriter Lucy Grubb supports. Box office:  01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Snow Patrol: More chance of sunshine than snow at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Friday

Coastal gig of the week: Snow Patrol, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Friday; gates open at 6pm

SNOW Patrol visit Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Friday for the first time since July 2021. The Northern Irish-Scottish indie rock band will be led as ever by Gary Lightbody, accompanied by long-time members Nathan Connolly, lead guitar, and Johnny McDaid, piano. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Danny Lee Grew: 24K Magic at Friargate Theatre, York

Magic show of the week: Danny Lee Grew, 24K Magic, Friargate Theatre, York, Friday, 7.30pm

CLACTON-ON-SEA magician Danny Lee Grew presents his new mind-boggling one-man show of magic, illusion, laughs, gasps and sleight of hand sorcery. 24K Magic showcases the kind of magic usually seen on television, but now live, in the flesh and under the most impossible conditions. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/ridinglights.

Olly Murs: Returning to York Racecourse for Summer Music Saturday

Back on track: Olly Murs, York Racecourse, Summer Music Saturday, June 28, first race at 1.55pm; last race, 5.25pm, followed by concert

ESSEX singer, songwriter, actor and television personality from Olly Murs completes his hat-trick of appearances at York Racecourse this weekend, having played the Knavesmire track in 2010 and 2017.

Performing after Saturday’s race card, his set list will draw on his seven albums and 25 singles, including the number ones Please Don’t Let Me Go, Heart Skips A Beat, Dance With Me Tonight and Troublemaker and Top Five hits Thinking Of Me, Dear Darlin, Wrapped Up and Up. Race day tickets: yorkracecourse.co.uk.

Joanna Purslow, Gemma Aston and MaryAnna Kelly in Hotbuckle Productions’ Little Women, on tour at Helmsley Arts Centre

Ryedale play of the week: Hotbuckle Productions in Little Women, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

SHROPSHIRE company Hotbuckle Productions follow up last year’s tour of Pride And with Adrian Preater’s typically inventive make-over of Louisa May Alcott’s American novel Little Women, performed by a cast of only three, Joanna Purslow, Gemma Aston and MaryAnna Kelly.

Hotbuckle explore girlhood, family and female ambition in Alcott’s tale of love, loss and the challenges of growing up in 19th century Massachusetts in a fast-paced, humorous, multi-role-playing adaptation that crosses age and gender traditions as the four March sisters journey from adolescence to adulthood. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Justin Moorhouse: Giving two of the greatest performances of his life at Pocklington Arts Centre this weekend

Comedy gig of the week: Justin Moorhouse, The Greatest Performance Of My Life, Pocklington Arts Centre, Saturday, 3pm and 8pm

ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE comedian, radio presenter and actor Justin Moorhouse covers subjects ranging from pantomimes to dreams, how to behave in hospitals, small talk, realising his mum is a northern version of Columbo, and how being a smart-mouthed child saved him from a life of continually being beaten up. Funny, interesting, perhaps it will warm the soul too. Box office:  01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Dawn Landes: Performing at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York

Country gig of the week: Dawn Landes, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, July 2, 8pm

AMERICAN country roots singer-songwriter Dawn Landes showcases The Liberated Woman’s Songbook, her March 2024 album that re-imagines music from the women’s liberation movement.

Inspired by a 1971 songbook of the same name, Landes breathes new life into powerful songs spanning 1830 to 1970, amplifying the voices of women who fought for equality throughout history. Box office: seetickets.com/event/dawn-landes/rise-bluebird/.

James Sheldon’s Mr Darcy and Rosa Hesmondhalgh’s Lizzy Bennet in Pride And Prejudice at the SJT, Scarborough

Introducing America’s most performed living playwright to North Yorkshire: Pride And Prejudice, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, July 3 to 26, 7.30pm plus 1.30pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

BOLTON Octagon Theatre artistic director Lotte Wakeham directs American writer Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice in a co-production with the SJT, Hull Truck Theatre and Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.

Austen’s story of love, misunderstandings and second chances is staged with music, dancing and humour aplenty in a whirl of Regency parties and courtship as hearts race, tongues wag and passions swirl around the English countryside, with a cast led by Rosa Hesmondhalgh’s Lizzy Bennet and James Sheldon’s  Mr Darcy. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Danny Hendrix, Christopher Finn and Sarah Palmer in The Koala Who Could. Picture: Pamela Raith

Children’s show of the week: The Koala Who Could, York Theatre Royal, July 3, 1.30pm; July 4, 10.30am and 4.30pm; July 5, 11am and 2pm 

JOIN Kevin the koala, Kangaroo and Wombat as they learn that “life can be great when you try something new” in this adaptation of Rachel Bright and Jim Field’s picture book, directed by Emma Earle (Oi Frog & Friends!), with music and lyrics by Eamonn O’Dwyer (The Lion Inside). 

Danny Hendrix (Wombat/Storyteller 1), Sarah Palmer (Cossowary/Storyteller 2) and Christopher Finn (Kevin/Storyteller 3) perform this empowering story of embracing change – whether we like it or not. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

What’s on in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 21, from Gazette & Herald

Simon Withyman’s photograph of an urban fox from the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition at Nunnington Hall. Picture copyright: British Wildlife Photography Awards/Simon Withyman

GO wild in the country, have  fun at the fete or make a date with dramatic dancing, recommends Charles Hutchinson.  

Exhibition of the week: British Wildlife Photography Awards, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, on show until July 13

THE British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition celebrates the diversity of British wildlife and wild spaces through a collection of inspirational photographs and films, while raising awareness of British biodiversity, species and habitats. Normal admission prices apply, with free entry to National Trust members and under fives. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

Mick Liversidge, left, and Chris Pomfrett in a scene from York Actors Collective’s York premiere of Tiger Country

Hospital drama of the week: York Actors Collective in Tiger Country, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, 7.30pm, tonight to Friday; 2.30pm and 6pm, Saturday

NINA Raine’s doctors-and-nurses drama, last performed at Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2014, is revived by Angie Millard’s company York Actors Collective.

This fast-paced play considers doctors’ dilemmas as a range of clinical and ethical issues come under the spotlight in a busy hospital. Professionalism and prejudice, turbulent staff romances, ambition and failure collide as Raine depicts an overburdened health service and the dedicated individuals that keep it going. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

May half-term event of the week: Fun At The Fete, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, until Sunday, 10.30am to 5pm daily; last admission 4pm

BE transported to the fun of a village fete with themed games throughout the gardens. Families can compete against each other in hoopla, tin can alley, stilt walking and more besides.

For children who prefer a more relaxed day out, a creative hub is set up in the cutting garden for drawing and painting, while inside the house they can  create their own mini-maypole wand to take home. Normal admission applies, with free entry for National Trust members and under fives. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

Nick Mohammed’s alter-ego, Mr Swallow, in Show Pony, cantering into the Grand Opera House next week and in the autumn. Picture: Matt Crockett

Comedy gig of the week: Nick Mohammed Is Mr Swallow in Show Pony, Grand Opera House, York, tonight and October 23, 7.30pm

COMEDIAN, writer, Ted Lasso regular and Taskmaster loser Nick Mohammed transforms into his alter-ego, Mr Swallow, in Show Pony, a new show that will “cover everything from not having his own sitcom to not having his own sitcom… and everything in between (critical race theory). As per – expect magic, music and a whole load of brand-new mistakes”.  Box office:  atgtickets.com/york.

Jenny Don’t And The Spurs: Country meets garage at Pocklington Arts Centre. Picture: Chris Hogge

Country cowpunk gig of the week: Jenny Don’t And The Spurs, Pocklington Arts Centre, tonight, 8pm

AFTER playing Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, the Portland, Oregon garage, country, honky-tonk and rock’n’roll band Jenny Don’t And The Spurs bring their European tour to Pocklington for one of only four English shows, kitted out as ever with rhinestones on their custom outfits, handcrafted by Jenny herself.

As heard on June 2024 album Broken Hearted Blue, her songwriting is influenced by the contrasting landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern desert, with her band of drummer Buddy Weeks bass player Kelly Halliburton and lead guitarist Christopher March merging their garage-rock origins with country driving tempos, gritty fuzz tones and outlaw attitude. London-based Californian country singer Savannah Gardner supports. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Sir Tim Rice: Mulling over a life in musicals at the Grand Opera House, York

Musical knight of the week: Sir Tim Rice, My Life In Musicals – I Know Him So Well, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

LYRICIST supreme Sir Tim Rice reflects on his illustrious career at the heart of musical theatre, sharing anecdotes behind the songs, both the hits and the misses, complemented by stories of his life and live performances by leading West End singers and musicians, led by musical director Duncan Waugh. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Freida Nipples: Baps And Buns Burlesque at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb

Cabaret night of the week: Freida Nipples presents Baps And Buns Burlesque, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, Friday, 7pm to 11pm

YORK’S queen of burlesque, Freida Nipples, returns to Rise with her latest selection of sensational cabaret artists, from drag queens to acrobats. Prompt booking is advised as her Baps And Burlesque shows have a habit of selling out, in keeping with her burlesque nights at York Theatre Royal Studio, The Basement at City Screen and Impossible York.

“Prepare yourselves for an evening of debauchery and glamour in Acomb,” says Freida. “The big question is: are you ready for it?!” Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.

New Adventures in the 2021 production of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, returning to York Theatre Royal next week. Picture: Johan Persson

Dance return of the week: New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, June 4 to 7, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

IN 1930s’ London, ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and fog-bound streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart; bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption. 

Inspired by the work of English novelist Patrick Hamilton, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell returns to York Theatre Royal, where it first played in October 2021, with a 14-strong cast of New Adventures’ actor-dancers, alongside the Olivier and Tony award-winning team of Terry Davies (music), Lez Brotherston (set and costume design), Paule Constable (lighting design) and Paul Groothuis (sound design). Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Strictly between us: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara look forward to A Night To Remember at York Barbican

Strictly show of the week: Aljaž And Janette: A Night To Remember, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm  

STRICTLY Come Dancing husband-and-wife duo Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara team up in their new show with their live big band, fronted by boogie-woogie maestro Tom Seals and an ensemble cast of dancers and singers.

Strictly regular Aljaž and It Takes Two and Morning Live host Janette take to the York Barbican dancefloor to perform routines to music from the Great American songbook right up to modern-day classics. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

More Things To Do in York and beyond Gary Oldman’s exit stage left, minus bananas. Hutch’s List No. 20, from The York Press

Bull: “Reverse headlining” Sunday’s bill at the By The Blue Bridge Festival on the Arts Barge

First published on May 17 2025

AS the Arts Barge launches a new season and Mikron head to an allotment, Charles Hutchinson welcomes signs of the summer season ahead.

Festival of the week: By The Blue Bridge, Arts Barge, Foss Basin, York, today (17/5/2025) and tomorrow

BULL bassist, illustrator and designer Kai West and Rowan & Friends curator and frontman Rowan Evans launch the Arts Barge’s 2025 season with the By The Blue Bridge festival of music and art.

Today features free workshops from 11am to 2pm, including Water Poetry with Becca Drake, Digital Plotting with Des Clarke and a Sound Workshop led by a collective from the Hague. Musical acts from 3pm will be Sinead Una, Rowan & Friends, Captain Starlet, Gaia Blandina, Slagroom, Des Clarke, Gabriella Hunzinger and The Rattlers.

Sunday’s theme is “Folky and Weird”, kicking off with an open-mic session from 12 noon to 2pm, followed by “reverse headliners” Bull at 4pm, plus Oli, We Are Hannah, Mugwort, Kirk, Big Rain In The Morning, The Caterpillars and headliners Milkweed. Box office https://wegottickets.com/f/13779/.

Bella Gaffney: The Magpies’ folk musician plays solo at Rise@Bluebird Bakery tonight. Picture: Esme Mai

Folk gig of the week: Bella Gaffney, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, tonight (17/5/2025), 7.30pm

FOLK troubadour and guitarist Bella Gaffney, one third of The Magpies, weaves together original compositions and traditional tunes from British folk and Americana traditions, as heard on her 2023 album Reflections. Support act Jake Robinson sings soulful interpretations of folk classics and jazz-inspired originals. Box office: eventbrite.com/e/bella-gaffney.

This summer, The Magpies will be hosting their annual festival at Sutton Park, Sutton on the Forest, near York, on August 8 and 9. Tickets are on sale at themagpiesfestival.co.uk.

Mikron Theatre Company actor-musicians Georgina Liley, left, James McLean, Robert Took and Catherine Warnock in Operation Beach Hut, on tour at Scarcroft Allotments, York, on Sunday. Picture: Robling Photography

Outdoor entertainment of the week: Mikron Theatre Company in Operation Beach Hut, Scarcroft Allotments, Scarcroft Road, York, Sunday (18/5/2025), 2pm

HARVEY Badger’s Operation Beach Hut whisks Sunday afternoon’s audience away to the golden sands of Fiddling-On-Sea for the annual Best Beach Hut competition as stressed-out city dweller seeks solace by the sea. As the competition day draws closer, the history of the seaside floats to the surface, washing up a host of characters and stories from centuries gone by. Soon Holly realises far more is at stake than a prize for best beach hut.

Marianne McNamara’s cast of four actor-musicians, Georgina Liley, Robert Took, Catherine Warnock and returnee James McLean, combine Marsden company Mikron’s theatrical trademarks of storytelling, original songs and live music with the guarantee of a whale of a time. No tickets required; a pay-what –you-feel collection will be taken post-show.

Harry Hill: New Bits & Greatest Hits shake up the Grand Opera House on Sunday fun day

Get on board the laughter train: Harry Hill, New Bits & Greatest Hits, Grand Opera House, York, Sunday (18/5/2025), 7.30pm

JOIN Harry Hill on his on his Diamond Jubilee lap of honour in celebration of 60 glorious years of fun, laughter and low-level disruption. Marvel as he offers new insights into the hot topics of the day from the culture wars to the origins of Tiramisu.

Guffaw with delight as big-collared Harry delves into his back catalogue, using his patented Old Bit Randomiser tom reactivate old favourites. Look out for son Gary, Stouffer The Cat, the Badger Parade with guest appearances from The Knitted Character and Abu Hamster, plus the chance for one lucky audience member to join Harry in a double act. Box office: for returns only, atgtickets.com/york.

Nikita Kuzmin: From Strictly Come Dancing star to Cinderella-style dance drama of star-crossed lovers in Midnight Dancer

Dance drama of the week: Nikita Kuzmin in Midnight Dancer, Grand Opera House, York, May 20, 7.30pm

STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Ukrainian star dancer and choreographer Nikita Kuzmin leaps into York in his debut British and Irish solo tour: “a fairytale ball like no other and a night full of music, sequins, and world- class dancing”.

A company of dancers and West End singer Rebecca Lisewski join him in a classic romance story as two star-crossed lovers meet only to be torn apart in this modern-day Cinderella dance drama. Will they reunite at the masked ball, or will real life put an end to their fairytale fantasy? Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Sisters doing it for themselves: Hayley Bamford’s Deloris Van Cartier, centre, leading the nuns in song in Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy

Nun better musical of the week: York Musical Theatre Company in Sister Act: A Divine Musical Company, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, May 21 to 24, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

KATHRYN Addison directs York Musical Theatre Company in Alan Menken’s American musical with Hayley Bamford in the sassy role of “novice nun” Deloris Van Cartier.

When club singer Deloris witnesses nightclub owner Curtis Jackson (Zander Fick), commit murder, the police hide her in a convent, where she meets the Mother Superior (Kirstin Grififths) and an ensemble of 22 nuns. Cue multiple upbeat numbers as friendships grow and the convent is saved from financial ruin. Hallelujah!  Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Switch way now? Thomas Frere and Cal Stockbridge in Clap Trap Theatre’s Switcheroo, the play told two ways, as comedy, then in serious mode. Picture: Jay Sillence

Role-swapping play of the week: Clap Trap Theatre in Switcheroo, York Theatre Royal Studio, May 22 to 24, 7.45pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Post-show discussion, May 23. Also Hemsley Arts Centre, May 31, 7.30pm

TOM Needham’s play Switcheroo is based on the simple premise that “it’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it”. Presented by Ryedale company Clap Trap Theatre, the story follows three siblings who, when it comes to scattering their mother’s ashes, are hit with a bombshell revelation that turns their world upside down.

The first act is a full-blown, larger-than-life comedy, whereupon the actors swap characters to repeat it as a serious drama. Paul Birch directs a cast of Thomas Frere (Alex/Sam), Clap Trap co-founder Cal Stockbridge (Sam/Pat) and Dominic Goodwin (Pat/Alex). Box office: York, 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Paul Chowdhry: On tour in Englandia at York Barbican on Friday

Comedy gig of the week: Paul Chowdhry, Englandia, York Barbican, May 23, 7.30pm

PAUL Chowdhry, the most successful British Indian stand-up comedian in British history, heads to York on his 41-date itinerary. “After more than a quarter of a century and half my

life on comedy stages, it’s time for my biggest tour ever,” says The Paul Chowdhry PudCast podcaster. “I hope to see you there. If not, I’ll be in massive debt and doing benefit gigs for the foreseeable future.” To help Chowdhry avoid that scenario, book tickets at yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Neigh sayer: Elf Lyons horsing around at Theatre@41, Monkgate

Horse show of the year: Elf Lyons: Horses, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, May 23, 8pm

WELCOME to the first ever comedy show performed entirely by a horse. Made by award-winning comedian, clown, theatre practitioner and teacher Elf Lyons, performed by Treacle. Horse box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 20, from Gazette & Herald

Hayley Bamford in rehearsal for her lead role as Deloris Van Cartier in York Musical Theatre Company’s production of Sister Act The Musical

FROM Holmes & Watson to Wright & Grainger, a play told two contrasting ways to funny nun business, Charles Hutchinson fills diaries for arty times ahead.

Nun better musical of the week: York Musical Theatre Company in Sister Act The Musical, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

KATHRYN Addison directs York Musical Theatre Company in Alan Menken’s American musical with Hayley Bamford in the sassy role of “novice nun” Deloris Van Cartier.

When club singer Deloris witnesses nightclub owner Curtis Jackson (Zander Fick), commit murder, the police hide her in a convent, where she meets the Mother Superior (Kirstin Grififths) and an ensemble of 22 nuns. Cue multiple upbeat numbers as friendships grow and the convent is saved from financial ruin. Hallelujah!  Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

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

EVER wondered what Whose Line Is It Anyway? would be like with a literary twist? The Bluffs take classic short-form improv games, then infuse them with storytelling flair. Every show is unique, shaped by audience suggestions and spontaneous creativity. An evening of humour, surprises and plot twists awaits. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise. 

Dominic Goodwin, left, and Thomas Frere in Clap Trap Theatre’s Switcheroo, the play told as comedy and then seriously seriously

Role-swapping play of the week: Clap Trap Theatre in Switcheroo, York Theatre Royal Studio, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.45pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Post-show discussion, Friday. Also Helmsley Arts Centre, May 31, 7.30pm  

TOM Needham’s play Switcheroo is based on the simple premise that “it’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it”. Presented by Ryedale company Clap Trap Theatre, the story follows three siblings who, when it comes to scattering their mother’s ashes, are hit with a bombshell revelation that turns their world upside down.

The first act is a full-blown, larger-than-life comedy, whereupon the actors swap characters to repeat it as a serious drama. Paul Birch directs a cast of Thomas Frere (Alex/Sam), Clap Trap co-founder Cal Stockbridge (Sam/Pat) and Dominic Goodwin (Pat/Alex). Box office: York, 01904 623568 or yorktheratreroyal.co.uk; Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

The poster artwork for ACT’s production of Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty at Helmsley Arts Centre

Ryedale play of the week: ACT in Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty, Helmsley Arts Centre, tomorrow, 7pm

SHERLOCK Holmes and Dr Watson are back on the case as ACT (Ampleforth College Theatre) presents Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty, an investigation into the Bohemian king’s stolen letters that cascades into an international mystery filled with spies, blackmail and intrigue.

Faced with world peace at stake, Holmes and Watson join forces with American actress Irene Adler to take down cunning criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty and his network of devious henchmen. Box office: Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Paul Chowdhry: Heading for York Barbican with his Englandia show

Comedy gig of the week: Paul Chowdhry, Englandia, York Barbican, Friday, 7.30pm

PAUL Chowdhry, the most successful British Indian stand-up comedian in British history, heads to York on his 41-date itinerary. “After more than a quarter of a century and half my life on comedy stages, it’s time for my biggest tour ever,” says The Paul Chowdhry PudCast podcaster. 

“I hope to see you there. If not, I’ll be in massive debt and doing benefit gigs for the foreseeable future.” To help Chowdhry avoid that scenario, book tickets at yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The Dunwells: Returning to Pocklington on Friday

The boys done well: The Dunwells, All Saints Church, Pocklington, Friday, 7.30pm

LEEDS duo The Dunwells continue their working relationship with Hurricane Promotions’ James Duffy, who has promoted brothers Joe and David’s indie-folk/Americana band across Yorkshire, not least at the market town’s Platform Festival and Pocklington Arts Centre, where he worked for many years. Box office: thedunwells.com.

Alexander Flanagan Wright in Wright & Grainger’s Helios at Helmsley Arts Centre

Storytelling show of the week: Wright & Grainger present Helios, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm

A LAD lives halfway up an historic hill. A teenager is on a road trip to the city in a stolen car. A boy is driving a chariot, pulling the sun across the sky. Welcome to Wright & Grainger’s story of the son of the god of the sun that transplants the Ancient Greek tale into a modern-day myth wound around the winding roads of rural England and into the everyday living of a towering city.

“It’s a story about life, the invisible monuments we build into it, and the little things that leave big marks,” say friends since Easingwold schooldays Alexander Flanagan Wright and Phil Grainger. “Join us in a little room with a tape player and a delicate tale to tell.” Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Jed Potts: Playing with The Hillman Hunters at the Milton Rooms, Malton

Blues gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club presents Jed Potts & The Hillman Hunters, Milton Rooms, Malton, May 29,

EDINBURGH guitarist and vocalist Jed Potts fronts Jed Potts & The Hillman Hunters and Under-Volt and also plays with The Katet, The Blueswater, Nicole Smit and occasionally with American blues artist Brandon Santini too. This time he has The Hillman Hunters for company.

Potts first picked up a guitar at nine and performed his first gig at 16.”Blues is my musical first language and it infuses everything I play,” he says. “Even when I’m playing with The Katet or Thunkfish, the blues is always there. I don’t think I could hide it even if I wanted to.” Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Alexander Wright has a new idea for a Hamlet Show. You can question him at York International Shakespeare Festival

Alexander Flanagan Wright: Questions, questions and more questions about Hamlet

ALEXANDER Flanagan Wright has an idea for a show. Not Hamlet exactly, but a version that asks all the big questions in Hamlet, not only To Be Or Not To Be, at York International Shakespeare Festival tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday.

“I’ve got an idea for a version of Hamlet,” says Alex, storyteller, playwright, dream-weaver of words, director and leading light of The Flanagan Collective, one half of Wright & Grainger and co-founder of Theatre at The Mill, Stillington, near York.

“It’s a gathering, a conversation and a collective reading. We’ll have some tea and some biscuits (I’ll provide those), we’ll read some of Shakespeare’s play together, and we’ll have a good chat.”

There’s more than that, of course, he promises. “It’s deeper than that. It’s about us being somewhere together, here and now; it’s about us grappling with our existential place in the world; it’s about us seeing how words give rise to ideas and definitions about ourselves; it’s about feeling isolated when we’re in the middle of many people. It’s about us all doing something together, whilst bits of the world are tearing us apart.

“And, like I’ve already said, it’s about having a cup of tea. It’s a new show, a new gathering, a new idea. And I’d like to invite you to come and be a part of it.”  

To be or not to be at Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, tonight at 8.30pm, or York St John University Creative Centre Auditorium, tomorrow at 10am, or Micklegate Social, Micklegate, York, on Wednesday, 7.30pm, you decide. To book, head to yorkshakes.co.uk. Running time: up to 90 minutes.

Full interview will run from tomorrow.