‘This is a story about what it means to come together when everything falls apart,’ says writer Lucie Raine as The Flood tours

AKA Theatre Company’s actor-musician cast of Ayana Beatrice Poblete, Katherine Toy, Samantha Richards, Mark Emmons and Jon Bonner in Lucie Raine and Joe Revell’s musical The Flood. Picture: Cian O’Riain

AKA Theatre Company’s premiere northern tour of Lucie Raine and Joe Revell’s musical The Flood heads to Friargate Theatre, York, tomorrow and on Saturday with its blend of live music and heartfelt storytelling based on true accounts of facing up to disaster in West Yorkshire in 2015.

The Leeds company will give further performances at the Godber Studio, Hull Truck Theatre, Hull, on May 13, Leeds Playhouse Burton Studio, May 14 and 15, and Hebden Bridge Little Theatre, May 16 and 17.

Already, since April 19, the tour has played Leeds Playhouse; Hebden Bridge Little Theatre; Chester Storyhouse; Georgian Theatre, Richmond; The Atkinson Studio, Southport, and 53Two, Manchester.

On Boxing Day 2015, Hebden Bridge experienced the worst floods in a century, but as the West Yorkshire town submerged, a community emerged, working together to rebuild their sodden streets.

Honest and touching with a dash of northern humour, The Flood is a love letter to a town that refused to give in to the volatility of nature, performed by a quintet of actor- musicians representing the diverse, yet passionate, members of Hebden Bridge’s community, interweaving dozens of personal stories taken from every corner of the town.

As a piece of documentary musical theatre, The Flood draws on interviews conducted in and around the Calder Valley and first-person accounts from people who experienced the flood first hand to explore how vital strong communities are in responding to a changing climate.

The Flood writer-director Lucie Raine

“This is a story about what it means to come together when everything falls apart,” says writer-director Raine. “It’s not just a play. It’s a tribute to resilience and creativity, inspired by Hebden Bridge and its people. It’s a celebration for all communities who have faced adversity and emerged stronger.” 

Here Lucie discusses The Flood with charleshutchpress.co.uk.

What drew you to the story of the 2015 flood in the Calder Valley and Hebden Bridge in particular?

“I was studying for a Masters degree in Musical Theatre at Leeds Conservatoire and searching for local stories I felt a connection to that I could perhaps turn into a script.

“I had a close family member living in Hebden Bridge in 2015 and our conversations drifted to memories of the floods. The images she conjured were so vivid, I could immediately see it on stage.

“I travelled to Hebden Bridge to see if anyone would be willing to talk to me about their memories. I was a bit nervous at first, and worried I might be raking over unpleasant memories, but everyone was so willing to engage, it was really moving. 

“While the characters are fictional, every event and story in the show really happened and is taken from first-hand accounts of people who were there.”

Katherine Toy in rehearsal for AKA Theatre Company’s The Flood. Picture: Cian O’Riain

What made you choose the format of a folk musical? What are its primary theatrical strengths?

“Hebden Bridge has a long musical tradition and the composer Joe Revell and I strongly felt the sound of the show should reflect the people and history of the town. We have everything from traditional mill songs to indie rock foot stompers you might hear coming from The Trades Club in Hebden on a Friday night. The instruments we use – accordion, violin, acoustic guitars etc – go a long way towards creating the sound we wanted.”

Why are actor-musician performances growing ever more popular as a theatrical format?

“The reason musicals are so popular as an art form is because the characters communicate emotionally through the music. I believe eliminating the ‘hidden band’ and allowing the music to emerge entirely from the action on stage doubles this impact.

“It’s also really impressive to see actors sing, dance, act AND play multiple instruments at the same time, (not to mention being a cost effective way of touring).”

“It’s really impressive to see actors sing, dance, act AND play multiple instruments at the same time,” says The Flood writer-director Lucie Raine. Picture: Cian O’Riain

Who is in the cast of five and who do they play?

“All members of the cast play several roles each, as well as playing multiple instruments and creating the soundtrack for the show. Amongst other roles, Katherine Toy plays enthusiastic volunteer Jackie, who finds satisfaction in her role at the heart of the relief effort.

“Company founder Ayana Beatrice Poblete plays Annie, a care assistant desperate to get to work, as well as Gretchen, a carefree bohemian in denial about the flood’s consequences.

“Mark Emmons and Samantha Richards play Gavin and Laura, a married couple struggling with the loss of their family home, and Jon Bonner is Smithy, a shop owner distraught at the loss of both his cat and his stock.”

From Noah’s Ark onwards, floods bring about transition…

“The same way people now talk about ‘before lockdown’ and ‘since the pandemic’, a lot of people in Hebden will measure changes to the town as ‘after the floods’. 2015’s floods were by no means the only floods the area has seen, and there was already infrastructure in place to deal with them. But there’s something about water’s ability to get…well, everywhere… that is utterly devastating.

AKA Theatre Company’s poster for the premiere northern tour of The Flood

“It’s unstoppable. It changes the landscape. And it leaves a hell of a mess. But in cleaning the mess and rebuilding, towns like Hebden find a new life. And when a neighbour loses everything, it’s heart-warming to see the number of people who are there to help.” 

What is the message of The Flood?

“The Flood is a story about community. They dealt with the unimaginable, but just kept pushing forward. There’s a lot of hope there, but we’re also not afraid to look the pain and struggle in the eye.” 

How did AKA Theatre’s partnership with Leeds Playhouse for The Flood come about?

“Leeds Playhouse producer Rio Matchett came to see the graduate shows at Leeds Conservatoire and approached us about supporting the project. From there they hosted a week’s research and development on the project and invited us to pitch to a group of programmers at Venues North to help book a tour.

“Their help has been invaluable and we were lucky enough to be hosted by them for our four-week rehearsal period, as well as previews and press night.”

“It’s not just a play. It’s a tribute to resilience and creativity, inspired by Hebden Bridge and its people,” says The Flood writer-director Lucie Raine. Picture: Cian O’Riain

How important is Arts Council England’s support to AKA Theatre?

“Making theatre in the current financial climate is really difficult, and it would be nearly impossible to tour new work with a cast of five if you were gambling on ticket sales alone. Arts Council England gives us that financial safety net to tell the story the way we want to tell it and take it to the audiences we otherwise couldn’t afford to reach.”

What will be your next project?

“I’ve written Hush Hush!, a musical about Bletchley Park, for Mikron Theatre Company, which debuts at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield tomorrow (9/5/2025) before embarking on a six- month UK tour.

“I’m also writing the 2026 touring production for the same company, this time about cheese-making in the Yorkshire Dales, so the next few months will mainly be spent eating Wensleydale. In addition I continue working as a freelance director and choreographer and teach theatre throughout the region.”

AKA Theatre Company in The Flood, Friargate Theatre, York, May 9 and 10, 7.30pm; Godber Studio, Hull Truck Theatre, Hull, May 13, 7pm; Leeds Playhouse Burton Studio, May 14 and 15, 8pm, and Hebden Bridge Little Theatre, May 16 and 17, 7.30pm. Box office: York, ticketsource.co.uk; Hull, 01482 323638 or hulltruck.co.uk; Leeds, 0113 213 7700 or leedsplayhouse.org.uk; Hebden Bridge, 01422 84907 or hblt.co.uk.

Mikron Theatre Company in Hush Hush!, Clements Hall, Nunthorpe Road, York, September 21, 4pm. Box office: mikron.org.uk/show/hush-hush-clements-hall.

Meet AKA Theatre Company founder Ayana Beatrice Poblete

Ayana Beatrice Poblete in AKA Theatre Company’s premiere touring production of The Flood. Picture: Cian O’Riain

AYANA undertook her performance training mostly in the Philippines in the field of musical theatre and studied for her Masters at Leeds Conservatoire.

She was last seen on stage in York in Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ staging of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For A New World, directed by Matthew Peter Clare, at the National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, in October 2024.

She was part of the original cast of The Flood during her MA course’s Leeds Festival Theatre in 2023.

Ayana Beatrice Poblete, with Reggie Challenger, in Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ staging of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For A New World at the NCEM, York, last October

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 19, from Gazette & Herald

Pease talks: John Pease features on the the inaugural bill at Katie Lingo’s Funny Fridays stand-up comedy nights at Patch in the Bonding Warehouse, York

A NEW comedy night in a bygone location and Shakespeare on a council estate stand out in Charles Hutchinson’s picks for cultural exploration.

Laughter launch of the week: Funny Fridays, Patch, Bonding Warehouse, Terry Avenue, York, May 9, doors 7pm for 7.30pm start

LIVE comedy returns to the Bonding Warehouse for the first time since the days of the late Mike Bennett presenting the likes of Lee Evans and Ross Noble under the Comedy Shack banner. Stand up for Funny Fridays, hosted by York humorist Katie Lingo (alias copywriter Katie Taylor-Thompson) with an introductory price of £6.50.

On her first bill will be Kenny Watt, Tuiya Tembo, BBC New Comedy Awards semi-finalist Matty Oxley, Saeth Wheeler and Edinburgh Fringe Gilded Balloon semi-finalist John Pease. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk/e/funny-fridays-at-patch-tickets.

So much at stake: Laura Castle’s Count Dracula and Jamie McKeller’s Van Helsing in Neon Crypt Productions’ Dracula: The Bloody Truth. Picture: Michael Cornell

Taking their first bite of the week: Neon Crypt Productions in Dracula: The Bloody Truth, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

THE York producers of The Deathly Dark Tour and A Night Of Face-Melting Horror, Jamie and Laura McKeller, get stuck into their debut stage show under the name of Neon Crypt Productions.

From the mischievous minds of physical theatre specialists Le Navet Bete, Dracula: The Bloody Truth reveals the truth behind the fangs, as told by Jamie McKeller’s disgruntled Professor Van Helsing  and a troupe of three very stressed actors, Laura Castle’s Count Dracula, Laura McKeller’s Mina and Michael Cornell’s Jonathan Harker. Together they will shatter the lies spoken by the charlatan Bram Stoker and finally shed light on what actually happened. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape on his return to York Theatre Royal after 45 years. Picture: Gisele Schmidt

York theatre event of the year: Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape, York Theatre Royal, until May 17

OSCAR winner Gary Oldman returns to York Theatre Royal, where he made his professional debut in 1979, to perform Samuel Beckett’s melancholic, tragicomic slice of theatre of the absurd Krapp’s Last Tape in his first stage appearance since 1989.

“York, for me, is the completion of a cycle,” says the Slow Horses leading man. “It is the place ‘where it all began’. York, in a very real sense, for me, is coming home. The combination of York and Krapp’s Last Tape is all the more poignant because it is ‘a play about a man returning to his past of 30 years earlier’.” Tickets update: check availability of returns on 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

The young lovers in York Stage’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Will Parsons’ Lysander, left, Meg Olssen’s Hermia, Amy Domeneghetti’s Helena and Sam Roberts’s Demetrius. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick Photography

Reinvented play of the week: York Stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees

YORK pantomime golden gal Suzy Cooper turns Fairy Queen Titania opposite York-born Royal Shakespeare Company actor Mark Holgate’s Fairy King Oberon in Nik Briggs’s debut Shakespeare production for York Stage.

In his first co-production with the Cumberland Street theatre, Briggs relocates the Bard’s most-performed comedy from the court of Athens to Athens Court, a northern council estate, where magic is fuelled with mayhem and true love’s bumpy path is played out to a new score by musical director Stephen Hackshaw and Nineties and Noughties’ dancefloor fillers, sung by May Tether. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Putting the retro into today’s hits at York Barbican

Nostalgia for today: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Magic & Moonlight Tour 2025, York Barbican, tonight, doors 7pm

AFTER chalking off their 1,000th show, retro collective Postmodern Jukebox are on the British leg of their Moonlight & Magic world tour. Enter a parallel universe where modern-day hits are reimagined in 1920s’ jazz, swing, doo-wop and Motown arrangements. Think The Great Gatsby meets Sinatra At The Sands meets Back To The Future.  Dress vintage for the full effect. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk. 

Wes Banderson: Transferring Wes Anderson’s film music from screen to concert stage at The Crescent, York

Witty name of the week: Wes Banderson, The Crescent, York, tonight, 7.30pm

WES Banderson bring the music of Wes Anderson’s movies to the concert platform in a night of original score and deep-cut soundtracks from the left-field works of the idiosyncratic Texan filmmaker.

Noted for addressing themes of grief, loss of innocence and dysfunctional families, Anderson is the auteur behind The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, Isle Of Dogs and Asteroid City. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

AKA Theatre Company in The Flood, on tour in York, Hull and Leeds

Premiere of the week: AKA Theatre Company in The Flood: A Musical, Friargate Theatre, York, May 9 and 10, 7.30pm; Godber Studio, Hull Truck Theatre, Hull, May 13, 7pm; Leeds Playhouse Burton Studio, May 14 and 15, 8pm

AKA Theatre Company’s premiere of Lucie Raine and Joe Revell’s musical The Flood blends live music and heartfelt storytelling based on true accounts of facing up to disaster in West Yorkshire in 2015.

 “This is a story about what it means to come together when everything falls apart,” says writer-director Raine, who uses a cast of five actor-musicians. “It’s not just a play. It’s a tribute to resilience and creativity, inspired by Hebden Bridge and its people. It’s a celebration for all communities who have faced adversity and emerged stronger.” Box office: York, ticketsource.co.uk; Hull, hulltruck.co.uk; Leeds, leedsplayhouse.org.uk. 

Kate Rusby: Showcasing new album When They All Looked Up at Ryedale Festival. Picture: David Angel

Concert announcement of the week: Ryedale Festival presents Kate Rusby, When They All Looked Up, Milton Rooms, Malton, July 25, 7pm

BARNSLEY nightingale Kate Rusby performs songs from her new studio album, When They All Looked Up, with her Singy Songy Session Band as she weaves new melodies, timeless tunes and heartfelt storytelling into an evening of pure folk enchantment. Box office: ryedalefestival.com/event/kate-rusby.

More Things To Do in York and beyond as laughter returns to waterside landmark. Hutch’s List No. 19, from The York Press

Pease talks: John Pease features in Patch’s new Funny Fridays comedy forum at the Bonding Warehouse

A NEW comedy night in a bygone location and Shakespeare on a council estate stand out in Charles Hutchinson’s picks for cultural exploration.

Laughter launch of the week: Funny Fridays, Patch, Bonding Warehouse, Terry Avenue, York, May 9, doors 7pm for 7.30pm start

LIVE comedy returns to the Bonding Warehouse for the first time since the days of the late Mike Bennett presenting the likes of Lee Evans and Ross Noble under the Comedy Shack banner. Stand up for Funny Fridays, hosted by York humorist Katie Lingo (alias copywriter Katie Taylor-Thompson) with an introductory price of £6.50.

On her first bill will be Kenny Watt, Tuiya Tembo, BBC New Comedy Awards semi-finalist Matty Oxley, Saeth Wheeler and Edinburgh Fringe Gilded Balloon semi-finalist John Pease. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk/e/funny-fridays-at-patch-tickets.

Sean Heydon: Magical sleight of hand at the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club tonight

Magical comedy gig of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club presents Sean Heydon, Big Lou, Oliver Bowler and MC Damion Larkin, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 8pm

LAUGH Out Loud headliner Sean Heydon has performed to A-list celebrities and blue-chip companies, as well as at comedy clubs, with his combination of madcap comedy,  sleight-of-hand magic and illusions for more than 15 years.

Big Lou offers a modern twist on old-school joke telling in the Les Dawson style; comedian, actor and writer Oliver Bowler discusses life experiences on the mean streets of Bolton; regular host and promoter Damion Larkin keeps order. Box office: 01904 612940 or lolcomedyclubs.co.uk.

Anastacia: Playing York Barbican on her Not That Kind 25th anniversary tour

Anniversary tour of the week: Anastacia, Not That Kind Tour, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.45pm

CHICAGO singer-songwriter Anastacia , 56, heads to York on her European tour marking the 25th anniversary of her debut album Not That Kind and its breakthrough hit  I’m Outta Love.

Further singles Not That Kind, Paid My Dues, One Day In Your Life,  Left Outside Alone and Sick And Tired charted too, as did 2001 album Freak Of Nature (reaching number four) and 2004’s chart-topping Anastacia, 2005’s Pieces Of A Dream, 2008’s Heavy Rotation, 2014’s Resurrection and 2015’s Ultimate Collection Her special guest will be Casey McQuillen. Box office: for returns only, yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Newton Faulkner: Unveiling new songs from his upcoming Octopus album at The Crescent, York

“No technological funny business” of the week: Newton Faulkner, Feels Like Home Tour 3, The Crescent, York, Sunday, 7.30pm

LET Reigate singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner describe his York gig: “Folks, I give you the Feels Like Home Tour 3. We’re talking no technological funny business in my set-up. I love switching my focus back to just playing and singing. I also cannot wait to introduce you properly to the new material and my new head.”

Often Faulkner has found himself in his home studio working solo, but not for this next record, nor for this tour. His new phase is full of collaboration, one where “seeing these songs come to life on stage is going to be nothing short of joyous” ahead of the September 19 release of Octopus. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape on his return to York Theatre Royal after 45 years. Picture: Gisele Schmidt

York theatre event of the year: Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape, York Theatre Royal, until May 17

OSCAR winner Gary Oldman returns to York Theatre Royal, where he made his professional debut in 1979, to perform Samuel Beckett’s melancholic, tragicomic slice of theatre of the absurd Krapp’s Last Tape in his first stage appearance since 1989.

“York, for me, is the completion of a cycle,” says the Slow Horses leading man. “It is the place ‘where it all began’. York, in a very real sense, for me, is coming home. The combination of York and Krapp’s Last Tape is all the more poignant because it is ‘a play about a man returning to his past of 30 years earlier’.” Tickets update: check availability of returns on 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

York musician Steve Cassidy: Once he worked with John Barry and producer Joe Meek, now he plays with his mates on regular nights at the JoRo

Return of the week: Steve Cassidy Band, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Sunday, 7.30pm

YORK singer, songwriter, guitarist and former head teacher Steve Cassidy will be joined by special guests when he lines up as usual with John Lewis on lead guitar, Mick Hull on bass guitar, ukulele, guitar and vocals, Brian Thomson on percussion and George Hall on keyboards.

Expect rock and country songs, as well as instrumental pieces, selected especially for this evening. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Rupert Julian’s 1925 film The Phantom Of The Opera, starring Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin

Film event of the week: 100th anniversary of The Phantom Of The Opera, with pianist Jonny Best, National Centre for Early Music, York, May 6, 7.30pm

BENEATH the opulence of the Paris Opera House, in the darkness of the catacombs, lurks the Phantom, a lonely creature whose only comfort is the sound of the music that drifts down to him from the stage above. When a new soprano arrives, he becomes enraptured by her voice and swears to possess her at any cost in Rupert Julian’s lavish 1925 American silent film.

Both a dark love story and a horror classic, noted for its vast sets and innovative experiments with film colour as well as the skull-like appearance of Lon Chaney’s Phantom, Julian’s film is accompanied by a new improvised piano score by Jonny Best to marks its centenary. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Neon Crypt Productions bite back in Dracula: The Bloody Truth

Taking their first bite of the week: Neon Crypt Productions in Dracula: The Bloody Truth, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, May 6 to 11 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

THE York producers of The Deathly Dark Tour and A Night Of Face-Melting Horror, Jamie and Laura McKeller, get stuck into their debut stage show under the name of Neon Crypt Productions.

From the mischievous minds of physical theatre specialists Le Navet Bete, Dracula: The Bloody Truth reveals the truth behind the fangs, as told by a disgruntled Jamie McKeller’s Professor Van Helsing  and a troupe of three very stressed actors, Laura Castle’s Count Dracula, Laura McKeller’s Mina and Michael Cornell’s Jonathan Harker. Together they will shatter the lies spoken by the charlatan Bram Stoker and finally shed light on what actually happened. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Mark Holgate’s Oberon and Suzy Cooper’s Titania, centre, with Sam Roberts’s Demetrius, left, Amy Domeneghetti’s Helena, Will Parsons’ Lysander and Meg Olssen’s Hermia in York Stage’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Reinvented play of the week: York Stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Grand Opera House, York, May 6 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees

YORK pantomime golden gal Suzy Cooper turns Fairy Queen Titania opposite York-born Royal Shakespeare Company actor Mark Holgate’s Fairy King Oberon in Nik Briggs’s debut Shakespeare production for York Stage.

In his first co-production with the Cumberland Street theatre, Briggs relocates the Bard’s most-performed comedy from the court of Athens to Athens Court, a northern council estate, where magic is fuelled with mayhem and true love’s bumpy path is played out to a new score by musical director Stephen Hackshaw and Nineties and Noughties’ dancefloor fillers, sung by May Tether. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Katherine Toy in rehearsals for AKA Theatre’s The Flood, on tour in York, Hull and Leeds. Picture: Cian O’Riain

Premiere of the week: AKA Theatre Company in The Flood: A Musical, Friargate Theatre, York, May 9 and 10, 7.30pm; Godber Studio, Hull Truck Theatre, Hull, May 13, 7pm; Leeds Playhouse Burton Studio, May 14 and 15, 8pm

AKA Theatre Company’s premiere of Lucie Raine and Joe Revell’s musical The Flood blends live music and heartfelt storytelling based on true accounts of facing up to disaster in West Yorkshire in 2015.

 “This is a story about what it means to come together when everything falls apart,” says writer-director Raine, who uses a cast of five actor-musicians. “It’s not just a play. It’s a tribute to resilience and creativity, inspired by Hebden Bridge and its people. It’s a celebration for all communities who have faced adversity and emerged stronger.” Box office: York, ticketsource.co.uk; Hull, hulltruck.co.uk; Leeds, leedsplayhouse.org.uk. 

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Putting the retro into today’s hits at York Barbican

Nostalgia for today: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Magic & Moonlight Tour 2025, York Barbican, May 7, doors 7pm

AFTER chalking off their 1,000th show, retro collective Postmodern Jukebox are on the British leg of their Moonlight & Magic world tour. Enter a parallel universe where modern-day hits are reimagined in 1920s’ jazz, swing, doo-wop and Motown arrangements. Think The Great Gatsby meets Sinatra At The Sands meets Back To The Future.  Dress vintage for the full effect. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk. 

In Focus: York Late Music, Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York, Stuart O’Hara & Marianna Cortesi, today at 1pm; Trio Agile and Northern School of Contemporary Dance, today at 7.30pm

Stuart O’Hara & Marianna Cortesi

YORK Late Music plays host to two concerts today, the first featuring bass Stuart O’Hara and pianist Marianna Cortesi  this afternoon as Sounds Lyrical presents settings of poets Hugh Bernays, John Gilham, Richard Kitchen and Alan Gillott by composers Thomas J Crawley, Robert Holden, Jenny Jackson, Katie Lang, Dawn Walters and James Else.

The concert comprises: Elizabeth Lutyens’ Refugee Blues (Auden); David Blake’s Morning Sea (CP Cavafy); Dawn Walters’ Pre-dawn (Richard Kitchen); Jenny Jackson’s Collecting Stones (Richard Kitchen); Robert Holden’s Flaneur (John Gilham) and Katie Laing’s Maker (Richard Kitchen).

Then come Thomas J Crawley’s Leather Heart (Hugh Bernays); James Else’s Retras IV (Alan Gillott); Tim Brooks’s Jeer (Lizzie Linklater); David Blake’s Voices (CP Cavafy) and Stephen Dodgson’s Various Australian Bush Ballads, 2nd Series. The programme also includes music by David Blake and Elizabeth Lutyens.

Northern School of Contemporary Dance dancer Antonio Bukhar Ssebuuma: Performing with Trio Agile tonight

TONIGHT’S concert marks a first collaboration between York Late Music and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Trio Agile and NSCD’s Freedom Dances programme.

Bringing together the freedoms of dance, music and rhythm, Trio Agile combine their experimental flair and improvisatory talent with four dancers from the Leeds school, Antonio Bukhar Ssebuuma, Darcy Bodle, Genevieve Wright and Maya Donne.

The 7.30pm performance blends a range of styles from across the globe in a shared expression of the power and joy of the arts, including new works from Indian composer and performer Supriya  Nagarajan, Angela Elizabeth Slater, David Lancaster, Steve Crowther, David Power, Athena Corcoran-Tadd and James Else.

Curated by James Else in partnership with the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, the programme comprises: Susie Hodder-Williams & Chris Caldwell, Prelude; Angela Elizabeth Slater,  Weaving Colours; Paul Honey, Une Valse Assez Triste; James Else, Freedom Dances and David Lancaster, The Compendium Of Ingenious Mechanical Devices.

Then follow Susie Hodder-Williams & Chris Caldwell, Pas de Deux; Tom Armstrong, Aunt Maria’s Dancing Master; Paul Honey, Pizzìca; Athena Corcoran-Tadd,  To You; Supriya Nagarajan,  Mohanam Raga; Steve Crowther,  Once Upon A Time Harlequin Met His Columbine; David Power,  Something In Our Skies; Susie Hodder-Williams & Chris Caldwell, Light Dances and Athena Corcoran-Tadd , Hope Is A Boat.

The musicians will be: Susie Hodder-Williams, flutes; Chris Caldwell, saxophone and bass clarinet; Richard Horne, vibraphone and percussion; Supriya Nagarajan, voice, and Paul Honey, piano.  

Chris Caldwell, Susie Hodder-Williams and composer James Else will give a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm with a complimentary glass of wine or juice.

Tickets are on sale at latemusic.org or on the door.

Meet Noah as York Mystery Plays roll out waggons for return to city-centre streets

When it rains, it pours: Maurice Crichton’s Noah looks to the sky in rehearsal for York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust’s production of The Building Of The Ark and The Flood. Picture: John Saunders

EIGHT plays from the York Cycle of Mystery Plays will be wheeled around York city centre on waggons by the Guilds of York and York Festival Trust on Saturday and June 26.

Under the direction of Tom Straszewski, from 11am each weekend, the Plays will process from College Green (free admission) to St Sampson’s Square (free), St Helen’s Square (free) and King’s Manor (ticketed).

In addition, five of the plays will be staged in ticketed Midsummer midweek performances in Shambles Market on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm.

Taking part in all of the performances will be a familiar bearded face on the York stage, Maurice Crichton, playing Noah in Paul Toy’s staging of The Building Of The Ark and The Flood for the Company of Cordwainers and York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust.

Maurice is steeped in Mystery history. “I did the Settlement Players’ waggon play in 2010, as Pontius Pilate; Riding Lights and York Theatre Royal’s Two Planks And A Passion in 2011; Pilate in the 2012 Mystery Plays in the Museum Gardens; Herod in York Minster in 2016, and Soldier 1 in The Crucifixion for the Company of Butchers and St Chad’s Church in 2018,” he says.

“But I’ve never done a Supporters Trust play, so that’s a first, and I’ve never done Noah before. It’s a delightful part, and we’ve tried to go for the humour, although there’s not so much humour in ‘The Ark’, but as soon as Paul [Toy] mashed the two plays together, that helped with the tone.”

Director Paul Toy, centre, bearded, in the thick of a rehearsal for The Building Of The Ark and The Flood

What draws Maurice back to the York Mystery Plays time after time? “First of all, it connects me to the city where I live,” he says. “It’s the one piece of world theatre that the city is really connected to, so I enjoy that aspect, and the more I’ve done the plays, the more I’ve looked into the history.

“It’s similar to Shakespeare, where you have the script but you have no idea how it was done when it was first performed. You’re like a detective, and the more you look into the plays, the more the options open up as you de-code the text, and that’s exciting.

“That’s what differentiates the Mystery Plays from plays of our time, where the writer is still around to help you to prepare. For a role like Noah, you have to think, how do I ‘see’ this line; what actions will go with that? It’s a case of, the more you take these words into your head, the more you think about what cadence is needed, what freedom have I got; what’s the rhythm; what’s the meaning?”

Maurice makes a further comparison with Shakespeare’s texts. “Sometimes you feel the audience isn’t going to follow this because the language is dated,” he says. “I’ve had discussions with Paul where I’ve said, I think the original version works better for its musicality, rather than the new adaptation, but elsewhere I’ve said, can I modernise a line, so it cuts both ways.”

Performing on bustling city-centre streets makes particular demands on actors. “The first thing to say is the plays are not being done where they should be, in the tight streets, rather than the open squares, but that’s for practical reasons,” points out Maurice.

“Now, there’s no reverb off the walls to help you, much as College Green is a beautiful setting, but the plays used to be done in streets like Stonegate, as old pictures show.

“I remember in 2010 I was hoarse by the end of the day after the four performances,” says Maurice Crichton. “I needed someone to say ‘that’s loud enough’!”

“You also have to imagine how the streets of York used to be; they’ve all become wider, apart from Shambles, to deal with traffic.

“The danger is that if you’re worried about your audibility, you’re going to punish your vocal cords because you’re trying to be too loud. I remember in 2010 I was hoarse by the end of the day after the four performances. I needed someone to say ‘that’s loud enough’.”

Maurice continues: “Having not been to drama school, I didn’t know what to do in that situation, but what I’ve learned is you really need to keep your face pointed forwards towards the audience at all times when you have something to say, using your arms for gestures.

“It doesn’t help to look at your partner on stage. But when they’re talking, you do look at them; you’re fully responsive in your expressions, turning to face them to show very positively you’re engaging with them through your eyes.

“It’s a different discipline to acting on a stage indoors, because you wouldn’t perform that way in natural speech. Indoors, these days you’re mainly trying to achieve naturalism, but performing on the streets requires the opposite of the norm. Outdoors, it looks like you’re in a Victorian melodrama.”

Given the “noises off” that confront street theatre, with shoppers, stags and hens and open-air cafe tables to negotiate, Maurice says: “The reality is, you’ll be able to count on one hand the number of actors you can hear clearly 90 per cent of the time.

“In St Helen’s Square, for example, there’s a massive amount of distractions, as people move from one shopping street to another, and the challenge is to be so focused and confident in your lines that you can keep going, stopping to do a funny aside, if necessary, but always keeping your face head on to the crowd, of course!”

If the cap fits: Mick Liversidge will play Satan in the Mysteries In The Market on Wednesday and Thursday

Meanwhile, Easingwold actor Mick Liversidge will play Satan in the midsummer Mysteries In The Market performances in Shambles Market on Wednesday and Thursday evening, following in the crepuscular footsteps of James Swanton’s Lucifer in The Mysteries After Dark in September 2018.

“As a huge fan of outdoor theatre, I was absolutely delighted to be offered this role,” says Mick, who will act as narrator, steering the 100-strong audience and linking each of the five plays to be presented.

“I’ve performed in many local plays both in York and around Yorkshire, so it’s a pleasure to be involved in such a great community event. I’m looking forward to guiding the audience and seeing their reactions as the plays unfold.”

Mick has appeared in everything from York productions of Wind In The Willows, Calendar Girls The Musical and A Christmas Carol to Shakespeare, short films, Coronation Street, Channels 4’s It’s A Sin, The Queen And I on Netflix, the 2019 film version of Downton Abbey and this year’s Bengali-language adventure thriller Swastik Sanket.

Full details of the 2022 York Mystery Plays can be found at yorkmysteryplays.co.uk, including bookings for the ticketed performances at King’s Manor and Shambles Market.

Copyright of The Press, York

The Crucifixion scene in The Mysteries After Dark at Shambles Market in September 2018

What will the eight plays be?

* Creation To The Fifth Day, York Guild of Building, directed by Janice Newton

* The Fall Of Man, Gild of Freemen and Vale of York Academy, directed by Bex Nicholson

* The Building Of The Ark and The Flood, Company of Cordwainers and York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust, directed by Paul Toy

* The Three Kings and Herod, St Luke’s Church, directed by Mike Tyler

* The Last Supper, Company of Merchant Taylors and Lords of Misrule, directed by Dr Emily Hansen

* The Crucifixion and Death Of Christ, Company of Butchers and Riding Lights Acting Up!, directed by Kelvin Goodspeed and Jared More

* The Appearance Of Jesus To Mary Magdalene, Guild of Media Arts and Guild of Scriveners, directed by Jess Murray

* The Last Judgement, Company of Merchant Adventurers, directed by Alan and Diane Heaven

2022 York Mystery Plays director Tom Straszewski, pictured with Jess Murray, director of The Appearance Of Jesus To Mary Magdalene for the Guild of Media Arts and Guild of Scriveners

2022 York Mystery Plays director Tom Straszewski has confirmed the plays for Mysteries In The Market:

June 22, 7.30pm: Fall Of Adam and Eve; The Flood; The Last Supper; The Crucifixion and The Last Judgement.

June 23, 7.30pm: Creation To The Fifth Day; The Flood; The Last Supper; The Crucifixion and The Last Judgement.