Tag: The Rocky Horror Show

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 30, from Gazette & Herald

Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, doing the Time Warp again at the Grand Opera House, York

TOM Jones on the coast, Knavesmire’s music showcase weekend, a not-so-sweet Transylvanian transvestite and a French farce promise variety aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s week ahead.

Musical of the week: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, tonight and tomorrow, 8pm; Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm

STEPHEN Webb leads the cast as Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show’s latest return to the Grand Opera House, joined by comedian Jackie Clune as the Narrator. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, Richard O’Brien’s outré musical tells the story of squeaky-clean American college sweethearts Brad and his fiancée Janet’s very frank encounters at the freaky doctor’s Transylvanian castle after their car breaks down.

Cue an adventure full of fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity, bursting with timeless songs and outrageous outfits as O’Brien combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music while encouraging audience participation. Those audiences are sure to dress up in the most outrageous fancy dress. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Lou Bass’s artworks for Bring Me Sunshine at Helmsley Arts Centre

Exhibition of the week: Bring Me Sunshine, Paintings by Lou Bass and Adam King, Helmsley Arts Centre, until September 4

SCARBOROUGH artists Lou Bass and Adam King have teamed up for a joint exhibition, Bring Me Sunshine. A regular North Yorkshire Open Studios participant at Beeforth’s Hive, Lou’s vibrant paintings are brought to life with help from playful and poignant characters, such as Donkey, Crow, Angry Man, Bandit Cat, Dog and Fox, as she explores emotions and situations through simple narratives.

Painter and printmaker Adam has been painting for more than 35 years, holding exhibitions and doing residencies throughout Yorkshire. Educated at Leeds Met, York St John and Huddersfield, he led the Foundation Art and Fine Art degree courses when lecturing at Harrogate College before painting full time. His work is marked by a fresh approach to image making, combining simplicity with sophistication and a sureness of composition.

Andrew O’Neill: Looking to Escape at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, on Friday. Picture: Andrew O’Neill

Fringe shows of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, presents Dylan Howells in Forget About Me (Work In Progress), tonight, 7.30pm; Joe Sellman-Leava in Copycat (Work In Progress), tomorrow, 7.30pm; Andrew O’Neill: Escape, Friday, 8pm

IN a remote, northeast village, something lurks in the bathroom: something Dylan struggles to remember, which even his dad’s deadly DIY skills can’t fix, as designer-performer Dylan Howells weaves psychological illusions and fragmented memories into a magical, chilling tale of a home that won’t stay still.

Part magic show, part ghost story, tonight’s show Forget About Me isn’t your typical conjuring act: mind-bending mentalism and spine-tingling effects blur the line between reality and fiction in a twisted tale designed to get under your skin.

DOES AI spell the end of humanity, or the dawn of a new utopia, ponders Fringe First winner Joe Sellman-Leava tomorrow. He might be a technophobe, but he is determined to find out by using innovative design and a whirlwind of uncanny impressions to tell the story of a teacher, a student and a copycat dictator to examine the links between art, fascism and rapid technological change. 

HOW do we get out of this mess, asks cult comedian Andrew O’Neill on Friday in his surreal, political show, Escape, about the ways in which we disagree with each other, while suggesting some ways we can find our way out. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Jorja Cartwright’s German flight attendant Gretchen in rehearsal for Rowntree Players’ Boeing Boeing

Farce of the week: Rowntree Players in Boeing Boeing, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm

MARC Camoletti’s high-flying 1960s’ French farce Boeing Boeing is cleared for take-off in Hannah Shaw’s English-language production for Rowntree Players. Meet self-styled Parisian lothario Bernard, who has Italian, German and American fiancées, each one a beautiful airline hostess with frequent “layovers.”

He keeps “one up, one down, and one pending” until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris, and to Bernard’s apartment, at the same time. Shaw’s cast features Max Palmer as Bernard, Lizzie Lawton as Robert, Rebecca Thomson as Berthe, Jorja Cartwright as Gretchen, Bethan Olliver as Gloria and Val Debenedetti as Gabriella. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Welsh pop legend Tom Jones: Returning to Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Sunday

Coastal concerts of the week: Scarborough Open Air Theatre, An Evening with James Taylor and His All-Star Band, Saturday; Tom Jones, with Stone Foundation, Sunday; gates open at 6pm

MASSACHUSETTS singer, songwriter and guitarist, Laurel Canyon folk luminary, six-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame inductee James Taylor, 78, draws on six decades of songs, from his self-titled 1968 debut to 2021’s 19th studio album, American Standard, on Saturday night.

Tom Jones, or Sir Tom Jones since 2006, to be more formal, returns to Scarborough this weekend at 85 to perform such favourites as It’s Not Unusual, What’s New Pussycat?, Delilah, Green, Green Grass Of Home, A Boy From Nowhere, Kiss, Mama Told Me Not To Come and Sex Bomb. Joining Sir Tom will be the eight-piece soul collective Stone Foundation. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Holly Taymar: Performing Eva Cassidy’s songbook at Helmsley Arts Centre

Tribute show of the week: Holly Taymar Sings Eva Cassidy, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm

YORK singer-songwriter Holly Taymar delivers a warm, authentic performance that blends Eva Cassidy’s folk, jazz and blues material in renditions of Fields Of Gold, Songbird, Over The Rainbow and Autumn Leaves.

In a show of appreciation for Eva’s life and career, rather than imitation, Taymar combines intimate guitar accompaniment, mesmerising stage presence, melody and emotional truth. Singer-songwriter David Swann supports. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Craig David: TS5 DJ set after Friday evening’s race card at York Racecourse

Race day concerts of the week: York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, Knavesmire, York, Craig David presents TS5, Friday, and Tom Grennan, Saturday

SOUTHAMPTON singer-songwriter and DJ Craig David presents his TS5 DJ set on Music Showcase Friday’s double bill of racing and old-skool anthems, from R&B to Swing Beat, Garage to Bashment, plus current House hits, when he combines his song and MC skills.

Tom Grennan: Saturday live set at York Racecourse

BEDFORD singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is Saturday’s post-racing performer, drawing on such hits as Little Bit Of Love, Let’s Go Home Together, Remind Me, Here and How Does It Feel, plus songs from his number one albums Evering Road, What Ifs & Maybes and Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be and top-five debut Lighting Matches. Tickets: yorkracecourse.co.uk; no booking fees; free parking on race day.

York tenor Ashley Stillburn: Making his York Proms debut on Sunday

Picnic concert of the week: York Proms, York Museum Gardens, Sunday 5.30pm

RUN by classical chart-topping York soprano Rebecca Newman and now in its ninth year, York Proms features music from the world of classical and opera, film soundtracks and show songs. Increasing the orchestra size this summer will enable the inclusion of iconic John Williams cinema compositions.

The soloists are York-born tenor and West End musical actor Ashley Stillburn in his York Proms debut and British/Irish soprano Jennifer Coleman, making her third appearance. Tickets update: Still available at yorkproms.com/collections/tickets-2026.

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REVIEW: The Rocky Horror Show, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday ****

Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter: Third time at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: David Freeman

MARCH 2022, October 2024, now July 2026. The time to do the Time Warp again at the Grand Opera House comes around ever more quickly. Once it was every three years, then 31 months, now 21.

No doubt Rocky Horror aficionados will be delighted by that acceleration, making their pilgrimage to Richard O’Brien’s schlock-horror rock’n’roll musical comedy sextravaganza time and time again to enact the time-honoured rituals established since 1973 in gothic fancy dress.

Likewise, new converts as wide-eyed and innocent as O’Brien’s American sweetheart college nerds Brad Majors and Janet Weiss sign up for their rites-of-passage initiation to the cult of Rocky Horror.

This time, Stephen Webb is doing a Time Warp of his own, back in Dr Frank N Furter’s fishnets on tour, having played the role at the Grand Opera House in 2019 and 2022. The swagger, the grace and the fruity decadence are now accompanied by a doomed sense of impending tragedy, especially in his rendition of Don’t Dream It, Be It.  

Christopher Luscombe is still on directorial duty too, cracking the whip – like Frank in Act Two – to sustain its fast and increasingly furious pace, to push the tongue ever further into the cheek, to make it a visual and sensual feast in tandem with set designer Hugh Durrant.

Nothing can rectify the dip in quality of songs in Act Two or the mad rush to the finishing line, more in keeping with a Jacobean tragedy’s pile-up of dead bodies, but the 2026 production has increased momentum. On opening night, too, it overcame a sudden stoppage, when Bethany Amber Perrins had to take over from Daisy Steere as Columbia after a 20-minute hiatus. As ever, the show must go on, and indeed it did, quickly re-establishing its rhythm.

For any newcomers, the storyline opens with newly engaged, squeaky-clean American college couple  Brad (James Bisp) and prim prom queen Janet (2022 returnee Haley Flaherty) losing their way in a storm and then their cherry under the seductive allure of Webb’s castle-dwelling transvestite scientist, Dr Frank N Furter, all framed in a bravura send-up of horror and sci-fi B-movies, heightened by O’Brien’s raucous pastiche of Fifties’ rock’n’roll music.

His show is driven by song, set-piece, outre characters and carnal pleasure, not quite disguising the flimsy plot with its shameless riff on Frankenstein in Frank N Furter’s desire to forge a new life in the form of glitter-dusted beefcake Rocky (Morgan Jackson).

All the while, the audience plays its part, not only in its dress code of Fifties’ waitress outfits, scientist cloaks, Frank N Furter fishnets and tattoos, gold shorts and blond wigs,  but in participating in the ritual interjections, focused heavily on the salacious and salty shout-outs (after rice, confetti, lighter flames and water pistols were given the red card).

Most are directed at the unflappable Narrator, on this occasion the actor, stand-up comedian and author Jackie Clunes, who consistently outwitted the audience, especially in her anatomical proclamations and acerbic topical asides. She shows originality in her retorts and quips, contrasting with the often crude “scripted abuse” from the stalls, although one shout of “Prince Andrew” made you crave more such impromptu cries.

For the rituals to work at their best, they need more participants than at Monday’s more-reserved- than-usual show, where the insults sometimes could not be discerned if watching from the Dress Circle. Clunes, nevertheless, worked the crowd skilfully, ever responsive but one thought ahead too.

What strikes you more and more after 50 years is how the sartorially and sexually audacious Rocky Horror fits with our gender-fluid times far more than in its earliest form, with its themes of transvestism, freedom of self-determination and homosexuality chiming ever louder alongside the old chestnuts of infidelity, the price of ambition and loss of innocence.

The Rocky Horror Show, Grand Opera House, York, tonight, Wednesday and Thursday, 8pm; Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 29, from The York Press

Danger, danger for a ranger at close quarters with a dinosaur’s teeth in Dinosaur Adventure Live: Danger On T-Rex Mountain at York Theatre Royal

DINOSAUR adventures and Knavesmire’s music showcase weekend, a not-so-sweet Transylvanian transvestite and a French farce promise variety aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s week ahead.

Children’s show of the week: Dinosaur Adventure Live, Danger On T-Rex Mountain, York Theatre Royal, today, 2.30pm

SIXTY-FIVE million years in the making, Dinosaur Adventure Live brings a fusion of family-friendly storytelling, puppetry and roarsome science to the stage as the ancient world of dinosaurs crashes back to life for gasps, giggles and occasional jump-scares.

From a shadowy raptor on the loose to baby dinosaurs that you can feed (carefully!), Mike Newman’s show blends humour, thrills and hands-on learning into an interactive stage experience. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Liz Foster: Exhibiting her abstract artworks in Arnup Studios’ first collective show at Pyramid Gallery

Exhibition launch of the week: Arnup Studios at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, today, 11am to 2pm, then running until September 27

CERAMICIST Hannah Arnup, landscape and natural world artist Michelle Galloway, abstract artist Liz Foster, plein-air and studio artist Kate Pettitt, British wildlife ceramicist Penny Phillips and handmade jewellery designer Emma Welsh will be on hand at today’s opening of Holtby-based Arnup Studios’ first collective exhibition at Pyramid Gallery. Gallery opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

Justine Warner with exhibits from today’s showcase of experimental textiles and mixed media at Laburnum Cottage, Sheriff Hutton 

Art showcase of the week: Experimental Textiles and Mixed Media, Laburnum Cottage Art Studio, West End, Sheriff Hutton, near York, today, 10am to 5pm

NORTH Yorkshire Open Studios textile and mixed-media artist, Landscape Artist Of The Year 2022 contestant, teacher and workshop tutor Justine Warner plays host to an exhibition of one year of student work, showcasing skills, workbooks and final pieces based on a wide range of experimental textile techniques that employ exciting and unusual materials in creative ways.

Look at how Bondaweb, Lutradur, soluble fabrics, metal, foils, gel printing, transfer printing, batik, tetra pack printing, block printing and heat-shrink can be used and  speak with some of the students who experimented with them.

Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s introverted office worker Thomas struggling with his bothersome briefcase in Skedaddle Theatre’s A Brief Case Of Crazy

Silent love story of the week: Skedaddle Theatre & Shoddy Theatre present A Brief Case Of Crazy, York Theatre Royal Studio, today, 2pm & 7pm

INSPIRED by the timeless genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mr Bean,Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Samuel Cunningham and Lennie Longworth’s physical comedy A Brief Case Of Crazy is a silent love story with a very loud heart, told through slick choreography, mime, clowning and puppetry.

Meet Thomas, an awkward, introverted office worker with a quiet crush on his equally shy colleague, Daisy. His quest for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover that what’s on the inside counts most? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Five upwards.

Dominic Goodwin in a triptych of his myriad roles in Twice Nightly

Recalling variety’s golden days: Pyramus and Thisbe Productions present Dominic Goodwin in Twice Nightly, Friargate Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm

RYEDALE writer, performer and pantomime dame Dominic Goodwin is touring his first one-man comedy show, directed by York director and actor Thomas Frere.

Twice Nightly follows the story of struggling comedian Freddie Francis in 1956 as the final curtain hovers over variety. Many acts of the time are highlighted, including Norman “Over The Garden Wall” Evans (said to be an influence on Les Dawson) Stockton comic Jimmy James, wartime star Robb Wilton and the iconic Max Miller. Box office: York, 01904 655317 or ridinglights.org/friargatetheatre.

CMAT: Songs of identity, grief and beauty standards at Scarborough Open Air Theatre tonight 

Coastal gig of the week: CMAT, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, today, gates 6pm

CMAT, alias Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, burst on to the music scene six years ago with her debut single Another Day (KFC). The Dublin-born, County Meath-raised singer and songwriter has since released three bitingly humorous, emotionally honest albums, 2022’s If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, 2023’s Crazymad, For Me and 2025’s  Mercury Prize-nominated Euro-Country, her exploration of identity, grief and beauty standards, exemplified by Take A Sexy Picture Of Me. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.co.uk.

Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, doing the Time Warp again at the Grand Opera House next week. Picture: David Freeman 

Musical of the week: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Grand Opera House, York, July 20 to 25, Monday to Thursday, 8pm; Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm

STEPHEN Webb leads the cast as Dr Frank N Furter on The Rocky Horror Show’s latest return to the Grand Opera House, joined by comedian Jackie Clune as the Narrator. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, Richard O’Brien’s outré musical tells the story of squeaky-clean American college sweethearts Brad and his fiancée Janet’s very frank encounters at the freaky doctor’s Transylvanian castle after their car breaks down.

Cue an adventure full of fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity, bursting with timeless songs and outrageous outfits as O’Brien combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music while encouraging audience participation. Those audiences are sure to dress up in the most outrageous fancy dress. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Lenny Pearce: Techno for toddlers at York Barbican 

Techno dance moves for children: Lenny Pearce, Toddler Rave World Tour Part 2, York Barbican, July22, 3.30pm

LENNY Pearce is a force in family entertainment, captivating a global audience as the pioneer of Toddler Techno. Driven from his passion as a father, and his strong commitment to his home life, Lenny makes songs and videos and performs live shows where he spins children’s favourites, remixed into modern hits that keep young ones and parents alike dazzled. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Andrew O’Neill: Looking to Escape at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Andrew O’Neill 

Fringe shows of the week: Halfway To Edinburgh at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, presents Joe Sellman-Leava in Copycat (Work In Progress), July 23, 7.30pm; Andrew O’Neill: Escape, July 24, 8pm

DOES AI spell the end of humanity, or the dawn of a new utopia, ponders Fringe First winner Joe Sellman-Leava. He might be a technophobe, but he is determined to find out by using innovative design and a whirlwind of uncanny impressions to tell the story of a teacher, a student, and a copycat dictator to examine the links between art, fascism and rapid technological change. 

HOW do we get out of this mess, asks cult comedian Andrew O’Neill in his surreal, political show, Escape, about the ways in which we disagree with each other, while suggesting some ways we can find our way out. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Airline hostesses at the treble: Bethan Olliver as Gloria, left, Val Debenedetti as Gabriella Jorja Cartwright as Gretchen in Rowntree Players’ Boeing Boeing 

Farce of the week: Rowntree Players in Boeing Boeing, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, July 23 to 25, 7.30pm

MARC Camoletti’s high-flying 1960s’ French farce Boeing Boeing is cleared for take-off in Hannah Shaw’s English-language production for Rowntree Players. Meet self-styled Parisian lothario Bernard, who has Italian, German and American fiancées, each one a beautiful airline hostess with frequent “layovers.”

He keeps “one up, one down, and one pending” until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris, and to Bernard’s apartment, at the same time. Shaw’s cast features Max Palmer as Bernard, Lizzie Lawton as Robert, Rebecca Thomson as Berthe, Jorja Cartwright as Gretchen, Bethan Olliver as Gloria and Val Debenedetti as Gabriella. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Craig David: TS5 DJ set at York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend next Friday

Outdoor concerts of the week: York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, Knavesmire, York, Craig David presents TS5, July 24, and Tom Grennan, July 25

SOUTHAMPTON singer-songwriter and DJ Craig David presents his TS5 DJ set on Music Showcase Friday’s double bill of racing and old-skool anthems, from R&B to Swing Beat, Garage to Bashment, plus current House hits, when he combines his song and MC skills.

Bedford singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is Saturday’s post-racing performer, drawing on such hits as Little Bit Of Love, Let’s Go Home Together, Remind Me, Here and How Does It Feel, plus songs from his number one albums Evering Road, What Ifs & Maybes and Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be and top-five debut Lighting Matches. Tickets: yorkracecourse.co.uk; no booking fees; free parking on race day.

Tom Grennan: Performing next Saturday’s Music Showcase Weekend at York Racecourse

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The frocks & shocks of The Rocky Horror Show return to Grand Opera House with Stephen Webb as Dr Frank N Furter

Stephen Webb’s Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Picture: David Freeman

STEPHEN Webb leads the cast as lascivious Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show’s latest return to the Grand Opera House, York, from July 20 to 25

Directed by Christopher Luscombe, Richard O’Brien’s outré musical tells the story of Brad and his fiancée Janet, two squeaky-clean American college sweethearts, who meet Dr Frank N Furter by chance when their car breaks down outside his creepy Transylvanian castle while on their way to visit their favourite professor.

Cue an adventure they will never forget, full of fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity, bursting with timeless songs and outrageous outfits as O’Brien combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music while encouraging audience participation. Those audiences, by the way, need no encouragement to dress up in the most outrageous fancy dress.

The Narrator’s role will be played by actress, stand-up comedian, cabaret act, writer, drama lecturer, singer and television presenter Jackie Clune, who played Mrs Lamb in the BBC sitcom Motherland.

She will be joined by James Bisp as Brad; Haley Flaherty as Janet; Ryan Carter-Wilson as Riff Raff; Laura Bird as Magenta/Usherette; Daisy Steere as Columbia; Morgan Jackson as Rocky and Edward Bullingham as Eddie/Dr Scott.

Completing the cast are Phantoms Jesse Chidera, Nathan Zach Johnson, Tyla Dee Nurden and Bethany Amber Perrins, plus on-stage swing/dance captain David Peter-Brown and on-stage swing/assistant dance captain Lucy Aiston.

Producer Howard Panter says: “This new cast brings an extraordinary energy and freshness to our legendary show. The thrilling mix of talent will continue to delight audiences across the country. The Rocky Horror Show is a guaranteed party night after night – it’s fierce, fearless and not to be missed!”

Stephen Webb’s Frank N Furter in doctor’s garb, centre, with fellow principals in The Rocky Horror Show. Picture: David Freeman

Here Stephen Webb discusses career ambitions, the challenges of playing sweet transvestite Dr Frank N Furter,  his favourite costume and the Rock Horror phenomenon .

Was there a moment when you realised you wanted to be a professional performer?  

“I was obsessed with John Travolta in Grease. I went to watch it in London when it first opened. I was obsessed. I thought, ‘I need to be in theatre’. That changed it for me really. I used to watch the film all the time.”

How did you react when you learned you would be playing Dr Frank-N-Furter?

“Well, I couldn’t believe it first of all. When I originally wanted to audition for Rocky, I thought I’d be up for Brad and then they said, ‘No, we want to see you for Frank’. When I got it, I was ecstatic! I couldn’t believe that I got this role. But in the next moment, I was really anxious because it’s such an iconic role. I just want to live up to the legacy.”

How do you bring your own twist to the role while honouring the legacy of past performances?

“I remember that Christopher Luscombe, the director, said, ‘We don’t want you to do an impersonation of Tim Curry, we want to see your version’, which actually settled me.

“I portray Frank using an American accent, instead of an English accent. Obviously, Frank’s costume is quite feminine,so I do inject an element of masculinity into my performance. My take on it is a little bit rough around the edges. The audience has mixed feelings about Frank, which I love. He is a lovable psychopath!

“Because the character was written during the ‘70s Glam Rock era, I take inspiration from David Bowie, T. Rex and Queen. But I always find something new every performance, which makes playing this role so exciting.”

What is your favourite part of performing as Frank each night?

“There are two moments. One is my entrance. I’m not on stage for the first 20 minutes and the audience are waiting for Frank to come on. There’s a big drum beat before I enter and I’ve got this big old cloak on.

“I walk down centre stage and sing ‘Sweet Transvestite’, whip off my cloak and reveal my crazy costume. The audience goes absolutely berserk for it. It doesn’t matter if I’ve had the worst day in the world – it goes away as soon as I’m on that stage.

“Another special moment for me is when you see the vulnerable side of Frank. It’s like he’s taken off his mask and you’re seeing the true side of him.”

Do you have a favourite audience interaction or reaction so far?

“There are loads of shouts throughout the show. The audience are very much part of the show; they are almost another character. I’ve heard pretty much all of them now, so they don’t tend to catch me out. When I’m talking to Rocky, when he first comes out, there are a few shouts that are quite rude, and I love them! I think they’re really funny.”

James Bisp’s Brad and Haley Flaherty’s Jane in The Rocky Horror Show. Picture: David Freeman

What is the most challenging part of playing Frank, either physically or emotionally?

“It’s not wearing the heels – I absolutely love wearing those – it’s actually wearing the black corset because it doesn’t give. Singing and dancing in a corset means I must make sure that I eat and drink enough at the right time before doing the show, otherwise I struggle throughout the show.”

Do you have a favourite outfit on stage?

“My finale red sequin corset. I absolutely love it. It really fits me like a glove – and it changes colour. If you push it up, it goes black, if you push it down, it goes red.”

If you could keep one piece of Frank’s wardrobe for yourself, what would it be?

“I do a few scenes with a leather jacket with tassels on it. I’m a motorcyclist so would love to steal it and ride my bike wearing it!”

The Rocky Horror Show has been pushing boundaries for more than five decades. Why do audiences keep coming back after all these years?

“It’s a show that celebrates what it means to be different, to follow your dreams, like the song ‘Don’t Dream It, Be It’. There are amazing songs; I don’t think you could ever get bored with the ‘Time Warp’ or ‘Sweet Transvestite’! It’s got a lot of heart, it’s extremely funny, and it allows people to be part of it. There’s no other show like it.”

Do you have any pre-show rituals before stepping into Frank’s heels?

“I don’t really have any pre-show rituals but I do love make-up. Before Rocky Horror, I never liked using make-up, now I absolutely love it. As soon as I start putting the make-up and wig on, it transforms me, like I’ve got an alter ego!”

Finally, what do you hope audiences will take away from experiencing The Rocky Horror Show?

“I think everyone who comes will have fun. It’s unique, liberating, funny, fierce and sexy. It’s a brilliant night out where everyone can be who they want to be. It’s one great big party!”

The Rocky Horror Show, Grand Opera House, York, July 20 to 25, Monday to Thursday, 8pm; Friday & Saturday, 5pm and 8.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/york. Content warning: Rude parts. Age guidance: 12 plus.

The Rocky Horror Show: the history bit

BEGAN life in 1973 in front of an audience of 63 people in the Royal Court’s Theatre Upstairs, in Chelsea, London. Transferred to Chelsea Classic Cinema, then King’s Road Theatre, 1973 to 1979, and Comedy Theatre in the West End, 1979-80.

The Rocky Horror Show has enjoyed the longest continuous run of a contemporary
musical anywhere in the world, being watched by 35 million people in more than 30 countries and translated into 20 languages.

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Jason Donovan is Doin’ Fine as he revisits hits & musical favourites at York Barbican

Jason Donovan: Doin’ fine in 2025 at York Barbican on Saturday night

AUSTRALIAN singer and actor Jason Donovan takes an “incredible ride” through 35 years in music, theatre, film and television in his Doin’ Fine 25 Tour, playing York Barbican on Saturday.

His long-awaited sequel to Doin’ Fine 90 features Jason’s most beloved songs from his stage shows, Joseph And The Technicolor Dreamcoat, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, The Rocky Horror Show and Grease, alongside nods to his TV times in Neighbours and Strictly Come Dancing and his biggest pop hits, Especially For You, Too Many Broken Hearts, Any Dream Will Do and Sealed With A Kiss.

Last seen in York in fishnets and face paint as Dr Frank N Further in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show at the Grand Opera House in October 2024, here he discusses his new tour show.

Is it harder going on tour at 56 than when you were in your twenties, Jason?

“There’s a bit more physio these days and a lot more stretching. There’s even a bit of steam and inhaler just to keep the vocal cords pretty!”

It must be a great feeling to be going on the road again to sing these songs?

“I love creating my own show. I guess the difference with this and what I do in theatre is that I’m sort of the boss. For me, if I was to just rely on my own shows and those pop songs as my only bread and butter, I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

“But because I get these gaps, and because I do a lot of theatre work, I get the opportunity to exercise those songs every four or five years and not get tired of them.”

Although this is the “Doin’ Fine 25 Tour”, 35 years have passed since your original Doin’ Fine shows. Are you nostalgic?

“When I listen to my own records, I get a little bit scientific about them, like was that vocal good or not good? But doing that 1990 world tour was important to me, because it was a matter of proving to myself and my audience that I was in this for the long term.”

Jason Donovan as Dr Frank N Furter, the “sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania”, in The Rocky Horror Show, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York, last October

What can fans expect from the tour? Aside from the hits, will there be deeper album cuts too?

“That’s always a tug of war, because you’ve got to try and deliver what people want, but educate as well. It’s about trying to find that balance between what the crowd wants and what you want creatively. You want a show that engages with an audience and doesn’t put them to sleep as well.”

Apart from your own hits, will you be performing songs from musicals you have appeared in?

“I do Rocky Horror songs, because they work really well in my shows. There are a couple ofsongs from Priscilla Queen Of The Desert that my audience loves and some covers too. Idid Don’t Leave Me This Way years ago – that’s always gone down well. My act is anunusual one, but there’s an audience out there that seems to want to listen to what I’ve gotto say and what I’ve got to sing.”

Will you have a guest vocalist for the Especially For You duet or will you pipe in Kylie Minogue’s original vocal?

“I normally have a backing singer that I do it with, but that’s an interesting idea. But I’m a little bit conscious that records like that, whilst they’re defining moments, you also don’t want to be defined as just Kylie and Jason. There are a lot of other moments to what I do and what I’ve done. You’ve got to pay reasonable respect to that, but not saturate.”

Will you be performing the Neighbours theme?

“When I used to do these personal appearances in the early 2000s I’d sing the Home And Away theme, but I’m a bit like that. People would say, ‘That’s Home And Away, that’s not Neighbours!’, and I’d go, ‘Exactly’! But more recently, when Neighbours was rebooted on Amazon, the producers asked if I wanted to re-record the song and I turned it down.

“I did have a think about it, but I thought going back to appear in what we thought was the last episode [in 2022] was enough done. It’s a great song, but does it work in a show? It’s a bit twee.”

You last released a studio album, Sign Of Your Love, in 2012. Do you have plans to record again?

“I do. The problem is, it takes a lot of energy and the market is very different now. You’ve got to dream big, I get that. I’m definitely not lazy, but I just feel that maybe my time is better spent on stuff that engages a little bit more. Like playing to full houses with Rocky Horror – what more could I want?”

Jason Donovan, Doin’ Fine 25, York Barbican, March 8, 7.30pm. Tickets update: Still available at yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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Magic in the air as Dani Harmer plays Fairy Bon Bon on panto return to York in Beauty And The Beast at Grand Opera House

Dani Harmer as Fairy Bon Bon on the Grand Opera House stage in Beauty And The Beast. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick

BAFTA award-winning Dani Harmer will appear in Beauty And The Beast for a second time on a York stage from Saturday.

Best known for playing the title role in the CBBC series Tracy Beaker and its sequel Tracy Beaker Returns, from the age of 13, and later My Mum Tracy Beaker in 2021, Harmer will wave her wand as Fairy Bon Bon in UK Productions’ third pantomime season at the Grand Opera House.

In March 2015, she had played Beauty in two performance of the Easter pantomime at York Barbican, where she had taken the title role in Cinderella in December 2012, when she had to miss two shows that clashed with her commitments competing in BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing that season.

In the “craziest fortnight of my life”, Dani had to combine rehearsing each morning at the Barbican and spending each afternoon and evening at the University of York, practising routines with partner Vincent Simone, first for the semi-final, then three for the final: a tango, jive and show dance (Bohemian Rhapsody). “It’s been the best thing I have ever done,” she said at the time.

“I’m super excited to be back in my favourite panto of all time, Beauty And The Beast, which I’d be happy to do each year!” says Bracknell-born Dani, who appeared in the same role at Mansfield Palace Theatre last winter. 

Beauty And The Beast principals and ensemble in rehearsals at Central Methodist Church, including Dani Harmer, second from right, back row

“For those that don’t know, I have always been completely obsessed with this story, so it’s a real joy for me to be bringing it to life on stage. And I adore playing the loveable and slightly bonkers Fairy Bon Bon, so cannot wait to put on my wings once more.

“And it’s even more exciting to be coming to the gorgeous city of York! I’m very, very happy to be here. I can’t think of a better place to be spending the Christmas period. So, bring on the Yorkshire puddings.”

Dani has a long history of performing in pantomime. “My first panto was when I was six, as a juvenile. I’m 35 now,” she says. “I went to theatre school from the age of six. It didn’t put me off! Most of what I learnt was on the job.

“I grew up on camera. Your teenage years can be your most difficult, but all my teenage days were spent on camera [filming Tracy Beaker] – and I’m very grateful that social media was not around then. I don’t know if I’d still be an actor now if it had been.”

Now she is waving her wand as Fairy Bon Bon for the second year running. “Playing Fairy, you can take the role two ways. You can be a Fairy Godmother, like a mother figure to a princess, or you can go the more non-traditional fairy route, where I’m loud and energetic and not quite sure what’s going to come out of my mouth!

Dani Harmer as Beauty in Beauty And The Beast at York Barbican in 2015

“So you can expect the unexpected with this show. You get the story but there are also twists and turns you won’t expect.”

The script comes from the pen of 2019 Great British Pantomime Award winner Jon Monie. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with him a few times,” says Dani. “He was my Buttons when I was Cinderella – I just adore that man.”

Dani will forever be associated with Tracy Beaker, the childhood role she resumed as an adult in My Mum Tracy Beaker. “We were one of the first shows to go back into the studio after the pandemic, having been postponed,” she recalls.

“Playing Tracy again was like wearing a nice, comfy pair of slippers. I loved playing her. I’m a fan, like everyone else, where I’m desperate to see where she goes next!”

What first made Tracy so popular, Dani? “I think she just came around at a good time when TV was male dominated and comedy was male dominated, where we grew up with the Chuckle Brothers – I was a fan – but along came this female-led series, just when Grange Hill had finished,” she says.

Beauty And The Beast cast members Phil Reid, Dani Harmer, Leon Craig and Phil Atkinson pose by Clifford’s Tower. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick

“I was 13 years old and Jacqueline Wilson’s stories were just magical. You always found something to relate to – and the way the BBC adapted stories, they just nailed it in the scripts. It might make me feel old now but I love the stories and there’s a lot to be said for nostalgia.”

Dani recalls an eye-opening role that brought her to Yorkshire in 2013 to play timid, naive but maybe not-so-innocent Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Show in 2013 at Leeds Grand Theatre. “She really does go through a transition, doesn’t she!” she says.

“It was such a joy to do because it couldn’t have been further from anything I’d done before, going from being a teenage lass on a TV show to being in my underwear on stage with a transvestite scientist seducing me!

“The producers took a leap of faith with me and my fans loved it! Rocky Horror fans will stick with you so I was really thankful that they loved it as they’ll tell you when they don’t rate you!”

UK Productions presents Beauty And The Beast at Grand Opera House, York, from December 7 to January 5 2025. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.  


Meet the Grand Opera House pantomime stars: Phil Atkinson’s Hugo Pompidou, left, Jennifer Caldwell’s Belle, Dani Harmer’s Fairy Bon Bon, Leon Craig’s Polly La Plonk, Samuel Wyn-Morris’s Prince and Phil Reid’s Louis La Plonk

Copyright of The Press, York

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Comedian Nathan Caton takes new funny turn as ‘cheeky but charming’ Narrator in Rocky Horror Show at Grand Opera House

“You have to keep to the script but I can add my own flavour.,” says comedian Nathan Caton of playing the Narrator, his theatre debut in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show. Picture: David Freeman

WEST London comedian Nathan Caton is donning the trademark blue smoking jacket as the Narrator in the latest tour of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show.

This week, you will find him quick on the quip and punchy with the putdown, and sassy and saucy too, at the Grand Opera House on his return to York in his new guise.

“I’ve been to York a fair few times,” says Nathan, who launched his comedy career at the age of 19 while studying architecture at Anglia Ruskin University . “Because I’m a stand-up comedian I play all over the UK, and I’ve played The Basement at City Screen and 1331 in York.”

Now, 20 years on from cutting his comedy teeth, he follows in the footsteps – and high heels – of Nicholas Parsons, Stephen Fry, Steve Punt, Dom July, Philip Franks, Joe McFadden, Alison Hammond and many more in playing the unflappable Narrator.

“No pressure!” he says of taking on such an iconic role. “It came about quite randomly. Out of the blue, I got an audition call from my agent, and I thought. ‘OK, I want to do some theatre work’.

“But until this summer, I wasn’t aware of what Rocky Horror was. I’d only heard the name. I did the audition, thinking ‘I’m probably not going to get it’; ‘I’ll probably never hear from you again’. But I got the call and the rest is history! I’ve been doing it since the middle of August.”

How did Nathan prepare for the role? “I watched the Rocky Horror Show Live [the 2015 40th anniversary recording from the Playhouse Theatre in London] on You Tube with Stephen Fry and Emma Bunton and two others as the Narrator [Editor’s note: Anthony Head, Adrian Edmondson and Mel Giedroyc also appear on the Narrator credit list].

“I thought, ‘OK, this is what I’m going to be doing? OK, what am I letting myself in for?’! My wife’s reaction was it would be fun to do. She knows me better than I know myself – and the woman is always right.”

Nathan fits the part and that jacket to a T. “The role works perfectly for me as a comedian with a stand-up background,” he says. “Audience shout-outs. That’s my bread and butter. Coming back at them if they say anything, and trust me, they do! The audience’s timing with their comments is formulaic, but it’s manna from heaven for me.”

Matching how a stand-up show can change and be refined as a tour progresses, Nathan says his role as Narrator has progressed since August. “It’s like riding a bike. The more you do it, the better you get. You get into the groove and you can make it your own,” he explains.

“I’ve been fortunate in that the producer has been great in letting me put my spin on it. Yes, you have to keep to the script but I can add my own flavour.” [Editor’s note: How right he is. Nathan’s tongue-in-cheek asides and close-to-the-knuckle political jests were one of the joys of Monday’s press night.]

His style? “Cheeky but charming – I hope that’s how it comes across,” he says. “You need to have a somewhat commanding voice too, leading the audience in the story so that they stay tuned into you.”

Nathan is working for the first time with Australian star Jason Donovan, who plays sweet transvestite transsexual scientist Dr Frank N Furter on the tour.

“The only time he was in my existence was watching him as a kid when he was in Neighbours,” he says. “He’s a lovely guy. Because I was new to the show, when I first came in, he said, ‘the audience is mad, but it’s so much fun’.

“I was very nervous at the start. I felt very much like a fish out of water, seeing the rest of the cast who are so talented. They sing and dance and act, and all I do is go on stage, chat for a while, the audience giggle, and then I go off!

“I felt like, ‘clearly I’m the least talented guy here’, but they have been so supportive.”

The latest Rocky Horror tour has dates until next summer but “I’ll have a bit of a break for a stand-up tour that I’ve been working on for next spring,” says Nathan, who will be on the solo road from May 1 to 24.

 “It’s called My Big Fat Blasian Wedding – a combination of ‘Black’ and ‘Asian’ – and the show is basically me having a mental breakdown about how expensive my wedding was.”

Or, to quote Nathan’s tour publicity: “It’s official. Nathan’s married and off the market – sorry ladies… and gentlemen! What should’ve been the happiest time of his life turned out to be the most stressful and expensive time ever. The end result? Well, it was either therapy or turn it into comedy. Nathan chose the latter…”

In a nutshell, he puts it this way: “You know what they say: ‘Happy wife, happy life, just not a happy bank manager’!”

Nathan Caton appears as the Narrator in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show at Grand Opera House, York, tonight at 8pm, tomorrow and Saturday at 5.30pm and 8.30pm. Box office: atgtickets.com/York. Also playing Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, November 25 to 30. Box office: sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

The nearest city to York that Nathan will be bringing his My Big Fat Blasian Wedding tour will be Newcastle [The Stand Comedy Club, May 9 2025].

Nathan Caton: the back story

Nathan Caton: Taking on Narrator’s role in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show

BORN in Hammersmith, he grew up in Greenford, Ealing, West London. Active on comedy circuit since tender age of 19 – he is 39 now – having taken first steps while studying architecture at Angia Ruskin University.

He has since built his career on combining personal, confessional material with up-to-date social and political anecdotes, after playing Edinburgh Fringe, finishing as runner-up in Amused Moose Comedy Search and winning 2005 Chortle Student Comedian of the Year award within his first year.

Appeared on BBC’s Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Eurogedden and Russell Howard’s Good News and Comedy Central’s Live At The Comedy Store. Finalist on FHM’s Stand-Up-Hero (ITV 4) . Starred in his own BBC Radio 4 sitcom, Can’t Tell Nathan Caton Nothin’. Written for TV shows Rastamouse and Royal Television Society Award-nominated Jojo & Gran Gran.

Performed five Edinburgh Fringe solo shows. Toured to Dubai, New York, Mumbai and Montreal. Embarked on numerous UK tours. Last tour, Let’s Talk About Vex, was filmed for a comedy special. Next tour, My Big Fat Blasian Wedding, will be on the road from May 1 to 24 2025.

Now playing Narrator’s role on 2024-2025 tour of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show in Bromley, High Wycombe, Fareham, Malvern, Bath, York, Glasgow, Cardiff, Woking, Blackpool and Sheffield. Box office: RockyHorror.co.uk.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond when disproving ‘rotten state of modern Britain’. Hutch’s List No. 43, from The Press

The Maniac (Andrew Isherwood), left, peruses the Anarchist’s case file as Inspector Burton (Paul Osborne) interrupts him in Black Treacle Theatre’s Accidental Death Of An Anarchist . Picture: John Saunders

FROM ‘Rocky 2’ for Jason Donovan to a music-hall spin on Shakespeare’s ‘Two Gents’, Charles Hutchinson looks at a mighty crowded week ahead.

Last chance to see: Black Treacle Theatre in Accidental Of An Anarchist, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, today, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

YORK company Black Treacle Theatre stage Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s uproarious 1970 Italian farce in a new adaptation by Tom Basden, creator of Plebs and Here We Go, who updates the setting to the rotten state of present-day Britain.

Shining a satirical light on bent coppers, politicians and everything in between under Jim Paterson’s direction, the riotous drama is set in a police station where a suspect has “accidentally”’ fallen to his death, but did he jump or was he pushed? As the police attempt to avoid yet another scandal, a mysterious imposter (Andrew Isherwood’s Maniac) is brought in for questioning. Cue cover-ups, corruption and (in)competence. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk

Dinosaur World Live: Invading York Theatre Royal on Monday and Tuesday

Children’s show of the week: Dinosaur World Live, York Theatre Royal, October 21, 4.30pm; October 22, 10.30am and 4.30pm

DARE to experience the dangers and delights of dinosaurs in this mind-expanding, “roarsome” interactive Jurassic adventure, winner of the 2024 Olivier Award for Best Family Show.

Grab your compass and join Dinosaur World’s intrepid explorer on a venture across uncharted territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing, life-like dinosaurs. Meet a host of impressive creatures, not least every child’s favourite flesh-eating giant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. A post-show meet and greet offers brave explorers the chance to make a new dinosaur friend. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Jason Donovan, centre, as Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, back at its regular York haunt, the Grand Opera House, next week

Touring musical of the week: The Rocky Horror Show, Grand Opera House, York, October 21 to 26, Monday to Thursday, 8pm; Friday, Saturday, 5.30pm and 8.30pm

AUSTRALIAN actor, pop singer and soap star Jason Donovan returns to the Grand Opera House in a musical theatre role for the first time since playing drag act Mitzi Del Bar in Prisclla, Queen Of The Desert in November 2015.

“Rocky is panto for adults,” says Jason, 56, who is reprising his role as sweet transvestite Dr Frank N Furter on tour, after 25 years, in Richard O’Brien’s cult send-up of horror and science-fiction B-movies as squeaky clean American college couple Brad and Janet end up in the mad, seductive scientist’s Transylvanian lair. Box office: atgtickets.york.com.

Tempest Wisdom: Directing York Shakespeare Project for the first time in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona

Play of the week: York Shakespeare Project in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 22 to 26, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

‘TWO Gents’: possibly Shakespeare’s first play and definitely the only one with a part for a dog. But can the newly employed performers at Monkgate Music Hall pull off their production?

Under-rehearsed knife throwers, strongmen, musicians and comedians must pool their skills in Tempest Wisdom’s dazzling take on this rarely performed comedy, delivered by York Shakespeare Project. “Book now for the event of the 19th century!” says Tempest. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Steve Huison as his alter ego, working men’s club cabaret host Squinty McGinty, at The Crescent, York

Cabaret turn of the week, Steve Huison, Crescent Cabaret, The Crescent, York, October 23, doors, 6.30pm for 7.30pm start

AFTER exhibiting oil portraits of actors and musicians at Pyramid Gallery this summer, actor, artist and The Full Monty star Steve Huison presents The Crescent Cabaret in his guise as Squinty McGinty, “Agent to the Stars”, more usually to be found hosting Cabaret Saltaire.

Promoted in tandem with Pyramid Gallery owner and musician Terry Brett, who will make a stage appearance with Ukulele Sunshine Revival, this charity event will raise funds for Refugee Action York from meat raffle ticket sales at Huison’s affectionate, if outrageous, spoof of a typical northern working men’s club. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Company Wayne McGregor in Autobiography, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Andrej Uspenski

Dance show of the week: Company Wayne McGregor, Autobiography, V102 and V103, York Theatre Royal, October 25 and 26, 7.30pm

GENETIC code, AI and choreography merge in a Wayne McGregor work that reimagines and remakes itself anew for every performance. Layering choreographic imprints over personal memoir and in dialogue with a specially created algorithm that hijacks McGregor’s DNA data,Autobiography “upends the traditional nature of dance-making as artificial intelligence and instinct converge in creative authorship”.

Now, AISOMA, a new AI tool developed with Google Arts and Culture – “utilising machine-learning trained on hundreds of hours of McGregor’s choreographic archive – overwrites initial configurations to present fresh movement options to the performers, injecting unfamiliar and often startling content into the choreographic ecosystem”. “Life, writing itself anew,” explains McGregor. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Nadia Reid: Making her Band Room debut on the North York Moors

Moorland gig of the season: Nadia Reid, The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, North York Moors, October 26, 7.30pm

THE Band Room promoter Nigel Burnham first tried to book New Zealand singer-songwriter sensation Nadia Reid on her first British tour in 2017. “Persistence has paid off,” he says, welcoming her to “the greatest small venue on Earth” as part of a series of intimate, magical solo shows.

Noted for her evocative lyrics and introspective, folk-infused soundscapes, Reid has been described as “an understated, wise guide through uncertain territory”, drawing comparison with Joni Mitchell, Laura Marling, Gillian Welch and Sandy Denny. Latest album Out of My Province took her to Matthew E White’s Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, Virginia, where producer Trey Pollard surrounded her songs in luminous washes of southern country soul. Box office: 01751 432900 or thebandroom.co.uk.

Elbow: First headliners confirmed for second season of Live At York Museum Gardens, staged by Futuresound Group next summer

Gig announcement of the week: Futuresound Group presents Live At York Museum Gardens, Elbow, July 3 2025

GUY Garvey’s Mercury Prize-winning Bury band Elbow are confirmed as the first headliner for Futuresound’s second Live At York Museum Gardens concert weekend, after the sold-out success of Shed Seven’s 30th anniversary shows and Jack Savoretti this summer.

Elbow will be supported by Ripon-born, London-based singer-songwriter Billie Marten and Robin Hood’s Bay folk luminary Eliza Carthy & The Restitution. Box office: futuresound.seetickets.com/event/elbow/york-museum-gardens/3195333.

Recommended but sold out: James Swanton presents The Signal-Man, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, October 24 to 30, 7pm

James Swanton: sell-out run of The Signal-Man at York Medical Society. Picture: Jtu Photography

“SOMETHING unprecedented has happened: we’ve sold out the entire run over a month in advance! A first in my experience,” says York gothic actor and storyteller James Swanton ahead of the home-city leg of his Halloween Dickens show, The Signal-Man, with The Trial For Murder “thrown in for fun”.

“The Signal-Man is one of the most powerful ghost stories of all time and certainly the most frightening ever written by Charles Dickens. It’s paired here with The Trial For Murder, in which Dickens treats the supernatural with just as much terrifying gravity.”

James adds: “We’re privileged to be a partner event with the York Ghost Merchants for their annual Ghost Week celebrations.”

What happens in The Signal-Man? “A red light. A black tunnel. A waving figure. A warning beyond understanding. And the fear that someone – that something – is drawing closer,” says the storyteller of Dickens’s darkest explorations of the spirit world.

Over the past year, James has played monsters in The First Omen (20th Century Studios) and Tarot(Sony), as well as the title roles in two BBC chillers: The Curse Of The Ninth in Inside No. 9 and Lot No. 249, Mark Gatiss’s annual ghost story, a performance that spurred the Telegraph reviewer to call James “the scariest man on TV this Christmas”.

His Dickens work includes sell-out seasons of the Christmas Books at the Charles Dickens Museum, London, and his one-man play Sikes & Nancy at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios.

Are you too late for tickets for The Signal-Man? Fear not, James will be returning to York Medical Society from November 25 to 28 and December 2 to 5 for his annual performances of Dickens’s Christmas ghost stories, A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Haunted Man, suitable for age eight upwards. Tickets for these 65-minute 7pm performances are on sale on 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

One ghost story will be told each night: November 25 to 27 and December 2 to 4, A Christmas Carol; November 28, The Chimes; December 5, The Haunted Man.

In Focus: Black Sheep Theatre Productions presents Songs For A New World, National Centre for Early Music, York, Oct 24 to 26

Co-director and actor Mikhail Lim in one of myriad posters for Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ production of Songs For A New World


YORK company Black Sheep Theatre Productions completes its October double bill of Jason Robert Brown productions with his 1995 theatrical song cycle Songs For A New World.

Tony Award-winning composer Brown is best known for his musicals Parade, 13 and The Last Five Years, the 2001 two-hander staged by Matthew Peter Clare’s company in collaboration with Wharfemede Productions at the NCEM last week.

First produced Off-Broadway at the WPA Theatre in New York, Songs For A New World defies conventional musical theatre formats. As described by Brown and original director Daisy Prince, the show is “neither musical play nor revue” but exists as a “very theatrical song cycle.”

“While it lacks a linear plot, the production explores universal themes such as hope, faith, love, and loss through a powerful collection of emotionally charged songs,” says Matthew, the production’s co-director, musical director and producer.

Black Sheep Theatre’s re-imagined production speaks directly to the growing uncertainty and tension of today’s political and social climate. Co-director Mikhail Lim and the creative team have crafted a fresh and relevant interpretation, designed to “resonate with audiences navigating the complexities of modern life”.

Songs For A New World cast member Rachel Higgs

This version expands the original cast of four to feature eight performers from York and beyond, creating a rich and multifaceted rendition.

“We believe this show will be a breakthrough in York’s theatre scene, offering something fresh, exciting, and deeply engaging,” says Mikhail. “The music alone will make audiences want to listen on repeat, but the show also connects emotionally, tugging on heartstrings and encouraging a renewed contemplation of today’s world.

“We hope audiences leave the theatre not only moved by the performances but also reflecting on the deeper themes we explore.”

After staging William Finn and James Lapine’s Falsettos at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, now Black Sheep Theatre has worked meticulously on every aspect of Songs for A New World.

Ayana Beatrice Poblete and Reggie Challenger in Songs For A New World

“The team is confident that this production will be a definitive version of Brown’s iconic work, delivering a truly unforgettable experience to all who attend,” says Matthew.

Black Sheep Theatre Productions, Songs For A New World, National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York, October 24 to 26, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk.

Creative team:
Co-director, musical director & producer: Matthew Peter Clare

Co-director: Mikhail Lim
Assistant director & choreographer: Freya McIntosh

Cast:
Ayana Beatrice Poblete; Katie Brier; Lauren Charlton-Mathews; Reggie Challenger; Rachel Higgs; Mikhail Lim; Adam Price and Natalie Walker.

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‘Rocky is panto for adults,’ says Jason Donovan on return to sweet transvestite role of Frank N Furter after 25 years

“The Rocky Horror Show now plays to my strengths, less musical theatre, more edgy, a little bit rock’n’roll. More me really!” says Jason Donovan, pictured centre

JASON Donovan is returning to one of his most famous roles: Frank-N-Furter in Richard O’Brien’s anarchic musical, The Rocky Horror Show.  Next stop, Grand Opera House, York, from October 21 to 26.

Why? “In a nutshell, I’m a fan,” says the Australian singer, actor and erstwhile soap star, now 56. “I love the show; I love the music; I love the character. I was touring my own show about five years ago and included Sweet Transvestite from Rocky as a key moment in my musical career. It went down a storm.”

When he read there would be a 50th anniversary production, he emailed producer Howard Panter, saying he would love to be involved. Cue Jason’s Frank-N-Furter, first back home in Australia, in Sydney and Melbourne, and now on a UK tour since mid-August.

Richard O’Brien’s cult musical tribute to horror and science fiction B-movies from the 1930s to the early 1960s tells the story of a newly engaged, clean-cut American college couple Brad and Janet. Caught in a storm, they end up at the gothic Transylvanian lair of  mad transvestite scientist, Dr Frank-N-Furter, just in time for the unveiling of his new creation, Rocky, a Frankenstein-style monster complete with blond hair and a tan.

Since 1973, the show has played to 30 million people globally in 20 languages. Now, Jason returns to a role he first played more than 25 years ago. “To be honest, I can’t really remember much about 1998 but that’s another story,” he says. “I don’t feel uncomfortable, though, playing him at 56 – and, of course, I have personal reasons for being grateful to the show.”

“The character of Frank N Furter embraces both sides of me: a strength and a vulnerability, as well as danger and denial,” says Jason Donovan

The stage manager on that late-1990s’ touring production was a young woman called Angela Malloch. “I’d be backstage waiting to go on, and  I’d get chatting to Ange, ” recalls Jason. Friendship turned into romance but the relationship hit the buffers.

Shortly afterwards, however, Angela found out she was pregnant. Ultimatum time. “If the relationship had any chance of working, she told me, and if I was going to have any involvement in the life of our child, I would have to give up the self-indulgent hedonistic lifestyle of the ’90s and take greater control of my life. And I did.”

The couple, who finally married in 2008, have three children: actress Jemma, 24; TV producer Zac, 23, and  Molly, still at school, aged 13.

Jason, meanwhile, has gone from small-screen fame as Scott Robinson in the Australian soap Neighbours to chart-topping pop stardom and onwards to musical and theatre roles: Joseph and Pharaoh in Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat;  eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; two stints as drag artist Mitzi in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert The Musical; music mogul Sam Phillips in Million Dollar Quartet, the demon barber himself in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street  and Lionel Logue in The King’s Speech.

Jason Donovan: Heading to York Barbican on his Doin’ Fine 25 tour in 2025. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Dr Frank-N-Furter, above all, occupies a special place in his heart. “One of the reasons I love Rocky is because it’s a short show.” Explain, Jason! “It says everything it needs to say and nothing more. There’s no unnecessary padding. It means nobody gets bored and you leave them wanting more.”

What about climbing into fishnet stockings and high heels seven times a week? “In many ways, very easy, I put on the costume and there’s Frank all over again,” he says. “I’m in touch with my feminine side but I come from a masculine sensibility. The character embraces both sides of me: a strength and a vulnerability, as well as danger and denial.

“Look, I come to the role as an actor. I always dreamed of fronting a rock band and this is about as close as I’ve got. When I put on those high heels, I become that rock’n’roll star. It makes me feel powerful, tall, in charge.

“And audiences love it. As I look out from the stage, I see a beautiful landscape of people wearing outrageous costumes. It’s not hard to see why: in many ways, Rocky is panto for adults. The costumes are just as much a part of the show as the characters and the music.”

Touring surely means wear and tear to his back? “I spend a lot more time in physio these days, something I’ve put in as an appendix in my contract! I’m in my mid-50s. I’m aware of having to look after myself,” he says.

Jason Donovan’s Mitzi Del Bra in his last appearance at the Grand Opera House in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert The Musical in November 2015

Does that require regular exercise? “Yes, but not obsessively so. Mental health and physical fitness go hand-in-hand for me. This life is a long journey, you hope. My dad gave me the tool of a good work ethic linked to physical activity,” he says.

“I don’t go to the gym: I’m not interested in lifting weights. But I swim. I ride my bike. I stretch. I steam. I do those things more or less on a daily basis. In fact, they’ve become a borderline addiction. And, of course, doing the show is a work-out in itself: I put a lot of energy into my performance.”

Jason says vocals were “never my strongest point back in the day”. “But since Joseph, I’ve worked really hard and through 30 years of strengthening my vocal cords – they’re a muscle like anything else – I’ve become a better singer. Rocky now plays to my strengths, less musical theatre, more edgy, a little bit rock’n’roll. More me really!”

What’s next for Jason post-Rocky?  “I’ve got my Doin’ Fine 25 tour. That’s 35 concerts across the UK and Ireland,” he says. “It’s a greatest hits show, a celebration of 35 years of work.” York Barbican awaits next March.

The Rocky Horror Show, Grand Opera House, York, October 21 to 26, Monday to Thursday, 8pm; Friday and Saturday, 5.30pm and 8.30pm. Box office:  atgtickets.york.com. Jason Donovan: Doin’ Fine 25, York Barbican, March 8 2025, 8pm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk

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Not one, but two Ore Odubas for the price of one in Pretty Woman The Musical. No wonder he’s full of positivity on York return

Ore Oduba as narrator and Hollywood Boulevard wheeler-dealer Happy Man in Pretty Woman The Musical, playing the Grand Opera House, York, from next Tuesday

2016 Strictly Come Dancing champ Ore Oduba was last seen on the Grand Opera House stage in fishnets as nerdy, preppy American student Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show.

A month shy of two years later, he returns to the Cumberland Street theatre in York next week in “the ultimate rom-com, live on stage”: Pretty Woman The Musical.

What’s more, audiences can look forward to Oduba at the double, playing not only hotel manager Barnard Thompson but also Happy Man on tour from Tuesday to Saturday.

“Mr Thompson exists in the movie, but what they’ve done for the musical is create this dual role, where you’re also Happy Man, something of a narrator, who’s kind of the Fagin of Hollywood Boulevard, where two worlds meet.”

Set once upon a time in the late 1980s, as a Cinderella tale for the modern age, Pretty Woman connects the worlds of Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward (played by Amber Davies) and entrepreneur Edward Lewis (Oliver Savile).

Ore Oduba in fishnets in his previous role at the Grand Opera House: Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show in March 2022. Picture: Stuart Webb

“Happy Man brings the magic to Vivian’s turnaround – and you do have to sprinkle a little magic dust on that transformation,” says Ore. “That’s the kind of romance that people really get behind. Audiences really love the human empowerment story: the villains of the piece have to leave the theatre in hooded cloaks as everyone really gets behind Vivian.”

The BBC presenter turned actor, 38, is four months into the 12-month run of the debut British tour of a musical featuring original music and lyrics by Canadian rock star and Grammy Award winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and a book by Garry Marshall and the 1990 film’s screenwriter, J F Lawton.

Direction and choreography is by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, for whom Ore auditioned. “I was aware of the show going into the West End in 2019, where it was such a massive success, and there’s always hype when a musical goes on tour from the West End,” he says.

“The audition call came through in February last year, and it’s just crazy because the life of an actor means you’re a freelance really and you never know what will be around the corner, but to get that call come through when it did can make it quite scary.

“I’d already done a couple of auditions in front of Americans, but Jerry Mitchell is such a charismatic man, so it’s intimidating. He’s got an excellent poker face, but I made him laugh – which is not always good, but in this case it was.”

Amber Davies’s Vivian Ward, Oliver Savile’s Edward Lewis and Ore Oduba’s Barnard Thompson in the announcement poster for the tour of Pretty Woman The Musical

The musical adds another level to Pretty Woman. “I think you have to be aware, as we say at the beginning, that this is a story set in the Eighties, but if you just did the movie on stage, it wouldn’t quite work,” says Ore.

“What Jerry has done is add meat to that story, going through the rom-com we love but aspiring to be something more, then adding the incredible choreography and a wonderful new score, with some beautiful songs by Bryan Adams.

“What we didn’t know, on the very last day of rehearsals, when things get to wind down after a busy four weeks, was why the resident director was standing gingerly at the door of the rehearsal room. He looked kind of nervous, then said, ‘Bryan Adams is here’!”

What could have been “quite a relaxed day, collecting things in bags” was transformed. “It became an exciting day, performing in front of Bryan, and he loved it. That really set us up to go off into the country,” says Ore.

He embraces the challenge each week of being on tour. “What’s wonderful about touring – and I’ve been doing it for seven years, which was never planned – is how, at the start of each week, you get a brand now burst of energy from the show rolling into a new town, looking forward to the reaction you’ll get at each place,” he says.

Dance moves: 2016 Strictly champion Ore Oduba’s Happy Man

“From the production point of view, you really get into it. You start by sticking to what you rehearse, but at the same time, when you have a show that’s such a crowd pleaser, and with me playing the narrator, you do get different reactions and a different energy from the audience that we like to play with.

“Pretty Woman transcends time and culture; it’s just in our fabric, and it’s not just nostalgia. People will want to dial into that, so there are touch points, but at the end of the day, it’s an incredible new musical with great new music and a story that people love, which we bring alive every night, transporting them into a different world.

“That world may be different from today, and you may have to put today’s world aside and put your faith in the story.”

Happy Man sums up Ore’s experience on tour. “Taking on a job, it’s about positivity, especially if I’m going to be doing it for a year, where the energy pushes us forward,” he says. “I’m looking forward to 12 months of positivity!”

Pretty Woman The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, February 20 to 24, 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york

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