Tag: The Vanishing Forest

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English Touring Opera bring What Dreams May Come and The Capulets And The Montagues to York Theatre Royal

English Touring Opera rehearsing a scene from Bellini’s Italian opera The Capulets And The Montagues. Picture: Craig Fuller

ENGLISH Touring Opera return to York Theatre Royal today and tomorrow with two exciting new Shakespeare-themed productions.

What Dreams May Come makes its debut in the Studio tonight at 7.45pm and tomorrow at 2.30pm before Bellini’s The Capulets And The Montagues is performed for only night only in the main house tomorrow at 7.30pm, preceded by a pre-show talk at 6.30pm. Both operas will be performed in their original language with English surtitles. 

What Dreams May Come is a new studio piece that draws on hundreds of years of music inspired by and adapted from Shakespeare’s plays and poetry to depict the joys and sorrows of a long life, well lived.

Mixing puppetry with music by composers including Purcell, Finzi, Amy Beach and Britten, performed by a chamber ensemble, this 80-minute production explores the timeless appeal of Shakespeare’s words and characters for composers and audiences throughout history.

Singers include soprano Alys Mererid Roberts, mezzo-soprano Emily Hodkinson, tenor Tamsanqa Tylor Lemani and baritone Samuel Pantcheff.

Samuel Pantcheff, Tamsanqa Tylor Lemani, Alys Mererid Roberts  and Emily Hodkinson  in the rehearsal room for What Dreams May Come. Picture: Craig Fuller

The piece is devised and directed by Valentina Ceschi, whose past work for English Touring Opera (ETO) includes the 2023 production of Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims, children’s opera The Great Stink and the film for families The Firebird. Erika Gundesen conducts from the piano.  

The Capulets And The Montagues, Bellini’s gritty re-working of Romeo And Juliet, remains a fresh, vital take on a well-loved story, bringing the warring families’ emotional and political struggle to life with devastating power. Remarkably, the work was composed by Bellini in only six weeks.

Soprano Jessica Cale, a First Prize winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and audience prize winner at the London Handel Festival International Singing Competition, sings the role of Giulietta.

She plays opposite mezzo-soprano Samantha Price, a regular performer with the Royal Opera and English National Opera, as Romeo.

Brenton Spiteri, who last performed with ETO in Manon Lescaut and The Rake’s Progress last spring, stars as Tebaldo, with Timothy Nelson as Capello and Masimba Ushe as Lorenzo.

The poster for English Touring Opera’s The Capulets And The Montagues

Eloise Lally, who directed ETO’s 2023 production of Lucrezia Borgia, is the director, while conductor, pianist and Le Balcon founder member Alphonse Cemin conducts in his debut season with ETO.

ETO director Robin Norton-Hale says: “This spring ETO celebrates the enduring power and relevance of the works of William Shakespeare with a season featuring one of the landmark operas of the 19th century alongside new works that draw inspiration from his themes and characters to create something entirely fresh and original.

“Bellini’s The Capulets And The Montagues puts a new spin on one of Shakespeare’s best-loved stories and is a classic of bel canto repertoire, with a dramatic contrast of sumptuous music and destructive violence.

“What Dreams May Come combines puppetry and song in an intimate exploration of life, love and death, set to new orchestrations of music inspired by the works of Shakespeare. It is a season that will showcase the best of ETO: wonderful storytelling and exceptional musicality.” 

Tickets are on sale on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Casts and production teams:

English Touring Opera rehearsing What Dreams May Come, a new production featuring depictions of grief, death and palliative care. Picture Craig Fuller

What Dreams May Come   

Soprano – Alys Mererid Roberts   
Mezzo-soprano – Emily Hodkinson  
Tenor – Tamsanqa Tylor Lemani   
Baritone – Samuel Pantcheff   

Director – Valentina Ceschi  
Conductor/piano – Erika Gundesen  
Puppetry designer – Matt Hutchinson  

English Touring Opera cast members in rehearsal for The Capulets And The Montagues. Picture: Craig Fuller

The Capulets And The Montagues   

Giulietta – Jessica Cale   
Romeo – Samantha Price   
Tebaldo – Brenton Spiteri  
Capello – Timothy Nelson   
Lorenzo – Masimba Ushe   
Ensemble – Daniel Gray Bell   
Ensemble – Harry Grigg   
Ensemble – Tamsanqa Tylor Lemani   
Ensemble – Samuel Pantcheff   
Ensemble – John Ieuan Jones   
Ensemble – Wonsick Oh   

Director – Eloise Lally   
Conductor – Alphonse Cemin   
Designer – Lily Arnold   
Lighting Designer – Peter Harrison   
Répétiteur – Nicholas Bosworth   
Fight Director – Kaitlin Howard   
Movement Director – Carmine De Amicis  

English Touring Opera’s poster for What Dreams May Come

English Touring Opera: the back story

TOURED live productions and education and community projects to more towns and cities than any other UK opera company since 1979

At the heart of the company ethos is “making exceptional artistic experiences available and accessible to everyone”.

ETO reaches 40,000 people per year with full theatre-based productions, specially commissioned operas for infants, children, families and young people with special educational needs, a series of creative workshops for people living with dementia and their carers, opera-making workshops in secondary schools, and song writing workshops in Alternative Provision settings designed to benefit young people’s mental health. 

English Touring Opera complete climate change trilogy with The Vanishing Forest on March 2 return to Acomb Explore Library

English Touring Opera in rehearsal for The Vanishing Forest, part three of a climate change trilogy of new operas. Picture: Julian Guidera

SOMETHING magical this way comes for families at Acomb Explore Library, Front Street, Acomb, York, on Sunday (2/3/2025).

English Touring Opera present their family-friendly production of The Vanishing Forest, an enchanting adventure that blends Shakespeare, music and an environmental message.

“If you remember the mischievous Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you’re in for a treat,” promise ETO. “This brand-new opera picks up after the events of Shakespeare’s comedy, and things aren’t looking too good in the forest. The trees are being chopped down, and with them, the magic of the land is fading away. Puck knows it’s time to act – but he can’t do it alone!”

Enter Cassie and Mylas, the children of Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta, who team up with Puck to save the forest before it is too late. Along the way, expect songs, puppetry, spells, mystical flowers and a story that will entertain and inspire young audiences while tackling the pressing issue of deforestation.

This musical adventure is the third and final instalment in English Touring Opera’s climate change trilogy, following The Wish Gatherer, winner of the Best Opera prize at the 2024 YAMAwards,  and The Great Stink.

English Touring Opera’s poster for The Vanishing Forest

Written by Jonathan Ainscough, composed by Michael Betteridge and directed by Victoria Briggs, The Vanishing Forest is ideal for children aged seven to 11, the performance being designed to make opera accessible, fun and absorbing for younger audiences.

“Whether you’re a Shakespeare buff or completely new to the world of opera, this show is a wonderful way to introduce children to the magic of storytelling through music,” say ETO.

“So, if you’re looking for a magical way to spend a Sunday morning with the family, why not step into The Vanishing Forest? Expect laughter, adventure and some Shakespearean sparkle – just what everyone needs!”

“Previous performances by English Touring Opera at Acomb Explore have really wowed audiences and given children their first experience of professional opera in a very approachable and accessible way,” says Explore York executive assistant Gillian Holmes. “The latest performance is coming up very soon and there are still a few tickets left!”

English Touring Opera in The Vanishing Forest, Acomb Explore Library, Front Street, Acomb, York, March 2, 11am. Tickets: tickettailor.com/events/exploreyorklibrariesandarchives/1516069.

EXPLORE York Libraries and Archives is committed to making the arts accessible to all, so if the ticket price is a barrier, don’t worry. Free places are available: pop into your local library or email acomb@exploreyork.org.uk to find out more.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 8, from Gazette & Herald

Director Joanne Lister in rehearsal for Art with 1812 Theatre Company cast members Ivan Limon and Mike Martin. Picture: Paddy Chambers

WHEN art meets theatre, a hit play leads off Charles Hutchinson’s picks for a week where prompt booking is advised for a host of here today, gone tomorrow events.

Ryedale theatre show of the week: 1812 Theatre Company in Art, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight to Saturday, 7.30pm

JOANNE Lister is not only making her 1812 Theatre Company directorial debut but also, in the late absence of her husband John Lister, she will take over the role of Marc with script in hand in Yasmina Reza’s 1994 French comedy, Art.

Translated by Christopher Hampton, the play asks: can a friendship between three close friends – Marc, Serge (Ivan Limon) and Yvan (Mike Martin) – survive when one of them does something completely unexpected? Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Leeds poet Antony Dunn

Poetry event of the week: Rise Up!, A Celebration of Poetry and the Spoken Word, Rise @Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York tonight, doors 7.30pm; performance 8.30pm to 10pm

LEEDS writer and People Powered Press poet-in-residence Antony Dunn, Yorkshire-born poet, mezzo-soprano  and theatre-maker Lisa J Coates and York St John University Fine Art coarse leader and poet Nathan Walker take part in Rise Up!.

Hosted by Bluebird Bakery boss and poet Nicky Kippax and Elizabeth Chadwick Pywell, the evening has three open-mic slots too. The next Rise Up! bill on April 30 will feature poets Rachel Long, Ioney Smallhorne and Minal Sukumar. Tickets update: last few left at eventbrite.co.uk.

Something wicked but educative this way comes: Dickens Theatre Company in Macbeth at Grand Opera House, York

GCSE study aid of the week: Dickens Theatre Company, Revision On Tour: Macbeth, Grand Opera House, York, today, 1pm with post-show Q&A

THE infamous Porter acts as narrator for an ensemble of six actors to create a cauldron of characters as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth make their perilous descent towards Hell in Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott, with music by Paul Higgs.

Set against a back-drop of wars, witchery and treasonous plotting, Dickens Theatre Company aim to “entertain and educate to the bitter end” while highlighting how “the Scottish play” remains ominously relevant in the 21st century. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Dickens Theatre Company in Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, playing the Grand Opera House, York

The other GCSE study aid of the week: Dickens Theatre Company, Revision On Tour: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Grand Opera House, York, tonight, 7pm

WITHIN the thick Fitzrovia fog and dimly lamp-lit streets lurks an evil predator. When Gabriel Utterson learns of the mysterious Mr Hyde, he commits his lawyer’s logic to the proceedings. Believing Hyde to be blackmailing Jekyll, he vows to bring Hyde to task to solve the mystery.

As with Macbeth, Dickens Theatre Company’s cast of six takes on an exciting, educational new stage adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian gothic masterpiece, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Unpacking Nina Simone: Florence Odumosu in Black Is The Color Of My Voice at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Steve Ullathorne

Biographical drama of the week: Black Is The Color Of My Voice, York Theatre Royal, tonight, 7.30pm

WRITTEN and directed by Apphia Campbell, Black Is The Color Of My Voice is inspired by the life of Nina Simone in an evening of storytelling and performances of her most iconic songs by Florence Odumosu.

Campbell’s 70-minute play follows the North Carolina singer and activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on her journey from piano prodigy destined for a life in the church to jazz vocalist at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Big Wolf Band: Ryedale Blues Club’s blues rock act in Malton tomorrow

Blues rock gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club presents Big Wolf Band, Milton Rooms, Malton, tomorrow, 8pm

BIG Wolf Band, a formidable blues rock powerhouse formed in Birmingham in 2014 by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Jonathan Earp and bassist  Mick Jeynes, now perform with Tim Jones on drums, Justin Johnson on guitar, and Robin Fox on keys.  They made the Top Five Best Blues Bands in the UK list at the UK Blues Awards in 2023 and 2024. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

English Touring Opera in rehearsal for The Vanishing Forest, bound for Acomb Explore Library. Picture: Julian Guidera

Climate change drama of the week:  English Touring Opera in The Vanishing Forest, Acomb Explore Library, Front Street, Acomb, York, Sunday, 11am

ENGLISH Touring Opera present an enchanting adventure for seven to 11-year-olds that blends Shakespeare, music and an environmental message.

Jonathan Ainscough and Michael Betteridge’s new opera picks up the threads of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Cassie and Mylas, Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta’s children, team up with Puck to save the forest before it is too late. Expect songs, puppetry, spells, mystical flowers and a story to entertain and inspire while tackling the pressing issue of deforestation. Tickets update: last few available at tickettailor.com.

Diversity: Pouring Soul into their dancing at York Barbican in April 2026

Show announcement of the week: Diversity present Soul, York Barbican, April 20 and 21 2026

BRITAIN’S Got Talent’s 2009 winners, Ashley Banjo’s Southend dance ensemble Diversity, will base next year’s tour around the technological advancements of artificial intelligence, asking what the future holds and what it means to be human within the digital age.

“The future is now,” says Banjo. “Humans have become plugged in and completely connected to a world full of artificial intelligence – a world in which it is hard to distinguish reality from fiction. AI has become so advanced it’s considered a life form of its very own. Is this the next stage in our evolution? What exactly have we created? What makes us human?” His answer: “Soul.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond, from mind games to life on the wild side. Hutch’s List No. 8, from The York Press

Everything turns green: Flying Ducks Youth Theatre in Shrek The Musical at Joseph Rowntree Theatre

BLINK and you might miss it! Charles Hutchinson urges prompt booking for a host of here today, gone tomorrow events.

Ogre party of the week: Flying Ducks Youth Theatre in Shrek The Musical, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, today, 2pm and 7pm

JENNA Howlett directs York company Flying Ducks’ two casts in today’s performances as they dive into a world where love knows no boundaries, friendships are forged in the most unexpected places and laughter is guaranteed.

Join Shrek, Fiona and Donkey on their journey to find true happiness in this David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori show, replete with catchy songs, quirky characters and a story that turns fairytales upside down. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Hammonds Band: Top brass at tomorrow afternoon’s concert in aid of York Against Cancer

Fundraiser of the week: York Brass Against Cancer, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 2.30pm

THE fourth York Brass Against Cancer concert to raise funds for York Against Cancer features the Hammonds Band, founded in 1855 by Sir Titus Salt, and the Shepherd Group Brass Band, from York, introduced by BBC presenter David Hoyle. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The hand of fate: The Witches in Dickens Theatre Company’s Macbeth at Grand Opera House, York

GCSE study aid of the week: Dickens Theatre Company, Revision On Tour: Macbeth, Grand Opera House, York, February 24 and 25, 7pm; February 26, 1pm with post-show Q&A

THE infamous Porter acts as narrator for an ensemble of six actors to create a cauldron of characters as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth make their perilous descent towards Hell in Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott, with music by Paul Higgs.

Set against a back-drop of wars, witchery and treasonous plotting, Dickens Theatre Company aim to “entertain and educate to the bitter end” while highlighting how “the Scottish play” remains ominously relevant in the 21st century. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Yemisi Oyinloye’s Carmen, left, and Hannah Genesius’s Elsa, right, in Tiny Fragments Of Beautiful Light, on tour at Theatre@41, Monkgate. Picture: Victoria Wai

Investigative play of the week: Tiny Fragments Of Beautiful Light, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, February 25

INSPIRED by writer Allison Davies’s diagnosis of autism, Tiny Fragments Of Beautiful Light is a journey of self-discovery wrapped in a celebration of the joy that comes when we live as we truly are.

Hannah Genesius takes the role of Elsa, who does not know why she has never fitted in. Could it be the way she is made? Quirky, kind, clever and funny, but school was always a nightmare, and romance was a mystery – until now. When Elsa meets Carmen (Yemisi Oyinloye), the real journey begins: to find out who she is and why an octopus is  living inside her head? Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Dickens Theatre Company in Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, lurking around the Grand Opera House, York, for two days

The other GCSE study aid of the week: Dickens Theatre Company, Revision On Tour: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Grand Opera House, York, February 25, 1pm, with post-show Q&A; February 26, 7pm

WITHIN the thick Fitzrovia fog and dimly lamp-lit streets lurks an evil predator. When Gabriel Utterson learns of the mysterious Mr Hyde, he commits his lawyer’s logic to the proceedings. Believing Hyde to be blackmailing Jekyll, he vows to bring Hyde to task to solve the mystery.

As with Macbeth, Dickens Theatre Company’s cast of six takes on an exciting, educational new stage adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian gothic masterpiece, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Unpacking Nina Simone: Florence Odumosu in Black Is The Color Of My Voice at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Steve Ullathorne

Biographical drama of the week: Black Is The Color Of My Voice, York Theatre Royal, February 26, 7.30pm

WRITTEN and directed by Apphia Campbell, Black Is The Color Of My Voice is inspired by the life of Nina Simone in an evening of storytelling and performances of her most iconic songs by Florence Odumosu.

Campbell’s 70-minute play follows the North Carolina singer and activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on her journey from piano prodigy destined for a life in the church to jazz vocalist at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Gordon Buchanan: Wild about wildlife at the Grand Opera House, York

Talk on the wild side: Gordon Buchanan, Lions And Tigers And Bears, Grand Opera House, York, February 27, 7.30pm

FILMMAKER and photographer Gordon Buchanan recounts thrilling encounters with pandas, grizzlies, tigers, jaguars and more as he charts the heart-stopping moments, the mud, sweat, and tears and the tender interactions that have shaped his career. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Elvana: When Nirvana meets Elvis Presley at York Barbican

Tribute gig of the week: Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana, March 1, 7pm doors

FROM the bowels of Disgraceland, rock icons of the afterlife are raised from the dead when rock’n’roll meets grunge as Elvis fronts Nirvana to give the band the front man it has been missing since 1994. Elvana tear through Nirvana’s catalogue while splicing in grunge- up sections of the King’s finest moments, culminating in a whopper mash-up of overdrive and old-school rockabilly. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

English Touring Opera in rehearsal for The Vanishing Forest, bound for Acomb Explore Library. Picture: Julian Guidera

Climate change drama:  English Touring Opera in The Vanishing Forest, Acomb Explore Library, Front Street, Acomb, York, March 2, 11am

ENGLISH Touring Opera present an enchanting adventure for seven to 11-year-olds that blends Shakespeare, music and an environmental message.

Jonathan Ainscough and Michael Betteridge’s new opera picks up the threads of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Cassie and Mylas, Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta’s children, team up with Puck to save the forest before it is too late. Expect songs, puppetry, spells, mystical flowers and a story to entertain and inspire while tackling the pressing issue of deforestation. Tickets update: last few available at tickettailor.com.

Soul searching: Diversity to play York, Hull and Sheffield on 60-show tour of 31 cities and towns in 2026

Show announcement of the week: Diversity present Soul, York Barbican, April 20 and 21 2026

BRITAIN’S Got Talent’s 2009 winners, Ashley Banjo’s Southend dance ensemble Diversity, will base next year’s tour around the technological advancements of artificial intelligence, asking what the future holds and what it means to be human within the digital age.

“The future is now,” says Banjo. “Humans have become plugged in and completely connected to a world full of artificial intelligence – a world in which it is hard to distinguish reality from fiction. AI has become so advanced it’s considered a life form of its very own. Is this the next stage in our evolution? What exactly have we created? What makes us human?” His answer: “Soul.” Also playing: Hull Connexin Hall, March 11; Sheffield City Hall, March 13 and 14 (matinee). Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk; connexinlivehull.com; sheffieldcityhall.co.uk.

Poet, mezzo-soprano, theatre-maker and photographer Lisa J Coates: Picture: lisajcoates.co.uk

In Focus: Rise Up!: A Celebration of Poetry and the Spoken Word, Rise @Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, Feb 26

LEEDS poet Antony Dunn, Yorkshire-born Lisa J Coates and York St John University Fine Art course leader Nathan Walker take part in Rise Up! on Wednesday when doors open at 7.30pm for the trio of poetry performances from 8.30pm to 10pm.

Hosted by Bluebird Bakery boss and poet Nicky Kippax and Elizabeth Chadwick Pywell, the evening has three open-mic slots up for grabs. Email rise@bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise to apply.

The next Rise Up! on April 30 will feature poets Rachel Long, Ioney Smallhorne and Minal Sukumar.

Antony Dunn: Poet in Residence at People Powered Press. Picture: Sara Teresa

Antony Dunn 

PUBLISHED four collections of poems: Pilots And Navigators, Flying Fish, Bugs and Take This One to Bed (Valley Press). Winner of Newdigate Prize and Eric Gregory Award. Regular tutor for The Poetry School and Arvon Foundation. Worked on translation projects with poets from Holland, Hungary, China and Israel.

Has served as Poet in Residence at University of York, Ilkley Literature Festival and People Powered Press. Artistic director of Bridlington Poetry Festival from 2012 until 2018. For more details, go to: www.antonydunn.org.

Lisa J Coates

YORKSHIRE-BORN  multi-disciplinary artist, working as musician, writer and opera director. Poetry published in Southbank Poetry Magazine, Northern Gravy, York Literary Review, Bad Lilies, and Anthropocene. Undertaken commissions for Risky Cities, and Hull Maritime. Mentored by Helen Mort. Awarded DYCP (Developing Your Creative Practice) funding by Arts Council England in 2023 to develop her writing for the stage.

Classically trained mezzo-soprano, with distinction in PG Artist Diploma from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and MA in Vocal Performance from University of York. Performed internationally on stage and in concert, recorded for Naxos, Delphian, Boreas and Touch labels and appeared on television and radio.

Nathan Walker

 ARTIST and writer from West Cumbria. Works across and between performance art and poetry, exploring the body and the page as sites for vocal exploration and manipulation of sound and speech. Their scores and poetry have been published in books, magazines and journals, including  100 Queer Poems anthology, edited by Mary Jean Chan & Andrew McMillan (Vintage, 2022), Prototype Anthology 5 (UK), Tripwire (USA) and Pamenar Magazine Online (UK).

First collection of poetry, Skirting, was published by Broken Sleep Books in 2024. Published two books of language-based artworks: Condensations (uniform Books) & Action Score Generator (If P Then Q). Course lead for Fine Art at York St John University, lecturing in .

Tickets update: last few left at eventbrite.co.uk. More details at bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.

Nathan Walker: First poetry collection, Skirting, was published last year

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English Touring Opera complete climate change trilogy with The Vanishing Forest on March 2 return to Acomb Explore Library

English Touring Opera in rehearsal for The Vanishing Forest, part three of a climate change trilogy of new operas. Picture: Julian Guidera

SOMETHING magical this way comes for families at Acomb Explore Library, Front Street, Acomb, York, on March 2.

English Touring Opera return to York to present their family-friendly production of The Vanishing Forest, an enchanting adventure that blends Shakespeare, music and an environmental message.

“If you remember the mischievous Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you’re in for a treat,” promise ETO. “This brand-new opera picks up after the events of Shakespeare’s comedy, and things aren’t looking too good in the forest. The trees are being chopped down, and with them, the magic of the land is fading away. Puck knows it’s time to act – but he can’t do it alone!”

Enter Cassie and Mylas, the children of Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta, who team up with Puck to save the forest before it is too late. Along the way, expect songs, puppetry, spells, mystical flowers and a story that will entertain and inspire young audiences while tackling the pressing issue of deforestation.

This musical adventure is the third and final instalment in English Touring Opera’s climate change trilogy, following The Wish Gatherer, winner of the Best Opera prize at the 2024 YAMAwards,  and The Great Stink.

Written by Jonathan Ainscough, composed by Michael Betteridge and directed by Victoria Briggs, The Vanishing Forest is ideal for children aged seven to 11, the performance being designed to make opera accessible, fun and absorbing for younger audiences.

English Touring Opera’s poster for The Vanishing Forest

“Whether you’re a Shakespeare buff or completely new to the world of opera, this show is a wonderful way to introduce children to the magic of storytelling through music,” say ETO.

“So, if you’re looking for a magical way to spend a Sunday morning with the family, why not step into The Vanishing Forest? Expect laughter, adventure and some Shakespearean sparkle – just what everyone needs!”

“Previous performances by English Touring Opera at Acomb Explore have really wowed audiences and given children their first experience of professional opera in a very approachable and accessible way,” says Explore York executive assistant Gillian Holmes. “The latest performance is coming up very soon and there are still a few tickets left!”

English Touring Opera in The Vanishing Forest, Acomb Explore Library, Front Street, Acomb, York, March 2, 11am. Tickets: tickettailor.com/events/exploreyorklibrariesandarchives/1516069.

Explore York Libraries and Archives is committed to making the arts accessible to all, so if the ticket price is a barrier, don’t worry. Free places are available: pop into your local library or email acomb@exploreyork.org.uk to find out more.

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