Tag: York Barbican

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More Things To Do in York and beyond when walls come alive with art and light. Hutch’s List No. 47, from The York Press

Principal dancers, dance captains and siblings Anna Mai Fitzpatrick and Fergus Fitzpatrick in Riverdance’s 30th anniversary show, The New Generation

LEFT-FIELD Halloween entertainment, garden art and light installations, Normal comedy and a splurge gun musical spark Charles Hutchinson’s interest.

Dance show of the week: Riverdance, 30th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, today and tomorrow, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

VISITING 30 UK venues – one for each year of its history – from August to December 2025, the Irish dance extravaganza Riverdance rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes, plus state-of-the-art lighting, projection and motion graphics, in this 30th anniversary celebration.

For the first time, John McColgan directs “the New Generation” of Riverdance performers, none of them born when the show began. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Blair Bitch Project: Playing on Navigators Art’s bill at YO Underworld 6 at The Basement

Live, left-field, local new music, comedy and words for Halloween: Navigators Art presents YO Underworld 6, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 7.30pm

IN this special Halloween edition, York arts collective Navigators Art plays host to riot grrrl punk and grunge-inspired York quartet Blair Bitch Project and improvising cellist and sound artist Gaia Blandina, performing collaborative, open-form pieces with Ish, featuring Iris Casling, double bass, Des Clarke, oboe, and Nika Ticciati, voice.

Joshua Arnold & Therine: Welcoming the coming of Samhain at YO Underworld 6

Taking part too are dark hurdy-gurdy and vocal-led trad and experimental drone folk combo Joshua Arnold & Therine, welcoming the coming of Samhain; Kane Bruce,  delivering his outrageously dark yet cheeky take on “taboo” topics, and Hull poet Melissa Shode, who explores identity in the socio-political climate and writes for release, justice and the voiceless. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/navigators-art-performance or on the door.

Steve Gunn: Showcasing his two 2025 albums at The Band Room, Low Mill, tonight. Picture: Paul Rhodes

Moorland gig of the week: Steve Gunn, The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, North York Moors, tonight, 7.30pm

STEVE Gunn, the ambient psychedelic American singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York, made his name as a guitarist in Kurt Vile’s backing band, The Violators. His myriad magical influences include Michael Chapman, Michael Hurley and John Fahey.

This weekend he will be showcasing his second album of 2025, Daylight Daylight, out on November 7 on No Quarter, as well as his first fully instrumental album, August’s Music For Writers. Box office: 01751 432900 or thebandroom.co.uk.

Hands and Voices: York choir singing at Laughs, Lyrics & You! at the Gateway Centre on Sunday

Inclusive open mic event of the week: Accessible Arts & Media presents Laughs, Lyrics & You!, Gateway Centre, York, Sunday, 2.30pm to 5pm

WHAT is Laughs, Lyrics & You!? “The idea is to have an open mic-type event, in a relaxed and friendly environment that’s accessible and fun, with tea and cake too,” says Accessible Arts & Media (AAM) chief executive officer Chris Farrell. “Our projects, IMPs, Movers and Shakers and Hands and Voices, will start the show with their wonderful music, dances and stories.

“Then it’s over to whoever would like to perform. Any talent is welcome, a duet, a solo instrument, a poetry reading, a recording of some original music, jokes…whatever you can think of would be great!” To take part, performers must contact projects@aamedia.org.uk or ring Hannah on 07762 428818. Admission is free; donations welcome.

Artist Ric Liptrot: Taking part in That Acomb Arty Thing

Art event of the week: That Acomb Arty Thing, Art Trail, until November 2; Open Studios, November 1 and 2

DISCOVER York artists’ work in venues around Acomb on the autumn Art Trail featuring Carla Ballantine, Linda Braham, Ric Liptrot, Jelena Lunge, Rae Merriman, Isaac Savage, Ginette Speed, Donna Taylor and Dianne Turner.

North Yorkshire Open Studios participants are hosting open studios next Saturday and Sunday: Paul Mathieson & Peter Mathieson, 49 Jute Road, 10am to 4pm; Peijun Cao, 60 Jute Road, 10.30am to 5pm; Fran Brammer, 81 Jute Road, 10am to 4pm; Charlotte Lister & Charley Hellier, 7 Chestnut Grove, 10am to 2pm; Robin Grover-Jacques, 35 Chestnut Grove, 11am to 4pm, and Mo Nisbet, 116 Acomb Road, 11am to 4pm.

Blue sigh thinking? Henry Normal reflects on himself, his mistakes, his Z celebrity status, in The Slideshow

Normal service resumed: Henry Normal, The Slideshow, Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 8pm

THE Slideshow, as poet, film and TV producer/writer Henry Normal explains, is a multi-MEdia spectacular with the emphasis on the “me” in his celebration of his “meteoric rise to Z celebrity status”, followed by his joyous and inevitable slide into physical and mental decline.

Expect poetry, photos, jokes, music, dance, song, circus skills, costume changes, props and stories, exploring where Normal  went wrong in life, plus lessons you can learn from his mistakes, in this memoir with cautionary verse. Box office: helmsleyarts.co.uk.

David Barrott, left, Catherine Edge and Adam Marsdin in rehearsal for Settlement Players’ production of Party Piece

Calamitous comedy misadventure of the week: York Settlement Community Players in Party Piece, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 28 to November 1, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee

AMERICAN director, writer, producer, historian and stuntman Martin T Brooks directs Settlement Players for the first time in Richard Harris’s calamitous 1992 comedy Party Piece.

Michael and Roma Smethurst are preparing meticulously for their fancy-dress housewarming party. Mrs Hinson, not the biggest fan of her upper-class new neighbours, is keeping a criticising eye on the attendees. Then disasters strike: an embarrassing lack of guests, a burning barbeque, a marauding Zimmer frame and a corpse showing up at the front door. Cue chaos. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Cassie Vallance, left, and Jane Bruce in Story Craft Theatre’s Bat, Cackle And Pop! at York Theatre Royal

Children’s Halloween show of the week: Story Craft Theatre in Bat, Cackle And Pop!, York Theatre Royal Studio, October 29 to 31, 10.30am and 1pm

WINIFRED the Witch thinks everyone has forgotten her birthday. Not so. There will be a big surprise party, but first, a special birthday cake must be made.

“We just need the last three rather spooky ingredients,” say York company Story Craft Theatre’s Cassie Vallance and Jane Bruce. “Our show is bubbling with all sorts of ghosts and ghouls – more silly than scary – and there’s plenty of opportunities to dabble in some spell making, as well as flying with luxury BAT Airways.” Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Rory Stewart: Discussing his new book, Middleland, at York Barbican

Book event of the week: Toppings presents Rory Stewart, Middleland, York Barbican, October 30, 7pm

NOW Professor of the Practice of Grand Strategy at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs and Alastair Campbell’s co-podcaster on The Rest Is Politics, Rory Stewart spent nearly a decade as Conservative MP of Britain’s most rural constituency, Penrith and the Border.

Living in the Eden Valley, he found inspiration in the beauty of Cumbrian landscape, its rugged history as a frontierland, and the spirit of its people, prompting him to write Middleland: Dispatches From The Borders, a portrait of rural Britain today: a place caught in tensions between farming and the natural world, between the need to preserve and to grow, between local and national politics. Over to you, Rory.  Tickets: toppingbooks.co.uk/events/york/rory-stewart-middleland/.

Fizzy with the singers in Pick Me Up Theatre’s Bugsy Malone: Theo Rae, Isla Lightfoot, Olivia Swales and Beau Lettin

Musical of the week: Pick Me Up Theatre in Bugsy Malone, Grand Opera House, York, October 31 to November 8, 7.30pm, except Sunday and Monday ; 2.30pm, both Saturdays and Sunday

LESLEY Hill directs and choreographs York company Pick Me Up Theatre’s cast of 40 young performers in  Alan Parker and Paul Williams’s musical, replete with the movie songs You Give A Little Love,  My Name Is Tallulah, So You Wanna Be A Boxer?, Fat Sam’s Grand SlamandBugsy Malone.

In Prohibition-era New York, rival gangsters Fat Sam and Dandy Dan are at loggerheads. As custard pies fly and Dan’s splurge guns wreak havoc, penniless ex-boxer and all-round nice guy Bugsy Malone falls for aspiring singer Blousey Brown. Can Bugsy resist seductive songstress Tallulah, Fat Sam’s moll and Bugsy’s old flame, and stay out of trouble while helping Fat Sam to defend his business? Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

In Focus: Tom Grennan, York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, July 25 2026

BEDFORD singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is the first act to be confirmed for the Music Showcase Weekend at the 2026 York Racecourse flat racing season.

Grennan, 30, has achieved three UK number one albums, 2021’s Evering Road, 2023’s What Ifs & Maybes and 2025’s Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be, preceded by his top five-charting 2018 debut Lighting Matches. 

He has chalked up hit singles too with Little Bit Of Love, Let’s Go Home Together (with Ella Henderson), Remind Me, Lionheart (Fearless, with Joel Corry), Here, How Does It Feel, It Can’t Be Christmas, By Your Side (Calvin Harris, featuring Tom Grennan) and Not Over Yet (KSI, featuring Tom Grennan).

Next summer’s Knavesmire gig will form part of a busy touring schedule for Grennan, who also co-hosts the You About? podcast with TV and radio presenter Roman Kemp.

Racing and music fans can take advantage of a price freeze on adult general admission on the track’s website, meaning entrance to the main Grandstand and Paddock enclosure, starts at just £40 per person for a group of six. As well as free car parking, no booking fees apply on this route to purchase. To book, visit www.yorkracecourse.co.uk.

On the racecourse, the racing action will see seven thoroughbred contests with combined prize money of £380,000. The Group Two feature race will be the Sky Bet York Stakes.

The Summer Music Saturday meeting will be held on June 27; the Friday evening Music Showcase Weekend meeting on July 24. Music acts for both those days are yet to be confirmed; keep checking www.yorkracecourse.co.uk for further announcements, expected soon.

James Brennan, head of marketing and sponsorship says: “It is great news that Tom Grennan is joining the artists to have performed on the Knavesmire; a performer who has gone from strength to strength. It will herald a month for music and racing fans to remember.”

In Focus too: Luxmuralis presents Echoes Of Yorkshire, York Museum Gardens, until November 2, 6pm to 8.20pm

Luxmuralis’s Echoes Of Yorkshire transforming the St Mary’s Abbey ruins in York Museum Gardens. Picture: Duncan Savage, Ravage Productions, for York Museums Trust

LET light, colour and music surround you at the Echoes Of Yorkshire light and sound installation conjured by the internationally acclaimed Luxmuralis, who bring alive the culturally rich story of the Yorkshire Museum and York Museum Gardens.

Visitors are invited to “immerse yourself in the story of the historic site with contemporary light and music showcasing its age-defining artefacts and extraordinary exhibits. Join us to celebrate all that the museum and its gardens bring to our city and the wider north of England.”

In the 30-year collaboration of sculptor and artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper, Luxmuralis travels the world to create stories in light and sound for audiences at locations ranging from the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, to city-wide open-air projections in places such as Oxford and Limburg in the Netherlands.

Through combining fine art, light and sound, Luxmuralis reflects closely on the history and heritage of places by weaves together the contemporary and the ancient.

Now, for the first time, Luxmuralis is transforming the walls of York in Echoes Of Yorkshire in York Museum Gardens for ten evenings filled with six looping art installations and landscape lighting by Steve Rainsford.

Ticketed entry time slots are given every 20 minutes, but once in the gardens visitors can journey through the experience at their own pace with a recommended walking time of one hour. Refreshments will be available to buy on the night, including from Thor’s tipi.

Echoes Of Yorkshire is suitable for all ages. Audiences will experience the gardens’ history from the Roman period to its time as an abbey (St Mary’s Abbey) in tandem with Luxmuralis’s showcase of the Yorkshire Museum’s collections that span 60 million years from the Jurassic and the Mesolithic, through to the Romans, Viking, Anglo Saxon and Medieval.

Welcoming Luxmuralis to York Museum Gardens, Siona Mackelworth, head of audience and programme for York Museums Trust, says: “We are delighted that Luxmuralis agreed to produce a very special and bespoke show for us here in York.

“This is a celebration of all that the Yorkshire Museum brings to the city, its history and the location as the repository of great discoveries and stories. With this amount of content, the Luxmuralis light and sound show looks amazing.”

Luxmuralis artistic director Peter Walker says: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with the team at Yorkshire Museum to deliver a truly distinctive experience set within the stunning and historically rich Museum Gardens.

“By drawing inspiration from the museum’s collections, this light installation re-imagines the architecture and landscape in an entirely new and transformative way.”

Tickets cost £13.50 per adult; £9.50 for children aged five to 16; free admission for under-fives. Box office: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk. Echoes Of Yorkshire is on a constant loop from 6pm to 8.20pm each night. Please note, only assistance dogs will be allowed into the gardens during the event.

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Meet the New Generation as Riverdance marks 30th anniversary at York Barbican

Principal dancers Fergus Fitzpatrick and Anna Mai Fitzpatrick with the New Generation dancers in Riverdance’s 30th anniversary show, on tour at York Barbican from tomorrow to Sunday

RIVERDANCE is celebrating its 30th anniversary with its New Generation of pounding Irish dancers, on the beat at York Barbican from tomorrow (24/10/2025) to Sunday.

Not one of them was born when Irish composer Bill Whelan originated Riverdance as an interval act at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, featuring Irish dancing champions Michael Flatley and Jean Butler and the vocal ensemble Anúna.

Husband-and-wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty soon converted it into a stage show that opened in Dublin on February 9 1995.

Whelan, McColgan and Doherty remain at the helm for Riverdance: The New Generation as composer, director and producer respectively on the 30-venue UK tour – one for each year – that runs from August 12 to December 14.

The New Generation production of this Grammy award-winning show rejuvenates the format with innovative choreography and costumes and state-of-the art lighting, projection and motion graphics.

Riverdance principal dancer Anna Mai Fitzpatrick: Dancing since the age of four

Director John McColgan says: “It is both a privilege and a delight to celebrate 30 years of Riverdance and the unique journey it has taken us on. In those 30 years, the show has transformed from a spectacle into a global cultural phenomenon, continuously evolving yet remaining true to its Irish roots.

“On this tour we welcoming ‘the New Generation’ of artists while paying tribute to the talented performers, creators, dedicated crew, and the millions of fans who have made Riverdance a worldwide celebration of music and dance.”

Among the principal dancers in a show that blends the traditional and the contemporary in a showcase of dancers, singers and musicians will be brother-and-sister dance captains Fergus Fitzpatrick and Anna Mai Fitzpatrick.

“Fergus and I both joined the company about eight years ago,” says Anna Mai. “So we saw Riverdance through its 25th anniversary, just before Covid, when the score had been recomposed by Bill Whelan.”

“We started Irish dancing at a young age, at eight in my case, and Anna Mai was four,” says Fergus. “We started by going to after-school dance classes at the local primary school, at Navan in County Meath, and I first saw the Riverdance show a couple of years later  on TV.

Fergus Fitzpatrick: World champion-turned-Riverdance principal dancer

“It looked like they were having so much fun with their friends on stage, and after that show, I remember trying to do the moves around the coffee table in the living toom!”

Anna Mai rejoins: “Yeah, it looked like they were having the best time of their lives on stage, and even at that age, I was up on my feet trying to replicate it.”

Both becoming dance champions, they caught the Riverdance bug and love being part of the New Generation show. “We train our whole life to be on stage, and we wouldn’t know what to do if we weren’t performers,” says Anna Mai. “Like anything, you have to put everything into it, all your willpower.”

Fergus says: “Once we’re on tour, we’re together for almost 24 hours a day: eating together, dancing together, staying together in the hotel – and there are plenty of siblings in the show, so it’s good to have that camaraderie off stage as well as on.”

Everyone is pulling in the same direction: the production team, the dancers, the singers, the musicians. “Absolutely,” says Fergus. “The team that you see are very like-minded, and the audience can feel it: they see the beautiful harmony between us and the team behind the scenes, making us look good. It’s a really talented team with a shared vision.

“Fergus and I are very lucky to have each other there on tour, and we can always reach out to each other,” says sister Anna Mai

“The New Generation brings a great energy to this version of the show. We’ve only known life in Riverdance, and we feel the responsibility of the legacy.”

Anna Mai is full of admiration for the work of Whelan and McColgan. “They always do such an incredible job of taking care of the show for now and for future generations as ambassadors for the culture of Ireland,” she says. “We are always so grateful to them for keeping the magic that we all know and love.”

Injuries are part and parcel of a dancer’s life, but Anna Mai says: “A lot of it goes back to preparation. The risk of injury goes with any sport or physical activity, but in those activities, there also can be ‘mental injury’, where you’re not in a good place.”

She, however, is very much in a good place. To keep in top condition, “we work with physiotherapists and massage therapists who travel with us on tour,” she says.

“As much as it’s a dream to be doing Riverdance, it’s also a job, and it’s up to us to be able to prepare to do our job. Fergus and I are very lucky to have each other there on tour, and we can always reach out to each other.”

“We approach a set of live dates in a scientific way now,” says Fergus

Fergus adds: “We approach a set of live dates in a scientific way now. We think about how many shows there will be, what we will need in the way of recovery, how we will sustain being at the top of our game for so many shows.

“And of course the team helps us; Riverdance knows that we need a masseur on the road with us, a company physio, that kind of thing, to keep our bodies conditioned”.

Anna Mai comments: “Because we and the show have been to many of these places and cities before, we have connections that we can tap into. And we love to use our time off and get to know an area even better, do some touristy things, catch up with old friends.

“With Riverdance, many things are constantly changing; you will never be on the road with exactly the same people, on exactly the same tour routing. There is always a new energy, a new buzz, and that’s really fun to feed off. We’re making memories together.”

Fergus is looking forward to this week’s performances at York Barbican. “We’ve performed in York before and we absolutely loved it. It’s such a beautiful city and the audiences are incredible,” he says.

Anna Mai Fitzpatrick dancing in Riverdance Perform at Jubilee Stage, Expo 2020 Dubai in November 2021. Picture: Steve Holland/Expo 2020 Dubai

“It was late 2021 when we last came, when the venues opened up again, and we can’t wait to get back there. There’s definitely an energy there. That magic. A feeling you get, that energy, that crescendo, the moments of emotion, when the audience jump to their feet. That’s a great feeling.”

Traditional Irish dancing may be done with “arms down by your side”, but Riverdance’s combination of the traditional and the contemporary, the Irish and the international, means that “in our professional dancing, we do use the arms more,” says Anna Mai.

“It’s really good fun to get to explore that in the shows. If you look back to the synchronicity of the dancing at the Eurovision show, it was all arms by the side, but we will hold hands at times in our show and support the lead dancer with our hands, and that’s an exciting development.”

Summing up the abiding popularity of Riverdance, Anna Mai concludes: “There is always something new in the way the show resonates. I have seen the show many times and it always hits me differently, on a certain night, one particular number might really affect you; there is so much to experience, the phenomenal music as well as the dancers, all the different styles.

“It is never the same. It’s hard to describe the magic of Riverdance to someone who hasn’t seen it. It’s the human emotion that keeps the fans coming back. They come for the feeling that they leave the show with.”

Riverdance, 30th Anniversary Tour, The New Generation, York Barbican, October 24 to 26, 7.30pm, Friday to Sunday, plus 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday matinees. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Sibling synchronicity: Anna Mai Fitzpatrick and Fergus Fitzpatrick are principal dancers and dance captains in Riverdance’s 30th anniversary show

Fergus Fitzpatrick and Anna Mai Fitzpatrick: back story

FERGUS, from County Meath, Ireland, discovered his passion for dance at the age of eight. With his sister Anna Mai, he grew up competing internationally in Irish dancing competitions.

Under the tutelage of Holly and Kavanagh Academy of Irish Dance, Fergus achieved his dream of becoming a world champion in 2017.

Joined Riverdance, performing in Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. As principal dancer, he has performed in prestigious venues such as Radio City Music Hall, New York, and Hammersmith Apollo, London.

Other productions include Heartbeat Of Home at Piccadilly Theatre, London, and London Palladium.

“Only the best dancers will make it to Riverdance,” says Fergus. “It takes a lot of hard work for a lot of years, a lot of drive. In the back of our minds when we started dancing, the end goal was always Riverdance.

“However, before you get there, there is a whole competition scene. Now though, as principal dancer I also feel that I need to outwork the younger guys who are coming through! They are so good, and of course they want my job, so I need to work hard and work smart.”

“As principal dancer I feel that I need to outwork the younger guys who are coming through!” says Fergus

ANNA Mai began her dance journey at the age of four and danced competitively for 16 years alongside brother Fergus. From a young age, Irish Dance was her passion.

Won many major championships includingAll-Ireland Championships, Great Britain Championships and British Nationals.

Joined Riverdance in 2017, touring China with Fergus, then performed with Riverdance at Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, for two summer seasons.

Moved into principal role in 2020, touring with the show on UK national tour, at Expo Dubai in North American, Europe, and China, Australia and Japan tour.

Toured with Heartbeat O Home, making debut as principal dancer at Piccadilly Theatre in London’s West End.

“A love for the dancing and the show is crucial,” says Anna Mai. “That’s the dream I suppose, for any job, and we do wholeheartedly love what we do. That is what pushes me to be that one per cent better every day, keep the fire burning.

“The show takes a lot of work. When the audience sees the cast on stage, they see the glamorous end to what has been the work of an entire team helping each other to get to that point. We love the entire process.”

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York party band HUGE to host Halloween Bash at Huntington WMC on Oct 31. Fancy dress encouraged; prizes for best dressed

Big Ian Donaghy leading HUGE in Halloween action. Picture: David Harrison

HUGE news! Here comes York party band HUGE’s fancy-dress spooktacular at Huntington WMC, North Moor Road, Huntington, York on October 31.

Looking forward to next Friday’s event, frontman Big Ian Donaghy says: “Halloween has come a long way since the days of carving out turnips and sticking a candle in it. Now pumpkin sales are through the roof as everyone buys into the fancy-dress festival each October.

“So, to get all generations out having fun together in a safe environment without needing babysitters will be a welcome change as HUGE put on our family-friendly Halloween Bash. Fancy dress is optional but will be the popular choice of many”

What a blast: HUGE trombonist Stu Wilkinson. Picture: David Harrison

Among those in the HUGE line-up as ever will be Rob Wilson on guitar, Stu Wilkinson on trombone, Ian Chalk on trumpet and Dave Kemp on saxophone.

“This will be nine-piece Huge’s last live outing before hitting the stage our big charity show, A Night To Remember at York Barbican on Wednesday, November 12 for a night of York helping York,” says Big Ian.

“We’ll be joined by 12-year-old Lacey Hart, who won the chance to perform at the sold-out Barbican. Lacey has performed at three events at Stamford Bridge, Sandburn Hall and Harrogate Candlelighters Ball in the lead-up to the Barbican show and has been exceptional. What a talent she is. Completely fearless.”

Pumpkin up the volume: HUGE Halloween Bash poster for October 31

There also will be prizes for adults and children for best costume as well as a dance off and on the spot Halloween themed tricks and treats.

Adult tickets for the Halloween Bash cost £16 from Huntington WMC or from https://events.liveit.io/white-house-creative/huge-halloween-bash/.  Children can attend for free with an accompanying adult but no unaccompanied under-16s will be admitted. Doors open at 7pm; the event finishes at 11pm.

Adult and children’s prizes will be given for best costume; further attractions will be a dance-off and on-the-spot Halloween-themed tricks and treats.

Big Ian’s A Night To Remember will be celebrating its 12th anniversary with a huge production on November 12. “The event started back in 2013 and sold out Leeds City Varieties, York Theatre Royal and the Grand Opera House before finding its home nine years ago at York Barbican,” says master of ceremonies Big Ian.

Halloween beckons for HUGE saxophonist Dave Kemp. Picture: David Harrison

Taking part will be a 30-piece house band, led by George Hall, featuring  event regulars Huge, Jess Steel, Heather Findlay, Beth McCarthy, Simon Snaize, Graham Hodge, The Y Street Band, Las Vegas Ken, Annie Donaghy, fiddle dynamo Kieran O’Malley and soprano Samantha Holden.

“Our concert raises much-needed funds for St Leonard’s Hospice, Bereaved Children Support York and Accessible Arts and Media to get people with learning difficulties into performing,” says Big Ian. To check late ticket availability, keep an eye on yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Did you know?

IAN Donaghy, affectionately known as Big Ian, took the top honour at The York Press Community Pride Awards in September, scooping the Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of his work over many years to make York and the wider community a kinder place.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 46, from Gazette & Herald

Susie Blake’s Shirley and Jason Durr’s Johnny ‘The Cyclops’ in Torben Betts’s Murder At Midnight at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Pamela Raith

A NEW crime caper and a ghost story, a clash of the blues and a Tommy Cooper tribute make their mark in Charles Hutchinson’s diary.

Deliciously twisted crime caper of the week: Original Theatre in Murder At Midnight, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

ON New Year’s Eve, in a quiet corner of Kent, a killer is in the house in Torben Betts’s comedy thriller Murder At Midnight, part two of a crime trilogy for Original Theatre that began last year with Murder In The Dark, this time starring Jason Durr, Susie Blake, Max Howden and Katie McGlynn.

Meet Jonny ‘The Cyclops’, his glamorous wife, his trigger-happy sidekick, his mum – who sees things – and her very jittery carer, plus a vicar, apparently hiding something, and a nervous burglar dressed as a clown. Throw in a suitcase full of cash, a stash of deadly weapons and one infamous unsolved murder…what could possibly go wrong? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Alexandra Mather’s Polly Peachum in York Opera’s The Beggar’s Opera at The Citadel in York. Picture: John Saunders

Opera of the week: York Opera in The Beggar’s Opera, The Citadel, York City Church, Gillygate, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm

YORK Opera stage John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch’s 1728 satirical ballad opera The Beggar’s Opera in an immersive production under the musical direction of John Atkin and stage direction of Chris Charlton-Matthews, with choreography by Jane Woolgar.

Watch out! You may find yourself next to a cast member, whether Mark Simmonds’ Macheath, Adrian Cook’s Peachum, Anthony Gardner’s Lockit, Alexandra Mather’s Polly Peachum, Sophie Horrocks’ Lucy Lockit, Cathy Atkin’s Mrs Peachum, Ian Thomson-Smith’s Beggar or Jake Mansfield’s Player. Box office: tickets.yorkopera.co.uk/events/yorkopera/1793200.

Natasha Jones, left, and Florrie Stockbridge in Clap Trap Theatre’s Blindfold at Helmsley Arts Centre

Ghost story of the week: Clap Trap Theatre in Blindfold, Helmsley Arts Centre, tomorrow, 7.30pm

RYEDALE company Clap Trap Theatre’s cast of Natasha Jones, Florrie Stockbridge and Cal Stockbridge presents Blindfold, a ghost story by BAFTA-nominated North Yorkshire playwright and scriptwriter Tom Needham.

In 1914, two boyhood friends went to fight for their country but only one came back. After the war, the surviving soldier and his sister encounter an old friend who was being haunted by the ghost of a young man in a blindfold. Now, 100 years later, the discovery of letters re-awakens the ghost. Who is he and what does he want? Piece by piece, the lives of the long dead are brought to life and heartbreaking truths begin to emerge. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Heidi Talbot: Introducing new album Grace Untold at NCEM

Folk gig of the week: Heidi Talbot, Grace Untold UK Tour, National Centre for Early Music, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

IRISH folk singer Heidi Talbot returns to the NCEM stage to preview her November 21 album Grace Untold, a collection of songs based around Irish goddesses and inspirational women.

This is an album rooted in personal experience and collective lore as Heidi pays tribute to female strength, focusing on legendary figures and the unsung heroines within her own family. Box office: 01904 658338 or necem.co.uk.

Just like him: Daniel Taylor in the guise of Tommy Cooper at Milton Rooms, Malton

Tribute show of the week: Daniel Taylor Productions presents The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper (Just Like That), Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 7.30pm

PRODUCED and performed by award-winning West End and Unbreakable star Daniel Taylor, this 90-minute tribute show has the blessing of the Tommy Cooper Estate.

Recapturing the mayhem and misfiring magic of one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers, Taylor gives you a glimpse into the life of the comedy giant, celebrating his best one-liners, dazzling wordplay and celebrated tricks, including Glass/Bottle, Dappy Duck, Spot the Dog and Jar/Spoon. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Riverdance: The New Generation celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Irish dance phenomenon at York Barbican

Dance show of the week: Riverdance, 30th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, Friday to Sunday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday matinees

VISITING 30 UK venues – one for each year of its history – from August to December 2025, the Irish dance extravaganza Riverdance rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes, plus state-of-the-art lighting, projection and motion graphics, in this 30th anniversary celebration.

For the first time, John McColgan directs “the New Generation” of Riverdance performers, none of them born when the show began. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The poster for Them Heavy Souls’ blues revue at Kirk Theatre, Pickering

Blues gig of the week: Them Heavy Souls, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, Saturday, 7.30pm

MARK Christian Hawkins, top session guitarist for 30 years, is a gun for hire stepping out of the shadows with his British blues rock revue show, featuring stage and screen actress Lucy Crawford on vocals (last spotted playing Miss Prism in York company’s Pop Your Clogs Theatre’s The Importance Of Being Earnest).

Playing music from the golden era of 1966 to 1975, Them Heavy Souls capture the power and magic of  Led Zeppelin/Jimmy Page, Cream/Eric Clapton, Yardbirds/Jeff Beck, Humble Pie/Peter Frampton and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, delivered with vintage guitars, amplification and a nod to improvisation. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

Alex Hamilton: Leading his blues trio at Helmsley Arts Centre

The other blues gig of the week, on the very same night: The Alex Hamilton Band, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 8pm

GUITARIST Alex Hamilton is joined in his blues/rock/Americana trio by father Nick Hamilton on bass and Martin Bell on drums. He combines melodic rock vocals, hard-hitting lyrics and a heart-felt guitar technique, as heard on his albums Ghost Train, Shipwrecked and On The Radio, as well as in concert venues around the world. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

Gunn in for you: Steve Gunn promotes his two 2025 albums at The Band Room this weekend. Picture: Paul Rhodes

Moorland gig of the week: Steve Gunn, The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, North York Moors, Saturday, 7.30pm

STEVE Gunn, the ambient psychedelic American singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York, made his name as a guitarist in Kurt Vile’s backing band, The Violators. His myriad magical influences include Michael Chapman, Michael Hurley and John Fahey.

This weekend he will be showcasing his second album of 2025, Daylight Daylight, out on November 7 on No Quarter, as well as his first fully instrumental album, August’s Music For Writers. Box office: 01751 432900 or thebandroom.co.uk.

On being Normal: Henry Normal discusses himself at Helmsley Arts Centre

Normal service resumed: Henry Normal, The Slideshow, Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 8pm

THE Slideshow, as poet, film and TV producer/writer Henry Normal explains, is a multi-MEdia spectacular with the emphasis on the “me” in his celebration of his “meteoric rise to z celebrity status”, together with his joyous and inevitable slide into physical and mental decline.

Expect poetry, photos, jokes, music, dance, song, circus skills, costume changes, props and stories, exploring where Normal  went wrong in life, plus lessons you can learn from his mistakes, in his live performed memoir with cautionary verse. For tickets for this adventure into understanding the human condition from the inside, go to: helmsleyarts.co.uk.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 46 of criminally good entertainment, from The York Press

Martha Tilston: Playing The Basement tonight at City Screen Picturehouse

CRIMINAL investigations and a brace of plays with murder at the core, Charles Hutchinson detects a theme to his latest recommendations.

Singer-songwriter of the week: Martha Tilston, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 7.30pm

BORN in Bristol and now living in Cornwall, singer, songwriter and filmmaker Martha Tilston writes songs from the heart as a balm for the modern age.

Tilston, who has worked Zero 7, Damien Rice, Nick Harper, Kae Tempest and Aztec Camera’s Roddy Frame, combines raw vocals and sparkling melodies with thought-provoking lyrics and filmic movements, inviting her audience to “connect with longed-for parts of ourselves”. Box office: marthatilston.co.uk.

Jennifer Rees: Exploring stories of serial killers in forensic detail at the Grand Opera House, York

Criminal investigations of the week: Strange But True Crimes with Jennifer Rees, Grand Opera House, York, October 21, 7.30pm

FORMER forensics lecturer and Psychology Of Serial Killers presenter Jennifer Rees explores stories such as the serial killer who gained work in law enforcement while on the run – and ended up hunting himself.

Watch out too for the female, balloon-carrying killer clown, serial killers on game shows – how  their appearances led to their identification – and  many more stories. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Jason Durr’s Jonny ‘The Cyclops’, right, accosting the nervous burglar in Torben Betts’s comedy thriller Murder At Midnight. Picture: Pamela Raith

Deliciously twisted crime caper of the week: Original Theatre in Murder At Midnight, York Theatre Royal, October 21 to 25, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

ON New Year’s Eve, in a quiet corner of Kent, a killer is in the house in Torben Betts’s comedy thriller Murder At Midnight, part two of a crime trilogy for Original Theatre that began last year with Murder In The Dark, this time starring Jason Durr, Susie Blake, Max Howden and Katie McGlynn.

Meet Jonny ‘The Cyclops’, his glamorous wife, his trigger-happy sidekick, his mum – who sees things – and her very jittery carer, plus a vicar, apparently hiding something, and a nervous burglar dressed as a clown. Throw in a suitcase full of cash, a stash of deadly weapons and one infamous unsolved murder…what could possibly go wrong? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon: Showcasing new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon at York Barbican. Picture: Kevin Westerberg

Recommended but sold out already: The Divine Comedy, York Barbican, October 21, doors 7pm

IN the wake of composing all the original songs for the 2023 global blockbuster Wonka, North Irishman Neil Hannon has returned to his Divine Comedy guise for September 19’s Rainy Sunday Afternoon: album number 13 and his first studio set since 2019’s Office Politics.

Recorded at Abbey Road, London, the album was written, arranged and produced by Hannon, who covers his usual range of emotions: sad, funny, angry and everything in between. Hear Hannon songs new and old next Tuesday, when Studio Electrophonique will be the special guest. Box office, for returns only: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Katie Melia’s Show White in Steve Coates Music Productions’ Disenchanted, turning fairy tales on their head at the JoRo

Cheeky twist on fairy tales of the week: Steve Coates Music Productions in Disenchanted, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, October 22 to 25, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

KATIE Melia directs and leads the cast as Snow White in Steve Coates Music Productions’ production of  Disenchanted, the musical with the feminist twist that turns fairy tales upside down, from the Little Mermaid hitting the bottle to Belle ending up in a straitjacket for chatting with the cutlery.

Forget the damsels in distress, Snow White, Cinderella and their royal crew want to set the record straight. Equipped with sass, wit, and powerhouse vocals, these not-so-princessy princesses flip the script, spill the tea and reclaim their stories as they challenge outdated happily-ever-afters. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Making an impression: Dead Ringers on 25th anniversary tour

Comedy nights of the week: Dead Ringers, October 22, 3pm and 7.30pm, and Nick Mohammed Is Mr Swallow: Show Pony, October 26, 8pm, both at Grand Opera, House, York  

TO mark its 25th anniversary, BBC Radio 4’s topical satire show Dead Ringers takes to the road with a full UK tour for the first time as long-standing cast members Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod and Duncan Wisbey take a trip through classic sketches and unrivalled impressions, peppered with  topical humour.

Celebrity Traitors competitor, Taskmaster contestant and Ted Lasso actor Nick Mohammed returns to York as his alter-ego Mr Swallow. Expect magic, music and new mistakes. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Harry Summers, left, and Emma Scott in rehearsal for York Shakespeare Project’s The Spanish Tragedy. Picture: John Saunders

Revenge drama of the week: York Shakespeare Project in The Spanish Tragedy, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 22 to 25, 7.30pm

PAUL Toy directs York Shakespeare Project for the fourth time – and the first since Troilus And Cressida in 2011– in “the most popular play of the Elizabethan era, outselling Shakespeare”: Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, the circa 1592 blueprint for the Revenge Tragedy genre.

No Kyd, maybe no Hamlet or The Duchess Of Malfi, as treachery, deceit and disguise are wrapped inside a torrid tale of vengeance-seeking ghosts, madness, a play-within-a-play and a Machiavellian villain, delivered by Toy with masks, music and dance. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk. 

Alexandra Mather’s Polly Peachum in York Opera’s The Beggar’s Opera. Picture: John Saunders

Opera of the week: York Opera in The Beggar’s Opera, The Citadel, York City Church, Gillygate, York, October 23 to 25, 7.30pm

YORK Opera stage John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch’s 1728 satirical ballad opera The Beggar’s Opera in an immersive production under the musical direction of John Atkin and stage direction of Chris Charlton-Matthews, with choreography by Jane Woolgar.

Watch out! You may find yourself next to a cast member, whether Mark Simmonds’ Macheath, Adrian Cook’s Peachum, Anthony Gardner’s Lockit, Alexandra Mather’s Polly Peachum, Sophie Horrocks’ Lucy Lockit, Cathy Atkin’s Mrs Peachum, Ian Thomson-Smith’s Beggar or Jake Mansfield’s Player. Box office: tickets.yorkopera.co.uk/events/yorkopera/1793200.

Heidi Talbot: Introducing November 21 album Grace Untold at NCEM on October 23

Folk gig of the week: Heidi Talbot, Grace Untold UK Tour, National Centre for Early Music, York, October 23, 7.30pm

IRISH folk singer Heidi Talbot returns to the NCEM stage to preview her November 21 album Grace Untold, a collection of songs based around Irish goddesses and inspirational women.

This is an album rooted in personal experience and collective lore as Heidi pays tribute to female strength, focusing on legendary figures and the unsung heroines within her own family. Box office: 01904 658338 or necem.co.uk.

Riverdance: The New Generation performs the Irish dancers’ 30th anniversary show at York Barbican

Dance show of the week: Riverdance, 30th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, October 24 to 26, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday matinees

VISITING 30 UK venues – one for each year of its history – from August to December 2025, the Irish dance extravaganza Riverdance rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes, plus state-of-the-art lighting, projection and motion graphics, in this 30th anniversary celebration.

For the first time, John McColgan directs “the New Generation” of Riverdance performers, none of them born when the show began. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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From Strictly to Sin City, ‘the Rat Pack of dance’ return to York Barbican in Vegas: After Hours on November 4 2026

The tour poster for The Legends’ 2026 travels in Vegas: After Hours

STRICTLY Come Dancing legends Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite will return to York Barbican on November 4 2026 on their Vegas: After Hours tour.

Less than a month ago, the Strictly alumni played the Paragon Street venue on their The Return Of The Legends tour on September 20, having earlier toured their Legends of The Dance Floor show in 2024.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am tomorrow (17/10/2025), available at yorkbarbican.co.uk, Ticketmaster and legendsofthedancefloor.com.

The terpsichorean quintet promises a “breathtaking brand new show that captures all the glitz, glamour and excitement of Las Vegas, where the dance floor never sleeps”.

Vegas: After Hours dancers Brendan Cole, left, James Jordan, Ian Waite, Pasha Kovalev and Vincent Simone

Joined by female dance partners, Cole, Jordan, Kovalev, Simone and Waite will “bring the spirit of Sin City to life through stunning routines and nonstop entertainment, all set to a soundtrack inspired by the greatest Las Vegas performers of all time”.

From neon lights and electric nights, spinning roulette tables, glamorous showgirl and dazzling casinos to desert sunsets, lavish pool parties, whirlwind weddings, iconic hotels and world-class entertainment, Vegas: After Hours captures it all.

The 30-date tour will run from October 3 to November 10 2026, taking in further Yorkshire shows at Sheffield City Hall on October 22 and St George’s Hall, Bradford, on November 5.

Brendan Cole enthuses: “Anyone who saw our last two shows will tell you that a Vegas-themed show is the perfect next step for us. We are the Rat Pack of dance, and we’re going to have a Vegas-style party. It’s going to be a riot.” 

The poster for The Return Of The Legends, the 2025 tour that visited York Barbican on September 20

Vincent Simone teases: “As if I haven’t got myself into enough trouble every single night of our last two tours together, our brand new show is inspired by Sin City. What could possibly go wrong? I can’t wait for everybody to find out!” 

James Jordan chips in: “We spent the last two years proving to everyone that we’ve still got it, so as long as my body holds up, I look forward to bringing our most dazzling dance spectacular yet, with my brothers in dance, to audiences across the UK.”

Pasha Kovalev exclaims: “Vegas, baby! Can’t wait for this tour! The Legends shows have been such a blast, but I’ve got a feeling Vegas: After Hours is going to top them all!”

Ian Waite sums up: “After having an absolute blast on tour with the guys, it’s now all about Vegas: After Hours for 2026. Maximum glitz, maximum glamour. I’m already there.”

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REVIEW: Steve Crowther’s verdict on York Guildhall Orchestra, York Barbican, Oct 12

Chris Bradley playing the cimbalon at York Guildhall Orchestra’s concert

THIS fascinating programme could hardly have been more contrasting: Zoltán Kodály’s eclectic, charming Háry János Suite, Op. 15, and Dmitri Shostakovich’s dark, brooding Tenth Symphony in E minor, Op. 93.

The Prelude opened with a convincing “orchestral sneeze” – a Hungarian superstition that sneezing before telling a story confirms its truth. This was very much a scene-setter: atmospheric orchestral textures with fine woodwind and string contributions, and a nicely judged balance overall.

The Viennese Musical Clock was delightful – toy-clock imagery created by the absence of strings in favour of playful percussion sounds (notably glockenspiel), and fine solos from Jane Wright (oboe) and others.

The lyrical Song featured fine solos from Moira Challoner (viola), Andrew Cavell (clarinet), and Wright again on oboe, plus a charming appearance by the delicate cimbalom (Chris Bradley). 

The Battle And Defeat Of Napoleon was delightfully bonkers – a comedic, stylised battle with trombone calls to arms, doleful saxophone responses, military rhythms and a closing funeral procession. Fine playing again, with Simon Wright judging the balance expertly.

The highlight, however, was the Intermezzo. Here the Hungarian folk influence was most obvious, and Chris Bradley made a serious contribution – one he (and we) clearly relished. True, the cimbalom was sometimes drowned out by full orchestral textures, but that was almost inevitable given its intimate timbre.

I rather wish the Suite had ended here – it would have made a splendid sign-off. The final Entrance of the Emperor and His Court was dramatically fine – a ceremonial, deliciously pompous march – but musically, it didn’t add much. For me, anyway.

York Guildhall Orchestra in concert at York Barbican on October 12

Before we trotted off for our interval ice creams, Mr Bradley performed an attractive folksong tune which, he noted, quietly endorsed God’s Own County, Lancashire. I’ll get my coat.

Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony was, according to his own account, composed in the months following Stalin’s death in 1953; it was premiered that December by the Leningrad Philharmonic under Yevgeny Mravinsky.

The opening Moderato is massive – both in length (it occupies about half of the symphony) and in emotional tone. The sense of torment seems undeniable; I was reminded of Bob Dylan’s song Not Dark Yet: “Sometimes my burden is more than I can bear/It’s not dark yet, but it’s gettin’ there”.

Simon Wright’s direction conveyed a real sense of organic purpose. The playing was commendably strong, with impressive contributions from clarinet, flute (Della Blood), oboe and bassoon (Isabel Dowell). The distant horn solo (Janus Wadsworth) added welcome warmth and humanity, and the chamber-like intimacy of the viola and cello solos (Moira Challoner and Sally Ladds) recalled Mahler in its emotional directness.

The relentless drive of the second-movement Allegro – “a musical portrait of Stalin” (Testimony) – came across with brutal intensity. After the murky depths of the first movement, its savage energy felt almost cathartic. Biting trumpet and trombone fanfares, quasi-martial snare drum and screaming woodwinds made this genuinely edge-of-the-seat stuff.

The third-movement Allegretto is a waltz – although not of the civilised Strauss variety. The tone is calmer, but still uneasy. It was fascinating to hear how the DSCH motif is woven into the fabric, alongside a counter-motif (E–A–E–D–A) attributed to Elmira Nazirova, a talented composition student.

The two form a kind of coded dialogue: the horn plays the rising “Elmira” theme – beautifully realised by Janus Wadsworth – discreetly answered by Andrew Cavell on clarinet. If love was indeed in the air, flute and oboe seemed to mock it. The performance projected a kind of chamber concerto for horn and woodwind.

Simon Wright: “His direction conveyed a real sense of organic purpose”

There were some issues with the closing Andante–Allegro. The rapid, heavily accented syncopated rhythms at the start of the Allegro weren’t quite as tight as they could have been, and the alternation between massive tuttis and chamber-like conversations didn’t always convince – although the dry acoustic did the players no favours.

That said, there was much to admire. Wright judged the opening superbly: out of the almost eerie stillness emerged Della Blood’s haunting flute solo, her breath control and purity of tone capturing the fragility and tentative hope of the moment. It surely represents the first real breath after the long darkness of the symphonic journey so far.

Clarinet and bassoon then picked up fragments of the flute’s melody, responding in lower, darker timbres – deepening the colour and grounding the fragile flute tone. The woodwind exchanges continued the chamber-like intimacy and were strongly convincing.

They were joined by the horn, playing the distinctive “Elmira” motif and linking the finale to the personal world of the third movement. Wadsworth again impressed, particularly in the soft, sustained horn solo in the upper register – exposed and difficult for both intonation and breath support.

As the Allegro section began, the first violins – admirably led by Fiona Love – gradually assumed the melodic lead. Their lyrical yet forceful lines cut through the rhythmic engine with long, arching phrases, demonstrating impressive bow control.

In the end, the final word belonged to the timpani – Francesca Rochester on fine form throughout – rhythmically hammering out the DSCH motif (D–E♭–C–B), Shostakovich’s personal signature. Its insistent, obsessive repetition drives the symphony to its defiant E-major conclusion.

Given the technical, physical and emotional demands of this remarkable symphony – and the unsympathetic acoustic – this performance was a real achievement.

Review by Steve Crowther

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Haircut One Hundred to play York Barbican on May 8 2026, preceded by first album with Nick Heyward in 44 years on March 20

Haircut One Hundred: New album after more than four decades

HAIRCUT One Hundred will play York Barbican on May 8 2026 on next spring’s tour to showcase Boxing The Compass, their first album with singer Nick Heyward in 44 years.

Tickets for the Beckenham, London band’s only Yorkshire gig on their 11-date itinerary go on general sale at 10am on October 24 at yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The unexpected second chapter in the Haircut One Hundred story gathered pace in 2024 when their first single in forever, The Unloving Plum, became BBC Radio 2’s Record of the Week, recalling the early Eighties’ days of Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl), Love Plus One, Fantastic Day and Nobody’s Fool.

Now that comeback steps up a gear as the Londoners announce Boxing The Compass for release on March 20 2026.

This morning, they launched the album alongside the premiere of new single Dynamite on Scott Mills’s show on BBC Radio 2, when also revealing details of their first full UK headline tour since 2023.

Boxing The Compass will be only the second album from the classic line-up since 1982’s  platinum-certified Pelican West, a number two hit that was followed by 1984’s Paint And Paint, by then without frontman Heyward.

Heyward (vocals/guitar), Graham Jones (guitar) and Les Nemes (bass) first reconvened to discuss issues around the band, but that business meeting felt more like a reunion of old friends.

Matters soon snowballed from an “unforgettable” comeback gig at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London,  to a full UK headline tour, with drummer Blair Cunningham subsequently jumping back on board. That 15-date Haircut 100% Live tour concluded at York Barbican on November 17 2023, again their only Yorkshire destination.

The album cover artwork for Haircut One Hundred’s Boxing The Compass, out on May 20 next year

Subsequent writing and recording sessions with Dexys’ band member Sean Read at Famous Times studio in East London showed that they “still shared that special something”.

“Their flair for a classic, melody-rich pop song was firmly intact, along with a host of fresh influences that they had never had the chance to explore together,” their publicity machine says. “And despite the passing of four decades, their boyish charm is still luminous – surely because each member is grateful for having a second chance with their old friends.”

Heyward, now 64, says: “Boxing The Compass is the traditional way of finding out where you are on land or sea using the compass rose. We’re arriving back at the port we left 43 years ago with a log of songs from our personal travels.

“Wherever I’ve been in the world, I’ve always been Nick Heyward of Haircut One Hundred and we’re all ready to set sail again for more adventures on the high seas.”

New single Dynamite is “the sound of a band who are relishing being back, their famous instant pop addictiveness now flavoured by classic disco guitar hooks, rousing brass and jazzy flourishes,” today’s press blurb states.

“Its feelgood fervour is amplified by Nick’s bright, charismatic vocals with a lyric that explains itself on a song that made a big impression when it was debuted throughout the band’s recent North American tour.”

Heyward adds: ”Dynamite is about the day and the night and meeting via satellite. Whether it’s your soul mate, long-lost family members, future friends, or your people. It’s about communication and how explosive it can be. It really is dynamite.”

Boxing The Compass will be released on CD, vinyl and digital formats and can be pre-ordered at https://slinky.to/BoxingTheCompass.

The track list will be: Vanishing Point; The Unloving Plum; That’s A Start; Dynamite; Come Back To Me; Someone; A Wonderful Life; Soul Bird; Raincloud and Sunshine.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No.45, from Gazette & Herald

Courtney Brown: Directing Pickering Musical Society for the first time in My Favourite Things – The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Picture: Robert David Photography

FROM Rodgers & Hammerstein favourites to Caliban’s dancing revenge, Francis Rossi’s songs and stories to German beer festivities, Charles Hutchinson delights in October’s diversity.

Musical revue of the week: Pickering Musical Society presents My Favourite Things – The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, tonight  to Sunday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

LONG-TIME member Courtney Brown directs Pickering Musical Society for the first time in My Favourite Things – The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein, a showcase of the very best of Broadway’s most iconic songwriting partnership.

As well as the cheeky charm of Honey Bun, the playful fun of The Lonely Goatherd and the rousing barn-dance energy of The Farmer And The Cowman, the show feature songs from The Sound Of Music, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The King And I. Dancers from the Sarah Louise Ashworth School of Dance take part too. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

Eddi Reader: Playing York for the first time in seven years at The Citadel

Seven-year itch of the week: Hurricane Promotions presents Eddi Reader, The Citadel, York City Church, Gillygate, York, tonight, 7.30pm

EDDI Reader, the Glasgow-born singer who fronted Fairground Attraction, topping the charts with Perfect, also has ten solo albums, three BRIT awards and an MBE for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts to her name.

Straddling differing musical styles and making them her own, from the traditional to the contemporary, and interpreting the songs of Robert Burns to boot, she brings romanticism to her joyful performances, this time with her full band in her first show in York for seven years. Eilidh Patterson supports. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk.

Banjo at the double: Damien O’Kane and Ron Block team up at the NCEM, York

Banjo at the double: Damien O’Kane and Ron Block Band, The Banjovial Tour, National Centre for Early Music, York, tonight, 7.30pm

GROUNDBREAKING  banjo players Damien O’Kane and Ron Block follow up their Banjophony and Banjophonics albums with this month’s Banjovial and an accompanying tour.

O’Kane, renowned for his work with Barnsley songstress Kate Rusby, is a maestro of Irish traditional music, here expressed on his Irish tenor banjo; Block, a key component of Alison Krauss & Union Station, infuses his signature five-string bluegrass banjo with soulful depth and rhythmic innovation. Together, their styles intertwine in an exhilarating dance of technical mastery. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Francis Rossi: Shaking up the Status Quo with songs and stories at York Barbican. Picture: Jodiphotography

Hits and titbits aplenty: An Evening of Francis Rossi’s Songs from the Status Quo Songbook and More, York Barbican, tomorrow, 7.30pm

IN his one-man show, Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi performs signature Quo hits, plus personal favourites and deeper cuts, while telling first-hand backstage tales of appearing more than 100 times on Top Of The Pops, why Quo went on first at Live Aid, life with Rick Parfitt, notching 57 hits, fellow stars and misadventures across the world. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Natnael Dawit in Shobana Jeyasingh Dance’s We Caliban at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Foteini Christofilopoulou

Dance show of the week: Shobana Jeyasingh Dance in We Caliban, York Theatre Royal, Friday, 7.30pm (with post-show discussion) and Saturday, 2pm and 7.30pm

SHOBANA Jeyasingh turns her sharp creative eye to Shakespeare’s final play The Tempest in a new co-production with Sadler’s Wells. A tale of power lost and regained, the play is the starting point for Jeyasingh’s dramatic and contemporary reckoning, We Caliban.

Written as Europe was taking its first step towards colonialism, The Tempest is Prospero’s story. We Caliban is Caliban’s untold story that started and continued long after Prospero’s brief stay. Performed by eight dancers, complemented by Will Duke’s projections and Thierry Pécou’s music, this impressionistic work draws on present-day parallels and the international and intercultural discourse around colonialism, as well as Jeyasingh’s personal experiences. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. 

John Bramwell: Playing solo in Pocklington

As recommended by Cate Blanchett: John Bramwell, Pocklington Arts Centre, Friday, 8pm

HYDE singer, song-spinner and sage John Bramwell, leading light of Mercury Prize nominees I Am Kloot from 1999 to 2014 and screen goddess Cate Blachett’s “favourite songwriter of all time”, has been on a never-ending rolling adventure since his workings away from his cherished Mancunian band.

His sophomore solo album, February 2024’s The Light Fantastic, will be at the heart of his Pocklington one-man show. “After both my mum and dad died, I started writing these songs to cheer myself up,” Bramwell admits with trademark candour. “The themes are taken from my dreams at the time. Wake up and take whatever impression I had from what I could remember of my dream and write that.” He promises new material and Kloot songs too. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Sam Moss: Heading out on to the moors at The Band Room. Picture: Jake Xerxes Fussell

Moorland gig of the week: Sam Moss, The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, North York Moors, Saturday, 7.30pm

FINGERPICKING folk virtuoso guitarist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Moss heads to the North York Moors this weekend from Staunton, Virginia, USA, to showcase his February 2025 album Swimming, championed by the scribes of Uncut, No Depression and Paste and Los Angeles online magazine Aquarium Drunkward, no less. “For the record, he is a renowned woodworker too, particularly celebrated for his incredible spoons,” says Band Room promoter Nigel Burnham. Sofa Sofa support (as sofas always do!). Box office: 01751 432900 or thebandroom.co.uk.

Drag diva Velma Celli lights up Yorktoberfest at York Racecourse. Picture: Sophie Eleanor

Festival of the week: Yorktoberfest, Clocktower Enclosure, York Racecourse, Knavesmire, York, Saturday, 1pm to 5pm and 7pm to 11pm; October 24, 7pm to 11pm; October 25, 1pm to 5pm and 7pm to 11pm

MAKING its debut in 2021, Yorktoberfest returns for its fifth anniversary with beer, bratwurst and all things Bavarian. Step inside the giant marquee, fill your stein at the Bavarian bar with beer from Brew York and grab a bite from the German-inspired Dog Haus food stall.

The Bavarian Strollers oompah band will perform thigh-slapping music and drinking songs; York drag diva Velma Celli will add to the party atmosphere with powerhouse songs and saucy patter. Doors open at 6.30pm and 12.30pm. Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk/yorktoberfest.

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When Irishman Damien O’Kane meets Californian Ron Block, banjo magic happens at National Centre for Early Music

Damien O’Kane, left, and Ron Block, with their contrasting banjos

THE humble banjo is often maligned…until placed in the whirling hands of Northern Irishman Damien O’Kane and Californian Ron Block, whose banjo bromance blooms anew on third album Banjovial and its accompanying tour.

The 14-date itinerary opened in Barnsley last Friday and arrives at the National Centre for Early Music, York, on Wednesday (15/10/2025).

Seven years on from their Banjophany debut album, followed by 2022’s Banjophonics,  Coleraine-born, Barnsley-based O’Kane picks up his Irish tenor banjo once more to recharge his telepathic transatlantic connectivity with Gardena-born Block’s five-string bluegrass banjo on Banjovial’s ten new tunes and two original songs, supplemented by guest contributions from Irish button accordionist Sharon Shannon and American bluegrass fiddlers Aubrey Haynie and Tim Crouch.

Percussive and punchy, ebullient and life-affirming, their banjo union revels in light and shade and tempo shifts from fast, cracking fireworks to more reflective flowing timbres and tunes.

“It would have been in 2012 when we first performed together,” says Damien, as he looks forward to returning to the NCEM – “a gorgeous little place”  – for the first time in more than a decade.

“I first met Ron in 2011 as he’s involved in a bluegrass summer school called Sore Fingers at Kingham High School [in the Cotswolds], where Kate’s brother Joe works every year on the sound for the concerts.” Kate being Barnsley folk singer Kate Rusby, Damien’s wife since 2010.

“Ron invited us to see him playing with Alison Krauss & Union Station [his regular beat] and invited us backstage, and that was our first meeting.”

Block duly played on two songs on Rusby’s album 20, joining Eddi Reader and Dick Gaughan on Wandering Soul and Reader, Jerry Douglas and Philip Selway on Sho Heen. “Kate then asked Ron to play on the 20 tour , so it all went uphill from there!” says Damien.

The cover artwork for Damien O’Kane and Ron Block’s third album, Banjovial, released on Cooking Vinyl on October 3

Their partnership brings out the best in each other’s banjos. “The most notable difference is that the five-string banjo is bigger with more frets and those five strings, and Ron plays with two picks on his fingers and one on his thumb, so his style is very much fingerstyle, very ‘arpeggioed’, whereas the Irish tenor banjo is plectrum style,” says Damien.

“Over the years we’ve both tried in our playing to give a nod to the other style, so I’ll do a lot of cross-picking on the Irish tenor banjo.

“It makes for really interesting tunes with two completely different banjo sounds. The five-string strings are lighter, so there’s a brighter sound, whereas I like the mellow sound of the Irish tenor banjo that doesn’t ‘punch you in the face’!”

Damien has always been a fan of duel banjo playing. “I grew up listening to and playing Irish traditional music, watching music sessions from The Corner House on Irish TV [on Geantrai on TG4], when Cathal Hayden and Brian McGrath would play tunes together, just two banjos,” he says.

“I was about nine years old, and I remember it being one of the most amazing things I’d ever heard. It was like a banjo epiphany.”

O’Kane and Block first toured together on their own, but now perform with a band featuring Steven Byrnes on guitar and Duncan Lyall on double bass and Moog, both from Rusby’s band.

“It’s fascinating to do because I don’t really get to play much banjo on Kate’s tours, which is my main focus through the year, primarily playing guitar, and yet the banjo was my main instrument long before guitar, so to be able to record and play tunes with Ron is a real chance to push each other’s musicianship,” says Damien.

The Damien O’Kane and Ron Black Band, featuring Steven Byrnes and Duncan Lyall

“I remember thinking with the first album, ‘oh my god, I’m playing with Ron Block, I have to bring my A-game’.”

 He still does, this time in tandem with Block on tunes “triggered by comedic events, family and friends, CS Lewis’s The Chronicles Of Narnia’, heart-stopping moments, beloved animals, the craziness of Covid and even cartoon themes,  swinging from the humorous to the heartfelt”.

“We record everything live for the albums, as playing live give it an extra spark,” says Damien. “I think the new album is definitely our best, probably in a few senses, one of them being that we really learned how to lock on to each other’s playing.

“There’s a running joke we have that I’m always ahead and Ron is always behind, which adds to the excitement, as we’re not about making perfect music.

“This album is more mature. I’m not taking anything away from the other two but we’ve learned so much from each other and from the band. We’re tight-knit now, knowing each other’s strengths – and weaknesses too!”

It was Ron Block, by the way, who came up with the Banjovial album title. “We wanted to keep that title theme going, and I thought, ‘that’s the one’, as it sums up what we do, when people tend to be scared of one banjo, let alone two, but not us!”

Damien and Kate had first met Banjovial guest contributor Sharon Shannon when they were gigging at Monroe’s Live in Galway, where Sharon lives. “We were playing upstairs and she was playing a session downstairs; she came up to listen to the last half of Kate’s set and we went out for a couple of drinks afterwards,” he recalls.

Galway button accordionist Sharon Shannon: Played on Damien’s tune St Patrick’s Day on Banjovial

“That’s when I asked if she’d like to play on the album, and she said, ‘oh, absolutely’, which was a pinch-me moment, as I’d listened to her albums since childhood. She’s a sweetheart too.

“We sent her the track [Damien’s St Patrick’s Day], she recorded it in Galway, and that was that!”

Likewise, Damien and Ron sent the track Mario Kart Rides Again to bluegrass fiddler and mandolin player Aubrey Haynie. “I’d never come across him before but Ron said, ‘we’ve got to get him on an album some time because he’s amazing’,” says Damien.

“All the car sound effects on there, the car screeching, the police car, Aubrey did them all on his fiddle. He’s incredible.”

On the road from October 10 to 26, Damien will be on driving duty. “Ron stays in the passenger seat. He did drive us once over here, and I told him he’d never do that again!” he says.

Damien O’Kane and Ron Block Band’s Banjovial Tour plays National Centre for Early Music, York, tomorrow (15/10/2025), 7.30pm, and Otley Courthouse, October 24, 8pm. Box office: York, 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk; Otley, 01943 467466 or otleycourthouse.org.uk.

Damien O’Kane’s guitars and banjo will be in the band for Kate Rusby’s Christmas Is Merry concert at York Barbican on December 11, 7pm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.