Tag: York Barbican

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Where there’s a Will, there’s a way to survive in Horrible Histories: The Concert, Live And Dead On Stage at York Barbican

The cast poster for Horrible Histories: The Concert, Live And Dead On Stage. Picture: Richard Southgate

FOR the first time in history, favourite songs and actors from the CBBC TV series Horrible Histories will be appearing live – and dead! – on stage in a special concert production. York Barbican awaits on April 6 and 7.

Asked to create the greatest show in history by his boss Queen Elizabeth I, esteemed playwright William Shakespeare has no idea just how much trouble is on its way from such monstrous monarchs as King Henry VIII and Queen Victoria.

Life will hot up even more when Death appears – and now Boudica and Cleopatra want to take over. Can matters worsen still more? Of course they can!

Find out how and why when actors from the BAFTA award-winning television series sing songs from the show such as Stupid Deaths, Charles II, Dick Turpin and The Monarchs Song, to the accompaniment of a live band led by Horrible Histories song master Richie Webb, as the Bard seeks help to save him from execution.

Horrible Histories: The Concert director and Birmingham Stage Company actor/manager Neal Foster

“The trick about this show is the disaster is unfolding in front of you, so the audience are in on it,” says director Neal Foster. “No-one knows how it’s going to work or whether Shakespeare is going to get away with it or just how disastrous it’s going to because it’s really happening right there.”

On tour from January 23 to April 18, Horrible Histories: The Concert, Live And Dead On Stage is written by Ben Ward and Claire Wetton, with songs and music by Webb, and is directed by Birmingham Stage Company actor/manager Foster, designed by Jackie Trousdale and choreographed by Lucie Pankhurst.

Foster, the creative force behind all the Horrible Histories Live on Stage adaptations of Terry Deary’s stories since 2005, will be playing Charles II, York Gaol anti-hero Dick Turpin and a Viking.

“These Horrible Histories TV songs have been around for a long time and we feature 16 of the most popular songs in the show,” says Neal. “They’re so loved and no-one around the country’s ever had the chance to see them live on stage and to sing with the actors and join in.

Harrie Hayes’s Elizabeth I making her point to Richard David-Caines’s William Shakespeare in Horrible Histories: The Concert. Picture: Matt Crockett

“I’m singing my two favourite songs from the TV series, because I’m singing the King Of Bling as Charles II and Dick Turpin’s Highwayman.  As a Viking, I am singing Literally, literally!” 

Neal has brought together two worlds, television and stage, for the concert tour. “Part of the reason this production has happened is because in 2023 we got together with Lion Television [producers of the BBC series] to create ‘Orrible Opera for the BBC Proms,” he says. “We enjoyed working with each other so much, we really wanted to do something again. This seems to be as good as it gets. 

“It’s the biggest show we’ve ever done. There’s a cast of nine with a live band of five musicians and we’ve never had a live band in any of our shows before. It’s also got wonderful video effects, with the footage being filmed by Lion Television [producers of Horrible Histories on the BBC]. I think there are about 50 costumes, with wigs, hats, props, turning it into a really enormous show.”

Swapping TV for the live tour are long-serving Richard David-Caine, also known for Class Dismissed and CBeebies’ Swashbuckle; Harrie Hayes, who has embodied history’s most iconic royals, from Elizabeth I to Marie Antoinette; Inel Tomlinson, from Histories’ Rameses and Science’s Big Danny; company favourite Ethan Lawrence, also from Ricky Gervais’s After Life, and Verona Rose, Horrible Histories regular, Top Boy and Fully Blown writer-performer and host of ITV2’s Secret Crush.

Verona Rose and Ethan Lawrence’s Henry VIII in Horrible Histories: The Concert. Picture: Matt Crockett

Joining them are Neal and Alison Fitzjohn, his fellow stalwart from Horrible Histories Live on Stage, touring the world with Birmingham Stage Company.

Cast member Ethan Lawrence says: “It’s been a long time since I was last on stage – and I’ve only done one show before: a pantomime. Cinderella. I gave an absolutely stellar performance as Buttons. There were literally tens of people that said I was pretty good!

“Basically I take the jobs that are put in front of me. I’m not so vain that I don’t take on work. It just so happens that I deal with the cards that are presented to me – and now I get the chance to go on stage with Horrible Histories, where Shakespeare is in the process of writing a show starring all your favourite Horrible Histories characters

“Chaos ensues, high jinks prevail – and it’s very interactive as well, encouraging the audience to participate. I can imagine this show, because of its live nature, will be evolving as we do it. York Barbican is very deep into the run, so theatrically it’ll be the show at its best.”

Horrible Histories: The Concert, Live And Dead On Stage cast members, very much live on stage. Picture: Matt Crockett

Fellow cast member Verona Rose admits: “I’m not that good at history! For me, the easiest way to learn about these characters is by watching Horrible Histories.

“I have Cleopatra’s big number, Ra Ra Cleopatra [from Awful Egyptians] and I’ve learnt so much from doing rehearsals for that song.”

Ethan picks out his favourite role: “I’m a busy boy in the show, but the chief thing that’s exciting for me is the opportunity to play Henry VIII. One of the really gratifying things is singing one of the more modern songs from the TV shows, Ruinous Rivals, with Harrie Hayes.”

Verona concludes: “I’m excited to be doing this show, and the more we do the tour, the more shows we do, what the interaction will be will become clearer. From the first laugh, we’ll know what the audience will be like at each show.”

Come on York, make Monday and Tuesday the most Horrible shows yet.

Horrible Histories: The Concert, Live And Dead On Stage, York Barbican, April 6, 2.30pm and 6.30pm; April 7, 11am and 3pm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 13, from Gazette & Herald

York artist Gerard Hobson installing one of 13 bird boxes for the Castle Howard Easter Family Trail. Picture: David Scott

FROM a bird box trail and Vanbrugh’s architecture at Castle Howard to Horrible Histories in concert and the magic of science, Charles Hutchinson embraces Easter’s extra spring in the step.

Birdlife event of the week: Castle Howard Easter Family Trail, Castle Howard Gardens & Arboretum, near York, until April 19

CASTLE Howard has collaborated with York artist and printmaker Gerard Hobson on a new interactive Easter trail, comprising 13 handmade wooden bird boxes installed for a springtime adventure across Castle Howard Gardens and the Arboretum.

The boxes house Hobson’s linocuts of birds, including swallow, magpie, woodpecker and wren, as part of a story designed for children as they all prepare for spring. “Young explorers will discover interesting facts about our feathered friends and learn more about their homes along the way,” he says. Admission is included in Castle Howard and Arboretum day tickets at castlehoward.co.uk/castlehowardarboretumtrust.org.

Architect Roz Barr: Designer and curator of Staging The Baroque: Vanbrugh At Castle Howard. Picture: Carole Poirot

Exhibition of the week: Staging The Baroque: Vanbrugh At Castle Howard, on show at Castle Howard, near York, until October 31.

STAGING The Baroque: Vanbrugh At Castle Howard celebrates its creator, the architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726), on the 300th anniversary of his death.

Designed and curated by architect Roz Barr, the exhibition chronicles the story of the stately home’s creation, exploring Vanbrugh’s visionary use of scale, shadow and light and his creative relationship with the third Earl of Carlisle, as shown in letters by Vanbrugh on public display for the first time. Tickets: castlehoward.co.uk.

Pickering singer-songwriter David Swann

Folk gig of the week: David Swann, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, Friday, 7.30pm, doors 6.30pm

PICKERING folk singer and songwriter David Swann writes comic songs about the people, places and history of his native North Yorkshire, as well as songs of love lost and found. He accompanies himself on acoustic guitar and ukulele and always encourages audience participation.

Swann runs the Ryedale Songwriters Circle, encouraging and promoting songwriting through workshops and concerts, and has won BBC Radio York’s Song for Yorkshire competition, Bedale Acoustic Music Festival’s inaugural Songwriting Competition for the Harvey Blogg Cup and the anthem-writing competition for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk.

James B Partridge. Hosting Primary School Bangers at York Barbican. Picture: Rebecca Johnson

“School” concert of the week: James B Partridge, Primary School Bangers, York Barbican, Saturday, doors 7pm

TEACHER James B Partridge brings his viral hit show Primary School Bangers to York for a night of massive singalongs, throwback mash-ups and tongue-in-cheek humour. What started in the classroom has become a nationwide phenomenon – from Glastonbury to sold-out theatres – as James leads audiences through the songs that defined school days.

“Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or just someone who remembers every word to He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands, this one’s for you,” he says. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk. 

Horrible Histories : Live – and Dead! – in concert at York Barbican

“The ultimate first concert for children”: Horrible Histories: The Concert, Live And Dead On Stage!, York Barbican, April 6, 2.30pm and 6.30pm

FOR the first time, favourite songs and actors from Horrible Histories’ BAFTA Award-winning CBBC TV series will be live – and dead! – on stage in York. When William Shakespeare is asked to create the greatest show on earth, he runs into trouble with monstrous monarchs King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria.

Once Death appears, Boudica and Cleopatra want to take over! Can things turn any worse? Of course they can! Cue songs such as Stupid Deaths, Charles II, Dick Turpin and The Monarchs Song, performed to a band led by Horrible Histories’ song master, Richie Webb. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Jason Fox: Embracing the chaos at York Barbican

Advice of the week: Jason Fox, Embrace The Chaos, York Barbican, April 8, 7.30pm

SOME people are built to embrace the chaos. Adventurer, Royal Marine Commando and UK Special Forces soldier Jason Fox is one of them, having survived myriad hostile outposts as an elite operator, documentary maker and expedition leader.  

In his new show, Foxy shares stories of his close brushes with enemy gunmen, terrorist bomb makers and cartel leaders, while revealing his strategies for surviving and thriving in environments as life-threatening as the Arctic Circle and Afghan Badlands. Using principles from his military operations, he will help you to reboot your thinking, challenge your limits, change your habits, transform and rebalance your life – and he will answer audience questions too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Out Of The Box: Transforming everyday objects into extraordinary adventures at Helmsley Arts Centre

Family show of the week: Darryl J Carrington in Out Of The Box, Helmsley Arts Centre, April 9, 2pm

DARRYL J Carrington transforms everyday objects into extraordinary adventures in Out Of The Box, where a toothbrush stars in a balancing act, a string sparks a heist and a tea party lands on someone’s head in an hour of joyful chaos, jaw-dropping skill and irresistible fun.

Carrington brings five-star Edinburgh Fringe reviews, the Brighton Fringe’s Best Family Show prize and more than 20 years of circus and clowning experience to his silent comedy’s blend of juggling, inventive physical theatre and audience interaction. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Top Secret: Asking “Is it magic…or is it science?” in April 9’s interactive show, replete with mystery, suspense, experiments and mess, at Pocklington Arts Centre

Fun experiments of the week: Top Secret in The Magic Of Science, High Voltage, Pocklington Arts Centre, April 9, 2pm

JOIN Top Secret as they go on a high-voltage adventure, The Magic Of Science, to ask the question “Is it magic…or is it science?” in a fast-moving, colourful, interactive show filled with mystery, suspense, experiments and loads of mess.

Danny Hunt and Stephanie Clarke take on the guise of Professor Danny and his lab assistant Crazy Kazy as they fuse the mystery of magic with wondrous and miraculous feats of science. Box office:  01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Alison Moyet: Revisiting synth-pop songs from Yazoo’s two albums after more than 40 years at York Barbican. Picture: Naomi Davison

Gig announcement of the week: Alison Moyet, Songs Of Yazoo, the minutes and Other Tour, York Barbican, November 18

BASILDON soul, blues and pop singer-songwriter Alison Moyet will play York in one of ten new additions to her autumn tour, when she will focus on songs from Yazoo’s 1982-1983 catalogue, recorded with Vince Clarke, and a selection from her solo electronica albums, 2013’s the minutesand 2017’s Other, both co-written with producer Guy Sigsworth.

“Many years touring the same pool of songs and I am keen for a palate refresher,” says Moyet, 64. “Specifying which years I will be fishing from too, I think, is a grand way to serve pot luck for specific tastes. No bones.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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Teacher James B Partridge holds York Barbican assembly for Primary School Bangers. Put it on Saturday’s timetable

James B Partridge: From viral videos on TikTok to concert halls with his Primary School Bangers. Picture: Rebecca Johnson

VIRAL sensation and “Britain’s favourite primary school teacher” James B Partridge turns York Barbican into a school hall assembly on Saturday in the only Yorkshire date of his Primary School Bangers spring term.

After notching more than 71 million views of his videos online  on YouTube and TikTok, James is bringing even more of the iconic songs that defined our childhoods to theatres and concert halls throughout April 2026.

Expect classic school-day singalongs of hymns and songs “we were forced to do in assembly” in a night of heart-on-sleeve nostalgia, delivered with James’s trademark infectious joy as he follows up his sold-out Big Christmas Assembly tour.

What started as a few playful videos of James performing songs for his pupils in the classroom has grown into a nationwide phenomenon, spreading from social-media fame to a field-closing Glastonbury set, featured on the BBC’s festival highlights, all while he continues to teach primary school children during the week.

“I’ve brought the show to York before,” James recalls. “I came to Theatre@41, Monkgate, twice in 2023, when I first started doing the early version of Primary School Bangers [or Primary School Assembly Bangers as it was first known], beginning in February that year.

Alan Park: Chair of the board at Theatre @41, Monkgate, where James B Partridge played twice in the first year of Primary School Bangers and Big Christmas Assembly in 2023

“I spent quite a while emailing arts centres and venues, including Alan Park at Theatre@41, when I presented what looked like this nerdy spread sheet! The initial pitch was: ‘Are you are up for a night of school assembly singalongs?’ – and lot of venues just pressed ‘Delete’.”

Not Alan Park, however. “If I can put in a shameless plug for Theatre@41, James’s pitch chimed with our policy of bringing new artists to York,” says chair of the board Alan. “We pride ourselves on looking at everything we’re sent, and we thought it was a great idea as he’d had such success online.

“I was bowled over when it sold out, and then the second show – his Christmas Assembly show – sold out as well, and I’m so pleased he’s now going to play York Barbican. I like how performers can start here, because we’re open to taking a gamble on them, and then they grow and go on to bigger things.”

 As James recalls: “At that first show I did in York in June 2023, there was a combination of  people who’d seen what I’d done online, plus some curious locals, with a general demographic of people in their late-30s to their 50s. A lot of them were in their 40s – and a lot of them were teachers.

“Luckily Theatre@41 invited me back in November 2023 for The Big Christmas Assembly, although that was a slightly misleading title as most of the venues had a capacity under 100 – but the only way is up!

“I just through they’d be fun videos for my family and friends to reminisce about, but they translated to all sorts of people that I’d never met,” says James

“I was playing a combination of studio theatres, cabaret venues and venues above pubs, but thankfully the concept has grown, when at first it was very much a case of seeing how it goes by posting videos online.”

Those videos had caught the eye and ear because James had chosen to go “left-field”. “I put my top five Easter hymns on there and then my Top Ten Primary School Bangers. I just through they’d be fun videos for my family and friends to reminisce about, but they translated to all sorts of people that I’d never met.

“Then, when we made it out of lockdown, I also resumed my function band, Truly Medley Deeply, playing songs from the Sixties to the present day – I still play with them occasionally – but I was raring to go with Primary School Bangers, and came up with idea of a immersive theatre show after the videos.”

James’s combination of harmony, humour and heart has gone on to strike a chord with audiences of every generation, as they recall childhood days of standing in school assemblies in the lunch hall/sports hall/exam hall, half-heartedly singing a bunch of songs, but now singing those same songs at the top of their voice along with everyone else in the room.

Alongside his live shows, James has performed with Gareth Malone’s Voices at the Royal Variety Show, provided vocals for Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Electric Light Orchestra and appeared on Chris Evans’ Virgin Radio Breakfast Show, BBC Breakfast, CBBC Newsround, ITV’s This Morning, BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show, BBC One’s The One Show and Songs of Praise: The Big School Assembly Singalong.

“I feel the perfect way to start the school day is through a bit of communal singing,” says James. Picture: Rebecca Johnson

James grew up in Poole, Dorset, where he could walk down the street where he lived to attend Stanley Green First School, and now teaches seven to 11-year-olds at Kensington Prep School, in South London, as a freelance.

“I used to teach at St Paul’s Junior School [in London], and I’ll be going back there to lead some singing workshops because even at a school like that, where they have I Vow To Thee My Country as their school hymn, they don’t do much singing,” he says.

“I feel the perfect way to start the school day is through a bit of communal singing. It could be a folk song; it could be a pop song; we could sing Bob Dylan or Peter Seeger’s song If I Had A Hammer; songs that are child-friendly to sing; songs about racial equality.”

Singing can benefit us all, believes James. “I do feel that when people come to Primary School Bangers, they feel uplifted,” he says. “That’s not exclusive to my show but it’s a product of being part of a group singing together and feeling the power of doing that.

“Looking at our phone usage, especially with the slightly ironically called ‘social media’, when it’s not social at all and can fuel anti-social thought, you can get siloed into a thought bubble where you can’t be friendly with someone with different political views, but singing together, you sing in harmony.

James B Partridge’s poster for Primary School Bangers: Put it on the weekend timetable

“Though that sounds idealistic, in reality, whether for physical or mental benefit, singing is the best thing to do – and it always has been, from sea-shanty singing onwards. It’s always been part of community, and it’s only now that it’s dwindled, but my dream would be to create a radio or TV programme on the BBC, like Gareth Malone did 20 years, to make that kind of impact.”

How would James define a “Primary School Banger”? Not The Wheels On The Bus, apparently! “I would argue that’s probably a pre-school banger, so that could be a whole new show,” he says.

“A  ‘Primary School Banger’ is a tune that lots of people enjoyed singing at school and loved singing along to, which includes hymns like All Things Bright And Beautiful and Morning Is Broken, but also new worship songs that were sung across the UK as part of school assembly.”

Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or just someone who remembers every word to He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands, Primary School Bangers will be a class act this weekend. 

James B Partridge, Primary School Bangers, York Barbican, Saturday (4/4/2026), doors 7pm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk. Also playing two Yorkshire autumn dates: Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, September 21, and CAST, Doncaster, September 22. Box office: jamesbpartridge.com.

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Alexander Armstrong and Aled Jones to team up for The Big Christmas Sing-a-Long debut tour. York Barbican awaits on December 11. When do tickets go on sale?

Alexander Armstrong and Aled Jones

ALEXANDER Armstrong and Aled Jones will host The Big Christmas Sing-a-Long at York Barbican on December 11.

Tickets for the only Yorkshire venue on their 13-date debut tour will go on sale at 9.30am on Thursday (2/4/2026) at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/sing-a-long/.

Performers and presenters Armstrong and Jones will unite for a festive season of music, laughter and Christmas cheer in cathedrals, theatres and concert halls from November 24 to December 21, promising “some special surprises along the way”.

Armstrong was one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller, teaming up for series on Channel 4 and BBC One with Ben Miller.

As well as hosting Classic FM’s flagship weekday mid-morning programme, he continues to be a regular on BBC One’s Have I Got News For You, having hosted more than 40 episodes, as well as helming BBC One quiz show Pointless.

After branching out into presenting travel shows, he will make his fifth series for Channel 5 in the United States of America this summer. He published his debut children’s novel, Evenfall: The Golden Linnet, in 2024 and the follow-up, Evenfall: The Tempest Stone in February this year. 

The poster for Alexander Armstrong & Aled Jones’s debut tour of The Big Christmas Sing-a-Long

Welsh television and radio personality and concert singer Jones, 55, will perform beloved songs, including his signature rendition of Walking In The Air, alongside classic carols synonymous with the festive season.

Joining him on stage will be Northumberland-born comedian, actor, Pointless presenter and singer Armstrong, 56, whose bass-baritone vocals and charm will bring humour, warmth and festive sparkle to York.

Audiences will be invited to pull on their favourite Christmas jumper and sing along to a joyful mix of traditional Christmas carols, modern festive favourites and timeless seasonal classics.

Original crossover star Jones has sung for the Pope and the Royal Family, received an MBE and released more than 40 albums, achieving ten million sales and more than 40 silver, gold and platinum discs.

Beginning his career at the age of 12, Jones was one of the world’s most successful boy sopranos, becoming the first classical artist to have two albums in the top five of the Official Album Charts.

He has built an extensive career as a TV and radio presenter, hosting his Classic FM show and BBC One’s Songs Of Praise, while continuing to record and tour. Last year, he released his third book, Aled’s Book Of Blessings for 2026, and he is now working on his next one.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as the clocks go forward and arts spring up. Hutch’s List No. 12, from The York Press

James Bye, left, Shvorne Marks, Natalie Casey and Grant Kilburn in Danny Robins’ 2:22 A Ghost Story, on tour at Grand Opera House, York

THE clock is ticking to see a ghostly thriller, a madcap murder mystery, a poetic book launch and an unjust trial as Charles Hutchinson sets his arts alarm.

Supernatural thriller of the week: 2:22 A Ghost Story, Grand Opera House, York, March 30 to April 4, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees

“THERE’S something in our house. I hear it every night. At the same time,” says Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam is having none of it. Whereupon they argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening and is moving closer. Only by staying up until 2:22 will they know the answer.

James Bye, Shvorne Marks, Natalie Casey and Grant Kilburn perform Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist podcaster Danny Robins’s supernatural thriller, the Best New Play winner at the 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards, on its return to York. As secrets emerge and ghosts may or may not appear, dare you discover the truth? Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

What We Could Have, by Sarah Williams, from the Other Viewpoints exhibition at Pyramid Gallery

Meet The Makers event of the week: Other Viewpoints, Lesley Williams, Sarah Williams, Peter Heaton and Adele Howitt, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, today, 11.30am to 2.30pm

YORKSHIRE artists Lesley Williams, Sarah Williams and Peter Heaton and ceramicist Adele Howitt have teamed up for Other Viewpoints, on show until May 9. Today, they will be on hand to discuss their work.

Lesley, from York, makes semi-abstract oil paintings based on rural landscape and gardens; Sarah, also from York, employs colours, textural marks and shapes in blending abstract and figurative elements; Peter, from North Yorkshire, is exhibiting landscape fine art prints, and Hornsea maker Adele’s ceramics are marked by notions of the living landscape, abstraction, pollen grains and natural pattern.

Main Street Sound: In harmony with Harmonia at the NCEM

Choral concert of the week: Choirs In Harmony, Main Street Sound & Harmonia, National Centre for Early Music, York, today, 7.30pm

CHOIRS In Harmony brings together two Yorkshire vocal groups for an evening of rich, expressive choral music. York’s only ladies’ barbershop chorus, Main Street Sound, and Malton contemporary, folk, jazz, and musical theatre ladies’ choir Harmonia join forces to showcase a vibrant mix of contemporary arrangements, close harmony and uplifting ensemble singing. Expect moments of intimacy, bursts of energy and the joy of voices uniting in a space made for resonance. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Giddy up: Country queen Twinnie rides into The Crescent tonight

Recommended but sold out already: Twinnie, The Crescent, York, tonight, 7.30pm

BORN in York and now established as the UK’s leading country-pop trailblazer on the American circuit after her West End musical theatre days and TV soap career as Porsche McQueen in Hollyoaks and ruthless boxing promoter Jade Garrick in Emmerdale, Twinnie-Lee Moore returns home on her Dirt Road Disco Tour.

Noted for her fearless honesty and storytelling truths, she blends Nashville-inspired country roots with pop hooks and her own gypsy-influenced flair in songs of empowerment, vulnerability, and unapologetic individuality. She made her Grand Ole Opry debut in November 2023 as the first British Romani Traveller to perform in the circle and featured on Rob Brydon’s Honky Tonk Road Trip documentary series on BBC Two last year.

Lucy Kierl in rehearsal for the Stephen Joseph Theatre’s madcap musical mystery Murder For Two. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Whodunit of the week: Murder For Two, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, today to April 18, 7.30pm plus 1.30pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

JOE Kinosian and Kellen Blair’s fast-paced musical whodunit is a madcap murder mystery with a twist, performed by two actors, Tom Babbage and Lucy Kierl, who play 13 characters between them, plus the piano, as they put the laughter into manslaughter.

When famous novelist Arthur Whitney is found dead at his birthday party, it is time to call in the detectives, but they are out of town. Enter Officer Marcus Moscowicz, a neighbourhood cop who dreams of climbing the ranks. Here is his chance to prove his super sleuthing skills and solve the crime before the real detective arrives. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Stu Freestone: Launching first poetry collection at The Crescent

Book launch of the week: York Literature Festival and Say Owt present Stu Freestone, The Lights That Blur Between, The Crescent, York, March 30, 7pm to 10pm

YORK performance poet, Say Owt gobby collective associate artist and Cheese Trader cheesemonger Stu Freestone launches his debut poetry collection, The Lights That Blur Between, with two sets, one comedic, the other accompanied by guitarist Simone Focarelli, accordionist Ben Crosthwaite and drummer Joe Douglas. In support will be Grantham singer-songwriter Adam Leeson and York political satirist and performance poet Sarah Armitage.

Freestone’s poems explore the nostalgia of adolescence, relationships, loss and processing, as well as humorous themes of condiment addiction, festival trips gone wrong, cheesemonger battle raps and the perils of “after-work’ drinking in his honest portrayal of life experiences. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Dan Poppitt, Charlie Clarke, front, and Georgina Burt in rehearsal for Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ Parade

The other American musical of the week: Black Sheep Theatre Productions in Parade, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, April 1 to 4, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

PRESENTED by York company Black Sheep Theatre Productions under the direction of Matthew Peter Clare, Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry’s stirring Tony Award-winning musical explores love and hope against the odds, set against a backdrop of political injustice and rising racial tension. 

Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jew, is put on trial for murder in Marietta, Georgia, but when the world seems against you, receiving a fair trial might prove impossible. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Alison Moyet: Re-visiting Yazoo’s two synth-pop albums after more than 40 years at York Barbican. Picture: Naomi Davison

Gig announcement of the week: Alison Moyet, Songs Of Yazoo, the minutes and Other Tour, York Barbican, November 18

BASILDON soul, blues and pop singer-songwriter Alison Moyet will play York in one of ten new additions to her autumn tour, when she will focus on songs from Yazoo’s 1982-1983 catalogue, recorded with Vince Clarke, and a selection from her solo electronica albums, 2013’s the minutesand 2017’s Other, both co-written with producer Guy Sigsworth.

“Many years touring the same pool of songs and I am keen for a palate refresher,” says Moyet, 64. “Specifying which years I will be fishing from too, I think, is a grand way to serve pot luck for specific tastes. No bones.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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REVIEW: Paul Rhodes’s verdict on The Brand New Heavies and Galliano, York Barbican, March 19

The Brand New Heavies on stage at York Barbican. Picture: Paul Rhodes

WHAT do you do after the hit has gone? For the Brand New Heavies, who flew near the top of the Acid Jazz movement in the late-1990s, the answer has been to keep on playing. Now one of many acts riding the mature audience gravy train, this talented group are definitely not resting on their laurels.

This reviewer last saw The Brand New Heavies nearly 30 years ago, and the good feeling they generate feels no different three decades on.

Founding members guitarist Simon Bartholomew (perhaps wearing one of Prince’s slinky outfits, with his rock star locks) and bassist Andrew Levy (getting jiggy in tight sequined trousers) remain the focal points, and their love of improvisation helps to keep the music fresh. All of the nine-strong band members were listening closely to one another and enjoying being on stage.

N’Dea Davenport has been gone from the line-up for ten years. In her stead since 2018, Angela Ricci’s poise and vocals were flawless. There’s a lot of repetition in their tunes, but she never wavered and made for a poised contrast with Bartholomew’s showboating.

The hits were all present and correct, Midnight At The Oasis, You Are The Universe and Dream On Dreamer neatly spread throughout the set, leaving space for funky jams and a smattering of more recent numbers. At their best, the sound of The Brand New Heavies is like a light sunny breeze on your face.

The Brand New Heavies’ Andrew Levy, left, Angela Ricci and Simon Bartholomew

Their most loved songs are rightly regarded as feel-good anthems, tunes that will lighten the spirit. Music snobs may consider them inoffensive and superficial, but that would be to do them something of a disservice.

Their influences are in impeccable, classic soul and funk – and they work hard on the chops and the stage craft. The hip-hop influences in their later albums were downplayed.

In this they were the opposite of openers Galliano. Despite being a musical footnote, they provided a surprisingly good opening set, which was fun, funky, and had a lot of rapping.

Theirs was also a study of contrasts, the elegance of Valerie Etienne (despite her face being invisible beneath a golf visor) with Rob Gallagher’s latter-day Alf Garnett dancing (even if it is hard to imagine Garnett singing Everything Is Going to Get Better to Elsie…). Their set was much enriched by Ski Oakenfull’s keyboards and the propulsive bass of Erne McKone that never let up.

As the daffodils danced on the city walls outside, inside the crowd were definitely moved by these two fine bands, as welcome as Spring.

Review by Paul Rhodes

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Alison Moyet adds York Barbican to Songs Of Yazoo, the minutes and Other tour on November 18. When do tickets go on sale?

Alison Moyet: Returning to York Barbican this autumn. Picture: Naomi Davison

ALISON Moyet will play York Barbican on November 18 in one of ten new additions to her Songs Of Yazoo, the minutes and Other tour.

After 20 UK and Irish shows, including Sheffield City Hall on October 6, sold out within days, the Basildon-born soul, blues and pop singer-songwriter has announced further autumn dates, with another Yorkshire gig among them at Bradford Live on November 13.

The 2026 tour will focus exclusively on songs from Yazoo’s 1982-1983 catalogue and a selection from her solo electronica albums, 2013’s the minutes and 2017’s Other.

In her days as Alf, Moyet answered a Melody Maker advert to join fellow Essex musician Vince Clarke in Yazoo after his split from Depeche Mode. A handful ofYazoo hits have become staples of Alison’s live sets, but much of the electronic duo’s material has been performed only rarely outside of their two brief tours: 1982’s breakthrough travels and 2008’s  Reconnected reunion.

Songs Of Yazoo, the minutes and Other is billed as a “unique opportunity to experience songs live that propelled their phenomenal yet short-lived run”, comprising 1982’s UK and USA platinum-selling debut Upstairs At Eric’s and 1983’s parting shot, the UK chart-topping You And Me Both.

Alison Moyet’s poster for the ten new shows on her Songs Of Yazoo, the minutes and Other tour

For the first time, Moyet will team multiple Yazoo numbers with songs from her creative return to electronica for the minutes and Other, both produced by principal co-writer Guy Sigsworth.

“Many years touring the same pool of songs and I am keen for a palate refresher,” says Moyet, 64. “Specifying which years I will be fishing from too, I think, is a grand way to serve pot luck for specific tastes. No bones…”

Moyet last visited York Barbican on February 20 2025 on her first headline tour since 2017, when she had been joined by keyboard players John Garden and Shaun McGhee  on November 19 that year to promote Other.

Last year’s show followed Moyet’s graduation from Brighton University in 2023 with a first-class degree in fine art printmaking, whereupon she combined art and music on her 18-track October 4 album, Key, creating the artwork as well as reworking singles, fan favourites and deep cuts, complemented by two new songs.

Tickets for November 18 will go on general sale from 10am on Thursday from https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/alison-moyet-2026, preceded by pre-sale bookings from 10am tomorrow. For Bradford, https://trafalgartickets.com/bradford-live-bradford/en-GB/event/music/alison-moyet-tickets.

In addition, Moyet will embark on a 21-date tour of North America this summer as a special guest on The Human League’s Generations tour, alongside Marc Almond’s Soft Cell.

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REVIEW: Celestine Dubruel’s verdict on Murder Trial Tonight IV: Death Of A Landlord, York Barbican, March 22

Tigerslane Studios’ cast for Murder Trial Tonight IV, Death Of A Landlord

I WAS really looking forward to this show—perhaps more accurately, this re-trial of a real-life court case—and it didn’t disappoint.

From the moment we entered, Sunday afternoon’s sold-out audience was cast as the jury in the trial of reclusive tenant Tre Bennet, accused of the brutal stabbing of his landlord, Victor Sloane. The only eyewitness: Sloane’s young daughter.

Presented under the direction of Gareth Watts, the stage was starkly arranged as a courtroom, complete with witness box, dock and judge’s bench, while the prosecution and defence occupied opposite sides as a cast of 11 played out Steve Cummings’ script.

When we were asked to stand for the judge’s entrance (Karren Winchester’s Her Honour Judge Amanda Livingstone KC ), the theatrical illusion snapped seamlessly into something far more immersive: participation.

The prosecution’s opening statement (by Alex Kapila’s Ms Victoria Pelham KC) was commanding, laying out what initially seemed like a compelling case. Witness statements, months of unpaid rent, and a description of a Black man in a yellow jacket—identified by the child—combined with blood found on the defendant’s door, all pointed toward Tre (Alpha Kamara).

We were also told that he suffered from schizophrenia, a detail framed to suggest a potential for violent outbursts. Add to this a recent confrontation between Tre and the landlord involving his mother, and the prosecution’s narrative appeared convincing. At this stage, the outlook for Tre Bennet felt bleak.

However, the defence lawyer (Ian Houghton’s Mr Miles Cavendish KC) methodically dismantled this certainty. The yellow jacket, central to the eyewitness account, was shown to be outdated—photographic evidence taken years earlier, with the garment long since discarded. The blood on the door was given a far more mundane explanation: an accidental injury sustained by the landlord while carrying out repairs. Gradually, the cracks in the prosecution’s case began to widen.

The emotional core of the piece came through the testimony of Tre’s mother (Karlina Grace-Paseda’s Dolores Bennet). Her account—detailing her escape from Sierra Leone to build a life in England with her young son—was deeply affecting.

Through her words, and those of Tre’s music teacher (Jason Deer’s Jason Scott), we were introduced to a very different portrait: a gentle, gifted young man shaped by hardship and subjected to racist abuse, yet defined by kindness and creativity. Importantly, the defence also challenged assumptions around mental illness, reminding us that the proportion of people with schizophrenia who commit violent crimes is extremely small.

What makes Death Of A Landlord so powerful is its insistence on confronting bias – both within the justice system and within ourselves. The production subtly raises the issue of racial profiling, prompting us to question whether the investigation may have been too quick to focus on a suspect who “fits the bill,” rather than exploring alternative possibilities.

The balance of the case is its greatest strength. Just when you feel certain, a new detail unsettles your confidence. The writing is sharp and meticulously structured, and the performances are so naturalistic that the boundary between theatre and reality all but disappears. As jurors, the weight of responsibility becomes palpable; the fear of reaching the wrong verdict lingers throughout.

Adapted from a true story, Tigerslane Studios’ production culminates in a modern twist: the audience delivers its verdict – guilty or not guilty – via smartphone using a QR code. Only then is the real-life outcome revealed on a large screen.

It’s a striking and sobering conclusion, leaving you not only reflecting on the case, but on your own judgement – and on this occasion, 84 per cent of York’s jury turned out to be wrong in their verdict.

This is immersive theatre at its most thought-provoking: gripping, unsettling, and impossible to forget.

Celestine Dubruel, theatrical judge and jury member






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Kim Wilde to play York Barbican on The Singles Tour on March 28 2027 with Tiffany in support. When do tickets go on sale?

Kim Wilde: Fourth visit to York Barbican in less than a decade

EIGHTIES’ pop queen Kim Wilde will conclude her 13-date Singles Tour at York Barbican on March 28 2027.

Definitely not alone now, she will be supported by Nashville singer, songwriter, producer, cookery book author, Let’s Food With Tiffany cooking club hostess and The Masked Singer participant Tiffany.

Wilde played York Barbican previously on her Here Come The Aliens tour in April 2018, Greatest Hits 2020 tour in September 2020 and Closer tour in March 2025.

The chart-topping, BRIT Award-winning Londoner, now 65, tours consistently with her brother and co-writer Ricky and their family band, performing such up-tempo synth pop hits as Kids In America, Chequered Love, Water On Glass, Cambodia, View From A Bridge, You Keep Me Hangin’ On, You Came, Never Trust A Stranger, Four Letter Word and If I can’t Have You.

Boys, Love Blonde, The Second Time, Rage To Love, Another Step, Say You Really Want Me, Love In The Natural Way, Love Is Holy and Heart Over Mind could all feature too.

Wilde, daughter of 1950s’ rock’n’roll legend Marty Wilde, continue to release new songs of  edge, love and high energy, as well as appearing in her own radio and television shows and being an award-winning gardener.

Foo Fighters covered Kids In America on their Songs From The Laundry EP for Record Store Day in 2015, 24 years after frontman Dave Grohl first recorded a demo.

Support act Tiffany covered Wilde’s 1981 debut hit too on 2007’s I Think We’re Alone Now: ’80s Hits And More album.

Born on October 2 1971, Tiffany Renee Darwish grew up with an alcoholic mother and now supports mental health awareness and sobriety. Like Wilde, she is an advocate for female empowerment and body image, after experiencing the trials and tribulations of being in the media spotlight from their teenage years to midlife.

At the age of 16, Tiffany topped the UK charts for three weeks in 1988 with her cover of Tommy James & The Shondells’ 1967 hit I Think We’re Alone Now.

Wilde and Tiffany will play Sheffield City Hall too on May 27 2027. Tickets will go on sale on Friday at 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/kim-wilde-2027/; https://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/kim-wilde/.

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Are you ready for jury service at Murder Trial Tonight IV at York Barbican on Sunday afternoon as Death Of A Landlord unfolds?

“All rise”: Cathy Walker in her role as the court usher in Murder Trial Tonight Iv: Death Of A Landlord

ALL rise for season four of Tigerslane Studios’ immersive true-crime theatre series, Murder Trial Tonight. Court will be in session at York Barbican for Sunday’s jury-led murder mystery experience at  2.30pm.

After three tours and more than 125,000 audience members serving as jurors, now comes Death Of A Landlord, on tour from February to July, as a fresh case puts you, the audience, in the front row on jury service as a true crime echoes long after the gavel strikes.

Known for blurring the lines between stagecraft and social experiment, Murder Trial Tonight continues to push the boundaries of live courtroom drama and immersive storytelling, under the direction of Graham Watts for a fourth time.

“This isn’t just a show,” says Graham. “It’s a test of our own biases and empathy. It forces you to confront uncomfortable truths about society and our justice system.”

In Death Of A Landlord, wealthy, ruthless landlord Victor Sloane is discovered dead in his office, his young child being the only witness to the crime. Reclusive tenant Tre Bennet, struggling with mental health challenges, is charged with the murder.

Tigerslane Studios’ cast for Murder Trial Tonight IV: Death Of A Landlord

The police claim he had the clearest motive – months of unpaid rent, repeated eviction threats and allegations that Sloane verbally abused his mother – but is Bennet truly the killer or does more lie beneath the surface?

The story begins on screen, giving the audience the backdrop and opening to the true-crime story. Then, the action moves to the stage for the  live murder trial, immersing the audience in a fast-paced courtroom experience.

As jurors, you will hear prosecution and defence counsels argue their case and cross-examine witnesses as critical evidence is brought to the table. Then, by order of the judge, you will deliberate in real time with fellow audience members and deliver your verdict: Guilty or Not Guilty. At the close of the trial, the shocking real-life outcome of the case is revealed on the big screen. The question is, will you be correct in your verdict?

From the West End to regional venues, seasoned theatre-goers to first-time visitors, Murder Trial Tonight sparks debate long after the curtain falls. “These cases follow you home,” says founder and writer Steve Cummings. “Jurors don’t stop dissecting every twist and turn once they leave the courtroom. Hours, or even days, later, whether at the dinner table, in a pub or online, the debates are still raging.”

Among the cast will be Cathy Walker, on her latest return to York, where she took her first steps as a professional actress. “My first job out of drama school was at Riding Lights Theatre Company in 1993,” she recalls. “I worked with the company for two years, touring all these tiny villages in Paul Burbridge’s productions, appearing with the likes of Bridget Foreman [York playwright and university lecturer]. I have such happy memories of being in York.”

Karren Winchester as Her Honour Judge Amanda Livingstone KC in Death Of A Landlord

Cathy’s connections with Yorkshire began in Sheffield, where she studied English Literature and Drama at university. “That set me on the path to becoming an actress,” she says. “The drama department was great, giving us lots of freedom to experiment, which was a wonderful opportunity.”

Cathy was in Tigerslane Studios’ cast for Murder Trial Tonight III – The Doorstep Case too, visiting York Barbican on April 29 2025. “We had a great time there last year, so I’m delighted to be going back,” she says.

“I have the humble role of playing the court usher, but I have more lines to learn than anyone else because I’m also understudying the Judge, the Prosecution lawyer and the detective.

“In my acting life, I’ve been fortunate as an understudy. Within my understudy history, I’ve jumped in to perform alongside Reece Shearsmith and Lee Mack, but last year, when I was understudying the barrister and the judge, I got to do neither of them as the actors were super-healthy and super-conscientious!

“But I love my role as the court usher as I’m the audience’s first experience of ‘being in court’, making them stand up [by saying ‘All rise’], so they laugh at first but then they get nervous as they realise they’re being talked to in a formal way and that they’re in it as the jury.

Guilty or Not Guilty? You decide as jurors in MurderTrial Tonight: Death Of A Landlord

“So it’s a collaborative experience, although in theory people could get a bit ‘harumphy’, objecting to being told what to do, but they take their responsibilities very seriously, knowing that it’s up to them whether the defendant will go down or not.”

Audience members will place their Guilty or Not Guilty vote by QR code, whereupon the audience’s foreperson of the jury will give that verdict to Cathy’s usher, who will reveal whether the verdict was unanimous or by majority. In the denouement, the cast will play out what happened in the real case.

For all the theatricality of Murder Trial Tonight, Cathy notes how audiences treat their involvement with gravitas. “I guess that most of us have known or experienced or read about a case and had a feeling of powerlessness, whereas you can flex your muscles in this courtroom,” she says.

“It really does take audience interaction to a different level, and that’s why people are ‘living’ it, committing to it, coming to every year’s Murder Trial Tonight.

“When I listen in to the deliberations in the interval, it’s fascinating because they’re so involved, and when they’re watching the case unfold you can hear a pin drop. I love this form of theatre, when it’s so immersive.”

Tigerslane Studios presents Murder Trial Tonight IV, Death Of A Landlord, York Barbican, Sunday (22/3/2026), Running time: Two hours 50 minutes, including interval & audience/jury deliberation. Age recommendation: 16 plus. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk and murdertrialtonight.com. Also Hull Connexin Live, tomorrow (20/3/2026), 7.30pm. Box office: connexinlivehull.com.

Newsflash

CATHY Walker will understudy the Detective’s role in Murder Trial Tonight IV: Death Of A Landlord, at Easterbrook Hall, in Dumfries, on April 3 when her mother will be in the 7.30pm audience.

The poster for Murder Trial Tonight IV: Death Of A Landlord