Seat of power: Rosy Rowley’s Jack Falstaff, the fool mid-stool expunging on the throne. Picture: John Saunders
AMERICAN playwright Scott Bradley plays his Trump card by association in the York International Shakespeare Festival world premiere of A Kingdom Jack’d.
In situ for a month of rehearsals with fellow American Tempest Wisdom’s York company 1st Zanni Theatre, award-winning Iowa playwright, actor, director, producer and university lecturer Bradley asks the question: What if disgraced knight Jack Falstaff had landed on the throne in 1399, instead of serious warrior king Henry IV?
Enter birthday girl Rosy Rowley’s Falstaff – now King John II, no less – with a bibulous burp. Stupid, lecherous, selfish and still as funny as Queen Elizabeth I once found her favourite Shakespeare rogue, Bradley’s rambunctious lush must somehow fund the army, balance the budget and make foreign policy, betwixt naps, plentiful imbibing at the Boar’s Head Inn, Eastcheap, and multiple meals at any excuse.
At full throttle: Oliver James Parkins’ Henry “Hal” Holingbroke in a fight to the death with Katie Leckey’s Harry “Hotspur” Percyin A Kingdom Jack’d. Picture: John Saunders
In Bradley’s satirical spin on Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I, Falstaff’s government is drunk, his enemies are plotting, the Welsh are rising, even his allies are scheming, and girlfriend Doll Tearsheet (the outstanding Julia Bisby), the smart London harlot, wants in on the action.
Whipped up in two brisk 45-minute halves, book-ended by Jai Rowley’s pastiche period score, A Kingdom Jack’d pumps up the satirical volume with clowning physicality under Wisdom’s direction, while sounding the alarum bells for the consequences of buffoonery in positions of power.
As Wisdom puts it: “Scott has made Falstaff not only unpredictable, but dangerous. He now has institutional power on top of his pre-existing social power, and the thrill of watching the effects of that power unfold is hilarious and sickening in equal measure.”
Ro Trimble’s Lady “Kate” Percy in discussion with Katie Leckey’s Harry “Hotspur” Percy. Picture: John Saunders
In performance, the impact is more scabrously and scatalogically humorous than sickening (unless you are squeamish about the surfeit of swordplay in the Grand Guignol finale as the bodies pile up like uncollected bin bags in Birmingham in Pearl Mollison’s no-holds-barred fight choreography).
Rowley’s Falstaff is lairy, licentious, lewd, flippant as a pancake, and Bradley, Wisdom and Rowley alike revel in the symbolism of Falstaff flagrantly conducting ablutions in full view of all and sundry. By Rowley’s side, Bisby’s nimble Doll is droll and astute with a waspish crack of the quip in her putdowns.
Julia Bisby’s Doll Tearsheet stands over Rosy Rowley’s prone Jack Falstaff. Writer Scott Bradley, second from left, seated, front row, looks on. Picture: John Saunders
In a cast of 12, Wisdom draws both high energy and rhythmic versifying from their cast of 12, all relishing the proximity of the audience to the thrust staging within the timber frames of the history-soaked hall.
Kitted out splendidly in Grae Heidi-Brookes’s hand-made costumes, Oliver James Parkins evokes Charlie Chaplin’s face, floppy hair and impishly disruptive comedy in Henry “Hal” Holingbroke; Jodie Foster is a riot as Lady Quickly and especially the intemperate Owen Glendower; Jimmy Johnson and Katie Leckey maximise the clowning in their head-banging Sir Pistol & Sir Nym double act and Ro Trimble’s impresses equally in the high camp of Edmund Mortimer and the scheming allure of Lady “Kate” Percy.
In a running joke by Bradley, Lou Dunn’s shrunken wallflower John Bolingbroke keeps being forgotten or ignored by everyone on stage, but not by the audience. Elsewhere, not everything is easy to follow in the plot, especially in Act Two, but maybe that is a nod to Shakespeare too by the ever canny, mischievous Bradley.
Kristian Barley’s Adam, left, Steve Tearle’s Bernadette and Matthew Clarke’s Tick in NE Theatre York’s Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
FROM Priscilla in the outback to dark thriller The Psychic, the Romanian Richard III to Neon Crypt’s Holmes and Watson, Charles Hutchinson picks the week ahead’s best shows and gigs.
Musical of the week: NE Theatre York in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert The Musical, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
STEVE Tearle, creative director of NE Theatre York, plays Bernadette, joined by Matthew Clarke as Tick and Kristian Barley as Adam, in the adventure of two drag artists and a trans woman embarking on a life‑changing road trip across the Aussie outback in their battered tour bus, discovering the power of love, identity, acceptance and true friendship.
“As they head west through the Australian desert to chase a dream aboard their lavender bus, our three terrific travellers come to the forefront of a comedy of errors,” says Tearle, whose high-energy production also features Helen Greenley as Shirley, Ben Rich as Jimmy, Steve Perry as Bob, the mechanic, Ali Butler-Hind as his wife Cynthia, plus disco divas Perri Ann Barley, Melissa Boyd and Aileen Hall. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Andy Nyman, left, and Jeremy Dyson in rehearsal for their world premiere of The Psychic at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Manuel Harlan
World premiere of the week: The Psychic, York Theatre Royal, today to May 23
“IS any of it real,” ask Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman in The Psychic, the latest spook-fest from the writer-director duo behind Ghost Stories. In their twisted new thriller, popular TV psychic Sheila Gold loses a high-profile court case that brands her a charlatan, costing her not only her reputation but also a fortune in legal fees.
When a wealthy couple ask Sheila to conduct a séance to attempt to make contact with their late child, she senses an opportunity to bleed them for money. What follows makes her question everything she has ever believed and leads her on a journey into the darkest corners of her life. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Gemma Curry in Hoglets Theatre’s Spooky Shakespeare Suitcase Theatre
Children’s show of the week: Hoglets Theatre presents Spooky Shakespeare Suitcase Theatre, York International Shakespeare Festival, York St John University Creative Centre Auditorium, today, 6.30pm
HAGS, hauntings, hobgoblins and more emerge from the spooky suitcase owned by Lady Macbeth (Dotty to her friends). These spectres from performances past must retell their stories before they can find peace in the literary afterlife, but are they friends or will we need to be vanquished back into the supernatural suitcase?
Written, crafted and performed by Hoglets Theatre founder, director, writer and performer Gemma Sharp, this funny, energetic children’s theatre experience presents a world of hand-made puppets, music and storytelling, all performed from a single suitcase. “No prior knowledge of Shakespeare is required,” she says. Box office: https://yorkshakes.co.uk/programme-2026/spooky-shakespeare-suitcase-theatre/.
Dirty Ruby: Playing the blues at Milton Rooms, Malton
Blues gig of the week: Ryedale Blues Club presents Dirty Ruby, Milton Rooms, Malton, tomorrow, 8pm
SPECIALISING in sharp-edged blues rock, East Midlands five-piece Dirty Ruby have drawn comparison with 1970s’ acts Stone The Crows and Vinegar Joe with their energetic combination of Hammond organ, beautiful bluesy guitar, tight rhythm section and soulful lead vocals. After a five-track EP and debut single, they are working on completing their debut album. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Paulus The Cabaret Geek in the Victoria Wood tribute Looking For Me Friends
Tribute of the week: Looking For Me Friend: The Music Of Victoria Wood, Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 7.30pm
PAULUS The Cabaret Geek and pianist Michael Roulston marks the tenth anniversary of Victoria Wood’s death in Looking For Me Friend. Directed by Sarah-Louise Young (from An Evening Without Kate Bush), the show is filled with Wood’s best-loved songs, such as Ballad of Barry & Freda’ (Let’s Do It) and It Would Never Have Worked. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Sarah McQuaid: Playing Helmsley Arts Centre on Friday
Folk gig of the week: Sarah McQuaid, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm
SINGER and songwriter Sarah McQuaid draws on her seven albums of velvet-voiced folk songs, performed with wit and warmth in concert on acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and occasionally drums.
Born in Spain, raised in Chicago, holding dual Irish and American citizenship and now settled in rural England, she brings the eclecticism of her background to her contemplative ballads, playful blues and atmospheric instrumentals, her music inviting reflection, connection and a deep appreciation of the quiet power of a well-crafted song. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Eduardo Martín & Ahmed Dickinson Cárdena
Guitar concert of the week: Eduardo Martín & Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, Friday, 7.30pm
GRAMMY nominee composer Eduardo Martín and virtuoso classical guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas combine in an intergenerational duo that celebrates the depth and diversity of Cuban guitar music, weaving together classical, Afro-Cuban, jazz, rock and cinematic influences into a vibrant and emotionally rich dialogue.
Together, Martín and Dickinson Cárdenas embody a powerful artistic synergy. More than a concert, their collaboration is a sonic journey where generations meet, traditions evolve and Cuban identity resonates on a global stage. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Liviu Cheloiu in Richard III – The Man at York International Shakespeare Festival. Picture: Teatrul Tony Bulandra
Discontented son of York of the week: Tony Bulandra Theatre in Richard III – The Man, York International Shakespeare Festival, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 7.30pm
SHAKESPEARE’S “most captivating character” returns to York in Targoviste company Tony Bulandra Theatre’s Richard III – The Man, performed in Romanian with English surtitles by versatile actor and festival director Liviu Cheloiu, celebrated in the Eastern European country for his film roles and theatre work.
Exploring themes of power and its corrupting allure, the nature of evil, the manipulation of language and the thin lines between reality and fiction, the show delves into Richard III’s psyche while attempting to relate the Bard’s description – or character assassination? – with the historical truth about the Yorkist Plantagenet king in a series of scenes inspired by the Bard’s plays, showcasing Richard’s chameleon-like personality to reveal how he utilises those around him to achieve his goals. Box office: yorkshakes.co.uk or tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Laura Castle’s Dr Watson, left, and Laura McKeller’s Sherlock Holmes in Neon Crypt’s The Hound Of The Baskervilles
Mystery thriller of the week: Neon Crypt in The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, May 5 to 9, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
JOIN York company Neon Crypt for side-splitting stupidity, hot dog disguises and absolute terror in Jamie McKeller’s staging of Peepolykus co-artistic director John Nicholson’s incredibly high-brow adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery The Hound Of The Baskervilles.
Sherlock Holmes (Laura McKeller) and Dr Watson(Laura Castle) are summoned to investigate the ancient curse of the Hound of the Baskervilles and unravel the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, found dead on his estate with a look of terror still etched on his face and the paw prints of a gigantic hound beside his body. Look out for Michael Cornell popping up as Sir Henry Baskerville and Yokel 2. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
“No prior knowledge of Shakespeare is required,” says Spooky Shakespeare Suitcase Theatre puppeteer Gemma Curry
HAGS, hauntings, hobgoblins and more emerge from the spooky suitcase owned by Lady Macbeth (Dotty to her friends). These spectres from performances past must retell their stories before they can find peace in the literary afterlife, but are they friends or will we need to be vanquished back into the supernatural suitcase?
Written, crafted and performed by Hoglets Theatre founder, director, writer and performer Gemma Sharp, this funny, energetic children’s theatre experience presents a world of hand-made puppets, music and storytelling, all performed from a single suitcase.
“This production is aimed at primary children – and no prior knowledge of Shakespeare is required!” says Gemma, whose performance is part of the 2026 York International Shakespeare Festival.
“It’s designed to be a fun, silly, ‘spooky’ show, with no jump scares, but as we’re covering Macbeth and Hamlet amongst others, there’ll be mentions of death and murder, ghosts, witches and monsters. All children are different, so please consider this when booking.” Box office: https://yorkshakes.co.uk/programme-2026/spooky-shakespeare-suitcase-theatre/.
Hoglets Theatre’s puppets in Spooky Shakespeare Suitcase Theatre
Julia Bisby’s Doll, left, and Rosy Rowley’s Jack Falstaff rehearsing Scott Bradley’s A Kingdom’s Jack’d. Picture: Scott Bradley
IOWA playwright Scott Bradley is in York for a month, working on the world premiere of “alternative history play” A Kingdom Jack’d with his fellow American, director Tempest Wisdom.
Together they are putting the ‘international’ into the York International Shakespeare Festival while putting the most English of cult figures in the spotlight in York company 1st Zanni Theatre’s production of his uproarious black comedy twist on Henry IV Part 1 at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall on Wednesday (29/4/2026) and Thursday at 7.30pm.
Tradition has it that Queen Elizabeth I was so delighted by the character of Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2, she duly commanded Shakespeare to write a play showing the old rogue in love. Cue The Merry Wives Of Windsor.
Now, Bradley boldly, mischievously re-imagines an iconic moment in political and Shakespearean history: what if disgraced knight Jack Falstaff – played by York stage regular Rosy Rowley – somehow found his way on to the throne of England in 1399, instead of serious warrior-king Henry IV?
In a nutshell, here comes Shakespeare turned upside down, where brutal satire meets broad comedy, delivered in tightly wrought verse in an irreverent that play draws on the medieval world of Henry IV, the Elizabethan imagination that reshaped it and our own contemporary political absurdities.
“Stupid, lecherous, selfish but hilarious, Shakespeare’s most (in)famous clown must somehow fund the army, balance the budget and make foreign policy, between naps of course,” says Scott. “His government is drunk, his enemies are plotting, his allies are scheming, and even his girlfriend’s getting in on the action.
“Falstaff is king…but for how long, as chaos ensues with all these different factions clashing and backstabbing left, right and centre?”
A Kingdom Jack’d playwright Scott Bradley: Presenting his alternate history of kings, rebellion and political chaos inside one of York’s most historic buildings
He wrote an initial version in 2016 in response to the impact on the arts and beyond of Donald Trump’s first term as President of the United States, whereupon Tempest’s mother, Robyn Calhoun, first saw a Playwrights Workshop version in 2017, performed by theatre students at the University of Iowa, where Scott was a lecturer.
Now, with Trump exercising power so erratically in his second term, A Kingdom Jack’d emerges in full bloom in York, with a brisk running time of 45 minutes each half. “I initially contacted Scott asking if I could read the play and maybe bring a staged reading to the Shakespeare festival, and he gave me an incredible amount of licence – I could take it as far as I’d like!” recalls Tempest. “I can only hope I’ve deserved the immense amount of trust he’s put in me and the team.”
After studying theatre at the University of Chicago, Tempest pursued a Masters degree in theatre-making at the University of York, making their mark on the York theatre scene as the creator and host of the bi-monthly Bard at the Bar at Micklegate Social and directing York Shakespeare Project in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona in October 2024.
“I’ve worked on many devised shows before – processes where the writing happens in the rehearsal room and the decisions are largely made through group discovery and consensus, but this is my first time having a playwright in the room, making creative decisions in response to my direction and the cast’s choices,” says Tempest.
“I’ll admit, I was intimidated by the prospect, but it’s been really cool, and Scott is too kind of a person and too good of a collaborator to be intimidating. Of course, I’m not the one who has to re-memorise the script changes, so take that with a grain of salt!”
Staggering performance: Rosy Rowley’s bibulous Jack Falstaff – King “Jack” John II – during rehearsals at Southlands Methodist Church. Picture: Scott Bradley
Scott, who studied drama at the University of Hull in 1986, and later drag with Bloo Lips in London, has worked as an actor, director and producer in a career taking in New York, Chicago and Washington DC before returning to Iowa to teach on the Playwrights Workshop course.
“But in 2016, the election went the wrong way, the way we didn’t want, with Trump winning, and that was devastating,” he says. “I knew I wanted to respond to what was happening in the country, particularly being in the middle of Iowa, which is a red-meat, conservative world: the place I ran away from as a kid.
“I wanted to respond to this crazy, populist President, who was using his presidency to make him and his cronies rich, whereas now, in his second term, he’s just authoritarian.”
Scott was studying Shakespeare’s Henriad, his History plays, at the time. “I thought, what makes Falstaff so enjoyable, and made Trump so enjoyable, as buffoonish provocateurs, was that Falstaff was a crook with no real power and Trump was just a reality TV star.
“They are just these ridiculous guys, whose immorality makes them fun, because they have no power, but what happens when you put that funny buffoon, that funny drunk [Falstaff] in charge? He becomes really terrifying. Falstaff is still very funny, but it’s just that now he has the power to have people beheaded.
“It’s that idea of taking this buffoon, this foolish man, and suddenly he’s in charge of governing the country, when before that luckily there were a few that put up guard rails, but now he has none of that and he’s much more dangerous. But Falstaff is redeemable in that he’s a fictional character.”
Rosy Rowley’s Jack Falstaff in the poster for 1st Zanni Theatre’s premiere of A Kingdom Jack’d at York International Shakespeare Festival
The influence of Charles Ludlam and the Ridiculous Theatre Company in New York can be seen in the politics in Scott’s work. “He was a ‘smarty pants’ who mined pop culture and hooked into history and drag,” he says.
Hence, for A Kingdom Jack’d, you can read A Kingdom Trump’d into the play too. “There’s a bit of Trump in my Falstaff but also some of Boris Johnson too because of how he behaved in Covid, when everyone knew he lying but people loved him anyway,” says Rosy, whose birthday coincides with the opening performance.
“I first read the play about 18 months ago – and I never thought I’d be playing Falstaff as I thought I’d be auditioning for [Mistress] Quickly. As a woman of a certain age, it gets much harder to play leading parts, so to get the chance to play this odious man is amazing.
“I’ve played a lot of male roles, but with Falstaff, the danger lies in over-caricaturing him as a ‘bloke’, so I’m trying not to do that. There’s a vulnerability to Falstaff that you don’t see in Trump.”
Julia Bisby, who is travelling from Sheffield to play the smart London harlot Doll Tearsheet, says: “Because it’s a comedy, they’re exaggerated characters and it’s larger than life, with an emphasis on clowning and physicality.
“One of my favourite things about Doll is her abundance of insults,” says A Kingdom Jack’d actress Julia Bisby. Picture: Scott Bradley
“Doll uses her body as her way of making money, but it’s her brain, her mind, that stands out. She’s super-smart. Amid the greed of all these people fighting for the crown, Doll’s not chasing power, but she has the power, wanting to avoid bloodshed for the good of the country. One of my favourite things about her is her abundance of insults.”
Scott says: “One of the things that I was interested in – and I’m still interested in – is that it’s everyday people that can make a difference, can make changes, and that’s why I was interested in Doll being that figure, the one who has a sense of direction, a sense of morality, and wants a world that’s not craven.”
“But so do all the women [in the play],” says Rosy. “They are the ones who want to make changes…”
…”What happens when you’ve killed off all the men?” ponders Scott. “Perhaps we should give women the chance to have their voice – and the female characters get to do that in this play.”
An alarming moment for Rosy Rowley’s Jack and Julia Bisby’s Doll in A Kingdom Jack’d. Picture: Scott Bradley
He was delighted that Tempest wanted to stage the play with a professional cast and crew at the Shakespeare festival after doing an initial reading with Rosy. “I was all in for that,” he says. “What a great way to present this play, in York, in the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, in English and Welsh voices that I imagine would have been the voices of that time – making sure we are saying the Welsh words right.
“Having first workshopped the play with young American actors, it’s just such a dream to have British actors of the age of the characters – though we have a couple of Americans in the cast too!”
Scott continues: “I was so thrilled when this production was proposed that I really wanted to be here to kick the tyres. I arrived at the very top of April, so I’ve been here for a month, after I’d done a new draft of the play, where I’d cut a lot of air out of it. I’ve been at most of the rehearsals and it’s been invaluable to hear it spoken.
“I was working on the play as a political satire, where Tempest wanted to pick it up and play with it with clowns. Now I’m really excited to see the play on stage and to see some of the other plays at the festival too.”
1st Zanni Theatre in A Kingdom Jack’d, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York, York International Shakespeare Festival, April 29 and 30, 7.30pm. Scott Bradley will conduct a post-show Q&A with Tempest Wisdom after each performance. Box office: yorkshakes.co.uk.
Tempest Wisdom
Q&A with A Kingdom Jack’d director and 1st Zanni Theatre founder Tempest Wisdom
What attracted you to directing this new play?
“The challenges and opportunities of this play are twofold: one is a question of comedy, and one is a question of history.
“Henry IV, Part I and Love’s Labour’s Lost are my two favourite Shakespeare plays, largely because they both break the generic mold. ‘Love’s’ is a bubbly comedy that ends with an uncomfortable injection of reality, and Henry IV is characterised by a profound tension between comedy and history, with Prince Hal as the fulcrum balancing the two.
“There’s the world of the court, dominated by King Henry, where the serious Shakespearean history business of state occurs: war, treasury, public relations, diplomacy.
“And then there’s the world of the Boar’s Head Inn, the trashy Eastcheap tavern where Falstaff reigns over the comedy side of things: elaborate wordplay, plays-within-plays, wine and women and song.
“Scott has taken that push-and-pull in the source material and dialled it up to 11. The script is clever, funny, a bit mean, and moves at a breakneck pace through a catalogue of jokes that range from pure blue humour to all-too-real barely-satire.
“So the first challenge, the comedy challenge, has been managing that tightrope walk: the cycle of warming up an audience to laughter, then bringing the humour around to a darker and darker tone until it’s difficult to laugh at…and then pushing it even further into the absurd, so we’re laughing again…and then starting the cycle all over.
“The history challenge: Picking this play apart is kind of like delving into a fossil record! Many of the characters in Henry IV, as in all of Shakespeare’s history plays, were real people, and so the first layer of ‘sediment’ we can draw from is their lived reality: the King Henry, Prince Hal, and Owain and Catrin Glyndŵr lived and breathed and died (and in the case of Harry Hotspur, their heads were occasionally mounted on Micklegate Bar!).
“They were also public figures, of course, and so the second and third layers of the fossil record are the public perception of them: the perceptions of their fellows and subjects – and how we understand them today.
“Then, naturally, there are the fictionalised, narrativised versions of them we get in Shakespeare’s plays and their various stagings and adaptations, which colour our understanding of the historical fact significantly (not as much as the case of Richard III, but that’s another story).
“Finally, there’s the script itself, Scott’s reworking of ALL of those prior layers, which brings a modern political filter and an entirely new context. So for myself and the actors, working through these semantic layers of history, narrative and cultural consciousness and using all that rich data (those beautiful fossils!) to construct something fresh and new and immediate has been so rewarding.”
Tempest Wisdom in rehearsal for role as Moth in York Shakespeare Project’s Love’s Labour’s Lost earlier this month
How would you sum up Falstaff in Shakespeare’s plays and how does he contrast with Scott’s Jack Falstaff?
“I have a pet theory that all of Shakespeare’s clowns and fools fit on a spectrum ranging from Genuinely As Stupid As They Seem (Touchstone I don’t believe that man has any idea what’s going on at any point) to Not Even Bothering To Couch Their Opinions In Jokes Anymore (Lear’s Fool).
“Falstaff is unique among his motley peers because he slides up and down that spectrum scene by scene and play by play, even line by line. It puts him in a powerful position, because it makes him unpredictable. You can’t quite tell when he’s playing dumb.
“Scott has made Falstaff not only unpredictable, but dangerous. He now has institutional power on top of his pre-existing social power, and the thrill of watching the effects of that power unfold is hilarious and sickening in equal measure.”
How exciting is it to be premiering an American-written and directed play at York International Shakespeare Festival?
“This show might as well have been written specifically for the York International Shakespeare Festival. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate Shakespeare as ‘the world’s playwright’’, and so our focus is on bringing together culturally specific understandings of and responses to Shakespeare’s work.
“Scott’s play fits that bill to a T, having been born of a particular socio-political anger that I, as an American emigrant, share. (The first draft was written in 2016…a moment of upheaval on the American and global political stage, to put it lightly).
“I hope we’re able to convey some of the rage, despair, absurdity and hope driving this production, as well as getting a few laughs out of people!”
Tempest on founding 1st Zanni Theatre in York:
““It feels like the York theatre scene is having a reckoning. All across the city there are conversations happening: how can we help each other? What do we need to build in order to succeed together? It’s because of that supportiveness that I felt capable of committing to a career as an artist, and I want to build this company based on that same ethos.”
Julia Bisby rehearsing her role as Doll Tearsheet in A Kingdom Jack’d. She first worked with director Tempest Wisdom on Shakespeare Speakeasy play-in-a-day productions of Twelfth Night and Macbeth (re-spun as a comedy) at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Scott Bradley
Who is in the cast for A Kingdom Jack’d?
Rosy Rowley: King “Jack” John II
Julia Bisby: Doll Tearsheet. Performed in Shakespeare’s Speakeasy, York (Twelfth Night, Macbeth)
Oliver James Parkins: Henry “Hal” Bolingbroke. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate
Effie Warboys: Lord Francis/Lady Catrin “Cat” Glendower
Stuart Green: Earl of Worcester/Earl of Northumberland
Jodie Foster: Lady Quickly/Owen Glendower
Liz Bailey: Sir Bardolph/Welsh Guard
Lainey Shaw: Lord Chief Justice/Henry Bolingbroke
Lou Dunn: Ned Poins/John Bolingbroke
Jimmy Johnson: Sir Pistol/Sir Walter Blunt. Performer with Deathly Dark Tours and Wetwang Hauntings
Katie Leckey: Sir Nym/Harry “Hotspur” Percy. Founder of York company Griffonage Theatre
Ro Trimble: Edmund Mortimer/Lady “Kate” Percy
Ro Trimble, Katie Leckey and Stuart Green in A Kingdom Jack’d. Picture: John Saunders
Who is in the production team?
Tempest Wisdom: Director, founder of 1st Zanni Theatre
Scott Bradley: Writer
Pearl Mollison: Stage manager/fight choreographer
Anna Gallon: Producer, from York company Four Wheel Drive Theatre
Grae Heidi-Brookes: Hand-made costume designer
Jai Rowley: Composer, as part of final-year placement at University of Huddersfield
Helena Kerkham: Assistant producer, joining project as part of 1ZT’s on-going work to develop and champion emerging local creative talent
Tia Thompson: Assistant director
Lou Dunn, left, Julia Bisby and Oliver James Parkins in A Kingdom Jack’d. Picture: John Saunders
Scott Bradley: back story
AWARD-WINNING Iowa-born theatre-maker, director, producer and writer, whose credits span New York, Chicago and Washington DC. Works include cult musicals Alien Queen, Carpenters Halloween and We Three Lizas and solo memoir Packing. Holds fellowships and residencies across the United States. A Kingdom Jack’d marks his first full-length UK production.
The impact of Merchant Adventurers’ Hall on A Kingdom Jack’d
MERCHANT Adventurers’ Hall amplifies the play’s resonances. Completed shortly before Henry Bolingbroke’s real-life ascent to the throne, the timber-framed hall is steeped in the same history A Kingdom Jack’d rewires so gleefully. Its vast oak beams, Great Hall proportions and centuries-old mercantile heritage provide a setting where Shakespearean rebellion feels strikingly at home.
The hall offers an inspiring backdrop, its deep historical roots – medieval, Tudor and contemporary – make it an ideal home for A Kingdom Jack’d’s layered world of kings, rebels and political chaos.
Producer Anna Gallon says: “The Hall is a treasure. Bringing new theatre into such a significant space feels like a natural next step in York’s cultural growth. This show plays with three different historical periods at once, and the building meets that challenge beautifully.”
Collage and mixed-media artist Donna Maria Taylor: Participating in York Open Studios at South Bank Studios
FROM Rocky Horror film stars to Shakespeare in a suitcase, Bowie to Boe, Priscilla to The Psychic premiere, Charles Hutchinson is spoilt for choice again.
Art event of the week: York Open Studios, York and beyond, today and Sunday, 10am to 5pm
FOR a second weekend, 150 artists and makers within York and a ten-mile radius of the city are welcoming visitors to 107 workplaces and studios.
This annual event offers the chance to gain a sneak peek into where the artists work, their methods and inspirations, whether a regular contributor or the 27 new participants, spanning traditional and contemporary painting and print, illustration, drawing, ceramics, mixed media, glass, sculpture, jewellery, textiles and photography. For more information, visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk; access the interactive map at yorkopenstudios.co.uk/map.
Weather Balloons’ Anne Prior: Playing Navigators Art’s YO Underground #7 bill at The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse
Arts collaboration of the week: Navigators Art/Projects presents YO Underground 7, The Basement, City Screen, York, tonight, 7.30pm
CONTINUING its mission to present adventurous left-field music and words from York and the region, Navigators Art plays host to a mixed bill of uniquely styled indie song-writing from Weather Balloons’ Anne Prior, the Joe Douglas Trio’s North African-inspired free jazz and a collaboration between audiovisual projections and Ben Hopkinson’s quartet Synaefonia. Box office: bit.ly/nav-events.
Blue: In full bloom at York Barbican tonight
Limited ticket availability: Blue and special guests 911, York Barbican, tonight, 7.30pm; Alfie Boe, York Barbican, April 28, 7pm
REVITALISED boy band Blue have released the single Flowers, penned by good friend Robbie Williams and Boots Ottestad, ahead of their 25th anniversary tour date at York Barbican.
“Robbie reached out to me a while back and said ‘I’ve got a song for Blue’,” says Blue’s Antony Costa, who will be joined as ever by Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe. “We only got to record it recently and thought it would be perfect to release for the anniversary tour. We can’t wait for you all to hear Flowers.”
Tenor Alfie Boe plays York on Tuesday and Harrogate Royal Hall on Wednesday on his 35-date tour, combining his most iconic hits and fan-favourite classics with material from new album Face Myself. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk; for Boe, https://gigst.rs/AB26.
Alfie Boe: Tenor dramatics at York Barbican. Picture: Ray Burmiston
Book event of the week: Rivers, Water and Wildness, A Talk by Amy-Jane Beer, St Chad’s Church, Campleshon Road, York, April 28, 7.30pm to 9pm
THE Friends of Nun Ings invite you to Rivers, Water and Wildness, Our Rivers and Their Landscapes, a talk by biologist-turned-writer and former South Bank resident Amy-Jane Beer, author of The Flow, winner of the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 2023, who now lives on the Derwent.
The Flow is a book about water, and, like water, it meanders, cascades and percolates through many lives, landscapes and stories. From West Country torrents to Levels and Fens, rocky Welsh canyons and the salmon highways of Scotland to the chalk rivers of the Yorkshire Wolds, Beer follows springs, streams and rivers to explore tributary themes of wildness and wonder, loss and healing, mythology and history, cyclicity and transformation. Tickets are available via eventbrite; admission is free but donations are welcome.
Nell Campbell (Columbia), Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors) and Patricia Quinn (Magenta) celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Let’s do the Time Warp…again: The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary Spectacular Tour 2026, York Barbican, Sunday, 7pm
JOIN the original Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick), Magenta (Patricia Quinn) and Columbia (Nell Campbell) for this once-in-a-lifetime screening event with a live shadow cast. Jim Sharman’s 1975 film of Richard O’Brien’s musical will be shown in a 4K remastered edition, preceded by a Q&A with the movie stars. Expect a costume contest, memorabilia display with film artefacts and a participation prop bag for every ticket holder. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert: David Bowie on screen at York Barbican
Fantastical film and music event of the week: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert, York Barbican, April 27, 7.30pm
JIM Henson’s musical fantasy film Labyrinth is on tour in concert in celebration of its 40th anniversary, transporting audiences to Goblin City in a fusion of film on a large HD cinema screen and live music on stage, performed by a band playing David Bowie and Trevor Jones’s soundtrack score and songs in sync with Bowie’s original vocals.
Taking on an ever-growing cult status since its release on June 27 1986, Labyrinth stars Bowie as principal antagonist Jareth the Goblin King, who rules the goblin kingdom, kidnaps protagonist Sarah’s baby brother and presents a charming yet menacing challenge, appearing as a rock star-like figure who lures and influences her journey. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Degrees Of Error’s poster for you-do-it whodunit Murder She Didn’t Write
Sleuthing opportunity of the week: Degrees Of Error in Murder She Didn’t Write, Grand Opera House, York, April 28, 7.30pm
DON your deerstalker, grab your magnifying glass and prepare your “finger of suspicion” as Edinburgh Fringe favourites Degrees Of Error return for your sleuthing pleasure, creating a classic murder mystery on-the-spot in this ingenious improvised comedy.
You, the audience, become the author as the cast acts out your very own Agatha Christie-inspired masterpiece live on stage. At each show, the company uses your suggestions to create an original and comical murder mystery. All you have to do is solve it. Ms Gold poisoned at a synchronised swimming gala? Dr Blue exploded by cannon during a hot air balloon race? Professor Violet crushed to death at a Love Island re-coupling? You decide – but will you guess whodunit before the killer is revealed? Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Kristian Barley’s Adam, left, Steve Tearle’s Bernadette and Matthew Clarke’s Tick in NE Theatre York’s musical Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
Musical of the week: NE Theatre York in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, April 28 to May 2, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
STEVE Tearle, creative director of NE Theatre York, plays Bernadette, joined by Matthew Clarke as Tick and Kristian Barley as Adam, in the adventure of two drag artists and a trans woman embarking on a life‑changing road trip across the Aussie outback in their battered tour bus, discovering the power of love, identity, acceptance and true friendship.
“As they head west through the Australian desert to chase a dream aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, our three terrific travellers come to the forefront of a comedy of errors,” says Steve, whose high-energy production also features Helen Greenley as Shirley, Ben Rich as Jimmy, Steve Perry as Bob, the mechanic, Ali Butler-Hind as his wife Cynthia, plus disco divas Perri Ann Barley, Melissa Boyd and Aileen Hall. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Eileen Walsh, left, Jaz Singh Deol, Megan Placito, Andy Nyman, Nikhita Lesler and Jeremy Dyson in rehearsal for the world premiere of The Psychic at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Manuel Harlan
World premiere of the week: The Psychic, York Theatre Royal, April 29 to May 23
“IS any of it real,” ask Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman in The Psychic, the latest spook-fest from the writer-director duo behind Ghost Stories. In their twisted new thriller, popular TV psychic Sheila Gold loses a high-profile court case that brands her a charlatan, costing her not only her reputation but also a fortune in legal fees.
When a wealthy couple ask Sheila to conduct a séance to attempt to make contact with their late child, she senses an opportunity to bleed them for money. What follows makes her question everything she has ever believed and leads her on a journey into the darkest corners of her life. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Pulling Shakespearean strings: Gemma Curry in Hoglets Theatre’s Spooky Shakespeare Suitcase Theatre at York International Shakespeare Festival
Children’s show of the week: Hoglets Theatre presents Spooky Shakespeare Suitcase Theatre, York International Shakespeare Festival, York St John University Creative Centre Auditorium, April 29, 6.30pm
HAGS, hauntings, hobgoblins and more emerge from the spooky suitcase owned by Lady Macbeth (Dotty to her friends). These spectres from performances past need to retell their stories before they can find peace in the literary afterlife, but are they friends or will we need to be vanquished back into the supernatural suitcase?
Written, crafted and performed by Hoglets Theatre founder, director, writer and performer Gemma Sharp, this funny, energetic children’s theatre experience presents a world of hand-made puppets, music and storytelling, all performed from a single suitcase. “No prior knowledge of Shakespeare is required,” she says. Box office: https://yorkshakes.co.uk/programme-2026/spooky-shakespeare-suitcase-theatre/.
The poster for Scott Bradley’s premiere of A Kingdom Jack’d at York International Shakespeare Festival
The poster for Scott Bradley’s premiere of A Kingdom Jack’d at York International Shakespeare Festival starring Rosy Rowley, whose birthday coincides with the opening night
Shakespeare spin-off of the week: 1st Zanni Theatre in A Kingdom Jack’d, York International Shakespeare Festival, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York April 29 and 30, 7.30pm
IN A Kingdom Jack’d, American playwright Scott Bradley re-imagines an iconic moment in political and Shakespearean history: what if disgraced knight Jack Falstaff (Rosy Rowley) somehow found his way onto the throne of England in 1399, instead of serious warrior-king Henry IV?
Stupid, lecherous, selfish but humorous, Shakespeare’s most (in)famous clown must somehow fund the army, balance the budget and make foreign policy between naps. His government is drunk, his enemies are plotting,his allies are scheming, and even his girlfriend wants a piece of the action. Falstaff is king but for how long? Box office: yorkshakes.co.uk.
YORK actress Andrea Mitchell will be saving the day for American scholar and theatre coach Linda Gates when her play The Thistle And The Rose is staged on Monday (27/4/2026) at the York International Shakespeare Festival.
The 7.30pm performance was under threat after when Professor Gates’s acting partner, Marion Sybil Lines, suffered an accident that left her unable to perform at Theatre@41, Monkgate.
Fortunately, Andrea Mitchell was ready and willing to ensure the show could go on, duly receiving praise from Linda for mastering the script at such speed.
The Thistle And The Rose offers a portrait of the tense relationship between two queens: Elizabeth I of England and her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, as revealed through their coded letters.
Playwright Linda Gates
United by kinship, these two powerful women were nevertheless divided by religion and ambition, both craving the throne of England.
Told in their own words, Gates’s play sheds light on a 27-year relationship that begins with Mary’s first letter to Elizabeth as she prepares to leave France to claim her Scottish throne and is marked subsequently by political manoeuvring, personal longing and rivalry.
Although they never met, through decades of correspondence – originally written in French and then translated by Elizabeth’s secretaries – the two monarchs reveal their hopes, fears, alliances, betrayals and ultimately the fatal conflict that ended with Mary’s execution.
Full details (and tickets) can be found at yorkshakes.co.uk, along with the full programme for a festival that will run until May 3.
Ardour on the dance floor in York Shakespeare Project’s Love’s Labour’s Lost. Picture: John Saunders
YORK has a new nightclub, Navarre, but hurry, because it will be shutting after Saturday night.
Welcome to Anna Gallon’s clubland take on Shakespeare’s early comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost in the Four Wheel Drive artistic director’s debut production for York Shakespeare Project as part of the 2026 York International Shakespeare Festival.
In March 2025, co-writers Nick Lane and Elizabeth Godber packed the lads off to a stag do in Ibiza and the lasses off to a hen do in Menorca in the Stephen Joseph Theatre’s shake-up of Love’s Labour’s Lost (More Or Less). When both groups of revellers end up stuck on the same Mediterranean island, shoddy disguises, mislaid love letters and theatrical chaos ensue, all topped off with 1990s’ pop bangers, sung live on stage.
In April 2026, Gallon re-imagines Ferdinand, the King of Navarre, and his three companions, Nick Patrick Jones’s Berowne, Harry Summers’ Longaville and Nason Crone’s Dumaine, as the DJs who once ruled York’s Nineties’ club scene. Now, however, in 2005, they renounce the wild world of drink, dance and late nights, committing themselves instead to a retreat of abstinence: no women, no drink and definitely no dance floors for three years, in favour of fasting and study.
We first encounter them flat out, hung over, slumped on the Navarre dance floor after one heck of a party hosted by Tempest Wisdom’s Moth, the all-hands-on-decks club DJ with a licence to ad-lib. The audience had arrived to the sight of all the cast cutting the rug amid the ever-changing floor lights, as they took up their seats on the perimeter, seats that will be occupied by cast members on occasion too for moments of direct address, all adding to the highly energetic production’s “immersive tag.
The lads must sign off a long list of rules and regulations but this contract of abstinence looks as fragile as Liam “Glenn Huddle” Rosenior’s five-and-a-half-year deal at Chelsea turned out to be.
All it takes is the arrival of Charlie Barrs’ Princess of France, a not-so-diplomatic diplomat, and her entourage of Grace Scott’s Rosaline, Cassi Roberts’ Maria, Vicky Hatt’s Katherine and Helen Clarke’s Boyet to rip their paper-thin yet “solemn” vows to shreds.
Not that Love’s Labour’s Lost is that simple. Shakespeare stirs the pot, as is his wont in pursuit of comedy, to include multiple meddlesome figures, not only Wisdom’s droll, mischievous Moth, but also Elizabeth Duggan’s clown, Costard, Stephen Huws’ verbose schoolmaster Holofernes, and James Tyler’s not-so-bright constable, Dull. Then add Sarah McKeagney’s curate, Sir Nathaniel, and David Lee’s Forrester, a guide to the princess, who pops up on the mezzanine level every so often.
Bubbling away throughout is the absurdist farce of aged Spanish nobleman Don Adriano de Armado (Ian Giles) fancying his chances with luscious, lustrous country wench Jaquenetta (Pearl Mollison, dress code, Friday night, York city centre), as lack of reality meets fantasy.
Gallon describes Love’s Labour’s Lost as a “dazzling, witty play about language, love and self-discovery”, where wordplay, vows and romantic mischief meet in the heat of York nightlife in a celebration of love, temptation and folly. Certainly her production is vibrant, with outbursts of dance, playful interaction and a balance between physicality and rhythmic verse, but while it re-locates to the modern world, the somewhat laboured humour still dwells in bygone times, tending to be clever and loquacious, rather than uproariously funny.
More often than not, typified by Huws’ Holofernes, a multitude of verbiage must be pushed up the hill to release the laughter, whereas Wisdom’s Moth can spin off in any direction with a quick impromptu quip.
Nevertheless, Gallon achieves her central aim of sending up “ageing players trying to resist temptation, while nightlife culture collides with wellness culture and the irresistible force of love in this comedy of discipline versus desire”.
There is a pleasing frisson to the machinations and deceptions of Ferdinand’s group and the Princess’s posse, especially when the lads don leathers, black string vests and German accents (rather than the original Muscovite disguise), only to be countered by the resourceful women swapping clothes and jewellery to test their loyalty, in the show’s best scene.
Infatuated boy band balladry and assertive Girl Power anthems add amusingly to the friction, while Gallon has fun with club-culture references such as a megaphone, a dance beat replacing a trumpet as a herald of arrival and what appeared to be a little perk-you-up package in a plastic bag.
Reeves Rowley, Jones, Scott and Wisdom are the stand-outs amid all the ardour on the dance floor, before Gallon’s daring direction delivers one final brave choice: turning on all the theatre lights for the mood-changing announcement of the death of the Princess’s father, the play no longer leading a merry dance.
York Shakespeare Project presents Love’s Labour’s Lost, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until Saturday 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
P.S. Happy 462nd birthday to William Shakespeare today (23/4/2026).
Jalen Ngonda: Returning to York for the first time since Futuresound’s Live At York Museum Gardens last July. Picture: Paul Rhodes
SHAKESPEARE is in the spotlight with international guests and a York nightclub rom-com while artists and makers open their studios, as Charles Hutchinson’s diary bulges with inviting opportunities aplenty.
Soul show of the week: Jalen Ngonda, York Barbican, tonight, doors 7pm
AFTER appearing on Nile Rodgers & CHIC’s bill at Futuresound’s Live At York Museum Gardens last July, willowy soul singer and pianist Jalen Ngonda opens his seven-date spring tour at York Barbican. Originally from Maryland and now based in Liverpool, Ngonda’s voice and music recall the best of the great Sixties and Seventies’ soul artists, delivered with a contemporary edge. Deptford Northern Soul Club support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Pink rocks: Amber Davies’s Elle Woods in Made At Curve’s Legally Blonde The Musical. Picture: Matt Crockett
Musical of the week: Made At Curve presents Legally Blonde The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees, 2.30pm
STRICTLY Come Dancing 2025 finalist Amber Davies plays Elle Woods in the 2026 tour of Legally Blonde The Musical, joined by York Theatre Royal pantomime villain Jocasta Almgill as Brooke Wyndham, after she appeared as wicked fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty last winter.
Davies had been set to appear as Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman The Musical at the Grand Opera House in February 2024, but Sydnie Hocknell understudied that week. Hannah Lowther, otherwise playing Margot, will step in for Davies at the April 23 matinee. North Yorkshireman and Curve artistic director Nikolai Foster directs the uplifting, totally pink tale of Elle’s transformation from ‘It Girl’ fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Common Ground Theatre’s Nathan Brocklebank and Lydia Keating in rehearsals for Hamlet, bound for York International Shakespeare Festival. Picture: Magdalini Brouma
Festival of the week: York International Shakespeare Festival, until May 3
YORK plays host to two weeks of world premieres, unmissable performances, enlightening talks and world-class exhibitions, bringing together artists from Romania, Croatia, Ukraine, Poland and United States, along with British creatives and York talent, in celebration of Shakespeare’s impact across the globe.
Highlights include festival artist-in-residence Lisa Wolpe’s show Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender, York St John University Creative Centre, tonight, 7.30pm; Common Ground Theatre’s Hamlet, Creative Centre, April 25, 7.30pm, and April 26, 4pm; Petty Men – ShakeSphere Selection 2026, Theatre@41, Monkgate, April 29, 7.30pm, and Olga Annenko’s Codename Othello, performed in English and Ukrainian, Creative Centre, May 2, 6pm, and May 3, 2pm. Full festival programme and box office: yorkshakes.co.uk.
1812 Youth Theatre in Hadestown: Teen Edition
Folk opera of the week: 1812 Youth Theatre in Hadestown: Teen Edition, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
NATASHA Jones and Freya Popplewell direct 1812 Youth Theatre in Vermont singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell’s intriguing and beautiful folk opera that intertwines two love stories, young dreamers Orpheus (Mani Brown) and Eurydice (Ava Woolford) and immortal King Hades (Koen-Leigh Brown/Jay Stevens) and Persephone (Lena Chorazyk).
Hadestown: Teen Edition invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back in a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
York Shakespeare Project’s cast on the dance floor in rehearsal for Anna Gallon’s nightclub version of Love’s Labour’s Lost
York nightlife drama of the week: York Shakespeare Project in Love’s Labours Lost, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
FOUR Wheel Drive co-founder and artistic director Anna Gallon directs York Shakespeare Project for the first time in Love’s Labour’s Lost as Shakespeare’s comedy of wit, wordplay, vows and romantic mischief meets the 1990s’ club scene in an immersive new take on the Bard’s early comedy, set in the heat and heighted passions of urban nightlife.
Her playful reinvention mixes verse, rhythm, dance and striking visuals to create a fresh and contemporary celebration of love, temptation and folly, wherein the King of Navarre and his three companions are DJs who once ruled York’s club scene but now have renounced the wild world of drink, dance and late nights, committing themselves instead to a retreat of abstinence: no women, no drink and definitely no dance floors. However, when the Princess of France and her entourage arrive, their solemn vows begin to unravel. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Collage and mixed media artist Donna Maria Taylor: Taking part in York Open Studios at South Bank Studios this weekend
Art event of the week: York Open Studios, York and beyond, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm
AS many as 150 artists and makers within York and a ten-mile radius of the city are welcoming visitors to 107 workplaces and studios this weekend.
This annual event offers the chance to gain a sneak peek into where the artists work, their methods and inspirations, whether a regular contributor or the 27 new participants, spanning traditional and contemporary painting and print, illustration, drawing, ceramics, mixed media, glass, sculpture, jewellery, textiles and photography. For more information, visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk; access the interactive map at yorkopenstudios.co.uk/map.
The Manfreds: Sixties’ hits, jazz and blues at Milton Rooms, Malton
Ryedale gig of the week: The Manfreds, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday,7.30pm
ORIGINAL Manfred Mann members Paul Jones and Tom McGuinness are joined by Marcus Cliffe, Simon Currie, Pete Riley and Mike Gorman in The Manfreds’ two-hour performance of Sixties’ hits, dynamic jazz and powerful blues. Get Your Kicks On Tour ’26 features such favourites as 5-4-3-2-1, Pretty Flamingo, Mighty Quinn and Do Wah Diddy Diddy, alongside rhythm & blues-inspired gems and solo successes. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
The poster artwork for Labyrinth: In Concert: On tour at York Barbican
Film and music collaboration of the week: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert, York Barbican, April 27, 7.30pm
JIM Henson’s musical fantasy film Labyrinth is on tour in concert in celebration of its 40th anniversary, transporting audiences to Goblin City in a fusion of film on a large HD cinema screen and live music on stage, performed by a band playing David Bowie and Trevor Jones’s soundtrack score and songs in sync with Bowie’s original vocals.
Taking on an ever-growing cult status since its release on June 27 1986, Labyrinth stars Bowie as principal antagonist Jareth the Goblin King, who rules the goblin kingdom, kidnaps protagonist Sarah’s baby brother and presents a charming yet menacing challenge, appearing as a rock star-like figure who lures and influences her journey. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Nathan Brocklebank and Lydia Keating in rehearsals for Common Ground Theatre‘s Hamlet. Picture: Magdalini Brouma
COMMON Ground Theatre’s innovative new touring production of Hamlet plays York International Shakespeare Festival at York St John University Creative Centre Auditorium on Saturday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 4pm.
Championing accessibility, inclusion and bold storytelling, Sadie Jemmett’s company is bringing Shakespeare’s most iconic tragedy to theatres, festivals and communities across the UK and internationally this spring and summer.
Known for its visually striking, music-infused, highly accessible interpretations of Shakespeare, Common Ground Theatre continues its mission to break down barriers to the arts, taking Hamlet to venues ranging from outdoor amphitheatres and rural community spaces to international festivals, including the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival in Romania, Europe’s biggest celebration of the Bard.
The company also will visit locations across Yorkshire, Sheffield, the Midlands, Suffolk, Dorset and Cornwall. At the heart of the tour is a partnership with The Mount Camphill Community in Wadhurst, East Sussex, where performances will take place in the Stage in the Woods amphitheatre.
This collaboration reflects the company’s commitment to inclusive, community-driven performance, offering audiences an immersive theatrical experience in an inspiring natural setting.
Accessibility and inclusion are central to Common Ground Theatre’s ethos. Jemmett’s production features Nathan Brocklebank, who has dyslexia, in the title role of Hamlet, highlighting the company’s dedication to creating opportunities for neurodiverse performers.
Director Jemmett and Brocklebank worked closely to develop innovative and personalised techniques for learning the role: an undertaking involving approximately 1,500 lines of text. This collaborative process not only supported the actor’s performance but also re-imagined traditional rehearsal methods, demonstrating how classic works can be approached in new and inclusive ways.
“I was very nervous about learning the text at first, as sight reading is a real challenge for me, and Shakespeare is especially difficult,” says Nathan. “But by using audio methods, deep diving into the meaning of the text, working with my body and finding the rhythm in the verse, the lines began to stick in a completely new way.”
Alongside the tour, Common Ground Theatre continues its extensive educational outreach programme. The company works with schools, community groups and aspiring performers to deliver workshops, masterclasses and vocational training opportunities, with a particular focus on supporting neurodiverse individuals.
Nathan Brocklebank’s Hamlet in a scene from Common Ground Theatre’s Hamlet. Picture: Magdalini Brouma
These initiatives are designed to demystify Shakespeare, making his work engaging, relevant and accessible for all. “We believe Shakespeare belongs to everyone,” says Sadie. “This tour is about meeting audiences where they are – geographically, culturally, and personally – and creating theatre that is open, inclusive and alive.”
Fuelled by its bold artistic vision, commitment to accessibility and passion for storytelling, Common Ground Theatre’s Hamlet promises to be a powerful and thought-provoking production that will resonate with audiences from all walks of life.
“Infused with the raw power of live music and song, our production of Hamlet shifts the focus from revenge to the emotional impact of grief, mental health and family breakdown,” says Sadie. “At the heart of the play are three young people, Hamlet, Ophelia and Laertes, each struggling to cope with profound personal loss and intense expectations.
“After his father’s death and his mother’s sudden remarriage, Hamlet is driven into a deep inner conflict by revelations of betrayal. Ophelia, wounded by distance and her father’s death, becomes overwhelmed by spiralling sorrow. Laertes, returning to a shattered home, finds his family broken and his anger rising.
“Through these characters, audiences are invited to reflect on their own experiences of love, loss and grief. This is Hamlet told with empathy, clarity and relevance – a powerful exploration of the emotional truths at the heart of Shakespeare’s work.”
For tickets, go to: yorkshakes.co.uk.
Common Ground Theatre director Sadie Jemmett. Picture: Molly Hughes
Common Ground Theatre: back story
FOUNDED by director Sadie Jemmett and Lydia Keating out of Footsbarn Travelling Theatre Company, where Jemmett served as artistic director for three years before departing in 2025.
The company marks a new chapter in bold, visually driven and accessible touring theatre. Keating, a Lecoq-trained performer and collaborator, brings a strong physical theatre and devising background to the partnership.
Rug weaver Jacqueline James: Demonstrating her craft on her loom in Rosslyn Street, Clifton, at York Open Studios h home in York.
SHAKESPEARE is in the spotlight with international guests and a York nightclub rom-com while artists and makers open their studios, as Charles Hutchinson’s diary bulges with inviting opportunities aplenty.
Art event of the month: York Open Studios, York and beyond, today & tomorrow, then April 25 & 26, 10am to 5pm
ACROSS two weekends, 150 artists and makers within York and a ten-mile radius of the city are welcoming visitors to 107 workplaces and studios.
This annual event offers the chance to gain a sneak peek into where the artists work, their methods and inspirations, whether a regular contributor or the 27 new participants, spanning traditional and contemporary painting and print, illustration, drawing, ceramics, mixed media, glass, sculpture, jewellery, textiles and photography. For more information, visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk; access the interactive map at yorkopenstudios.co.uk/map.
The Rollin Stoned: Rolling out The Rolling Stones’ hits and deeper cuts in Malton tribute show
Tribute gig of the week: The Rollin Stoned, Milton Rooms, Malton, tonight, 8pm
THE rock’n’roll circus rolls into Malton for a tribute to The Rolling Stones that focuses on the Brian Jones years from 1964 to 1969. Now in its 27th year, in The Rollin Stoned show the costumes are shamelessly camp, gaudy and fabulous, the instruments vintage, the wit irreverent, the trademark tongue never far from the cheek, but never to the detriment of the music.
As Keith Richards’ late mother, Doris, once remarked of the line-up featuring Mick Jaguar, Byron Jones, Keith Retched, Bill Wymandy, Charlie Waits and pianist Nicky Popkins: “Phenomenal…I can’t wait to tell Keith and Mick that you could easily stand in for them.” Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
The poster artwork for Aljaž and Janette’s Let’s Face The Music…And Dance show, on tour and on the move at York Barbican
Dance duo of the week:Aljaž and Janette, Let’s Face The Music…And Dance!, York Barbican, tonight, 7.30pm
STRICTLY Come Dancing couple Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara pay tribute to “the heroes behind the music we love” as they dance their way through the work of Cole Porter, Hans Zimmer, Quincy Jones, George Gershwin, David Foster and more besides, joined on stage by an ensemble of dancers and Tom Seals’ Big Band. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Diversity: Asking what it means to be human within the digital age in Soul
Futuristic dance show of the week: Diversity presents Soul, York Barbican, April 20 and 21, 7.45pm
BRITAIN’S Got Talent’s 2009 winners, Ashley Banjo’s Southend dance ensemble Diversity, base Soul around the technological advancements of artificial intelligence, asking what the future holds and what it means to be human within the digital age.
“The future is now,” says Banjo. “Humans have become plugged in and completely connected to a world full of artificial intelligence – a world in which it is hard to distinguish reality from fiction. AI has become so advanced it’s considered a life form of its very own. Is this the next stage in our evolution? What exactly have we created? What makes us human?” His answer: “Soul.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Amber Davies as Elle Woods and Sprout as Bruiser in Legally Blonde The Musical, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York
Musical of the week: Made At Curve presents Legally Blonde The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, April 21 to 25, 7.30pm plus Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees, 2.30pm
STRICTLY Come Dancing 2025 finalist Amber Davies plays Elle Woods in the 2026 tour of Legally Blonde The Musical, joined by York Theatre Royal pantomime villain Jocasta Almgill as Brooke Wyndham, after playing wicked fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty last winter.
Davies had been set to appear as Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman The Musical at the Grand Opera House in February 2024, but Sydnie Hocknell understudied that week. Hannah Lowther, otherwise playing Margot, will step in for Davies at the April 23 matinee. North Yorkshireman and Curve artistic director Nikolai Foster directs the uplifting, totally pink tale of Elle’s transformation from ‘It Girl’ fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
York International Shakespeare Festival artist-in-residence Lisa Wolpe in Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender
Festival of the week: York International Shakespeare Festival, April 21 to May 3
YORK plays host to two weeks of world premieres, unmissable performances, enlightening talks and world-class exhibitions, bringing together artists from Romania, Croatia, Ukraine, Poland and United States, along with British creatives and York talent, in celebration of Shakespeare’s impact across the globe.
Highlights include festival artist-in-residence Lisa Wolpe’s show Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender, York St John University Creative Centre, April 22, 7.30pm; Petty Men – ShakeSphere Selection 2026, Theatre@41, Monkgate, April 29, 7.30pm; Common Ground Theatre’s Hamlet, Creative Centre, April 25, 7.30pm, and April 26, 4pm, and Olga Annenko’s Codename Othello, performed in English and Ukrainian, Creative Centre, May 2, 6pm, and May 3, 2pm. Full festival programme and box office: yorkshakes.co.uk.
Ben Reeves Rowley’s King of Navarre in York Shakespeare Project’s Love’s Labour’s Lost. Picture: John Saunders
York nightlife drama of the week: York Shakespeare Project in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, April 22 to 25, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
FOUR Wheel Drive co-founder and artistic director Anna Gallon directs York Shakespeare Project for the first time in Love’s Labour’s Lost as Shakespeare’s comedy of wit, wordplay, vows and romantic mischief meets the 1990s’ club scene in an immersive new take on the Bard’s early comedy, set in the heat and heighted passions of urban nightlife.
Her playful reinvention mixes verse, rhythm, dance and striking visuals to create a fresh and contemporary celebration of love, temptation and folly, wherein the King of Navarre and his three companions are DJs who once ruled York’s club scene but now have renounced the wild world of drink, dance and late nights, committing themselves instead to a retreat of abstinence: no women, no drink and definitely no dance floors. However, when the Princess of France and her entourage arrive, their solemn vows begin to unravel. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Jalen Ngonda: Performing in York for the first time since Futuresound’s Live At York Museum Gardens last July. Picture: Paul Rhodes
Soul show of the week: Jalen Ngonda, York Barbican, April 22, doors 7pm
AFTER appearing on Nile Rodgers & CHIC’s bill at Futuresound’s Live At York Museum Gardens last July, willowy soul singer and pianist Jalen Ngonda opens his seven-date spring tour at York Barbican. Originally from Maryland and now based in Liverpool, Ngonda’s voice and music recall the best of the great Sixties and Seventies’ soul artists, delivered with a contemporary edge. Deptford Northern Soul Club support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
News Justin: Justin Fletcher in Justin Live, Justin Time To Rock!, York Barbican, Sunday, 11am and 2.30pm
For those about to rock: Justin Fletcher in Justin Time To Rock!
BAFTA-winning CBeebies legend Justin Fletcher MBE, erstwhile Mr Tumble from Something Special and Justin’s House, Gigglebiz and Gigglequiz star, teams up with his friends for a high-energy new theatre show bursting with music, dancing and giggles.
When DJ Engelbert, the coolest canine in the dog-house, launches a contest to find the best rock song in all the land, Justin and his band – Justin Time to Rock! – are determined to win, but can they deliver their song to DJ Engy before the sneaky Rock Lord and his sidekick Vulture try to steal it? Expect The Hokey Cokey, Music Man and Hands Up plus new songs written by Justin and his team. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
What can families expect in Justin Time To Rock!, Justin?
“Justin Time To Rock! is a brand-new story about how me and my friends formed our own band. You’ll hear lots of well-known songs and some brand-new ones too, written especially for the show. Amongst all the fun and laughter, we will need to keep an eye out for the mischievous Rock Lord and his sidekick Vulture, who are out to steal the band’s favourite tunes!”
What is your favourite aspect of performing live?
“Performing live to an excited family audience is such an uplifting and rewarding experience. The moment we run out on the stage, there is a great atmosphere, and the party begins! Our shows are really interactive, and it is great to see many generations of families and friends come together to watch the show and have fun!
What inspired the “music” theme for Justin Time Rock!?
“I’ve always loved music; it’s a very powerful way to express yourself. We wanted to create a show that features lots of different styles of music. I like rock’n’roll music in particular, because it is great to dance to and has a feel-good factor.”
What can you reveal about the new songs in the show?
“When we were writing the story about the band, we wanted to include some brand-new songs that that have never been heard before. One of my favourites is a song called Share A Little Sunshine, which is all about sharing happiness, kindness and friendship. Sharing these feelings can create a ripple effect through the audience, which in turn creates a great atmosphere.”
Your shows are very interactive. How will audiences be involved this time? Are there any moves or songs they should practise at home?
“There will be lots of well-known action songs to get the party started, so everyone should practise their Hokey Cokey, Head, Shoulders, Knees And Toes and an audience favourite, Hands Up. There will also be some new songs to dance to, including the Bubble Pop Bop! Bring on the Bubbles!
What do you enjoy about touring?
“The opportunity to meet so many of our friends all around the UK and to perform our show to them is pure joy!”
What advice would you give to young fans who dream of being on stage or even becoming a rock star?
“Always follow your dreams and be yourself. You never know, some of our songs in the show might encourage you to learn a musical instrument, or to sing, or dance, or to write a song. Surround yourself with good people who care for you and have a go!”
