REVIEW: John Godber Company in Do I Love You?, York Theatre Royal ****

Blackpool Tower Ballroom here they come: Chloe McDonald’s Nat, left, Martha Godber’s Sally and Emilio Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle keep the faith in John Godber’s hymn to Northern Soul, Do I Love You?

JOHN Godber has a new play on its way this autumn: Black Tie Ball, a tale of hotel upstairs and downstairs, bow ties and fake tans, jealousies and avarice, divorces and affairs, told by staff at breakneck speed from arrival at seven to carriages at midnight. Harrogate Theatre, from September 10 to 13, and Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, from November 12 to 15, await.

There is a Godber house style, billed as his “signature visceral style”, one that applies as much to his hymn to Northern  Soul, Do I Love You?, as it will to Black Tie Ball. Ever since Bouncers and Teechers, less has been more in Godber plays: compact casts, concise scenes, minimal props and space aplenty for combative or compatible movement.

No-nonsense Yorkshireman Godber has been writing plays since 1977, the year of punk at its scratchy apex, and likewise he tore up the rule book to write working-class dramas, economical but full of home truths, albeit with a nod to Bertolt Brecht in breaking down theatre’s fourth wall to favour direct address.

Do I Love You? is up there with his best works, visiting York Theatre Royal in the concluding week of its third tour since its 2023 debut, still with the same fresh-faced cast of Martha Godber, Chloe McDonald and Emilio Encinoso-Gil, who are in the groove not only of the sublime underground Sixties and Seventies music, but also of working together regularly, like the comic interplay of a well-oiled TV comedy series.

Frank exchange: Martha Godber’s Sally makes her point to Chloe McDonald’s Nat as Emilio Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle seeks to intervene in Do I Love You?

Godber is always at his best when his fractious comedies are fired by both love and anger, ideally backed by a pulsating soundtrack too. The love here is for Northern Soul from his own days of going to all-nighters and weekenders across the north, and he writes with passion, Record Collector levels of knowledge, not so much nostalgia, but more a lament for what we have lost.

Qualities of authenticity, truth, pride: all values he attributes to Northern Soul, music of pain and sorrow and ecstatic release; music of and for the working  classes.  

He places his drama in the hands of what he calls the lost generation, the twenty-something post-Covid generation stuck in the sludge of working at drive-through fried chicken counters.

Meet Martha Godber’s Sally, who looks after her ailing Irish-born grandma (played with a scarf, a fag and a hacking cough by McDonald), neglected by her drunkard mother. Meet Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle, her best mate, from Spanish stock, but the timing has never been right for it to be anything more than that. Meet McDonald’s Nat (or ‘Natalie’, she insists), their friend since schooldays, who has a crush on Kyle too and likes a spliff or two.

The anger lies in Godber surveying how little has changed between Britain in 1973 and 2023, the year in which the play is still set with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister, “looking 11 years old” as he puts it.

Do I Love You? writer-director John Godber: Keeping the faith in Northern Soul when losing the faith in everything else

Godber writes of rising costs and prices, unemployment and small-town blues; of pubs closing, hospitality venues going; strikes on-going.  Plus ca change.

He writes too of the everyday difficulties of young lives, as they fall out with each other, while facing mounting problems at home. What is left but to find a love, something to believe in, to keep the faith?

Godber interweaves the trio’s trials and tribulations with their initiation into Northern Soul, brilliantly described in Sally’s account of their first visit to a Cleethorpes all-nighter: £3 for eight hours. Soul devotees on the dancefloor, sliding, gliding, kicking, making her cry, although she doesn’t know why, but the way Godber writes, we do.

He takes us there with a sense of poetic wonder, just as he captures the tedium of taking fried chicken orders by reducing the experience to the fewest words possible for the maximum comical impact.

Emilio Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle tentatively shows off his dancefloor moves in Do I Love You?, to the scornful amusement of Chloe McDonald’s Nat and Martha Godber’s Sally

The songs can be played only in snippets that have to stop all too quickly, but Godber evokes Northern Soul by mentioning all the landmark songs and locations and by the power of his pen.

Best of all is the fulminating speech by Encinoso-Gil’s hunched-up Keith, a soul veteran with a criminal past and fingers in every pie, who is Do I Love You’s version of Lucky Eric in Bouncers, except that he squeezes all he has to say into one impassioned yet beautiful rant-cum-lament, whereas Eric has four bites at the sour cherry.

All three performances are terrific, Martha Godber especially so, and if no moment that follows Keith’s speech quite matches it, Do I Love You? packs an emotional punch, full of northern wit, grit and soul power hits.

John Godber Company in Do I Love You?, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm matinee  tomorrow (12/6/2025) and 2.30pm, Saturday. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 25, from Gazette & Herald

Making her point: Martha Godber’s Sally, left, in a contretemps with Chloe McDonald’s Nat as Emilio Encinoso-Gil’s Kyle seeks to intervene in John Godber’s Do I Love You?

CELEBRATIONS of Northern Soul and British comedy greats are right up Charles Hutchinson’s street for the week ahead.  

Weekender of the week: John Godber Company in Do I Love You?, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees; post-show discussion on June 13

THE John Godber Company is on its third tour of John Godber’s hymn to keeping the faith in Northern Soul, with the same cast of Martha Godber, Chloe McDonald and Emilio Encinoso-Gil.

Inspired by Godber’s devotion to Northern Soul, Do I Love You? follows three twentysomethings, slumped in the drudgery of drive-through counter jobs, who find excitement, purpose and their tribe as they head to weekenders all over, from Bridlington Spa to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Chesterfield to Stoke. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

The fez, the spectacles and the bow tie: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York

Comedy legends of the week: The Last Laugh, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees today, tomorrow and Saturday

WHO will have The Last Laugh at the Grand Opera House when British comedy triumvirate Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse reconvene in a dressing room in Paul Hendy’s play?

Find out in the Edinburgh Fringe, West End and New York hit’s first tour stop as Bob Golding, Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright take on the iconic roles in this new work by the Evolutions Productions director, who just happens to write York Theatre Royal’s pantomimes too. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

One of the Famous Faces on show in the Artistic Spectrum exhibition at Pocklington Arts Centre

Exhibition of the week: Artistic Spectrum: Famous Faces, Pocklington Arts Centre, on show until June 27

BOLD artworks feature in Famous Faces, a powerful, large-scale portrait project from Artistic Spectrum, co-created with more than 100 neuro-divergent and Special Educational Needs children and adults across East and South Yorkshire to challenge perceptions, champion inclusivity and put the power of representation into the hands of those too often left out of the frame.

Developed in group workshops over several weeks, participants created striking portraits of people who inspired them, from musicians and sports stars to activists and screen icons, using collage, found materials and personal objects to make works rich with texture, colour and personal meaning.

Comedian Scott Bennett and his daughter in the promotional picture for Blood Sugar Baby, on tour in York and Pocklington

Storyteller of the week: Scott Bennett, Blood Sugar Baby, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 8pm; Pocklington Arts Centre, August 6, 8pm

ONE family, one condition, one hell of a hairy baby: Scott Bennett, from The News Quiz, relates how his daughter fell ill with a rare genetic condition, congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI).

Never heard of it?  Neither have new parents Scott and Jemma as they fight to achieve  the right diagnosis for their daughter and are plunged into months of bewildering treatment, sleepless nights, celebrity encounters and bizarre side effects, but a happy ending ensues. Box office: York, tickets.41monkgate.co.uk; Pocklington, 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Shed Seven: Off to the Yorkshire coast on Saturday to play Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Coastal gigs of the week: The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia, tonight; Gary Barlow and Beverley Knight, Friday; Shed Seven, Jake Bugg and Cast, Saturday, all at Scarborough Open Air Theatre; gates open at 6pm

THE 2025 season of Cuffe & Taylor concerts in the bracing sea air of Scarborough opens tonight with the Irish band The Corrs and Australian singer  and Neighbours actress Natalie Imbruglia, followed by Take That and solo songwriter and The X Factor and Let It Shine judge Gary Barlow on his Songbook Tour 2025 on Friday, when Beverley Knight supports. Expect hits from both his band and Barlow back catalogues.

After two chart-topping 2024 albums in their 30th anniversary year, York band Shed Seven make their belated Scarborough Open Air Theatre debut on Saturday, supported by Jake Bugg and Cast. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Henry Blofeld: Wickets and wit in cricket chat at Helmsley Arts Centre

The sound of reporting on leather on willow: An Audience With Henry Blofeld, Sharing My Love Of Cricket, Helmsley Arts Centre, tomorrow, 7.30pm, rearranged from March 21

LEGENDARY BBC broadcaster and journalist, Henry Blofeld, former stalwart of the BBC’s Test Match Special commentary box, takes a journey through modern cricket, while looking back at the great games of yesteryear.

Blowers reflects on how cricket used to be and where it is headed: the theme of his September 2024 book Sharing My Love Of Cricket: Playing The Game And Spreading The Word, wherein he explores the big shifts, innovations and challenges facing the game. Box office: helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Saul Henry: On the Funny Fridays bill at Patch at the Bonding Warehouse, York

York comedy bill of the week: Funny Fridays at Patch, Bonding Warehouse, Terry Avenue, York, Friday, 7.30pm

THE second Funny Fridays comedy night at Patch features Saul Henry, Gemma Day, Ethan Formstone, Lucy Buckley and headliner Jack Wilson, hosted by founder and comedian Katie Lingo.

Formstone’s profile reveals he is a bricklayer from York, who grew bored and now, “using his natural stage presence and wild imagination, lays surreal stories that will delight you and leave you slightly confused”. Tickets: eventbrite.co.uk/e/funny-fridays-at-patch-tickets-1353208666549?aff=oddtdtcreator.

The poster for the SatchVai Band’s Surfing With The Hydra Tour, visiting York Barbican on Friday

Rock gig of the week: SatchVai Band, Surfing With The Hydra Tour 2025, York Barbican, Friday, doors 7pm

FOR the first time in nigh on 50 years of playing rock, guitarists and friends Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have united to tour as the SatchVai Band, opening their European travels in York before heading to London, Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Istanbul and Athens.

Powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Marco Mendoza and virtuoso guitarist Pete Thorn complete the stellar quintet. Box office: for returns only, yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Alex telling her story in EGO Arts’ You Know My Mum at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, on Friday

Cheeky comedy of life, loss and love for all the family: EGO Arts in You Know My Mum, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 7.30pm.

LEADING EGO Midlands Creative Academy’s disabled and neuro-divergent cast, Alex is a 25-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome struggling with the death of her mum. One day, she discovers Bluey, a baby Blue Tit, in her garden.

While Bluey learns about fried chicken factories and joins a boot camp for birds, Alex battles Harry Potter monsters and dreams about life after death. As her wild imagination comes to life, she learns that the love she thought she lost is all around her. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

More Things To Do in York & beyond when Pride comes before a full week of delights. Hutch’s List No. 25, from The York Press

Angels Of The North: Headlining the main stage on Knavesmire at York Pride 2025

YORK Pride and celebrations of Northern Soul and British comedy greats are right up Charles Hutchinson’s street for the week ahead.  

Festival of the week: York Pride, Parliament Street to Knavesmire, York, 12 noon to 6pm

NORTH Yorkshire’s largest LGBT+ celebration and York’s biggest free one-day festival, York Pride 2025, takes to the streets for its biggest, boldest and most fabulous event yet today, led off by the Pride Parade that will follow a new path through the streets from Parliament Street at midday.

On Knavesmire, the festival’s main stage will be headlined by Angels Of The North (6pm) and on the bill too will be Ryan Petitjean (1.10pm), tribute act Pet Shop Boys, Actually (1.35pm), Marcus Collins (2pm), Eva Iglesias (2.30pm), York drag superstar Janice D (3.35pm), La Voix (4pm), West End queen Kerry Ellis (5.15pm), The Cheeky Girls (5.35pm) and plenty more. Find the full line-up at yorkpride.org.uk/line-up.

Duncan Honeybourne: Performing the last concert of York Late Music’s 2024-2025 series this afternoon

Season’s finale: York Late Music presents Duncan Honeybourne, piano, Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York, today, 1pm

PIANIST Duncan Honeybourne performs new commissions commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of the influential French composer Erik Satie, written especially for this afternoon’s programme by Philip Grange, Fred Viner, Sarah Dacey, Andrew Hugill, Steve Plews, Sarah Thomas, Simon Hopkins, Jenny Jackson and others, some of whom will be heard at Late Music for the first time.

Each composer has been asked to provide a new miniature piano solo influenced or inspired in some way by Satie and their works will be interspersed with a selection of Satie’s own pieces, such as Gnossiennes and Gympnopédies. Box office: latemusic.org/duncan-honeybourne-piano/ or on the door.

Film event of the week: John Barry From York With Love, Everyman York, York, today at 2.30pm and 4pm

JOHN Barry From York With Love, Sean Parkin’s unauthorised documentary of the early career of the York-born film composer, will have two private screenings at Everyman York this afternoon.

Private, yes, but tickets are available, although for copyright reasons, those tickets are for the after-viewing party at The Crescent community venue. The film viewing is free but there will be no entry without an after-show ticket. Doors open at Everyman at 2pm; the after-view party is at 3.45pm. All profits go to the Future Talent charity. A further screening follows at 4pm. Tickets: fienta.com.

Lady Nade: Paying tribute to Nina Simone at Helmsley Arts Centre

Celebration of a legacy: Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm,

KNOWN for paying homage to those who have influenced her journey  profoundly, Lady Nade holds Nina Simone in high regard  for leaving behind a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion and love through her extraordinary body of work.

As a black woman, Lady Nade acknowledges Simone’s trailblazing role in paving the way for artists of her generation. Her high-energy performance is a heartfelt dedication to recreating the transformative sound that blended popular tunes of the era into a distinctive fusion of jazz, blues, gospel, and folk music. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

The fez, the spectacles and the bow tie: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith

Comedy legends of the week: The Last Laugh, Grand Opera House, York, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees

WHO will have The Last Laugh at the Grand Opera House, York, when British comedy triumvirate Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse reconvene in a dressing room in Paul Hendy’s play?

Find out in the Edinburgh Fringe, West End and New York hit’s first tour stop as Bob Golding, Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright take on the iconic roles in this new work by the Evolutions Productions director, who just happens to write York Theatre Royal’s pantomimes too. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Keeping the faith in Northern Soul: Chloe McDonald, left, and Martha Godber in John Godber’s Do I Love You?, on the dancefloor at York Theatre Royal from June 10

Weekender of the week: John Godber Company in Do I Love You?, York Theatre Royal, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees; post-show discussion on June 13

THE John Godber Company is on its third tour of John Godber’s hymn to keeping the faith in Northern Soul, with the same cast of Martha Godber, Chloe McDonald and Emilio Encinoso-Gil.

Inspired by Godber’s devotion to Northern Soul, Do I Love You? follows three twentysomethings, slumped in the drudgery of drive-through counter jobs, who find excitement, purpose and their tribe as they head to weekenders all over, from Bridlington Spa to the Tower Ballroom, Chesterfield to Stoke. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Making a last stand: Pickering Musical Society bids farewell to musicals in Hello, Dolly! Picture: Robert David Photography

Goodbye to musicals: Pickering Musical Society in Hello, Dolly!, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

PICKERING Musical Society is preparing to raise the curtain on its final full-scale musical production, after more than a century, citing rising production costs and falling membership.

Set in the energetic bustle of 1890s’ New York, Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! follows the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi (society favourite Rachel Anderson) – a witty matchmaker, meddler and “arranger of things” – as she decides to find a match for herself. Box office:  01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk or in person from the box office on Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm.

Podcaster Blindboy Boatclub

Podcaster of the week: The Blindboy Podcast Live, York Barbican, June 10, 7.30pm

POLYMATH, author, screenwriter, songwriter, musician, producer and academic Blindboy Boatclub is on the biggest tour yet of his storytelling podcast, wherein he follows the Irish tradition of the Seanchaí, intertwining history, fiction, cultural critique and politics.

Drawing on his knowledge and chronic curiosity to democratise topics such as art, psychology, politics, science and music, Blindboy gives his insight into complex issues. Look out for a surprise special guest too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The invitation to Mark Hearld’s book signing on Thursday at Janette Ray Booksellers

Book signing of the week: Mark Hearld at Janette Ray Booksellers, 8, Bootham, York, June 12, from 4.30pm

YORK artist, ceramicist and York Open Studios stalwart Mark Heard will be signing copies of his book, Raucous Invention, The Joy Of Making, published in a beautiful new edition by Thames & Hudson. Mark will be on hand from 4.30pm to 7.30pm.

Released on June 5, the newly expanded edition of Hearld’s monograph bursts with more than 400 colour illustrations and fresh insights in a vivid journey into the heart of his creativity and love of the animal world.

Christopher Simon Sykes’s photograph of Mick Jagger in concert on the Rolling Stones’ Tour of the Americas in 1975, on show at Sledmere House from June 13

Exhibition launch of the week:  On Tour With The Rolling Stones 1975, A 50th Anniversary Exhibition of Photographs by Christopher Simon Sykes, Sledmere House, Sledmere, near Driffield, June 13 to July 6, except Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am to 5pm

IN June 1975, Christopher Sykes, of Sledmere House, joined the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas, known as T.O.T.A ’75: his first rock’n’roll itinerary as a snapper after specialising in photographing stately home interiors.

“You know going on tour is not like country life, Chrissie,” advised Mick Jagger on his first day of accompanying the Stones on their three-month tour of North America and Canada, playing 40 shows in 27 cities. The photos were used in a tour diary published the following year, and this exhibition showcases a selection of the best of the behind-the-scenes and stage pictures in the Courtyard Room. Tickets: sledmerehouse.com.

In Focus: Chalky The Yorkie at No 84 Sandwich Bar, Micklegate Arts Trail, York

Artist Chalky The Yorkie stands behind his Tiki bar at No 84 Sandwich Bar, created for the Micklegate Arts Trail

ROVING, rock’n’roll-loving York artist Chalky The Yorkie has always had a canny eye for spotting locations for his installation pieces.

Raise a glass to his latest artwork, the outdoor, Polynesian-style Tiki bar at No 84 Sandwich Bar, Julian Smith’s deli and cafe in Micklegate, created for the 2025 Micklegate Arts Trail but destined to remain in place after the festival ends on June 15.

“Last year Julian had a conversation with me about how it would be great to have a bar out here, at the back, which was full of bins at the time,” recalls Chalky. “So the bar was the first idea, but then, when we were thinking about the Arts Trail, two friends had suggested I should  incorporate bikes, and another said it would be great to do something for the environment, repurposing things out of skips and the old bicycles.

Chalky The Yorkie’s Tiki bar installation poem on the plight of cyclists

“So what I’ve come up with is a bar built with scrap wood and salvaged wood  after I was donated some leftovers by a builder to create the Re-Cycle Tiki Bar, to give something back to the planet. David Burton gave me one bike, along with one from his childhood and another was provided by Recycle York, in Walmgate.

“I thought I should create a memorial, taking the term ‘Re-cycle’ to highlight the plight of cyclists who lose their lives in accidents or come off their bikes and get injured in cycle lanes.”

Artist Chalky The Yorkie with No 84 owner Julian Smith at the Tiki bar

Originally Chalky considered designing a 1950s’ bar but then settled on a colourful Tiki bar. “The primary  colours are there to match traffic lights, with red, amber, though it’s more yellow than amber, and green. I went for yellow, because it’s a more definitive colour,” he says. “The blues I use signify the pain of loss in a cycling accident.”

Incorporated in the installation too are Beaumont ceramics of exotic birds and figures, acquired from York Catering Supplies, in Walmgate, butterfly motifs, floral decorations and tinkling bells. “I like the Buddhist convention of chiming bells in remembrance of people as part of their memorial ceremonies,” says Chalky.

Welcoming Chalky’s installation, Julian says. “Chalky is part of the fixtures and fittings here. He even came around for our Christmas dinner!

It Can Happen To You – Take Care: Chalky The Yorkie’s Re-cycle memorial to cyclists

“We’re taking part in the Micklegate Arts Trail because it’s all about traders promoting local artists whose work they like, with Navigators Art giving us a platform to do that. Jasmine Foo has never exhibited  before, and  we picked her crochet work because my wife is a knitter. We’re delighted to be showing Sinead Corkery and Jude Redpath too – and Chalky’s cheeky Tiki bar is the icing on the cake.”

Inside the deli, look out too for Chalky’s day and night paintings of No 84, both featuring the family pet, Sid the dog, in the upstairs window.

Chalky The Yorkie’s painting of No 84 Sandwich Bar, Walmgate, York, at night

REVIEW: New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday *****

New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell. Picture: Johan Persson

YORK had to wait 30 years for a first visit by Matthew Bourne’s dandy dance company. That came in March 2017 with Early Adventures, when he vowed to return in his post-show Q&A.

True to his word, he did so in October 2021 with another mid-scale touring work on his world premiere tour of The Midnight Bell, and now he does again with the same show in a case of For Whom The Midnight Bell Tolls Twice.

No complaints here, nor from the exhilarated, enraptured full house on the first night. Some of the original cast remains, joined by actor-dancers steeped in his dance dramas.

Not a word is said in The Midnight Bell, but evocative 1930s’ music abounds – dancers miming in character to the oh-so very English Al Bowlly, Elisabeth Welch and Leslie A. “Hutch” Hutchinson’s male interpretation of George and Ira Gershwin’s The Man I Love – to complement Terry Davies’s nightlife score and Paul Groothuis’s  supreme sound design, ear-piercing tinnitus screeching, rain dancing on the roof, et al.

Inspired by the novels of Gaslight playwright Patrick Hamilton, Bourne’s storytelling through dance is so expressive that he creates a narrative language in visual form. You find yourself drawn to each character’s path as seamlessly as that story moves from beautifully framed scene to beautifully framed scene on a typically wondrous set design by Lez Brotherston, replete with the ever-changing London skyline that matches the mood of the scene.

Even the Magritte-style multitude of suspended window frames, the ever-populated bed and the pub bar move with the graceful swish of choreography. Bourne applies wit too: a red telephone box is represented by only the Telephone neon sign and the top of the box; the phone itself is pulled discreetly from the jacket of waiter Bob (Andrew Monaghan).

Brotherston’s costume designs are fabulous too. From lines and contours to hats and correspondent brogues, here is such elegance to meet Bourne’s eloquence in sensuous movement.

Set in The Midnight Bell pub, the surrounding bedsitland, rooms to rent, gated park, members-only club and cinema seats of London, Bourne’s work is billed as a “dance exploration of intoxicated tales from darkest Soho, delving into the underbelly of early 1930s’ London life”.

Devised and directed by Bourne, he peoples the tavern with a lonely hearts’ club of drinkers and staff; troubled souls more at the unhappy hour, rather than happy hour, stage of intoxication.

All have a drink in one hand, slammed down on tables at the outset. All are looking for a refill as much of the heart as the glass, or at least some form of connection, but will they be sated or are they destined for the loneliness of the lovelorn?

What couplings will end up in that bed in cleverly overlapping storylines involving a young prostitute, Jenny Maple (Ashley Shaw), the waiter, the barmaid Ella (Bryony Pennington) and the oddball regular Mr Eccles (Danny Reubens)?

On to the not-so-merry-go-round spin the bespectacled lonely spinster Miss Roach (Michela Meazza); the pickpocket cad Ernest Ralph Gorse (Glenn Graham); the out-of-work actress Netta Longdon (Cordelia Braithwaite), and the schizophrenic, tinnitus-troubled, tortured romantic George Harvey Bone (Alan Vincent).

The forbidden The Man I Love storyline entwines West End chorus boy Albert (Liam Mower) with new customer Frank (Edwin Ray), taking risks in that repressed era, captured in Bourne’s most sublime, serpentine choreography of this remarkable show.

Bourne calls these stories of requited and more often unrequited love in restlessly on-edge London “bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption”. “Bitter comedies” could not put it better, the humour being as dark as London porter in this neon-lit world, but all life is here, sad, bad, mad, yet hopefully happy hereafter too, stamped with the distinctive Bourne identity, as full of panache as punch.

After Emma Rice’s take on Alfred Hitchcock’s North By North West and Gary Oldman’s residency in Krapp’s Last Tape, and now The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal is having a cracking 2025, as bright as Bourne’s dance hall mirror ball that dances with delight.

New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, tonight and tomorrow (6/6/2025) at 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne will be in conversation with Theatre Royal chief executive Paul Crewes after tomorrow’s performance (6/6/2025).

What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 23, from Gazette & Herald

The artwork for the 2025 York Festival of Ideas, making waves until June 13

A FESTIVAL full of bright ideas leads off Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for cultural sustenance and enlightening entertainment.

Festival of the week: York Festival of Ideas, running until June 13

YORK Festival of Ideas 2025 explores the theme of Making Waves in more than 200 mostly free in-person and online events designed to educate, entertain and inspire. 

Led by the University of York, the festival features world-class speakers, performances, exhibitions, tours, family-friendly activities and much more. Topics range from archaeology to art, history to health and politics to psychology. Browse the programme at yorkfestivalofideas.com.

New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Johan Persson

Dance return of the week: New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

IN 1930s’ London, ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and fog-bound streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart: bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption. 

Inspired by the work of English novelist Patrick Hamilton, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell returns to York Theatre Royal, where it first played in October 2021, with a 14-strong cast of New Adventures’ actor-dancers, music by Terry Davies and set and costume design by Lez Brotherston. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

The poster artwork for NE Theatre York’s fully staged concert performances of Carousel

Musical of the week: NE Theatre York in Carousel, Tempest Anderson Hall, Museum Gardens, York, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

STEVE Tearle directs NE Theatre York in fully staged concert performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel with an 18-piece orchestra conducted by Joe Allen. The cast for this tale of hope, redemption and the power of love will be led by Kit Stroud as Billy Bigelow; Rebecca Jackson as Julie Jordan; Maia Beatrice as Carrie Pepperidge; Finlay Butler as Mr Snow and Perri Ann Barley as Aunt Netty. 

Cue such R&H classics as June Is Burstin’ Out All Over, If I Loved You, When I Marry Mister Snow, Blow High, Blow Low and the iconic Liverpool and Celtic terrace anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/netheatre-york.

King Creosote’s Kenny Anderson: Serving up a Storm In A Teacup at The Crescent, York

Scottish visitor of the week: Please Please You and Brudenell Presents host King Creosote, The Crescent, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

KING Creosote follows up 2024’s springtime tour Any Port In A Storm with his Any Storm In A Teacup travels from April to June this year, again with a mix of modular synths, his back catalogue from 50 studio albums and his November 2023 album I Des, the first King Creosote recording in seven years.

As ever, Scotsman Kenny Anderson’s performance will be marked by his singular voice, allied to roguish, roving, ever-evolving, gorgeous songs in the key of Fife. Box office, for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.

Lady Nade: Paying tribute to Nina Simone. Picture: Joseph Branston

Celebration of a legacy: Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm,

KNOWN for paying homage to those who have influenced her journey  profoundly, Lady Nade holds Nina Simone in high regard  for leaving behind a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion and love through her extraordinary body of work.

As a black woman, Lady Nade acknowledges Simone’s trailblazing role in paving the way for artists of her generation. Her high-energy performance is a heartfelt dedication to recreating the transformative sound that blended popular tunes of the era into a distinctive fusion of jazz, blues, gospel, and folk music. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Pink Floydian: Showcasing the golden era of progressive rock at Milton Rooms, Malton

Tribute gig of the week: Pink Floydian, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 7.30pm

PINK Floydian’s immersive experience transports fans back to the golden era of progressive rock in a two-and-a-half hour show that takes in the Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and David Gilmour eras.

From the lush landscapes of Shine On You Crazy Diamond to the haunting refrain of Great Gig In The Sky to the anthemic Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here, Pink Floydian undertake a magical journey through Pink Floyd’s illustrious recording career. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Rachel Anderson’s Dolly Gallagher Levi, centre, and the ensemble in Pickering Musical Society’s Hello, Dolly! Picture: Robert David Photography

Goodbye to musicals: Pickering Musical Society in Hello, Dolly!, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

PICKERING Musical Society is preparing to raise the curtain on its final full-scale musical production, after more than a century, citing rising production costs and falling membership.

Set in the energetic bustle of 1890s’ New York, Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! follows the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi (society favourite Rachel Anderson) – a witty matchmaker, meddler and “arranger of things” – as she decides to find a match for herself. Box office:  01751 474833 or kirktheatre.co.uk or in person from the box office on Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm.

Christopher Simon Sykes’s photograph of Mick Jagger in concert on the Rolling Stones’ Tour of the Americas in 1975, on show at Sledmere House from June 13

Exhibition launch of the week:  On Tour With The Rolling Stones 1975, A 50th Anniversary Exhibition of Photographs by Christopher Simon Sykes, Sledmere House, Sledmere, near Driffield,  June 13 to July 6, except Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am to 5pm

IN June 1975, Christopher Sykes, of Sledmere House, joined the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas, known as T.O.T.A ’75: his first rock’n’roll itinerary as a snapper after specialising in photographing stately home interiors.

“You know going on tour is not like country life, Chrissie,” advised Mick Jagger on his first day of accompanying the Stones on their three-month tour of North America and Canada, playing 40 shows in 27 cities. The photos were used in a tour diary published the following year, and this exhibition showcases a selection of the best of the behind-the-scenes and stage pictures in the Courtyard Room. Tickets: sledmerehouse.com.

Dominic heads back North for New Adventures in his York Theatre Royal debut in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell

Dominic North in New Adventures’ 2025 production of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Johan Persson

NEW Adventures return to York Theatre Royal from Wednesday to Saturday with Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell.

Last staged in York in October 2021, this award-winning work is on a 17-week tour from May 15, also visiting the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, from September 30 to October 4.

Inspired by the novels of Patrick Hamilton, such as Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky and Hangover Square, The Midnight Bell is set in 1930s’ London, where ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and fog-bound streets of Soho and Fitzrovia.

Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart in bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption. 

Bourne says of his 14-strong cast: “This is, without doubt, the finest company of quintessential New Adventures actor/dancers ever assembled for a single production. Together they represent nearly 30 years of critically acclaimed performances and created roles in my work.

“In fact, it would be hard to imagine a cast more perfectly suited to the challenging world of Patrick Hamilton and his exploration of the darker reaches of the human heart.”

“I’ve been lucky with injuries and not really looking my age,” says New Adventures dancer Dominic North, aged 42

Reece Causton, Glenn Graham, Daisy May Kemp, Andy Monaghan, Liam Mower, Bryony  Pennington and National Dance Awards Outstanding Female Modern Performance winner Michela Meazza return from the original cast. 

Making their Midnight Bell debuts alongside them are “some of New Adventures’ most beloved stars of the last 25 years”, Cordelia Braithwaite, Dominic North, Edwin Ray, Danny Reubens, Ashley Shaw and Alan Vincent, joined by rising star Hannah Kremer, last seen as Juliet in Romeo And Juliet.

Guiseley-born Dominic North, a stalwart member of Bourne’s company for 22 years, is undertaking his first new New Adventures role in “ten years, maybe eight, definitely a while”, playing Bob, the bartender.

“I took it for granted that knowing shows I could count the music, but I’d only seen The Midnight Bell a couple of times, and it was nice to have that adrenaline feeling, thinking ‘what is this?’? It was like being new again with loads of old friends around me.”

The Midnight Bell finds 42-year-old Dominic performing in a New Adventures tour of mid-scale theatres for the first time in 13 years, after taking on such parts as Edward in Edward Scissorhands on and off over a decade.

In the spotlight: Dominic North in The Midnight Bell. Picture: Johan Persson

“I think it’s the multiple lead stories, not just one story, that make The Midnight Bell such a hit with audiences. Everyone in the ensemble has their story to show what they can do, and that makes it exciting and dramatic,” he says, as he looks forward to his debut York Theatre Royal appearance in a career that has taken him to Japan at least seven times, Korea, five, Australia and the United States too.

“It’s such a cool show with so much intricateness and cleverness, and I’m just glad I’ve got to do it. In particular I love the lip-synching to the amazing songs, which gives the show comic relief.”

He has special memories of his lead role in Edward Scissorhands. “I first did it at the age of 24 at the Sydney Opera House. I’d probably be nervous to first do it now, but back then you’re young and naive, going to Japan for four months and Korea for a month, whereas now I’d be petrified!”

Working with Bourne for more than two decades has stretched him “massively”. “I think when I started I was very much a dancer-dancer; I didn’t see myself as an actor, but when I understudied The Prince in Swan Lake at 22 , I had to learn on the job very quickly,” says Dominic, who took his first steps at NYDZA dance classes at Bingley railway station four days week until the age of 18 before attending the Central School of Speech and Drama.

“You realise it’s not just about dance, but helping the audience to understand what they’re seeing through the storytelling in the dancing.”

Dominic is based in London with his young family – he has two daughters – but still has a flat in Guiseley and family in Menston and Horsforth too. He is in fine fettle at 42. “I’ve been lucky with injuries and not really looking my age and still being able to play diverse roles on stage,” he says.

Dominic North, centre, in New Adventures’ production of Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands. Picture: Johan Persson

“It helps that this company is good at seeking to sustain careers, and that’s a shift in the dance world from ten years ago. There are dancers in this cast who are in their 50s, and when I did Edward Scissorhands, we had dancers in their 40s and 50s too.

“It’s nice to reflect the different ages, rather than putting 20-year-olds in wigs and facial hair, as we’ve realised that experience is key to our performances and doing our job.”

He loves performing in Bourne’s works for New Adventures. “It’s so rewarding,” says Dominic. “We’re lucky that we’re so loved; everywhere we sell out. We’re so fortunate that we can tour around the globe, because there’s no language barrier with dance, but we never take our following for granted.

“Working with Matthew is a dream, getting to work with him closely on creating new roles. He gets things out of you that would never imagine to be possible, and he does it in a very modest way. He couldn’t be further from how directors are depicted in films.”

New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, June 4, 7.30pm; June 5, 2pm, 7.30pm; June 6, 7.30pm; June 7, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Age guidance: 14 plus. Content warning: Scenes of a sexual nature, including sexual violence and mental distress, smoking on stage (e-cigarettes), haze and flickering lights (not strobe). 

Here Sir Matthew Bourne discusses The Midnight Bell, novelist Patrick Hamilton, working with composer Terry Davies and the universal truths of loneliness

Choreographer and director Sir Matthew Bourne. Picture: Hugo Glendinning

When did you become aware of the work of Patrick Hamilton?

“His most famous works, and the ones that kept him financially secure throughout his life, were actually two very successful plays, Rope (1929) and Gaslight (1938), and it was through the film versions of these plays that I first became aware of Hamilton as a writer.

“In fact I toyed with the idea of staging Rope as a play some years ago, having seen the famous Hitchcock movie. The novels came later for me and they represent a very different world to the plays.

“I think Hamilton was consciously trying to write something with popular appeal for his theatre work and he succeeded in creating two of the most commercially successful melodramas of their day.

“However, the novels tell a different story, born out of mostly bitter personal experience and failed relationships. Painfully honest, but also beautifully observed and even finding humour in these mesmerising tales of lonely lives looking for love.”

What aspects of his novels appealed to you as a storyteller?

“I think initially I just fell in love with these characters and the truthful way that Hamilton gets to the heart of them. Hamilton’s world could be seen as the flip-side of his close contemporary, Noel Coward, whose witty and glamorous world of cocktails and high society was the epitome 1930s’ fashion and imagery.

“Hamilton, on the other hand, wrote about the working man (and woman), born out of years of observation and social interaction at his favourite location – the rather unglamorous London pub. The characters are therefore very relatable and their ‘voices’ ring true.

“For many years, I have held the belief that dance can tackle, in depth, unconventional and complex relationships, rather than the standard boy/girl romances that dance often favours, and these characters and stories require us to ‘dig deep’ and find a non-verbal language to do them justice.

“You can learn so much about 1930s’ attitudes to sex and relationships through Hamilton’s novels and I must admit that much of it was revelatory and unexpected.

“Hamilton has been called ‘a connoisseur of alcoholic behaviour’ and this aspect appeals greatly to me as a non-verbal storyteller as it suggests ‘altered states’ and even ‘gin-soaked’ fantasies that are particularly useful when exploring the inner life of a character.

The poster artwork for the New Adventures tour of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell

“The Midnight Bell is the name of one of Hamilton’s early novels that went to make up the trilogy entitled Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky. However, rather than a straightforward adaptation, this is a devised piece inspired by the world in which Hamilton’s various novels take place.”

How did you go about this creative process?

“I made a devised piece in 2001 called Play Without Words, which looked at various British movie classics of the 1960s, such as The Servant and Look Back In Anger amongst many others. From this I created a kind of ‘mash-up’ of stories and characters from different movies that dealt with changing attitudes to class and culture of that time.

“I think that I was looking for another fascinating era to apply this very free approach to when I hit on the idea of exploring the very particular world of Patrick Hamilton in the 1930s.

“The main novels that we have explored in the piece are Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky (1929-1934), Hangover Square (1941), The Slaves Of Solitude (1947) and the Gorse Trilogy (1952-1955), taking characters and situations from all the novels and sometimes even suggesting relationships with characters from different novels!

“So, as you will see, we weave six interconnecting stories or relationships throughout the piece, without telling the full story of each novel, but rather creating a kind of ‘essence’ of Hamilton’s world. The only thing that they all do have in common is that they are all regulars or employees of The Midnight Bell pub that gives our show its title.

“As I said earlier, much of Hamilton’s work was deeply personal and became the source from which he created his finest and most individual work, so it was with some trepidation that I have taken the liberty to include a touching gay story amongst our Soho tales.

“The homosexual ‘underworld’ was not as hidden as you might expect at this time, despite regular police raids of known gay haunts. There is much evidence that gay pick-ups and cruising, through a complex series of coded signs and signals, would be a regular occurrence at the very pubs that Hamilton regularly frequented in Fitzrovia.

“Indeed, I also unearthed some research in letters that Hamilton wrote in later life that suggested a very liberal and, for the time, uncharacteristically open attitude towards homosexuality.”

How did you collaborate with Terry Davies on the original musical score for The Midnight Bell?

“It’s always exciting to be able to commission a score from Terry,  who has written such varied scores for New Adventures in the past such as Lord Of The Flies, Dorian Gray and his memorable jazz-inspired score for Play Without Words.

A scene from the 2021 tour of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell that visited York Theatre Royal. Picture: Johan Persson

“Finding a musical language for a new work is always challenging to begin with and the relationship with a composer is so important as you need to share as much of your vision for the piece as possible, so that the musical world can properly come from the chosen source material.

“However, the first thing that I said to Terry was that I didn’t want a 1930s’ ‘pastiche’ score. I wanted a contemporary score that reflected the emotion and inner life of the characters, the themes of loneliness, furtive relationships, erotic obsession, drunken oblivion and bittersweet longing.

“Terry also loved the Hamilton books and our work together has been driven by a desire to be true to the atmosphere of the novels and characters.  We have, though, added the odd period ‘surprise’ in our score that reflects the words and music that our characters may have been listening to at that time.”

Alongside Terry Davies, you have also gathered many of your creative team and even some of the original dancers from Play Without Words, your last fully devised piece from 20 years ago. How come?

“New Adventures is a family that sticks together. As a team, we love creating together and The Midnight Bell is set in a period that we have not worked on before. It’s also a very unglamorous, nicotine-stained, fog-bound, slightly seedy world that we are delving into and that is inspiring us all too…

“…Sometimes it’s finding the beauty in a battered old armchair or the golden fractured light coming through the stained glass of a tavern window that creates a memorable image. It’s certainly a gift for Lez Brotherston (set and costumes) and Paule Constable (lighting design) to be able to revel in such a richly atmospheric world that swiftly changes location and mood whilst keeping six different scenarios going!

“This is certainly a totally collaborative project and I was thrilled to have such an incredibly generous and talented cast to create with, including some dancers who have been with me for over 20 years, along with some of our brightest young talent.

“This is a piece where they need all their skills as non-verbal storytellers and where the acting is as important as their formidable movement skills.”

Hamilton’s novels were written primarily in the first half of the last century and you have set your piece in the early 1930s. What does The Midnight Bell have to say to the audiences of today?

“One of the reasons that many New Adventures productions can be revived again and again is that they deal in universal and timeless truths. Of course, there is a place for work that directly addresses very contemporary concerns and issues but this work does inevitably date much more quickly.

“I prefer to make work that finds its relevance through the making of the piece and the people who make it; work that can resonate in a different way many years after its premiere. It’s why our Swan Lake is always relevant with its story of a young man looking for love; that story never dates. It’s why our Romeo And Juliet will always be relatable to an audience who remember what it was like to fall in love for the first time.

“I originally created this piece as we were slowly emerging from the pandemic, which saw many of us isolated from loved ones and missing that social contact that we so thrive on. Four years on, we continue to deal with some of those universal truths of loneliness and the need to connect … it seems like a trip to the Midnight Bell could be the perfect way to spend an evening?”

* IN Conversation With Matthew Bourne will follow the 7.30pm performance on June 6, facilitated by York Theatre Royal chief executive Paul Crewes, with BSL Interpreted and Audio Described services provided.

More Things To Do in York and beyond as ideas burst out of festival to make waves. Hutch’s List No. 24 from The Press, York

York Festival of Ideas: More than 200 events

FESTIVALS full of ideas and comedy lead off Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for cultural sustenance and enlightening entertainment.

Festival of the week: York Festival of Ideas, today to June 13

YORK Festival of Ideas 2025 explores the theme of Making Waves in more than 200 mostly free in-person and online events designed to educate, entertain and inspire. 

Led by the University of York, the festival features world-class speakers, performances, exhibitions, tours, family-friendly activities and much more. Topics range from archaeology to art, history to health and politics to psychology. Browse the programme at yorkfestivalofideas.com.

Pocklington Comedy Festival: The headline show will be hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean, centre, tonight

Comedy event of the week:  Pocklington Comedy Festival, Pocklington Arts Centre, today, from 12 noon

KIRI Pritchard-McLean hosts tonight’s 8pm bill of Chris Cantrill, Joe Kent-Walters as alter ego Frankie Monroe, eccentric owner of The Misty Moon working men’s club in Rotherham, Seeta Wrightson, from Bradford,  and Lee Kyle.

Earlier today, in the studio, look out for work-in-progress Edinburgh Fringe previews of Seeta Wrightson’s It’ll Be Allrightson On The Night (12 noon); Chris Cantrill’s On Your Marks (1.30pm); Frankie Monroe’s Dead Good (3pm) and Newcastle’s Louise Young (4.30pm).

This afternoon’s Family Comedy Show, introduced by Lee Kyle, features the comically chaotic antics of York magician Just Josh (aka Josh Benson) and mischievous Hull duo Jeddy Bear & Gary. Box office: pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Kaiser Chiefs: Chief attraction at Temple Newsam, Leeds, today. Picture: Cal McIntyre

Yorkshire gig of the week: Kaiser Chiefs, Temple Newsam, Leeds, today, gates open at 1pm

LEEDS indie rock titans Kaiser Chiefs mark the 20th anniversary of March 2005 debut album Employment with a homecoming celebration. Employed on the bill too are: Ellur, 1.50pm; Hotwax, 2.45pm; We Are Scientists, 3.40pm; The Coral, 4.50pm; The Cribs, 6.05pm, and Razorlight, 7.20pm.

Kaiser Chiefs will be on stage from 8.50pm to 10.30pm with a special guest appearance by the Championship trophy won by Leeds United on May 4. Tickets update: still available at gigandtours.com; ticketmaster.co.uk or livenation.co.uk.

Rachel Croft: Heading back to York to play The Crescent. Picture: Michelle Fredericks

Welcome back: Rachel Croft, The Crescent, York, tonight, doors 7.30pm

AFTER re-locating from York to London, singer-songwriter Rachel Croft returns north to promote her vinyl EP A Mind Made Of Sky as part of a summer series of tempestuous shows across the UK. Expect drama, energy and thunderous alt-rock songs from Rachel “as you’ve never seen her before”. Stereo Cupid and Flat Number Two support. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Strictly between us: Dance couple Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara promise A Night To Remember at York Barbican

Strictly show of the week: Aljaž And Janette: A Night To Remember, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm  

STRICTLY Come Dancing husband-and-wife duo Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara team up in their new show with their live big band, fronted by boogie-woogie maestro Tom Seals and an ensemble cast of dancers and singers.

Strictly regular Aljaž and It Takes Two and Morning Live host Janette take to the York Barbican dancefloor to perform routines to music from the Great American songbook to modern-day classics. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Stephen Smith in One Man Poe. Picture: Cat Humphries

Edinburgh Fringe 2024 Best Horror Solo Show winner: One Man Poe, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Sunday, 6pm

USING Edgar Allan Poe’s original text from the 1840s, actor-director Stephen Smith brings to life the most terrifying examples of the gothic genre from the pioneering Godfather of Gothic Horror.

In Act One, The Tell-Tale Heart, a madman strives to convince you of his sanity, while explaining the meticulous details of a murder he committed. Then, in The Pit And The Pendulum, a prisoner seeks to escape the various torture devices of the Spanish Inquisition.

In Act Two, arguably Poe’s darkest tale and definitely not one for the faint hearted, The Black Cat, documents an alcoholic’s last confession on the eve of his death. Last comes the poem that made Poe famous: The Raven. In the midnight hour, as an elderly man laments the loss of his love, an ominous visitor is heard tapping on his chamber door. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

New Adventures in the 2025 tour of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, on tour at York Theatre Royal next week. Picture: Johan Persson

Dance return of the week: New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, June 4 to 7, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

IN 1930s’ London, ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and fog-bound streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart; bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption. 

Inspired by the work of English novelist Patrick Hamilton, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell returns to York Theatre Royal, where it first played in October 2021, with a 14-strong cast of New Adventures’ actor-dancers, music by Terry Davies and set and costume design by Lez Brotherston. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Steve Tearle: Directing NE Theatre York in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel

Musical of the week: NE Theatre York in Carousel, Tempest Anderson Hall, Museum Gardens, York, June 5 to 7, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

STEVE Tearle directs NE Theatre York in fully staged concert performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel with an 18-piece orchestra conducted by Joe Allen. The cast for this tale of hope, redemption and the power of love will be led by Kit Stroud as Billy Bigelow; Rebecca Jackson as Julie Jordan; Maia Beatrice as Carrie Pepperidge; Finlay Butler as Mr Snow and Perri Ann Barley as Aunt Netty. 

Cue such R&H classics as June Is Burstin’ Out All Over, If I Loved You, When I Marry Mister Snow, Blow High, Blow Low and the iconic Liverpool and Celtic terrace anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone. Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/netheatre-york.

King Creosote’s Kenny Anderson: Serving up a Storm In A Teacup at The Crescent, York

Scottish visitor of the week: Please Please You and Brudenell Presents host King Creosote, The Crescent, York, June 5, 7.30pm

KING Creosote follows up 2024’s springtime tour Any Port In A Storm with his Any Storm In A Teacup travels from April to June this year, again with a mix of modular synths, his back catalogue from 50 studio albums and his November 2023 album I Des, the first King Creosote recording in seven years.

As ever, Scotsman Kenny Anderson’s performance will be marked by his singular voice, allied to roguish, roving, ever-evolving, gorgeous songs in the key of Fife. Box office, for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.

In Focus: International collaboration of the week: Say Owt presents chamæleon,  So Many Ways To Move, Fulford Arms, Fulford Road, York, Sunday, 5.30pm

chamæleon: Collaboration of Palestinian poet Farah Chamma and Brazilian electronic musician Liev at the Fulford Arms on Sunday

SAY Owt, York’s champions of raucous performance poetry and sizzling spoken word, play host for the first time to an Arabic artist and South American musician, Palestinian poet  Farah Chamma and Brazilian electronic soundscape producer Liev, on Sunday.

In their poetic and political collaboration as chamæleon, Chamma and Liev explore the intersection between spoken word and musical texture, diving into the unknown to search for belonging and identity in So Many Wayes To Move.

Since 2014, Say Owt has hosted poets from Sweden, Nigeria, the United States and Canada, now adding Brazil and Palestine to that list. chamæleon have performed in Portugal, Holland, Spain and the United Arab Emirates and this weekend they make their York debut in their only performance in the UK outside London on their 2025 travels.

So Many Ways To Move encapsulates their belief in the power of art not only to reflect the times but also to move with them. “We see art as a force of transformation, a channel for resistance and renewal,” say chamaeleon. “By weaving together sound, text and imagery, we illuminate our shared experiences and struggles.”

Farah Chamma: “Speaking truth to power from festivals to demonstrations”

Farah Chamma’s performances are described as “vital and urgent, speaking truth to power from festivals to demonstrations”. “If ever words could tear down the gates of power, it would be those spoken by Farah. Besides her native Arabic, she also writes and performs in English and French and speaks German, Spanish and Portuguese,” Say Owt states

Chamma holds a master’s degree in Performance and Culture from Goldsmiths, University of London and a BA in Philosophy and Sociology from the Sorbonne in Paris.

Based in Brazil, multi-instrumentalist and electro-organic music producer Liev uses his research to “dive into the intersectionality between machine and human-made sounds”.

Within his body of work, everyday noises and the human voice – mostly in spoken word pieces – are the raw material that ends up mixed with more complex machine and AI-generated sounds, birthing soundscapes and music that delves into the contemporary human experience.

Sunday’s support acts will be Nadira Alom and electro riot grrl act Doberwoman. Box office: https://www.fatsoma.com/e/5b1ew8fs/la/jt04.

Gary Oldman’s return to York Theatre Royal stage in Krapp’s Last Tape ‘could not have gone better’, says chief exec Paul Crewes

Gary Oldman and chief executive Paul Crewes survey the York Theatre Royal auditorium on the Slow Horses star’s visit in February 2014. Picture: Gisele Schmidt

GARY Oldman’s “coming home” to York Theatre Royal after 45 years for “the completion of a cycle” in directing, designing and starring in Krapp’s Last Tape could not have gone any better.

More than 18,000 tickets sold for the April 14 to May 17 residency; every performance sold out; 700 bookers from overseas; 60 per cent of the audience attending a Theatre Royal show for the first time; Policeman Sting, Slow Horses co-star Freddie Fox and clothes designer Paul Smith among the Gary Oldmania throng.

Hundreds of minutes spent signing autographs and posing for photos  post-show by the Stage Door after every show bar the matinees; 100 bananas munched on stage, Gary’s chomping progress charted on a banana counter on a dressing-room mirror.

Then add screen star Gary being photographed with Theatre Royal staff in the auditorium on the last Friday; Gary leading a session with York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre members the day before; Gary writing farewell cards to staff; Gary enjoying his visits to Bettys, The Ivy and the Minster Gate Bookshop.

“Gary told me that it was one of the highlights of his career,” says delighted Theatre Royal chief executive Paul Crewes, whose first meeting with Oldman 14 months earlier set in motion Oldman’s first stage appearance since Caryl Churchill’s Serious Money  at the Royal Court Theatre, London,  in 1987.

Gary Oldman in Samuel Beckett’s melancholic monodrama Krapp’s Last Tape on his return to the York Theatre Royal stage after 45 years: a case of two men in their 60s and their memories. Picture: Gisele Schmidt

“They [Gary and his wife Gisele Schmidt] had a wonderful time here and were a joy to have in the building. They loved being in the theatre, they loved being in the city, and we knew we weren’t just selling a name but a very high standard piece of theatre.  ”

Oldman’s career had begun in 1979 in his debut professional season in the Theatre Royal repertory ranks, culminating in  his pantomime appearance as the Cat in Dick Whittington And His Wonderful Cat. He contests dame Berwick Kaler’s recollection that the Cat fainted three times, by the way. “Not true,” he told Crewes.

“It all started with me taking Gary up to the roof when we did a tour of the building in February 2014. That triggered his thought that he should do a show here, and then it took months and months to feed it to fruition, growing from the seed of an idea to what you saw on stage,” says Paul.

Now that the posters, the security team, the Krapp’s Last Tape T-shirts, have gone, Paul reflects: “It was great to work with him over that time – and it was good for the theatre to get people locally, nationally and internationally to come to the Theatre Royal. That can only benefit our profile within the industry, with actors, as we’re not just thinking about projects now, but projects in 2026 and 2027. The more profile we get, the more opportunities will come with that.

The poster artwork for York Theatre Royal’s production of Krapp’s Last Tape starring returnee Gary Oldman

“We also had national coverage of Emma Rice’s company, Wise Children, opening the world premiere of her adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest here earlier this year.

“Both Gary and Emma’s teams left here extremely happy with the organisation and the staff, and that’s one of the things we’re most proud of.”

One key decision was to put the quality of audience experience before maximum commercial gain. “We didn’t sell the gallery seating, because we felt that 570 seats was the right amount artistically,” reveals Paul.

“A commercial producer would have sold all the seats, but Gary and I made the decision to forego the gallery so that people could see him on stage as close as they could.”

Gary Oldman in the stalls on his exploratory visit to the York Theatre Royal in 2024. Picture: Gisele Schmidt

Krapp’s Last Tape attracted 33 reviews at the last count, from The New York Times to Tatler, but Oldman restricted himself to only one newspaper interview. “Part of that was retaining the mystery of it all, through the play saying why he was here, rather than telling people all about why he was here. He wanted to concentrate on the work, and he took it all very seriously,” says Paul.

That included Oldman working his way through the potassium overload of more bananas than a Grand Slam-chasing tennis player.  “The way Gary talked about it psychologically is that he would go out for a meal and have no puddings, so the bananas were like his dessert,” says Paul.

Just as Oldman was meticulous in his preparation, so was the Theatre Royal. “We spent a lot of time on the planning. Lots of nuances had to be really thought through, and I don’t think it could have gone any better: looking after Gary, looking after the audiences; working out how to bring a global film star to York Theatre Royal,” says Paul. “He enjoyed it, we enjoyed it, everyone enjoyed it – and we had the boost of selling out before opening the run.”

Gary Oldman, front centre, and York Theatre Royal staff gather in the stalls on the last Friday of his Krapp’s Last Tape residency. Picture: Charlie Kirkpatrick

Even then, you could not be sure that a production would be deemed an artistic success. “That’s the joy and the risk of theatre. The interpretation that Gary brought to the play was really well thought through. Locating it in an attic, it was clear where Krapp was and why he was there.

“Normally Samuel Beckett’s play is not so naturalistic. Often it has just a desk and a few items, but here it was an attic, as full of clutter as memories. Edward Beckett, Beckett’s nephew, came to see it in the first week or two and was very positive – and he’s seen a lot of them!”

As for the future, Paul says: “For me, it’s only ever about ambition, and you’re never going to be successful with all the shows you do, but you have to be ambitious in what you want to present.

“We have to make theatre as exciting as we can. Having Gary here was like winning the lottery, but what we have to do is keep the momentum going. Everything we do has to have the same energy and enthusiasm. We want all the work we are producing to be of a standard that’s recognised nationally and potentially internationally too.”

What happened when Gary Oldman met York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre

Gary Oldman meets members of York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre on May 15. Picture: Millie Stephens

ASPIRING actors from York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre enjoyed a special visit from Gary Oldman in the last week of his Krapp’s Last Tape residency.

The young performers, aged 11 to 18, had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on May 15 to meet the Academy Award-winning actor, hear him discuss his acting experiences and ask him questions about his career.

Oldman started his professional career at York Theatre Royal in 1979 and returned 45 years later to support British regional theatre by performing in Samuel  Beckett’s monodrama from April 14 to May 17.

When reflecting on his decision to go back to York Theatre Royal, Oldman said: “Without a local theatre, young people will never get the chance to see theatre. And we need young people if theatre is to thrive.

Gary Oldman at his session with York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre. Picture: Millie Stephens

“I hope this production of Krapp’s Last Tape whets the appetite, giving those new to the theatre a completely revelatory experience. And who knows? It may encourage them to visit the theatre again. And again. They may even invite a friend. And hopefully a devoted theatregoer or two will emerge.”

Sophie Jade Howell, head of York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre, said: “Meeting Gary Oldman was such a wonderful opportunity for the young people in our youth theatre. They were absolutely delighted to have this chance to hear such interesting insights and behind- the-scenes stories from an iconic actor who has so much experience. Everyone had such a brilliant afternoon and left feeling so inspired.”

York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre offers opportunities for young performers aged five to 19 to take part in fun weekly drama sessions. Aiming to improve confidence and develop performance and team-building skills, the sessions are run both at York Theatre Royal and venues around the city.

The summer term is running now. Autumn details will be announced on York Theatre Royal’s social media channels and newsletter over the coming months. Find out more information at: https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/be-part-of-it/children-and-young-people/youth-theatre/.

Gary Oldman giving advice at his meeting with York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre members. Picture: Millie Stephens

What’s on in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 21, from Gazette & Herald

Simon Withyman’s photograph of an urban fox from the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition at Nunnington Hall. Picture copyright: British Wildlife Photography Awards/Simon Withyman

GO wild in the country, have  fun at the fete or make a date with dramatic dancing, recommends Charles Hutchinson.  

Exhibition of the week: British Wildlife Photography Awards, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, on show until July 13

THE British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition celebrates the diversity of British wildlife and wild spaces through a collection of inspirational photographs and films, while raising awareness of British biodiversity, species and habitats. Normal admission prices apply, with free entry to National Trust members and under fives. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

Mick Liversidge, left, and Chris Pomfrett in a scene from York Actors Collective’s York premiere of Tiger Country

Hospital drama of the week: York Actors Collective in Tiger Country, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, 7.30pm, tonight to Friday; 2.30pm and 6pm, Saturday

NINA Raine’s doctors-and-nurses drama, last performed at Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2014, is revived by Angie Millard’s company York Actors Collective.

This fast-paced play considers doctors’ dilemmas as a range of clinical and ethical issues come under the spotlight in a busy hospital. Professionalism and prejudice, turbulent staff romances, ambition and failure collide as Raine depicts an overburdened health service and the dedicated individuals that keep it going. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

May half-term event of the week: Fun At The Fete, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, until Sunday, 10.30am to 5pm daily; last admission 4pm

BE transported to the fun of a village fete with themed games throughout the gardens. Families can compete against each other in hoopla, tin can alley, stilt walking and more besides.

For children who prefer a more relaxed day out, a creative hub is set up in the cutting garden for drawing and painting, while inside the house they can  create their own mini-maypole wand to take home. Normal admission applies, with free entry for National Trust members and under fives. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall.

Nick Mohammed’s alter-ego, Mr Swallow, in Show Pony, cantering into the Grand Opera House next week and in the autumn. Picture: Matt Crockett

Comedy gig of the week: Nick Mohammed Is Mr Swallow in Show Pony, Grand Opera House, York, tonight and October 23, 7.30pm

COMEDIAN, writer, Ted Lasso regular and Taskmaster loser Nick Mohammed transforms into his alter-ego, Mr Swallow, in Show Pony, a new show that will “cover everything from not having his own sitcom to not having his own sitcom… and everything in between (critical race theory). As per – expect magic, music and a whole load of brand-new mistakes”.  Box office:  atgtickets.com/york.

Jenny Don’t And The Spurs: Country meets garage at Pocklington Arts Centre. Picture: Chris Hogge

Country cowpunk gig of the week: Jenny Don’t And The Spurs, Pocklington Arts Centre, tonight, 8pm

AFTER playing Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, the Portland, Oregon garage, country, honky-tonk and rock’n’roll band Jenny Don’t And The Spurs bring their European tour to Pocklington for one of only four English shows, kitted out as ever with rhinestones on their custom outfits, handcrafted by Jenny herself.

As heard on June 2024 album Broken Hearted Blue, her songwriting is influenced by the contrasting landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern desert, with her band of drummer Buddy Weeks bass player Kelly Halliburton and lead guitarist Christopher March merging their garage-rock origins with country driving tempos, gritty fuzz tones and outlaw attitude. London-based Californian country singer Savannah Gardner supports. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Sir Tim Rice: Mulling over a life in musicals at the Grand Opera House, York

Musical knight of the week: Sir Tim Rice, My Life In Musicals – I Know Him So Well, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

LYRICIST supreme Sir Tim Rice reflects on his illustrious career at the heart of musical theatre, sharing anecdotes behind the songs, both the hits and the misses, complemented by stories of his life and live performances by leading West End singers and musicians, led by musical director Duncan Waugh. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Freida Nipples: Baps And Buns Burlesque at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb

Cabaret night of the week: Freida Nipples presents Baps And Buns Burlesque, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, Friday, 7pm to 11pm

YORK’S queen of burlesque, Freida Nipples, returns to Rise with her latest selection of sensational cabaret artists, from drag queens to acrobats. Prompt booking is advised as her Baps And Burlesque shows have a habit of selling out, in keeping with her burlesque nights at York Theatre Royal Studio, The Basement at City Screen and Impossible York.

“Prepare yourselves for an evening of debauchery and glamour in Acomb,” says Freida. “The big question is: are you ready for it?!” Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.

New Adventures in the 2021 production of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, returning to York Theatre Royal next week. Picture: Johan Persson

Dance return of the week: New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, York Theatre Royal, June 4 to 7, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

IN 1930s’ London, ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and fog-bound streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart; bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption. 

Inspired by the work of English novelist Patrick Hamilton, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell returns to York Theatre Royal, where it first played in October 2021, with a 14-strong cast of New Adventures’ actor-dancers, alongside the Olivier and Tony award-winning team of Terry Davies (music), Lez Brotherston (set and costume design), Paule Constable (lighting design) and Paul Groothuis (sound design). Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Strictly between us: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara look forward to A Night To Remember at York Barbican

Strictly show of the week: Aljaž And Janette: A Night To Remember, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm  

STRICTLY Come Dancing husband-and-wife duo Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara team up in their new show with their live big band, fronted by boogie-woogie maestro Tom Seals and an ensemble cast of dancers and singers.

Strictly regular Aljaž and It Takes Two and Morning Live host Janette take to the York Barbican dancefloor to perform routines to music from the Great American songbook right up to modern-day classics. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

TakeOver 2025 celebrates disco as York St John University arts students stage festival at York Theatre Royal for five days

Northern Rascals in Sunny Side at York Theatre Royal on Thursday. Picture: Ellywel Photography

FINAL year students from York St John University are taking over York Theatre Royal for five days of creative activities for the whole family with the theme of disco.

As part of TakeOver 2025, students of musical theatre, drama and acting are creating performances within their theatre company, with each show varying so that every day is a different experience. Professional theatre companies are welcomed to the Theatre Royal too.

The disco theme will revel in vibrant colours and funky beats in a celebration of music, movement and talented performers. Audience members will be encouraged to join in on these dazzling disco events by bringing out the sequins and platform shoes.

This is the third year that York St John University has collaborated with York Theatre Royal on the TakeOver festival.

What’s in store on the disco floor?

TODAY

Goldilocks And The Three Bears Workshop: A drama-filled adventure, De Grey House, 2pm to 3.30pm

IN a session inspired by Goldilocks And The Three Bears, this workshop is suitable for five to 11-year-old children, whether they have done a drama workshop or not, and will explore movement and vocalisation to help develop the skills of a performer. Using storytelling and games as a tool for creativity, the children will gain valuable experience in performance-making.

Opening ceremony, York Theatre Royal foyer and patio, 6pm to 8pm

WELCOME to Takeover 2025 with ribbon cutting and music.

Battle Of The Bands, York Theatre Royal Studio, 8.30pm to 10.30pm

EPIC showdown between bands as they battle for victory and the title of TakeOver’s 2025 champions.

WEDNESDAY

Fulford School Show, York Theatre Royal Studio, 10.30am

OVER  the past few weeks, Fulford School students have been exploring different musicals, learning harmonies and studying the work of famous musical theatre choreographers to create a small showcase for friends and family.

Joesph Rowntree School Show, York Theatre Royal Studio, 12.30pm

LED by York St John University students Darcy and Emily, Joseph Rowntree Theatre students sing and dance their way through a medley of songs from Matilda The Musical,showcasing their hard work and abilities. “See you here, revolting children,” they say.

Cabaret, York Theatre Royal lower foyer, 1pm to 2.30pm

PREPARE to be entertained as you dance and sing your way into the afternoon.

She Speaks presents Systematic Reflections, York Theatre Royal main house, 7.30pm

SET in a mental health institution, Systematic Reflections follows five women as they decide to try to escape, but can they do so without being caught?

The show discusses themes surrounding anxiety, depression, eating disorders and more mental health topics. Age guidance: 14 plus. Content guidance: Eating disorders, anxiety, depression and mental health.

Popodyssey: A journey to find a home, a father and our place in this mad, complex world, at York Theatre Royal on Saturday. Picture: Ellywel Photography

As You Dislike It , York Theatre Royal main house, 7:30pm

INSPIRED by Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, As You Dislike It explores the values of feminism and relationships through the use of humour and absurdity. Age guidance: 16 plus. Content guidance: Mild graphic language and mild sexual language.

Call Of The Ram presents Totally Royally F*****, York Theatre Royal main house, 7.30pm

WHEN a man of a meagre disposition finds himself down on his luck and in need of a break, outside forces push him to reconcile with his siblings in the hope he can somehow put his life back on track. This musical comedy extravaganza will “leave you feeling totally, royally, satisfied”. Age guidance: 18 plus. Content guidance: Strong language and sexual references.

Matt Price presents Raging Bill, York Theatre Royal Studio, 8pm

STAND-UP comedian Matt Price spent 18 months training to win a trophy to honour the memory of his grandad, Raging Bill Price, after he found boxing trophies in his attic.

The show is not about boxing – there is a lot more to it than that – but you will want to know what happens next. Most amateur fighters have their first fight within a few months, whereas it took Matt a year and a half before he was “ready.”

How and why does a painfully shy 21-year-old man go to a boxing gym and spend so long pursuing a sport for which he has zero talent? Why does he hate Humpty Dumpty but love karaoke?

Raging Bill is a humorous show about getting back up when life has hit you hard. Years later, having been through some ups and downs, Price learns something about himself that you will not forget. “But you will love it,” he promises.

THURSDAY

Play In A Day, York Theatre Royal Billiard Room, 10am to 1pm, free entry

ONE-DAY workshop, offering the chance to learn new skills and make a play in a day.

Free Origami Workshop, York Theatre Royal foyer, 2pm to 3.30pm, free entry, age five plus

ARE you interested in origami-style crafts? Whether you are an origami enthusiast or a complete beginner, everyone is welcome. Join this free session where the workshop hosts will run through some basic designs with step-by-step guidance. Bring your friends too to enjoy a stress-free afternoon and learn a new skill at the same time.

Northern Rascals in Sunny Side, York Theatre Royal main house, 7pm

K is struggling, at 18, living in a world where everyone but himself is rushing full steam ahead. Instead, he is trapped in a small English Everytown; a self-proclaimed “rain-soaked paradise” in the bottom of a Yorkshire valley. A town of two sides: old versus new, indigenous versus gentrified. Still nowhere fits K.

In a last attempt to understand and reconnect, he revisits the pivotal moments of his life but is left paralysed at the prospect of a future in which his voice cannot be heard.

“Where do young men stand in a world that seems to have no place for them,” asks Sunny Side, a raw and powerful portrayal of the modern young male experience, touring in partnership with Andy’s Man Club and informed by the voices of more than 750 young people across the UK.

Combining contemporary dance, theatre and spoken word, this socially urgent work from Northern Rascals explores the pain and loneliness that shape the journey from adolescence to adulthood.

Age guidance: 14 plus. Content guidance: Sunny Side explores sensitive and potentially distressing topics related to mental health, loneliness and societal pressures faced by young people. Haze and flashing light are used.

Clownpocalypse: Tragic, horrifying tale of 4½ clowns trying to stay alive in the zombie apocalypse at York Theatre Royal on Thursday

[insert company name here] presents Clownpocalypse, York Theatre Royal Studio, 7:30pm

RUN.  AHHHH!!!! This is not a show. This is the true, tragic, horrifying tale of 4½ clowns trying to stay alive in the zombie apocalypse with their new (suspiciously green and hungry) friend. 

It just so happens that the only safe place left is the York Theatre Royal Studio…oh no, guess you have to buy a ticket now. Age guidance: 14 plus. Content guidance: Clowns, loud noises, balloons.

Club For Hero’s presents The Face, York Theatre Royal Studio, 7.30pm

COME inside club Elysium! Experience things you never have before through fashion, music, dance and personalities of the club staff and regulars. Follow as stars rise from the darkest depths and see the people that make it happen! The beautifully unconventional are celebrated here. Could Elysium be your paradise? Age guidance: 16 plus. Content guidance: Homophobic language, violence, swearing and mild sexual references.

Daisy Chain presents Under My Skin, York Theatre Royal Studio, 7.30pm

THIS evocative theatre show intertwines Daisy Chain’s original artwork with powerful spoken word and poetry to explore the multifaceted themes of beauty, womanhood and friendship.

Delving deep into what lies beneath the surface, Under My Skin examines the experiences that shape our identities and emotions.

“Together with the audience, we will gaze at the beauty that surrounds us, questioning the routines we adopt to enhance our appearances and the societal influences that drive these choices,” say Daisy Chain cast members Amy Sparke, Sophie Budd, Catherine Dale and Gemma Gudgeon.

This immersive experience invites you to reflect on your own perceptions of beauty and the intricate tapestry of thoughts and feelings that connect us all.

Age guidance: 14 plus. Content guidance: Discussions of womanhood, touching on themes related to body dysmorphia, self-image and anxiety that may be triggering for some audience members.

FRIDAY

 A Tale of Us, York Theatre Royal Studio, from 10am, 12 noon and 3pm

A CELEBRATION of the wonders, joys and challenges of becoming a new parent, blending drama and multi-sensory playtime in a relaxed environment. The experience includes a guided stay-and-play session.

Seven presents Void, York Theatre Royal main house, 7.30pm 

WHAT remains when memory fades?  Where does the part of ourselves that has been lost go? What is to become of the body we once lived in? Seven answers these questions in Void. Age guidance: 11 plus. Content guidance: Contains the theme of memory loss, which may be upsetting.

Symfoney presents Off Script, York Theatre Royal main house, 7.30pm

MUSICAL theatre comedy Off Script focuses on the students of Ivison Performing Arts Academy, their teacher, Miss Kelly, and their final show, exploring  their complex relationships with one another, as well as exploiting the flaws of the performing arts industry as a whole. Age guidance: 14 plus. Content guidance: Strong language and adult topics.

The poster for TakeOver 2025 at York Theatre Royal

Ariel Hebditch in Skeleton Out Of The Closet, York Theatre Royal Studio, 8pm

AFTER winning the Women in Comedy Festival’s Best Newcomer Award 2024, Ariel Hebditch is back, reeling from her disappointing job interview with Death. This time, your resident asexual goth takes you through her own personal haunted house.

From werewolves to vampires to the devil herself, Ariel brings you a night of queer joy and the decidedly more-hard-to-come-by gothic joy as your ‘humerus’ entertainer promises you the time of your death.

Stage Fright, York Theatre Royal lower foyer, 9pm, free entry

STEP into the shadows for a chilling, interactive ghost hunt where nothing is what it seems. Guided by paranormal investigators, you will explore a haunted theatre filled with secrets ready to be exposed and scare actors waiting to blur the lines between reality and nightmare. Are you brave enough to face what is lurking backstage?

SATURDAY

Mud Pie Arts presents Beetles and Bees Tales, York Theatre Royal Studio, 11am

WHOSE side will you take when Cora, the crafty cuckoo bumblebee, sneaks her way into Queen Red-tail’s nest? Will you dare to stand up to the Brutus, the invading bark beetle, as he devours every forest in his way? Find out with Mud Pie Arts.

“Together, we will act out these bold tales of bombastic beasties!” says spinner of yarns Jenna Drury. “May half-term is the perfect time to go bug hunting, so come along to learn more. Expect all-join-in storytelling, riddles, games and post-show doodling on an epic scale.”

Jazz Dance Workshop, Billiard Room, York Theatre Royal, 3pm to 4.30pm

THIS beginner’s jazz dance class, Feeling Good, is for anyone aged 30 years and above. The class will entail a warm-up to boost the energy, followed by some basic Jazz technique in smaller groups, travelling from the corner, ending with a short jazz dance to Nina Simone’s Feeling Good.

SEND Disco Youth Session 11-17, York Theatre Royal Studio, 5.30pm to 6.30pm

GROOVE out your best moves at this electrifying disco: a dazzling evening filled with funky beats, vibrant lights and non-stop dancing. Whether you are a disco diva or boogie master, this is the place to let loose and shine.

Put on your best disco attire and prepare for unforgettable fun with friends. Focused on inclusivity and fun, this will be a memorable experience for everyone.

SEND Disco Adult Session 17+, York Theatre Royal Studio, 7pm to 8.30pm

See details above.

Popodyssey, York Theatre Royal main house, 7:30pm

LOVE Island, an inflatable Trojan horse and a thirst trap bot dressed up like a nymph: welcome to this epic storytelling show where ancient Greece collides with modern pop culture in a high-energy reworking of Homer’s Odyssey, told through text and movement.

Popodyssey is a journey to find a home, a father and our place in this mad, complex world of fake lips, telling fake news in deep fake utopias. Age guidance: 14 plus. Content warning: Infrequent swearing; discussion of war and violence; mild/subtle reference to sex, alcohol and drug use.

For more information on the 2025 TakeOver festival, visit: https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/be-part-of-it/children-and-young-people/takeover/. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

What remains when memory fades? Find out in Seven’s show Void at TakeOver 2025 on Friday