A guide to some of the best entertainment around the county this month compiled Tony Greenway
THEATRE
May 19th- June 7th
Enjoy
In the past, Enjoy has been described as an Alan Bennett play ‘for the Big Brother age’. It tells the story of Wilf and Connie Craven, an old couple who have lived their whole lives in a Leeds back-to-back. Soon, though, their estate will be demolished and they’ll have to move into a brand new maisonette with “a waste disposal unit and non-slip vinyl flooring.” In the middle of the Cravens’ bickering (he wants to go, she doesn’t), a social worker turns up to sit in the corner of the room and observe their daily routine.
West Yorkshire Playhouse
0113 213 7700
wyp.org.uk
May 30th – June 14th
Last Train to Scarborough
A creepy tale running as part of the Yorkshire Festival and based on one of the Jim Stringer mystery novels by Yorkshire-born author Andrew Martin. Set in 1914, Stringer investigates the disappearance of a railway fireman who worked on the last train from York to Scarborough. A cast of suspects emerge at a local guest house but — gulp — will Stringer be next in line for the same treatment? Billed as ‘a unique multimedia theatrical experience featuring film sequences shot in the National Railway Museum and on location in North Yorkshire’.
Stephen Joseph Theatre
Scarborough
01723 370541
sjt.uk.com
May 14th
War Correspondents
This powerful production, created by composer Helen Chadwick and choreographer Steven Hoggett, was inspired by a meeting Chadwick had with a photographer Jon Spaul, who worked in the first Chechen war. The result is a blend of testimony, music and choreography to tell incredible stories of a rare breed of journalist.
Harrogate Theatre
01423 502116
harrogatetheatre.co.uk
May 1st-3rd
Kissing Sid James
Now THERE’S a title that grabs your attention. It’s a romantic comedy two-hander from Robert Farquhar about Eddie, a stationery salesman, and Crystal, the gorgeous, funny and confident croupier at the local casino, who also happens to be the girl of his dreams. The title? It comes from an old flame of Eddie’s who — he remembers at one point — wasn’t impressed with his snogging technique. Kissing him, she had said, was like kissing Sid James. Ouch. What does that do for a man’s confidence?
Harrogate Theatre
01423 502116
harrogatetheatre.co.uk
May 14th - 24th
One Man, Two Guvnors
This award-winning National Theatre production — a huge hit in London and on Broadway, where it starred James Corden — has become one of the most talked about plays of recent years. The plot is about a man working for two bosses at the same time: a gangster (who isn’t all he seems) and a posh criminal. Audience participation is part of the show, so don’t sit too close to the stage or you might find yourself roped into the action. The tour comes to Hull in June and Bradford in July.
Lyceum
Sheffield
0114 249 6000
sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
The Hoarder
A few years ago, a Channel 4 documentary told the story of Richard Wallace, a real life chronic hoarder who filled his home with tonnes of rubbish. That was the inspiration for this play, which outlines the friendship between Richard and the gardener who slowly gained his trust.
May 1st -3rd
Stephen Joseph Theatre
Scarborough
01723 370541
sjt.uk.com
also
May 9th
The Square Chapel
Halifax
01422 349422
squarechapel.co.uk
also
May 13th & 14th
Lawrence Batley Theatre
Huddersfield
01484 430528
thelbt.org
also
May 22nd
Carriageworks
Leeds
0113 224 3801
leeds.gov.uk/carriageworks
also
May 29th
Hull Truck Studio
01482 323638
hulltruck.co.uk
FESTIVALS
Until July 6th
Yorkshire Festival
Now well under way in the run-up to Le Grand Départ (you must have been living down t’pit if you didn’t know that Tour de France is coming to Yorkshire in July), this massive festival promises music, dance, theatre, film, art, sculpture and “one or two art forms there probably isn’t a name for yet.” That means everything from African drumming workshops to a production of Noel Coward’s Hayfever, and open air film screenings to performances by string quartets. One of the many highlights this month includes Graham Watson and Bernard Thompson’s photography of Le Tour at The White Cloth Gallery in Leeds.
Various venues
0113 322 3500
festival.yorkshire.com
May 24th – June 7th
Swaledale Festival
It’s — oh dear, sorry — full steam ahead for the Swaledale Festival when the Pacific locomotive 4464 Bittern launches the event with three outings on the Wensleydale Railway. There are lots of excellent artists on the programme once things get going: flamenco guitarist Nick Wilkinson, glam cellist Natalie Clein, the Britten Oboe Quartet and the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra to name a few. Our favourite, though, has to be the billing for the Reeth Lecture which reads ‘Michael Fish: The Ultimate Weapon of Mass Destruction.’ Not Fish himself, of course; he’s talking about climate change.
Various venues
01748 880019
swaledale-festival.org.uk
May 3rd-5th
Dales Festival of Food & Drink
Apart from all the top local goodies on display, the festival will include Gary Verity, CEO of Welcome to Yorkshire, speaking about Tour de France Grand Départ freewheeling through Leyburn in July. Also expect a beer tent and wine bar, plus guests including Gervase Phinn and Neil Hanson — author of The Inn at the Top — who has tales of running the highest pub in Britain.
Leyburn
Wensleydale
07909 586 358
dalesfestivaloffood.org
May 21st - 25th
Beverley & East Riding Early Music Festival
Artists include Elin Manahan Thomas and lutenist David Miller (21st); the Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments with dancer Steven Player (22nd); vocal ensemble I Fagiolini directed by Robert Hollingworth (23rd), appearing as part of the Yorkshire Festival; internationally acclaimed harpsichordist Andreas Staier (24th), and the choral ensemble Magnificat (24th).
01904 658338
ncem.co.uk
May 24th & 25th
Malton Food Lovers Festival
Now with a burgeoning reputation as a top spot for food-lovers, Selina Scott’s favourite market town (she has her sock shop there, you know) features a host of tasty delights including producers’ stalls, live cookery demos, street food, a festival bar, plus guest chefs Jean-Christophe Novelli, James Mackenzie and Andrew Pern (who are also patrons). What are you waiting for? Dig in.
Town centre and venues
maltonyorkshire.co.uk
May 4th-12th
Pocklington Tulip Festival
Have you ever been to Burnby Hall Gardens in Pocklington? You should. The grounds are lovely and, this month, become the setting for the Pocklington Tulip Festival. Then there’s the small but fascinating Stewart Museum, which is dedicated to the travels of the late owner of Burnby Hall, Major Percy Stewart. In his writings, the major recalls how his wanderlust began. ‘I suddenly said to my wife: “We’re terribly dull people, let’s travel around the world and then we shall have something to talk about”’. So, often accompanied by his other half, the major visited remote regions of every continent between 1906 and 1926 in search of adventure. These were different times, of course, and if Stewart saw an animal in the wild he’d invariably try to shoot it; the heads of his various kills are displayed all around the walls. It’s like stepping into another — very un-PC — era. Before the Burnby Hall festival there’s a Tulip Festival (also run by the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society) in another gorgeous setting of Constable Burton Hall in Wensleydale, with its impressive gardens featuring 6,500 tulips.
Burnby Hall Gardens
tulipsociety.co.uk
burnbyhallgardens.com
also
May 3rd - 5th
Constable Burton Hall Tulip Festival
Leyburn
01677 450428
constableburton.com
DANCE
May 10th
Breakin’ Convention
If a quick step is your idea of an edgy dance, you might want to stay away from this Sadler’s Wells production which launched 11 years ago as a celebration of hip hop culture. For everyone else, though, it’s a lot of fun and features performances, DJs, dancers, demonstrations and workshops.
Doncaster CAST
01302 303 959
castindoncaster.com
ART
May 15th-17th
Museums at Night 2014
You know that Ben Stiller movie where all the exhibits in the natural history museum come spookily to life at night? Well, this annual UK-wide night-time festival of arts, heritage and culture is NOTHING like that. Obviously. Although, if you go to the event at Yorkshire Museum and Gardens on May 15th, you should get a glimpse of an exotic creature rarely seen around these parts. Yep: potter Grayson Perry will feature in a special Teddy Bear-themed evening. Lots of Yorkshire venues are taking part in Museums at Night, from Harewood House and Fairfax House to Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Craven Museum and Gallery in Skipton. Log onto the website for a full rundown.
Various venues
culture24.org.uk
Concerts
May 10th
Miley Cyrus
Once, Miley Cyrus — daughter of Billy ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ Cyrus — was a squeaky-clean teen pop princess from harmless but annoying kids’ TV series, Hannah Montana. Then she grew up and there was all that twerking business (yes twerking, Google it) at an awards ceremony last August and, suddenly, she was on the front page of every newspaper in the world, leaning forward with her tongue sticking out. Now she’s coming to Yorkshire where she will no doubt twerk again, like she did last summer. If two hours of that is your kind of thing, do have fun.
First Direct Arena
Leeds
0844 248 1585
firstdirectarena.com
May 23rd
Katy Perry
She’s one of the biggest recording stars in the world at the moment – factoring in Lady Gaga and Beyonce, of course — and her latest album, Prism, has been a hit of epic proportions (although its lead single, Roar, got pretty annoying, especially if you live with a 12-year-old who plays it every five minutes on average). Is there any stopping Katy Perry now? Actually, no. We don’t think there is.
Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
0114 256 5656
motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk
May 21st
Blair Dunlop
Who is Blair Dunlop? Good question. In fact, he’s a 22-year-old BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards winner who’s been a regular at folk festivals in the UK and abroad, and who tours as a solo artist and as the front man of The Albion Band. He has a new album out this month, too, which he’ll be showcasing at gigs in York, Sheffield and Hull. Blair is the young folk generation. The Seekers — you know, Judith Durham and all — are the older folk generation, and they’re playing The Barbican in York on May 18th. It’s their 50th year and final tour. Thought you ought to know.
The Basement
York
0871 902 5726
thebasementyork.co.uk
also
May 24th
Fruit
Hull
01482 221113
fruitspace.co.uk
also
May 28th
The Greystones
Sheffield
01142 665 599
mygreystones.co.uk
May 10th
Spires & Boden
Harrogate Theatre
01423 502116
harrogatetheatre.co.uk
Spiers and Boden are the founders and and frontmen of folk superstars Bellowhead; although on, their website, the pair say that this is their ‘last set of performances together as a duo for the foreseeable future.’ Better get them while they’re hot, then.
