Real-life events are here at last - let Tony Greenway give your a reminder of what to expect...

until August 30
Mel Brimfield: From This World, to That Which Is to Come, The Tetley, Leeds
A show from London-based artist Mel Brimfield which takes its title from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, but reimagines it 'as a loose allegory for a collapse of mental health and the fraught journey to recovery.' Work on display includes a constellation of audio monologues, fragmented theatrical sets, moving image work and large-scale drawings.
www.thetetley.org/

May 2nd
Dawn Chorus Walk, Potteric Carr Visitor Centre, Doncaster
Wake up bright and early for a 5am start and wander along with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's bird experts to listen to the melodic sounds of the dawn chorus as well as see some of the early birds involved in providing this cheerful birdsong.
www.ywt.org.uk/events/2021-05-02-dawn-chorus-walk

May 19th
Guided Heritage Walk, Scampston Walled Garden, Scampston, Malton
Join one of the heritage volunteers on a fascinating guided walk of the parkland and learn about the legacy that landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown has left on the environment here.
www.scampston.co.uk

READ MORE: 10 National Garden Scheme open gardens to visit in Yorkshire this summer

May 19th – 29th
Decades: Stories of the City, Leeds Playhouse
The Playhouse is back with a bang and, to commemorate its 50th anniversary, here are six new specially commissioned monologues from six writers who have strong links to the theatre: Simon Armitage, Leanna Benjamin, Kamal Kaan, Alice Nutter, Maxine Peake and Stan Owens. Also available online at Leeds Playhouse: At Home (May 24– June 5).
leedsplayhouse.org.uk

May 20th
Van Morrison, Sheffield City Hall
You never know: Van the Man might take a breezy jaunt through his musical back catalogue (Brown Eyed Girl, Gloria, Bright Side of the Road, Jackie Wilson Says, Here Comes the Night, etc). Equally, he might not, because a) he never does the obvious thing — and b) he can allegedly be a bit of a Mr Grumpy Trousers occasionally. Also at the York Barbican (May 25 and 26).
www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

Great British Life: Barbara Hepworth at workBarbara Hepworth at work (Image: Rosemary Mathews ©Bowness, HepworthEstate)

May 21 - until February 27, 2022
Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life, Hepworth Wakefield
Where has time gone? The Hepworth Wakefield opened to deserved acclaim 10 years ago and even prompted art critics on the London broadsheets to sit up and take notice. To mark this milestone anniversary, the gallery is staging the largest exhibition of Barbara Hepworth's work since her death in 1975. (Hey: if the Hepworth Wakefield can't do it, no-one can). It'll feature some of her most celebrated sculptures, plus rarely seen drawings, paintings and fabric designs.
hepworthwakefield.org

May 24th – June 5th
The Together Season Festival, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
The Crucible showcases a programme of work from local artists and theatre companies in order to champion new, as yet undiscovered talent. In all, 13 works will be given a platform. “The Festival is about putting local talent on our stages, front and centre, but it is also about bringing audiences back into our auditorium,” says Anthony Lau, who's leading the project. “There will be pieces ranging from dance and physical theatre to new writing, spoken word, singing and drama.”
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Great British Life: The HandleBards are Shakespearean actors who cycle to performances with props, sets and costumes on the back of their bike!The HandleBards are Shakespearean actors who cycle to performances with props, sets and costumes on the back of their bike! (Image: Handlebards)

May 25th & 26th
Romeo and Juliet, York Theatre Royal
The HandleBards are Shakespearean actors who cycle to performances with props, sets and costumes on the back of their bikes. They pop up in York for a socially distanced, characteristically bonkers production which urges you to 'forget the tears and tragedy'. In other words, it's Shakespeare, but not as we know it.
www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

May 28th - June 6th
York Spring Fair & Food Festival, York Racecourse
A brand-new event, bringing together one of the largest vintage funfairs seen in North Yorkshire for many years, and a Food Festival which will showcase the very best artisan products from Yorkshire and beyond.
www.yorkspringfair.co.uk

May 29th – 30th
Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain, Hull New Theatre
How do you get kids interested in history lessons? Well... like this. Two actors take a 65-minute gallop across the centuries, playing multiple roles including Henry VIII, Dick Turpin and Burke and Hare. It's billed as 'history with the nasty bits left in' and is part of the venue's The Prologue Series: A Covid Safe Season.
hulltheatres.co.uk

READ MORE: 6 of the best May walks in Yorkshire

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