In the first of his regular monthly previews of the best in York theatre, Andy Curry looks ahead to some marvellous March drama
Hello and welcome to the new monthly Theatre Diary from YorkMix. York has such a wide breadth of theatrical goodies, from the big theatres to the tiny independent companies and community projects. This diary will attempt to highlight some of the dynamic and exciting work being produced each month by York theatres, companies and groups.
My intention is not to summarise everything that is happening in the month to come – you can read about all York events in the YorkMix What’s On guide – more to highlight a selection of work that stands out in the month to come.
So without further ado let’s get started. And March is looking jam packed with goodies for all tastes! Exciting times for the small independents, with loads of homegrown talent heading out onto the road with their wares.
The award-winning Flanagan Collective and Hartshorn Hook commencing their nationwide tour of stripped-back, folk-laden musical double bill Beulah and Some Small Love Story. They arrive at the De Grey Rooms 5th-7th March. Beulah is basically one of the finest pieces of heart-string tinging theatre I’ve seen in years, so I simply can’t recommend this enough. A fabulous looking night.
The workaholic Six Lips Theatre are prepping up for both Brighton and Edinburgh fringe shows later in the year (alongside about a million other projects) but before all that are opening their new show One at The Friargate Theatre from Thursday, March 7 to Saturday, March 9 before heading out on tour themselves. One, staged as part of York International Women’s Week, is billed as a fun and refreshing one-woman show like no other – and coming from the Six Lips ladies themselves you can expect both the hilarious and the heart-rending, delivered in their trademark beautiful home-made style.
And Hedgepig Theatre’s pub-theatre tour Double Barrel 2: Master Misery & Trial For Murder will be bringing dark tales to York pubs from Friday, March 22 to Saturday, March 30. Full disclosure: this is one from the company run by myself and Gemma Sharp. We’re reprising last years pub room theatre tour with two new plays – adapted from short stories by Truman Capote and Charles Dickens, performed by a small group of actors in and around the audience as they sit with their pints. We had a phenomenal response last year – it’s such a fun and exciting way to both perform and experience theatre that we can’t wait to do it again.
York’s highly respected community theatre group Settlement Players are returning to the Theatre Royal Studio with a fascinating sounding production of Breathing Corpses by Sheffield writer Laura Wade. This blacker than black comedy of corpses, death and domestic violence boasts some great local cast and crew. It all sounds fantastic to me – just the thing to shake off the end of winter. Breathing Corpses runs from Wednesday, March 6 to Saturday, March 16.
Also in the Theatre Royal Studio on March 24 is One Love, a cracking sounding poetry / music / satirical stand-up combo from York residents Henry Raby, Jonny Gill and Ben Winterton. The piece examines the mysterious and messy process of romance and the art it has inspired on it’s wreckless way. Purely from my previous experience of Henry Raby’s outstanding solo performance poetry one could happily expect a frank, funny and thought-provoking experience.
Of course, there are dozens of other shows going on in a huge variety of venues across York in March – keep your eyes and ears out for the strange and new. And keep supporting local talent by buying a ticket and showing up to events. Local groups are by-and-large funded by you, the theatre-going public. You are the lifeblood of your local scene. If you keep coming, we’ll keep creating!
And if you want to let me know about anything coming up in April then drop me a line about your event at [email protected].
- Andy Curry is a York based Actor, Director and a founder member of Hedgepig Theatre. Find out more at the Hedgepig Theatre website