What’s On in Yorkshire during November 2020

Events and entertainment around the county chosen for you by Tony Greenway

EXHIBITIONS Until January 24th Wonderlab Live Live (socially distanced) demos — inspired by the museum’s Wonderlab gallery — which reveal ‘the beauty of the science behind household objects that shape our everyday lives.’ The National Science and Media Museum, Bradford 0800 047 8124 scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ART November 20 – April 25 2021 Vision & Reality: 100 Years of Contemporary Art in Wakefield The blurb on the Hepworth website notes that the works of art in this exhibition have been ‘selected in order to address historic imbalances in (Wakefield’s art collection) or to enrich narratives explored by artists in shifting contexts over the decades.’ But the show’s subtitle tells you all you really need to know. It features some previously unseen works, including the first public display of ceramics and paintings from Yorkshire art collectors Terence Bacon and John Oldham. Hepworth Wakefield 01924 247360 hepworthwakefield.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 21 – January 24 York Mediale 2020: Human Nature Three installations which form the centrepiece of York Mediale and explore how the human body is hardwired to nature: Marshmallow Laser Feast’s Tides Within Us; Embers and the Giants from Canadian media artist Kelly Richardson; and Limina from fine artist Rachel Goodyear. York Art Gallery 01904 687687 yorkartgallery.org.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Until January 3, 2021 Paloma Varga Weisz: Bumped Body Weisz is a classically trained German-based artist whose father (Feri Varga, also an artist) was a major influence on her career. This show features Paloma’s figurative sculptures made from a variety of materials, including wood and ceramics, plus over 40 of her watercolours and drawings. Henry Moore Institute, Leeds 0113 246 7467 henry-moore.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIVE THEATRE Various dates throughout November Together Live theatre returns to the Crucible this month with the Together season. Why that name? Well, it seems apt after the experience we’ve just had/are still having, explains Artistic Director Robert Hastie. ‘Now, more than ever, the experience of being together feels vital,’ he says. ‘This season offers a huge welcome back to the Crucible for the audiences, artists and staff we’ve missed so much this last six months. Together is a celebration of theatre, in all its glorious forms, with drama, music, comedy and pantomime all taking to the stage over the coming months.’ Things kick off with the world premiere of Here’s What She Said to Me by Oladipo Agboluaje (October 30 – November 14); then Maxine Peake and Imelda Staunton (no less) star in a Talking Heads double bill from Alan Bennett: Lady of Letters and Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet (November 9 – 11), which then transfers to the Leeds Playhouse (November 12-14). Plus Kieran Knowles’ Operation Crucible (November 17- 28) returns, having enjoyed a sell-out run four years ago. Crucible Sheffield 0114 249 6000 sheffieldtheatres.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 6 - 7 Dogwalker A dark comedy from Alison Carr about a woman who finds a dead body at the local dog park. Apparently, fans of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag will love it. By the way: the play was submitted though the SJT Open Script Submissions window, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Playwrighting and is being developed for a potential run at the Edinburgh Festival. Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough 01723 370541 sjt.uk.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 12 - 14 My Favourite Summer An autobiographical play from Doncaster’s Nick Lane — originally produced 13 years ago by Hull Truck — billed as ‘a comedy for everyone who’s ever been in love and lived to tell the tale.’ This version is semi-staged, and directed by the author. Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough 01723 370541 sjt.uk.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 19 - 21 Orpheus & Eurydice A re-telling/re-imagining of the Greek myth which had its premier off Broadway. A production from the Flanagan Collective and Gobbledigook Theatre, with words by Alexander Wright and music from Phil Grainger. Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough 01723 370541 sjt.uk.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th Play Readings Here’s a chance for audiences to experience plays alongside their authors, and then ask questions afterwards. The four plays being read this month are Tapped (about three people in a self-help group); Canton (which explores how the interactions between strangers can be a catalyst for change); Worldly (about ‘religion, family and unlearning everything you once knew’); and With Bells On (a comedy ‘about friendship and Morris dancing’). Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough 01723 370541 sjt.uk.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ONLINE November 16 & 17 Daniel Kitson: Dot.Dot.Dot. The West Yorkshire comic calls Dot.Dot.Dot. ‘a new show for empty theatres’ and — at the time of writing — he was still developing it. It’ll be streamed online to ticket holders so, after booking, you’ll get three emails. The third one will contain a link to the stream and a password. Screenings start at 8pm. Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield 01484 430528 thelbt.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLASSICAL November 20th Tim Horton Upper Chapel Sheffield Pianist Tim Horton plays two works from Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.27 Op.90 and Piano Sonata No.29 Op.106 Hammerklavier. Also performing in the Upper Chapel this month are Ensemble 360 (November 5) and Roderick Williams and Christopher Glynn (November 25). 0114 249 6000 sheffieldtheatres.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 6 & 13 Lunchtime Chamber Concerts It’s live classical music again no less, at Leeds Town Hall, featuring ensembles from the Orchestra of Opera North. Leeds Town Hall operanorth.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERA & BALLET November 11, 14, 17, 19 & 21 Acis and Galatea / Seven Deadly Sins Opera North present an intriguing double-bill of Handel’s pastoral opera, Acis and Galatea, and Brecht and Weill’s acerbic ‘sung ballet’, Seven Deadly Sins. The former is directed by rising young British theatre director Anna Pool and conducted by Anthony Kraus; while the latter is directed and choreographed by Gary Clarke (who we interviewed in the October edition of Yorkshire Life). Both are being performed at Leeds Playhouse, following the Opera North/Playhouse co-production of work in the Connecting Voices festival in October. Leeds Playhouse operanorth.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EVENTS November 14 – January 6 As You Are: A Leeds soundwalk South African cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe has composed this interactive soundwalk. It works like this: you’re given a pair of headphones and then you explore the city centre’s most recognisable landmarks (and some lesser-known locations) to music. At times you’ll have a full orchestra and chorus in your ears. You’ll have to buy tickets, mind. Leeds City Centre operanorth.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOW BOOKING! James Blunt (May 23, 2021, First Direct Arena, Leeds). Blunt’s music takes a pummelling doesn’t it? Yet he shifts millions of albums — so is he bothered? Even if JB isn’t your cup of tea, you have to admire his Twitter feed, which is consistently hilarious and self-deprecating. firstdirectarena.com Some Guys Have All the Luck (May 25, 2021, Hull City Hall). A show about the life of raspy rocker Rod Stewart, which charts his musical life from high street busker to international blonde-preferring superstar. www.hulltheatres.co.uk Rock of Ages (June 8 – 12 June, 2021, Hull City Hall). A Broadway smash about poodle-haired soft rockers that was, inexplicably, turned into a movie with Tom Cruise. The songs, like the setting, are very 1980s: Don’t Stop Believin’, We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Wanted Dead or Alive, Here I Go Again, Can’t Fight this Feeling, etc. hulltheatres.co.uk Bringing Back the Good Times (June 22, 2021, Hull City Hall). A tribute to forces’ sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, featuring a selection of songs from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. hulltheatres.co.uk Steps: What the Future Holds Tour (November 2, 2021 Sheffield Arena). That’s a VERY brave title for a show in the present circumstances. The wholesome poppers are supported by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who became a national treasure during lockdown thanks to the kitchen discos she broadcast on Instagram. flydsaarena.co.uk Dick Whittington (December 4-11, 2021, The Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York). The bad news is that most (if not all) panto looks to be off this year. The good news is that York’s Rowntree Players are planning to bring it back with a bang in 2021. Oh yes they are. rowntreeplayers.co.uk Cinderella (December 3, 2021 – January 2, 2022, York Theatre Royal). The first post-Berwick Kaler panto at the York Theatre Royal was supposed to take place next month. It’s been postponed until next year, naturally. Meanwhile, Berwick and his team are planning a rival show (Dick Turpin Rides Again) at the York Opera House around the same time. Hold onto you frocks. It could get messy. yorktheatreroyal.co.uk (for Cinderella) and atgtickets.com (for Dick Turpin Rides Again). -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------