May and June 2009

01/05/2009

May Events 2009

York Roman Festival
23rd - 24th May 2009
York Roman Festival is a public celebration of York's rich Roman history and entertains and educates thousands of residents and visitors to the city.
Founded in AD71, it was from York that the famous IX Legion disappeared, where Emperors Septimius Severus and Constantius Chlorus died and where , on the 25th July 306, Constantine The Great was proclaimed ‘Imperator'.

For more details about these entertaining and educational events and activities, please visit www.yorkromanfestival.com Press Contact: Nick Eggleton, 07866720600 or email press@yorkromanfestival.com

Horse Racing: May - October Every Year
York Racecourse, known as the Knavesmire, has been a favourite amongst racegoers since it was founded in 1731. This year 17 meetings combine top class horseracing with world-class facilities to make it a sporting and social occasion for all to enjoy. Even if your horse fails to come up with the goods, it's a fabulous day out in a beautiful location, a chance to dress up, and jolly good fun into the bargain. For more information visit www.yorkracecourse.co.uk

National Railway Museum

India on the Move - portraits of India's railway people
Sponsored by National Express
4th April - 7th September 2009
Free Admission
A special exhibition of 100 stunning photographic portraits and film clips capturing on camera the lives of the millions of people who live and work around India's railways. The portraits were created by renowned film-maker, Gerry Troyna, creator of an award-winning BBC documentary about India's railways - which received high critical acclaim. The subjects range from coolies and drivers to hawkers and policemen.

Duchess of Hamilton ‘Streamlined' Exhibition
Opens 20th May 2009
Free admission
Discover the magnificent Duchess of Hamilton restored to her streamlined form. The locomotive is a stunning piece of Art Deco opulence built in 1938 that wowed design critics on both sides of the Atlantic. The streamlined Duchess was a modern machine for a modern age and can now be viewed at the NRM as she takes pride of place in this new exhibition exploring the links between 1930s fashion, engineering and design.

Children's activities: 23rd - 31st May 2009 (Spring half term)
Streamline Family drop-in activities

Join in the special Streamline family drop in activity as we celebrate the return of the Duchess of Hamilton to the museum! Take an insight into what makes some things travel faster than others, from people to massive engines! Come and join our Explainers in this interactive workshop and see if you can get our objects moving fast!

The Streamline drop in sessions will take place throughout half term under Percy Main Bridge in the Great Hall between 11am - 4pm.

Exclusive NEW shows for half term (available from 23rd May for half term)!

Enjoy a special 20 minute action packed show with our Explainer team who will help make sense of railways, structures and basic engineering principles - why are eggs so important in design? And who will be brave enough to volunteer sitting on our chair of nails!

Do Try This at Home
Tuesday 26th May only
Free Admission
Catch live show ‘Do Try This At Home' by Punk Science on Tuesday 26th May, based on the new Science Museum Book. The show will feature amazing experiments and demonstrations for you to try at home - make your own miniature rockets out of film canisters and learn how electro magnetism makes a guitar works.

There will be 3 shows, each lasting 20 minutes. Times TBC - visit www.nrm.org.uk for more information.

Public contact: www.nrm.org.uk Tel: 08448 153139
Press contact: Catherine Farrell, Press Officer, Tel: 01904 686281 Email: catherine.farrell@nrm.org.uk

York Minster

Guildhall Orchestra - Song of the Earth
Saturday 16th May 2009, 7.30pm
York Minster Nave

York Guildhall Orchestra perform Elgar's Enigma Variations and Das Lied von der Erde - Mahler.

Tickets available from York Minster Box Office: www.boxoffice.yorkminster.org
Church House, 10-14 Ogleforth, York. YO1 7JN 01904 557208

Public contact: For more information please visit www.yorkminster.org or telephone the Box Office on 01904 557208. Press contact: Kendal Chalk, Communications and Marketing Officer, Tel: 01904 557248, Email:kendalc@yorkminster.org

JORVIK Viking Centre
JORVIK Viking Centre - 25th Birthday Street Party
4th May 2009
JORVIK Viking Centre celebrates its 25th birthday with a carnival-style street party in Coppergate, on Monday 4th May from 11am to 3.30pm. Stilt walkers, unicyclists and Viking warriors will entertain the crowds, who are also invited to join in with our party games including: Viking musical statues, pin the beard on the Viking and a giant pass the parcel. York's master story teller will be delivering theatrical tales of Viking bravery throughout the day and inviting party-goers to join in his unique style of pavement poetry. Children can contribute to the giant birthday card created by JORVIK's artist in residence and everyone is welcome to celebrate with a piece of our giant birthday cake.

York residents visiting JORVIK will also be treated to a free commemorative coin which will be struck in Coppergate Square by the winner of the Design a Coin Competition at 11am.

Public contact: Visit www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk or call 01904 543400 for more information. Press contact: Louise McKenzie at The Partners Group on 01904 610077 (email louise@partners-group.co.uk )

York Art Gallery

St Ives (Arts Council)
2nd May - 27th September 2009
Free admission
Featuring works of art from the Arts Council Collection and York Art Gallery, this exhibition looks at some of the artists working in and around St Ives from the 1930's until the 1960's, when it was a centre of the avant garde in Britain. Includes work by Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Terry Frost, Roger Hilton, Alfred Wallis and Patrick Heron.

A Different View: The Changing Landscapes of York
27th January - 3rd May 2009
Free admission
Despite the survival of much medieval architecture, the landscape of York is ever-changing - the only remaining record we have of many demolished buildings are the sketches and studies of local artists. In A Different View we explore the York of yesteryear through drawings and prints from our collections.

Public contact: Visit www.yorkartgallery.co.uk Tel: 01904 687687
Press contact: Lee Clark, York Museums Trust. Tel: 01904 687670 Email: lee.clark@ymt.org.uk

York St Mary's

Five Sisters Exhibition
May 23rd until November 2009
Free admission
More than six thousand shards of medieval pottery will be used to create the new thought provoking installation Five Sisters.

Mosaicist Emma Biggs and artist and art critic Matthew Collings will intricately arrange the fragmented pieces to create a mosaic that will almost fill the entire floor space of the church. Oil paintings will echo its beautiful, shimmering, geometric appearance.

The installation will draw inspiration from the church and the history locked within the 500,000 pieces of glass that make up the great 13th century Five Sister window at York Minster.

The innovative concept using medieval pottery is believed to be the first of its kind.

Public contact: For more information, visit www.yorkstmarys.org.uk
Press contact: Lee Clark, York Museums Trust. Tel: 01904 687670 Email: lee.clark@ymt.org.uk

York Designer Outlet

Spring Fashion Event
2nd and 3rd May 2009
York Designer Outlet will be launching its new personal shopping service by hosting live body shape shows featuring winners of a makeover competition. Our new personal stylist and shopper will be demonstrating how to wear the season's looks in the best way for you and how to get the best from the stores at the outlet. Shoppers will also be able to have 15-minute style, colour, hair and make-up clinics at the outlet over the weekend to help them complete the look. And not forgetting the gentlemen, we will have a chill out zone for them too with sound demo's from Bose.

May half term children's events
25th - 29th May 2009
York Designer Outlet will offer children of all ages free activities all week including craft workshops and hunts around the outlet. The events take place in the south entrance between 11am - 4pm. More details of the activities each day will be available on www.yorkdesigneroutlet.com

Public contact: For more information visit www.yorkdesigneroutlet.com or call Sally Gilbank on 01904 682705
Press contact: Mammy Kufuor at Citypress Tel: 0161 2350314

York Theatre Royal

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Saturday 25th April - Saturday 16th May 2009
Main House, 7.30pm with 2.00pm / 2.30pm matinees
Tickets: £10 - 19 (Students & u25s £5)
Directed by Juliet Forster

Cross dressing, mistaken identity, love, romance, infatuation, confusion, revenge, madness. Twelfth Night has all the elements of a classic comedy.

Our heroine Viola is swept onto the shores of Illyria after a violent storm leaves her shipwrecked and separated from her twin brother. Disguising herself as a boy, she takes a post in the Duke's court and, on his behalf, attempts to woo his loved one, the Lady Olivia. However, Viola has eyes for the Duke herself...

What could possibly go wrong?

The White Crow (Eichman in Jerusalem)
Friday 1st - Saturday 23rd May 2009
Studio, 7.45pm with 2.30pm / 3pm matinees
Tickets: £10 (Tue - Thu & Matinee) £12 (Fri - Sat) £5 students & u25s, concessions available

Written by Donald Freed
Directed by Damian Cruden
Designed by Lydia Denno

Summer, 1960, a basement room in an Israeli police building. Adolph Karl Eichmann, Nazi war criminal, deprived of his belt and shoelaces scurries around, frantic, manic, holding his trousers up as they slip from his prematurely aged body, searching through piles of documents and records in the holding cell.

Elaborate safeguards outside the door are unlocked, a middle-aged
Israeli psychologist enters the room and a gripping confrontation begins.

Adolph Eichmann's past has caught up with the present and now his destiny lies with the hangman. But did Eichmann have any humanity? Was he a "White Crow," opposed to the "Final Solution"? After his role in the Holocaust can redemption ever be found for this "desk-bound murderer"?

A gripping, tension filled, drama from award-winning playwright Donald Freed (Patient No.1) that is essential viewing in a world where despite the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and ethnic cleansing still exist.

Birmingham Royal Ballet
Tuesday 19th - Wednesday 20th May 2009
Main House, 7.30pm with a 2pm matinee
Tickets: £10 - £19 (Students & u25s first 50 per performance £5)

Birmingham Royal Ballet is a company of world-class standing. This exquisite programme highlights the work of Britain's foremost choreographers including the Company's Director, David Bintley, and the much-celebrated Sir Kenneth MacMillan.

The programme includes:

Galanteries
The classical perfection of Mozart's music is mirrored in David Bintley's elegant choreography for Galanteries. One of his best pure dance works, this ballet is sublime entertainment.

The Dance House
David Bintley balances a light and witty tone in this poignant re-interpretation of the ‘Dance of Death' whilst fully exploring the darker resonances of Shostakovich's music

Elite Syncopations
A stripped-back theatre bursts into life as dancers in brilliantly coloured costumes gather for a dance competition. A vibrant rag-time band play old favourites from Scott Joplin and his contemporaries to accompany a string of dazzling and witty sketches.

York Musical Theatre Company present
When The Lights Go On Again
Thursday 21st - Saturday 23rd May 2009
Main House, 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee
Tickets: £5 - £16 (Concessions available)
Devised and directed by Paul Laidlaw

Back by popular demand, this is another chance to see this hilarious, light-hearted and nostalgic look back to the songs and sketches that lightened the dark days of the war.

With all the popular songs of the period to sing along to, memories of the Andrews Sisters, Max Miller and a hilarious war-time pantomime, this is a show that will have you in stitches: you'll be laughing ‘til you cry.

An amateur production. Suitable for families.

Public contact for York Theatre Royal: To book tickets for any of the above shows call the box office (01904 623568) or Book Securely Online at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Press contact: Please contact Abbi Wright Tel: 01904 550148 Email; abbi@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Grand Opera House

Ross Noble
9th -10th May, 8pm
The famous stand-up comedian returns to the UK stage after a two-year absence with his most comprehensive national tour yet. Suitable for 15+ years.

The Tiger Who Came To Tea
12th - 13th May
For the first time ever, this much loved tale of a tiger creating teatime mayhem is brought to life on stage.

David Wood OBE is one of the country's leading writer and director of plays and musicals for children.

For children aged 3 and above.

The Orchestra Featuring Former Members of ELO and ELO Part II
18th May 2009, 7.30pm
Come and hear the real people do the real hits, including ‘Mr Blue Skies', ‘Evil Woman', ‘Turn to Stone' and many more.

Ken Dodd
24th May, 7pm
An evening full of laughter and songs from comic genius and showbiz legend, Ken Dodd. Bringing his famous Happiness Show to town, he will be dispensing liberal doses of his tickle tonic.

Public contact for the Grand Opera House: Visit www.grandoperahouseyork.org.uk Tel: 01904 678700 or to book by telephone call 0844 8472322
Press contact: Celestine Dubruel, Press Officer, Tel: 01904 678711 Email: Celestine.Dubruel@LiveNation.co.uk

National Centre for Early Music

Early

Baroque Day
Saturday 2 May
Tickets: For single concerts £12 (concessions £10) For all concerts £34 (concessions £28)
The University of York's Annual Baroque Day, promoted in association with the National Centre for Early Music, marks the 350th anniversary of the death of Henry Purcell.

Yvonne Seymour soprano, Stephen Varcoe bass, David Miller theorbo with the University of York Chamber Choir, Compagnia d'Instrumenti and the University Baroque Ensemble directed by Peter Seymour.

10.30am Purcell & the Church
1.00pm   Purcell and the Theatre (I)
2.30pm   Purcell in Context (free ticketed lecture)
3.30pm   Domestic Purcell
7.00pm   Purcell & the Theatre (II)

For detailed information, please go to www.ncem.co.uk or ask for the University of York concerts brochure.

NCEM Composers Award Finalists Concert
Thursday 14th May, 7pm
Free ticketed event
A chance to hear music composed by the finalists of the first NCEM Composers Award presented in association with BBC Radio 3 and the Tallis Scholars.

This national award has attracted much interest and the shortlisted finalists will have the opportunity to work with composer Christopher Fox and York's Ebor Singers to prepare their pieces in preparation for this public performance. The winner will be announced on the night and his/her piece will be performed by the Tallis Scholars in York Minster on Friday 10 July as part of the opening concert of the 2009 York Early Music Festival.

World

Mantra: Musical Conversations across the Indian Ocean
The Orlando Consort
Thursday 7 May, 7.30pm
Tickets: £20.00 (concessions £15.00) including Indian refreshments
The NCEM is delighted to host the opening concert of this national tour supported by Arts Council England and PRS Foundation for New Music. The inspiration for this new collaborative project is sublime Iberian and Indian music from the early 1500s. Portuguese missionaries and Goan Indians joined together in music as churches, built in the exotic land known as the ‘Pearl of the Orient', resounded to the extraordinary blended sounds of Europe and Asia.

Jazz

Jazz Weekend 8th-10th May 2009

Simon Spillett Quartet
Friday 8th May, 7.30pm
Tickets: £12 (concessions £10, students £5)
Winner of the BBC Jazz Awards 2007 Rising Star, Simon Spillett is now one of the most distinctive tenor saxophonists on the UK jazz scene. His Quartet features musicians who were all members of bands led by the late Ronnie Scott and he is also a member of The Ronnie Scott Jazz Orchestra.

The Burden of Paradise
Saturday 9th May, 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 (concessions £13, students £5)
Legendary sax man Snake Davis (M People, Lisa Stansfield, ‘Million Love Songs') teams up with world class singer Helen Watson and musicians David Bowie and Mark Creswell for an eclectic mix of material from sources as diverse as Bob Dylan, The Lovin' Spoonful, Paul Simon and Billie Holiday.

Julian Joseph
Sunday 10th May 2009, 4pm
Tickets: £15 (concessions £13, students £5)
Virtuoso pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and broadcaster, Julian Joseph is the undisputed heir to the global house of jazz. Julian never fails to inspire with his mastery of the keyboard and the versatility of his musicianship.

Re: Impressions
Sunday 10th May, 8pm
Tickets: £7 (concessions £6, students £5)
Featuring members of the University of York Jazz Orchestra
Guest soloist Dennis Rollins - trombone

Re: Impressions, formed by University of York music student Dave Morecroft, plays arrangements of well-known jazz charts, funk hits and large-scale, hard-hitting tunes. The band gives intense backing with a strong rhythm section to vituosic soloists. This concert is also part of the University of York's Spring Festival of New Music.

Public contact: For more information visit www.ncem.co.uk Tel: 01904 632220 Email: info@ncem.co.uk
Press contact: Melanie Paris, Tel: 01904 647408 Email: hello@melanieparis.com

Yorkshire Air Museum

Battlegroup North & Military Wheels and Wings Show
9th & 10th May
Admission: £7 adults, £5 Senior Citizens and £3 children. Reduced rate advance tickets available.
The North of England's largest militaria show with some 200 historic military vehicles, ranging from Jeeps to trucks, armoured cars to half-tracks and even some full size tanks, for good measure, expected to attend. The event ranges from this full scale spectacle to the minute detail of the precision model Wargames show and the participation and demonstration games depicting real and fictional battle scenarios and highlighting the skill of this popular hobby.

There will be supporting trade stands providing everything from kits to toys, games, books and paintings. The final strands of this fascinating and unique show are the fabulous Living History displays, giving an authentic ‘period' atmosphere to the event. We are delighted to have been allocated a flypast by the Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire from the world famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight on Saturday 9th May to delight the crowds at this popular event. (Other flypasts may be arranged for the Sunday, subject to availability.)

Admission: £7 adults, £5 Senior Citizens and £3 Children. Reduced rate advance tickets available.

Public contact: For further information, please call the Museum on 01904 608595 or e-mail: museum@yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk
Press Contact: Ian Richardson 01904 608718 Mob; 07740 992 832 or e-mail: pr@yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk

North York Moors

Brigantia at the Bank
Sutton Bank National Park Centre
30th April - 12th May 2009
Free admission
The beautiful landscape and intriguing wildlife of North Yorkshire is the inspiration behind some stunning and unusual pieces of art and craft work created by artists from Brigantia. An association that brings together jewellers, furniture makers, potters, woodcarvers and more, Brigantia members will be exhibiting their work at Sutton Bank National Park Centre from 30 April to 12 May. Why not pop along and treat yourself or a loved one to something unique that you won't find on the high street.

The exhibition runs daily from 10am to 5pm and entry to the exhibition and the Centre is free. The Moorsbus network runs to the Centre on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Happy Birthday Cleveland Way
24th May 2009
The Cleveland Way, Britain's second oldest national trail, turns 40 on 24 May. The 110 mile route follows a horseshoe line of great variety around much of the beautiful North York Moors National Park - the largest expanse of open heather moorland in England. Starting from the attractive market town of Helmsley, the Cleveland Way heads across the North York Moors to Saltburn. From here it's a visual feast along the dramatic North Yorkshire coastline to Filey, passing old fishing villages and lively coastal towns.

Around 2,300 complete the route each year - the fastest completion time being an amazing 24 hours and 19 minutes.

To celebrate the trail's birthday, various ramblers groups will be walking different legs of the Cleveland Way on 24 May - why not join one of the legs or just walk your favourite section and raise a flask of tea to toast this special occasion?

Times and locations to be arranged, please call 01439 772738 for more details.

Have a go Archery
The Moors National Park Centre
Monday 25th May 2009 (Bank Holiday Monday)
See if you've got a steady aim and have a go at the ancient sport of archery. The Whitby Company of Archers will be on site at The Moors National Park Centre in Danby all day to give you some hands-on instruction. For just £3.50 you can have as many goes as you like throughout the day and its open to anyone over the age of five. If you hit the bull's eye, why not celebrate with a large slice of home baking at the Centre's café? There are also indoor and outdoor play areas, exhibitions, riverside and woodland trails and a gift shop.

The archery is on between 10am and 4pm. The Centre is accessible by Moorsbus and the Esk Valley Railway.

Hide Away in the Woods at The Moors National Park Centre
26th May 2009, 10.30am - 4pm
Open to children aged 9 - 16, £15 for the day
Join us at The Moors National Park Centre in Danby for an action packed day of hiding and designing. Explore the world of camouflage - will you be able to disappear from the rest of the group? Have a go at designing and building your own weatherproof ‘bivi' or shelter using only natural materials from the local woodland. Bring a waterproof as finished shelters will be tested for how watertight they are!
Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Public contact: Visit www.northyorkmoors.org.uk , Tel: 01439 772737
Press contact: Rachel McIntosh, Communications Officer - North York Moors National Park Authority, Tel: 01439 770657 Email: r.mcintosh@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

Abbey Tours.
Friday 1 - Sunday 31 May
11am, 1pm, 2pm daily
Normal admission fees apply
Join a free tour to discover fascinating facts and stories about the Abbey and monks.

A Grand Tour of Studley Royal.
Friday 1 - Sunday 31 May
2pm daily
Normal admission fees apply
Free tour taking in the grand design of the Georgian landscape including Deer Park and Water Garden. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

Bank Holiday Fun - Food Glorious Food!
Saturday 2 - Monday 4 May, 11am - 4pm
Normal admission fees apply
Free trails and drop in self-led activities in Swanley Grange.

Saturday 9 May
Early Birds - 7am
Normal admission fees apply
Walk and listen to the chatter of the early birds. Hearing is believing! Meet at the Visitor Centre.

St Mary's Church Tour.
Saturday 16 May, 11am
Free tour of the richly decorated Victorian High Gothic Church designed by William Burges. Meet at the church.

Taster Tour
Saturday 23 May, 10.30am
Normal admission fees apply
As the name suggests enjoy a taste of everything this World Heritage Site has to offer. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

Get Medieval
Saturday 23 - Monday 25 May, 11am - 5pm
Normal admission fees apply
Join the costumed re-enactors around their Abbey encampment. Watch and take part in activities and demonstrations based on 15th century life.

School Holiday Fun - Food Glorious Food!
Saturday 23 May - Sunday 31 May
Normal admission fees apply
Free trails and drop in self-led activities in Swanley Grange.

It's A Monk's Life
Wednesday 27 - Friday 29 May, 2pm
Normal admission fees apply
Join us for a family tour of the Abbey. Dress in monks' robes and learn about their daily life. £1.50 plus normal admission. Suitable for 7s and over. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

Fairies, Goblins, Herbs and Plants!
Saturday 30 May, 10.30am
Normal admission fees apply
A family walk to discover the folk tales and fairy stories linked to herbs and plants around the estate. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

St Mary's Church Tour
Saturday 30 May, 11am
Free tour of the richly decorated Victorian High Gothic Church designed by William Burges. Meet at the church.

Pentecost Service
Sunday 31 May, 3pm
Normal admission fees apply
Ecumenical service in the abbey. Everyone welcome.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Admission Prices:
Adult £8.25
Child £4.40
Under 5 FREE
Family £22.00

National Trust and English Heritage Members FREE

Open daily 10am-5pm
Further information, Tel: Estate Office, 01765 608888 / www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Press contact: Alexa Morton, Communications and Activities Officer,
Email: alexa.morton@nationaltrust.org.uk Tel: 01765 643199

June Events 2009

York Minster

Chapter House Choir - Sonorous Splendours and Eclectic Echoes
13 June 2009, 8pm
Chapter House
Music from Russia, Italy, Switzerland and England form an eclectic and thrilling programme that makes the most of the Chapter House's glorious acoustic. Martin's landmark Mass of 1922 for two choirs is contrasted with the eight choirs of Striggio's magnificent 40-aprt motet, which was written 300 years earlier.

Normally forming the backbone of Evensong, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis are here given an African-themed makeover by Giles Swayne and the full Romantic Russian Orthodox treatment by the Muscovite Chesnokov.

Tickets available from York Minster Box Office: www.boxoffice.yorkminster.org
Church House, 10-14 Ogleforth, York. YO1 7JN Tel: 01904 557208

York Musical Society
20 June 2009, 7.30pm
York Minster Nave
Handel - Samson with Soprano: Viki Hart, Mezzo-soprano: Alexandra Gibson, Tenor: Jason Darnell, Bass: James Arthur

Tickets available from York Minster Box Office: www.boxoffice.yorkminster.org
Church House, 10-14 Ogleforth, York. YO1 7JN 01904 557208

University of York Choir
24 June 2009, 7.30pm
York Minster Nave
Mendelssohn's- Elijah with Soprano: Rachel Nicholls, Alto: Sarah Bruce-Payne, Tenor: Jason Darnell, Baritone: Russel Smythe, Conductor: Peter Seymour

Tickets available from York Minster Box Office: www.boxoffice.yorkminster.org
Church House, 10-14 Ogleforth, York. YO1 7JN 01904 557208

York Designer Outlet

Summer Sale
Starts 25th June 2009
The summer sale starts on 25th June with up to 70% off great designer and high street brands. More details of special offers can be found on www.yorkdesigneroutlet.com

Public contact: Sally Gilbank Tel: 01904 682705
Press contact: Mammy Kufuor at Citypress Tel: 0161 2350314

York Theatre Royal

The Homecoming - by Harold Pinter
Saturday 30th May - Saturday 20th June 2009
Main House, 7.30pm with 2pm/2.30pm matinees
Tickets: £10-19 (students and u25s £5)
Directed by Damian Cruden

One of the masterpieces of the Twentieth Century, The Homecoming is Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter at his most dark and brilliant.

North London. 1960s. An old and sinister house. Teddy and his new wife, Ruth, return to the family home after six years absence teaching in America. A Family home of men.

Aggressive Max, ineffective Sam, bitter Lenny and dreamer Joey. Long hidden rivalries, fear, triumph and pain create a scintillating piece of work that is both hilariously funny and deeply dark.

Nobel Laureate and BAFTA award winner Harold Pinter was a world-renowned playwright, poet, director, actor and political activist. His plays include The Birthday Party (1957), The Dumb Waiter (1957), The Caretaker (1959) and No Man's Land (1974). The Homecoming won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Play.

York Theatre Royal Young Actors Company Present An Exact Science?
Thursday 28th - Saturday 30th May 2009
Studio, 7.45pm
Tickets: £10 (students and u25s £5) concessions available
Directed by Julian Ollive

...life isn't an exact science.
Why can't it be when we have the means?
So you'd like a world filled with people just like you?
Yeah why not, it'd be fun.
It would be scary...

York Theatre Royal Young Actors Company present a devised performance about the ethics of genetics, identity and life.

Youth Theatre Double Bills
Thursday 4th - Saturday 6th June 2009
Studio, 7pm and 8.15pm
Tickets: £6 (students, u25s and concessions £4)
York Theatre Royal's 11 - 13s Youth Theatre groups present three evenings of exciting double bills including:

Metamorphosis
Kafka's terrifying but comic story of a man who becomes a bug; a frightened, self-conscious, introverted insect with an overwhelming battle to face.

The Chrysalids
In the wake of a global disaster, society is divided into the ‘pure' and those that
have been banished to the fringes. But one boy and his friends share a secret
that threatens to change their lives forever...

Lipservice in association with York Theatre Royal present Desperate to be Doris
Friday 26th June - Saturday 4th July
Main House, 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee
Tickets: £10-19 (students and u25s £5)
By Maggie Fox & Sue Ryding

By day Dean works as a filing clerk in his local VAT office, by night he is a tribute act and sings like Doris Day. Already a legend in his living room, Dean longs for a chance to share his Calamity Jane with the world. The opportunity comes when his local operatic society Out of My Range decide to stage the hit musical and Dean plucks up courage to audition.

"LipService - a comedy generating power house" The Yorkshire Post

Desperate to be Doris has not been authorised or approved by anyone called Desperate or Doris or indeed Doris Day.

York Theatre Royal Present Hansel & Gretel
Thursday 11th - Saturday 27th June 2009
Studio, various times - please call the box office for further information on 01904 623568
Tickets: £6 (£4 children)
A brand new adaptation by Nick Lane

Imagine a house made of sweets. That's right. A house!
With chocolate doors, And gingerbread floors...
Marshmallow chairs... And the lights? Gummy bears.
Fantastic!

Now imagine being told not to go near it by your mum and dad. How unfair is that? Well, this summer you're going to find out what happened when a boy called Hansel and a girl called Gretel didn't listen to their mum and dad...
Fun for all the family from the makers of The Elves & the Shoemaker and Little Red Riding Hood.

Comedy Night 7
Monday 11th May 2009
Main House, 8pm

Comedy Night
Monday 15th June 2009
Main House, 8pm
Tickets: £10 (students, u25s and concessions £5)

Stand-up comedy returns to York Theatre Royal's main stage with two nights of inappropriate laughs, comic observations, eccentric thoughts and laugh-until-you-cry one-liners from some of the UK's and the World's top comedians. With last season's comedy nights playing to rave audience reactions don't miss these nights of merriment and mirth. Book early to avoid disappointment!

Public contact: To book tickets for any of the above shows call the box office (01904 623568) or Book Securely Online at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Press contact: Please contact Abbi Wright Tel: 01904 550148 Email; abbi@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Grand Opera House

One Night of Queen
19th June 2009, 7.30pm
Over the past nine years, ‘One Night of Queen' has seen sold out concerts all over the world, including the UK, Germany, Holland, France and New Zealand.

Fresh from their second tour of the USA, Gary Mullen and ‘The Works' return with a stunning live concert featuring fantastic staging and lighting effects.

Public contact: Visit www.grandoperahouseyork.org.uk Tel: 01904 678700 or to book by telephone call 0844 8472322
Press contact: Celestine Dubruel, Press Officer, Tel: 01904 678711 Email: Celestine.Dubruel@LiveNation.co.uk

National Centre for Early Music

Early

The York Waits - The King's Pawn
Thursday 25th June 2009, 7.30pm
Tickets: £12 (concessions £10, students £5)
With Tim Healey - narrator.

York's resident renaissance band marks the 500th anniversary of the coronation of England's most controversial and musical monarch, Henry VIII.

World

Huong Thanh Vietnamese Trio
Friday 5th June 2009, 7.30pm
Tickets: £12 (concessions £10, students £5)
Huong Thanh is one of Vietnam's most respected vocalists, welding traditional Vietnamese music to European jazz, without ever losing her Vietnamese edge. Thanh is accompanied by Hao-Nhien Pham and Hon Nguyen, both of whom combine folk melodies with contemporary musical motifs.

Jazz

Evan Christopher's Django à la Créole
Tuesday 2nd June 2009, 7.30pm
Tickets: £12 (concessions £10, students £5)
Django à la Créole is two guitars and double bass weaving sultry rhythms around the soaring clarinet of Evan Christopher. The magic comes from the fusion of Gypsy swing with hot rhythms from the streets of New Orleans, the Caribbean and Brazil.

Public contact: For more information visit www.ncem.co.uk Tel: 01904 632220 Email: info@ncem.co.uk
Press contact: Melanie Paris, Tel: 01904 647408 Email: hello@melanieparis.com

Yorkshire Air Museum

The Yorkshire Bridal Show
27th & 28th June 2009
Admission: £7 adults, £5 senior citizens and £3 children. Reduced rate advance tickets available.
The region's premier show for couples planning their wedding or civil partnership with high quality trade stands offering a wide variety of goods and services. The new Miss York will open the event on the Saturday and there will be a flypast by a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The first visiting couples to the exhibition on each day will receive a surprise gift and a glass of bubbly! With competitions including the chance to win a free honeymoon holiday, this is the place to be for all prospective bride and grooms! Enjoy the Fashion Theatre presented by Events Connect, showing the latest and classic fashion styles for that special occasion and take in the Museum's fascinating exhibits.

North York Moors

Follow in the footsteps of Romans
Wednesday 3rd June 2009
2pm - 3pm, from Cawthorn Camps Car Park
Unravel the mysteries of Cawthorn Camps, a group of three Roman military fortifications in the North York Moors, on a free guided walk on Wednesday 3 June. Located four miles north of Pickering, the fortifications at Cawthorn were built and occupied at various times between AD 90 and AD130. Initial findings from the 1920s suggested that the three fortifications were temporary practice camps but later research indicates that only one was a practice camp with the other two being permanent garrisons for Roman soldiers.

Ranger Jay Marrison will take you on an easy one mile walk around the 103 acre site giving an insight into the events that took place among the camp's defensive banks and ditches. The walk is suitable for wheelchair users and takes in wonderful views of the Tabular Hills, Cropton Forest and the distant moorland.

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

Abbey Tours
Monday 1 - Tuesday 30 June
11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm daily
Normal admission fees apply
Join a free tour to discover fascinating facts and stories about the Abbey and monks.

A Grand Tour of Studley Royal
Monday 1 - Tuesday 30 June
2pm daily
Free tour taking in the grand design of the Georgian landscape including Deer Park and Water Garden. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

Taster Tour
Saturday 13th June, 10.30am
Normal admission fees apply
As the name suggests, enjoy a taste of everything this World Heritage Site has to offer. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

St Mary's Church Tour
Wednesday 17th June, 11am
Free tour of the richly decorated Victorian High Gothic Church designed by William Burges. Meet at the church.

Folk Tales & Folk Cures
Saturday 20 June, 10.30am
Normal admission fees apply
Find out how our ancestors used wild herbs to cure their ills and why washing was never put out to dry on a lone hawthorn tree! Meet at Swanley Grange.

Wildflowers of the Water Garden
Saturday 27 June,10.30am
Normal admission fees apply
A wildlife guide will help you discover the variety of wildflowers in the Water Garden with your camera. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Admission Prices:
Adult £8.25
Child £4.40
Under 5 FREE
Family £22.00

National Trust and English Heritage Members FREE

Open daily 10am-5pm. Further information, Tel: Estate Office on 01765 608888 / www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Press contact: Alexa Morton, Communications and Activities Officer,
Email: alexa.morton@nationaltrust.org.uk Tel: 01765 643199

Events running throughout May and June 2009

York Castle Museum

The Sixties
York Castle Museum
Admission: Adult - £7.50, Child - £4, Under 5s - Free, Concessions £6.50,
York Card - Free. Any two adults with: one child -£16.50, then £3.50 after that for additional children.
Reel back the years and travel back to a time when the cultural changes were massive but the cars and skirts were mini.

Swing back to The Sixties and change your perspective on one of the most explosive decades in recent times.

The gallery will bring the spirit of the decade back to life, looking at the iconic images but also offering alternative viewpoints in an exciting and interactive way.

Rare items from a range of collections across the Trust - social history, art, fashion and textiles, militaria, astronomy and decorative art - will all be included together with sound, light, moving images and innovative design.

Yorkshire Museum

Fingerprints of Time
Yorkshire Museum
Open until November 2009
Free to York residents with a York card. Admission is £5 for adults, £4 for concessions, £3.50 children and £12 for a family ticket (two adults and one child; additional child £3)
An interactive exhibition investigating the age of everything.

From 4.5 billion year old Middlesbrough Meteorite to the swords of rampaging Vikings, Fingerprints of Time will give visitors the chance to crack the dating code by experimenting with methods used around the world.

The family friendly exhibition will be full of fascinating interactive ways for people to work out for themselves how old something is and discover how we know so much about the past.

It will then take the visitor on a journey to find out how all these techniques affect them in some of the most unexpected places - their kitchens, their innocence and their bank accounts.

Visit York Press Contact Details:
Kay Hyde, PR Manager, Visit York Tel: 01904 554451 Email: kh@visityork.org, Katie Porter, PR Executive, Visit York Tel: 01904 554436 Emailkp@visityork.org

Public Contact Details:
York Visitor Information Centre Tel: 01904 550099 or visit www.visityork.org for details of all events happening in and around York.