John Baker’s Blog

Theatre, Music and Exhibitions from the recent past:

Equus by Peter Shaffer in the production by Thea Sharrock at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield. With Simon Callow and Alfie Allen
The Thirty-Nine Steps at York Theatre Royal - adapted by Patrick Barlow from the book by John Buchan and the film by Alfred Hitchcock; and directed by Maria Aitken
Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov, in a production by Peter Hall at York Theatre Royal. With Nicholas Le Prevost and Neil Pearson
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, an Old Bomb Theatre Company production at York Theatre Royal
Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten, performed by Opera North at the Grande Theatre, Leeds
Macbett by Eugene Ionesco, an RSC production at Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle
King Lear an RSC production with Ian McKellen, directed by Trevor Nunn at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Phil Beer and Miranda Sykes at Thorganby Village Hall
The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, with Christine Entwisle at York Theatre Royal
The Price by Arthur Miller at York Theatre Royal
Music by Bryan Boulter, Peter Maxwell Davies, Colin Bayliss, Arvo Part and Benjmin Britten at the National Centre for Early Music, York
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee, with Barbara Marten at The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, with Joanna Lumley and Tobias Menzies directed by Jonathan Miller at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
The Seafarer by Conor McPherson at Newcastle Theatre Royal
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams with Jessica Lange at the Apollo Theatre, London
Manet to Piccaso, exhibition at The National Gallery
Omid Djalili, stand-up comedian at the Grand Opera House, York
Amanda Crawley, soprano, Nicholas Nightingale, baritone and pianist Kate Pearson performing songs by Flanders and Swan at Sheriff Hutton Village Hall
Mark Swinton organist at York Minster
Anne Stevenson, Poet, at The Basement Bar, City Screen, York
The History Boys by Alan Bennett at The Lowry, Salford Quays
The Tempest an RSC production with Patrick Stewart as Prospero, directed by Rupert Goold at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Solveig Slettahjell (Norway) and the Ilmiliekki Quartet (Helsinki, Finland) at The Shed, Hovingham, North Yorkshire
Graham Fellows - British comedian, recording for Radio Four at The Shed, Hovingham, North Yorkshire
Family Voices by Harold Pinter, read by Samuel West, Prunela Scales and Timothy West at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
The Dutchess of Malfi by John Webster (with Imogen Stubbs) at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
Billy Jenkins (bluesman with six-piece band) at The Shed, Hovingham, North Yorkshire
The Seagull by Anton Chekhov (with Juliet Stevenson & Ben Whishaw) at the Lyttelton Theatre, South Bank, London
Modigliani and His Models at the Royal Academy, London
Shadowmouth by Meredith Oakes at the Studio Theatre, Sheffield
Trio Medieval, three women from Oslo at the Jack Lyons Concert Hall, York University
Tango Siempre with Gilad Atzmon (saxophone) and Steve Arguelles (drums/electronics) at The Wardrobe, Leeds
Mozart and his World, with Amanda Crawley (Soprano), Edwina Smith (Flute) and Josepine Peach (Piano), at Fairfax House, York
Wrestling Mad by John Godber at the Grand Opera House, York
Broken Glass by Arthur Miller at York Theatre Royal
Exhibition of saltglaze ceramics, fine-art house bricks and mixed media paintings at Lund Gallery, Easingwold, North Yorkshire
The Canterbury Tales, an RSC production at The Dome in Doncaster
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
Two Thousand Years by Mike Leigh at Theatre Royal Newcastle
Jerry Springer, the opera - National Theatre Production at the Grand Opera House, York
Clogs and The Books at The Shed, Hovingham Village Hall, somewhere in North Yorkshire
The Chinese New Year Celebrations at the Museum Gardens, York
The Chapter House Choir’s 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert at The Chapter House, York Minster. The highlight was Thomas Tallis’ Spem in alium
Poet to Poet with Yang Lian and Polly Clark at York Friargate Theatre
A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin at the Haymarket Theatre Royal
Speaking Like Magpies by Frank McGuinness at the Peoples Theatre, Newcastle on Tyne
The Fox, a new play by Stephen Lowe, inspired by the DH Lawrence story, at Wakefield Arts’ Centre
John Hegley at Pocklington Arts Centre
Billy Elliot - the musical at Victoria Palace Theatre, London
Subitango at The Gate, Goole
The Chelsea Flower Show, Chelsea
Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony with John Hastie as organist
Belshazzar’s Feast by William Walton with the Leeds Philharmonic Choir and the Leeds Festival Chorus
“Xanthos” by Roger Nichols. Performed by York Guildhall Orchestra at York Minster
Laurie Anderson performing The End of the Moon at the Sage, Gateshead
Don Carlos by Friedrich Schiller at the Gielgud Theatre in London, with Derek Jacobi
Tate Sculpture: The Human Figure in British Art from Moore to Gormley at the Millennium Galleries, Sheffield
Macbeth by William Shakespeare at York Theatre Royal
Stewart Lee at Hovingham Village Hall
The Thieving Magpie by Rossini, performed by Opera North at the Grande Theatre, Leeds
One Touch of Venus by Kurt Weill, performed by Opera North at the Grande Theatre, Leeds
Steve Earl at Leeds Irish Centre
Tynan at Newcastle Theatre Royal with Corin Redgrave in an RSC production
Edward Hopper exhibition at Tate Modern
The Permanent Way by David Hare at Leeds Playhouse
Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams with Diana Rigg at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Measure for Measure by the RSC at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Käthe Kollwitz museum in Berlin and Cologne