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Theatre

Picture from The Journey and The Poem
 : Walk & Workshop with Simon Armitage


Sat 18 May 10.00am - 4.30pm

Helmsley Festival Of Writing Presents

The Journey And The Poem
 : Walk & Workshop With Simon Armitage


Join our Poet in Residence, Simon Armitage, for a 3 mile walk from Rievaulx Abbey to Helmsley. Then let your thoughts do the walking in a poetry writing workshop and masterclass, reflecting on ideas of journeys and looking at ways in which contemporary poetry can engage with traditional themes such as nature of landscape.



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Picture from Lights Out Land Girls


Sat 25 May 7.30pm

Badapple Theatre On Your Doorstep Presents


Lights Out Land Girls

The team behind the hit show Back to the Land Girls is back with a hilarious new comedy sequel. Join Land Army heroines Buff and Biddy for the last wartime summer of 1945 where in the long working days of the farm everything and nothing has changed. Enjoy comic scrapes and tall tales as the girls come to terms with life after wartime. Buff has the promise of romance, but it’s complicated - if she follows her heart will she be able to stay in the village? Biddy has her big chance to be ‘just like Vera Lynn’ if she can make it to the Tower Ballroom showcase in Blackpool, but life just keeps getting in the way.

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Picture from The Golden Cowpat


Thurs 30 May, 11.00am and 2.00pm


Tucked In Theatre Presents


The Golden Cowpat


For Ages 4+
Something is shimmering and shining in the far corner of the cow field on Hector's run-down farm. Something that leads Hector and his naughtiest cow, Betty, on an adventure across the magical land of Mandari. There they meet the greedy mayor, the mysterious Mackie McKee and Wise Old Mr Dude, who warns them of the dangers of a great fortune. Come on a journey with award-winning Tucked In for an amusing and moving tale of temptation, greed and friendship. Join in with catchy songs, bid for a Golden Cowpat in a hilarious auction and even choose the story’s ending!

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Picture from Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss

Tues 4 June 6.45pm

Glyndebourne Opera Live Presents

Ariadne Auf Naxos By Richard Strauss

The Glyndebourne Festival opens with a new production of this compelling collaboration between Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Ariadne, abandoned on her island, longs for death, but a group of comedians turn up and their leader, Zerbinetta, tells her to cheer up and try a bit of flirting. When the god Bacchus descends and carries Ariadne off, Zerbinetta feels she’s been proved right. Sung in German with English subtitles.

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Picture from The Audience


Thurs 13 June 7.00pm

National Theatre Live Presents


The Audience


For sixty years Elizabeth II has met each of her twelve Prime Ministers in a weekly audience at Buckingham Palace - a meeting like no other in British public life - it is private. Both parties have an unspoken agreement never to repeat what is said. Not even to their spouses.
The Audience breaks this contract of silence - and imagines a series of pivotal meetings between the Downing Street incumbents and their Queen. From Churchill to Cameron, each Prime Minister has used these private conversations as a sounding board and a confessional - sometimes intimate, sometimes explosive.
The Audience reunites writer Peter Morgan and Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren following their collaboration on the critically-acclaimed movie sensation The Queen.

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Picture from Rabbit


Fri 14 & Sat 15 June 7.30pm

1812 Youth Theatre Presents


Rabbit


A post-apocalyptic tale performed by our younger Youth Theatre group. Ten years after the bomb, compassion and social standing become lost in the struggle for power and survival. Set in the ruins of a large abandoned building a group of teenage survivors struggle to make sense of their world's desolation. Ironically, despite the bitter nature of their inheritance, they soon begin to repeat their parents' mistakes.

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Picture from The Audience;

Mon 17 June 7pm

National Theatre Live Presents

The Audience;

Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours)For sixty years Elizabeth II has met each of her twelve Prime Ministers in a weekly audience at Buckingham Palace - a meeting like no other in British public life - it is private. Both parties have an unspoken agreement never to repeat what is said. Not even to their spouses.The Audience breaks this contract of silence - and imagines a series of pivotal meetings between the Downing Street incumbents and their Queen. From Churchill to Cameron, each Prime Minister has used these private conversations as a sounding board and a confessional - sometimes intimate, sometimes explosive. The Audience reunites writer Peter Morgan and Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren following their collaboration on the critically-acclaimed movie sensation The Queen. ‘The Audience is going to be one of the theatrical highlights of 2013.’ Daily Mail

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Fri 21 & Sat 22 June 7.30pm

Helmsley Arts Centre’s Community Play

Drovers’ Road

Our first community play, is about journeys. Britain is criss-crossed with ancient pathways, as well-used in their day as our motorways now. One of them, Hambleton Street, edges the North York Moors and is used only by ramblers and cyclists. But once, cattle and their drovers, robbers, vagabonds, storytellers and pedlars pounded this Drovers’ Road on their way from Scotland to London.

Whose voices and footsteps haunt The Drovers’ Road on a summer's night in 2013? Who will haunt our own A-roads and highways in a thousand years’ time? And what can we learn about ourselves on the Drovers Road?

By Peter Spafford, inspired by Madeleine Bunting's book The Plot and specially commissioned for this project.


Directed by Em Whitfield Brooks, music by Tim Brooks


Funded as part of the Lime & Ice project with additional support from LEADER

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Picture from Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi

Sun 23 June 7.00pm

Glyndebourne Opera Presents

Falstaff By Giuseppe Verdi

Verdi’s farewell to the stage - with a Shakespearian laugh. Falstaff tries to seduce two of the merry wives of Windsor at once, but they prove too clever for him and in a riotous finale in Windsor Forest all is eventually forgiven.
Captured live in June 2009. Sung in Italian with English subtitles

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Picture from 
Out of Order
 : A farce by Ray Cooney


Wed 3 - Sat 6 July 7.30pm, Matinee Sat 6 July 2.00pm

1812 Theatre Company Presents


out Of Order
 : A Farce By Ray Cooney


This hilarious play, awarded Best Comedy at the 1991 Olivier Awards, will have audiences in stitches. Conservative minister Richard Willey plans to spend the evening with Labour Party secretary Jane, but things go wrong - starting with the discovery of a ‘body’. Desperately trying to get out of a potentially headline-making situation, Richard seeks help. However, with a conniving waiter, a suspicious hotelier, an alert private detective, an angry wife, a furious husband, a bungling secretary, an unconscious nurse and a dead body

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Picture from Hippolyte et Aricie
by Jean-Philippe Rameau


Thurs 25 July 6pm

Glyndebourne Opera Live


Hippolyte Et Aricie
by Jean-Philippe Rameau


The great 18th century opera composer Rameau – remembered as “the God of Harmony” - sets a great classical legend, that of Phedre’s incestuous love for her stepson Hippolyte. He tries to flee with his lover Aricie, but is killed; only the gods’ intervention can resurrect him and reunite the pair. This is Glyndebourne’s first production of an opera by Rameau.
Sung in French with English subtitles

Approx length 3h 45 mins

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Picture from Musical Theatre Summer School

Mon 29 July - Fri 2 August, 10.00am - 4.00pm

Musical Theatre Summer School

For ages 11-17
This exciting performance project will be an inspiring five days of music and theatre at the Arts Centre. Learn and develop musical theatre skills including acting through song, character acting, dance and stagecraft under the direction of Audrie Woodhouse, and tune in and nurture your vocal talents with coaching from Em Whitfield Brooks.
Bring your ideas, bring your friends, bring a packed lunch and please wear loose clothing.

At the end of the week we will showcase our work in a celebratory evening at the Fauconberg Arms.

16 places only - so book early!

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Picture from 
Don Pasquale
 by Gaetano Donizetti


Tues 6 August 7pm

Glyndebourne Opera Live


don Pasquale
 By Gaetano Donizetti


Don Pasquale is the 64th of Donizetti’s 66 operas, written a year before the onset of the syphilis-induced dementia that eventually overwhelmed him. Given the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that the diamond-bright wit and brilliance of this opera also has a distinctly dark side. Danielle de Niese, acknowledged as one of the world’s most talented and charismatic artists and described as “the world’s coolest soprano” by the New York Times, performs the role of Norina.
Approx length 2h 45 mins
Sung in Italian with English subtitles


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Picture from Billy Budd 
by Benjamin Britten


Fri 23 Aug 7.00pm

Glyndebourne
 Opera

Billy Budd 
by Benjamin Britten

This year marks the centenary of Benjamin Britten, and this is one of his most powerful operas, set on shipboard in Napoleonic times. The seaman Billy is lured into violence against the evil master-at-arms Claggart, and Capt. Vere, though sympathizing with Billy, is compelled to order his execution. Jacques Imbrailo takes the title role with Sir Mark Elder conducting.
Approx length 3h 25 mins (incl intervals)

Captured live in August 2010. Sung in English with English subtitles

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Picture from Forest of Galtres Festival


Fri 23 - Sun 25 August

Forest Of Galtres Festival



Helmsley Arts Centre is curating events on one of the main stages on the evening of Saturday 24 August at the festival’s new home in Duncombe Park. We are offering up to £15 off tickets to this truly wonderful event on the August Bank Holiday weekend : enter code HAC-772 at checkout in the online shop to claim your discount.

For tickets and info visit www.galtresfestival.org.uk

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1812 Theatre Company

The 1812 Theatre Company is based at the Centre. See us, join us... see more

1812 Youth Theatre

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