10 of the best things to do in West Yorkshire

Your guide to events you must not miss this week
Superheroes assemble at Xscape Yorkshire (photo - Trinity Leeds)Superheroes assemble at Xscape Yorkshire (photo - Trinity Leeds)
Superheroes assemble at Xscape Yorkshire (photo - Trinity Leeds)

1 Joan by Milk PresentsThe Leggers Inn, Dewsbury,July 25 and Birstall Community Centre, July 26Filled with fantastic original songs, great humour and a huge helping of courage, conviction and hope, Joan is a refreshing look at Joan of Arc - history’s greatest underdog. In a welcoming and witty cabaret style, drag king champion Lucy Jane Parkinson takes to the stage playing the gutsy character of Joan and dragging up to become all the men she defied. Written and directed by Lucy J Skilbeck, the production takes audiences through the life of Joan of Arc from early adolescence - guided by Saint Catherine - to her death, burned at the stake at just 19, dressed in men’s clothing. The production is part of Creative Scene’s ‘We the People’ season, which brings comedy, music and stories about real people, making real change to Dewsbury, Mirfield, Batley, Cleckheaton and Heckondwike.www.creativescene.org.uk

2 Superheroes EventXscape Yorkshire, Glasshoughton, Castleford, July 28-30, noon-5pmJoin Xscape Yorkshire for a three-day superheroes event, and be in with a chance of winning free cinema for a year with Cineworld! See life-size superhero statues and an original 1st edition Avengers comic on display. Plus, snap a superhero selfie and share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using @XscapeYorkshire and #xscapeheroselfie for a chance to win a Cineworld Unlimited Card (see Xscape Yorkshire website for terms and conditions). This is a free event.www.xscapeyorkshire.co.uk

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3 ZogSt George’s Hall, Bradford, July 26-27Zog follows a lovable young dragon who’s trying to find his way in a magical, but tricky world. Presented by Freckle Productions and Rose Theatre Kingston. Large in size, and keen in nature, Zog is so eager to win a golden star at Madam Dragon’s school, where dragons learn all the things that dragons need to know. Zog tries so very hard, perhaps too hard, and he bumps, burns and roars his way through years one, two and three.www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

Drag King champion Lucy Jane Parkinson plays Joan of ArcDrag King champion Lucy Jane Parkinson plays Joan of Arc
Drag King champion Lucy Jane Parkinson plays Joan of Arc

4 Jurassic Park in ConcertMillennium Square, Leeds, July 28The action-packed adventure pits man against prehistoric predator in the ultimate battle for survival. Featuring stunning imagery and ground-breaking special effects, this epic film is sheer movie magic 65 million years in the making. Now audiences can experience Jurassic Park as never before: in HD with a full symphony orchestra performing John Williams’ iconic score live to picture. Under 13s must be accompanied by an adult.www.millsqleeds.com

5 Wuthering HeightsOakwell Hall Country Park, Birstall, July 31Chapterhouse Theatre Company presents the wild and tempestuous love story of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, set on the beautiful and mysterious Yorkshire Moors. This tale of passion and revenge has thrilled readers and audiences alike for generations. Now, in an adaptation by award-winning writer Laura Turner, is set to entrance Chapterhouse audiences for an evening of theatre beneath the stars. Can Catherine and Heathcliff’s love endure, or will the forces of nature tear them apart?www.chapterhouse.org

6 Clarence Park Festival Celebration!Clarence Park, Wakefield, July 27-28This is Yorkshire’s longest running free music festival. Bar with a selection of real ale, lagers, ciders and wines. Food vendors selling, burgers, ice creams and Caribbean fayre. There is a face painter, clothing stalls, blanket stall, craft stalls and some children’s rides. It’s a real family day out. You will hear rock, pop, indie, folk and funk, plus many more styles from local and national bands. Bands start at noon and finish at 9pm. Headlining the stage Saturday night are local legends The Sourheads and Sunday night is fabulous Wakefield band Trancend.www.themusiccollective.co.uk

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7 Concerts in the Bandstand at Pontefract CastlePontefract Castle, July 28, 1-3pmGet your toes tapping at the castle bandstand with a series of concerts featuring local brass and wind ensembles. From traditional Yorkshire brass to sweeping symphonic film scores, allow yourself to be carried away with the music as you relax in the castle’s picturesque grounds. On Sunday it’s the West Yorkshire Police Band. Free entry.www.pontefractcastle.co.uk

Zog promises to be roaring fun for all ages (photo - Helen Maybanks)Zog promises to be roaring fun for all ages (photo - Helen Maybanks)
Zog promises to be roaring fun for all ages (photo - Helen Maybanks)

8 Outdoor Sculpture BuildingYorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield, July 30Immerse yourself in an imaginative world of sculpture making. Work and play together to build sculptures inspired by artists in the Park. Stack, balance, join and arrange. Always outdoors, come rain, come shine is about playful making in the fresh air. Don’t forget your camera so you can capture your artwork on display at YSP.www.ysp.org.uk

9 Jame Acaster - Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999St George’s Hall, Bradford, July 25“One time I bought a lasagne from the supermarket, heated it up in the oven and ate a bit of it and it wasn’t very nice so I put it in the fridge because it felt wrong to dump a whole lasagne in the bin and then later on I ate a spoonful of the cold lasagne because I was drunk and it was absolutely delicious. It was 4am. I then changed the name of a WhatsApp I was a part of to Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 because I had been thinking a lot about how 1999 was the best year of my life and also about how much I hate myself sometimes. The next day I was asked to name my new show. Come along.”www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

10 Little Shop of HorrorsLeeds City Varieties, July 26-27The City Varieties Youth Theatre will be taking over The Varieties stage for the 8th year this summer with the ever-popular horror musical Little Shop of Horrors. It’s New York, 1960: Seymour Krelbourne, a hapless orphan, changes the fortunes of Mushnik’s failing flower shop on Skid Row when he finds a very strange looking plant in the market after a sudden eclipse of the sun. He names the plant Audrey 2 after fellow co-worker and woman of his dreams, Audrey Fulquard, but it turns out the sinister succulent who sings for its supper has ambitions of his own, and before you can say Baby Bio, Seymour is feeding the horticultural horror a string of supporting cast members... Can Seymour and Audrey break free of Skid Row and be happy? With a cast of 60 young people aged 8-17 years and a live pit band you’re in for a right royal rollicking good evening.www.cityvarieties.co.uk

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