Yvette Huddleston

Dust, written and directed by Charlaina Thompson and performed solo by Craig McArdle at the Edinburgh Fringe, tells the life story of a Yorkshire miner across several decades. Inspired by the 1973 Lofthouse Colliery disaster, the play explores mining, military service, amateur boxing, love, comradeship and dementia. The review praises McArdle’s versatile performance and Thompson’s authentic connection to West Yorkshire mining communities, concluding that the production is both a compelling piece of theatre and a heartfelt tribute to miners and their families.

Giant dramatizes the rise of British-Yemeni boxer Naseem Hamed from a bullied Sheffield child to a confident champion, focusing on his formative relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle. The review praises Pierce Brosnan, Amir El-Masry and the young actors portraying Hamed, while highlighting the fighter’s talent, showmanship and growing arrogance. The relationship between Hamed and Ingle deteriorates as money, competing egos and concerns about exploitation enter the picture, creating an inevitable sense of personal and professional rupture.

Thomas James Butler’s exhibition Thank You, Sorry & Congratulations at Harrogate’s RedHouse Gallery presents brightly coloured paintings, collages and sculpture inspired by flowers and the natural world. Butler, a former horticulturist and garden designer, began the series after working at a Hampshire flower farm. The exhibition also features his first short film, which reflects on Philip Larkin’s concerns about the destruction of the countryside, and collaborative works with musician and artist Candie Payne exploring the relationship between insects and flowers. Butler hopes the show will encourage visitors to appreciate and protect nature.

A four-day Stage at the Lake arts festival in Shibden Park, Halifax, marks the park’s centenary with comedy, classical music, theatre, family performances and community activities. Its highlight, Proms at the Lake, features the English Chamber Orchestra, Halifax Choral Society and Northern Ballet, alongside the world premiere of Benjamin Ellin’s Portraits of Shibden. Inspired by Anne Lister, the park’s landscape and local history, the new composition will be gifted to the community for future performances by schools, choirs and orchestras.

Playwright Charlaina Thompson’s Dust commemorates the seven miners who died in the 1973 Lofthouse Colliery disaster near Wakefield. Inspired by Thompson’s family history and connections to the mining community, the solo play follows a survivor across several decades and explores love, hardship, memory and resilience. Craig McArdle, whose grandfather survived the disaster, performs the production. After sell-out performances and an award at the Adelaide Fringe, Dust is opening at the Edinburgh Fringe, with hopes of eventually touring Yorkshire.

The Aesthetica Art Prize marks its 20th anniversary with an exhibition at York Art Gallery featuring work by 20 shortlisted artists from around the world. The exhibition spans photography, installation, painting, film, sculpture and digital art, with themes including climate change, nature, health and wellbeing, identity, migration, cultural memory and technology’s impact on mental health. Curator Livia Turnbull highlights the gallery’s careful pairing of works and its commitment to new media art. Felipe Castelblanco won the Main Prize, while DIVA received the Emerging Prize; the exhibition runs at York Art Gallery until 15 November and is included in general admission.