The countdown is on for Ripon's fabulous Theatre Festival, which opens its milestone fifth season this coming weekend and runs until July 12 — and this year's programme promises something for everyone, from folklore on the riverbank to a thought-provoking journey into the past.

Alongside an expanded programme of free and ticketed performances across indoor and outdoor venues throughout the city, the festival is once again championing original new writing, with two brand-new plays acting as curtain-raisers to the theatrical feast ahead.

Folklore tales from the riverbank

First up is Tributaries, written and directed by Phillip Harrison and Mark Cronfield of Fell-Foss Theatre. Inspired by the work of Thomas Maude — an 18th-century poet and former steward of the Bolton estate, who wrote an epic poem about Wensleydale — the play follows the course of the River Ure and the folklore that flows alongside it.

The piece began life as a community commission. As Mark explained to Tim Flanagan of the Rejoicing in Ripon blog, the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust approached the company to create a community theatre piece based on the River Ure, designed to be performed at both ends of the dale. A volunteer at the Dales Countryside Museum then pointed them towards Maude's long-forgotten poem — and a production was born.

"We decided to follow Maude's journey as he composed his work, searching for the Ure's source and the spirit of the river," Mark said.

"In following the poet's journey, we take in some well-known stories and folklore of Wensleydale and explore the river as a metaphor for life and time."

The talented cast of actors and singers from Ripon Museums' Workhouse Theatre Group take to the stage in the Workhouse Gardens on Saturday (July 4) at 4.30pm and 7pm, with tickets priced at £5 per performance.

Stigma, then and now

The second new work, Outcast, takes audiences somewhere
altogether darker — and, its writers argue, somewhere strikingly relevant to today. Written by Andy Croft and Paul Mills, the play is set among a community of lepers living on the margins of medieval society, and draws on the genuine history of Ripon's Chapel of St Mary Magdalen, which served as a leper hospital from the 12th century, caring for soldiers returning from the Crusades with highly infectious diseases.

The production, performed by members of the Out of Character theatre group, unfolds across two venues from 1.30pm on Sunday (July 5), beginning with a preview discussion at the Leper Chapel on Magdalen's Road before moving to the premiere itself at the Arts Hub on Allhallowgate. A combined ticket for both events costs £10.

"Seeing a group of characters who existed only in my head then brought to life on stage is quite an experience," said Andy Croft, "and in the performances you can see how the actors turn the clock back to relate to the situations similar to those found centuries ago."

For Out of Character's artistic director Kate Veysey, the play's themes have struck a particular chord during rehearsals. "Issues in the play, including social stigma, resonate greatly with our work as a theatre company where members access mental health support," she said.

"They have already had many interesting conversations in rehearsals about links to their life experiences and wider events where there is fear in a community, such as that caused by the Covid pandemic."

Both writers bring considerable literary pedigree to the project. Paul Mills has published six poetry collections, including Nomad (2021), has written two books on creative writing, and has had two verse dramas staged at the National Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Andy Croft, founder of Smokestack Books, has delivered community writing projects in schools, prisons and other settings; run poetry festivals, including Ripon Poetry Festival itself; and written a monthly poetry column in the Morning Star from 2004 to 2022, alongside writing residencies at Hartlepool Headland, the Great North Run, the Southwell Poetry Festival and the Combe Down Stone Mines Project.

Kate Veysey has been artistic director of Out of Character since March 2022, having previously spent thirteen years as youth theatre director at York Theatre Royal.

The Arts Hub performance of Outcast will be preceded by an introductory event hosted by Paul and Andy at the Leper Chapel, giving audience members the chance to share their own thoughts before the curtain rises.

A festival comes of age.

Ripon Theatre Festival director Katie Scott said the two plays embodied exactly what the festival has set out to achieve.

Tributaries and Outcast are two completely different types of play, marking our commitment to nurturing new writing for the festival, exploring local stories and creating professional opportunities for artists across Yorkshire and the North East.

Lilla Bathurst, manager of Ripon BID, also expressed her enthusiasm: "In its fifth fantastic year, with a packed programme of mouthwatering delights for people of all ages, the festival has become firmly established on the cultural calendar for the city, county and region, attracting visitors and performers from far and near."

With folklore on one bank and history on the other, Ripon's theatrical river is in full flow — and there has never been a better moment to dive in.

For further details about festival events and ticket availability, visit ripontheatrefestival.org.

Read my two preview interviews here:
Discovering The Slave's Ghost Letter That Became A Cathedral Play
All Singing, All Dancing, All Amber