In the run-up to her appearance at Harrogate’s Royal Hall next weekend, Miriam Margolyes spoke to the Stray Ferret about her love of the town — and recalled some hilarious tales spanning 80 years.

Miriam is coming to Harrogate on October 17 to promote her memoir This Much is True. She will take to the stage at the Royal Hall for a conversation with BBC journalist Anna Wallace.

After over a year away from the stage, the actor is thrilled at the prospect of being in front of an audience again.

Our interview, which was held over Zoom whilst Miriam takes a break at her Italian home, was full of Miriam’s wonderful and wacky tales from growing up in Oxford to playing parts in huge productions like Harry Potter.

Talking about her book, which she wrote over five months in lockdown, she said:

“It is me talking, it’s all about me so if you don’t like me I would say don’t buy it!

“I’ve had a very interesting life because I’ve been to so many places and met so many different people so I think it makes for a good read.”

The BAFTA-award winning actress said the book had been a long time coming but lockdown gave her the chance to get stuck into writing.

It includes some of her favourite stories and also delves into the experiences that shaped her.

Dropping into her father’s strong Glaswegian accent, Miriam spoke of growing up in Oxford and going to “posh” school and her early career.

She recounts taking a phone call on the day of her mother’s funeral and finding out she was getting taken on by one of the top voice agents.

Not a huge Harry Potter fan

Since then Miriam has performed voiceovers in James and the Giant Peach, Babe and Cadbury’s adverts.

One of her most recognisable roles is Professor Sprout in Harry Potter. But she isn’t actually a huge Harry Potter fan. She said:

“It was a great part because it opened so many doors but I’m not really a particular fan of Harry Potter. I think they’re very good stories but it’s not the type of thing I read.”

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As well as acting on stage and screen, people know Miriam from numerous programmes tracking her travels across the globe, and her book recalls some of the more memorable moments.

‘Harrogate people know they have a jewel’

Speaking about what people can expect from the book, she added:

“I don’t think I need egging up: me as I am and the things that have happened to me are exciting enough.

“There are lots of funny things in it but there are also the serious parts of my life, it’s a fairly rounded portrait of a rather rounded woman!”

Harrogate will be the first stop of her tour. She said she was excited at the prospect of visiting the town once again:

“I love it and it’s a very attractive place. It’s very conscious of itself and it knows what it is and it likes what it is. They’re very confident, Harrogate people, they know they have a jewel.

“I know if people come to the Harrogate talk they will be entertained and have a good time.”

For information on the performance at the Royal Hall, click here.

Frazer Theatre in Knaresborough is getting ready to lift the curtain after a £50,000 refurbishment during its forced covid closure.

The theatre, behind Tesco Express on the High Street, has been under the ownership of the Knaresborough Players for over 50 years but it was only during covid that the dramatic society had the time to do the necessary works on it.

Starting last May, the society completely refurbished the stage with new foundations and flooring, painted the entire theatre and foyer, put in new carpets and re-upholstered the seats.

Vice-chairman John Pearce, said it was important for the character of the theatre to be maintained but added the new refurbishment will mean it’s fit for future performances.

“It’s not completely different but if you add it all up it is quite different. We had a lot of debate about how far to go, because we needed to keep the character of the Frazer.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s all been worth it because the theatre looks great.”

From this (left) to this (right: The Frazer Theatre renovation

The society has been planning these works for years but needed time to complete them without disruption its performance calendar.

As well as using its own savings, the society received a £30,000 donation after the death of a local man which was put towards the project.

The society’s pantomime is a big event in its calendar. But Mr Pearce said the society is still “working on options” after some members raised concerns about coming together to rehearse and perform together early next year.

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The 127-seat theatre is reopening for its first performance next week, Saturday 16, after almost 18 months.

In previous years, the theatre has held over 180 performances in a year including plays, pantomimes and comedy performances.

Tony Kirkland has been acting for over 30 years and now wants to set up a community-based group in Harrogate to put on shows.

Mr Kirkland has featured in the BAFTA-winning film Fish Tank and Rocks which is currently on Netflix.

After acting and teaching English in London for much of his adult-life he has now moved to Bilton with his young family.

He says he’s not ready to give up on his passions in theatre and hopes other like-minded people will get involved. His aim is to  put on “low-budget but high quality performances” in the district.

Mr Kirkland says he doesn’t know many local people yet after only moving in January this year. He’s now putting a call-out for drama enthusiasts and theatre lovers to get in touch.

He has already set up Interact Harrogate and is now looking for his cast and backstage crew:

“It’s quite a task because I don’t know anyone but I’m hoping to get a group together. I’m looking for actors, they don’t have to have huge experience just share my passion and energy.”

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He hopes to put on around three to four shows a year with the first before the end of this year.

Mr Kirkland says he has a few ideas for his first show including Trafford Tanzi by Clare Luckham or Bouncers by John Godber.

As well as people Mr Kirkland is also on the hunt for a performance space and welcomes ideas.

Anyone interested in getting involved can message @interactharrogate on instagram or email kirklandanthony@hotmail.com.

Work to install a lift at Pateley Playhouse is underway as part of a £35,000 renovation project.

The theatre began a fundraising campaign in December to raise £20,000. It hopes to be eligible for grants to cover the remaining £15,000.

Donations to a crowdfunding page are now approaching £3,000 while further donations directly to the theatre have brought in £14,000.

Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society has begun the work before the appeal has finished so the renovations can be completed while the theatre is closed due to covid.

The lift will make the 1930s building fully accessible to disabled people. Currently the first floor auditorium is only accessible via two steep staircases.

So far, the bulk of work has been done on the lower level to knock down the walls separating the changing rooms and the foyer area to create the required space for the lift.

Works are continuing at Pateley Playhouse.

The work is scheduled to be completed by autumn when, it is hoped, covid restrictions will be lifted in time for performances to be staged before the end of the year.

The theatre has received two large donations from West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd and the Vale of Nidd Masonic Lodge, totalling £2,500.

Jerry Anderson, charity steward for the Vale of Nidd Masonic Lodge, said:

“The lodge have supported many good local causes, as well as national charities, and the Pateley Bridge Playhouse certainly holds a special place in the hearts of many in Nidderdale.

“We are incredibly proud to make a sizeable contribution to the continuing building works.”

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The dramatic society said the theatre is a social hub for the community and hoped to have it back up and running as soon as it is allowed. Members thanked all of those who have supported the renovations so far.

Ruth Dodsworth, president of the dramatic society, said:

“The community in the dale has pulled together and we have been humbled by the efforts of so many people to make contributions in these difficult economic times. We are grateful for all donations, whatever the amount.”

Pateley Bridge is to offer some covid-safe outdoor theatre this month by staging Halloween ghost walks.

Actors from Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society will guide the audience through the Nidderdale town while telling haunted tales.

The walks will take place on October 30 and 31. Starting times will be staggered from 6pm to 8pm.

To comply with coronavirus regulations, each walk will be limited to five people.

Ruth Dodsworth, president of the society, which usually performs at the town’s Playhouse theatre, said:

“We have a proud history of innovation at the Playhouse and wanted to keep theatre alive in the safest way possible, while offering an original and dramatic experience.

“Ghost walks over Halloween weekend seemed a perfect way to do that.”

Complying with social distancing is difficult at the Playhouse, which will remain closed until at least the end of the year.

Tickets can be booked from Friday, October 23 here.

Read more:

• Harrogate Theatre has received another grant to help recover its losses from lockdown. 
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A new play has revealed the Harrogate district’s little-known role in a secret plan to protect the royal family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the Second World War.

The Stray is a two-act drama by playwright Keith Burton with the assistance of Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam.

It tells the story of Harrogate’s role in the Coats Mission, which was a secret plan to evacuate the royal family from London.

Newby Hall, near Ripon, was identified as a possible home for the royal family and a wing of Grove House on Skipton Road in Harrogate, opposite an RAF bunker, was designated as a possible home for Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

On September 8 1940 Buckingham Palace was bombed and the Coats Mission plans were expedited.

However, the RAF and the Secret Intelligence Service did not want the Harrogate district plans to go ahead as they were building Washington bombers at nearby Yeadon and had a station at Forest Moor in Nidderdale feeding code-breaking intelligence to Bletchley Park.

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Then on September 12 a Junker 88 attacked the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate. These were the only bombs to fall on the town in the war.

Newspapers at the time reported “a stray” bombing by a plane and said it was part of a bigger raid on “northern industrial targets” without naming where the other bombs had fallen.

But the intelligence agencies did not regard it as a stray bomb and two days after the attack on Harrogate the Coats Mission was dropped.

The Stray is based on what might have happened in Harrogate during the week commencing September 8 1940.

Newby Hall.

Cllr Jim Clark, who is the chairman of North Yorkshire County Council and commissioned the play, has a long history of involvement in theatre. He said:

“There have always been stories about Harrogate’s part in the war so I thought this was a unique way of capturing the drama of it. I wanted to be able to make a contribution to help drama groups at schools and amateur dramatic groups. I will have the rights to the play for five years so anybody can perform it within reason.

Mr Clark has approached Harrogate Dramatic Society and Harrogate Theatre with the play. He hopes that it will start in Yorkshire and spread further afield.

Theatres across the district are looking at ways they can support a campaign to highlight the struggling live entertainment industry.

The #WeMakeEvents “Red Alert” follows months of closure for venues and a lack of work for freelance workers. Across the Harrogate district local theatres support the message but none have the facilities to light up red this evening.

Harrogate Theatre is looking into projecting red lights at a later date.

David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre, said:

“Of course we want to support the campaign it’s keeping the plight of theatres in people’s consciousness -our technicians are looking into it. The movement is to remind people of what is happening and the impact on the industry.

It’s the health and safety that we have to be careful with, leaving lights on when no-one is in the building. I can’t say for definite they are going to go ahead but it is something we are looking into.”

Ensuring social distancing in auditoriums is making reopening too difficult for theatres in the district.

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John Pearce, vice-chairman Frazer Theatre, said:

“It’s something we are very much aware of, but unfortunately the Frazer doesn’t actually have any way to light the exterior up red, so we’re not able to join in. We completely support the campaign though, and do think it’s a really effective way to highlight just how many wonderful spaces could be lost without support.

We absolutely hope it makes people think about what could be gone forever if funding isn’t received urgently.”

Both theatres have suspended their reopening until 2021 following doubts over making their return financially viable.

Knaresborough’s Frazer Theatre has said it will remain closed until 2021 because it is not possible to observe social distancing and be financially viable.

The theatre, which is just off the town’s high street, has a capacity of 127 people but with social distancing this number would decrease hugely.

It has therefore decided to put the safety of its audience and volunteers first and postpone reopening.

John Pearce, vice-chairman of Frazer Theatre, said it was financially secure and lucky to be able to stay closed with minimal expenses because it is run entirely by volunteers.

Rehearsals at the theatre, which staged about 180 performances last year, will therefore resume no earlier than March 2021.

Mr Pearce said:

“The number one concern is safety and until we’re 100% safe or as near to it as we can be we just aren’t going to risk it. One thing we wonder about is how quickly audiences will feel comfortable to return.

If we have to keep a metre between people we are essentially blocking nine chairs around every one and that would be really difficult to organise. We’ve gone through the guidance as it stands and the sad answer is until there’s almost no restrictions we won’t be able to open.

“It’s not a decision we took lightly but it’s been a tough time.”

This theatre is postponing its reopening until the full theatre experience can be enjoyed.

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The theatre is hopeful that restrictions will eventually ease enough to allow it to reopen. But it is concerned about the overall impact the pandemic could have on the arts in the district. Mr Pearce added:

“We hope that by Christmas things will have eased so we can plan for next year. We’d love to be able to open but we don’t want to go to the effort of booking shows and having to cancel them again and disappoint people.

“We know we’re blessed to be secure, it breaks our heart to know there are theatre groups and bigger theatres talking about shutting.”

Despite being allowed to move plays and performances outside as of Monday, theatres across the district have said it isn’t possible right now.

Yesterday the government announced that outdoor performances can take place with socially distanced audiences from July 11. However, theatre groups across the district have said it would not be possible due to cost and rehearsal time.

The Ripon Amateur Operatic Society is hoping to start rehearsals for its upcoming production of Chicago but says that an outdoor production wouldn’t be feasible.

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Phill Ruddy, director and choreographer for the society said:

“I think it’s a bit wider than the time needed and cost, we don’t have places in Harrogate where we could do open air performances. We are charities and we can’t spend twenty grand on an outdoor venue.”

The Ripon Amateur Operatic Society was due to perform Oliver at Harrogate Theatre back in April.

Similarly, the Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society has suspended all its performances with no set date to reopen. However, the president of the society Ruth Dodsworth said it is considering doing a ghost walk but everything is up in the air.

She said:

“We would like to do something if possible in order to keep everyone interested and aware that things are still going ahead. We would like to do outdoor productions but it is such a long process.”