Whats happening in the year long celebration. Hello, and welcome to hull, the uk City Of Culture. Showcasing the brightest and The Best Of Contemporary Culture has brought us here to hulls cemetery for a Circus Performance with a difference. And continuing our celebration of difference, we meet matt fraser who will be putting his Disability Centre stage to play shakespeares richard iii. Im a deformed actor playing a deformed character for the first time in britain, which is extraordinary that it should be the first but its exciting that i get to do it. We will meet the army of 2017 volunteers giving up their free time for culture. Theres a star man, waiting in the sky. And go on a Trip Down Memory Lane with a spiderfrom mars. Hello, im anne marie tasker, and im the arts and Culture Correspondence for the bbc here in hull and this is kofi smiles. Im the face of hull, chosen by the bbc with a mission, to bring you culture whenever and wherever it happens. Today, we are taking it quite literally because we are not in a concert hall or in a theatre, we are here in a graveyard. Its a setting for a performance which is quite difficult to sum up in just a few words. Its part circus acrobats, part music, part dance and it all takes place under the cover of darkness. Areialists, acrobats, video artists, singers. Coming together to tell the story of an Ancient Greek legend in a new way. Depart explores the tragic love story of orpheus when he descends into the underworld and tries and fails to bring his dead wife, eurydice, back to life. The audience happens upon the action as they wander through hulls general cemetery. We are trying to find theright trees, and battling the british weather has been challenging. Performing outdoors definitely has its challenges like that. Namely the weather. Quite often you will find yourself quite drippy, and wet. Its also kind of really exciting in the outdoors because its not often in the outdoors that you get the chance to perform in a tree, or under the stars. Whats magical about it is that the audience is in the outside in the wilderness with you, so that you get to share an experience a lot more than in a theatre where you are on stage and it seems very separate. The show is by the world renowned Australian Company circa who only arrived to rehearse a few days before the first performance, and although this graveyard closed in the 19705, the choice of venue has caused some controversy. If you approach something with respect and with care, and if your intent is to help bring a community to this place, to improve this place and a great deal of nurture has been given to this site, then i think you are only doing good. The show premiered last summer, but for these performances, circa are working with one of Hulls Community choirs. More than 100 members of the Freedom Chorus have spent months rehearsing and add an ethereal soundtrack to the performance. Its absolutely brilliant to be part of the City Of Culture, but to be able to perform alongside circa as well is really incredible. Its not a venue that anybody knows is a venue, of course. Of course, Great Respect will be paid because of where we are. Well, its getting dark now and everyone is here waiting for the event to start. Im really excited. Are you really excited . No, im a bit spooked, actually. Shall we go and have a look anyway . Lets go. Dont look back. You are entering our play. Walk in silence. Its friday night, Walking Around a graveyard, so i thought it was brilliant the way they brought out a different location for such a great event. A unique experience. Ive only got one difficulty, how do you describe it to somebody that wasnt there . You couldnt describe it in words. The setup, where it was, where it is held, the performers, they were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Brilliant, fantastic. Captivating. Enthralling, absolutely brilliant. Applause. And after hull, the play moves from brighton to blackpool. Depart is just one of hundreds of events taking part in hull during 2017. In fact, an event has been promised every day of the year. And when you make a promise like that, you are going to need a lot of people to help with the staging and thats where the hull 2017 volunteers come in. Everyday people. Theyve given up their free time to lend a hand. There are more than 2,000 of them, ranging in age from 16 up to sa. Caroline has been to meet some of them. They are the blue coated army, an army of volunteers from all backgrounds, ages, from all over the uk. From greeting people at events to performing as extras in plays, the 2017 volunteers are the engine that is helping to drive this year of culture in hull. In much the same way as the games makers did at the london olympics, hulls volunteers of the welcoming face of this city in its culture year. My name is sue. Theres no way i was going to miss this year volunteering. Sue caught the bug at london 2012 and she was one of the original games makers. Tonight, the blue jacket is being left at home. The green tabard is the uniform for this event in one of the citys public parks. Sue, and other volunteers, have been collecting information on their audiences. All three of you from spain . We are finding in most of the activities we do there are people from All Over The World coming. Its just incredible. Has it surprised you . Yes, it has. Good evening. Are you here to join the search for the seven. Well, you cant see the job of a volunteer isnt varied. Well, you cant say the job of a volunteer isnt varied. At this one event alone, they have been directing all these people to where they need to be, collecting their data and some are even part of the performance itself. Im grace, and im louise. We wanted to be City Of Culture volunteers because we couldnt resist being involved in such a fantastic opportunity. The toilets are downstairs on the ground floor. Mum of two louise also works full time as a teacher. She is squeezing in her volunteering shifts on evenings and weekends. When you put that jacket and it gives you license to strike up a conversation with absolutely anybody. Even out of the uniform, im finding that im more likely to start a conversation with people who i dont know that i was before. 18 year old grace has autism. Volunteering for her is stepping completely out of our comfort zone, but today, she is helping out at a stress test for an up and coming theatre production. Well, this is a rehearsal of a Performance Due to take place in a couple of weeks time and it will involve live ands and require in a couple of weeks time and it will involve live bands and require the audience to move around the performance space, so the volunteers are being used to put it to the test and make sure it works when it goes lives. Its been interesting to see how a Theatre Company works on its first show and its been quite enjoyable. I wasnt as confident as before. Talking to people, strangers, but i feel now im a lot more confident. Ive seen already in the first few months that she has just flown in terms of her confidence. She is one of the welcoming face of hull and for me, thats a gift that the City Of Culture has given to me, as a itiuiti. Im enid. Im jason. At first, i didnt think we would be able to be involved. Enid and jason have also thrown themselves out of their comfort zone to become volunteers. Both are partially sighted. Which is your favourite . Some people see us as visually impaired and we should be in a corner, but we have been put out the front because its nice. You feel more engaged with what is going on with this process in general, but it gives you a little insight in things that you thought you couldnt do which you can, with that support Network Going on in the background. I think we should give Something Back to our communities. And this has given people such a massive opportunity to do that. I think its that its absolutely wonderful that i have been given the opportunity. Hopefully, at the end of the year, we will have a huge army of people then in a position to volunteer for all sorts of organisations and really lift the Community Life of the city. Still to come. The City Of Culture goes global with celebrations in hulls twin city, freetown. We remember david bowie and the Spiders From Mars with the drummer, woody woodmansey. But first, heres my guide to some 2017 highlights and a little look ahead at what to come. North atlantic flux took us on a Four Dayjourney Of Musical Discovery bringing in icelandic and scandinavian musicians to hull. 0n the orchard park estate, local residents collaborated with artists to put on a vibrant parade around the neighbourhood. The Ferens Art Gallery has an amazing new exhibition called skin, which features work by ron mueck, lucian freud and the sea of hull photographs taken by Spencer Tunick of over 3000 naked, blue volunteers. Im about there. Youve only one life. Just live it. And i dont care if anybody sees me or not. We are looking forward to assemblefest which takes over an ordinary shopping street, turning unlikely places into pop up performance spaces. Shes a perfect ten. Nearly 30 years ago, the Beautiful South performed in hull, and injune, paul heaton and Jackie Abbott appeared for a one off gig. East park will be transformed to the fictional malarkey park for hulls first childrenchildrens park for hulls first childrens literature festival. And injuly, the bbc proms will come to hull for a day of outdoor concerts, the first time recently that this British Institution has travelled outside of london. Well, from a Circus Performance in a graveyard to something more traditional. We are talking shakespeare, richard iii to be precise. But hull being hull, its with a difference. We are sitting in with the lead actor, mat fraser. We are sitting in with the lead actor, matt fraser. He is returning to his theatrical roots, after role in American Horror story. Can you imagine a mark on this normal body . I could have ruled the world. Mat fraser has been in rehearsals for three weeks now. And for him, its one of the toughest roles hes ever had with 685 lines to learn. Director, barry rutter started Northern Broadsides 25 years ago with the Aim Of Making Shakespeare Access the ball to all. With the Aim Of Making Shakespeare Access to all. His success means others are sure to follow. You have done lots of theatre, but never any shakespeare. Why now . I did puck, in a chaotic version of a midsummer nights dream. The reason why now is because i was intrigued to be asked to audition and im what we might call a mid term career artist, and each time you do something it is less shocking dangerous the next time you do it. It had been a long time since i had been scared of something and just the notion of doing that wonderful, eponymous character. Richard iii its not the easiest of shakespeares plays, is it . Richard iii is one of the most famous plays, its done more than hamlet, even. And its the only one where the character talks directly to the audience and they are in on his secrets of evil, richard iii is one of dramas most famous villains and famous disabled people. I think im one of the first people to say im a deformed actor playing deformed character for the first time in britain. Its extraordinary that it should be the first but exciting that i get to do it. It must be a big deal for you, isnt it . This time, it wasnt from me, i didnt push to get it. I was offered it. Times are changing. Although we could say its about blooming time, barry offered it to me, and not anybody else, so im going to run with it and see what we do. Im fascinated to see what Audience Members make of it. Hes out and out evil. No redeeming qualities. He horrible to everyone. He was stabbed you in the back by any means necessary. As a disabled person, i can relate to having to think round the corners. I cant really relate to the murder and decay that he causes though. What do you think are some of the challenges . For me, the challenges to step up to playing one of the biggest characters. I have played leading characters, but never the league of before. The leader before. You have two on that. Im very much a team player. Im having a go, obviously. I wouldnt be an actor otherwise, but i dont have a monstrous ego that wishes to be the star. So owning the lead, thats my challenge. In terms of challenges for the audience, it is whether my deformity pulls them out of the play. But lenny henry doing 0thello. Asa as a black character for which are lots of boot polish has been pulled out a0 years. For years. Theres been a lot of boot polish going on over the years, so now, lets go few people realise hull is twinned with freetown in africa. It isa it is a relationship that goes back 200 years. It started with William Wilberforce trying to abolish the slave trade. More than 30 years ago, hull and freetown were twinned its a relationship being celebrated in 2017 with a concert later this summer. Surely henry has been finding out more about freetown and how its being involved with the City Of Culture. A message from freetown to hull. This is the capital of sierra leone, and as its partner celebrates a year as the City Of Culture, expectations are growing as to what this will mean for freetown. I expect people will want to see a treat coming from freetown. All the stuff weve got going on, im sure its true. They dont have a choice but to be treated. That the many people, sierra leone is not known for its culture, but that this, ebola. Progress has been made, but its impact still resonate. And before that, a brutal civil war in the 19905 left more than 50,000 people damp, and thousands more homele55. People dead. Sierra leones refugee all stars was formed during the crisis. People were killed in front of my eyes. I saw the boat people, but people like charcoal. Burnt people. I lost my brother, my sister, my friends. It was too bad. The all stars translated their suffering into lyrics that inspire and uplift. As part of the City Of Culture celebrations, they have travelled to hull to spread hope, joy and faith. Culture means a lot. It brings good connections between freetown and hull city, so i think it means something. This year is notjust about showcasing talent like this, but building educational links and letting people know that freetown is open for business. To cement theirfuture relationships, the twin cities are now building connections through education. Twin cities. Pupils at this school can share cultural links via skype. Your pen pal wants to know what is your favourite food . This is notjust for the children, but it is for them to access more information to develop more creative thinking. I like school, because when i go there, i can express myself and i like many books. When i finish, i want to become a lawyer. This is freetowns version of the promotional film that propelled hulls place as the City Of Culture for this year. Sierra leonians value their culture and history. Freetown now wants the world to know it is open for business. Its one of rock musics most celebrated partnerships, during the 19705, david bowie and the Spiders From Mars changed during the 19705, david bowie and the Spiders From Mars changed the face of music. The Spiders From Mars had a very different musical apprenticeship. They honed their skills on the club pub circuit in hull, playing as the rats. Sadly, only one of them is left, woody woodmansey. When he went to hull earlier in the year, we went on a Trip Down Memory Lane with him. Lane. Theres a star man, waiting in the sky. Hed like to come and meet us. 1972, and david bowie introduced britains music fans to ziggy stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Woody woodmansey is the only surviving member of the group and he has come back home to visit some of the places where he hung out before he was famous. The spiders were originally called the rats. This was the first place are recorded with anybody. I recorded with the rats with mick ronson. Hed been in with the rats with another drummer and they done a track called The Rise And Fall of bernie gripplestone. I dont think that would have worked. Woody toured with david bowie, mick ronson, and others. As the rats played their first gig is in a hull and east yorkshire, from halls to clubs. We were in the duke of cumberland in 1969. How much has it changed since then . I dont recognise anything. Different net curtains i remember during the spiders tours, we would come back to hull and we would come here. We would have a night out, watch bands. It doesnt look like you would fit on there with your drum kit. My kit would fit on there now but the band would not. Those trips home were rare. They often toured The Rise And Fall of ziggy stardust and the Spiders From Mars. But there was one place they never performed it, hull. Finally, coming to play here. It was the biggest gig in hull, so it was with my dream to play here. How does it feel to be up here, getting ready to play . Its great. Its somewhere that david wanted to play himself because he knew we were from hull, so it was always on our kind of wish list but it just never happened. To come back now, hull, the whole City Of Culture, its amazing. To be able to celebrate davids legacy and do it for mick and trevor, as well. It wouldve been nice for them to be here in their city to be playing. More than four decades since that talk, woody, and bowies producer, tony visconti, performed the full album the First Time Ever in hull, live, as part of the City Of Culture celebrations. Woodys dream of playing the album in hull has finally come true. That is it from hulls general cemetery and our latest look at the highlights from the uk City Of Culture. We will be back in the summer, but you can get your cultural fix on our website. Goodbye. Hello once again. We really crammed in a great deal of weather across the British Isles during saturday. Bright enough for many, and the temperatures really responded to that, as well, at 27 around the murray firth, down across east anglia, and on the Eastern Shores of england. But all that heat eventually sparked thunderstorm activity. A lot of you told us about that on our twitter feed. And it was really there to be had right across the north of england. Spectacular amounts of lightning for some of you. But underneath it, my word, what a drenching to be had. Notjust a rain a lot of you reported on the hail, but for some, it has passed you by, and it was a glorious day. First off on sunday, a fresh start for many. A dull old start or the north west of england, then arching through north west scotland, and a chance for a little bit of rain on the breeze. Once again on into the day, a lot of fine and of the weather, maybe one or two showers on the eastern borders of england and scotland. Further west, dry, fine for the most part. Bits pieces of sunshine coming through boosting temperatures. Northern ireland would do nicely. Dry weather there. So to across the north of wales, northern england, that south and west, there is the next belt of whether gradually working its way in from the south west. Not the fastest thing on two legs it will take time before you see any evidence of that getting at was london. It will be late in the day before some of that rain begins to break out towards the meridian towards east anglia. Behind, much dry air and coming back into the south of the British Isles. That could spawn some quite strong thunderstorms. Temperatures will not be lower than 1a or 16, a fresher feel before the rain belt. Bank holiday monday, the rain further north the area most at risk of seeing temperatures soar away again with the attendant thunderstorms is east anglia and the south east. Thats a little fresher, quieter, across the south west. Monday into tuesday, an area of low pressure just throws this weakening Weather Front across the British Isles. Notice the number of isobars. Quite winder as we get to wednesday, when it will settle down. And on into thursday as well, with the High Pressure building in. With the passage of the Weather Front, and some rain in the midweek it will be a good deal quieter. This is bbc news. Our top stories moments before he killed, the manchester Suicide Bomber caught on cctv. Passengers stranded around the world by British Airways says it will run and near normal service on sunday. President trump refuses to say whether he will cut carbon emissions. And another fa cup win for arsenal making manager Arsene Wenger the most successful in the competition history