Arts Diary: Will marriott

WHEN some bands go their separate ways, the acrimony begins. Not with the Cribs. The Wakefield outfit took Johnny Marr into their fold a few years ago, but now the former Smiths guitarist has left and as they revert to a three-piece The Cribs are keen to stop any vicious rumours.

“We don’t want it to be seen as a split, that just has so many negative connotations and really doesn’t represent the way everyone is feeling right now,” the band said.

“The truth is we did more than we ever set out to do together, really. We were/are all really proud of the work we did together. It’s not like, ‘Johnny leaves’, or ‘Band split’, or any of that drama – just a good time to do something else, really. No one is down about this in our camp. It’s actually the start of a really exciting phase for everyone. Johnny has gone back to The Healers and is writing a new record, and we are honestly loving being back together as just three brothers.”

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We’ve always said he’s the most underrated stand-up on the circuit, so we were heartened to see Daniel Kitson has been named by his peers as the comic’s comic.

More than 100 comedians, including the likes of Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Tim Vine, Dave Gorman, Rhod Gilbert, Mark Watson, Jason Byrne and Greg Davies, took part in the survey, commissioned by the satellite channel Dave, with the Denby Dale born Kitson winning almost a quarter of the votes.

The result was even more surprising given the 33-year-old has resisted offers to appear on TV, preferring to appear live at festivals and gigs.

She may be famous for gracing stage and screen, but during her stay in Hull, actress Nichola McAuliffe has been making herself at home in some very different arenas – the city’s rugby grounds for one.

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Nichola, perhaps best known for appearing in TV’s Surgical Spirit, is a huge rugby fan and were she not in Hull working on Hull Truck’s production of The Lady in the Van, would have been enjoying the action at the Hong Kong Sevens.

Instead, she has joined crowds at Hull KR, watching them play Huddersfield, and at Hull FC, where the team was narrowly beaten by Castleford.

Nichola said of her trip to the KC Stadium: “I had a fantastic night. Hull FC would have won but for a referee who was to Rugby League what Pavarotti was to the Bolshoi Ballet. Don, my husband, and I had the most marvellous time and he was converted to League from Union – some achievement.”

Oxygen Books’ City-Pick series offers some of the best writing on cities. Each title has more than 50 writers offering literary gems about their home town. Now, as part of the city’s Humber Mouth Book Festival, the publisher is bringing City-Pick to Hull and inviting Hull residents to let them know the best writing about their city.

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They’re asking Hull writers to send them selections of writing about the city, maximum 1,000 words per piece, naming author and title, together with sender’s own name, to: [email protected]. Closing date for submissions is June 1.

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