ARTS DIARY

Romantic events with Opera North:

Love is in the air at Opera North this Valentine’s Day with a selection of special events. Mischief and misunderstandings abound in Così Fan Tutte, Mozart’s light-hearted exploration of the vagaries of love and romance. The Valentine’s Day performance starts at 7pm in Leeds Grand Theatre. Earlier in the day, people are invited to fall in love with Schubert with a performance of the composer’s Trout Quintet at Dewsbury Town Hall at 12.30pm. At the Howard Assembly Room incurable romantics can enjoy a screening of the classic 1964 film, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg starring Catherine Deneuve as Geneviève, a beautiful young Frenchwoman who, while working in a boutique selling umbrellas, falls for a dashing young mechanic. The screening will be preceded by a set from Lucy Hope and her trio celebrating the work of Michel Legrand, composer of the film score and many tender love songs. The evening’s entertainment starts at 7.30pm.

Historic Yorkshire cinemas:

The National Science and Media Museum has delved deep into its archives to uncover the stories of historic Yorkshire cinemas. The retro cinema programmes, dating back to the 1930s, give a rare glimpse into iconic Yorkshire cinemas, uncovering a treasure trove of nostalgia, and giving a glimpse into cinema-going trends in the early to mid-20th century. Among the museum’s archive are programmes from the Cottage Road Cinema, Hyde Park Picture House, and the Odeon Theatre in Harrogate, as well cinemas that are no longer around like the Odeon in Bradford, Lyric Cinema in Armley, and the Rex Cinema on Dewsbury Road.

Ooh ah Cantona: Iconic former footballer Eric Cantona has announced his new UK tour for April marking his return to the stage following his debut sold-out tour last October. As well as being an actor on stage and on screen – more famously for directors Alain Corneau and Ken Loach – he also paints, writes poetry and picked up photography. Music is also a passion and he writes music and lyrics and performs. Cantona will appear at Leeds O2 Academy on April 16. Tickets via LiveNation.co.uk