disappointingly cloudy for a bank holiday monday. heavy, mainly thundery showers clearing away from the midlands and northern england as they head into this evening and the first part of the night. mr and murk gci’oss first part of the night. mr and murk across northern areas. a mild night across northern areas. a mild night across the south and fresher in the north than the west. weather front pushing in the atlantic will bring rain initially to northern ireland and then to scotland and as it clears through it will allow sunshine and showers to moving but the rain band fizzling out as he reaches and wales. so here, a little bit of cloud, one of two showers. fresher in the north and west but brighter to compensate. high pressure builds in for wednesday and thursday so it is looking dry with warm spells of sunshine. s hello. s this is bbc news.

the bbc obtains cctv pictures appearing to show the manchester bomber salman abedi shopping a day before the attack. staff say it's the same man. meanwhile, greater manchester police are searching a landfill site in pilsworth in bury in connection with the attack. vistors have been evacuated from hamerton park zoo in cambridgeshire amid reports of a very serious incident. police and an air ambulance have been seen at the scene. now on bbc news hull is nearly half way through being the uk's 2017 city of culture. anne—marie tasker and kofi smiles have the latest instalment of what's happening in the year long celebration. hello and welcome to hull, the uk's city of culture for 2017. show casing the brightest and the

best of culture has brought us here to hull's cemetery for a performance with a difference. we meet matt fraser who will put his disability centre stage. i'm a deformed actor playing a deformed character for the first time in britain. it's extraordinary that it's the first, but exciting i get to do it. we meet the army of volunteers giving up their time for culture. # there's a star man waiting in the sky... and go on a trip down memory lane with a spider from mars. hello. i'm the arts and culture

correspondent for the bbc here in hull. this is kofi. i'm the face of hull, chosen by the bbc with a mission to bring you culture whenever and wherever it happens. today we're taking that literally because we're not in a concert hall or in because we're not in a concert hall orina because we're not in a concert hall or in a theatre, we're here in a graveyard it's the setting for a performance that's difficult to sum up performance that's difficult to sum up in performance that's difficult to sum upina performance that's difficult to sum up in a few words. it's parts circus acrobat, part music, part dance and it takes place under the cover of danceness aerialists, acrobats, video artists, singers coming together to tell 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 back to life. the audience happens upon the action as they wonder through hull's general cemetery. trying to find the right trees and battling the british

weather has been challenging. performing outdoors has its challenges like that, namely the weather. quite often you find yourself a bit drippy and wet. it's kind of really exciting being outdoors. it's not very often you get the chance to perform in a tree or under stars. what's magical about it is the audience is outside in the wilderness with you. you get share and experience a lot moore than in a —— a lot more than in a theatre. and experience a lot moore than in a -- a lot more than in a theatre. the show is by the world renowned company circumstancea, who only arrived to rehearse a few days before the performance. though this graveyard closed in the 1970s, the choice of venue caused 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 the place and a great deal of care and nurture has been given to this site, i think

you're only doing good. the show premiered last summer, about you for the city of culture performances circumstancea are working with one of hull's community choirs. more than 100 members of the freedom chorus have spent months rehearsing and add an etheerl soundtrack to the performance. it's brilliant to be pa rt performance. it's brilliant to be part of the city of culture, but to be able to perform alongside circumstancea as well, it's really incredible. it's not a venue that anybody knows as a venue of course. great respect will be paid because of where we are. it's getting dark now and everyone's here waiting for the event to start. i'm really excited, are you? little bit spooked actually. shall we have a look any way. let's go. follow the torches and don't look back, you are entering our place. walk in silence. you wouldn't

normally spend your friday night walking around a graveyard. so i thought it was brilliant the way they'd brought out a different location for such a great event. unique experience. i've only got one difficulty — how do you describe it to somebody who wasn't there? you couldn't describe it in words. the set up, where it was, where it was held, the performance, they were fantastic: brilliant, fantastic. captivating, enthawing, brilliant. applause after hull, the cemetery circus moves from brighton to blackpool. depart is one of hundreds of events taking place in hull in 2017. an event has been promised every day of the year when you make a promise like that, you're going to need a

lot of people to help with the staging. and that's where the hull 2017 volunteers come in. everyday people giving up their free time to lend a hand. there are more than 2,000 of them, ranging in age from just 16 all the way up to sa. we've been to meet some of them. they are the blue coated army, an army of volunteers from all backgrounds, all ages, from all over the uk. from greeting people at events to performing as extra 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 at the london olympics, hull's volunteers are the welcoming face of the city, in its culture year. i'm sue. there's no way i was going to miss this year of volunteering. sue

caught the bug for volunteering at london 2012. she was one of the original games makers. you've seen the poppies? of course, they love it. tonight the blue jacket is left at home, a green tabard is the uniform for this event in one of the public parks. sue and the other volu nteers public parks. sue and the other volunteers are collecting information on their audience. three of you from spain! we're finding in most of the activities redo there are people from all over the world coming. it isjust are people from all over the world coming. it is just incredible. are people from all over the world coming. it isjust incredible. has that surprised you? it has, yeah. are you here to join the search for the seven alleys? you can't say the job of a volunteer isn't varied. at this one event alone, they've been directing all of these people where they need to be. they've been collecting their data and some are even part of the performance themselves. i'm grace. i'm louise. we wanted to

be volunteers because we couldn't resist being involved in a fantastic opportunity. toilets are down stairs. mum of two louise works fulltime as a teacher. she's squeezing in her volunteering on evenings and weekends. you put the blue jacket on and it gives you license to strike up a conversation with anybody. somehow you have permission to do that. what i'm finding now, i'm far more likely to start a conversation with people who i don't know than i was br. 18—year—old grace has autism, volume untiering for her is stepping com pletely untiering for her is stepping completely out of her comfort zone. today, she's helping out at a stress test for an upcoming theatre production. what i'm going to do... this is a rehearsal of a performance due to take place in a few weeks. it will involve live bands, but also require the awe audience to ——

audience to move round the space. the volunteers are putting it to the test. it's been interesting to see how a theatre company works out numbers for a show. it's been quite enjoyable with this large amount of people. i wasn't as confident as before, like talking to people, like strangers. i feel now i'm a lot more confident. i've seen already in the first three months that actually she's just flown in terms of confidence. she's the welcoming face of hull. for me, that'sjust confidence. she's the welcoming face of hull. for me, that's just a confidence. she's the welcoming face of hull. for me, that'sjust a gift that city of culture has given to me asa that city of culture has given to me as a mum. i'm enid. i'm jason. at first i didn't think we would be able to be involved. gaffer. hi. found any favourites yet? these two have also thrown themselves out of their comfort zone to become volunteers. both are partially sighted. which is your favourite one of these?

some people see us as visually impaired, you're kind of put in a corner. we've been put out front which is nice. because it challenging you more, you feel a bit more engaged with what's going on with the city of culture process. it gives you insight into things you possibly thought you couldn't do, which you can, with that support network that's in the background. which you can, with that support network that's in the backgroundlj think network that's in the background.” think we should all give something back to our communities. the city of culture year has given such a massive opportunity to do that.” just think it's absolutely wonderful that i've been given the opportunity. hopefully, at the end of 2017, we'll have a huge army of people who are then in a position to be able to volunteer for all sorts of organisations. and reallyjust lift the community life of the city in general. still to come — the city of culture goes global with celebrations in

hull's twin city freetown. we remember david bowie and the spiders from mars with drummer woody woodmansey. first here's my guide to some 2017 highlights and a little look ahead at what's to come. north atlantic flux took us on a four—day journey of north atlantic flux took us on a four—dayjourney of musical discovery, bringing a hose of icelandic and scandinavian musicians to hullment —— hull. local residents collaborated with artists to put on a vibrant parade around their neighbourhood. an amazing new exhibition is called skin and features works, featuring over 3,200 naked blue volunteers in one piece of work. i am about there. you've only one life, just live. it i don't care whether anybody sees me or not. we look forward to assemble

fest which takes over an ordinary shopping street turning unlikely places into pop—up performance spaces. # she's a perfect ten... nearly 30 yea rs # she's a perfect ten... nearly 30 years ago the beautiful south was formed in hull. injune paul heaton and jackie abbot return for a special one—off stadium gig. east park will be transformed into the fictional malarkey park for hull's first children's literature festival. angel eye, the bbc proms, will come to hull for a day of outdoor concerts, the first time in recent history that this british institution has travelled outside of london. snvm —— london. from a circus performance in a graveyard to something a little more traditional. we're talking shakespeare, richard the third to be precise. hull being hull, this isn't a traditional performance. kofi's sat in on rehearsal and met the lead

actor matt fraser. a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse. he's returning to his theatrical roots. after playing most recently in american horror story. can you imagine this mug on a normal body? i could have ruled the world. now he's one of the first disabled actors to ever play theatre's most famous disabled villain. matt fraser has beenin disabled villain. matt fraser has been in rehearsals with the northern theatre company for thee weeks now. you back off like that in a greek play with a mask. and for matt, this is one of the toughest roles he's ever had, with 685 lines to learn. soi ever had, with 685 lines to learn. so i clothe my naked villain... the director started northern broadside 25 years ago with the aim of making shakespeare accessible to all. he has always sought to break new ground. with matt as his lead, his theatre company is still blazing a

trail where others are sure to follow. you've done lots of theatre, but never any shakespeare, why now? well, i did puck in a kind of adapted version of midsummer night's dream with chaos theatre company about 2007. but that was my only previous experience of shakespeare. the reason why now is because i was really surprised to be offered to audition and intrigued and scared. you know, i'm what we might term a mid—career artist. i suppose you go along and each time you do something, it's less shocking or dangerous the next time you do it. it had been a long time since i've been scared of something. just the notion of doing that huge, wonderful character i thought ohhh. richard iii is not the easiest of

shakespeare's plays. no richard iii is one of the most famous plays. it's done more than hamlet even. it's done more than hamlet even. it's the only one where the character talks directly to the audience and they're in on his secrets of evil. rich ad iii is drama's most famous villain and most famous disabled person. to be, apart from katherine hunter who played it in this country and has spinal issues, i think i'm the first person who can say i'm a deformed actor playing a deformed characterfor the first time in britain. that is extraordinary that it should be the first. but exciting that i get to do. it it's huge and it must be a big dealfor yourself. do. it it's huge and it must be a big deal for yourself. this time it wasn't from me. i didn't push to get this role. i was offered it. times are changing. although one can say, well, it's about blooming time, barry offered it to me and not anybody else. i'm taking it. we're going to run with it, albeit with a slight hobble, and see what we do. i'm fascinated to see what audiences

make of it. he's out—and—out evil with no redeeming qualities. he is horrible to everyone. he's lovely to theirface and horrible to everyone. he's lovely to their face and stab them in the back. by any means necessary, ascension to the throne. as a disabled person, i can relate to the — having to think round the corners, perhaps not quite to the extent of stabbing my own cousins, or something them smothered but i can relate to much of it, although not to the murder and death and destruction, ruin and decay that he causes. what sort of challenges do you think the role might cause? well, for me, the challenges are to step up to playing such a huge character. it's one of the great roles. i've played leading characters, but never "the with the with the lead before. you have to own that. i'm a troop company team player. i have an agoier, obviously. i wouldn't be an actor if i didn't. i don't have a monstrous one that wa nts to i don't have a monstrous one that wants to be the star. for me, that's

the challenge, is meeting the role head on and owning the lead. in terms of the challenges for the audience, of course, it's whether my real physical deformity pulls them out of the play, but i do think a lot of lenny henry doing othello, as a black man playing a famous character that a lot of boot polish was used over the years, you know. in my terms, there's been a lot of boot polish going on and now we've got the real thing, so let's see what happens. woo—hoo, let's go! few people living outside of hull realise it's twinned with freetown, the capital of sierra leone. it's a relationship that goes back more than 200 years. it started with william wilberforc, an mp of hull, who put the slave trade to an end. more than 30 years ago, hull and

freetown were twinned. it's a relationship that is being celebrated during 2017 with a concert later this summer. ahead of that, shirley henry has been finding out more about how the people of freetown are getting involved with the city of culture. we love you! a message from freetown to hull. this is the capital of sierra leone and as its partner celebrates a year as city of culture, expectations are growing as to what this will mean for freetown. i think the people will expect to see some musical treats coming from sierra leone, a sister or brother city. when we come with all that freetown, all that style a nd with all that freetown, all that style and all that stuff that we've got going, i'm sure — they don't have a choice but to be thrilled. but for most people sierra leone's not known for its culture, but for this, the deadly ebola virus. progress has been made but its

impact still resonates. before that, a brutal civil war in the 1990s, left more than 50,000 people dead and thousands more homeless. sierra leone's refugee all stars was formed during that crisis. people are being killed in front of my eyes. i saw them burn people like charcoal.” lost brothers, i lost sisters, i lost brothers, i lost sisters, i lost friends. really, 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've travelled to hull to spread hope, i°y travelled to hull to spread hope, joy and faith. city of culture means

a lot. it will bring good connection between freetown and hull city. i think it means something. for many, this year of city of culture is not just about show casing talent like this, but it's about building educational links and letting people know that freetown is open for business. and to cement their future relationship, the twinned cities are now building connections through education. pupils at this school share cultural links with sutton park primary via skype. your pen pal wa nts to park primary via skype. your pen pal wants to know what is your favourite food? the ethos that is needed but for children in this community to access more information, to be able to develop more creative thinking.” like about school because when i

come to school, i express my feeling andi come to school, i express my feeling and i learn many things. when i finish my school, i like to become a lawyer. this is freetown's version of the promotionalfilm lawyer. this is freetown's version of the promotional film that propelled hull's bid to city of culture status. we're proud of this place. sierra leonians love their country, their history and culture. they now want the world to know it's open for business. it's one of rock music's most celebrated partnerships. during the 19705, celebrated partnerships. during the 1970s, david bowie and the spiders from mars changed forever the face of popular music. while the london—born bowie was an art school graduate, the spiders had a different musical apprenticeship. they honed their skills on the tough clu b they honed their skills on the tough club and pub circuit in hull, playing as the rats. sadly there's

only one spider left, the drummer. when he returned to hull, earlier in the year, ann marie took him on a walk down memory lane. # there's a star man waiting in the sky # he'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds... 1972 and david bowie introduced britain's music fans to ziggy stardust and his band — the spiders from mars. the spiders weren't from mars, they were in fact from hull. the drummer, woody, is the only surviving member of the group. he's come back home to visit some of the places he hung out as a young musician. before his group became the spiders and were called the rats. this was the first place i ever recorded with anybody. it was with the rats, with nick ronson. we came here around ‘68 i think. nick

had been with the rats with another drummer. they did a track, the rise and fall of bernie gripplestone, which is quite cool really in the history of ziggy stardust. i don't think it would have gone quite as far if he had said, i am bernie griplestone, it wouldn't quite have worked no. woody toured the world with david bowie and his band mates, guitarist nick ronson and bass player trevor bolder. as the rats the group played their first gigs in hull and east yorkshire, from church halls to pubs. we're in the duke of cumberland. when did you play here? about 1969 with the rats. how much has it changed since then?” about 1969 with the rats. how much has it changed since then? i don't recognise anything. different net curtains then! i remember in between the spiders' tours with bowie we would have a weekend off. we would come back to hull and we would come

here. you mick and trevor? yeah it would be a good place to watch bands and have a night out. it doesn't look like you'd fit on there with the drum kit. my kit would, but the band wouldn't, definitely not. those trips home were rare, as they toured the world playing the iconic album, the world playing the iconic album, the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars. there was one place they never performed it, the spiders home city. at this point in your career, coming to play here. it's brilliant. that was the biggest gig in hull, so it was always like the drome to play city hall. here we are on the stage. how does it feel to actually be up here and getting ready to play? it's great. it's somewhere that bowie wanted to play himself. because he knew we were from hull. so it was always on our wish list and itjust never

happened. so to come back now, hull the city of culture is amazing and do it for mick and trevor as well. it would have been nice for them to be here in their city and to be playing. # there's a star man waiting in the sky # he'd like to come and meet us # he'd like to come and meet us # but he thinks he'd blow our minds# more than four decades since that tour, woody and bowie's producer have formed the —— performed the album live in full for the first time ever as part of the city of culture's celebrations. woody's dream of playing the spiders' songs in hull has finally come true. cheering and applause that's it from hull's general seam

tear and that's it from hull's general seam tearand our that's it from hull's general seam tear and our latest look at some of the highlights from the uk's city of culture. we're back later in the summer, get your cultural fix on the website, bbc.co.uk/hull2017. summer, get your cultural fix on the website, bbc.co.uk/hul12017. bye-bye hello. there disappointingly cloudy through the afternoon for bank holiday monday. outbreaks of reason continuing to move north across northern ireland and scotland and northern england. heavy, thundery showers continuing to clear away from the midlands and northern england as we head into this evening

and first part of the night. it turns drier in the south. still some showery rain, mist and murk across northern areas. fairly mild night across the south, fresher in the north and the west. then into tuesday, a dry start for many. a bit of sunshine, weather front off the atla ntic of sunshine, weather front off the atlantic brings rain initially to northern ireland, then to scotland as it clears through, it will allow sunshine and showers to move in behind. the rain band fizzling out as it reaches england and wales. here, a bit of cloud, one or two showers and sunny spells. warm again in the south—east. fresher in the north and the west. at least bright to spenisation. —— compensate. for most it's looking dry and warm spells of sunshine midweek. the headlines on bbc news at 5:00pm: the bbc obtains cctv pictures appearing to show the manchester bomber salman abedi shopping in the hours before the attack. staff say it's the same man. looking at that cctv, it's the same guy that's been in the shop several times

in the past. he looks exactly like the guy that they're saying has done the bombings. greater manchester police are searching a landfill site near bury in connection with the attack. visitors have been evacuated from hamerton zoo park in cambridgeshire after what emergency services describe a very serious incident. british airways chief executive says he's sorry about the disruption caused by a global computer meltdown but says he won't resign. also this hour: we will make a fool and exhaustive investigation and find out