Beverley Folk Festival’s unique country-crime mash-up

My Darling Clementine present a unique collaboration with crime writer Mark Billingham at Beverley Folk Festival

Leading crime author Mark Billingham and country duo My Darling Clementine are teaming up to create a one-of-a-kind live show

ow in its 32nd year, Beverley Folk Festival has long been a key event on the UK folk calendar. This year’s festival, taking place on 19-21 June, is headlined by Seth Lakeman, Hayseed Dixie, Ralph McTell, Barbara Dickson and The Bootleg Beatles… but what particularly caught our eye was a Sunday lunchtime show featuring UK country duo My Darling Clementine and leading crime writer Mark Billigham.

The Other Half will see Billingham reading a short story of the same name, which he’s written based on half a dozen songs from the first two My Darling Clementine albums plus two brand new songs written specially for this performance. And My Darling Clementine will, of course, be on hand to play those songs.

My Darling Clementine tell us: “The Other Half is set in a run-down bar in Memphis. It tells the tale of various couples who frequent the bar, as seen through the eyes of the aging, faded-glamorous waitress, Marcia. Mark reads and we play, interspersing the narrative with the songs.”

For two ostensibly related art forms, the worlds of songwriting and literature don’t actually collide that often, so The Other Half sounds like a show that’s worth checking out! If you want to do so, tickets for Beverley Folk Festival are on sale now, priced £110 for the full weekend or £48 for day passes. For full details, see the festival’s website.

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