Seduction on Stage with Dangerous Liaisons My introduction to Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 epistolary novel Les liaisons dangereuses came from Stephen Frears’ terrific 1988 film. Based on Christopher Hampton’s play and with a stellar cast that included Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves, the movie told the story of […]
Reunion – English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
Back on Stage – Reunion at Sadler’s Wells. The expectant audience, all still carefully socially distanced and all masked, may not have anticipated a live introduction from Alistair Spalding, the CEO of Sadler’s Wells and from Patrick Harrison of English National Ballet, both thanking the Arts Council culture recovery fund first for keeping the arts […]
Let the Dance Begin – Sadler’s Wells Spring/Summer 2021
New Shows for Spring/Summer 2021 at Sadler’s Wells London If there was one moment that stands out as a poignant symbol for The Arts during the pandemic, it was the screening of Dancing at Dusk. A mind-numbingly beautiful interpretation of The Rite of Spring by Pina Bausch danced by École des Sables, it should have […]
The Nutcracker Reworked – Review – The Royal Ballet, Winter 2020
The Royal Ballet performs The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House Seeing a live performance of The Nutcracker is a favourite Christmas treat for me. But, it is one which I’ve scarcely dared hope will happen when our theatres have been mothballed for months, dancers have hung up their shoes and musicians tucked up their […]
The London Cabaret Club – London Never Dies – Preview
London Cabaret Club: Live at the Bloomsbury Ballroom. It feels like we’ve been waiting for a long time! October 2020 sees the launch of a new show from The London Cabaret Club after a dearth of live performances across the capital. Why not channel your inner James Bond and escape to a glamorous world of […]
The Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake – Royal Opera House – Review
Revival of Liam Scarlett’s Swan Lake at The Royal Opera House. *Stop Press – The Royal Opera House is currently closed due to Covid19* Liam Scarlett’s critically acclaimed 2018 production of Swan Lake has returned to the Royal Opera House for its first revival. The fairytale ballet has its roots in German and Russian folklore […]
The Royal Opera House Friday Rush – The Cellist Premiere
Last Minute Tickets for The Cellist – Royal Opera House with Friday Rush. Finding reasonably priced tickets for the opera and ballet can be a challenge, especially if you are booking at the last minute. Being something of a masochist and with no fear of heights, sometimes I end up sitting in the Slips – […]
Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal – Bluebeard at Sadler’s Wells – Review
Bluebeard. While Listening to a Tape Recording of Béla Bartók’s Opera ‘Duke Bluebeard’s Castle’ If Bartók’s seminal one-act opera ‘Duke Bluebeard’s Castle’ was a horrific insight into the machinations of the Duke, Pina Bausch’s interpretation takes the psychological drama to a new emotional level in her Tanztheater production. Watching the opera, the terrifying story is […]
Onegin – Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House – Review
Romance En Pointe from the Royal Ballet with Onegin. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Royal Ballet revives Onegin choreographed by John Cranko, a work which was created for the Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 and first performed at the Royal Opera House in 2001. Cranko was the director of the Stuttgart Ballet when he […]
The Nutcracker – Royal Albert Hall – The Birmingham Royal Ballet
The Nutcracker – A Christmas Fairytale Ballet. An outing to the ballet at Royal Albert Hall during the festive season has to be one of the most Christmassy things you can do. On arrival, you can’t help but marvel at the magnificent building lit up in all of its glory and the giant Christmas tree […]