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Jazz_Shoes (Ash)
21st-November-2005, 11:21 PM
After posting on the 'I have just read...' thread, I thought it'd be cool to start a new thread about recently viewed theatre, apologies if this has already been done.

The last play I saw was 'The History Boys' (http://www.theambassadors.com/theatreroyalglasgow/sp_p2024.html) at the Theatre Royal last thursday. It was really good, great acting and I really enjoyed it :grin: Just had to concentrate really hard when they started talking in French and about history stuff that I didn't know about.

Anyone else???

Ash

Lory
21st-November-2005, 11:31 PM
Anyone else???

Ash
Me HERE (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?p=173130#post173130):na:

fletch
22nd-November-2005, 09:57 AM
50 of us MJ went to see Lady Salsa on Saturday at Stoke, it was fantastic, the dancing was 'bostin' if you get chance to go its well worth it.:clap:

LMC
22nd-November-2005, 11:01 AM
I went to see Saturday Night Fever at the Apollo Victoria - half-price tickets from lastminute.com - aisle seats fourth row stalls, BARGAIN! Could maybe have done with being a wee bit further back to get a better view of the dancing, but otherwise no complaints about the view. The guy playing Tony Manero was :drool: :drool: (especially the bit where he takes his shirt off).

I have to say that even to me, the dancers looked amateur in comparison with Burn the Floor (although I couldn't even have come close to their standards either!). The theatre could have done with being a bit fuller - only about one-third to one-half of the seats taken on a Tuesday night for a bit more atmosphere - especially when the cast encourage audience participation at the end :eek: But it was a really fun night - the ideal compromise for missing dancing when a non-dancing friend makes a rare visit to London and wants to see a show - she really enjoyed SNF too.

Tessalicious
22nd-November-2005, 11:59 AM
I went to see 'We Will Rock You' (the musical based on the songs of Queen) the other day - I've been three times now and have never been disappointed. Great songs, a Ben Elton script, cool rocky singers and a fab and rather sexy troupe of dancers (doing Arlene Phillips choreography :whistle: ) - what more could you want?

If anyone has a chance to go before January, take it, because the actress who has played the lead female role for the last 3 years is leaving, and will be practically irreplaceable as she is phenomenal.

stewart38
22nd-November-2005, 12:55 PM
Good thread with Christmas approaching !

I saw the Rat Pack recently in london. Only the 'Dean Martin' could really sing but all in all good ,although no real auidence participation :sad:

I understand they have started their christmas one now

Dizzy
22nd-November-2005, 01:00 PM
I went to see 'Blood Brothers' a few weeks ago with cheap tickets my friend managed to obtain. I have to say, I thought it was fabulous and such an original play. :clap: :clap: :clap: :flower:

Yeay to the West End!!! :flower: :clap:

Magic Hans
23rd-November-2005, 11:11 AM
... Well .... i work there in my spare time!!!

Mid sized am/pro theatre in Nottingham, called Nottingham Arts Theatre.

I recently helped build the set for Diary of Anne Frank, a dead good two level set. Had to build L shaped stair way, and floor complete with joists and floor boards!!

On the last few nights, I played the German at the end who screams out "Auf Machen! Da Drinnen! Auf Machen! Schnell, Schnell!"

... Oi lurrrrve theatre!!

CeeCee
23rd-November-2005, 11:22 AM
I'm still in mourning for the loss of Starlight Express. I feel quite sad that I only managed to see it seven times in London. The show gave me such a buzz that when I heard it was being replaced I saw it twice in one week to get my fix. Love the music, play the CD at home and in the car, it's great.

I suppose if I was a real fan I'd have seen it in Tokyo by now but for some reason that hasn't happened.

Bring back The Starlight!

Tessalicious
23rd-November-2005, 11:37 AM
Bring back The Starlight!Absolutely agree with you - if only for the fact that an old friend of my mum's from music college was involved in the orchestration and arrangement of the score, so I'm extra-disappointed not to have ever seen it.

Another musical I've not seen but am desperate to is 'Jane Eyre - The Musical'. My parents saw this in New York about 5 years ago and were totally overwhelmed by it - in particular the music is fabulous, I know because they brought the CD back! But it didn't get great reviews, strangely since Americans are such Anglophiles, and so the show closed and hasn't come over here. If anyone ever hears whisper of this showing anywhere, please please please let me know!

robd
23rd-November-2005, 02:03 PM
Saw Lady Salsa a few weeks back - enjoyed it a lot and it really brought home just how fit you need to be as a professional dancer.

Tessalicious
12th-July-2006, 05:26 PM
Another mini theatre/musical review for you (I know, where do I find the time/money to go to all these shows?) - I went to see the latest, freshest, filthiest show in the West End last week, Avenue Q (http://www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk/).

Advertised as a musical for people who never thought they'd like musicals, with pictures of partially-clothed Sesame Street puppets and Parental Advisory stickers plastered everywhere, it might seem a bit bizarre. And that it is, as well as silly and very rude - but so much fun that we were a bit miserable when we went in and came out beaming from ear to ear and, over a week later, are still singing the songs (and not just because I got the cast recording).

The small cast are a group of some ordinary, some less ordinary, and some decidedly strange people living on a street in a rundown part of a city (New York, but could just as easily be London or Edinburgh). One has just lost his job, another has just graduated and hasn't figured out where he's going, another used to be famous but isn't anymore, another is simply looking for love, etc - and the way they all help each other keep a positive attitude to life is utterly heart-warming.

Some characters are played by people, some by puppets and people, and the way the puppeteer-acting is done is exquisite. Not only that, but there are some rather gorgeous people in the cast (girls, look out for Simon Lipkin :drool: ). The score is brilliant (you don't have to know a single song to enjoy it), the script is even better (I'll post some great quotes on Lyrical Moments later), and the whole thing is absolute genius.

Definitely recommended for a girls-and-boys night out (leave the kids at home, or preferably at somebody else's home, so you don't feel guilty for coming home, singing the songs and maybe even acting out some of the naughtier scenes). And it deserved every one of the 3 Tony Awards it won on Broadway.

Disclaimer: don't go to see this if you don't like bad language or innuendo. Come to think of it, don't know why I'm mentioning it on here, you're all far too innocent. :na:

Missy D
12th-July-2006, 05:29 PM
The nearest I have been to a theatre lately is visiting Witty in hospital!

littlewiggle
12th-July-2006, 05:32 PM
The night before Ceroc Champs, my friend and I took advantage of our stay in London and went to see FOOTLOOSE - it was good but not as kicking as I expected it to be. The intro of the song though at full pelt really got everyone going!

Jivingdan
14th-July-2006, 02:44 PM
I took my 13 year old son to see we will rock you in London. It was ace. Story a little corny but if you run with it you soon get in to it.
It finishes in October well worth catching.

Has Dirty Dancing Opened in London yet?

mrs_warwick
14th-July-2006, 04:47 PM
I took my 13 year old son to see we will rock you in London. It was ace. Story a little corny but if you run with it you soon get in to it.
It finishes in October well worth catching.

Has Dirty Dancing Opened in London yet?


Don't know about Dirty Dancing, but We Will Rock You has extended its run, and is taking bookings up to (I think) next April.
It was due to be replaced by the Lord of the Rings musical but that has been delayed.

LemonCake
15th-July-2006, 10:54 AM
A few recommendations:

Festen - a darkly comic and disturbing piece about family breakdowns and abuse. Doesn't sound like a good recipe for an evening's entertainment but left us strung between laughter and utter shock - it was really good.

Saw Rik Mayall playing Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman a few weeks ago. Utterly filthy, puerile and had us shaking with laughter! Not for those of a sensitive disposition though :really:

Went for a complete change the following night with The Ballet Traviata - a gorgeous use of the score by Northern Ballet Theatre, excellent choreography, well worth seeing if they're passing your way.

2 weeks ago took advantage of a gloriously sunny evening to see The Comedy of Errors in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens. A charming venue, madcap plot, well exectuted and very entertaining. Best of all you get to take a picnic! The run has finished but The Winter's Tale started on Wednesday and runs for another week so will try to catch that. Google for 'Bard In The Botanics' if you're interested. They are a reliable company - Romeo & Juliet and As You Like It last year were also fab.

Further ahead I have tickets for Habeas Corpus, Cats, Rocky Horror, Coppelia and Sleeping Beauty. Anyone got any other recommendations for touring productions?

:flower:

spikey blond
17th-July-2006, 04:42 PM
As far as touring companies go Shared Experience theatre group perform the most amazing productions - seen lots of them: Mill on the Floss, Passage to India, Jane Eyre most recently, Mrs Rochester, to name a few. Just love the theatre and am lucky living where I do as I manage to get to most of the new productions as the National - rarely disappointed and at £10 a seat (if you book early) not a major outlay. Couple of the best were Coram Boy and His Dark Materials both of which were brilliant and recently The Overwhelming:clap: :cheers: . Also got tickets for Blackbird at the Albery (a bit disturbing but brilliantly acted) and The Producers which was great fun. Love Matthew Bourne's dance productions too - seen the Carman, Swan Lake, Play without Words, Edward Scissorhands - apart from MJ and WCS dancing most of my disposable income seems to go on theatre visits, but money well spent!:nice: :nice:

drathzel
17th-July-2006, 05:51 PM
Went to see stomp last month! Wow, it was so much better than i expected it to be!

I am going to see chicago next month!

marty_baby
18th-July-2006, 11:44 AM
Hiya all,

Went to see Miss Saigon at the Bristol Hippodrome last month....

It was pretty good! :D The vocals seemed to get better as the performance when on, and boy could the girls wiggle! :na:

Really nice theatre - very cosy and too the point. Nice restaurants nearby, and mid week easy to park up etc... :nice:


Bit of silly trivia... "the engineer" is actually the same bloke - right from the original production!.... My fav character - IMHO - he stole the show with his cheeky assured performance! :respect:

Another bit of silly trivia... The guy who cut my hair recently normally works in a barders near the hippodrome.... he gets loads of the actors coming in etc.... wel... he once cut a middle aged oriental gentlemen's hair, who was one of the actors in "miss saigon"...

I'll stop blathering now I think! :rofl:

Martin

LemonCake
20th-July-2006, 02:19 PM
Last night I gathered a group of 10 assorted dancers and engineers to see The Winters Tale in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens. Again, the venue was gorgeous, the actors accomplished, the story as hare-brained as ever but full of human emotion so you didn't really mind suspending disbelief.

It was also really satisfying to mix up friends from different circles and have a brilliant evening together. Hopefully at least two of the non-dancers will have been tempted into trying it. As we were missing a whole evening of Ceroc to be there, Pretzelmeister obliged me with a barefoot dance in the grass during the interval! (addicted, who, me...? :whistle: )

Anyone in the Glasgow vicinity who has time between today and Saturday would find it a good use of £10. Get there at 6.30 because tickets sell out extremely fast in good weather. Take a picnic to fill the hour until the show starts! :flower:

ducasi
20th-July-2006, 02:26 PM
Last night I gathered a group of 10 assorted dancers and engineers to see The Winters Tale in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens. Again, the venue was gorgeous, the actors accomplished, the story as hare-brained as ever but full of human emotion so you didn't really mind suspending disbelief. Yeah, found the play last night excellent. Was almost in tears when what's'name realised what he'd done. Powerful stuff.

Oh, and it was an excellent picnic too. :hug: Loved the scones! :wink:

sparkledancer
20th-July-2006, 04:38 PM
Dirty Dancing opens on the 24th Oct but the previews start from the 29th Sept.

Can't wait to see it!

S. xx

cms
20th-July-2006, 07:38 PM
Yeah, found the play last night excellent. Was almost in tears when what's'name realised what he'd done. Powerful stuff.

Oh, and it was an excellent picnic too. :hug: Loved the scones! :wink:

It was a lovely evening! the actors were very believable, and i agree with ducasi - i was close to tears at some points too! It was a great way to spend a warm summers night! been a long time since iv watched and enjoyed shakespeare so much - and i love the theatre!

lemoncake - thanx for such a fab picnic - it was all delicious, and im glad i didnt eat dinner yesterday!

Claire xxx

Beowulf
20th-July-2006, 09:42 PM
As an ex Shakespearian actor a thespian if you will (ok it was only when I was in the dramatics society at high school.. I have my dreams.. don't shatter them ;) I love watching Shakespeare. wish I could have seen these, but there was no chance. sounds like I missed a really good evening :(

(someday I'd love to get back on the stage again.. but I have less confidence now as an adult as I did as a kid.. most odd!)

Lucy Locket
20th-July-2006, 10:37 PM
Went to see Les Miserables last month. It was reeeeeally good. Got best seats 1/2 price from lastminute.com. I cried in the 2nd half :tears: Guy I went with, it was his 16th time. Enjoyed it just as much as all the other times.

philsmove
20th-July-2006, 10:54 PM
Just back from watching this

A Midsummer Night's Dream from the East : Yohangza Theatre Company (http://www.biblio-tech.com/tobacco_05_cfm/cfm/si_pd.cfm?pid=27&ev_id=141)
Amazing:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Stuart
20th-July-2006, 11:17 PM
I've just been to see "The Winter's Tale" by William Shakespeare in the Abbey Ruins in Reading. A beautiful setting for it and a lovely evening weatherwise. It was an amateur cast but a very good one.

Cruella
23rd-July-2009, 03:00 PM
I went to see 'We Will Rock You' (the musical based on the songs of Queen) the other day - I've been three times now and have never been disappointed. Great songs, a Ben Elton script, cool rocky singers and a fab and rather sexy troupe of dancers (doing Arlene Phillips choreography :whistle: ) - what more could you want?.

Reviving this thread as I went to see 'We Will Rock You' last night in Birmingham. I went with the family, my 17 year old, my husband and I all enjoyed it but my 13 year old thought it was 'silly'! :what: It does have a very odd story line but the music really gets you going and the humour in parts is funny. Love the feisty lead female :wink: The highlight obviously is the music, by the end, everyone (apart from my 13 year old :rolleyes:) was waving their arms and clapping to the songs.

So far in the last couple of years i've seen (with marks out of ten)

We will rock you 8/10
Avenue Q 10/10
Mamma Mia 9/10
Stomp 8/10
Dr Doolittle with Tommy Steele (Rubbish, I used to love Tommy Steele :sad:) 2/10
Mary Poppins 6/10
Flashdance (Rubbish, left half way through) 1/10

emmylou25
23rd-July-2009, 03:51 PM
Flashdance (Rubbish, left half way through) 1/10

I really enjoyed Flashdance when I saw it, although the lead female was very annoying. I was really impressed with Noel Sullivan as the male lead, much better than I expected him to be.

Recently I saw Singing in the Rain which was brilliant, but sadly the theatre was very empty (sign of the times that theatre's seen as a luxury), and also Masters of the Musicals (4 singers doing different songs from various musicals). Great singing, and the second woman was amazing, although they did miss out songs from some of the key musicals I would have expected. Again, the theatre was very empty - only 120 tickets sold - which meant the atmosphere was lacking, although we did try to make up for it. Shame for the performers - I do think the theatre should just go out on the street flogging the tickets for a fiver to fill the seats; must be better than having an empty theatre?

I also saw 42nd St, performed by a semi-professional company. What would have been a great show was ruined somewhat by microphone problems - some worked, some didn't, although it was amusing to hear actors off stage asking 'is it working, can you hear me?'.

Latin Fever - Darren & lilia's show was interesting. Peacock theatre in London is always a nice atmosphere being a bit smaller; I saw it early in the run. Lilia almost fell over twice, but the live band on stage were fabulous, the singers great, and generally I enjoyed the dancing once D&L had got over their nerves. I spent most of the time wondering how I recognised several of the additional dancers, then realised they were dancers who'd impressed me in Simply Ballroom a couple of years ago. Would love to dance like them.

Next one I'm seeing is Adam Cooper's Shall We Dance in 2 weeks, so looking forward to that one.

Cruella
23rd-July-2009, 04:02 PM
I but sadly the theatre was very empty (sign of the times that theatre's seen as a luxury), ................Again, the theatre was very empty - only 120 tickets sold - .

The theatre was packed to the rafters yesterday, at a 2pm showing on a Wednesday! :what:

frolicols
23rd-July-2009, 05:22 PM
Another mini theatre/musical review for you (I know, where do I find the time/money to go to all these shows?) - I went to see the latest, freshest, filthiest show in the West End last week, Avenue Q (http://www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk/).

Advertised as a musical for people who never thought they'd like musicals, with pictures of partially-clothed Sesame Street puppets and Parental Advisory stickers plastered everywhere, it might seem a bit bizarre. And that it is, as well as silly and very rude - but so much fun that we were a bit miserable when we went in and came out beaming from ear to ear and, over a week later, are still singing the songs (and not just because I got the cast recording).

The small cast are a group of some ordinary, some less ordinary, and some decidedly strange people living on a street in a rundown part of a city (New York, but could just as easily be London or Edinburgh). One has just lost his job, another has just graduated and hasn't figured out where he's going, another used to be famous but isn't anymore, another is simply looking for love, etc - and the way they all help each other keep a positive attitude to life is utterly heart-warming.

Some characters are played by people, some by puppets and people, and the way the puppeteer-acting is done is exquisite. Not only that, but there are some rather gorgeous people in the cast (girls, look out for Simon Lipkin :drool: ). The score is brilliant (you don't have to know a single song to enjoy it), the script is even better (I'll post some great quotes on Lyrical Moments later), and the whole thing is absolute genius.

Definitely recommended for a girls-and-boys night out (leave the kids at home, or preferably at somebody else's home, so you don't feel guilty for coming home, singing the songs and maybe even acting out some of the naughtier scenes). And it deserved every one of the 3 Tony Awards it won on Broadway.

Disclaimer: don't go to see this if you don't like bad language or innuendo. Come to think of it, don't know why I'm mentioning it on here, you're all far too innocent. :na:

Been to see it twice! I was coming on here to recommend it and saw you were already there! It's filth and it's great!

Stuart
23rd-July-2009, 08:59 PM
Have been to the theatre twice in the last couple of months.

Firstly, we went to see Darren and Lillia's "Latin Fever". That was really good and made me realise how much we have to learn in our ballroom classes. We actually found ourselves sitting behind Matthew Cutler and Karen Hardy on the night we went. 8/10.

Secondly, we went to see "Stomp". I didn't know what to expect from this, but I really enjoyed it. 9/10.

emmylou25
24th-July-2009, 01:25 PM
The theatre was packed to the rafters yesterday, at a 2pm showing on a Wednesday! :what:

Ah, the one I saw was when they took it on tour - usually the theatre's full or pretty much full, but audiences have really been down in Oxford this year compared to normal.

emmylou25
12th-October-2009, 02:14 PM
Saw Tango Fire at Warwick Arts Centre last night. The venue was lovely - looked like good views from everywhere, and the acoustics sounded great from where I was sitting.

The actual show was a Milonga for part 1, a bit of a show of what a milonga could be like/more story telling with the different performers, and the second half was a show, with couple and group dances. The orchestra of 4 were also on stage, with a singer featuring every so often to break things up.

I loved it - I know next to nothing about tango, but thought the dancing was amazing, the costumes in the main lovely (although not too sure about the 1 legged purple outfit one girl had on). The band was brilliant; I wasn't too fussed about the singer - not really sure how much he added apart from allowing for the dancers to get changed. Would definitely recommend it.

Cruella
12th-October-2009, 07:12 PM
I loved it - I know next to nothing about tango, but thought the dancing was amazing, the costumes in the main lovely (although not too sure about the 1 legged purple outfit one girl had on). T.
I was there too, that outfit was pretty yuk! Personally I could have done without the singer and the non dancing, musical bits. (I'm not a big fan of traditional Tango music) However the dancing was great. I really enjoyed the second half in particular (not sure all the aerials are very 'Tango' though :wink:) We also caught up with a few local Tango dancers in the bar after, where I found out about 2 new local Tango nights. :D

sunnybunny
13th-October-2009, 01:33 PM
Went to see Pricilla, Queen of the Desert at very short notice last week as a friend had a spare ticket.

As it was a freebie, I couldn't really grumble that we were way up in nosebleed territory where the air was very thin and so only really had a view of the tops of people's heads, but boy, what a fantastic show. I wasn't really expecting to like it that much - how pleased I was that I was so very much mistaken.

The costumes were out of this world and the song & dance routines spectacular. Just when you thought that the routines couldn't get much better - along came another one. Very, very high on the "camp-ometer" but hey, the show is about drag queens ! Jason D & the other two leads were excellent. Just one saccharine moment when they wheeled the child actor on - but hey, that is probably just my take on it.

I would heartily recommend this show to anyone - just make sure that you pay the necessary king's ransom and get seats in the stalls, circle, or even the next level up at a push - but don't go for "the gods".

Double Trouble
16th-October-2009, 11:38 AM
It was my daughters 8th Birthday yesterday so as a special treat we went for dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe in Piccadilly and then on to see Grease.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy The Rain Forest Cafe experience but I have to say the food was really good and the kids enjoyed seeing the elephants, gorillas, monkeys, etc moving about and making lots of noise.

Grease was a great show. Ray Quinn, although not a natural to play Danny Zuko, did a good job and looked really fit! We had great seats just 4 rows from the front and my daughter couldn't believe the "real" Ray Quinn was right there, in front of her singing live! She was mesmerized (so was I, but don't tell Gav)

The best bit of the show, for me was when the T Birds turned the old banger into the greased Lightening! The dancing and choreography was very good too, curtsey of Arlene Phillips.

My daughter is hooked now and wants to go to the theatre every week to see a different show. As we spent nearly £400 last night, I suggested she starts saving her pocket money. :wink:

Chicklet
16th-October-2009, 12:47 PM
This is lovely to hear that you did this for / with your daughter and all enjoyed it.
I have been giving my folks theatre / show tickets for birthdays and X-mas for a number of years now and we all think it's a fabby idea. I usually get one for my brother and I too so we have a family meal out in the big smoke and a thoroughly nice time. Highly recommended.

Dreadful Scathe
16th-October-2009, 01:06 PM
Grease was a great show. Ray Quinn, although not a natural to play Danny Zuko, did a good job and looked really fit!

Who he ?

Anyway, I never get to the theatre much nowadays but I'm sure the next few things will be something my 4 year old will enjoy - Mamma Mia , High School Musical or Hairspray :)

Caz
16th-October-2009, 01:12 PM
This is a cool thread... went to see Chicago at Sheffield the other week with Donna.. Loved it! and god the men dancers :drool::drool:... booked to see Beauty and The Beast at end of month.... theatre dahling!

Double Trouble
16th-October-2009, 01:23 PM
Who he ?

I think he first hit our screens on X Factor (runner up?), when he was quite an annoying, pug faced, spotty teenage. He hit my radar a few years later when he won Dancing on Ice. See here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCQbV52AluA) for one of his performances. He's blossomed into a a fit, talented and handsome young man, IMO. :yum:

Double Trouble
9th-November-2009, 12:01 AM
Me and Gav went to see "Prick Up Your Ears" last night at the Comedy Theatre.

We booked the tickets before Matt Lucas's ex-husband killed himself, i.e., before he pulled out so we weren't expecting much, but you can't get your money back on these shows so we went along anyway.

There are only three actors in the play and a guy called Con O'Neill took over as Kenneth Halliwell, Chris New played Joe Orton and the excellent Gwen Taylor (Heart Beat, Duty Free) played Mrs Corden.

The theatre wasn't sold out, probably only about two thirds full which was a real shame as the play was excellent. Based on the true story of the relationship between Halliwell and Orton it was funny, moving and shocking all at once. A really great story which left me wanting to know more about these interesting characters.

They've had to close three weeks early because ticket sales practically stopped dead when Matt Lucas pulled out which is a real shame because I suspect Matt Lucas fans expecting slap stick would be disappointed and this production really didn't need him in the first place.

If you fancy going I've no doubt there will be plenty of tickets available. It's definitely worth a look.

Gav
9th-November-2009, 12:50 PM
:yeah:
It really is a shame that productions need a "name" to sell seats (not that Gwen Taylor isn't a "name", but you know what I mean).
All of the actors in this production were top-rate & Con O'Neill was great (in fact a lot of people would probably recognise him from TV with his hair on).
I'm sure that Matt Lucas as Kenneth Halliwell would have been different, but I'm not convinced he would've been better.

If you can get tickets before it closes, I highly recommend it. A very sad story, but full of laughs and drama.

emmylou25
17th-January-2010, 02:07 PM
Saw the matinee of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at Sadlers Wells yesterday. Wasn't really aware of how much the story was different to the original so was a bit of a surprise that without buying a programme we were pretty much at the liberty of our interpretation of what was going on! (Have now clarified on Wikipedia that we followed it fine, but was still a little bizarre, and I was quite surprised at how many young children had been taken along - could see interesting conversations taking place on the journey home for some families!).

Anyway, despite the bizarre story, the dancing was amazing, in particular from the lead swan. Such strength and power, and he was sweating loads as were the other swans through their main pieces.

The queen was very good as was Dominic West as the prince. There was one scene where there was jazz/70s dancing in a bar - cleverly done but strange to a backdrop of Tchaikovsky. The bumping & grinding in several places amused the audience.

It was a spectacular show of dance, although the storyline was a bit depressing for my liking.

What I do find immensely annoying is when latecomers are shown to their seats by torchlight (they're always in the middle of a row) despite the tickets stating clearly that they won't be let in til the interval.

Stuart
17th-January-2010, 09:49 PM
Saw the matinee of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at Sadlers Wells yesterday. Wasn't really aware of how much the story was different to the original so was a bit of a surprise that without buying a programme we were pretty much at the liberty of our interpretation of what was going on! (Have now clarified on Wikipedia that we followed it fine, but was still a little bizarre, and I was quite surprised at how many young children had been taken along - could see interesting conversations taking place on the journey home for some families!).

Anyway, despite the bizarre story, the dancing was amazing, in particular from the lead swan. Such strength and power, and he was sweating loads as were the other swans through their main pieces.

The queen was very good as was Dominic West as the prince. There was one scene where there was jazz/70s dancing in a bar - cleverly done but strange to a backdrop of Tchaikovsky. The bumping & grinding in several places amused the audience.

It was a spectacular show of dance, although the storyline was a bit depressing for my liking.

What I do find immensely annoying is when latecomers are shown to their seats by torchlight (they're always in the middle of a row) despite the tickets stating clearly that they won't be let in til the interval.

I saw it before Christmas and I thought it was really good as well. I didn't buy a programme either and had a problem following the story. Fortunately I managed to work it out after having seen the Kirov production that was on BBC4 over Christmas.

Barry
18th-January-2010, 02:08 PM
Anton & Erin Cheek to Cheek! :worthy::respect:

Cruella
6th-March-2010, 10:08 PM
We went to see Traces (http://traces.7doigts.com/en/index.shtml#introduction)today. Oh my God you have to go! It's fantastic. It's a mix of contemporary dance, acrobatics, gymnastics, humour, singing, piano playing, drawing!! It's sort of a poor mans Cirque Du Soleil. Just 4 guys and one girl but it's playing around the country so in small theatres you get really close to the performing.
A youtube link here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hgxhPlYJw0).

djtrev
6th-March-2010, 10:53 PM
We went to see Traces (http://traces.7doigts.com/en/index.shtml#introduction)today. Oh my God you have to go! It's fantastic. It's a mix of contemporary dance, acrobatics, gymnastics, humour, singing, piano playing, drawing!! It's sort of a poor mans Cirque Du Soleil. Just 4 guys and one girl but it's playing around the country so in small theatres you get really close to the performing.
A youtube link here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hgxhPlYJw0).

Looks brilliant.They appeared on Royal Variety Perf.last year.