Month: December 2022

Having adored David Nixon’s version of The Nutcracker when I first saw it in 2018, I was both excited and nervous about the prospect of seeing it again. It’s a common experience to re-watch a beloved film or TV programme only to realise that it doesn’t hold the same appeal, and I worried that this… Continue reading The Nutcracker

Handel’s oratorio premièred in London in 1739 in London. Barrie Kosky at Glyndebourne in 2015 made it flamboyantly theatrical and turned it into an opera. With a strong cast, and Ivor Bolton conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, it was a big success. Saul is religious exaltation: “How Excellent Thy Name O Lord.… Continue reading Saul

There’s something very special about the Marlowe Theatre pantomime. From the moment the audience takes their steps up The Friars, you can sense the anticipation of another year of festive fun. Whereas 2022’s Jack and the Beanstalk broke new ground for the commercial sector with its inclusion of a gay Principal Boy, this year’s Sleeping… Continue reading Sleeping Beauty

It’s the music that always brings me back to any Nutcracker—it never lets you down. Neither does the English National Ballet Philharmonic under the experienced baton of Gavin Sutherland. Watch and listen to how he paces the tempo for Soloist Julia Conway in the lead role during her gala worthy Grand Pas with her Prince,… Continue reading Nutcracker

Ovations’ Christmas treat at Upstairs at the Gatehouse is boldly acknowledged as a jukebox musical (that is how they describe it with a jukebox on the poster). It is a vibrant celebration of the popular songs of the 1960s which borrows the title of one of them. It is a delightful nostalgia fest for those… Continue reading Summer In The City

Le Navet Bete (or at least three quarters of it)’s corroboration with Exeter Northcott Theatre (particularly writer Daniel Buckroyd) has paid dividends in this fun Christmas offering as a mash-up of legends melds Merlin’s magic, Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood (and a plethora of squirrels) into a simple but delightful, merrifying show. Yñaqui… Continue reading Robin Hood

Produced by an in-house team, the Yvonne Arnaud pantomimes are known for their family friendly fun offering traditional entertainment but with a nod to the modern. Jack and the Beanstalk continues this approach with a ‘girl boss’ Jill, home-working Fairy and a strong sustainability message. It’s not a radical reinterpretation, however, and for those looking… Continue reading Jack and the Beanstalk

Alan Parker and Paul Williams’s Bugsy Malone is one of the most iconic films in the 20th century, bringing generations of children to stage in a rich line-up of parts for junior mobsters. Sean Holmes’s Olivier Award-winning musical is updated here for this latest run at Alexandra Palace Theatre, ideally timed for the Christmas and… Continue reading Bugsy Malone The Musical

If you want to see something that is in complete contrast to almost everything else you will find in regional theatres at this time of year, this National Theatre production that begins and ends at a funeral and utilises many classic horror film tropes may well fit the bill. The story that author Neil Gaiman… Continue reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Little Red is a delightful, whimsical and gently humorous retelling of the Red Riding Hood fable aimed full-square at a family audience. For the first time, Eastern Angles has moved away completely from its usual Christmas spoof—part-pantomime, part-parody—and decided to concentrate on producing a show very much aimed at children and their relatives. So this… Continue reading Little Red