Entertainment
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The Red Shoes – A new classic from Matthew Bourne
A new classic ballet came to life last night, as Matthew Bourne’s version of Powell and Pressburger’s ‘The Red Shoes’ came vividly to life on the stage of the Birmingham Hippodrome. The beautiful haunting story of dancer Victoria Page, and how she is destroyed by her talent and love, is one of the great movies, and now, in the hands of a superb company, the tale that started life as a rather brutal fairy story is recreated for the stage, and shows once again why Matthew Bourne is rightly recognised as a genius of modern dance. The Red Shoes is a story of love, jealousy, obsession and determination. Aristocratic Victoria…
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The New Season Launch at the Birmingham Hippodrome PT 1
On Monday I was a guest of the Birmingham Hippodrome for the new season launch. It was a very special night with Q&A sessions involving people involved in some of the most exciting shows coming to Birmingham this year, as well as a preview of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella, which is coming to the Hippodrome next month. It was a fascinating night which has certainly wet my appetite for the fantastic season ahead. The evening started with a performance of the Pas de deux from Cinderella, danced by Karla Doorbar and Lachlan Monaghan. This is a beautiful dance, made all the more iconic on the dark, sparse floor stage…
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Gaslight opens at the New Alex Theatre
A Victorian melodrama that was actually written in 1938 and has been filmed twice doesn’t necessarily sound like the most obvious play for a revival, But Gaslight is absolutely riviting, with excellent performances from the three leads, and a story that twists and turns and grips right from the very start. The action takes place over the course of one night, in the year 1871, with all events focusing on the drawing room in the home of Bella and Jack Manningham. What seems like a happy marriage is very soon shown to be anything but, as Bella is unveiled as a woman most definitely on the edge of madness, a…
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Dick Whittington – Festive Family Fun at the Birmingham Hippodrome
The UK’s biggest and best panto opened last night, as the Birmingham Hippodrome launched Dick Whittington, this year’s festive offering. A star studded cast, including John Barrowman, The Krankies, Steve McFadden and Jodie Prenger dazzled and delighted the packed auditorium with all the best of panto tradition, presenting a dazzlingly camp and frothy spectacle that was, quite simply, hilarious. As with the best of panto, the story held little resemblance to the legend of Dick Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London. Instead, it pitted a very dashing Dick (and not matter how I write that, it still sounds naughty) against the villainous King Rat, both trying to control the…
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Aladdin at the Wolverhampton Grand – Fantastic Entertainment
You know when Santa is starting to pack up the sleigh when Panto season begins, and last night the Wolverhampton Grand got the season off to a flying start with a wonderfully funny version of Aladdin, starring a host of hilarious stars and absolutely delighting the audience with its sheer fun and exuberance. It is, quite frankly, the best Wolverhampton Grand panto in years and I enjoyed every single minute of it. All the key elements were in place with X Factor winner Joe McElderry showing off the amazing vocal talent that made him such a runaway winner. He is well matched with his beautiful princess, Britain’s got Talent’s Lucy…
