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Birmingham Hippodrome New season review Part 2.
Following on from Part 1 of the Birmingham Hippodrome New Season review, which appeared on the blog last week, today I bring you the second part of the Q&A sessions, this time featuring David Bintley, the creative director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Kash Bennett from the National Theatre, who was talking about the phenomenal success of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time. David Bintley – Birmingham Royal Ballet David Bintley’s Cinderella is part of the new season at the Birmingham Hippodrome, coming to the theatre in February. David explained: “I felt there was a gap for a real Cinderella. The Ugly sisters needed to be…
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The Nutcracker opens and we celebrate Sir Peter Wright’s 90th Birthday
What signals the start of Christmas to you? Putting up the decorations and the tree? Starting the shop for those special gifts? The Coca Cola advert on the TV (holidays are coming, holidays are coming…). Well for me, Christmas comes when I go to see The Nutcracker staged by the Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Last night this was made even more special and unforgettable by being both the opening night and also being the 90th birthday of the legendary Sir Peter Wright, the genius behind The Nutcracker. He chose to spend that special night in Birmingham, coming on stage for a standing ovation and a chorus of Happy Birthday. This was…
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Ashton Double bill sparkles at Birmingham Hippodrome
Spring season came to the Birmingham Hippodrome last night with the opening of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s latest offerings, ‘The Dream’ and ‘A Month in the Company’. This Sir Frederick Ashton double bill transported the audience to the Forest of Arden for a balletic take on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and to Victorian Russia for a tale of forbidden romance and emotion. Two very different ballets, both totally wonderful in their own way. The Dream The classic Shakespeare story lends itself so beautifully to ballet. Titania (a stunning, ethereal Nao Sakuma) quarrels with her King Oberon, the King of the Fairies over a changeling boy who he wants to be…
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Dressed for work with the Birmingham Royal Ballet
A wonderful new photographic exhibition opened in Birmingham last week. ‘Dressed for Work’ is a fantastic celebration of the work of Marta Kochanek and is part of the 25th Birthday celebrations of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. The photographs feature four of the key dancers from the BRB, First Soloist Celine Gitttens, Principal Momoko Hirata, Soloist Rory Mackay and Principal Cesar Morales and shows their transformation from their normal wardrobes, to being ‘Dressed for Work’. I love the idea behind the exhibition, which states “Most of us naturally think of our wardrobes as including both work and play clothes, or casual or dress clothes. But what happens when fancy dress is…
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The Nutcracker brings Christmas Magic to Birmingham
A visit to see ‘The Nutcracker’ always signifies the start of my Christmas. The classic Tchaikovsky ballet which tells the magical story of the night before Christmas, is a seasonal treat that arrived at the Birmingham Hippodrome this weekend, delighting audiences young and old. To put it simply, The Nutcracker is Christmas, especially when staged by the fabulous Birmingham Royal Ballet, celebrating 25 years in 2015. It is sparkle and glitter, excitement and anticipation, presents and children, and, most of all dreams and magic. This is all reflected in the exquisite set design, which transforms from a sumptuous Victorian home, complete with an enormous Christmas Tree (courtesy of Prince Albert,…
