English National Ballet - Nutcracker

23rd - 26th November 2016

Over 100 dancers and musicians bring Nutcracker to life, with Tchaikovsky's glorious score played live.

This ballet is simply mesmerising from the start.  It has sumptuous sets, dazzling costumes and magical storytelling.  

On a sparkling Christmas Eve in a frost dusted Edwardian London, Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker doll discover a magical world, where she battles with the Mouse King and meets a handsome stranger...

The corps and orchestra were superb throughout, the dancers simply enchanting. Alina Cojocaru as Clara and James Forbat as her beloved Nutcracker dance so beautifully together - both confidently and with such delicacy.

The attention to detail is superb, the dance students of the Tring Park School for Performing Arts (Sophia Mucha as the young Clara and Euan Garret as the young Freddie) worked so impressively with the ENB dancers.

From the sound of the orchestra tuning up, to the final bows and rapturous applause - a trip to see the English National Ballet perform Nutcracker is an unforgettable Christmas treat!

An absolute timeless Christmas classic, a show for all ages to enjoy.

Lily B x

The Commitments

Milton Keynes Theatre 1st - 5th November 2016

The Commitments is unashamedly exuberant and frenetic, this staging of the Roddy Doyle book/film as a musical can be described in just two words...bloody brilliant!

There is nothing to be faulted about the cast, the music or the clever stage set.

Roddy Doyle's tale of the rise and fall of a young Dublin soul band began life as a novel in 1987 and was turned into a smash hit movie by Alan Parker in 1991. 

The Commitments is a fantastically feel good celebration of soul music.  The storyline provides a cast iron excuse for romping through a plethora of classic soul and Motown numbers, including In the Midnight Hour, What becomes of the Broken Hearted and Mustang Sally to name just a few.  There was just enough without toppling into the realms of the dreaded "jukebox musical" category and all performed live on stage.

The Commitments is the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young working class music fan, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians and friends into an amazing live act, the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced.  Placing a classified advert in a music paper, Jimmy auditions a number of wannabes before finalising the new line up who he names The Commitments..."the world's hardest working bad, bringing soul music to the people of Dublin"

Brian Gilligan is phenomenal as the obnoxiously big-headed Deco, his fantastic voice ranging from a sexy falsetto to a deep rasping boom (even when stuffing his face with chips whilst singing I heard it through the grapevine!)

Andrew Linnie as Jimmy plays his part incredibly well and it was nice to see Kevin Kennedy (Coronation Street's beloved Curly Watts) as Jimmy's dad, he genuinely looked like he enjoyed every moment on stage.

The whole cast are uber talented, mix the amazing music in and hey presto - you have one fantastic show and one great night out!

Lily B x