Winters Tale Ballet ,Tis Pity , Buddy , Cats and These Precious Hidden Things

It has been a while since I have written in my blog , but I bring news of more shows I have seen and particitpated in as well . To begin with at the end of April I went to see The Winters Tale ballet at the cinema with my friend Hannah. It was broadcast live from the royal opera house and was a very powerful piece . The winters tale translated well into to a ballet and the first act was powerful , Leontes was very strong and his jealous rage sequence was very smooth and snake like , Hermione was graceful and gentle and Polixones was really hot . The contrast between the two acts was portrayed well act 2 was very happy and lighter , I personally liked the young shepherd  and the shepherdess they were light and funny as well . I would love to see it if it came to the stage again and maybe buy the DVD.

On a whim I went to see Buddy with my friend Jess in Brighton , I have allway's liked Buddy Holly's music , it is light and easy to listen and bop along to . Buddy tells the story of Buddy Holly's rise to fame and his short lived life as well . The show was simple but worked well and all the music was performed by a onstage band who played brilliantly . The actor who played Buddy was brilliant and sounded just like him and the big bopper and Ricky Vallens had great character as well . Buddy holly died in a tragic plane crash alongside these two artists but his story is honourably told and his music is kept alive in this show .

I saw Cheek By Jowls adaptation of Tis Pity she's a whore at the theatre royal in Brighton as part of the Brighton festival fro 2014 . It was a modern adaptation and worked well , it ran for 90 minutes without a interval and had minor voilence and nudity as well , mostly male which didn't go unappreciated . I really enjoyed this version I liked that Annabella had a personality and was swayed into loving Soranzo , her relationship with Giovanni was more of a fling . Soranzo was smug and powerful but had a soft side , and I liked seeing Putana played older , the actress was hilarious and had great comic timing , although throughout the undoing scene I was on tenterhooks and shaking as I knew what was coming !!!

I saw Cats the musical on stage in Eastbourne , I have been waiting to see  this for years since I was very young but it closed in the west end before I had a chance to see it . I have it on DVD and have watched it over and over again and have my favourite cats and songs .. It was magical to me , the cats sneak up through the audience and interacted with us through out and the dancing , singing and  costumes were brilliant . I could not fault this show at   all . I loved MungoJerrie and Rumpleteazers cheek, Skimbleshanks , Mister Mistoffles was a great dancer and a cool costume with diamantes in and I loved Cassandras sass and grace .Grizabella made me cry as well , hearing memory made me cry a little . I recommend seeing this if you can it is superb and now my n.1 show, followed by Singing in the Rain , Chicago,Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and the Lion King.

Lastly I took part in the Brighton Fringe Festival in a production called these precious hidden things written by my friend Ellie . Performed in the sub basement of the old police cells museum in Brighton Town Hall , the play was set in 1932 in a fictional Rosemount Prison were the notorious pearl murderer Vincent Develin is imprisoned and awaiting trial . Irma Crane kills her boyfriend and is arrested for this crime , she is brought to rousemount and sees Vincent they begin a sordid and disturbing love affair . The prison Doctor is hearing a seeing things , visions of a Lady in White - Christiana Edmunds  is haunting him and mistaking him for the doctor she had a affair with in the period between 1900 and 1910, she killed his wife by poisoning violet cream chocolates . I played Christiana and found her graceful but disturbing . It was a challenge, but I did enjoy playing a bit of a Victorian psycho. She did not give up easily and tried to kill the doctor at one point and dislikes the prison archevist Jean who loves the doctor as well . There were some other ghosts and a interesting twist involving the Sargent Nash who was guiding the tour or audience around the space . The play was well received by all , but I will not miss that spooky space !!! 

Next up we are doing Shakespeares As You Like It , and I'm looking forward to seeing : Avenue Q, Shakespeare in Love, The wedding dress exhibition and the dream ballet as well.