A Night at the Theatre

And what a night it was. I had been looking forward to this production of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty since last May when I booked the ticket. At least I was able to drive to Clifton tram station and take the tram into Nottingham which stops right by the Theatre Royal. Only my second outing to drive since my op.

It was a staggering performance. The dancing and acting was immaculate. You could feel the sensuality and the power of Caradoc, the Son of the evil fairy Carabosse. Three of the 'good' fairies were played by men of whom Count Lilac was singularly impressive. I noted from the programme that the roles are rotated between all the dancers so that they all have a chance to shine.

An intake of breath when Count Lilac gave the kiss of the vampire to the young gamekeeper who truly loved Aurora but that was the only way he could stay alive until she woke from her sleep.

The wedding scene was pure Venetian Gothic with the darkness and the colours of the costumes.

And then there was the baby realistically manipulated by company puppeteers. Oh I think Bourne's dance productions/ballets are not to be missed. If you get the chance, go to see them. The Nutcracker will be on BBC iPlayer for the next 10 months.

We did also go to the market, drank coffee at Finkins and then drove to Leicester to fetch William out of school.