Jacqueline

I can't find the dvd listed on the ROH shop online site and I gather the actual shop is closed or much reduced in its alternative, temporary location. I don't know if they are still sending stuff out in the post if you order over the phone. It might be worth a phone call. Anyway, the dvd is available from Amazon. Just be aware of the possibility that it may be in the old square shape picture format,unless your tv has the same facility as mine and shows a full size picture. I don't even know how it works but am glad it does!

Mmm, I can't explain it. My tv is quite a standard,no frills model. Perhaps it is just an anomaly.'Tis better to be a little fuzzy than very fat I guess.

My copy is in 4:3 format according to the dvd box. I can't remember when I bought it but it was several years ago. You can go through the usual adjustments for screen size - cinema, panoramic etc and 4:3 comes up as the old square shaped picture but otherwise the dvd just comes on as a full screen picture on my tv, without any fiddling with the remote.

The Ferri/Eagling dvd is a full screen picture for a modern tv. As I said earlier though, the picture quality is a little fuzzy. I've been reading reviews and it would seem this is the case generally, not just that my own copy has been watched so many times I have worn it out! I would thoroughly recommend it if you are considering getting a copy. The chemistry between Ferri and Eagling is incredible. It also has some dance/character greats such as David Drew and Derek Rencher. The slight fuzziness of the picture seems to add to the atmosphere of the ballet. In my opinion anyway.

It isn't the fear of spiders that is irrational but the way we react and deal with that fear. It may well be a sort of primal learned behaviour, a bit like fire is hot and so on, or an instinctive withdrawal from something we don't understand or cannot control and therefore fear. Some people are just more able to rationalise than others. As for the buttons, it sounds absurd but it could be that person has suffered some sort of button related trauma. It could have been an actual event or a casual, unthinking comment. Who knows how people react to things others might consider unremarkable and it stays with them forever, or until they do something about it. I don't have a problem with buttons by the way! I used to laugh at that ad Peter Kay did a while back, I think for some sort of ale. The characters are in a restaurant and Kay is supposedly talking to his child on the phone, who is having difficulty getting to sleep for fear of the bogeyman lurking under the bed. Kay says something along the lines of how it isn't the bogeyman under the bed you should be afraid of, but the man coming in through the bedroom window! Very amusing if you take it as the joke it is, but to an impressionable person i.e. child, terrifying. Which was of course, the point. His character was the only one who didn't see why. Anyway, something usually triggers these things but as you say, Melody, it can also be that part of the brain just misfiring. According to a counsellor I know,(not in a professional capacity), it is not uncommon for the fear response to misfire. The brain is truly a fascinating thing.

No, it doesn't really does it, if it is a matter of enthusiasm. I have just realised this run goes into early December. This may be a stupid question but why are there such long runs of ballets such as R&J, Swan Lake etc. Why don't they break them up a bit and spread them across a year?

I am aware of the visits by Northern Ballet to Sheffield. Unfortunately, these are roughly six months apart and I hasten to add, that is not a criticism. In between there is next to nothing and I think there was a thread a while ago, about the lack of ballet/dance in Sheffield and possible reasons for it. I remember some years ago, attending the N.B.'s Romeo and Juliet and excellent it was too. The cast was thoroughly rehearsed in an exciting and engaging production.They knew it was good and were enjoying it as much as the audience. I would like to see that again. As for the R.B. possibly being a bit flat last night, I find peoples' differing perceptions interesting. It is of course true that one's mood can have a big effect on how one responds to a performance. I also think, and this may have been said before, that it must be hard for the dancers and musicians sometimes, particularly in a ballet like R&J, and when there are so many performances of the same thing, however experienced they are, to crank it all up again and make it seem fresh and spontaneous for another audience. Then again, sometimes it just falls flat for no particular reason. I have sat through some of these and you can't really put your finger on why? This is just my opinion.

My favourite is also the Ferri/Eagling recording. Unfortunately, the picture and sound quality are not great, unless it is just my own copy. It would be nice to have the recording improved or digitalised if that is the correct term, if it is even possible. Otherwise,for bang up to date quality in more ways than one, I too, would go for Cuthbertson/Bonelli.

On the subject of Romeo and Juliet, we have a feast in store at the Lyceum in nearby Sheffield with no fewer than five related events. There is the play itself which carries a warning on the theatre website, that it 'may' contain strong language. Don't they know? After all, the play has been around for a while! This production is the actual, original play, not one of those re - imagined versions set perhaps, in a supermarket check out queue circa 1985. Doesn't say it is anyway. Next up is Page to Stage, which I suppose speaks for itself. Then a Touch Tour, which is an opportunity for people who are visibly impaired, to acquaint themselves with the lay out of the stage and the scenery.Then there is a workshop, a technical stage tour and finally, a 'meet the cast' coffee morning. Wow, that is pretty thorough. In keeping with the dearth of dance in Sheffield, there is no ballet whatsoever, anywhere.

As you say Lisa, you have a severe phobia. All phobias are based on irrational fear and can be treated - cured or brought under control - with cognitive behavioural therapy. You should perhaps ask your G.P. about referring you to somebody who can help you. There are also various websites for C.B.T. I don't suppose many people are that keen on spiders in the house - some of them seem very big and it is the unpredictability of their movement that can cause fear. Most of our fears/anxieties are learned behaviour and based on a lack of understanding/knowledge of a given situation. A proper therapist can help you with that. As a result of a childhood incident, I suffer from claustrophobia but as an adult, I have learned to rationalise and avoid certain situations that would otherwise bring on panic attacks, breathing difficulties etc. It is quite possible to 'unlearn' irrational behaviours/reactions. As far as spiders and indeed any living creatures are concerned, it is not the creature that is the problem but your reaction to it. There are a lot of spiders around at this time of year (and daddy long legs as mentioned) they come indoors looking for warmth - not of the boiling water kind! - or are attracted by the lights we put on as evenings draw in. If we could only try and appreciate them for what they are - in existence over millions of years, their place in ecology, the beauty and intricacy of a spider's web over a shrub on a misty, autumnal morning. That they are, whether you like them or not, living creatures that are not going to hurt you and do not deserve to have boiling water thrown over them or be stamped on, just because of an irrational human fear. If you can get this into perspective, you will be free of this phobia or at least be in control of it. Do try the C.B.T.

Me too re: Sarah Lamb. Wish I had a ticket now but I can only afford one visit and I chose the Viscera bill. I am skiving off work tomorrow though to see R&J at the local fleapit. Lovely pics as always!!

Alison, my post about hair colour came in just after yours on the other thread and is now stranded where it doesn't make sense. Could you move it over here please? I don't know how to do it,

Fair hair is common in northern parts of Italy, along with a sort of almond eye colour. My friend's husband and family were from the Verona area and all had this colouring. Juliet could very well have been blonde. Personally, I think wigs should be avoided wherever possible. There have been some absolute horrors over the years with people sporting syrups that clearly don't match their complexion and as such are so distracting, in the end you can't take your eyes off them for all the wrong reasons! Maybe not quite as terrible as some of the Russian examples but when in doubt, don't.

No, Underwood doesn't mention this but Kevin O'Hare does. Mr O'Hare says that ballet is 'not that posh' and has been made more accessible through cinema screenings of performances and the Chance to Dance scheme, which works with schools to introduce ballet to children aged 7 - 8.

Only just spotted a small piece in yesterday's Sunday Times - Eric Underwood talking about snobbery and elitism in ballet. This subject is hardly new and in my opinion, Mr Underwood does little other than to trot out the same old, rather simplistic argument, without offering anything in the way of an answer. Apparently,having already done some outreach work, he is planning to tour the country talent spotting and teaching children from 'rough areas' about ballet. He then rather puts a spanner in the works by stressing the huge cost of being a dancer and saying that if it were less expensive, there might be more dancers from different walks of life. Unfortunately though, it is expensive so what do you do? There is a comment from Kevin O'Hare but I am not sure if I am overstepping how much I can say about an article, so I will leave it there.

I don't know if my nose was set to extra sensitive that Sunday, but I was also struck by the stink of urine around the entrance to the Coliseum. Perhaps it is a Saturday night, Sunday morning thing of the sort you would encounter in any town or city where anywhere can be a public toilet. I don't know if the Coliseum has any sort of outside cleaning policy - I ought to ask the management - but it was very off putting to climb the steps and walk through that smell. A couple of buckets - or maybe more! - of disinfectant and a scrub of the steps in the morning might be helpful! After all, this is supposedly a premier venue.

This has to be tribute of the year. Brilliant, love it!

Perhaps Mr O'Hare could put in a call to Alessandra Ferri. The tickets for Cheri are currently not flying off the shelves and Miss Ferri is not bad at Juliet I have heard!

I passed through Villiers Street on a very warm Sunday in August. It was disgusting as described. I should imagine it is a different story on weekdays, when perhaps there has been a rubbish collection and maybe some street cleaning. I was probably seeing at least two days/nights of rubbish and general squalor and the smells were appalling. I take it this is Villiers Street and I am not mistaken as to location - the street that runs from the Strand to the Embankment tube? I absolutely agree with your comments about theatre behaviour and the pointlessness of comparing the very olden days with the current. Completely different times. As children, we were taken to the full length Disney films and there was no question about how to behave, unless you were absolutely desperate for the toilet! Even then, you still got told off for not going before, even if you had! Now, I think we have more than one generation of people with no social skills, so there can be no passing on of good manners by those who themselves don't have any. This tends to manifest itself in the defensive line so many take when their behaviour is challenged. When I contacted the Linbury about my ticket options recently, the man I spoke to was extremely helpful but made it quite clear that if I were to pass on my ticket, the person attending should be made aware that there is absolutely no coming and going, once one is in one's seat and if one is late arriving, one will not get in at all! Good thing too!

Just heard this on the news. I was a great admirer of Brian Sewell, I liked his attitude towards life, people and animals. His knowledge was indeed, encyclopaedic but he was never 'up himself', like so many critics, or pretending to be something he wasn't. He just said what he thought and usually he was right, not just about art. R.I.P.

I would be asleep long before tuning in time, I like an early night. Apparently, Max can't sleep through music as he is too busy analyzing what he is hearing, but he can sleep through random noise. I can't quite remember the point of the exercise without re-watching the interview.

Saw Max Richter interviewed on BBC this morning. His 8 hour extravaganza 'Sleep' is to be broadcast in its entirety from midnight on September 26th on Radio 3. Sorry if this has been mentioned elsewhere.

I would have agreed about Nunez until I saw her in Winter's Tale. I thought she was excellent as Hermione, dramatic, moving and very convincing in her portrayal of a terribly wronged wife. I would also speak up for Sarah Lamb, whose Juliet I saw a few years ago with Putrov as Romeo. She was gorgeous, light as air and again very believable as a young girl in the throes of a great passion. Her death scene in the crypt was one of the few that have moved me to tears. Well, one or two tears perhaps. I am a tough old bird!

I enjoyed this programme very much. It was well put together, full of interesting insight and information and with some great imagery. I did enjoy the Sun King on the zebra crossing and his brief acknowledgement of the tourist with the camera! That just appealed to my sense of humour. Although I agree the bursts of modern music were jarring and unnecessary. I find the Baroque style of dance fascinating and most attractive, elegant and expressive. No splayed legs and in your face 'choreography' here thank you. As one of the guests said, it was all about expressing emotions through movement and the meaning was indeed clear. I also liked that little scene in the dance class where Mr Bintley was put right over arms in fifth, with the explanation about that which is not parallel and of course, the position of the arms being an opportunity to display a beautiful costume. The contrast between the dance for the peasantry and the elite was also very clearly demonstrated and explained. They weren't so much trying to make the peasants look coarse and slightly absurd - although the steps were amusing - as to show the huge and unbridgeable distance between those within and without the golden gates of the palace. No wonder the later peasants revolted. One would just have to really. As for the King Dances, I agree it didn't come across particularly well on the small - in my case 42" - screen. It is clearly a dramatic piece and I would think needs to be seen live. For me, it began to drag a little and although Mr Bintley did say it was not supposed to be a recreation of Baroque but more of a modern take - or words to that effect unless I am misremembering - I did think that parts were rather too far removed from the Baroque style and it didn't say anything to me. I would like to see it again, preferably live and as such I don't want to sound as though I am criticizing. I also enjoyed the repeat of Darcey's ballet heroines which preceded the above. Wasn't Suzanne Farrell a gorgeous dancer?

Did Chairman Mao really say this? I love his uncertainty about the exact number.