Pulcinella

That makes me feel really old as I remember attending the Dress Rehearsal and the First Night.

He trained at Elmhurst but went initially to the Norwegian National Ballet.

I have just come across a book "The London Spy: A Discreet Guide to the City's Pleasures" dating from 1971 in which there is the following comment on the ROH. "Booking can be difficult and the subscription voucher scheme is worth joining. Otherwise it is a queueing job (at Covent Garden an art in itself) and/or paying up (and it is up to £5.25p). For the poor there are the slips, 50p. which offer an appallingly restricted view but reasonable sound." Those were the days! I remember my first ticket cost 10/6d in the front row of the amphitheatre in 1969. The fact that this same seat can now be over £90 is somewhat horrifying.

One example of a dancer who danced both the Young Girl and the Gypsy in Two Pigeons is Margaret Barbieri. She was originally cast, against type, as the Gypsy in the school performance (when Lesley Collier was the Girl) and continued in this role as well as then being given the Girl. She was marvellous in both roles. She also only danced Juliet once, this was before BRB added it to their repertoire. She had to ask for a performance at the ROH, which was granted and such a pity she was never able to dance it again.

I don't know if people have waded all the way down the press release but the Sarasota ballets are interesting. Although it says Main Stage at the top these performances will actually be in the Linbury. I'm particularly thrilled by Valses nobles et sentimentales as I've never seen it and although I saw Sinfonietta when it was first performed I can't remember much about it. THE SARASOTA BALLET Main Stage 4 – 9 June 2024 Part of Ashton Celebrated Choreography Frederick Ashton Two programmes to include: Valses nobles et sentimentales Music Maurice Ravel Design Sophie Fedorovitch Dante Sonata Music Franz Liszt Design Sophie Fedorovitch Sinfonietta Music Malcolm Williamson Design after Peter Rice Façade Music William Walton Design John Armstrong Part of Ashton Worldwide, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s international festival 2024 — 2028 The Sarasota Ballet has grown over the past decade into one of America’s leading ballet companies, garnering acclaim for its extensive repertory of Frederick Ashton’s works. Director Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, former Royal Ballet dancers, bring to the Linbury Theatre a selection of works, shown over two programmes, that pays tribute to Ashton’s remarkable choreographic range and celebrates his legacy as Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet and a pioneer of 20th-century ballet. Works shown will include Valses nobles et sentimentales, Dante Sonata, Sinfonietta and Façade, among others.

Here is a link to the NYCB 2023/24 season announcement: https://www.balletnews.co.uk/new-york-city-ballet-announces-2023-24-season/?fbclid=IwAR2PbqP2-iCtuuW_LocoMOA9YbvosbOTWk1OfrT4Xrqkiv51UhwAHX1tmaM

I've just received an email to say an extra performance of Black Sabbath has been added on Sunday 24th Sept at 1pm. General booking opens on 24th April at 11am. All the other performances are sold out.

There is also a Wednesday matinee of the Robbins bill on 1st November.

I used to live in Birmingham so have been to the Hippodrome more times than I care to remember. I usually sit in the stalls and get a gangway seat on one of the side blocks. You're more or less guaranteed a clear view across the aisle and only miss a small amount of the action. If you have someone with you their view may be obstructed if there is someone tall sitting in front but because you're looking at the stage at a slight angle you're looking between the people in front. If you sit in the front row you can't see the dancer's feet properly. There is reasonable leg room in most of the stalls seats unlike the circle where it is more restricted, especially row A. Against this the view from the circle is excellent as there is a very steep rake. The rake in the stalls is not good until you get to the back few rows. As regards parking beware that Birmingham has a clean air zone charge for entering the city centre. It was £8 when I had to pay it but may have gone up. I now usually travel by train with New Street station being a very short walk away (although the shortest route involves a set of very steep steps, there is another rote which is flat but it takes slightly longer). Moor Street station is also an easy walk of about 10 minutes.

Being Birmingham born and bred I ought to be thrilled by this and I admire Carlos for doing something different which should bring in an entirely new audience who would never normally consider seeing a ballet. I feel I should go to see it, it being a landmark work but do I want to see it? Not really as I don't like heavy metal music and the fact I now have to travel a fairly long distance to B'ham doesn't help my decision. I think this will put a lot of the traditional audience off but will attract a new one. I'll be interested to hear others thoughts.

Many thanks for that, I'll try that next time I want two tickets. I was booking on an iPad which showed me the same as above.

I got all the tickets I wanted with no trouble except for the one performance where I wanted to book two tickets together. I had to add the first one but I couldn't then add the second easily, I had to go through as though I was booking another performance. Does anyone know an easier way? To add, I don't often buy two seats together but it would be useful to know for future reference.

Having just looked at the website for Wolverhampton Grand I see there is a matinee on the 24th but no performance on 25th.

Why is Nottingham the only place with a matinée? I can get to Wolverhampton easily enough (assuming by then the trains are running normally) but cannot get home again in the evening. My last train back leaves at 20.41, far too early for an evening performance.

I ind if you put ROH cast sheets in to Google that brings up the correct page. Looking for it on the ROH site takes forever.

BRB have just announced their performances for June next year at the Birmingham Hippodrome. They are a triple bill of Apollo/Interlinked and 'Still Life' at the Penguin Cafe. Interlinked was premiered in June as part of the 'On Your Marks' triple bill. The performances are Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th June. Also announced are performances of The Nutcracker for 2023 running from Friday 17th November to Saturday 9th December. Public booking for both bills opens next Wednesday, 16th November at 11am. I'm a bit gutted that I shall have to miss the triple bill as I already have a holiday booked.

Very limited screenings in Wales - one in Cardiff is all I can find. My nearest screening is over 60 miles away in Telford!

I think the reason for this was because the booking has just opened for The Lion King next year. There is not normally a long wait on the Hippodrome website.

I have to agree with the above. I saw this earlier this evening at the Wyeside Arts Centre in Builth Wells where the stage is minute, in fact it's not even really a stage as it is on a level with where you enter if you're sitting at the front. I really admire how the dancers cope with such a small area. I think this company does a great job in taking live ballet to places that never normally get the chance to see any. The standard of the dancing is really high and as already mentioned very good quality costumes which I know are made in their own workshops. The audience obviously liked it as there were lots whoops and cheers at the end.

Yes, I do and he was opinionated then!

This may be a major error, agreed, but what hasn't been mentioned here is that this refers to 70 lost recordings from Desert Island Dscs which have been found in someone's attic. Not only is one of them Margot Fonteyn but also Anthony Dowell and Alicia Markova.

I'd booked for the Saturday evening performance for this, the only one I thought I'd be able to get to as my husband and I will be on holiday in Germany that week. However I discovered we are not due back into St Pancras until 7 o'clock so there is no way we will be able to get to the Coliseum in time. Luckily I've been able to pass the tickets on to my son. Quite disappointed as it would have been good to see the company.

I enjoyed many performances she gave while with SWRB as it then was and my first ever visit to the ROH was a performance of The Sleeping Beauty in which she was Aurora. A lovely dancer who was sadly missed when she retired. RIP Vyvyan.

The Grand Tour by Joe Layton based on an imaginary cruise but featuring Noel Coward, Mary Pickford, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas among others.

It's also down to be screened again on Sky Arts next Wednesday, 27th, at 6.10am. I've managed to miss seeing this so far so have made a note to record it.