Alice Shortcake

I had to stop watching after about twenty seconds because the CGI human/cat effects made my skin crawl. Evidently some people are more sensitive to this sort of thing than others, but to me it's high octane nightmare fuel!

I had the same problem earlier this year after an opera performance (hello, fellow York resident!) Rather than risk having the show ruined by worrying about the risk of being stranded in London I decided to spend the night at one of the many budget hotels near King's Cross.

Interesting to hear that there will be a DVD of 'Victoria', but not of 'Casanova', which was also filmed.

Problem solved - tickets are available via the Birmingham Hippodrome but not from BRB's own website!

Public booking for the 19/20 season was supposed to open at 11 this morning. I'm sitting here, credit card in hand, dying to give BRB my money, but so far nothing has happened.

Something that looks like a triple mirror formed part of the set for 'The Haunted Ballroom': https://www.flickr.com/photos/crossettlibrary/16592603783

A couple of days before making a rare trip to London to see 'Akhnaten' at the Coliseum I developed the worst cough I've had for decades. Despite equipping myself with cough mixture, lozenges and bottled water I was terrified I'd become That Awful Person Who Coughs All the Way Through. Mercifully, other than a minor spasm near the beginning I remained cough-free throughout the performance - only to make up for it at the hotel, where my seal-like barking caused the woman in the next room to knock on my door and ask if I needed help!

I hope the production won't look as dark on DVD as it did in the cinema relay. I recently bought the new 'Onegin' DVD and was very disappointed by the dinginess of many scenes - perhaps I'm comparing it to the old (and therefore over-lit for TV) National Ballet of Canada version, or perhaps I need to invest in a better player!

More info here: http://www.russian-national-ballet.com

Watched once - just not my cup of tea. £16 including postage and packing.

Have there been any alterations to the reanimation scene, in which Victor made the monster from spare parts in about 90 seconds?

I'm baffled by Amazon's claim that the recently released 'Onegin' is Region 1 and therefore unsuitable for most DVD players in the UK, yet according to C Major's website the DVD is Region O. Has anyone here bought a copy from Amazon UK?

I've brought Cheryl's misleading comments to the attention of the Royal Ballet. More info if and when I get a response.

Does anyone remember a 1980s BBC show, the title of which I've forgotten, that was presented as the dance equivalent of the Cardiff Singer of the World competition? I vaguely remember that the programme featured young people performing ballet and contemporary dance, but I can't remember if it was a series or a one-off. As for Cheryl Cole, it's worth bearing in mind that anyone can edit a Wikipedia article...

I can't remember a thing about the Schaufuss Nutcracker other than that it involved a Sea of Lemonade and nutcracker dolls of various sizes. On the night I saw it at the Royal Festival Hall there were no programnes, and I had absolutely no idea what was happening on stage!