... Clash of styles grabs attention Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky Whether this piece, by John Adams and June Jordan, represents the future of opera I would not like to say. But there is no doubt that it is significant in bringing the operatic form to a young audience. Some might claim that it is more of a musical than an opera, but it is ...

... La Boheme Royal Opera House In 1996, John Copley returned to reinvigorate his 1974 production of Puccini's Bohemian 'tranche de vie' with three different casts, whose singular characteristics subtly defined each staging, the singers giving performances which were naturally thought through. The current revival wholly lacks any such personal touch. The cast seems very much left to its own ...

... The Rake's Progress Cambridge/Touring Circumstances resulted in my missing the first scene of English Touring Opera's enjoyable new production of Stravinsky's work at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. My spirits initially faltered as Mother Goose's punks and punters grope and rhubarb in standard orgy mode, bathed in red-saturated lighting with 'Girls, Girls, Girls' flashing on the rear wall of Emma ...

... Working in the shadows Musselburgh/Touring Tabula Rasa On the clean slate of the Brunton Theatres almost empty stage, choreographer and dancer Claire Pencak's Tabula Rasa company etch minimal dance forms in a twilight world of slow, undulating music. The three dances in this spring tour programme speak of a twilight world and demand intense concentration. w Openwork, a trio in which Pencak ...

... Piccadilly Dance Orchestra Queen Elizabeth Hall Saluting the golden age of the Hollywood musical, this snow ranged from Puttin' on the Ritz (1930) through to High Society (1956) and included medleys celebrating such celluloid legends as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Maurice Chevalier, Eddie Cantor and songwriters Harry Warren and Al Dubin. Among the many familiar items were a few less ...

... Manilow's sweet music recalled By John Martland Noel Coward's famous remark about the potency of cheap music is probably more relevant today than it ever was, and it certainly is extraordinary how often a situation or experience can spark off the memory of a particular sons or part of one. For example, the phrase: Seems the honey fairly drips, from the old Andy Razaf and Fats Waller number ...

... Variety Show Greenford Featuring a speciality act, a comic and a headliner, this tight, old style variety show at Greenford Hall was produced by veteran Jack Seaton in association with local MP the late Harry Greenway. A wealth of songs were included in a meaty 120 minutes of entertainment. Comedy musician Steven Geller is an adept banjo player, with a nifty line in patter and George Formby ...

... Unspoken Glasgow The power of dance to weave new worlds has been harnessed beautifully by The X Factor's new work at the Tron. And it is a drowned world, full of liquid movement and cold regret. Choreographed and danced by X Factor founder Alan Greig and guest artist David Hughes, it is a rich and unforgettable work. Spoken text, devised by Greig with Derek McLuckie, reveals a story of ...

... Dogged look at life's lunacies BAC Dog John Hegley's latest one-man show is a mongrel affair of poetry, songs and stand-up. Although the linking theme is dogs, cat lovers should not be put off. It is true that canines feature strongly in most of the material, but Hegley's subject is really the eccentricities of human behaviour especially dog owners. The result is a frequently hilarious, ...

... 48th Annual Blackpool Magicians Convention Blackpool Some 2,500 magic fans from around the world came to see a host of magicians at this mammoth event, which took nlaoe at the Winter Gardens A packed programme included lectures, shows, workshops and competitions, ending in a gala show at the Opera House. Here, compere Johnnie Casson kept things moving at a slick pace, telling great gags and ...

... St David's Night Comedy Special The Spot On the face of it, the Welsh seem to share less comedic common ground than their Celtic cousins. Where Irish stand-ups can resort to blarney or the mention of Riverdance to get a diffident crowd onside, Welsh performers find less mileage in Treorchy Male Voice Choir or pit closures. Something the diversity of acts drawn to Covent Garden for this all ...

... A Tribute to Frankie Vaughan Liverpool Friends and admirers of the late Frankie Vaughan gathered at the Empire Theatre to pay tribute to one of Liverpool's favourite sons. After an overture from The Danny Mannix Orchestra, compere Frank Carson opened the show with a few comical 'crackers'. There was a brief stint from the distinguished Wyn Calvin and The Siege Dancers made two fleeting ...