Back from Brum

Well, isn't the plot of Il Trovatore just too depressing and ludicrous for words? And the staging didn't help either. All very dour and dark and unimaginative (to my mind). And poor old Dennis O'Neill. Fantastic voice (even when he's singing off-stage as he has to lot in this play) but 4 foot high and 5 foot around does not the figure of a romantic troubadour make! Still Cinderella was brilliant. No fairy godmother (something to do with the Pope's attitude to witches when Rossini wrote the thing apparently) but a couple of really comic ugly sisters and a fantastic father. The prince had a lovely voice as did his tutor (a central character essentially replacing the fairy godmother). The costumes were also great as was the imaginative staging. The rats got on my nerves a bit though. Apart from that lots of shopping (didn't buy a great deal though, 2 pairs of cufflinks and a Xmas present and that was it) and a couple of drinks on the scene. Their Harvey Nicks is tiny although their Selfridges is bigger than ours - and housed in that fantastic building too. Hotel was warm and comfortable with lots of hot water so all in all a very nice weekend. That's all. J x