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      This is where I will keep you up to date with all things theatre 

17 May - Raining Men at Lichfield Garrick

30 June - The Taming of the Shrew at the Globe

 

 

I went to see Oddsocks version of Richard III at Cathedral Green, Derby - it was really good and funny!

5 September, I went to see As You Like It at the Globe. This is the third time I have been there and this year the play was brilliant. I was in the yard right next to the stage. You can watch all the actors closely and all their expressions. They all looked as though they were enjoying it and this made it really good. It was funny with lots of songs and some great dancing at the end. I try and go every year and am really looking forward to the next season.

21 November - Nation at the National Theatre - This was great, in the Olivier Theatre. The whole thing was amazing, the actors, costumes, scenery and special effects. It was so good, I would like to see it again as there was so much in it. The 2 hour 40 minutes flashed by. I really enjoyed the puppets and the scenes on the ocean - the tsunami effect was superb. Thank you for a great experience, the National Theatre is brilliant for wheelchairs, so easy to get everywhere. Will definately be going back to see something else.

3 January 2010 - another trip to the Globe to see Footsbarn's Christmas Cracker. A great production with tightrope walkers. acrobats, a 3 headed Shakespeare and an accordian playing magot amongst many others! Fast moving and great effects and of course the Globe atmosphere made this a really enjoyable afternoon.

29 January - to Derby Play House to see Oddsocks version of Romeo and Juliet. The theatre is in the Westfields Centre, just incase you are going, which makes it odd when you come out and walk through an empty shopping centre. The performance was good, set in Verona between the owners of pasta and pizza resturants. Very funny and entertaining, Oddsocks certainly give you an evening to remember!

16 May - MacBeth at the Globe - WOW! This was something else, a non stop performance with blood and gore. It is impossible to describe the staging and audience participation particularly in the pit. Go and see it - it's fantastic.

29 August - to Ashby to see Oddsocks version of A Midsummers Nights Dream with Lou and Lawrence. It was funny with audience participation and comments on Lawrences shorts and hat. They are doing Hamlet next and will definately go and see that.

18 September - a back stage tour of the Royal Opera House at 1030. This place is huge and the auditorium itself is very lavish and ornate. Back stage, you could easily get lost with miles of corridors and lifts to different levels. Costume department very light and full of all sorts of materials. Massive scenery department but my best bit was when we saw the Royal Ballet rehearsing and Dame Monica Mason, the Director of the Royal Ballet took me into the room to watch - amazing!

After, we went over to the Globe to see Bedlam. This was great and very entertaining even though the subject matter was sad. It is also the first play written by a woman to be performed at the Globe. The atmosphere was as good as usual and can't wait to see what's in the new season.

29 October - Rocky Horror Picture Show - Off to the Alexandra Theatre with Lou and Lawrence, all dressed up. This was great with everyone dressed up and joining in the Time Warp - great evening out and a real good laugh with Lou & Lol.

5 November - Jekyll and Hyde musical at the Lichfield Garrick - not bad, a bit melodramatic and tragic with no laughs but good performances and a great set and effects.

4 December - this was a complete surprise but off to see MADNESS at the DeMonfort Hall in Leicester with Lou. It was brill, got a Night Boat to Cairo fez and a really good program. The concert was great with everyone dancing and singing.

5 February 2011 - Hamlet the Comedy at the Brewhouse by Oddsocks. Really good and funny with some good music, staging was brill. Me and Lou did front of house selling the programmes which I really enjoyed. We also got to meet the cast backstage before, so a really great evening and a great experience.

5 March - Swan Lake, the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera House - WOW! - this was a great experience, the venue, the music, the fabulous sets and costumes. I wasn't sure if I would like it but now I would definately go again. Not only was it enjoyable but the access, the assistance was first class. A wonderful day out.

24 March - off to cineworld in Birmingham to see National Theatre's production of Frankenstein. This was a live broadcast of the play as it happened on stage - if you couldn't get tickets (which we couldn't), then this is the next best thing. The NT's staging was brilliant and the performances were superb. I would definately go to see another broadcast like this.

8 April - Ha Ha Holmes at the Lichfield Garrick Studio with Lou,Lol, Joe and Paul and deerstalkers and capes. Really good venue for something like this, up close and right in the action. A great night.

24 April - Hamlet at the Globe in the evening twilight. Just brilliant and the atmosphere electric. How do they do it every time?

9 July - hold onto your ears - We Will Rock You at the Birmingham Hippodrome with Lou, Joe and Paul and the Groovy Grannies playing air guitar! They also sang to the CD all the way down in the car!

17 July - King Lear at Stowe House, Lichfield in the open air on a grey drizzly day which added to the  -performance. I enjoyed this and Wendy A brought a great picnic.

3 September - Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe. Fast moving, funny, hilarious, great performances from the whole cast. A joy to watch and to be there. Left feeling all warm inside.

22 October - One Man, Two Governors at the Alexandra Theatre. This was really really funny. The whole cast were superb. Certainly lived up to all the reviews. This is a good venue for wheelchairs.

4 November - Queen Tribute at Brewery Museum. Me, Lou, Joe, Paul, James, Lorraine, Andy, Lynne and Alan - what a mob, we were going to enjoy ourselves no matter what, and we did.

19 November - The Nutcracker at the Garrick - Minsk Ballet Company - went with Wendy A. I've seen this on telly but to see it live was even better, amazing what these dancers can do and the music is just great.

3 December - Classical Spectacular at NIA Birmingham - all the popular classics, lots of singing and flag waving, lights, lasers and the 1812 Finale with canons, bells and fireworks. Really enjoyed this and to see a symphony orchestra (Birmingham) was brilliant. Great atmosphere, will watch out for this next year and go again.

11 December - A Comedy of Errors at the National with Lenny Henry - very complicated and easier to watch than try and explain the plot. The production was amazing with a shipwreck, rescue helicopter and an ambulance driving onto the stage! Very funny all the way through andf everything ending up ok in the end.

17 December - off to see the Levellers with Lou in Leicester - an amazing live band with great songs and lots of joining in with the audience.

17 February - to Lichfield Garrick with Wendy to see the great great grandson of Charles Dickens do a one man performance of Nicholas Nickleby. It was brilliant to see one person doing all the characters and also tell us abit about his great great grandad.

1 March - NT Live, Comedy of Errors at the Quad with Lou, good to see again and next best thing to a live performance.

10 March - Chicago at the New Alexandra, a really great musical and the costumes were great!

26 March - Anne Bolelyn at New Alexandra - on recommendation from Chris, the Globe production on tour. Really good and James 1 was brilliant.

3 April - NT Live, She Stoops to Conquer - a superb performance, fast moving, funny and bawdy, never know whether to join in with applause at the end which was richly deserved.