#Sandy Grierson

[rosncrntz]

royal shakespeare company → plays [1/?]

measure for measure (2019)

who will believe thee, isabel?

[bwthornton]

#StratfordonAvon #RSC #DidoQueenofCarthage 19.30 Fri 29 Sept Swan Theatre Stratford on Avon #Marlowe Read more:

http://stratford-upon-avon-theatre.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/rsc-dido-queen-of-carthage-by.html

http://www.bwthornton.co.uk/a-midsummer-mouse.php

[willstafford]

Ah, Vienna...

Ah, Vienna…

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon, Wednesday 7th August, 2019

  Some people label this a ‘problem play’ and I have a problem with that.  What it is is a dark comedy that deals with issues of morality.  Here, director Gregory Doran has for the most part a light touch, so the comedy has the upper hand over the darkness.  It’s definitely a production of two halves,…

[peterviney1]

Measure For Measure- RSC 2019 review Review of the third of ther RSC's major 2019 Shakespeare productions, MEASURE FOR MEASURE (linked) directed by Greg Doran. A major version … but read my review. Picture: Sandy Grierson as Angelo.

[friend-through-teenage-nights]

The best thing I’ve heard for a long time, a radio adaption of the 2014 biopic play of Ivor Cutler. It’s beneficial but not essential to be familiar with Cutler’s work to fully enjoy the programme, but I think that’s mainly due to the rush of joy I got from hearing the familiar songs suddenly start up and be played by a larger band, not just Cutler and his harmonium. Various songs and poems are used to transition between and sum up his life stages. The ending was very sad and unexpected to me, especially as one of my favourite songs is re-purposed to have a more sombre meaning in the context. 

The trailer for the play can be seen here.

[the-busy-ghost]

Favourite Hill and Adamson Photographs: 2/?

More favourite photographs from the pioneering Edinburgh studio of David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, taken between 1843 and 1847. 

Read more about Hill and Adamson here. There are hundreds more photographs from this collection on the National Galleries of Scotland website. Again, there are a lot of photographs of men in the collection too but I was particularly interested in the clothing of women and children (have to feel sorry for the latter- if you thought your parents dressed you in some natty stuff, the kids from 1840s Scotland would like a word).

From top to bottom:

- Harriet Farnie and Miss Farnie

- Unknown Group 13

- Mrs Kinloch of Park, nee Napier

- Miss Robertson

- Miss McNeill

- Miss Grierson

- Miss Mary McCandlish

- Sandy (or James) Linton, his boat and bairns, in Newhaven.

- A Mr Laing or Laine, in a sporting attitude

- Mrs Shanker

[lustywidovv]

As You Like It, RSC 2019 - Review

As You Like It, RSC 2019 – Review

Under the greenwood tree,

Who loves to lie with me.

The Royal Shakespeare Company are pushing their audience on to the stage in this inclusive new take on the woodland romance, As You Like It – the production’s programme talks much of breaking down the boundary between actor and audience and, though a nice idea, one can’t help their mind from wandering to the other art form to exploit this…

[nick33304]

Blog Post #9: Review of the RSC 2019 Production of As You Like It

Being one of Shakespeare’s plays that I am not a huge fan of, I was not looking that much forward to watching this production. However, while it did have its stumbles, I generally enjoyed it.

The acting was pretty good. Lucy Phelps as Rosalind was spectacular, and the actor who played Orlando did pretty well considering he was the backup actor. Sandy Grierson as Touchstone was hilarious and got to show off some physical  comedy, especially when he climbed off the edge of platform carrying a suitcase. Sophie Stanton was perfect as the melancholic Jacques. My personal favorite performance came from Antony Byrne who portrayed both Dukes. Duke Frederick and Duke Senior are completely different from each other, yet Byrne portrayed each superbly. Despite that I was looking at the same man with a different costume and hairstyle, he felt like two different people.

My favorite moment of the play happened when they transitioned between the court and the forest. The most famous passage from this play, “All the world’s a stage,” calls to mind that the audience is watching a play. During this transition between the two worlds, the lights went bright, and all the actors and crew began to change sets, costumes, and characters in front of the audience. At the beginning of the transition, the band played the theme song to the television series Game of Thrones. Like Game of Thrones, the world of the court is very political, full of betrayal and plots. Towards the end of the transition, the band played the tune to the song “The Bare Necessities” from Disney’s 1967 film adaptation of The Jungle Book. Like “The Bare Necessities,” the world of the forest is far more laid back, and peaceful than the court. By using these two familiar tunes from popular media, the play is emphasizing that it is a production to the audience.

As for some criticisms I have with the production, it could be a little too silly at times like when Touchstone throws confetti into the crowd. I also did not like how they portrayed Celia’s relationship with Rosalind. The central themes to As You Like It are gender and queerness and the text offers a queer reading into Celia’s relationship with Rosalind. However, in this production, she is portrayed as more of a side-kick to Rosalind. That is a severely limited interpretation of the character, and they could have done more with her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this production of As You Like It, despite its flaws.

[judechristian]

othellomacbeth

Adapted from Shakespeare

Lyric Hammersmith and HOME, September 2018

Design: Basia Binkowska

Lighting: Joshua Pharo

Sound: Nick Gill

Dramaturgy: Elayce Ismail

Casting: Annelie Powell

Cast: Kezrena James, Melissa Johns, Kirsten Foster, Ery Nzaramba, Sam Collings, Caroline Faber, Grace Cookey-Gam, Sandy Grierson, Paul Courtenay Hyu

Production photographer: Helen Murray

[rosncrntz]

Measure for Measure, RSC 2019 - Review

Measure for Measure, RSC 2019 – Review

My false o’erweighs your true.

Gregory Doran is back in the director’s chair, this time tackling Shakespeare’s infamously knotty problem play: Measure for Measure. A tale of abused power and sexual politics, this is a #MeToo era play. It is perhaps intriguing, then, that Doran chooses to set his Measure for Measure decidedly in the past. But this choice proves inspired. Early 1900s Austria; with…

[peterviney1]

As You Like It- RSC 2019 review The second of three plays in Stratford, AS YOU LIKE IT (linked). Some new variations on lines and scenes, as expected at the RSC. All RSC Shakespeare is unmissable …

[responsivesites]

New Post has been published on Website Design Naples Florida Webmaster

New Post has been published on https://vinbo.com/wordpress-5-5-eckstine/

WordPress 5.5 “Eckstine”

Here it is! Named “Eckstine” in honor of Billy Eckstine, this latest and greatest version of WordPress is available for download or update in your dashboard.

Welcome to WordPress 5.5.

In WordPress 5.5, your site gets new power in three major areas: speed, search, and security.

Speed

Posts and pages feel faster, thanks to lazy-loaded images.

Images give your story a lot of impact, but they can sometimes make your site seem slow.

In WordPress 5.5, images wait to load until they’re just about to scroll into view. The technical term is ‘lazy loading.’

On mobile, lazy loading can also keep browsers from loading files meant for other devices. That can save your readers money on data — and help preserve battery life.

Search

Say hello to your new sitemap.

WordPress sites work well with search engines.

Now, by default, WordPress 5.5 includes an XML sitemap that helps search engines discover your most important pages from the very minute you go live.

So more people will find your site sooner, giving you more time to engage, retain and convert them to subscribers, customers or whatever fits your definition of success.

Security

Now you can choose to update plugins and themes automatically–or pick just a few–from the screens you’ve always used.

Auto-updates for Plugins and Themes

Now you can set plugins and themes to update automatically — or not! — in the WordPress admin. So you always know your site is running the latest code available.

You can also turn auto-updates on or off for each plugin or theme you have installed — all on the same screens you’ve always used.

Update by uploading ZIP files

If updating plugins and themes manually is your thing, now that’s easier too — just upload a ZIP file.

Highlights from the block editor

Once again, the latest WordPress release packs a long list of exciting new features for the block editor. For example:

Block patterns

New block patterns make it simple and fun to create complex, beautiful layouts, using combinations of text and media that you can mix and match to fit your story.

You will also find block patterns in a wide variety of plugins and themes, with more added all the time. Pick any of them from a single place — just click and go!

The new block directory

Now it’s easier than ever to find the block you need. The new block directory is built right into the block editor, so you can install new block types to your site without ever leaving the editor.

Inline image editing

Crop, rotate, and zoom your photos right from the image block. If you spend a lot of time on images, this could save you hours!

And so much more.

The highlights above are a tiny fraction of the new block editor features you’ve just installed. Open the block editor and enjoy!

Accessibility

Every release adds improvements to the accessible publishing experience, and that remains true for WordPress 5.5.

Now you can copy links in media screens and modal dialogs with a button, instead of trying to highlight a line of text.

You can also move meta boxes with the keyboard, and edit images in WordPress with your assistive device, as it can read you the instructions in the image editor.

For developers

5.5 also brings a big box of changes just for developers.

Server-side registered blocks in the REST API

The addition of block types endpoints means that JavaScript apps (like the block editor) can retrieve definitions for any blocks registered on the server.

Defining environments

WordPress now has a standardized way to define a site’s environment type (staging, production, etc). Retrieve that type with wp_get_environment_type() and execute only the appropriate code.

Dashicons

The Dashicons library has received its final update in 5.5. It adds 39 block editor icons along with 26 others.

Passing data to template files

The template loading functions (get_header(), get_template_part(), etc.) have a new $args argument. So now you can pass an entire array’s worth of data to those templates.

More changes for developers

The PHPMailer library just got a major update, going from version 5.2.27 to 6.1.6.

Now get more fine-grained control of redirect_guess_404_permalink().

Sites that use PHP’s OPcache will see more reliable cache invalidation, thanks to the new wp_opcache_invalidate() function during updates (including to plugins and themes).

Custom post types associated with the category taxonomy can now opt-in to supporting the default term.

Default terms can now be specified for custom taxonomies in register_taxonomy().

The REST API now officially supports specifying default metadata values through register_meta().

You will find updated versions of these bundled libraries: SimplePie, Twemoji, Masonry, imagesLoaded, getID3, Moment.js, and clipboard.js.

The Squad

Leading this release were Matt Mullenweg, Jake Spurlock, and David Baumwald. Supporting them was this highly enthusiastic release squad:

Editor Tech: Ella Van Durpe (@ellatrix)

Editor Design: Michael Arestad (@michael-arestad)

Core Tech: Sergey Biryukov (@sergeybiryukov)

Media Tech: Andrew Ozz (@azaozz)

Accessibility Tech: JB Audras (@audrasjb)

Docs Coordinator: Justin Ahinon (@justinahinon)

Marketing/Comms Coordinator: Mary Baum (@marybaum)

Joining the squad throughout the release cycle were 805 generous volunteer contributors who collectively worked on over 523 tickets on Trac and over 1660 pull requests on GitHub.

Put on a Billy Eckstine playlist, click that update button (or download it directly), and check the profiles of the fine folks that helped:

A2 Hosting, a4jp . com, a6software, Aaron D. Campbell, Aaron Jorbin, abderrahman, Abha Thakor, Achal Jain, achbed, Achyuth Ajoy, acosmin, acsnaterse, Adam Silverstein, Addie, addyosmani, adnan.limdi, adrian, airamerica, Ajay Ghaghretiya, Ajit Bohra, akbarhusen, akbarhusen429, Akhilesh Sabharwal, Akira Tachibana, Alain Schlesser, Albert Juhé Lluveras, Alex Concha, Alex Kirk, Alex Lende, Alex Shiels, Ali Shan, ali11007, Allen Snook, amaschas, Amit Dudhat, anbumz, andfinally, Andrea Fercia, Andrea Middleton, Andrea Tarantini, Andrei Draganescu, Andrew Duthie, Andrew Nacin, Andrew Nevins, Andrew Ozz, Andrey “Rarst” Savchenko, Andrés Maneiro, Andy Fragen, Andy Meerwaldt, Andy Peatling, Angela Jin, Angelika Reisiger, Anh Tran, Ankit Gade, Ankit K Gupta, Ankit Panchal, Anne McCarthy, Anthony Burchell, Anthony Hortin, Anton Timmermans, Antonis Lilis, apedog, archon810, argentite, Arpit G Shah, Arslan Ahmed, asalce, ashiagr, ashour, Atharva Dhekne, Aurélien Joahny, aussi, automaton, Ayesh Karunaratne, BackuPs, Barry, Barry Ceelen, Bart Czyz, bartekcholewa, bartkalisz, Bastien Ho, Bastien Martinent, bcworkz, bdbch, bdcstr, Ben Dunkle, Bence Szalai, bencroskery, Benjamin Gosset, Benoit Chantre, Bernhard Reiter, BettyJJ, bgermann, bigcloudmedia, bigdawggi, Bill Erickson, Birgir Erlendsson (birgire), Birgit Pauli-Haack, BjornW, bonger, Boone Gorges, Boris Brdarić, Boy Witthaya, Brandon Kraft, Brandon Payton, Brent Swisher, Brian Krogsgard, bruandet, Bunty, Burhan Nasir, caiocrcosta, Cameron Voell, cameronamcintyre, Carike, Carl Wuensche, Carlos Galarza, Carolina Nymark, Caroline Moore, Carrigan, ceyhun, Chad, Chad Butler, Charles Fulton, Chetan Prajapati, Chintan hingrajiya, Chip Snyder, Chloé Bringmann, Chouby, Chris Van Patten, chriscct7, Christian Chung, Christian Jongeneel, Christian Sabo, Christian Wach, Christoph Herr, Christopher Churchill, cklee, clayray, Clifford Paulick, codeforest, Commeuneimage, Copons, Corey McKrill, cpasqualini, Cristovao Verstraeten, Csaba (LittleBigThings), Curtis Belt, Cyrus Collier, D.PERONNE, d6, Daniel Bachhuber, Daniel Hüsken, Daniel James, Daniel Llewellyn, Daniel Richards, Daniel Roch, Daniele Scasciafratte, Danny, Darko G., Darren Ethier (nerrad), Dave McHale, Dave Whitley, David A. Kennedy, David Aguilera, David Anderson, David Artiss, David Baumwald, David Binovec, David Brumbaugh, David E. Smith, David Herrera, David Ryan, David Shanske, David Smith, davidvee, dchymko, Debabrata Karfa, Deepak Lalwani, dekervit, Delowar Hossain, demetris, Denis Yanchevskiy, derekakelly, Derrick Hammer, Derrick Tennant, Diane Co, Dilip Bheda, Dimitris Mitsis, dingo-d, Dion Hulse, Dixita Dusara, djennez, dmenard, dmethvin, doc987, Dominik Schilling, donmhico, Dono12, Doobeedoo, Dossy Shiobara, dpacks, dratwas, Drew Jaynes, DrLightman, DrProtocols, dsifford, dudo, Dustin Bolton, dvershinin, Dylan Kuhn, Earle Davies, ecotechie, Eddie Moya, Eddy, Edi Amin, ehtis, Eileen Violini, Ekaterina, Ella van Durpe, elmastudio, Emanuel Blagonic, Emilie LEBRUN, Emmanuel Hesry, Enej Bajgoric, Enrico Sorcinelli, Enrique Piqueras, Enrique Sánchez, Eric, Eric Andrew Lewis, Eric Binnion, Erik Betshammar, Erin ‘Folletto’ Casali, esemlabel, esoj, espiat, Estela Rueda, etoledom, etruel, Ev3rywh3re, Evan Mullins, Fabian Kägy, Fabian Todt, Faisal Ahmed, Felix Arntz, Felix Edelmann, ferdiesletering, finomeno, Florian Brinkmann, Florian TIAR, Florian Truchot, florianatwhodunit, FolioVision, Francesca Marano, Francois Thibaud, Frank Goossens, Frank Klein, Frank.Prendergast, Franz Armas, Gabriel Koen, Gabriel Maldonado, Gabriel Mays, gadgetroid, Gal Baras, Garavani, garethgillman, Garrett Hyder, Gary Cao, Gary Jones, Gary Pendergast, Geert De Deckere, Gemini Labs, Gennady Kovshenin, geriux, Giorgio25b, gisselfeldt, glendaviesnz, goldsounds, Goto Hayato, Govind Kumar, Grégory Viguier, gradina, Greg Ziółkowski, gregmulhauser, grierson, Grzegorz.Janoszka, gsmumbo, Guido Scialfa, guidobras, Gunther Pilz, gwwar, H-var, hakre, Halacious, hankthetank, Hapiuc Robert, Hareesh Pillai, haukep, Haz, Hector F, Helen Hou-Sandi, Henry Wright, hlanggo, hommealone, Hoover, Howdy_McGee, Hronak Nahar, huntlyc, Ian Belanger, Ian Dunn, Ian Stewart, ianjvr, ifrins, infinum, Ipstenu (Mika Epstein), Isabel Brison, ishitaka, J.D. Grimes, jackfungi, jacklinkers, Jadon N, jadpm, jagirbahesh, Jake Spurlock, James Koster, James Nylen, Jan Koch, Jan Reilink, Jan Thiel, Janvo Aldred, Jarret, Jason Adams, Jason Coleman, Jason Cosper, Jason Crouse, Jason LeMahieu (MadtownLems), Jason Rouet, JasWSInc, Javier Casares, Jayson Basanes, jbinda, jbouganim, Jean-Baptiste Audras, Jean-David Daviet, Jeff Chandler, Jeff Farthing, Jeff Ong, Jeff Paul, Jen, Jenil Kanani, Jeremy Felt, Jeremy Herve, Jeremy Yip, jeryj, Jesin A, Jignesh Nakrani, Jim_Panse, Jip Moors, jivanpal, Joe Dolson, Joe Hoyle, Joe McGill, Joen Asmussen, Johanna de Vos, John Blackbourn, John Dorner, John James Jacoby, John P. 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Paul Ryan, Paul Schreiber, Paul Stonier, Paul Von Schrottky, pavelevap, Pedro Mendonça, pentatonicfunk, pepe, Peter “Pessoft” Kolínek, Peter Westwood, Peter Wilson, Phil Derksen, Phil Johnston, Philip Jackson, Pierre Gordon, pigdog234, pikamander2, pingram, Pionect, Piyush Patel, pkarjala, pkvillanueva, Prashant Baldha, pratik028, Pravin Parmar, Presskopp, Presslabs, Priyank Patel, Priyo Mukul, ProGrafika, programmin, Puneet Sahalot, pvogel2, r-a-y, Raaj Trambadia, Rachel Peter, raine, Ramanan, Rami Yushuvaev, Rastaban, RavanH, Ravat Parmar, ravenswd, rawrly, rebasaurus, Red Sand Media Group, Remy Perona, Remzi Cavdar, Renatho, renggo888, retlehs, retrofox, Riad Benguella, Rian Rietveld, riasat, Rich Tabor, Ringisha, ritterml, Rnaby, Rob Cutmore, Rob Migchels, rob006, Robert Anderson, Robert Chapin, Robert Peake, Robert Windisch, Ronald Huereca, Rostislav Wolný, Roy Tanck, ruxandra, Ryan Boren, Ryan Fredlund, Ryan Kienstra, Ryan McCue, Ryan Welcher, Ryota Sakamoto, ryotsun, Sören 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Sunny, Sunny Ratilal, Sushyant Zavarzadeh, suzylah, Sybre Waaijer, Synchro, Sérgio Estêvão, Takayuki Miyauchi, Tammie Lister, Tang Rufus, TeBenachi, Tessa Watkins LLC, Tetsuaki Hamano, theMikeD, theolg, Thierry Muller, thimalw, Thomas M, Thorsten Frommen, Thrijith Thankachan, Tiago Hillebrandt, Till Krüss, Timothy Jacobs, Tkama, tmdesigned, tmoore41, TobiasBg, tobifjellner (Tor-Bjorn Fjellner), Tofandel, tomdude, Tommy Ferry, Tony G, Toro_Unit (Hiroshi Urabe), torres126, Torsten Landsiedel, Toru Miki, Travis Northcutt, treecutter, truongwp, tsimmons, Tung Du, Udit Desai, Ulrich, Vagios Vlachos, valchovski, Valentin Bora, Vayu Robins, veromary, Viktor Szépe, vinkla, virginienacci, Vladimir, Vladislav Abrashev, vortfu, voyager131, vtieu, webaware, Weston Ruter, William Earnhardt, williampatton, Winstina, wpdesk, WPDO, WPMarmite, wppinar, Yahil Madakiya, yashrs, yoancutillas, yohannp, yuhin, Yui, Yuri Salame, Yvette Sonneveld, Zack Tollman, zaheerahmad, zakkath, Zebulan Stanphill, zieladam, and Česlav Przywara.

  Many thanks to all of the community volunteers who contribute in the support forums. They answer questions from people across the world, whether they are using WordPress for the first time or since the first release. These releases are more successful for their efforts!

Finally, thanks to all the community translators who worked on WordPress 5.5. Their efforts bring WordPress fully translated to 46 languages at release time, with more on the way.

If you want to learn more about volunteering with WordPress, check out Make WordPress or the core development blog.

Original source: https://wordpress.org/news/2020/08/eckstine/

[holliehock]

“Why This is Hell, Nor am I Out of it”

-Doctor Faustus.

Doctor Faustus is probably the most radical Renaissance play I have studied. Written by Christopher Marlowe, the only confirmed Atheist of the time and suspected member of the secret service, it's no wonder. The Swan Theatre's production is the first I've ever seen of this play, after studying it this year in my Shakespeare and His Contemporaries unit.

The RSC used fascinating strategies in this play, from the moment the lights went down. Both Sandy Greirson and Oliver Ryan appearing onstage, ready to play the role of Faustus. In unison, they light matches, and whoever's match goes out first plays Faustus that evening. It's purely down to chance.

It is made blatantly clear in this production that Faustus and Mephistophilis are two sides of the same coin. From their attire - Faustus in black and Mephistophilis in white, to the ending when Faustus stabs his demon but in doing so, kills himself.

Ryan's portrayal of Mephistophilis was gripping. As soon as he entered the stage, you were forced to look in his direction, study his every move. However, the characterisation of the demon was somewhat detracted by his voice. Assuming that it was put on for the character, it made the demon seem 'other-worldly', but seemed very forced and uncomfortable, as well as making some lines difficult to hear.

The carnivalesque of the production was simply breathtaking. The special effects and dynamic music and dance made the show as overwhelming as if you were playing Faustus. The casting choice of Lucifer as Eleanor Wyld sent the audience mad. Seeing the most sinful and devious character in religion strut onstage in a pair of stilettos was completely unexpected. But Wyld owned the stage, being as dominant and fearsome as any male counterpart could have been. She fulfilled the role fantastically, making it one of the highlights of the night.

And of course, there's the doctor. Played by Sandy Grierson on the night that I attended, he lived up to every expectation I could have of the character. Grierson captured Faustus' intellect and egotism with skill and polish. He also managed to depict Faustus' inner conflict with much more emotion and passion than could ever come across in the text, supported by the staging. The most haunting example when Faustus slits his own wrist to sign Lucifer's contract.

Doctor Faustus is running at the Swan Theatre until October 1st. To get your tickets, visit their website or phone 01789 403493. People between the ages of 16 and 25 can also buy £5 tickets through the RSC Key.

[hattydaze]

Only two weeks since our last trip, and it still wasn’t too soon to return to the Unicorn Theatre.  Our last visit was to see the show called How Nigeria Became: A Story, and a Spear that didn’t Work. We really enjoyed the production, we learnt a bit more about one side of the kids’ culture, and above all we were delighted to find such a lovely theatre practically on our doorstep.

The trip I’m writing about now was not just enjoyable, it was like stepping into magic.  You could hear gasps of delight from the children in the audience; I myself ended up with tears in my eyes (OK so this happens to me a lot, but this one moved us all).  The show in question is the Unicorn’s main Christmas show for ages 8+, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Here’s the trailer to whet your appetite:

A very lucky young girl, I grew up being taken on an annual visit to the Royal Festival Hall to see the much more famous ballet scored by Tchaikovsky (always carrying my ballet shoes in case the lead ballerina was taken ill = a family joke which I have since found out did not belong to my family alone). At the time I never realised or minded that the story was fairly surreal and slightly disturbing.  The Nutracker and the Mouse King has the same source data as the ballet, being based on the original novella written in 1816 by the German Gothic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann.  This adaption for the Unicorn Theatre has been done by playwright Annie Siddons.   In Siddon’s note in the programme, she lets on that she fell in love with Hoffmann once she started to research him, who lived 46 years (not much longer than she or I right now) and packed a lot into them.  One of his recurring themes is the process of the creation of story, which is evident in The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

My favourite device is the inclusion of Hoffman himself as a character in the story, which gives even a newer level to the story. Played by Sandy Grierson, he is the steampunk-ish narrator with an endearing German accent along the lines of Despicable Me’s Gru, with a cocked eyebrow to the adults at all times and voicing the scary Mouse King through a mechanical microphone.  He laments the fact that his story got turned into a ballet, and confirms that there will be no dancing here. He guides us through the sometimes elaborate tale, not only amusing the adults but also charming the children, especially with his cat on wheels Mr Cornelius.

The whole ensemble is good. I was also keen on Drosselmeier, always a creepy character in the ballet too, and amusingly played by Colin Michael Carmichael.

The set by James Button is brilliant.  The main structure on stage is the wooden house/cuckoo clock where the family lives, and which the cast climbs in and out of for so long that you are lulled into security. Then boom! once the transformation happens in Act Two, that is when the real intake of breath comes. We are transported into Candyland, the house turns to gingerbread, and everything in main character Marie’s imagination has come true (or has it?). I know I wanted to stay there forever.

What did my kids think?  They loved it too. At 7, my son was wary of the many-headed mouse king who appears out of the floorboards, but he was supposed to be, with its evil glinting eyes and seven heads. I mean, that’s why you sit next to your mum and hold onto her hand if need be.

It’s a story in a story about stories, dreams, imagination, reality … and sweets.  We live in a different world than the one depicted in the show, but even if sweets are not hard to come by for most of us, they still hold a special magic for most kids.  Add to that the enthusiastic cast and bright colourful allure of Candyland, mixed with the menace of the baddies and one very ugly baby, then you really have a great Christmas show. If you want a proper recommendation, my kids asked me if we could go and watch it again as soon as we left the theatre.

Just to end with a few photos of the theatre which we are newly in love with. There are lots of nutcracker-themed curiosities to look at before and after the show.  Please comment below if you want to come with me to Candyland on a more permanent basis. I’m sure Hoffman or maybe Drosselmeier will help facilitate. In the meantime, thank you to the Unicorn Theatre and all the cast and creative team for this wonderful Christmas treat.

For more information, visit the website here to buy tickets. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is on at the Unicorn Theatre until 4th January 2015.

Disclosure: I was given free tickets to see The Nutcracker and the Mouse King for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own. All photos taken by me. The trailer for the production is copyright Unicorn Theatre.

      The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, at the Unicorn Theatre (review) Only two weeks since our last trip, and it still wasn't too soon to return to the Unicorn Theatre.  

[traversetheatre]

A man went into a field and just stood there. A woman, who lived in another country, went and did exactly the same without either of them knowing what the other had done. An aviator who knew them both happened to be passing overhead. As soon as he landed, he phoned them and told them what he had seen. So they got married, but decided (quite wisely, don’t you think?) To live separately.

 The Grass is Greener by Ivor Cutler

Photograph: Tim Morozzo