Deep in the rolling hills of Surrey is Grange Park Opera, set in the grounds of West Horsley Place, a magical location where you will find a crinkle-crankle wall, a woodland glade, an ancient orchard with a 300 year-old mulberry tree and a Theatre in the Woods ringing with first class opera. An evening with…
Mini Review: Serse at Opera Holland Park
Last updated on September 25th, 2024It’s not every day you get to experience opera in a magical setting which includes the dishevelled remains of a Blitzed-out house with the sound of peacocks wafting in and out, the distant peal of a cricket match, dogs barking and even the odd bird flying past you. And I…
Bluebeard’s Castle: London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall
Last updated on September 25th, 2024I grew up on regular helpings of Barbe Bleu or Bluebeard as a child, the chilling, grotesque tale of the serial killer who somehow was supposed to appeal to young French minds – together with other delightful tales such as Hansel and Gretel and Red Riding Hood. So, as I…
Waterperry Opera Festival 2021 – Review: The Elixir of Love
Waterperry Opera Festival’s L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) went out with a bang on Tuesday with its final performance of Donizetti’s opera buffa. Sung in English and performed by a youthful, zippy cast, it was a joy for those of us who were so very grateful to be enjoying a “normal” night of opera,…
What’s on in London after lockdown 2021
Last updated on September 25th, 2024As London prepares to ease out of lockdown, museums, galleries and music venues are starting to come out of hibernation, and across our theatres, the lights will soon flicker back on. Here is a glimpse of what’s on in London after lockdown 2021, including some of the best art exhibitions,…
Oxford Lieder 2020 Review: Song in the Age of Corona
Covid-19 and its pesky restrictions threw a spanner in the Oxford Lieder Festival 2020 works this year, but it didn’t dampen the spirits or the music. The UK’s biggest song festival went online instead, streaming over 40 magnificent recital concerts and events, most of them live and all set in historical surroundings across the city….
Vache Baroque Festival: Dido and Aeneas review
What a cracking start to the shiny new Vache Baroque Festival which kicked off with an enchanting production of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. And a double dose of September showers did nothing to dampen the audience’s spirits. We were more than delighted to tuck into the one-hour Baroque fancy in the grounds of this…
Waterperry Opera Festival 2020 – Review: Così fan tutte and Ariel
Last updated on August 17th, 2020This week was one of firsts: I was introduced to the delightful Waterperry Opera Festival; picnicked in a socially-distanced lawn pod listening to Mozart’s Così fan tutte; sampled some of British composer Jonathan Dove’s genius amongst the butterflies and the bumblebees; and got lost in Waterperry Gardens, the festival’s enchanting…
Lockdown 2020 – A note of gratitude to the creative sector
Last updated on August 17th, 2020When the UK hunkered down into social hibernation in March, a new kind of warrior emerged: our NHS staff, our shopkeepers, delivery and public safety personnel, together with our ever-cheerful postal staff and rubbish collectors, became the nation’s knights in shining armour. More recently, the country fell head over heels…
How to entertain yourself at home during self-isolation
Last updated on March 12th, 2021Are you stuck between four walls and wondering how to entertain yourself at home during Coronavirus self-isolation? Beat the social distancing blues with cinema streaming, some classic laugh out loud books, and keep company with websites and podcasts which will add colour to your world. Listen to some soothing classical…