Patricia Kopatchinskaja directs Britten Sinfonia

On the evening of Tuesday 4th March 2014 I attended the Patricia Kopatchinskaja directs Britten Sinfonia concert at Norwich Theatre Royal. The Moldovan violinist was making her debut directing Britten Sinfonia with a distinctly Eastern European folk-flavoured programme.

The programme consisted of Chorale Preludes, Op. 122 - Brahms arr. Paul Angerer, Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra No. 2, Four Serious Songs - Tigran Mansurian, Romanian Folk Dances - Bartok, String Quartet No. 1, Kreutzer Sonata - Janacek arr. Tognetti and Concerto in D minor for Violin and Strings - Mendelssohn.

Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja's repertoire ranges from baroque and classical to a number of new commissions or re-interpretations of modern masterworks. The winner of numerous prizes over the course of her career to date, Patricia Kopatchinskaja was announced as the recipient of the 2012 Praetorius Musikpreis Niedersachsen Award is the category of innovation.

This was a wonderful evening at Norwich Theatre Royal with a fantastic programme of Classical Music by Brahms, Mansurian, Bartok, Janacek and Mendelssohn. Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Britten Sinfonia performed brilliantly with my favourite piece being Tigran Mansurian's Four Serious Songs.

Richard Alston Dance Company at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Saturday 22nd February 2014 I attended the Richard Alston Dance Company's performance of Contemporary Dance at Norwich Theatre Royal. For Richard Alston every dance is a love affair with his chosen music and this was a night full of wonderful dancing and music.

The programme at Norwich Theatre Royal matched the beauty of Mozart with the exhilaration of Benjamin Britten and the lightning energy of Bang on a Can All-Stars. Commissioned to celebrate the centenary of Britten, the brand new Rejoice in the Lamb was danced to Britten's superb setting of Christopher Smart, whose poetry is fuelled by both religious fervour and such eccentric details as the poet's cat Jeffrey!

The programme also featured the duet from Unfinished Business, to the adagio of Mozart's Sonata K533. Lachrymae, set to Britten's compassionate and tender music for viola and piano played live, spun emotional variations on a gentle song by John Dowland. The evening ended with Martin Lawrence's Madcap which was fast-paced, thrilling and set to the driven music of ultra-cool New York band, Bang on a Can All-Stars. This was a fantastic night of Contemporary Dance at Norwich Theatre Royal from the Richard Alston Dance Company which was greatly enjoyed by the enthusiastic audience. My favourite piece was Madcap.

Sleeping Beauty at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Monday 17th February 2014 I attended The Russian State Ballet and Orchestra of Siberia's performance of Sleeping Beauty at Norwich Theatre Royal. This is the classic story of love and innocence, mystery and magic set to Tchaikovsky's sublime score.

A wicked fairy places a fatal curse on the baby Princess Aurora, which the good Lilac Fairy softens to a sleep of one hundred years. Only a prince’s kiss can break the spell. This is every child's favourite fairy tale which The Russian State Ballet of Siberia brought magically to life on the stage at Norwich Theatre Royal.

This was a night full of stunning choreography, sumptuous costumes and wonderful sets that formed the fantasy world in which the Lilac Fairy struggles against the evil Carabosse. The sell out audience had a brilliant evening full of fairy tale magic and the sounds of Tchaikovsky. It was fantastic to see such an amazing Ballet in my home city of Norwich.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Wednesday 4th December 2013 I attended the performance of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical at Norwich Theatre Royal. Direct from the West End and Broadway this feel good international hit sensation guaranteed a good time for all.

Winner of 4 WhatsOnStage.com awards, including Best New Musical, and based on the smash-hit movie, Priscilla is the heart warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they had ever dreamed of. Priscilla was full of a dazzling array of outrageous Olivier and Tony award-winning costumes and a hit parade of dance floor favourites including It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive, Hot Stuff, Finally, Boogie Wonderland, Go West, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, and I Love The Nightlife.

Jason Donovan as Tick, Richard Grieve as Bernadette and Graham Weaver as Felicia were all brilliant as we were transported to the desert and a trip to Alice Springs. This was a night of great fun Norwich Theatre Royal which I greatly enjoyed.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Thursday 21st November 2013 I attended the performance of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at Norwich Theatre Royal. Thrilling, audacious and totally original, Matthew Bourne's legendary production transforms one of ballet's best -loved stories into a stylish, witty, poignant, contemporary tale with extravagant, award-winning designs by Lez Brotherston.

Perhaps best-known for replacing the traditional female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble, Matthew Bourne blends dance, style, humour, spectacle, character comedy and mime to create a provocative and powerful Swan Lake for our times. Originally written by Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century, Swan Lake was staged at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in 1877.

There were fantastic performances from Jonathan Ollivier as The Swan, Sam Archer as The Prince and Madelaine Brennan as The Queen on a magical and fun night at Norwich Theatre Royal. This is the Modern Dance version of Swan Lake and is a very powerful and inspired production.

Britten Sinfonia's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings

On the evening of Sunday 17th November 2013 I attended the Britten Sinfonia Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings concert at Norwich Theatre Royal. Britten Sinfonia’s recent recording of Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Mark Padmore has been acclaimed worldwide and these artists performed the work in this fascinating concert.

Violinist Pekka Kuusisto directed the orchestra in an illuminating programme of works which also included a new work by Judith Weir, commissioned by the Britten Pears Foundation and Royal Philharmonic Society, to celebrate Britten’s centenary and the Bicentenary of the Royal Philharmonic Society. The programme was jointly devised by Pekka Kuusisto and Britten Sinfonia.

The programme consisted of Three Songs for Tenor and violin (and drone from orchestra) - Nico Muhly, Fourth movement from Quartet no. 4 - Bartok, Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal - Britten, Lighthouse - Tuur, I give you the end of a golden string (world premiere tour) - Judith Weir, Individualisierte Höhemessung der Lagen (from Partita fur Paul) - Arne Nordheim, Material in E flat for violin and drone from orchestra - Nico Muhly, Third movement from Quartet no. 4 - Bartok, Kanon - Berg arr Schnittke, Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten - Arvo Part, God Music from Black Angels - George Crumb, Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings - Britten.

Britten Sinfonia were joined by Mark Padmore - tenor, Pekka Kuusisto - violin and Stephen Bell - horn on a wonderful night of classical music at Norwich Theatre Royal. They played twelve works by nine different composers which proved to be a varied and enjoyable concert. The performance took the audience to new and unfamiliar places.

Hansel Und Gretel at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Tuesday 5th November 2013 I attended the Glyndebourne production of Hansel Und Gretel at Norwich Theatre Royal. This opera by Engelbert Humperdinck has long cast its musical spell over audiences of all ages. The score vividly evoked the magical world of fairy tale, and Laurent Pelly's deliciously witty production injected a modern twist into this enchanting classic.

Sung in German this fairy tale opera in three acts featured wonderful performances from Victoria Yarovaya as Hansel and Andriana Churchman as Gretel. The Glyndebourne Tour Orchestra were conducted by Ilyich Rivas. Hansel Und Gretel was first performed at the Court Theatre, Weimar in 1893.

Hansel and Gretel are doing chores. Both are bored and hungry, and to cheer themselves up they start to dance. Their games are interrupted by their Mother, who is angry to find them playing instead of working. In her anger she knocks over the milk jug, losing what was to have been supper. She sends them into the forest to gather strawberries instead. Wearied by their precarious existence, she sinks into a chair, only to be woken by the return of her husband. She is irritated to find him tipsy, but calms down when he produces a sack full of food. When he enquires after Hansel and Gretel, he is alarmed to hear they are in the forest: he warns of the Witch who lives there, and both parents set out to look for the children.

Hansel and Gretel happily gather and eat strawberries. When night falls they realise they are lost, and are frightened by the mysterious shapes in the mist. But a Sandman appears and settles them. They say their evening prayers, and go to sleep. The mist around them turns to clouds from which angels appear, who guard the children from harm.

At dawn the Dew Fairy comes to wake Hansel and Gretel. They are excited to see a house not far away, but when they begin to nibble at it, the Witch emerges and captures them, casting a spell. She puts Hansel in a cage, telling Gretel that her brother needs fattening. She releases Gretel with a spell, in order that the girl may help her with the oven. But Gretel uses the spell to free Hansel, and as the Witch demonstrates to Gretel how to check the oven, the children push her into it. As the Witch dies, the fence of people is transformed back into motionless children. Hansel invokes the formula for breaking the spell, and the children jump up and thank Hansel and Gretel for saving them. The Mother and Father appear, and the family is reunited.

This was a fantastic and magical evening at Norwich Theatre Royal with Glyndebourne bringing the story of Hansel Und Gretel by the Brothers Grimm to the stage. I greatly enjoyed this fairy tale opera which brought world class opera performance to Norwich with Glyndebourne making their annual visit to Norwich Theatre Royal.

Twelve Angry Men at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Tuesday 22nd October 2013 I attended the performance of Twelve Angry Men at Norwich Theatre Royal. This brand new production paid tribute to the 1957 film version, starring and produced by Henry Fonda. This is often lauded as one of the great must see movies of all time.

Twelve jurors have death on their mind and a life in their hands as they have to decide the fate of a young delinquent accused of murdering his father. But what begins as an open and shut case becomes a dilemma for each of the Twelve, as their prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused and each other, turn the tables every which way, until the nail biting climax.

Twelve Angry Men was written by Reginald Rose who was inspired by his own experience serving on a jury. This production was directed by Christopher Haydon with set and costume design by Michael Pavelka. Martin Shaw and Robert Vaughn gave fantastic performances on a night at Norwich Theatre Royal when a life hanged in the balance.

Britten Sinfonia's Within Her Arms at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Sunday 20th October 2013 I attended the Britten Sinfonia Within Her Arms concert at Norwich Theatre Royal. This was Britten Sinfonia's first concert at the venue in their 2013-14 concert season.

The programme consisted of Three pieces for String Quartet - Stravinsky, Within Her Arms - Anna Clyne, Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K414 - Mozart, Little Concert - Maw and Symphony No. 60, II Distratto - Haydn. This concert featured Dejan Lazic - piano/director, Jacqueline Shave - violin/director and Nicholas Daniel - oboe.

Stravinsky's Three Pieces for String Quartet was finished in 1914, revised in 1918, and eventually published in 1922. As most of the works by Igor Stravinsky, this three-movement work was arranged from a four-hands on one piano version, from which the final revised version of 1918 derives and differs in some respects. The manuscript contained no movement titles for any of the three pieces. However, with the passing of time, Stravinsky rearranged these three movements for large orchestra, together with his Étude pour pianola, and premiered the whole collection as Quatre etudes in 1928.

Within Her Arms was composed by Anna Clyne in 2008-09. The composer wrote: Within Her Arms is music for my mother, with all my love. London born Anna Clyne is a composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music, combining resonant soundscapes with propelling textures that weave, morph and collide in dramatic explosions.

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K414 is the first of a set of three rather modest concertos for piano that Mozart began writing in 1782 and performed in his Lenten concerts of 1783. Mozart declared that he could be sure that all three would be a happy medium between what is too easy and too difficult.

Nicholas Maw Little Concert For oboe accompanied by strings and two horns is a kind of concert aria for oboe, was completed in 1988. It was written to celebrate the twenty first anniversary of the Orchestra of St. John’s, and as a tribute to the playing of Melinda Maxwell. The musical language employed represents an intermittent preoccupation of mine to write a piece somewhat light in specific gravity and tone, but that does not really fall into the category of light music.

Haydn composed his Symphony No. 60 in 1774 which is sometimes given the nickname Il Distratto or The Distracted. The symphony makes use of music Haydn wrote for a play, Le Distrait, by Jean-François Regnard, given a German revival in 1774 by Karl Wahr under the German title Der Zerstreute. Symphony No. 60 contains the overture, four entr'actes and finale from the music composed for the five-act play.

This was a fantastic night of Classical Music at Norwich Theatre Royal which was greatly enjoyed by the enthusiastic audience. Britten Sinfonia were on top form for their opening concert of the season. My highlight of the evening was Stravinsky's Three pieces for String Quartet.

Rambert at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Thursday 17th October 2013 I saw Rambert at Norwich Theatre Royal. They are the most distinctive and creative contemporary dance company working in Great Britain today.

Rambert, a powerhouse of dance since 1926, presented a spectacular evening of entertainment featuring terrific dancers, wonderful costumes and great live music from the Rambert Orchestra conducted by Paul Hoskins. The programme consisted of SUB, Dutiful Ducks, Sounddance and The Castaways.

Following the critically acclaimed and multi-award nominated A Linha Curva, Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili returned with his high energy work, SUB, a battlefield of relentlessly sparring testosterone. SUB is performed by seven men responding with full force to the rhythmic complexity of Michael Gordon's Weather One.

Using Charles Amirkhanian's tongue-twisting sound-text of the same name as a starting point, Richard Alston's short solo for a male dancer, first created for Michael Clark in 1982, is sharp and witty. Dutiful Ducks premièred as a solo in 1982. It premièred for four dancers by Ballet Rambert at Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury on 10 October 1986.

Made in 1975 by the late master of contemporary dance, Merce Cunningham, this ecstatic opus was inspired by the words of writer James Joyce and the tiny racing life seen under a microscope. Sounddance made its UK revival première at Sadler's Wells, London on Tuesday 16 October 2012. Sounddance was last performed in London July 1980.

American-born Barak Marshall, has presented work across the world but rarely in the UK. Arresting, original and fevered in style, Barak made his Rambert debut this October with The Castaways. Set to a vibrant mix of traditional Yiddish music and American popular tunes from the 1950s, Barak Marshall's The Castaways is a humorous and playful exploration of human nature. Celebrated for his inventive choreography and witty theatricality, Barak has a truly unique style, the way he brings together popular music, inventive dance and enthralling story lines which makes for an unmissable spectacle.

This was a fantastic night of Contemporary Dance at Norwich Theatre Royal with Rambert performing four wonderful works. The Castaways was my favourite piece which followed the journey of twelve souls trapped in a kind of no-man's land.

Northern Ballet's A Christmas Carol at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Wednesday 9th October 2013 I attended the Northern Ballet's performance of A Christmas Carol at Norwich Theatre Royal. Christmas arrived early this year as Northern Ballet's heart-warming and hugely popular adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale returned to the stage.

Colourful sets and costumes by Olivier Award winning Lez Brotherston (Northern Ballet's Romeo and Juliet, Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Edward Scissorhands) conjured up a traditional Victorian Christmas, while Carl Davis' festive score blended classical music with traditional Christmas Carols, played live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia. A Christmas Carol has been an audience favourite for over 20 years and was a guarantee to get the festive season off to a magical start.

This adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale brought the magic of Christmas to Norwich Theatre Royal featuring three terrifying ghosts. There were fantastic performances from Sebastian Loe as Scrooge, Pippa Moore as Ghost of Christmas Past, Isaac Lee-Baker as Ghost of Christmas Present, Joseph Taylor as Ghost of Christmas Future and Jessica Morgan as Mrs Cratchit.

I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future!’ Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions … the shadows of the things that would have been, may be dispelled. They will be. I know they will! This was such a magical evening to be in attendance at Norwich Theatre Royal as Northern Ballet put us in a festive mood. God Bless Us, Every One.

Hairspray at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Wednesday 25th September 2013 I attended the performance of Hairspray at Norwich Theatre Royal. This is the big hit musical with big hair and a big heart. A show to enjoy and be happy.

Hairspray tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart as she sets out to follow her extraordinary dreams, inspire her mum and win the boy she loves. This ultimate feel good show is packed with uplifting songs, breathtaking choreography, 60's inspired costumes and the most incredible array of wigs you will ever see.

There were fantastic performances from Mark Benton, Lucy Benjamin, Marcus Collins and Freya Sutton who starred as big hearted, big haired teen heroine Tracy Turnblad. Good morning Baltimore. Every day's like an open door, every night is a fantasy, every sound's like a symphony. Good morning Baltimore and some day when I take to the floor the world's gonna wake up and see Baltimore and me.

This was a fantastic night at Norwich Theatre Royal as we were taken to Baltimore in the 60's and given a brilliant feel good show that put lots of smiles on faces at a packed Norwich Theatre Royal. Hairspray is the most happy, funny, sunny show in town.

Evita at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the afternoon of Saturday 27th July 2013 I attended the matinee performance of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita at Norwich Theatre Royal. Bringing to life the dynamic, larger than life persona of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, Evita tells the story from her young and ambitious beginnings to the enormous wealth and power she gained and her ultimate rise to sainthood.

This fantastic performance of Evita starred Marti Pellow as Che, Madalena Alberto as Eva and Mark Heenehan as Peron. We were treated to all the musical numbers including Oh What a Circus, Another Suitcase in Another Hall and Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Evita has more than twenty major awards to its credit and was always going to be one of the highlights of the year at Norwich Theatre Royal.

In a cinema in Buenos Aires in 1952, the film is interrupted by a news announcement: Eva Peron, the thirty-three-year-old wife of Argentina’s President Juan Peron, has died. In flashback, we see scenes from Eva’s extraordinary life. Born Eva Duarte, the youngest of five children of a single mother, she escapes her origins in the small town of Junín and heads for the bright lights of Buenos Aires, where she works  her way to a career as a radio actress and film starlet before becoming first the mistress and then the wife of Juan Peron, soon to be president of Argentina.

Adored by the common people, who affectionately call her Evita - Little Eva, she is regarded with suspicion by the military and social elite. Sceptical too is the figure of Che, who acts as a narrator and commentator throughout this remarkable story of a woman who rose to become the spiritual leader of her nation.

This was a brilliant afternoon to be at Norwich Theatre Royal as the story of Evita took us on an emotional journey full of passion and style. The drama and music of Evita are very compelling and intense. This was a show to remember that thrilled a full Norwich Theatre Royal and received loud applause at the end of the performance.

Birdsong at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Saturday 13th July 2013 I attended the matinee performance of Sebastian Faulks's Birdsong at Norwich Theatre Royal. This stage version by Rachel Wagstaff brings the bestselling novel to the theatre which tells a mesmerising story of love, courage and sacrifice set both before and during the Great War.

In pre-war France, Stephen Wraysford embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their world upside down. As the war breaks out, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme, and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground. Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war, Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle as his world explodes around him.

There were fantastic performances from Jonathan Smith as Stephen Wraysford and Sarah Jayne Dunn as Isabelle Azaire at Norwich Theatre Royal as we were taken on an emotional journey. This was a moving and imaginative production that shown an insight to the sufferings and sacrifices made during the Great War. This was drama at its best at Norwich Theatre Royal.

High Society at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Monday 1st July 2013 I attended the evening performance of Cole Porter's High Society at Norwich Theatre Royal. High Society has been adapted from the hit 1956 film, which starred screen legends Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra. I went to Norwich Theatre Royal prepared for a glorious night of vintage Hollywood.

Wealthy socialite Tracy Lord is in the midst of planning a lavish summer wedding when her ex-husband Dexter Haven turns up to disrupt the proceedings in an attempt to try and win her back. A further twist arrives in the form of charming reporter Mike Connor who falls instantly for Tracy, and she for him. As the day of the wedding draws closer we’re left guessing which groom the bride will choose.

There were amazing performances from Michael Praed as Dexter Haven and Sophie Bould as Tracy Lord on a night that brought us a number of beautiful ballads including True Love, You're Sensational and Well, Did You Evah! This was a glorious night at Norwich Theatre Royal as we were treated to a night of sparkling glamour.

The Rocky Horror Show at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Tuesday 4th June 2013 I attended Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show at Norwich Theatre Royal. This was an all new 40th anniversary party production of the rock n roll musical. It was a night full of fun, frolics and frivolity. Lots of the audience had dressed up for the show, helping to turn the Rocky Horror Show into a non-stop party.

The Rocky Horror Show is a humorous tribute to science fiction and horror B movies, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist unveiling his new creation, a muscle man named Rocky Horror. Squeaky clean sweethearts Brad and Janet are on an adventure they'll never forget as they meet Frank n Furter and Magenta.

There were brilliant performances from Oliver Thornton as Frank n Furter, Abigail Jaye as Magenta, Dani Harmer as Janet, Sam Attwater as Brad and Henry Davis as Rocky. Philip Franks was a fantastic narrator. The Rocky Horror Show is bursting at the seams with timeless classics including Sweet Transvestite, Damn it Janet and Time Warp.

We all had the rockiest ride of our lives at Norwich Theatre Royal and it was great fun doing the Time Warp again and again. The Rocky Horror Show is an opportunity to have a great time and lose your inhibitions. Don't dream it, be it.

Noises Off at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Saturday 25th May 2013 I attended the matinee performance of Noises Off at Norwich Theatre Royal. This Old Vic production is a multi-award winning backstage comedy which was touring after its triumphant and critically acclaimed sell out run in London. Hailed as one of the greatest British comedies ever written, Michael Frayn's celebrated play serves up a play within a play.

Each of the three acts of Noises Off contains a performance of the first act of a play within a play, a poor farce called Nothing On. This is the type of play in which young girls run about in their underwear, old men drop their trousers, and many doors continually bang open and shut. It is set in a delightful sixteenth century posset mill modernised by the current owners and available to let while they are abroad, the fictional playwright is appropriately named Robin Housemonger.

Act One is set at the dress rehearsal at the fictional Grand Theatre in Weston-Super-Mare, the cast are hopelessly unready, and baffled by entrances and exits, missed cues, missed lines, and bothersome props, including several plates of sardines. Act Two shows a Wednesday matinee performance one month later, at the again fictional Theatre Royal in Ashton-under-Lyne. In this act, the play is seen from backstage, providing a view that emphasises the deteriorating relationships between the cast that lead to offstage shenanigans and onstage bedlam. The play falls into disorder before the curtain falls.

In Act Three, we see a performance near the end of the ten-week run, at the still fictional Municipal Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees, when personal friction has continued to increase. The actors remain determined at all costs to cover up the mounting series of mishaps, but it is not long before the plot has to be abandoned entirely and the more coherent characters are obliged to take a lead in ad-libbing somehow towards some sort of end.

Much of the comedy emerges from the subtle variations in each version as character flaws play off each other off-stage to undermine on-stage performance, with a great deal of slapstick. The contrast between players' on-stage and off-stage personalities is also a source of comic dissonance.

There were wonderful and funny performances from Neil Pearson, Maureen Beattie, David Bark-Jones and Sasha Waddell as Norwich Theatre Royal was filled with lots of laughter. This was a very enjoyable afternoon as this clever and funny play directed by Lindsay Posner gave us numerous moments of humour which may have appeared as shambolic but were brilliantly timed. Noises Off was perfect comedy entertainment.

Bang on a Can All-Stars at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Wednesday 15th May 2013 I attended the Bang on a Can All-Stars concert at Norwich Theatre Royal and what a night it was at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival. This New York contemporary ensemble took us to the edge of music with their experimental music.

The programme consisted of Sunray - David Lang, For Madeline - Michael Gordon, Big, Beautiful, Dark and Scary - Julia Wolfe, Electric Counterpoint - Steve Reich and 2 x 5 - Steve Reich. This set of music went straight to the musical DNA of the Bang on a Can All-Stars.

This New York ensemble cross the boundaries between classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music to create a sound that is free of any category definition. The Bang on a Can All-Stars were formed in 1992 by renowned new-music collective Bang on a Can and were named Musical America's Ensemble of the Year in 2005. Since 1987 Bang on a Can founded by Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe have been creating an international community dedicated to innovatory music.

The first three pieces performed on the night were composed by the three founders of Bang on a Can. This was followed by Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint and 2 x 5. Norwich Theatre Royal was filled with the sounds of minimalism and progressive music. This has to be the coolest event at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival which I greatly enjoyed.

I love the music of Steve Reich and it was brilliant to hear Electric Counterpoint and 2 x 5 being performed live at Norwich Theatre Royal. Sunray, For Madeline and Big, Beautiful, Dark and Scary were all interesting and stimulating pieces. The Bang on a Can All-Stars are taking music into uncharted territories in the 21st Century.

Mariza at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Tuesday 14th May 2013 I attended the Mariza concert at Norwich Theatre Royal with support from Alasdair Roberts. Two years ago Mariza had to cancel her appearance at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival due to illness. It was great to be able to finally see her live at the Festival.

Mariza is the leading Portuguese fado singer of her generation and a global icon. She has infused fado, the breathtaking lyrical and melancholic music of Portugal, with the musical flavours of Brazil, Spain and Mozambique.

Mariza has such an amazing powerful and beautiful voice which filled the Norwich Theatre Royal with the sounds of fado. She looked stunning in a long elegant dress and chatted between songs in English and Portuguese. She has a charismatic stage presence and her set mixed traditional and contemporary song forms. There was a great relaxed atmosphere on the night which resulted in a loud round of applause at the end of the concert for the Queen of Fado.

The Great Gatsby at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Thursday 2nd May 2013 I attended the Northern Ballet's performance of The Great Gatsby at Norwich Theatre Royal. This production with choreography by David Nixon and music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett CBE brought F Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel to the stage. We were taken to to the heady, indulgent days of New York's Long Island during the glamorous Twenties.

Nick Carraway comes to know his infamous neighbour Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire with a secret past and a penchant for lavish parties and beautiful women. As the sparkling facade of Gatsby’s world begins to slip, Carraway comes to see the loneliness, obsession and tragedy that lies beneath. This era was brought to the Norwich Theatre Royal stage by designers Tim Mitchell and Jérôme Kaplan.

The Northern Ballet are great at story ballets and this is one that they can be very proud of. The costume design was absolutely stunning and beautiful. The ballet score played by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia contained all four elements of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's diverse expertise: his symphonic work, film music, jazz and popular song.

I very much enjoyed this stylish and wonderful performance of The Great Gatsby from the Northern Ballet at Norwich Theatre Royal. This was a classic story told by dance as the magic of the Twenties, full of the sound of Jazz gave us a night of memories to treasure.