Mika and the Polar Bear: at The Riley Theatre on the 14th February
A child’s story, rendered in shades of black, white, and the red of young girl Mika’s (Janice Ho) coat, took place at Riley Theatre in Chapeltown on Valentine’s Day….. …..something that both I and the children who had gathered to watch couldn’t keep our eyes away from. ‘Mika and the Polar Bear’ is a dance […]
Opera North – Britten: Peter Grimes, at Leeds Grand Theatre 19 and 21 February
The celebrated musicologist, Hans Keller, first encountered the music of Benjamin Britten in the initial run of the composer’s first proper opera, Peter Grimes, at Sadler’s Wells in the summer of 1945. A musician by upbringing and psychoanalyst by education, Keller was astounded – apart from thinking it was to be a performance of Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte that night – at the dramatic depiction of a man, “a living conflict”, unwinding before […]
Community Panto Creating Community Joy
St Andrew’s Pantomime Group’s Pinocchio: at St Andrew’s Community Centre, Beeston Until 21 February. It’s panto time! Oh no! it isn’t… oh yes! it very much is. And while January might feel like an unusual moment for fairy dust and call-and-response, it turns out there’s no better cure for winter blues than a generous helping […]
The Marriage of Figaro: at Leeds Grand Theatre Until 20 February
Opera North’s new Marriage of Figaro is a clear and confident revival, introducing a recognisable modern setting. As a result, the developing story feels easy to follow and relevant. Director Louisa Muller and designer Madeleine Boyd set the opera in a struggling English country house, now dependent on tourism. Visitors wander through, taking photos, while […]
Ura Matsuri at The Domino Club on 1 February
A review written by Jonny Kidd and Geraldine Montgomerie. Ten years ago, Japanese musicians in London created Ura Matsuri, or the Other Side Festival, to celebrate East and South East Asian artists in the UK. This month, we learned whether this energetic event would find an audience north of the border. Ura Matsuri’s latest showcase […]
