REVIEW: Northern Ballet: Swan Lake at MK Theatre

Northern Ballet: Swan Lake at Milton Keynes Theatre

Adored by audiences for over a hundred years, Swan Lake is the most famous ballet in the world and tells a story of grief, love and desire.  The fantastic dancers brought the ballet to life and, paired with Northern Ballet Sinfonia, the performance was stunning and memorable.

The dancing between Javier Torres and Ayami Miyata as Anthony and Odette was especially mesmerising and captivated the audience’s attention from the moment they met at the lake. Through their elegant and enchanting dancing style they told the story beautifully. The infectious melodies of Tchaikovsky’s music score worked brilliantly with this contemporary version of a treasured classic.

The set was simple but worked well and didn’t draw attention away from the production and dancing itself. The lakeside scene with swaying reeds and overhanging trees was particularly cheerful and the Lighting team did a fantastic job of taking the audience through Anthony and Odette’s journey from beginning to end with glittering sunrises, picturesque sunsets and ethereal underwater scenes.

The costumes were modest yet elegant and flowed beautifully with David Nixon’s choreography. I was a little disappointed that Odette didn’t have a much more extravagant costume to make her stand out as the swan princess, however after watching her dance, it became clear that her dexterous, graceful movements alone were enough and I was absorbed by her. 

To purchase tickets, visit http://northernballet.com/swan-lake&place=bar

REVIEW: The Bodyguard at MK Theatre

The Bodyguard at Milton Keynes Theatre

This award-winning musical had a lot to live up to and, with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke as lead actress, it was a tremendous production of the blockbuster film, The Bodyguard. Three-time Brit nominee, Burke, was captivating and really suited the role of Rachel Marron. Former Secret Service agent, Frank Farmer, is hired as Rachel Marron’s bodyguard, as she needs protection from a stalker. As their time together and relationship develops, there are some unexpected twists and turns to the performance. 

The stage set was colourful and impressive. Congratulations must particularly go to the lighting team for some impressive displays. The music team did a brilliant job, and teamed with Burke’s outstanding vocal range, it was a very memorable production. Songs such as One Moment in Time, Run to You, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You, were performed perfectly. Another fantastic performer was Melissa James (Rachel Marron’s sister in the musical). She stood out as a very experienced, memorable singer. 

This was also one of those shows that when you think it’s all over its not; a trend that is happening in more shows to give the audience some participation and leaving with the feel good factor. 

There are still some tickets available for this fantastic show at MK Theatre.

Tickets: atgtickets.com

Running from: 13th April – 23rd April 2016

REVIEW: Hairspray the Musical at MK Theatre

Hairspray the Musical Review

This brand new production of the smash hit musical comedy, Hairspray, completely lived up to my high expectations! The Hairspray film came out in 1998 and the first musical followed in its footsteps in 2002, having now been performed hundreds of times in theatres all over the country.

Set in 1960s Baltimore, main character Tracy Turnblad is on a mission to dance and sing her way onto national TV show, The Corny Collins Show. This is a proper feel-good, energised show that made the audience dance, sing and clap a lot! Freya Sutton, who played Tracy Turnblad, is such a comedic, funny actress but one who is really convincing and loveable from the very start. She is optimistic, positive, and completely determined to dance on the famous Corny Collins show! Having already played the role of Tracy Turnblad in the previous UK tour of Hairspray, it shows that she knows the production inside out!

Another fantastic, stand-out performance came from Brenda Edwards, who is a British actress and singer of The X Factor fame. She was so suited to the role and you can tell she is really experienced with what she does. The show also stars Claire Sweeney and Blue Peter’s Peter Duncan.

The Musical’s dancing and singing was fantastic and obviously well-rehearsed. Songs include Good Morning Baltimore, It Takes Two, The Big Dollhouse and Without Love, all of which were perfectly sung and performed. 

The set and costumes, like the performance, were extravagant and detailed, making the production a joy to watch!

Running from: Monday 4th April – Saturday 9th April

Tickets available from: atgtickets.co.uk