Review: Les Misérables at Milton Keynes Theatre

I’m not sure if this review needs much more than, ‘Wow! Go see this immediately!’…But I will try to be a little more descriptive as to why you should go, at least for those of you like me that do not know the story as well as you should, even if it has been packing out theatres worldwide since 1985!

The musical is based on Victor Hugo’s great 19^thCentury novel, Les Misérables and is set during a period of great social and political unrest in France and living conditions of the poor were grim. The musical begins with our hero, Jean Valjean, who was arrested for stealing some bread to feed his sister’s baby and imprisoned for 19 years. He is granted leave, breaks his parole and begins a new life. Fast forward 8 years and he is now the owner of a factory and finds himself indebted to one of his workers, Fantine, and will do whatever he can to take care of her young illegitimate daughter, Cosette, living with the terrible Monsieur and Madame Thénardier. Fast forward another 9 years, the revolution is on the rise, Cosette has grown up and a young rebel student Marius has fallen in love with her. His friend Eponine (the Thénardier’s grown up daughter) is secretly in love with him and a tricky love triangle begins. Act two sees the revolution continue, tragic deaths and a marriage all of which will keep you on the edge of your seat right until the end.

The story is dark, melancholy, helpless at times, funny at others and really transports you to life in early 1800’s France. The show moves so quickly, one enthralling song after another. Many of the songs have simple tunes that you find yourself humming along to by the second verse, especially Master of the House which is good fun! The acting and singing was absolutely superb and although the entire cast were completely perfect, I must give particular mention of course to Killian Donnelly (Jean Valjean), Nic Greensheilds (Javert), Katie Hall (Fantine), Martin Ball (Monsieur Thénardier) and Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Thénardier. Lyrics were enunciated very clearly so you can easily follow what is happening. The live orchestra completes this show with beautiful music to set the scene and leaves you humming the tunes all the way home. 

The staging was magnificent, it changed seamlessly from one scene to the next. One moment you’re in a factory, the next in the backstreets with the ladies and their clients and the next at the Thérnardier’s dodgey pub or the barricades, you hardly even notice the set changing. The show has been refreshed for the 21^stcentury and now includes a background screen with some digital moving images (based on paintings by Victor Hugo) that tie in flawlessly with the set without taking away from the forbidding atmosphere of the times. 

For tickets: Best availability Monday to Thursday performances. Call the theatre’s dedicated Les Misérables booking line on 01908 547669 (open Monday to Saturday, 12 – 6pm) or visit: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/les-miserables/milton-keynes-theatre/. Check daily for returns and last minute ticket releases.

Review: Manon

***Contains spoilers – most of you will already know this famous story and we find it best to know the story before watching a ballet***

This week, the English National Ballet is in town performing Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon. With Jurgita Dronina as Manon, Isaac Hernandez as Des Grieux and Ken Saruhashi as Lescaut.

For those of you that do not know the story of Manon, here’s a quick summary. Young, penniless student, Des Grieux meets the beautiful Manon and they fall in love. Manon’s brother, Lescaut has other ideas and persuades Manon to choose the wealthy Monsieur GM instead. Lescaut makes a bargain with Monsieur GM but before he can introduce him to Manon, she has run off to Paris with Des Grieux. They have a passionate affair before Monsieur GM and Lescaut arrive and Manon is enticed to becoming the wealthy man’s mistress; Des Grieux is left distraught. In Act II Des Grieux is looking for Manon and is convinced to cheat at a poker game to get Monsieur GM’s Money and the lovers run off again and prepare to escape Paris. They are interrupted by Monsieur GM, a beaten Lescaut and armed policemen, panic ensues, Lescaut is killed and Manon is arrested. Act III takes you to New Orleans where Manon has been deported with other prostitutes to be sold as servants. Des Grieux has followed Manon to try to protect her but the Gaoler has taken an interest in Manon and forces her to please him. Des Griex breaks in, kills the Gaoler and the lovers flee. Lost in the Louisiana swamp, they are trapped, delirious and haunted, eventually the strain and anxiety is too much for Manon who dies in her lover’s arms.

As with most ballets, it is a simple story of love and loss which makes it fairly easy to follow what is happening which of course in ballet is portrayed only through the dance without dialogue or song. The dancing truly was mesmerising and there were some incredibly talented dancers on stage. From the leads to the artists of the company, each character was a joy to watch and they all played a critical part in the story and setting the scene.

The stage was one of the simplest sets that I’ve seen but was very effective with huge backdrops, a few props, lighting, smoke and stunning costumes. The orchestra were fantastic and as always at Milton Keynes Theatre, the sound was tremendous!

A highly recommended ballet whether you’re a ballet old-timer or a newbie, you will thoroughly enjoy it.

For tickets, head to www.atgtickets.com

Last minute Valentines...

February always seems to fly by, so if you've been caught unawares by Valentines this year, we've got some last-ditch attempts to (help!) save you! Whether you've just been rushed off your feet, are a bit short on cash, ordered something online which hasn't arrived in time, or, let's face it, you just plain old forgot, we've got a few ideas left up our sleeves to help save you from trouble!

• Cook up a storm: Can't afford those hiked up Valentines day prices, or just don't fancy the busy restaurant scene? Then why not cook something from home. Get some candles on the table and cook a couple of courses, however basic your cooking skills are you'll be sure to master something. If cooking isn't usually your forte and you take the effort to cook for your date, chances are they'll be pleasantly surprised and it'll be even more appreciated than a meal out... unless it tastes bad that is, maybe give it a try before you serve it up!
• Get creative: There are a number of gift ideas which you might find on some quite expensive sites, where they offer personalised posters and cards. A lovely gift idea, but probably one you could make for yourself. All you need is a computer/laptop or probably even a mobile app, and you can use some quirky and fun fonts and colours to create a really nice poster, personalised however you want it, pretty much for free (apart from the paper and ink). Head to a supermarket or homestore and buy a frame, and they'll never know it didn't cost the earth. 
• Brave the shops: It might be that you hate the shops, but you do still have time to make it in and out alive! If you think creatively you might even get away with visiting the 24 hour Asda!
• Chocolate: For men and women alike, chocolate is generally a safe bet. Plus, you can grab it while doing your food shop, nice and easy and sure to be appreciated (unless they don't like chocolate, of course!)
• Flowers: You need to get them fresh anyway so you can't be accused of not being prepared (even if you weren't) and they're a pretty safe bet, even for the men (although maybe not the most masculine of ideas)
• IOU?: If all else fails and you don't get round to getting anything or the inspiration is lacking, write them out an IOU, and if it's for something like a day trip, weekend away or something similar, it's a fair excuse for not providing anything much on the day!

Valentines day is a created holiday, arguably to grab our money but also a nice excuse to show someone you love them. Of course don't feel pressured into taking part, and if you're single this Valentines, make the most of that reduced chocolate the day after and hold a chocolate party with your friends! 

Personalised Valentines

You've got just under a week until Valentines day, so if you're searching the web for something to buy your other half, why not consider a personalised gift for your loved one. There are countless things you can get personalised on numerous websites, from cards to key rings, coasters to mugs. Using initials, names and photos, you can create a personalised gift which will be really unique. That way, no matter how small the item is, it'll be meaningful and appreciated, you can even get chocolates personalised! Not just for Valentines day though, gifts like these are great for birthdays, anniversaries or even just a treat for yourself!

(For those last minute guys and girls out there, don't forget to check the delivery date before ordering from the internet!)

February- Some things you may not already know...

1. Probably the most obvious- Valentines day. The 14th Feb, the day which you either love or hate (a bit like marmite) and has the shops decked out in red and pink for about a month.
2. Amethyst is the birthstone of February.
3. The birth flowers for February are primrose and viola.
4. February sees the national day of the sun celebrated in Argentina.
5. The Roman month 'Februarius' was named after the Latin term 'februum' which means purification, after the purification ritual February held in the old lunar Roman calendar.
6. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on the 6th February 1952.
7. 'Candlemas' is held on the 2nd February and is a day which celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. Today the candles to be used during the year in the church are blessed on this day.
8. The snowdrop flower is known for traditionally appearing in February, and symbolises hope.
9. While pancake day varies between February and March depending on Easter, this year it's the 17th February- time to get that batter ready!

World Compliment day

This is a nice one!  World compliment day seems to be pretty much just the reminder to be nice and share the love a bit! Imagine if everyone shared a compliment today, a genuine one that isn't just any old comment for the sake of it, people would undoubtedly be so much happier.

Strangers passing each other could say something nice for a change, or even just smile, when on any other day they might feel like they can't… which is kind of sad if that is the case. It's all too true that if someone were to randomly come up to you in the street and compliment your hair you may be a little weirded out, probably depending on the person, place etc., but still, we wouldn't find it normal would we? It just doesn't happen often enough. So here's your challenge- give a stranger a compliment today! You don't have to be weird about it, just act like it's the most normal thing in the world, and then maybe it will become so… what harm could it do?! You could even be really subtle about it, like try leaving a post-it note with a compliment on it on someone's desk, or tweet something positive to your followers, let's get involved!

Past vs. Present: Has Valentines Day lost its appeal?

Valentines day has been around for centuries, so I've taken a look at the history behind it, finding out where on earth the idea started! 

Stories about the origins of the day go back to around AD 250, with tales of ‘Saint Valentine’, of which there is little known. We know that he was a holy priest in Rome, and was executed on the 14th February, which was how Valentines day came about. The actual idea of sending Valentines Day cards seems to have begun in around 1400. The oldest known valentine in existence was from Charles, Duke of Orleans, written to his wife in 1415, whilst he was imprisoned in the Tower of London; possibly not the happiest of messages, but romantic nonetheless.

Love is in the air: Some of our top Brit couples

Tis the season for celebrating love, and so we’ve racked our brains to give you a selection of couples Britain can be proud to boast of…

First and foremost, Kate and Wills. Their wedding was arguably the wedding of the century, and now with baby in tow, they continue to present a relationship of bliss. Of course, the royals aren’t going to be airing their spats and disagreements into the public domain, but just looking at this couple it is clear they are truly loved up and taking their role in the spotlight seriously. They seem to be the perfect match for one another.