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Reviews
Sinfonia Viva. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 19 January 2025, 4✩✩✩✩. Review: William Ruff.
“Sinfonia Viva dispel winter gloom with Eastern European elegance.”
Photo of Sophie Rosa by Sebastian Siwko.
The National Youth Orchestra. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 06 January 2025, 5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: William Ruff.
“The NYO proves once again that our musical future is in very good hands.”
Photo Credit: National Youth Orchestra.
Twelfth Night: William ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre, RSC, Stratford Upon AvonRuns: 2h 55m; one interval, till 18 January 2025,4☆☆☆☆. Review: Roderick Dungate.
“Unruly and Sensitive.”
Photo Credit: Helen Murray.
Red Shoes, adapted by Nancy Harris, RSC, The Swan, Stratford. Runs until 19 January 2025, 3☆☆☆. Review: Roderick Dungate.
“Oh dear, what a muddle.”
Peter Pan, Birmingham Hippodrome, Monday 23 December 2024 until Sunday 02 February 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“A spectacular and hilarious show for all the family.”
Photo Credit: Paul Coltas.
A Christmas Celebration. Southwell Minster. 18 December 2024, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“A magical tradition but with plenty of surprises.”
Photo credit: Joe Briggs-Price.
Dina Duisen (piano). Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 15 December 2024, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“An entertaining, exhilarating recital from an artist who knows how to make friends with her audience.”
Photo credit: Royal Concert Hall.
Septura. Lakeside, Nottingham. 12 December 2024, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Fine playing but such a big sound needs more space to breathe.”
Photo credit: Jon Enoch.
Kazuki Conducts Bruckner 9. CBSO, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Thursday 12 December 2024, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“A very well crafted concert contrasting playful Mozart with more sombre Bruckner.”
Carmina Burana. BBC Concert Orchestra. Choirs from Nottingham’s Universities and Southwell Minster. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 04 December 2024, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Plenty of tingle-factor in this fruitful musical collaboration.”
Photo credit: Nottingham Trent University.
Kazuki Conducts Walton & Elgar, CBSO, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wednesday 04 December 2024, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“Contrasting works from two giants of English music.”
Mass in B Minor - Ex Cathedra, Birmingham Town Hall, Sun 01 December 2024, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Reviewer: Paul Gray & Roderick Dungate.
“A triumph of a performance of Bach’s masterpiece.”
Photo Credit: Ex Cathedra
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Saturday 30 November 2024, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“A Hungarian Orchestra delivers some characterful playing, while a home-grown virtuoso dazzles with Chopin.”
Small Things Like These (2024), Dir Tim Mielants, Lionsgate, mac Birmingham, 5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: Matthew Alicoon.
“A masterclass in the art of understatement.”
Sir Stephen Hough. Lakeside, Nottingham. 28 November 2024, 5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: William Ruff.
“A master pianist presents an exhilarating programme.”
Photo Credit: Sim Canetty-Clarke.
A Christmas Carol. Northern Ballet. Theatre Royal, Nottingham. 26-30 November 2024 and Leeds Grand Theatre 17 December 2024 – 04 January 2025, 5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: William Ruff.
“A production bursting with feel-good factor.”
Photo credit: Colleen Mair.
Sibelius, Rautavaara and Adès. The Hallé. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 26 November 2024, 5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: William Ruff.
“An artistically unified, unusually satisfying programme.”
Photo credit: Emma Wernig.
The Magic Flute (Opera North). Theatre Royal, Nottingham. 22 November 2024, 5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: William Ruff.
“Mozart’s Flute is truly magical in Opera North’s revelatory production.”
Photo credit: Tristram Kenton.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Opera North). Theatre Royal, Nottingham. 20 November 2024, 5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: William Ruff.
“Opera North casts a potent spell”
Photo credit” Richard H. Smith
A Christmas Carol adapted by Mark Gatiss, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, 6 Centenary Square, B1 2EP, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: Joanna Jarvis.
“A delightfully ghostly spin on a classic tale.”
Photo Credit: Ellie Kurtz.