★★★✰✰ Aladdin never fully finds its feet, but there’s a lot to like about the show, from the cheery group numbers to the striking visuals.
Tag - Carl Davis
David Bintley, director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, is a prolific choreographer and just about to unveil his latest full evening work - The Tempest. Graham Watts went to talk to him about a work, that after 30 years of consideration, has found its time and proper custom score...
A shame – not long for either him or the company to know one another. Three years is not the normal tenure for being artistic director of a company – 5 would be normal and successful ones stay 10 years or more. It’s interesting that one reason for leaving is the difficulty of exploring “other professional projects”. I find that rather surprising – being a...
Funding is my biggest frustration. Compared to others, we receive peanuts. We have to strip everything back. That can be healthy – forcing me to scrutinise why I want something and concentrating on production values.
Don’t expect big emotional highs and lows or deeply defined characters, just a clear narration of a story that everyone knows. So if we judge it on these terms how does it do?
All up, I came out entertained and it's a piece that will endure. And if all the company can conqueror Act 1 there will be smiling families all the way, I think - smiling at the drama and the movement.
Birmingham Hippodrome performance dates: Friday 15 – Saturday 23 February 2013 (includes a Sunday performance on 17 February at 1pm and a 6.30pm performance on Friday 22 February). Then Tours...