Fortunately, Sheffield is home to two of England's best regional theatres. They sit next to each other in Tudor Square. Frequently, months can go by without me visiting either The Crucible or The Lyceum but this week I have visited both.
On Wednesday night, Shirley had great seats for the evening performance of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" in The Crucible. It was slick and endearing in all regards - a great combination of singing, dancing and spoken dialogue without a single error that I could detect. There was also plenty of skilful stagecraft to admire. It's wonderful when a gang of humans can work together to produce really magical theatre. And of course most of Irving Berlin's songs are familiar even when you can't pin down exactly when you first heard them.
"White Christmas" at The Crucible & below - poster for "Beauty and The Beast"
Then today Shirley I attended The Lyceum with Frances, Phoebe and Baby Margot for a matinee performance of the annual pantomime which this year is "Beauty and the Beast". We were up on the balcony, high above the stage.
Phoebe clung to me for security for she is not fond of loud noises but she was never visibly upset and seemed to enjoy the entire show - as far as a small girl can do just before her third birthday.
I hadn't seen a pantomime in years. Throughout the country, pantos are very popular at this time of year. It is a tradition that goes right back to the eighteenth century. They provide light-hearted family entertainment built around simple and predictable plots but laced with popular songs, corny jokes and topical references. There's never anything very serious about a panto and maybe that's why ordinary families are quite fond of them. Often major parts are taken by pretty well-known celebrities.
Afterwards we went back to Frances and Stewart's house for a curry and to be around with the children while they packed stuff up ready for a long drive down to London tomorrow morning. They won't be returning to Sheffield until Christmas Day.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/8CnVOWe
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