Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
What the Dickens would Christmas be without A Christmas Carol in some form or another. This year we were treated to a wonderful performance of the classic by Northern Ballet, Directed and Devised by Christopher Gable CBE and Choreographed by Massimo Moricone to Music by Carl Davis. A formidable trio indeed. For those of you…
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I don’t use a star system to grade the things I review. My reasoning for this is that the top rating would mean, should something come along which was palpably better than those to which I had allocated five stars, I could not do it justice. In 1999 the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab was so…
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Before I write this review I must admit to not being a big fan of Gilbert and Sullivan. I was introduced to their work at school via The Pirates of Penzance and, even in my early teens, I thought that the humour was very childish. I realise that it was supposed to be satirical, but…
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Had someone told me, even three years ago, that I would get hooked on ballet I would have been a bit sceptical as, although the music is usually really good, I don’t speak the language of dance. If they had laboured their point and included modern ballet I would have been even more doubtful. Now,…
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Here we have a preview covering the end of the year with not a mention of Christmas, so, should you want to escape the tinsel and fairy lights and experience something completely different, check out these events. Saturday, 28th September sees Memories As Harmonies at Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, a double bill of music…
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Continuing my previews for the rest of the year it is the turn of probably the most famous venue in Leeds, The City Varieties Music Hall. As usual, it is hosting some of the best live performers currently on tour. Everything from music, comedy, personal appearances by well known personalities and miscellaneous to events such…
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This is the shortest preview I will be doing as the productions have fairly long runs rather than being one night stands – on points obviously – and then go on tour. The prime example is Romeo and Juliet, which I had the pleasure of attending in March but is still going strong now, and…
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It is not as if we needed an excuse to go to the magnificent Leeds Grand Theatre, apart from the programme of events, but this September sees its reopening following a makeover, and I can’t wait to see how the place has changed. The re-opening date is 5th September with a series of one night…
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After my first visit to see a full ballet, Romeo And Juliet, I was wondering whether they were all as good as that. Beauty And The Beast has convinced me that they probably are! Once again I was in awe of the performers, the orchestra and the creatives. Not being a regular ballet buff, I…
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This might not be the best way to begin a review, but over the past eighteen months or so, I have had some health issues which, apart from the physical aspects, have had a psychological effect on me, sapping my enthusiasm to such an extent I was seriously thinking of retiring from writing altogether. Being…
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Tyke It To The Limit 