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It's Chris's birthday today so we went for dinner at the Lowry Theatre and then to see a performance of Edward Scissorhands, the new ballet from Matthew Bourne (of the all male Swan Lake fame) and I have to tell you, if you get the chance to see it then go. If you liek ballet then go, if you liked Swan Lake go, if you like Tim Burton or the original film then go. Hell, if you like great music, fantastic dance and brilliant design then you have to go.
If you've never been to a ballet before then it really is a great place to start. I wasn't quite sure what to expect because even though the reviews have been great and I loved Bourne's Swan lake it was... well, it's a ballet version of Edward Scissorhands, it could have been awful. It's not though. It stunning to look at and moving and beautiful. To be fair (as wtih most ballets) it sort of helps if you already knwo the story (they've changed a couple of bits and tweaked one of two scenes, but not drastically) but you don't need to know the film off by heart to enjoy it. It's very, very funny, the design (sets, costumes and lighting) are all incredible, the acting is superb and the ending is just fantastic. I have never been in a theatre before where after the last note of the music has died away you have absolute silence, I mean, *absolute* silence before the audience bursts into applause. And then have that followed by a curtain call that actually only serves to make the whole experience even better. I've never actually seen it snow in a theatre before.
Really, if you do get the chance to see it then you really should. Forget any preconceptions (good or bad) that you may have about ballet and just go in with an open mind and I promise you you'll be amazed. The audience when we were there ranged from very young kids to very old people, obviously well off upper-class people to goth kids. Everyone was there and at the end I didn't hear a single negative comment, which is a first for almost every theatrical piece I have ever seen.
Like I say, go see it. You'll be glad if you do.
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From: Manchester, UK | Registered: Jul 2003
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It was only at the Lowry for a week so it's gone now, but if it's anything like Swan Lake it'll be on tour again. If you get a chance to see it do go though because it was stunning.
-------------------- Truth and Justice shall Prevail! (Unless Tamper Lad Screws it up...)
From: Manchester, UK | Registered: Jul 2003
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