"Nottinghamshire's Got Talent 2024"

Mapperley Plains Social Club.

It's been two years since the last Nottinghamshire's Got Talent, but it returned this year with seven finalists all fighting it out for the title of Nottinghamshire's Got Talent Winner 2024.

Hosted by Owen Brindley and Amelia Salmons.

The four judges this time around were Drag royalty Liv Presents, winner of NGT 2022 Georgie Mills, Councillor Kyle Robinson-Payne and Stu Arnold in his guise as Keith Lemon XXL.

The finalists this year were Crystal Dance Academy who opened the show with a brilliant routine to Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca". Just one young man shaking his stuff surrounded by a whole posse of young ladies, seems like he was definitely living the crazy life.

Singer Rosie Green, who travelled all the way down from Scotland to take part in Nottinghamshire's Got Talent.

29-year-old comedian Zachary Brooks was up next. Zach is autistic and has a speech impediment, but that did not stop him from getting up on the Mapperley Plains Social Club stage to entertain us. Zachary has entered several talent competitions and has done very well for himself. A very confident young man who's not afraid to joke about himself and his autism.

Dancer Isabelle Willbye is just 14 years old. I always feel it's really difficult to be a solo dancer in a competition like this, but Isabelle performed a passionate piece of dance as her piece.

The United Voices Choir sang a lovely rendition of Christina Aguilera's song "Beautiful"

Dance seems to be very popular with the 2024 finalists as we also had Mia O' Regan who also performed an emotional dance routine.

Singer Freddie Vokes closed the competition singing Calum Scott's "Dancing On My Own", accompanying himself on the keyboard.

It's probably the first time that I fully agreed with any judging panel in their decisions, but I was really pleased when 3rd place was awarded to Rosie Green, 2nd place was given to Crystal Dance Academy and 1st place was awarded to Freddie Vokes, who also got to repeat his performance and, as part of his prize, gets to perform at Nottinghamshire Pride 2025. All three winners received trophies and medals.

Guest performers on the night were Georgie Mills, who sang "Feeling Good" and Liam Price who treated us to "A Million Dreams", "Proud Mary" and "Never Enough". The last song sent shivers down my spine and came back with tingles. Liam, at only fifteen has a voice that is going to take him places. Liam reached the semi finals in 2019 in the TV talent show, "The Voice Kids" and currently has a new track out called "Where's Your Heart At". Owen signed to "A Million Dreams".

While the acts were on point, the only thing that cast a shadow over the evening, for me personally, was the lighting, or maybe the lack of it. Much of the time the two hosts were either in shadow or were illuminated from the knees down. With such a vibrant dance routing for Crystal Dance Academy, I had expected a vibrant lighting design but again, a lot of the dancers were shrouded and I don't feel that we got the full impact.

I would have liked to have seen the four judges, not just heard them, but again there were no spotlights on them and all four remained in the dark, and we did not get the full and magnificent costume wore by Liv, nor did we get to see Stu's Keith Lemon persona and costume, well not until they went up on the stage and the one spotlight managed to find them.

At the end of the day, we got to see the talent that a group of young people had to show us, each one different, and each act brave enough to put themselves up there to be judged and critiqued. Plus I had the chance to meet some lovely people and finally meet, in person, Liv and Liam.

Nottinghamshire's Got Talent are helping raise funds for Nottingham Playhouse's 2024 flagship community charity "Shine".

 "Cinderella" by Spotlight Theatre.

Nottingham Arts Theatre.

So, here we are, my first panto of 2024. "Oh yes it is!"

With pantomimes everybody knows the story of every classic pantomime, so I don't need to tell you what "Cinderella" is all about, now do I?

Tilly Wishart plays Cinderella as traditional as fish and chips, none of this very modern Cinders, very traditional, just the way it should be. Having seen Tilly in several productions over the years, I know what a lovely voice she has, which is showcased on many of the songs featured in this year's panto.

The role of Prince Charming is shared by Shantana Bhumbra and Oliver Smith. On Saturday afternoon I watched Shan. In contrast to the traditional Cinderella, this Prince Charming was relatively trendy, and that reflected the modern songs that Shan got to sing. Shan has a great voice, with just a bit of soulful huskiness. He's had a busy year stage wise, and this role is just perfect to round the year off with.

Laura Thurman returns to Spotlight Theatre's pantomimes playing the Fairy Godmother. It is so lovely to see Laura back where she belongs, as FG she's there to right all the wrongs, her script is delivered all in rhymes, ensuring we all have the best of times. Her smile will shine and her eyes will glisten, and you get the laughs, but you'll have to listen. Her vocals are tingling, they'll warm up your blood, in short this lady is back here for good (hopefully). 

Luca Smith is Buttons. This character requires so much energy and that is what Luca brings to the role. This character is really down with the kids and gets the audience participation going without much effort at all. That energy also crosses over to her dancing and singing in this panto; a really fun character, who just happens to play a really fun character.

Joe Butler plays Baroness Hardup. Oh, I love Joe, and I know that Joe loves playing roles like this. Wonderfully wicked and laps up every boo that comes her way. This is panto villainy at its' best.

Our two Step Sisters, Wilma and Betty, are played by Mike Pearson and JK Smith. I have seen Mike in his role as Dame and Ugly Sister many times and he has absolutely mastered this role. Every move he makes is as if it comes from within because playing this character is almost second nature. He certainly gives other panto Dame/Sister characters around Nottingham a run for their money.

I really can't remember seeing JK play this kind of role in the past, but it really does suit him. Think of Les Dawson's Ada Shufflebottom, and that's who JK reminded me of. It's that voice he has where he doesn't really try to disguise his male voice that makes this character so funny, well for me anyway. This coupling with Mike are well matched and if you're wondering where Wilma and Betty may ring a bell, their initial costumes may just remind you!

Dandini is played by Patrick McChrystal. Another stalwart of panto, and often involved behind the scenes in other productions for Spotlight. One thing that I enjoy seeing are regulars mixing in with newer actors, because that's what keeps panto fresh, and with Patrick you know that you're in for a quality role. There's a nice chemistry with Patrick and Shan which makes you believe that these two are close panto pals as Prince and his manservant. Some lovely comedy scenes with this pair as well, especially with Dandini being slightly posher than the Prince.

Mozzarella is another part shared by Hemi Lewis and Daisy Donoghue. Hemi took centre stage this afternoon, with Daisy being in the ensemble. This is another fun character, Mozzarella by the way being a mouse, if you hadn't guessed. Mozz knows everyone in this panto and knows them all by their initials - FG (Fairy Godmother), PC (Prince Charming), you get the idea. Another lit character role with plenty of rizz who is down with the kids.

The adult ensemble consist of Daisy Donoghue, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Jess Henley-Marshall, Lucy Horton, Tegan King, Hemi Lewis and Zoe Turton. Great energy from this group, and so full of smiles as well. You can tell that they enjoy being in panto as much as we enjoy watching them.

There are two Children's groups, Team Pumpkin and Team Slipper, I saw Team Pumpkin on Saturday afternoon. They were Jess Blackham, Hattie Duffin, Orla Donohoe, Olivia Finch, Sarah Fisher, Grace Moroziuk, Elismae Naude, Emma Price, Ella Rhodes, Clio Wilkinson-Dunstan, Evie Andrew, Harry Keiller, Isobel Lucas and Esmie Smith-Cockayne. If Team Slipper provide as much entertainment as Team Pumpkin do, then whichever team you see you'll be blown away by their talent.

Written and Directed by Amanda Hall, well, I don't really need to say much more do I? When you go out to the shops and you see a tin of beans with Heinz on, you know you're getting quality before you even open the tin. Same here, you see Amanda's name attached, quality is assured. 

Choreographed by Charlotte Barrington and Megan Leahy. This panto is a dance fest. From the opening number right to the final Christmas song, and I'm not giving anything away about the music choices except to say there are some real bangers in here which have some cracking choreography, it'll make you want to shut up and dance with anyone tonight, you definitely won't need any help with that. Look, what I am trying to say is that your feet will be tapping throughout. The ensemble choreography was wonderful, and there was one little lad, who was quite rightly put up front and centre this afternoon, who really threw everything into his choreography. Congrats to Charlotte and Megan for a fantastically choreographed show. You should be proud of your students.

Musical Director is Patrick McChrystal. There were some brilliant vocal performances and some excellent song choices ranging from sixties pop to modern dance numbers, and of course the usual smattering of musical theatre numbers. Patrick has been a vocal coach for many years now and really knows how to get the best out of these performers.

Set Designer is by Amanda Hall, Laura Ellis and Mike Pearson. I think the only thing missing from this set is glitter because everything else is there.

The costumes are designed by Spotlight Theatre Arts CIC and Sophie Petruccio-Hall, and weren't they marvellous? Take my word for it; in fact, don't take my word for it, go and see what brilliant costumes, and the number of costumes there are in this panto. Glitter and glamour, and the conversion from Cinders scullery maid costume to the Prince's Ball costume was absolutely magical.

Sound design is by Rob Ketteridge. Now like all the other well-known names at the Arts Theatre, you see Rob's name in the programme at the start of the show and you know that you're in for a well balances and clear sound. No disappointment in that field, no missed mic cues and a lovely crisp sound which was well balanced with the vocals.

Lighting design by Oliver Read. Once again, as above. What this man does not know about lighting design is not worth knowing. Great lights and lighting effects adding to the magic of this production. Lighting operated skilfully by George Wilson along with Follow Spot Operators Cathy Bodman and Matthew Allcock. That job by the way is not as simple as it sounds or looks!

There are a lot of people involved on stage with panto, so it's really important to have a Stage manager who knows what they are doing. Enter Laura Ellis, and Deputy Stage Manager Nigel Newton, who made sure that everyone and everything was where they should be, maintaining the flow of the stage.

Fairy Godmother and Buttons chatted to the four youngsters who came up on stage and presented the quartet with goody bags, and there was a parody of Black Lace's "Agadoo" which had a topical panto reworking just to keep the audience bouncing along nicely just before the big wedding scene. 

Lots of music, dancing, fun and magic, and the jokes weren't that bad either, all wrapped up in a cracker of a show lasting a little over two hours. As usual, thoroughly recommended for the whole family. What a way to start Christmas!

"Cinderella" is at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Sunday 15 December.

 "The Red Room" by H.G. Wells.

Free Roam Theatre Company.

Performed by Ellie Ball.

Adapted by Charlotte Ball.

The Studio Theatre, West Bridgford.

Written in 1894, this is a wonderfully atmospheric retelling of Wells' gothic chiller, by Ellie Ball, the story itself adapted for this one woman show by Ellie's sister, Charlotte.

In the remote castle of Lorraine there is a room that is said to be haunted. This room is called The Red Room and there, supposedly, a young duke had died succumbing to apoplexy after a fall down the steps leading from the room; the same room that his wife also died.

The narrator, rather skeptical, decides to spend the night there to prove that nothing strange happens there and with the intention of disproving all the local legends surrounding it. The three guardians of Lorraine Castle who reside there warn the narrator not to do so, but they decide to go ahead and spend the night alone in The Red Room. But are they really alone?

Some of the shadows seem to have human form and, although initially reason prevails, little by little the fear of the darkness and the place increases. Are there really ghosts there? Or is it the person's own fear that makes him see the apparitions?

Fear can make your mind work overtime and see and hear things that may not be there. How many times have we all watched something on TV and a shiver go down your spine? In the safety of your own living room, you know that certain things are improbable, but the mind takes over and fear develops. Franklin D Roosevelt himself said in his first inaugural address back in 1933, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself", and while his quote may not have been about shadows and noises, the quote is quite apt.

The Studio Theatre is an ideal venue for this story as it's small and intimate and with just a few props to add to the storyline, you concentrate fully on Ellie's story telling skills. A scarf is used in several ways to depict the three elderly guardians, a torch creates unease and shadows, and the full length mirror almost distracts from flickers and images reflected, or are they also just in the mind of the narrator?

From being a child, we have all loved being read to, especially when trying to get a child to sleep (I wouldn't recommend this tale though for that purpose), or at school to entertain, so story telling is a way to capture the imagination of an active mind. As we grow up we still love to listen to stories, making our own imaginations do some of the work, why else would the Radio Four drama series "The Archers" still reel in millions of listeners today, in a world of modern technology or "Jackanory" keep being revisited? It's because we all love to listen to stories and allow the narrator to plant those wonderful seeds in our brains to build up images of characters, just as Ellie Ball did.

Ellie's acting skills and voices bring the physicality of the elder characters to life, and just by shutting your eyes, you can envisage what they may have looked like.

Sound is by Liz Daly, and even from the build up to Ellie's first appearance, we hear the sound of a clock ticking, enough to drive you mad or to count down to, it also sets your nerves on edge. That is even before a word is spoken and the sound of a crackling fire takes over, immediately presenting mental images of a dark castle room with just a roaring fire to cast shadows up the walls, or present strange images in the coals - and that's just in your mind! The other louder sound effects arrive without warning, and I saw a couple of audience members jump at these.

Lighting is by David Daly, and this is the other half of the trickery of the mind, keeping the performance area in shadows, also allowing Ellie's torch to be used to create more mystery.

As I've said, I love listening to stories, and especially stories that create chills. It's not a horror story by any means, H.G. Wells was very good at writing suspense and psychological works, and that is why this particular story fulfills everyone's desire to be put on edge, especially as Christmas, which is always the time for a good spooky tale.

This is a one night only performance, but please check out Free Roam Theatre online for future productions.

 "Bus Stop" by William Inge.

Venture Theatre, Ashby de la Zouche.

The play is set in a diner about 25 miles west of Kansas City in early March 1955. A freak snowstorm has halted the bus, with all roads blocked, and the eight characters (five on the bus) have a weather-enforced layover in the diner. 

Cherie, is the passenger with most to worry about. She’s been pursued by a twenty-one-year-old cowboy with a ranch of his own and the romantic methods of an unusually headstrong bull. The belligerent cowhand is right behind her, ready to sling her over his shoulder and carry her, alive and kicking, all the way to Montana. As a counterpoint to the main romance, the owner of the cafe and the bus driver find time to develop a friendship of their own; a middle-age scholar comes to terms with himself; and a young girl who works in the cafe also gets her first taste of romance.

This is the play version of the famous Marilyn Monroe film.

Grace Hoylard, played by Claire Kavanagh, is the owner of the Diner and has a flat right above it, which is fortunate for when she gets one of her occasional headaches, normally when the Kansas coach stops by, driven by Carl. What I love about Claire is her very natural acting style; everything she does is fluent and her relationships with the other characters are very down to earth, which is how the proprietor of any serving establishment should be, making this role very believable and realistic. When her character is found out, regarding her little "lie down", she merely confesses and explains to Elma that she has needs which keep her grounded.

Elma Duckworth is an intelligent, but naive and impressionable high school girl working as a waitress at the diner. Played by Mercedes Cook, this is another wonderful role for Mercedes, following on from Linda in "Ladies Unleashed" earlier on in the year. It takes a lot to play naivety right as it can swing to extremes, but Mercedes just gets it right as she holds on to every word uttered by Lyman and is swept along with the dangerous daydream that he presents to her. It's a good job that Elma has Auntie Grace to steady her whimsical notions of falling in love to fast!

Will Masters is the local sheriff and played by Frank Taylor. Frank is new to all this acting lark, and when pitched in, at the last minute I might add, with this seasoned cast, you can tell - but that's only because the rest of the cast have the acting experience. I have had enough experience in watching actors to know when they are nervous, and I know all actors get nerves, especially on opening night, so it shows to me. That said, despite needing to relax into the role more, Frank did a cracking job. As the play went on, I relaxed into Frank's performance and, even though no one else probably noticed, there was just one teeny tiny prompt, that came from another actor and not from the prompt, Frank was word perfect. 

Male actors are in great demand, and I know that Frank ended the play looking as if he really enjoyed this experience, as much as the audience certainly did, and I do hope that, now he has the bug, we'll see him in other productions. Everyone has to start somewhere and it's a massive step to take on stage. Despite what some people say, you're not born an actor, you have to get bitten by the bug, and I think Frank has been bitten. This was a big role for a debut, and you well and truly smashed it, now go on and start enjoying being a luvvie!

Dr. Gerald Lyman is a college philosophy professor who has taste for young women, especially Ms Duckworth. He also has a drinking problem, which creates some lovely comedy moments later on; let's face it, drunks can be incredibly amusing, especially when they are trying to appear sober! Played by Paul Smith I absolutely loved Paul's portrayal of this character. If you can imagine the delivery of W.C. Fields, then this is how Lyman was delivered on stage by Paul. His playing of a drunk was superb, and quite realistic; you will never hear Shakespeare's Romeo delivered with such comedy, and the timing was excellent. A point I noted when I reviewed Paul in his various roles in "Handbagged" in March this year.

Cherie, played by Rachel Wallis, is the pretty young woman who comes from a difficult "hill folk" background. She is an aspiring nightclub singer, sorry chanteuse,but has never worked above the level of "cheap dive". In the film, this role was played by Marilyn Monroe. I was really pleased to say that Cherie was played by Rachel, and not Rachel playing Monroe, playing Cherie. You could see a woman who was used to dealing with men who came to the nightclub she worked in and their attentions, but Rachel also brought out the vulnerable side of the character so well. 

Bo Decker, played by Josiah Taylor, is a brash young cowboy, orphaned at the age of ten, with boorish manners that hide a naivety almost as deep as Elma's. He believes that Cherie will be his bride, although she wants nothing to do with him. Josiah is new to Venture Theatre but you can see that he is not new to the stage because of the confidence that he has. This comes from being involved in a theatre group that I know well, Bright Lights Drama Club in Loughborough, and performing in college, and he is still only eighteen years old, although towering head and shoulders over his dad, Frank, you'd think that he was older.  Loved the macho bravado and the accent with Bo, but does he manage to win over the woman he wants to marry? Only one way to find out if Bo's tender change of attitude wins the day.

Virgil Blessing is an older, wiser cowboy who has become a father figure to Bo and serves as his head ranch hand. Dan Aucott plays this wise, guitar playing steady hand on the Bo Decker rudder. There's absolutely no urgency with Virgil and takes life as he finds it, while still managing to rein in Bo and attempt to keep him out of trouble, with not only the ladies, but the Sherrif of the town. A nice laid back performance by Dan, and we also get to witness another of his talents as well, by playing guitar, accompanying Cherie on "That Old Black Magic".

Carl is the bus driver, who has an ongoing "just passing through" relationship with Grace. Carl is played by Ron Ghosh. Ron is one of those theatre members that you want in a theatre group as he is a talented set dresser and builder, as well as a stage manager. He is also as confident on stage as being behind it, as this role shows. In playing Carl, the driver, he managed to tell the audience about his relationship with Grace, without telling the audience, if you know what I mean. A lovely world-weary character in Carl which creates a nice relaxed personality for Ron to play.

Directed by Martin Pritchard and Karen Heath. Apart from everything about the story and the portrayal of the story I loved, what I also noted were the little attention to details that were sprinkled throughout. The music used for the curtain up was Jim Reeves' "The Blizzard" - it set the scene. We find out about the snow blizzard really early on, and when the Sherrif and passengers entered the diner, there was snow on their hats and coats. The sound of the slap when Cherie smacked Bo resounded over the theatre. This was set in a diner, and there was real food and drink doled out to the clientele. Realism is of key importance for me, and that is what this production has.

Set design is by Mark Stephens, and it's one of those sets that, as soon as the curtain is raised, you drink in every last inch of the set. It's like you have been transported back to the 1950's and the sort of diner you'd have seen in shows like "Happy Days". The colour scheme, the wall adornments, the tables and chairs, comfy seat, coat rack and that wonderful big heater right near the door where the customers enter and leave.

I must also comment on the props, sourced by Tracey Hasler, because I love props in a play. For starters there was real food, displayed in the way that a diner would display food temptingly. Every prop you would need to create this kind od environment was there. It was if the American Diner in Church Gresley had been picked up and transplanted onto the stage of The Venture Theatre.

Perfectly stage managed by Nicky Miller, assisted by Gemma Pritchard and Christine Hammond.

Sound design is by Paul Smith and operated by Dale Richards. Loved the timely sound effects that gave you the impression and spacial awareness of what was outside the diner doors.

Lighting design is also by Paul Smith and operated by Michelle Hodgkinson. Simple and effective is always a big thumbs up from me.

Costumes have been sourced and created by Karen Heath. From the diner costumes to the cowboy outfits and to Cherie's "wow factor" costume reveal when she sang "That Old Black Magic", these costumes certainly made an impression.

I think that I had seen the film version of this play many moons ago, and now and again something in the play reminded me of it, but I have not seen the play version before. I think that you can tell that I loved this production and its' snapshot of life in Kansas City and the folk there. And you know what, all this action takes place within two hours, including the interval.

If you love a good bargain, you'll love this as well.

The 1950's American Diner in Church Gresley are offering a 10% discount at the American Diner to Venture Theatre audience members!

All you need to do to claim your 10% discount is to present your "Bus Stop" ticket within the next 12 months. One ticket per customer, and you need to have your booking reference with you, not forgetting to mention the "Bus Stop" promotion when booking your meal.

"Bus Stop" is at The Venture Theatre in Ashby de la Zouche until Saturday 30 November, with a Saturday matinee, and then from Wednesday 4 December to Saturday 7 December. This is one bus stop you won't mind hanging around at!

 "A Christmas Carol" by Northern Ballet.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

It's beginning to look, and feel, a lot like Christmas in Nottingham this week. What with the Christmas lights being up and the Winter Wonderland in the Market Square, and then there's the Northern Ballet bringing a very special production of "A Christmas Carol" to the Nottingham Theatre Royal.

There are quite a few different productions of Dickens' classic Christmas story around this year, but every one is different. This production by the Northern Ballet is a sumptuous retelling of the tale in dance.

The wonderful thing about dance is that every emotion can be portrayed by dance, and even though there are very few words uttered in this production, apart from the songs, you get every feeling that is played out in this story.

This Charles Dickens story is a literary classic, so how do you deliver a literary classic without the pleasure of hearing those words that have made Dickens, and this story, a festive favourite? By delivering raw emotion and physicality.

As the clock strikes midnight Ebenezer Scrooge is forcibly taken on the journey of a lifetime to discover the true meaning of Christmas. As usual he meets with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future through family firesides, cold winter nights and the promise of a brighter future.

Filippo Di Vilio performs the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Now, we all know that you have to be an exceptional dancer to even reach the doorstep of the Northern Ballet, so that goes without saying, and having been a fan of Northern Ballet for a while now, you know that every dancer on that stage have earned their stripes. So, what I am going to concentrate on is the acting ability of Mr Di Vilio. 

You can almost see realisation peeling away from the character as we go through the three scenes. He starts as tight as a duck's derriere, even scrabbling around the floor of the office and searching Cratchit for the missing money, before finding it on the floor, and then after rebuking the revellers, he snaps a placard with "Merry Christmas" written on it and whirlwinds back into his workspace. With the four eerie apparitions he encounters you can see his frosty frontage melting.

What I also must mention is the incredible wigs and make up that is involved in this production and especially in creating Ebeneezer Scrooge.

Harry Skoupas plays the part of Jacob Marley. We start by seeing Marley's coffin being paraded through the streets and interred, and then comes the visitation to Scrooge. And I tell you what, I wouldn't be surprised if the younger audience members don't have nightmares after seeing this show and the fabulous costumes and make up for some of these characters. Marley's ghost being just one, the other being the Ghost of Christmas To Come, which is also played by Harry Skoupas.

The costume for this particular ghost is nothing short of Spectre-tacular, a real work of art. If you are a fan of Eddie, the creature featured on the front of all of Iron Maiden's album sleeves, then this creation is the spitting image of Eddie. You can see ghostly ribs and other bones, and that face mask will haunt you. Take a look at the picture to the left above.

Jack Ogrizovic is Tiny Tim, complete with leg iron and tin whistle. This young man showed not one iota of nerves in this role and responded perfectly to stage directions and cues. He also gets to sing in this show and is definitely one to look out for in a few years time.

The rest of the cast are......

Kevin Poeung (Young Scrooge), Yu Wakizuka (Nephew), Alessia Petrosino (Nephew's Wife), Dominique Larose (Ghost of Christmas Past), Andrew Tomlinson (Ghost of Christmas Present), Joseph Taylor (Bob Cratchit), Kirica Takahashi (Mrs Cratchit), Mayuko Iwanaga, Aerys Merrill, Archie Sherman (Cratchit Children), Antoni Cañellas Artigues (Mr Fezziwig), Helen Bogatch (Mrs Fezziwig), Saeka Shirai (Belle), Jun Ishii (Fiddler).

Harriet Marden, Sarah Chun, Gemma Coutts, Kaho Masumoto, Isabelle Clough, Nida Aydinoğlu, Rachael Gillespie, Sena Kitano, Julie Nunès, Jonathan Hanks, Harris Beattie, Albert González Orts, Bruno Serraclara, Miguel Teixeira, Bruno Varalta ( Christmas Shoppers, Phantoms, Cornhill Slide, Party Guests, Tavern Drinkers, Hags) And I must put this out there also, the scene with the phantoms is something like a scene from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video!

The children involved in this production are from the Gedling Ballet School, and what a thrill it must be for them to appear on the same stage with such masters of their trade.

Directed and Devised by Christopher Gable CBE

Choreographer: Massimo Moricone

Production Design: Lez Brotherston

Music: Carl Davis

Lighting Designer: Paul Pyant
Tour Lighting: Alastair West.

The set really does have to be seen to be believed; it's remarkable.

Music recording is courtesy of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Recorded by Orchestra, Wellington in 2014 at the St James Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand and conducted by Nigel Gaynor. Due to cuts to the Arts, this production have been unable to tour with a live orchestra.

So, if you haven't got that Holly, Jolly Christmas feeling just yet, get the family down to the theatre because by the time you come out of the theatre after watching this beautiful show, you'll be yearning for mince pies and Christmas jumpers, because it's got Christmas written all over it, and a reminder to just be nicer to people. You do not want the Ghost of Christmas To Come to be diving out of your

duvet in the middle of the night!!

Northern Ballet's "A Christmas Carol" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 30 November.