The theatre where Christmas is saved – thanks to ‘the Morecambe and Wise of Weston-super-Mare’

Posted on December 22, 2020 by mkmswain

Christmas has been cancelled for most of Britain’s theatres, thanks to the Government’s tightening of tier restrictions, with venues all having to close if placed into tiers 3 and 4. But amidst the slew of bad news for the West End and many other regions, one venue got a festive reprieve: the Bristol Old Vic, one of the most beautiful and venerable in the country.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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Strictly Speaking: The Final

Posted on December 21, 2020 by mkmswain

What an extraordinary end to the series. The Strictly final aired just hours after Boris Johnson made his latest screeching u-turn, announcing that millions of people would have to cancel their festive plans and spend Christmas separated from loved ones. Could our dance show, which has been an escapist haven during a grim, dark winter, successfully pivot from Scrooge to sparkle?

Read my full Dancing Times blog here

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Mesmerising Bill Bailey has last laugh as he seals Strictly Come Dancing victory

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

Coming into this series, many expected Bill Bailey to be pure comic relief. Well, he’s certainly had the last laugh, not only making it to the Strictly final, but lifting the Glitterball trophy.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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‘Justin Bieber has been so supportive of the NHS’: the Covid nurse aiming for a Christmas number one

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

Five years ago, pop star Justin Bieber faced surprising competition in the race for the Christmas number one: a choir formed of doctors, nurses and staff from the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. Bieber eventually threw his weight behind their charity single, A Bridge Over You, which went on to clinch the top spot in 2015.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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How are Britain’s cathedral choirs preparing for a Covid Christmas?

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

For many, the official sound of Christmas is a cathedral choir in full voice, leading us in traditional music and favourite carols. But it’s been a tough year for choristers, with lockdowns and tier restrictions hampering their work. Three leading cathedral choirs, Canterbury, York Minster and Salisbury, reveal how they’re still bringing us festive cheer, and reflect on why the choral tradition is such a vital part of our Christmas season.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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Will the show go on – or not? How Tier 3 will affect London theatres into 2021

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

The Government’s decision to move London into Tier 3 is devastating for the capital’s theatres. Around 30 venues had reopened, with producers taking a major financial risk – only to be forced to close again, with ticket-holders losing out on their Christmas cheer. There is no official word on when venues can reopen.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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Why is Oliver Dowden ‘coming to the theatre one week and watching us close the next’?

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

London’s abrupt move into Tier 3, meaning that theatres have had to close their shows with very little notice, has decimated a slowly recovering sector. Producer Kenny Wax had just reopened his musical, SIX, at the Lyric Theatre in the West End – only to get the terrible news that it must shut again.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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‘There is no evidence at all of theatres spreading Covid’: fury in London at Tier 3

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

The lights will have to dim in the West End yet again, thanks to the Government’s decision to plunge the capital into Tier 3 – just as London’s theatres were beginning to reopen. Arts leaders are understandably apoplectic.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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Strictly Speaking: Week 8

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

Can we believe we’ve only got one show to go? Sob! Anyhow, this was – understandably – not a vintage semi-final. It feels like the celebs have barely begun, and yet here we are asking them to learn two dances. Overall, this… did not go well.

Read my full Dancing Times blog here

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The usually indomitable HRVY met his match in the Strictly semi-final

Posted on December 20, 2020 by mkmswain

Two dances usually equals double trouble on Strictly – and so it transpired on this early semi-final. Ranvir Singh was good, but not great, in her ballroom number, and she simply couldn’t survive the jive. It knocked her down to the bottom of the leaderboard, and then off the show altogether.

Read my full Telegraph article here

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