Tag Archives: christmas

A Christmas Carol, Old Vic

Posted on November 25, 2021 by mkmswain

Matthew Warchus’s Dickensian charmer is back at the Old Vic for a fifth year. Read my full Telegraph review here

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The West End panto forced to move to Easter – if it can survive

Posted on December 27, 2020 by mkmswain

Is Easter the new Christmas? Producer James Seabright certainly hopes so. His Potted Panto, a best-bits of compendium of seven different pantomimes, opened and then closed prematurely in the West End when London was put into Tier 3. So, he’s … Continue reading →

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The Nutcracker, Birmingham Royal Ballet online

Posted on December 22, 2020 by mkmswain

It’s a tough year for our festive favourite, with the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s (BRB) Nutcrackers all obstructed by the Government’s tier restrictions. But, 2020 style, it’s a pivot to digital for BRB, who live-streamed their production from Birmingham Rep … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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Beverley Knight: ‘I’m a black Fairy Godmother, for all the little girls who look like me’

Posted on December 5, 2020 by mkmswain

Beverley Knight is already the Queen of British Soul. This year, she’s set to add the title of Queen of Christmas. Read my full The i Paper interview here

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‘Galleries are safe, but visitors need to feel that’: can the Royal Academy survive without funding?

Posted on December 5, 2020 by mkmswain

Axel Rüger, secretary and chief executive of the Royal Academy, is “cautiously optimistic” about this week’s vaccine news. “We live in hope every day that this vaccine will work.” Read my full Telegraph article here

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Can the Tate galleries survive in an era of mass Covid fear?

Posted on December 5, 2020 by mkmswain

There are very few winners in the Government’s draconian new tier system, which has forced closures of arts venues in the new Tier 3 and placed capacity caps on those in Tiers 1 and 2. But Helen Legg, director of … Continue reading →

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