Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 At the beginning of May I ventured to see Nottingham Operatic as they were doing 'Orpheus in the Underworld'. Don't remember anything of it, but there was sadly not a very good house - less than a quarter full. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 May 1990, and Opera North's visit saw 'Don Pasquale' by Donizetti and a double bill of 'L'Heure Espagnole' by Ravel and Puccini's 'Gianni Schicchi'. Then it was D'Oyly Carte time at the end of the month with three visits for me - 'The Mikado', and new productions of 'The Pirates of Penzance' and a double bill of 'H.M.S Pinafore' and 'Trial by Jury'. Encouraging attendances, with not far short of a full house for 'Pinafore/Trial'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,615 Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 #252. Looking at the back cover of the theatre programme, I see there's an advert for Mc Donald's. How long have they been around in this country? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2017 Apparently the first McDonald's in Britain opened in 1974, but I don't know when they began to take over from Wimpy Bars in popularity. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2017 There was the usual summer season of thrillers, but I only saw two of them in 1990. I remember 'Dangerous Corner' as a very good play but can't recall much of the plot: A just under half full theatre for this Francis Durbridge thriller: Back covers: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2017 Opera North together with the RSC presented 'Show Boat', which was marvellous stuff.. Theatre was between three quarters and 100% full so I had to sit in my Balcony seat. A local restaurant cashed in: Opera North in their own right were than back again later in October. I settled just for seeing 'La Traviata' (theatre all but full) even though it was in Italian. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,506 Posted August 11, 2017 Report Share Posted August 11, 2017 Surprising to see that the Nottingham dialling code was still 0602 in 1990. I had to look it up to find that it wasn't until 1995 that Nottingham became 0115. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2017 Into 1991, and February saw a new Francis Durbridge thriller. Theatre only a quarter full, perhaps due to Patrick Mower being the only 'name' in the cast. Needless to say I can't remember anything of it. Back cover: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Later in February it was Opera North which meant just 'Cosi Fan Tutt'e for me - an almost full theatre. Then in April it was another of those plays I can remember nothing about: Theatre was about three quarters full so I had to sit in the seat I'd paid for. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 April 1991 and a play which I DO remember something of. It was very well done with minimal scenery, and of course a cast of two (plus the ghost!) would be popular with touring managements. The most effective moment was the rocking chair going by itself. Theatre was nearly two thirds full. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2017 At the end of May I saw Opera North's production of 'Faust' by Gounod - theatre not quite full. For some reason I didn't see 'Carmen' - can only think it was given in French. More opera came the following month with two new productions by D'Oyly Carte - 'Iolanthe' and 'The Gondoliers', the latter being rather controversial, not say eccentric. I also found it didn't lend itself to repeated viewing - servce it right the theatre was no more than three quarters full. 'Iolanthe' did better. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gem 1,430 Posted August 15, 2017 Report Share Posted August 15, 2017 I go to a small local theatre which is 5 minutes from my house, they have been there since 1943. They put on 10 plays each year always a good variety, for a long time there seemed to be the same people for most performances. Two new housing estates have been built opposite the theatre and there is now a lot bigger audience both young and old. It is called The Little Theatre and was started in 1920s by the sisters of a local family. I still visit the Theatre Royal but at the prices they charge very selective in my visits. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2017 For the usual summer season of thrillers I saw just two of them. 'Dead of Night' was nothing to do with the film of the same name. Theatre was between a third and half full both times. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2017 September 1991 and the play about Mozart. One or two notable names in the cast, including Helen Baxendale before she was famous - 'Helen has just completed a three year acting course at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School'. And who else remembers Terence Longdon as Garry Halliday? I remember being impressed by the piano playing of Richard McCabe as the composer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2017 October 1991 saw a visit from a theatre group from a village in Borsetshire. Not a bad house, though - about half full. It was part play, part entertainment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2017 Opera North's autumn visit produced 'L'Etoile', a fairly obscure comic opera by Chabrier and 'Don Giovanni'. Theatre was nearly full for the latter but only about two thirds so for the less well-known piece. The next week was this play about C. S. Lewis, now forgotten by me. Theatre was only about one quarter full but for some reason I had to sit in the Balcony seat I'd paid for. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 Into 1992, and March brought another play I've forgotten. A decent house - about half full, perhaps drawn by the presence of Penelope Keith. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2017 In May was this comedy. Again, not a bad house of at least 50% full. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 Then came another forgotten thriller which only drew a third-full house. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2017 Opera North later in May produced Rossini's 'The Thieving Magpie'. You can't go wrong with Rossini. Musical theatre of a different kind then came with a three-week run of '42nd Street' - the stage adaptation of the 1930s film with musical numbers interpolated from other films involving Warren & Dubin. Marvellous stuff. I normally couldn't stand Bonnie Langford but I had to admit: 'That kid sure can dance!'. Theatre was not far short of being full. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2017 D'Oyly Carte were back the following month with two more new productions, of 'The Mikado' and 'Yeomen of the Guard'. Not bad houses of over three quarters full. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 July saw an adaptation of a story by Ruth Rendell. A very strange sort of play as I remember. Theatre only a quarter full. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 I only saw one of the summer rep' season of thrillers. I think the reason must have been they had started to repeat themselves - no point in seeing a 'whodunit' if you know who did it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 In September, a play from Edwardian times. As usual, can't remember anything about it. Theatre was only about one fifth full, perhaps due to the presence of no bigger star names than Tenniel Evans, Frank Middlemass and Ron Pember. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted August 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 To the Concert Hall in October 1992 for a concert by what now had to be called 'The Magic of Gilbert & Sullivan' rather than D'Oyly Carte with the latter company now active again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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