I was one of a band of Manchester bloggers invited by Opera North to see behind the scenes, talk to some of the Opera North company and then guzzle free wine and afterwards watch Opera North’s version of Carmen at the Lowry in Salford on Friday.

As someone who takes part in amateur productions of Gilbert and Sullivan I was itching to see how the Opera North stage crew and Carmen cast operate behind the scenes.

I wasn’t disappointed, Kate the stage manager very kindly walked us through the set and the dock (where what seemed like a lot of Opera North’s technical equipment was being held). She showed us how they were holding up around 15 trees above the stage  ready to set down on the stage later on in Carmen. It was really quite exciting to see how it’s all done backstage and we also got to talk to two of the main performers who were very pleasant and gave their time without stint, despite the fact they were almost about to go on!

We then retired to the seats we’d been allocated and sat down to watch…

I can report that Opera North has produced the best Carmen I’ve ever seen. Set in the Deep South, I imagine some place where pidgeon French is spoken.  The first act was set against the backdrop of a factory where the girls chorus work and according to the programme tended to work half-undressed, because of the heat! And as we were told by one of the Julias, who were looking after us, boobs had been exposed during the performances last year but after a public outcry, they were reined in!

The male chorus members were at their swaggering and bullying best as local home boy law enforcement officers. The whole first act simply sweated and oozed with heat, sex and restrained passion bubbling below the surface and then bursting out!

The great thing about all this is that the singing was great, some of it truly excellent and even better, although everything was sung in French we had English subtitles on two unobtrusive screens. That meant we all understood the plot – not just those who had pored over the programme before we started.

Act two sets itself in a trailer park with debris and human flotsam and jetsam distributed around the stage to give that “too hot to do anything” ambience.

The third act with the pine trees (in the Catskill mountains?) was very well done and really made you feel like it was cold and unforgiving.  I congratulate Opera North for having the bravery to invite a bunch of bloggers and to allow them to experience the show and to write whatever we like about it, or not.  My take on this show was that if you like to see opera performed well, but not in the normal “opera by numbers way”, you should see this version of the show. The singing by Opera North’s chorus was an excellent backdrop to the hired talent who come and sing the parts. And the hired talent gave of their all and I felt that this production really encapsulates how performances can be made new and exciting by changing the way we look at them on stage and in production.

The one thing that let it down very, very slightly was the subtitle screens went blank at a couple of inopportune moments. Maybe it was deliberate. However, the result was that during one song I was completely in the dark about what was being sung and what it meant for the plot. I was also baffled by the appearance of the women in their lovely white underclothes, until I read the programme which pointed out that the factory girls would have been half-undressed in the factory. Personally I suspect it was just to give the wardrobe mistress a headache!

Unfortunately Carmen has now finished so that’s it for this show. But given the excellence of Opera North’s interpretation I would suggest it would be worth seeing other operas they bring to the Lowry. I for one will be angling for an invite to go back stage and see what’s going on when they do Ruddigore later this year.

Finally, listen to my excited take on the whole thing that was recorded during an interval at Carmen:

I took 3 of my children to watch Mary Poppins at the Manchester Palace theatre on Wednesday night.

I remember seeing the film as part of my birthday treat many years ago and I wanted the girls to have the same excitement for a fun story.

My only worry was that the show set in a theatre couldn’t compete with a film for special effects or vast numbers of scenes. Plus I’d just missed out on getting seats for the matinee performance during half term so this show was at 7:30pm on a school day which meant they’d be back well after bed time.

When we arrived the theatre was stuffed to the gills with people. and this despite the show being near the end of its run (ends of the 7th March). The only seats we could get were limited leg room in the upper circle so we got a fantastic view.

One of the ladies in front of me was was terrified by the angle of the seating and held on for grim death to her seat and her friends seat all through the show. But she was determined to stay.

Mary Poppins Was Supercalifragilistic

Right from the beginning the show went at a breakneck speed that enhanced the magic of Mary Poppins.

Initially I wondered whether Mary Poppins would have a good a voice as Julie andrews. I needn’t have worried. She was as good as Julie Andrews, with the same cut-glass nanny voice as in the film!

We all marvelled at the sets and how Mr and Mrs Banks’ house was folded up like a 3-D Christmas card.

The children’s bedroom, which also doubled for the roof top scenes during the show was extremely well designed and looked solid enough to have been there all the time.

When the hose was rotated the back opened up to show the kitchen. Where Mary Poppins was able to demonstrate her magical abilities after the children had almost destroyed it.

The park near the house was very well done. The cartoon piece in the film was replaced by a fantastic dance routine involving statues, passers-by and an amazing moving set.

Mary Poppins visit to her Uncle (who loves to laugh) was cut from the show without any problem and replaced by a high energy dancing visit to a special shop run by Mrs Coffy where they piece together that special word. Mrs Coffy was in one of the books but not in the film.

Mrs Banks appeared to have much more of a role during the show than in the film, as did Mr Banks. The show actually improved as we saw their real characters.

And of course we got to boo at a hideous nanny drafted in to look after the children after Mary Poppins leaves part way through.

There were several show stopping routines during the show but my favourite was the sweeps dance amongst the chimneys of London.  I got swept away with the choreography and singing

Of course Mary returns and all ends very happily with Mr Banks becoming a senior bank manager (of the type we could all do with at the moment!) with 4 times his current salary.

The finale is a romping, stomping fun end, except for when Mary has to say goodbye to everyone and to Bert.

And then everybody started cheering and whistling as Mary Poppins swept out over the audience seated in the stalls and then right up to those of us in the Gods. And that is a long way to go in the Palace! A truly fitting finale to a fabulous, fabulous show.

Did we think it was a good show. No, we all thought it was great! Well done to all those who took part and to Cameron Mackintosh and Disney for getting it on stage.

My advice, if you’ve not seen it, you really must go and see this fantastic, fun for the whole family production of Mary Poppins before it leaves the stage on the 7th March.

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I went to see Dad’s Army, The Lost Episodes, at the Lowry Theatre in Salford yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

A few of the cast look similar to the original BBC TV characters, for example Pike and Corporal Jones.

In all there are 4 episodes presented, using scripts adapted from the original TV scripts.

Being of that certain age where I’d seen episodes as originally broadcast I’d seen them all. That said I was completely immersed in the experience and as I said found it most enjoyable.

Captain Mainwaring sounded just right, although when he said “stupid boy” to Pike it lacked the conviction of the original. That said, Captain Mainwaring acted exactly how Jimmy Perry and David Croft had written the script so many years before.

Captain Mainwaring and Corporal Jones were a delight, as was the U boat commander who lovingly recreated the role of a superior who had no doubt he would win out over the humble British Home Guard.

Private Fraser was slightly cartoon like to look at but sounded exactly right and delivered his lines with real impact, particularly Fraser’s catch phrase of “We’re Doomed!”

If you love the original Dad’s Army you’ll also love this this well adapted staged version.

The set is minimalist and flown in from the wings and from the top of the stage. But in some ways that helps you to fill in the details yourself. The real power of the play is in the exact characterisations and staying close to the scripts without trying to re-invent a winning formula.

So if you want to see it you need to get your skates on as the production finishes its run at the Lowry Theatre on the 5th January 2008.