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On paper this looked like an odd marriage. Julian Lloyd Webber and the WSO are fine but where does a sports commentator come in? In the end it was a stroke of genius. The capacity audience witnessed an evening of sublime brilliance, both the orchestra and Webber (cello concerto by Delius) delivering a cacophony of music that was genuinely moving and used the world class acoustics to its maximum. John Inverdale top and tailed the evening, the latter piece (a narration of a piece by Benjamin Britten) describing the differing parts of the orchestra, augmented by the orchestra. And all subtly conducted by John Gibbons. BRAVO!

Assembly Hall, Worthing, 9 January 2012
Rating:
Lee Stevens

The reigning comedy queen of Brighton Zoe Lyon was in formidable form compering Bent Double, displaying her impeccable talent for sharp and spontaneous jokes.

The first of three acts on show started a little disappointingly with Julie Jepson, who looked desperate for a laugh whilst checking her watch every 10 seconds. Things improved considerably with Claire Parker, transsexual comic in-chief, who never fails to provide a laugh at the expense of our own preconceptions. Final act The Raymond & Mr Timpkin Revue stole the show with their slapstick, yet meticulously thought-out set of word play, set to every song ever written. I was crying with laughter from start ’til finish.

Komedia, 8 January 2012
Rating:
Woodrow Whyte

Chichester’s Festival Theatre became the Winter Palace as Igor Shavruk’s excellent orchestra of soloists opened this enchanting cocktail of champagne and snowflakes. I started a smile that lasted the whole evening, except when I gasped at the dancing. The party turns of the second act, especially the pas de deux by Alevtina Lapshina and Talgat Kozhabaev, nearly had me cheering out loud, but that might have broken the spell.

Tchaikovsky’s much loved themes were splendidly animated by Victor Smirnov-Golovanov’s choreography and his very talented ensemble. What an evening of delight, and it’s coming to Brighton’s Theatre Royal in February!

Chichester Festival Theatre, 5 January 2012
Rating:
Andrew Connal

Chichester’s stage seemed made for this drama, grand yet intimate. Prokofiev’s popular score was brilliantly realised by Igor Shavruk’s small orchestra. The choreography really needed to shine to match such music, and so it did. Laughter and delight mixed with real passion and pain. Except in the love scene, Mercutio (Artem Minakov, a comic star) and Tybalt (Talgat Kozhabaev, both powerful and tender) ruled the first two acts.

Then they died, and the lovers (Liliya Orekhova and Daniil Orlov) delivered real tragedy. His mad grief, her limp body, spectral dance “en pointe” and silent scream of anguish were a triumph!

Chichester Festival Theatre, 3 January 2012
Rating:
Andrew Connal