We have a group of friends that we have known since our school days. Our families and career shift patterns have meant that over the years we haven’t got together as often as we maybe would have liked. However we have always ensured we socialised a couple of times a year and always managed a Christmas party/dinner together. (Even if occasionally it happened in January).

Momentous occasions, have been shared, like weddings, the births of our children, christenings, special birthdays and sadly, of late the loss of some of our parents.

As most of us have drifted into retirement, getting together is a little easier. This year thankfully has been one of celebrations, as three of the gang have joined the 60’s club. We’ve enjoyed afternoon teas, a party, and an evening of opera.

It is for “Big” birthdays that we club together to buy gifts for each other. When the Bestie joined the club, in February, she received a ticket to see the ballet Cinderella, at the Royal Albert Hall. As the performance was the Saturday at the end of our London trip, I was lucky enough to tag along with her. 🍀

 

The performance was in the round, which meant wherever you sat, you had a great view. From our seats in the top row of the stalls and with no one seated in front of us we had a fabulous view, being close enough to be able to see the expressions on the dancers faces.

Having never seen a ballet 🩰 I was excitedly looking forward to it and to be in such an iconic building too. I was, however, glad that it was a story I knew to ensure I could focus on the performances.

With no verbal script and a couple of solo dances, I found the beginning a little slow. But this is the case in many shows. However as the story unfolded and more and more cast members took to the stage, I was drawn into the emotion, poise and elegance of the dancers. Expecting ballerinas (if I can refer to them as that 🤷‍♀️) to breeze silently across the room. It was a surprise to me when delicately skipping across, you could hear, above the music, the tapping of the blocks in their shoes on the stage, which sounded like someone strumming fingernails on a table. Totally unexpected.

The set was very minimalist, but very clever and for the most part wheeled and carried on and off stage by members of the cast. The costumes,  as you would expect were beautiful and extravagant, in incredibly vibrant colours, sparkling in the lighting.

A huge backdrop covered the spectacular Albert Hall organ and the Orchestra played hidden behind the screen. The backdrop gave an amazing performance of its own, becoming a wall of photographs, which comically changed features, the columns of an exquisite room hosting the Princes party, then the greens of a forest as Cinderella ran away.

The scene at the Princes party was incredibly funny. Cinderellas Step Mum, pushing her daughters forward to engage with the Prince. The Step Sisters fighting each other to gain his attention and as the Prince becomes entranced by Cinderella, her Step Mum grows increasingly inebriated and staggers around the stage, not easy when you’re dancing on your tip toes!, until she finally collapses in a heap on the floor. Wonderful performance 🎭

There were three sets in the two and a half hour show, the last of which was the trying on of the dropped slipper. This too was hilarious, with people trying to squeeze their feet into it, one squealing in laughter with ticklish feet, the Prince stepping back as another foot is not too fresh and Step Mum frantically attempting to hammer the shoe onto her daughters foot, before throwing it into the fire. Fortunately, of course, Cinderella has the other matching shoe and secures her Prince.

I am pleased I knew the story as there was so much going on I may have struggled to keep up. I hadn’t been expecting the tip tapping of the shoes, nor the extravagant costumes. I was amazed at the versatility of the minimalist props and back drop and how seamlessly the cast moved them in and out of position. But I think most of all I was surprised at the humour.

What a treat, a beautiful and funny ballet, performed in such an exquisite theatre. So pleased I was lucky enough to tag along.

Life is all about having fun and new experiences and it was certainly one of those afternoons