ENO La traviata Review – 28 October 2023 by Maxine Morse The ENO’s La traviata has the feel of a Parisian 1920’s nightclub, enveloped in blacks and reds, with a cast in tuxedos and bob haircuts. The pared down staging puts the focus firmly on stand-out vocals, intense dramatic sequences and beautifully controlled conducting. We are invited on a two-hour rollercoaster, taking a stomach-churning lurch to the highs of Violetta’s parties, where her inebriated frenemies are willing her downfall.  Then there is a slow dip into her life in the country while she pursues true love before our carr ..read more

Petra Massey & ENO Chorus, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig FullerENO Iolanthe Review – 10 October 2023 by Maxine Morse   If Cal McCrystal’s Iolanthe was a cake it would be a Unicorn cake with a deep buttercream icing and liberally covered with edible glitter and hundreds and thousands with a surprising layer of tongue tingling popping candy.   The director’s hallmarks are retro spectacle and masterly comic timing with splashes of whimsy and political satire. When combined with the unique talents of conductor Chris Hopkins, who takes a precision aim at delivering musical oomph, and Paul ..read more

Looking for a London Red Bus Tour and don’t want to pay through the nose for an over priced hop on and hop off tourist bus? Have you thought of seeing London on a public London Transport red double decker bus?  A one day bus pass for an adult costs just £1.75 and you can hop on and hop off all day long. Some London bus routes are better than others for touring London. I particularly recommend number 9, 11 and 75. Let’s start our series of London Red Bus Tours with the number 9 bus route which passes some fabulous iconic London sights.  Photo credit: It’s No Game Itinerary for the Lo ..read more

Looking for a London Red Bus Tour and don’t want to pay through the nose for an over priced hop on and hop off tourist bus? Have you thought of seeing London on a public London Transport red double decker bus?  A one day bus pass for an adult costs just £1.75 and you can hop on and hop off all day long. Some London bus routes are better than others for touring London. I particularly recommend number 9, 11 and 75. Let’s start our series of London Red Bus Tours with the number 9 bus route which passes some fabulous iconic London sights.  Photo credit: It’s No Game Itinerary for the Lo ..read more

Powerful vocal performance from Gwyn Hughes Jones in the ENO’s 2023 production. Photograph: Tom BowlesReview English National Opera at the London Coliseum 24 September 2023 David Alden’s 2009 revival of Peter Grimes won’t be a cosy night at the opera. You can see that in the sparse cantilevered set – dark and gloomy. This is going to be harrowing. Based on the poem the Borough by George Crabbe we are taken on a traumatising voyage.   In a small gossipy fishing village on the English East Coast, we find the brow-beaten Peter Grimes (Gwyn Hughes Jones) standing trial for the death of his ap ..read more

  The ENO Peter Grimes is not going to be a cosy night at the opera. You can see that in the sparse cantilevered set – dark and gloomy. This is going to be harrowing viewing. Set in a small gossipy fishing village on the English East Coast, we find the brow-beaten Peter Grimes (Gwyn Hughes Jones) standing trial for the death of his apprentice. Grimes protests it was an unfortunate accident and Swallow (Clive Bayley), the prosecuting lawyer, forcefully refutes his account much to the delight of the baying crowd. Reluctantly acquitted, Grimes is clearly guilty in the court of public opinio ..read more

Moving to London or thinking of living here? Maybe you have concerns about high prices or fitting in? Here I lay all of your worries to rest and give you the many reasons why London is the World’s Capital and one of the best places to live regardless of your personal circumstances. Here are some unarguable reasons to move to London. London has a Fascinating Geography and Skyline Consider moving to London for our fabulous architecture. Most cities that have been burnt to ashes in fires, or blitzed to smithereens in wars are reconstructed on a communist style grid system but not ours. We have t ..read more

  Buckingham Palace London Buckingham Palace London is top of every visitor’s list but many will leave disappointed. Here are my top tips for avoiding a humdrum, box ticking day staring at the cast iron gate grilles at Buckingham Palace, to a day which will have you exhausted but on an adrenalin high. Buckingham Palace London is Top of Most Visitor’s List As you cannot enter Buckingham Palace in the Winter your visit may involve staring at a set of ornate black and gilded gates with a couple of guards wearing furry hats. Without proper planning you will be staring through the iron gates a ..read more

  Crossrail Place Roof garden Crossrail Place Roof Garden is a leafy oasis hidden in the roof top of the Canary Wharf Elizabeth Line. The History of Crossrail Place Roof Garden Canary Wharf, home to our financial sector, is an urban mass of concrete and glass.  So the thought of spending a half an hour looking at tropical greenery with great views out over West India Quay dock is appealing. At least our town planners thought so. In 2008, they hired notable architects Foster + Partners to design this indoor park  brim full of unusual and exotic plants. And tucked away amongst the ..read more

  Charles Dickens Museum On a recent visit to the Charles Dickens Museum London, I discovered that Charles Dickens was a bit of a rake and dandy and far more eccentric than my early readings had given him credit for.   In this article we give you insights into the key museum exhibits accompanied by original photographs and explain how  to obtain Charles Dickens Museum tickets. I Visited the Charles Dickens Museum with Fear and Trepidation Charles Dickens was a prominent feature of my school days, huge dusty tomes featuring characters of a bygone era. Indelibly etched in my young ..read more