The Barber of Seville and Sleeping Beauty

We have only been to see an opera once or twice, but I did want to see how the London Coliseum looked after it's major refurbishment in 2004. So I booked to see English National Opera in Rossini's The Barber of Seville. The theatre looked fantastic. The inside of the huge auditorium is highly ornamental and looks brand new. The stage is one of the largest in the world, so is great for big casts, and this production made the most of it. I really enjoyed the whole performance.

This was the fourth consecutive year that we have been to Oxford to see English National Ballet. After Alice in Wonderland and The Ice Queen, this year it was Sleeping Beauty. We always book early, so we are only a few rows from the front. This means that we are very close to the orchestra, which Alison particularly enjoys. The music is superb from the 60 musicians, and the dancing was very good. Alison thought the men were quite weak, but the performances of the princess and the lilac fairy were outstanding.