Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Scottish Ballet & The Blythswood


Today my Mum comes home for two weeks. Two whole weeks I get her back from Cyprus and my sister, Ava and I get to eat out, drink cocktails, spoil the toddler and generally act like we are on a big jolly. This happens twice a year and being that she has lived in Cyprus for the past ten, it's a pretty special twice a year time.

It's even more special as her jaunt over here coincides with not only her birthday but my daughter's as well. They were born on the same day. Something that delights my mother no end and she tells absolutely everyone about this beautiful little coincidence every chance she gets. As there is such little weight allowance when flying these days I often try and get her a present that involves spending time together and that won't end up giving her a hefty fine at the airport. This year I wanted to take her to the ballet. Like seriously wanted to. 

But it's ok Mum (I know you are reading), this is not a spoiler alert. I couldn't get tickets. Due to some lousy timing and a very busy and action packed diary we have over the next two weeks it just wasn't gonna work. Gutted isn't the word. Particularly as Scottish Ballet are running  The Crucible with Ten Poems over the next three nights in Glasgow. Some of you might remember I blogged about going to see Hansel & Gretel last December and spellbinding and magical don't even come close to explaining one of the Scottish Ballet's performances.

Going to see something with my Mum and even Ava when she is a little older is most definitely on my list.

Promise Mum.


But my disappointment was slightly softened by an invitation from the Scottish Ballet to go celebrate their newest production with a special showing of the 90's cult classic The Craft at the Glasgow Film Theatre followed by cocktails and antipasti at The Blythswood Hotel.

Let's talk about this film. Who remembers this film? For 2 hours I was 14 again. Memories of childish sleepovers spent playing 'Light as a feather, stiff as a board' and of casting love spells on that poor unsuspecting hot boy in the year above all came flooding back to me that night and I intend on getting that film on DVD and resurrecting said sleepovers with my girlfriends soon. Purely for nostalgia purposes you understand. And the face packs. And Operation.

The ballet is based on Arthur Miller's classic The Crucible and Californian choreographer Helen Pickett looks to have done an amazing job of conveying this lustful and powerful tale into an amazing dance performance. I know because we were treated to a little behind the scenes making of film before the movie. The Crucible also celebrates Dylan Thomas' work by interspersing Christopher Bruce's Ten Poems, which is touring Scotland until the end of next month.

Following the film we even got to quiz Miriam who is the educational officer for SB on all things ballet. And see those cocktails up there? They are called Pink Swans and they taste like sherbet. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about them ever since. Or the amazing antipasti platters we were served in The Salon Bar of The Blythswood. 

Somebody let me just live in that hotel already.

The Crucible with Ten Poems runs from tomorrow until the 8th of October at various venues across Scotland and you can buy tickets here.

And if you do I will be very, very jealous.

First photo is Luciana Ravizzi and Andrew Peasgood for Scottish Ballet’s 2014 autumn season, a double bill of Helen Pickett’s world premiere The Crucible and Christopher Bruce’s UK premiere Ten Poems.Photo by Nisbet Wylie.

1 comment:

char said...

I dont' think I've ever seen The Craft.