Trio of theatrical treats

To the theatre three times in the last two weeks, so a blog post is due in case you think I've not been out.

First off to the Sunderland Empire to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert, again.

Regular readers (hello!) will know I've already seen this musical once before, in London. It was so good that when it went on tour and came to my local theatre, there was no choice but to see it again.

It was just as good, just as fun as the first time and I loved it all over again.  In the ladies' loo at half-time, I had a giggle at a poster for an upcoming theatre turn - Psychic Sally.  Someone had lipsticked Sally's eyes red and changed the word Psychic to Psycho. Fab.

Theatre visit number two was to the wonderful Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough to see Steve Huison in John Godber's Losing the Plot.

This was a two-hander play of Steve Huison (he played Eddie Windass in Coronation Street) and Susan Cookson who looked very familiar from TV. A quick Google shows she was in Casualty (which I've never watched) but I've seen her in lots of other things on TV too.

Anyway, the play was great and I always think that watching a play in the round at the cosy Stephen Joseph Theatre adds an intimacy for the audience - and I wonder, for the cast? - that you never get anywhere else.

And then to Newcastle's Theatre Royal to see Matthew Bourne's gothic ballet version of Sleeping Beauty.

I'm a huge fan of Matthew Bourne's New Adventure ballets and have seen them all, indeed, have seen some more than once, and in the case of Swan Lake, three times.  Read my reviews of some of his shows here.

So yes, I'm a huge fan of this company's work and Sleeping Beauty was so good it's made it into my top three favourite Matthew Bourne productions of all time.  Or at least I think it has... I can't quite decide as they're all so darn good.