Culture Vultures

Lilies on the Land - Theatre

We had the lovely surprise - free tickets to see this heart warming show (Mr Ball’s brother is good at finding offers). It is set during WW2 and told through the eyes of real life Land Girls who shared their stories with the writers. Surprisingly funny in parts and full of warmth, Lilies on the Land highlights the sacrifices wartime women made to help bring Britain to victory. Visit http://www.liliesontheland.com/ for more information and tickets. 

Titanic 3D - Cinema

It’s been fifteen years and I can still smell the fresh popcorn, the film had never been played, the credits had never rolled. Titanic was called the movie of dreams, and it was, it really was. OK, my name is Mrs Ball and I am a complete Titanic addict. I remember the day me and two friends went to see it for the first time – we were 11. I remember being amazed at the set and costumes and of course fell head over heels in love with a certain Mr Dicaprio – you can imagine how devastated I was when *SPOILER ALERT* Rose hogged the floating door and then let go (when she said she wouldn’t)! Anyway when I heard Titanic was back for the 100^th anniversary and in 3D no less, I HAD to see it. So Mr Ball and I went. It still has the old magic but with added clarity. Don’t be deceived by thinking that things will fly out of the screen at you (which is what I thought 3D was). What you will see is beautiful scenery across many levels and more detail to the objects on the ship (glassware on the first class tables for example). Personally I enjoyed reminiscing but I did find out that 3D glasses make me sea sick (as did the price).

The Barber of Seville (Or Salisbury) - Opera

At the beginning of the year, Mr Ball alerted me to the fact that at some point he wanted to see both an Opera and a Ballet. I was quite surprised by this statement because he doesn’t appear to appreciate me singing show tunes at him – he has a complete aversion to both Cats and Starlight Express. Anyway I got chatting to a lovely lady called Wendy who is on my course at Uni and is keen on Opera. She kindly leant me an A-Z of Opera and also an interesting article about the best operas to see. Unfortunately we had just missed a particularly beautiful version of Madame Butterfly which had a floating Japanese garden which would have ticked all the boxes so I carried on looking. Whilst looking at the Royal Opera House and its pretty steep prices, I realised it would be a waste of money to leave at the interval if we didn’t like it (I was convinced that Mr Ball would find the shrill voices annoying and I would get the giggles). So I felt a practice was in order. Luckily the Winchester Theatre Royal was showing The Barber of Seville performed by a company who were bringing opera to the people by making it more accessible. For Valentine’s Day, I gave Mr Ball tickets. We didn’t really know what to expect but found ourselves engrossed. The Barber of Seville is a matchmaker who helps the citizens of Salisbury find love. It is sung in English and accompanied on the piano. I would definitely recommend it as a first Opera. http://www.kingsheadtheatre.org/home/what-s-on/the-barber-of-sevillle-or-salisbury.php