This weekend Drew and I enjoyed ourselves at the Barbican Centre for two very different shows.  On Saturday we had a lovely lunch at the Waterside Cafe before enjoying a special showing of The Day the Earth Stood Still in a very nice cinema.  After the show we had dinner at Tortilla in Islington and spent some time at Borders.

Today we had another horrible rendition of biscuits (Jackie told me not to make biscuits without Martha White flour and I had no idea what he meant until now) before we got ready to head back to the Barbican.  

Drew treated me to theatre tickets.  We saw  a very special show – the Catherine Wheels Theatre Company production of Hansel and Gretel.  What makes the show so special is that you travel with the characters through the set and you stay very close to the action.  I say that’s what makes it special as if the characters are not magical and wonderful, but oh, they are!  Because the play is meant to be enjoyed by children and adults alike, there is something for everyone, but the chance for children to move between scenes is beneficial in several ways.  Firstly, they experience the set.  It was really cool and spooky (and festive) in all the right ways.  Secondly, they have the opportunity to break their little attention spans to move from place to place.  Thirdly, they get to touch things and feel a part of the action.

I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this performance of a classic piece of children’s literature.  Not only does it appeal to the part of me that studied nursery rhymes and storytelling.  It also speaks to that part of me that majored in theatre for two semesters and minored in dance to the end.  I really appreciated the care that was taken in designing clever sets and staging that placed the audience, well, on stage.  It’s brilliant.

Tonight we have labored over the tentative itinerary for our holiday.  We have booked a rental car and started our packing lists.  I have something to read on the plane and much laundry has been done.  We can’t wait to see you.