★★★☆☆ Wicked describes itself as ‘one of the most celebrated and successful musicals of all time’. Apparently, since its debut on Broadway nearly 15 years ago, it’s been seen by over 53 million people and has won dozens of awards. So maybe you won’t need me to tell you what happens, but let’s recap anyway…

★★★☆☆ In prospect Rigoletto offers so much: sex, debauchery, murder, love and satire on the ruling classes explored in the working out of a curse. The story in its mechanics is full of delicious ironies, mistaken identities, malice and deceit . . . This is a solid production with a strong cast of voices and a top class orchestra

★★★★☆ It is not hard to see why a tale of youngsters in opposition to an oppressive older generation might have appealed to Rudolf Nureyev, and it is his interpretation of Romeo and Juliet that we see in this English National Ballet production . . . it is Jurgita Dronina’s Juliet that is the outstanding performance of the evening. She is utterly captivating.

★★★★☆ DIE FLEDERMAUS takes us back in time to when it was good to be a wealthy man, when patting bottoms was considered to be a bit of a lark. When, for the moneyed classes enough champagne would open almost any (ahem) opportunity.