Thursday 11 August 2011

Buxton 2011: Days 7 - 13

Wow, I hadn't realised that it has been that long since I updated this blog! Mummy and Daddy and I have just been so busy that we haven't seen each other for long to catch up and get this written! Now the show's over though I hope to be blogging more regularly. Anyway, let's see what I remember............

Day 7 I went to Tittesworth Water with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna and had lots of fun blowing bubbles and running around trying to catch them. I must have worn them all out so we then went back to their cottage to have a play before they dropped me back off at our flat so that Grandma and Grandad could look after me while they went with Mummy and Daddy to see the G&S Opera Company's Ruddigore.
They thought that the show was very good, although there were a few problems with the set not being ready in time and then the pull out bits for the finale act 1 not staying in place properly! There were also a few fluffed lines in places but those were covered well. They particularly liked the act 2 ghost scene where the ghosts turned around the tabs to reveal the blank frames and then moved a bit like Zombies. (Mummy says it was reassuring to see that even the pros seemed to struggle at being Zombies!)
After the show they went to the festival club (in the octagon for once) and joined in the Pot Luck Mikado. When it got to the Mikado's entrance the person who was down to sing the role wasn't there so everyone sang in for him, but they were going to cut his solo! Luckily Daddy [literally] jumped in to sing the role and did a really good job! Mummy was so proud.

Day 8 was a really fun day as I got to go to a little bit of Mummy and Daddy's rehearsals! We all got there nice and early and I met a few people before everyone had to go and do their warm ups. Mummy and Daddy took me with them to the centre of the room and I was allowed to join in! (Thanks Matt!) I really enjoyed doing all the stretches, making all the silly noises and singing scales to different sounds - and everyone said I was really good at it which made me really pleased! :) I then watched a bit of the women's rehearsal before going out to the play area and doing a few other things around Buxton with Grandma. Mummy and Daddy had the afternoon off so I sent some time with them before getting ready to go to the savoynet meal.
All the savoynetters met outside the opera house at 7.00 for a chat and then at just gone 7.30 when everyone else had gone in to see the show, we posed on the steps for our traditional photo, before making our way to the Kwei Lin Chinese restaurant for the meal. The meal was really delicious and I tried loads of new food and really enjoyed myself. There was even sweeties for afters!! I joined in the toasts and the traditional singing of 'Hail Poetry' at the end of the night and then, because I had behaved so well, Mummy and Daddy let me go to the festival club for a little while afterwards! I thought it was great fun and the entertainment was really good, but I was so tired that I couldn't stay for the whole thing.

Day 9 was quite a restful day with no G&S!! We started by going on a walk up to Solomons Temple which was great fun. When I got there I climbed up to the top and looked at the view which was wonderful! It was really windy up there though so I didn't want to stay there for long! We then went for a little play on the play area near Pooles Cavern before joining the rest of the family for dinner at Weatherspoons which was really really yummy!! After dinner I went on the play area nearby and had loads of fun climbing the ropes, going on the slide and twirling around on various twirly things! This tired me out so much that I then went home to have a nap and slept for AGES! When I got up it was nearly tea time so we had a bit of a lay with my toys at the flat, watched cbeebies, and then went for a walk on the slopes. We also got some food from one of the takeaways and had a sort of picnic on the slopes which was great fun. Mummy and Daddy didn't go to the show as they had already seen it, so spent the evening relaxing in the flat.

Day 10 I went to Gullivers theme park with Auntie Roxanne! We had loads and loads of fun going on all the rides and I really couldn't pick a favourite one, although I did enjoy dressing up as a Knight and completing my Knight's training course. I was so proud when they said I had passed and knighted me 'Knight Sir Robert' and gave me a special sticker - I couldn't stop talking about it to Mummy and Daddy!
The Show tonight was the Nomads Sorcerer. Mummy and Daddy said it was really good and thought the Smiths were really funny as the band. the only thing they didn't like so much was that they didn't feel that there was enough distinction in the costumes to make sufficiently mismatched pairings in the chorus and wished that they could have found a jacket for Alexis that actually fit him! They thought the principal line was really strong with particular mention to be given to Sir Marmaduke who they thought had a great voice and acted the art extremely well, especially as he was a young man. There were also some of our friends in the cast. Their friend Alex played Constance, she looked perfect for the part and sang it really well, Our friend Simon played John Wellington-Wells, brilliant as ever, and our friend Ian played Doctor Daily. Mummy and Daddy thought he did really well in this role and loved his 'may fortune bless you' speech which they thought was excellently done - just funny enough without the physical comedy being distracting. All in all a good show.

Day 11 I went with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna to see some otters at the otter sanctuary. I thought they were really cute and also liked the owls there too, but found them a bit less interesting as they didn't move as much! Unfortunately I was feeling a bit out of sorts so we didn't spend too long there but went back for the rest of the day to play in their cottage.
The evening's show was Cambridge University's production of Iolanthe. Mummy and Daddy really enjoyed the show and thought everyone did really well. However, although they thought the principals all had good voices they found that they needed to project more as they were quite quiet. They were also distracted by the fairies' feet as most of them had pink ballet shoes but one had black ones and one had no shoes at all! They did love that Fold Your Flapping wings was put back in and loved the fauns in the opening scene. They also went to the cabaret as their friend Laurie had organised it. They thought that it was really entertaining, well sung (and spoken) and really funny in places - well done! :)

Day 12 was the day of the Savoynet show so while I was having fun in Matlock with Nanna, Grumps and Great-Nanna going on the play area and the trains, Mummy and Daddy were busy in the theatre getting ready for the evening's performance. I can't really write much about the performance as it is hard to do when you are involved in it (or your parents are in my case) but the audience certainly seemed to enjoy it as there was loads of laughter and applause! There were a few slip ups and mistakes, but nothing that couldn't be covered (even one bit that I'm sure many would not be able to get through so well!) and things like Mummy's belt flapping up in her face when she was waving her ribbon stick, but all in all Mummy and Daddy said it went very well and they were pleased with the performance. They were also pleased with the after show cabaret which they said was great fun and just about the right length. :)
Well done all Savoynet cast and crew and especially Stuart and Matt on a superb production!

At last I am u to day 13 which was today! In the morning we went to collect the DVDs of the savoynet show and I saw some of our friends before Grandma took me swimming for a little while and I had great fun splashing about! In the afternoon Mummy and Daddy took me to Speedwell Cavern which I really enjoyed! We had to go down loads of steps (105!) before getting onto a boat and then going down a really low and narrow passage while a guide told us about the lead mining they did there and then stopped for a while in a chamber where we could get off the boat and stretch our legs before boarding a boat again for our return trip. I found the boat ride really fascinating and kept staring all around me and taking pictures - it really was like nothing I had seen before and I couldn't really believe it when Mummy and Daddy said the tour had lasted an hour as it didn't seem that long as it was so good! (I made sure I thanked the tour guide afterwards!) We then stopped off at the fudge shop in Castleton before getting dinner and making our way back so Mummy and Daddy could see Derby's performance of Princess Ida.
They thought the production was very good but didn't really think the concept worked as there was no word changes, which caused some of the text to jarr with the modern setting. However they thought it was very well sung and staged and Mummy would like to know if she could lease have Ida's costumes as she really loved them! (They were gothic dresses!)

Well I'm up to date now and promise to blog more often for the rest of the festival!

Robert
x

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