Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty, Sadler's Wells review - a gothic romance with loads of goth and not much love

★★★ MATTHEW BOURNE'S SLEEPING BEAUTY, SADLER'S WELLS Revival of Bourne's vampire ballet drives a stake through the heart of Beauty

Revival of Bourne's vampire ballet drives a stake through the heart of Beauty

Matthew Bourne is not the first choreographer to tinker with the story of The Sleeping Beauty and he won't be the last, such is the lure of Tchaikovsky's score and the potency of the plot.

Gillam, Brodsky Quartet, Manchester Camerata, Buxton International Festival 2022 review - a freshness in classic Elgar

★★★★★ GILLAM, BRODSKY QUARTET, MANCHESTER CAMERATA, BUXTON Freshness in Elgar

Manchester Camerata celebrates its 50th anniversary with celebrity guests

It’s an ill heatwave that brings nobody any good, and Buxton International Festival’s decision to move its highlight concert, by Manchester Camerata with Jess Gillam and the Brodsky Quartet as their guests, from the Buxton Octagon to St John’s Church meant not only that it was heard in probably the only coolish venue in town yesterday afternoon, but also that it benefitted from an acoustic that’s excellent for instrumental music.

First person: Ukrainian violinist Valeriy Sokolov on performing while his homeland is destroyed

His home city of Kharkiv in ruins, a great musician plays on

A fortnight ago I performed Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Aurora Orchestra, joining them and their Principal Conductor Nicholas Collon in Cologne. Tonight we shall present the same programme at the Royal Festival Hall. These are my first appearances with Aurora and as a Ukrainian, I feel so grateful that even during a terrible time like this, I can continue making music. The situation in my homeland feels so overwhelming that getting on with music right now is the best thing to do for now, at least mentally.

Russians and friends play on for Ukraine

Who's doing what, with focus on a fundraiser from Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy

National sensitivities are running understandably high right now in the thick of an ever-escalating aggression. What a shame that the Southbank Centre has excluded Russian artists from performing alongside British and Ukrainian performers to bring a message of peace through the arts in their upcoming fundraiser. Not so "Dance for Ukraine" at the London Coliseum, including Natalia Osipova in its line-up.

Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!, Sadler's Wells Theatre review - new candy, but the nuts are off

★★★ MATTHEW BOURNE'S NUTCRACKER!, SADLER'S WELLS New candy coatings, but nuts off

This is designer Anthony Ward’s Nutcracker! with multiple exclamation marks

The legendary quip of a sophisticated ballet critic that we are all one Nutcracker nearer death never rang so true as now. One goes to the theatre with one’s heart in one’s mouth, behind the partypooping mask.

Eugene Onegin, Garsington Opera review - choral and orchestral opulence for Tchaikovsky

★★★ EUGENE ONEGIN, GARSINGTON OPERA Choral and orchestral opulence

How much we've missed in a year is exemplified in aspects of this hit-and-miss show

Peasant harvesters enter from the facsimile of Lady Ottoline Morrell’s Garsington garden to the right (stage left) of the state-of-the-art pavilion and, splendidly led by a solo tenor (Dominick Felix), burst into song. The temptation is to burst into tears, for this is the first time, surely, any of us has heard a rich, full chorus live for over a year.