Mind the Advent 2017

You know what time of year it is – so I’ve just been through another Mind the Advent countdown!

Time for another #MindTheAdvent! This time I'm celebrating some of the amazing performers I've seen in 2017, so without further ado…

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 1, 2017

As I’ve seen a personal best number of different shows this year, the sheer volume of actors (and performances) have really been stacking up and making my life difficult – in terms of summing up my favourites of the year, that is. So here is a bit of a sneak preview of what’s to come in my highlight posts…

#MindTheAdvent Day 1: As I'm seeing #TheLittleMatchgirl later, let's celebrate Katy Owen! #Amazing946 #TwelfthNight pic.twitter.com/hwvPXLPU6H

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 1, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 2: I'm seeing @TheLostBoyLdn today, so let's celebrate @Jonno_Davies from another ATTW show! pic.twitter.com/pI7AC3tRos

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 2, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 3: I was blown away by @Clarehalse when I saw 42nd Street earlier this year – a true star turn! pic.twitter.com/wCEiTPTGnt

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 3, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 4: I'm back at #RomanticsAnonymous tonight, so let's celebrate the ever brilliant @marcantolin! Have seen him in three shows this year & he never disappoints. #TwelfthNight #FlyingLovers pic.twitter.com/EgcRm120RO

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 4, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 5: Another of the #SummerOfLove alumni today, this time @goldarosh. Insanely good as Mercutio in #RomeoAndJuliet, and now reforming Scrooge in #OVChristmasCarol. #Brenda pic.twitter.com/FBUyzdeSGv

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 5, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 6: As @AmericanParisUK enters its final weeks, let's celebrate the brilliant @Ashleyday_86! He started out as alternate Jerry Mulligan, before taking over the role in June. #SWonderful pic.twitter.com/sihWR1vs0J

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 6, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 7: Today I'm celebrating the uncommonly good Anne-Marie Duff. #ntCommon pic.twitter.com/owuphx7nL2

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 7, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 8: Was lucky enough to see @1phildaniels in #KingLear; he also continued This House in Jan & Feb. pic.twitter.com/pWU0Zbwl3T

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 8, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 9: Back to Chichester today, so let's celebrate the fab @kirstybushell! #RomeoAndJuliet #KingLear pic.twitter.com/g6kiJrVwjg

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 9, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 10: I've also seen @tonyjay78 in three shows this year! #TwelfthNight #LionsAndTigers #YoungMarx pic.twitter.com/pQVpRhbWPU

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 10, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 11: Two very different Frenchmen for @dominic_marsh! #TristanAndYseult #RomanticsAnonymous pic.twitter.com/JATVSW61jb

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 11, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 12: I'm seeing @WeAreKneehigh's #TheTinDrum again tonight, so who better to celebrate than the stunning Nandi Bhebhe? #Amazing946 #TwelfthNight pic.twitter.com/4Shayi3nxW

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 12, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 13: Thinking back to Camden Fringe today to celebrate @RyanPenny18's performance in @DoomedResis! pic.twitter.com/fS0jlAQbOu

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 13, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 14: Today I get to see #ntPinocchio, so who better to pick than @abrissonj? #FlyingLovers pic.twitter.com/qm7eLlFKxy

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 14, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 15: A couple of brilliant shows for @oliverchris this year! #ntTwelfthNight #YoungMarx pic.twitter.com/A5XE12Pm5I

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 15, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 16: Tara Fitzgerald brought another iconic version of Elizabeth I to life in #TheSecretTheatre. pic.twitter.com/0NnuKlbdAT

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 16, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 17: @ChristieWJ returned with @ScenaMundi earlier this year to sneak around in #SMMalfi… pic.twitter.com/34UVxePghz

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 17, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 18: @laurenjamesray stood out in a beautiful revival of @imagineunion last month. pic.twitter.com/PVOHrvDrni

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 18, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 19: @Biddleybop proved to be a star in the making in #DysfunctionalGuideToBeingAThirdWheel! pic.twitter.com/0j5LLGbeRn

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 19, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 20: I feel so lucky to have seen @eshalladi in #NellGwynn, #LionsAndTigers & #RSCTwelfth in 2017. pic.twitter.com/4dqe21Svu1

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 20, 2017

#MindTheAdvent Day 21: Getting to see @alexdeboo in a couple of her fab shows this year was great fun. #PromisesPromises #ntFollies #Follies pic.twitter.com/aGKAASYFTi

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 21, 2017

#MindtheAdvent Day 22: So happy to have seen @ewanwardrop in a couple more brilliant shows again this year! #MuchAdo #Formby pic.twitter.com/zNXIsEHCUJ

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 22, 2017

#MindtheAdvent Day 23: Unexpectedly getting to see Tamsin Greig twice in one year was an absolute joy! #ntTwelfthNight #LabourOfLoveThePlay pic.twitter.com/0pUhNatx79

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 23, 2017

#MindtheAdvent Day 24: What better way to celebrate Christmas Eve? Rhys Ifans is a brilliant Scrooge! #OVChristmasCarol pic.twitter.com/TgyAhJKQDm

— Mind the Blog (@Mind_the_Blog) December 24, 2017

I think you can now see why I was struggling to narrow down my favourite performances of the year – and why this was definitely the best solution. You will be seeing a few of these faces again in a week’s time when I finally share my highlights of 2017 with you (some I just couldn’t resist including here!), and you’ll also have the chance to see some of them onstage in different guises next year…