#MindTheBaubles: round-up

As usual, things have slipped behind – despite a surprisingly efficient start… After my final two shows of the inaugural #MindTheBaubles last Thursday, I’ve been supplementing the week proper with a few more films, TV programmes, and podcast episodes just to bolster the resources. And – to be fair – I’ve been trying to fit […]

#MindTheBaubles: Last-minute theatre gift ideas

There’s always someone who hasn’t quite got themselves organised by the week leading up to Christmas – even with the threat of Royal Mail strikes hanging over the season this year – and if that’s you, I’m here to help. These days there are plenty of ways to treat the theatre lover in your life, […]

Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol

As most people have noted, you can’t move for stage adaptations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol this year, so it’s vital that each one has something that makes it stand out from the crowd – and makes people want to see multiple versions. If you head to the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre […]

White Christmas (2022 tour)

Following a successful West End engagement at the Dominion back in 2019, Nikolai Foster’s staging of White Christmas has been taken on the road for the 2022 festive season. Directed this time by Ian Talbot, the production has visited Truro, Nottingham & Sunderland, before closing its run at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre with a month-long stint. […]

#MindTheBaubles: Stocking Fillers – festive offerings 2022

As you know, Mind the Blog is a Panto-Free Zone – but what if you want to find some alternative festive fare? Whether it’s family fun or something a little more grown-up, we have a selection of seasonal offerings (old and new) that might be of use to you. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, […]

Challenge Week 2022: Mind The Baubles

Some of you may remember that five years ago I embarked on a mission to see as many versions of A Christmas Carol as feasibly possible over the festive season – and whilst I could do that again (that cup overfloweth more than usual this year), I’ve decided to try for just a tad more […]

Bondathon: Ranking the theme tunes (5-1)

Before I get into the final five, after meticulously running through 25-21, 20-16, 15-11, and 10-6 over the past few weeks, I want to give an honourable mention to a song that a lot of people will associate with the Bond theme genre. We Have All the Time in the World by Louis Armstrong is a […]

Bondathon: Ranking the theme tunes (10-6)

Having gone through from 25-21, then 20-16, then 15-11 – you should hopefully have a reasonable idea as to what is left, and what might be featuring in this penultimate post… There’s a decent mix of up-to-date and classic Bond themes in each post, though for this one we are looking back a bit further […]

Bondathon: Ranking the theme tunes (15-11)

After going through songs 25-21 and songs 20-16, we’re getting down to the nitty gritty now. This is potentially where things start to get a little controversial, as personal preference plays a larger role this time. It’s a bit of a mix, though leaning more towards the modern side of things overall. 15 – From […]

Bondathon: Ranking the theme tunes (20-16)

Following on from last week’s countdown from 25 to 21, which felt a little samey for the most part, I’m back with the next five songs in my countdown. I think this shows a bit more variety, and has also made use of some of my critical faculties, rather than solely relying on personal taste; […]