Morning:
9°c
With a single dessert and just two glasses of wine our bill was kept in check - but the effort of doing so was not much fun
NEW: GPs urged to stop prescribing antibiotics for coughs and colds as overuse is increasing resistance to them, making it more difficult to tackle serious infections like hospital bugs
More...
The ballet that left children cowering in terror
Last updated at 23:22pm on 14.09.07
Mouse with Menace: The ENB show features a baby being snatched by a black-clad villain and a ballerina stabbed in the stomach by a pin from a spinning wheel
Billed as "a magical introduction to ballet", an adaptation of children's favourite Angelina Ballerina looked like an ideal treat.
There was a buzz of excitement in the theatre as scores of little girls, many dressed in pink tutus like their fictional heroine, waited for the curtain to rise.
But shortly after the show began many were having second thoughts.
Scenes featuring a baby being snatched by a black-clad villain, a ballerina stabbed in the stomach by a pin from a spinning wheel and a ghost appearing as the lights were dimmed sent children cowering behind the seats.
Others started sobbing and buried their heads in their mothers' laps.
Afterwards, many parents complained that the English National Ballet performance was unsuitable for small children, although publicity for the show said it would "enchant' three-year-olds upwards.
Clare Gardner, 40, who took her five-year-old daughter Georgi to one of the opening matinees at Wimbledon Theatre in south-west London, said the adaptation bore little resemblance to the Angelina Ballerina books.
"I chose this production because my daughter loves the books and thought this would be an ideal way to introduce her to ballet," she said.
"But it was totally unsuitable for its target audience. My little girl was terrified.
Scroll down for more...
Terrified: Five-year-old Georgi Gardner was taken to the matinee by her mother Clare
"The baby-snatching scene was totally inappropriate for three-year-olds - especially in the current climate after Madeleine McCann's disappearance.
"When the ballerina was stabbed with the spinning wheel pin everyone gasped - no one was sure if she had been murdered or not."
Angelina Ballerina is a fictional mouse who dreams of becoming a famous ballerina, created by author Katharine Holabird.
The first illustrated book was published in 1982 and there are now 20 of them.
It is the first time the series has been adapted for the stage. The ballet, which is based on the story of Sleeping Beauty, opened last weekend in Wimbledon and is currently showing in Sunderland, before visiting a further 20 venues around the country.
On the English National Ballet website the show is described as an enchanting production suitable for children aged three and upwards and "a magical introduction to ballet for all ages".
A spokesman for the company said the opening night had been "a resounding success".
She said: "If members of the audience are concerned about any part of the show then I would welcome their comments."
Reader views (6)
I'm sorry Dave, you are a bit out of touch with the younger children of today. Our girls, aged 8 and 6 do know what can happen. They are quite aware of who Madeleine is and what happened to her. This is despite us endeavouring not to talk about her in front of them. They have seen news programmes and newspapers, as well as her missing posters. They have seen all of this and we live in a rural village in France. One of the reasons for moving here was our belief that it is safer. Give the younger children some credit.
- Paul Bradford, Monflanquin, France
Whatever happened to Grimm's Fairytales? We were introduced to them in Germany from a young age by our parents and they have similar gruesome scenes in them. In the end, the good will always win and the baddies get punished.
Personally, it hasn't done me any harm. Maybe because my parents took time to speak to me about the stories afterwards and explained that it wasn't real.
- Iris, Kent
The McCann daughter disappeared long after ENB began working on this ballet. A tragedy such as the missing girl's disappearance should not prevent the whole world from enjoying a ballet. Disney movies have scary bits, and children enjoy those. Why should this ballet be put to harsher critique?
- Anne Hutton, London, England
Dave probably doesn't have kids if he thinks they can't grasp what happened to Madeleine McCann. They do learn to talk and ask questions before their 10th birthday, especially when there's so much discussion about Madeleine. And parents can tell when their own child is upset, or when they're enjoying something they've gone to see.
- Claire, London
Apology accepted, Dave Morgan - of COURSE children know about little Maddie! The whole point of the publicity campaign was to make everyone aware of her disappearance! Here's a newsflash for you: children watch TV, listen to the radio and go online!
- Terry Roll, London
I'm sorry, but would a typical 3-9 year old child have ANY idea who Madeleine McCann is, or what has happened to her? Sounds more like the paranoid reaction of an over-protective parent to me. I'm sure most kids would love the 'scary' bits.
Now if only they could use this 'scary' bits in the publicity, it might attract the boys in to see it too!
- Dave Morgan, Beddington, Surrey
