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Precious is a new-style weepie but one that is much more bracing than depressing
Precious
Theatre
Ian McKellen is captivating throughout. He delights in the play’s gallows humour, yet is also maudlin and poignant
Waiting for Godot
Theatre
Slight quibbles notwithstanding, this will set the West End’s stock riding high
Enron
Utterly, utterly brilliant. You really are in for a treat
Though 'Trilogy' has won rave reviews, I personally found myself exasperated after about an hour
We went on a quiet sunday evening and the food was excellent, but the experience let down by the service and ambiance
London,
Sarah Frater's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Monica Mason.
Cast: The Royal Ballet
Description: Tchaikovsky's ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa, with additional production from Monica Mason and Christopher Newton.
Trains: Tube: Covent Garden 
Phone: 0207304 4000
Website: www.roh.org.uk
Email: onlinebooking@roh.org.uk
Extra info: Food, Air Conditioning
Big old ballet with majestic sweep: Genesia Rosata as Carabosse
Given she’s been off injured for a year, Sarah Lamb understandably took things carefully.
Although she had a small part in the season-opening Mayerling, Sleeping Beauty is Lamb’s first three-act biggie since the injury (she broke three metatarsal bones in her left foot in Paris), and her performance deserved every one of the flowers the Opera House arranged for her curtain call.
The American-born Lamb is a slender, slightly reserved dancer, and her interpretation of Princess Aurora is as a refined, shy young girl.
It works well and gives Ivan Putrov’s Prince, a naturally more ardent performer, something to act against. The way the pair play it, he brings out Lamb’s delicate Princess and she responds to his softly amorous manners.
Putrov has been rather over-shadowed of late with the arrival of the super talented Sergei Polunin, a fellow Ukrainian who’s pretty much cleaned up in the good-looking, floppy-haired, young talent stakes. It’s a shame, as Putrov is an able performer and fine actor, and it would be good to see more of him.
Polunin himself disappointed nobody in the Act III Florestan pas de trois, while Steven McRae was pin-perfect in the Bluebird duet with the mistress of precision Laura Morera as Princess Florine. Marianela Nunez corralled the action with her clearly mimed and graciously mannered Lilac Fairy.
The Sleeping Beauty is a big, old ballet with a fairy tale plot that’s easy to mock. It is, of course, both a majestic sweep of culture and a steely reminder of the importance of good connections — Princess Aurora would be stumped without the Lilac Fairy’s address book. Beauty is also the toughest of tests for a ballet company.
It requires dancers with both tungsten technique and gentle manners. Few can sustain this for its three-hour duration, let alone bring a British identity to this most international of ballets.
With the Royal’s current Beauty, a restaging of its famous 1946 production, we can be optimistic.
In rep until 24 November (020 7304 4000. www.roh.org.uk).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
I went to see this last night and it was glorious, absolutely perfect.
I have seen this 4 times in the past few years but last night's performance was by far the best one I have ever seen.
Thank you to Monica Mason and everyone else who makes this possible.
The opera house looked stunning as usual and the staff are wonderful. Best night out I have had in a long time.
- Jenny, London
