Les Patineurs & Tales of Beatrix Potter, Royal Ballet

Ancient skaters are more alive than the stuffed hedgehogs in Ashton double-bill

by Ismene BrownTuesday, 15 December 2009

Les Patineurs: 'William Chappell’s vintage Quality Street designs alone make it treasurable'Johan Persson/Royal Opera House

The well-prepared adult accompanying an under-10 to the Royal Ballet’s Tales of Beatrix Potter will take with them a pillow and a potty, the pillow for themselves, the potty to tuck under the seat for the necessary moment during this 70-minute marathon. Should the Stasi at Bag Search at the Opera House entrance insist on the potty being checked into the cloakroom, the canny adult carries a supersized handkerchief as backup, to stuff into the child’s wailing mouth when - 30 minutes in, with infant acuity - it realises that it has seen the best bits and there are another 40 minutes of these capering costumes to go, while all the adult wants is a bit of shut-eye until the thing is all over and they can get on with Christmas.

The grown-ups' applause only encourages the Opera House to put this benighted thing on again.

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