aberdeen life – PixiePlanner

Ad – Come Feel The Noize At Rock of Ages

AD/PR EVENT-As always, all views and opinions are my own.

Last night, Kevin and I had the pleasure of being invited along by Aberdeen Performing Arts to the press evening of Rock Of Ages at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Rock of Ages as the smash-hit musical embarks on its 2023 farewell tour. They transported us back to the LA strip of the 1980s and the Bourbon Room with its Fogmaster 5000.

The legendary show tells the story of Stacie Jaxx–Played by Cameron Sharp and Drew–Played by Sam Turrell as they make their way from mid-town USA to Los Angeles in pursuit of their respective acting and rock n roll dreams. Both find work at the Bourbon Room, owned by the washed out rocker Dennis–Played by Kevin Kennedy, also known as Curly from Coronation Street. Dennis provides much of the show’s hilarity and had the audience in fits of laughter frequently.

Dennis faces a battle to keep his bar open as father and son duo Franz and Hertz, the German property developers, come to town and complete a dirty deal with the mayor to redevelop the strip. The crowd were treated to a huge number of rock classics, including Feel the Noize; We Built this City, Dead or Alive and Keep on Lovin You.

As the show ends with the entire audience on their feet to Don’t Stop Believing, Stacie and Drew discover that the dreams they arrived in LA with are not necessarily the same ones that they leave with. One thing for sure though is the audience had a great night–and for many we were back in the 80s even if just for a few hours!

If you’re ready to rock, then Rock of Ages is at His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen until Saturday 18th February. Tickets are available here.

Alannah x

Ad – Scottish Ballet Coppèlia – A Ballet For The Future

AD/PR EVENT-As always, all views and opinions are my own.

Last night, Kevin and I had the pleasure of being invited along by Aberdeen Performing Arts to the press evening of Scottish Ballet Coppèlia at His Majesty’s Theatre.

This out of the world performance was the first of a three-night stint at His Majesty’s Theatre, and my second time attending the mesmerising ballet.

Coppèlia first premiered in 1870 and now, 152 years later, Scottish Ballet has brought it back into the 21st century in the most innovative way. The ambitious production combines live performance, projection and real time filming, which left me wondering what was real and what wasn’t!

Based around Dr Coppèlius curious mind and world of robots and clones. It all unravels during a visit by two journalists called Swanhilda and Franz, who find that things are not as they seem. The story from beginning to end was invigorating and, as usual and the accompanying orchestra were excellent.

Scottish Ballet Coppèlia is at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen until Saturday 1st October. You can find good availability here at Aberdeen Performing Arts.

Alannah x

Ad – Dreamgirls

AD/PR EVENT-As always, all views and opinions are my own.

Last night, my mum and I had the pleasure of being invited along by Aberdeen Performing Arts to the press evening of Dreamgirls at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Direct from the West End, Dreamgirls was a musical I really couldn’t wait to see and the talent on stage blew me away!

The show is a musical rollercoaster as three singers and friends Effie, Lorrell and Deena take us on as they seek fame with their group, named the Dreamettes.

Caught up in the glamorous and competitive world of the entertainment industry in the 1960s, a ruthless music industry pushes their friendship and loyalties to the limit.

Effie White – played by Nicole Raquel Dennis, wowed the audience with her incredible voice, gave me goosebumps! Jimmy Early – played by Brandon Lee Sears, provided the show’s entertainment.

Dreamgirls is at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen until Saturday, September 10th. You can purchase tickets here.

Alannah x

Ad – Billionaire Boy Live on Stage

AD/PR EVENT-As always, all views and opinions are my own.

Last night, Kevin, Quinn and I had the pleasure of being invited along by Aberdeen Performing Arts to the press evening of David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy.

Quinn is a keen reader of David Walliams children’s books and we were excited to see one of his fiction tales live on stage. The Olivier Award nominated West End production of David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy was a hit!

Just like the novel, it tells the story of 12-year-old Joe Spud who, as the country’s richest boy, has everything he could ever wish for, except one thing – a friend.

In pursuit of a friend, Joe persuades his dad – the billionaire bum fresh inventor to allow him to leave his posh school and move to the local comprehensive. At his new school, Joe learns that money can’t solve everything!

It was a fun filled show, and we were all keen to see Raj – the shopkeeper who stars in all the novels with his humour and special offers.

The show is a perfect treat for the kids during the school holidays, especially for those who have enjoyed Walliams many novels.

It’s in town until Saturday, August 13th. You can purchase tickets here.

Alannah x

Ad Lord of the Dance -25 Years of Standing Ovations

AD/PR EVENT-As always, all views and opinions are my own.

Last night, Kevin and I had the pleasure of being invited along by Aberdeen Performing Arts to the press evening of Michael Flatley’s Lord Of the Dance.

Celebrating 25 years of standing ovations – Michael Flatley’s Lord of the dance has become the most successful production in entertainment history. After witnessing last night’s performance, it’s easy to see why!

This legendary Irish dance show emerges from the dreams of the little spirit, a classic tale of good versus evil where the lord of the dance must fight against evil in the form of the Dark Lord and his army of warriors.

Alongside the extremely high energy Irish dancing, the audience enjoyed some fantastic singing with Carrickfergus favourite. The two fiddle players were also extremely talented and helped tell the story brilliantly.

After 25 years on the road, the show is as fresh and exciting as ever. Here’s to the next 25! I would recommend that you catch Lord of the Dance while you can–It’s in town until Thursday July 7th. You can purchase tickets here.

Alannah x

Ad – Go Go Go Joseph!

AD/PR EVENT-As always, all views and opinions are my own.

Last night, Kevin, Quinn and I had the pleasure of being invited along by Aberdeen Performing Arts to the press evening of the brand new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

The show, which is fresh from a run at the London Palladium, was a non-stop extravaganza of colour and song from beginning to end. If you’re looking for an early summer musical treat, then this show is the one! From the opening act through to the classics of Any Dream Will Do to Go Go Go Joseph, the first half flew in and it was easy to see why Joseph remains one of the favourite musicals in the land.

I must give special mention to Rochelle Sherona who made her tour debut as Narrator this week. Her performance was so good it was as though she had played the role for years!

Jac Yarrow was also fantastic, as Joseph and his solo performance of Close Every Door was especially impressive.

You can’t write about a Joseph performance without mentioning the wonderful child cast. Their talent and energy were a joy to see and there is every chance we will see one or two of them playing some leading roles in the future.

The evening finished with the entire audience on their feet to the Joesph Megamix. It was a wonderful ending to an impressive performance. Joseph is in town until Saturday evening and I would recommend you get along if you can. Tickets can be purchased here.

Alannah x

Ad – Don’t Save The Book of Mormon For a Latter Day.

AD/PR EVENT-As always, all views and opinions are my own.

Last night Kevin and I had the pleasure of being invited along by Aberdeen Performing Arts to the press evening of The Book of Mormon.

The second performance of a fifteen-night stint at His Majesty’s Theatre, as part of their UK tour, this outrageous musical comedy certainly had the audience laughing and smiling throughout the two-hour performance.

Make no mistake, the Book of Mormon is one of the top musicals currently running anywhere right now! It’s easy to see why it’s a nine-time Tony Award and four-time Oliver award winning hit.

The opening scene starts in Salt Lake City Mormon training centre as the latest new missionaries complete their training and prepare to accept their mission spreading the word of the church around the world. The star of the class is Elder Price (Robert Colvin) and he is hoping to be sent to the sunshine state of Florida and the parks and attractions of Orlando, however his prayers don’t get answered and instead gets matched with the hilarious Elder Cunningham (Conner Peirson) and sent to a remote village in Uganda with the aim to convert the locals to the church.

This is the beginning of a hilarious journey, as the residents initially don’t take too kindly to the preaching from the book, but Elder Cunningham shares his wisdom and before being declared as the Prophet who can save the village. There is an array of catchy dance and songs that had the audience clapping along, some of which include language that marks the show suitable for over 13’s!

We had a great time and would recommend you get along to see if you can. Your prayers might not get answered, but you will definitely laugh out loud time and time again! You can purchase your tickets through Aberdeen Performing Arts at the Box Office.

Alannah x

Ad – A Dining Delight At The Albyn

Ad/Pr – As always, all views and opinions are my own.

The Albyn Bar and Restaurant kindly invited Kevin and I last night to eat from their new dinner menu.

In the heart of Aberdeen City’s West End, the reimagined restaurant is modern and elegant. The new menu launched just last month and I couldn’t wait to try it after already having the pleasure of sampling from the delicious brunch menu.

Immediately upon entering the restaurant, we were seated at a lovely table right at the centre of the restaurant. Our server introduced herself, brought us some water for the table and took our drinks order. Now for the hard part, choosing what to eat!

I went for the Katsu Buttermilk Chicken Tenders. Served crispy, just how I like them with a definite hint of katsu, but not too overpowering. They served the chicken with Asian slaw and katsu mayonnaise, which was a perfect accompaniment.

Kevin chose the Haggis Bon Bons, which were accompanied by a whisky sauce. The presentation looked very good and he said they were tasty.

I knew exactly what I was having for my main course before I even arrived at the restaurant! Macaroni and cheese is my favourite and the Return of the Mac sounded insanely good – applewood smoked, mature Scottish cheddar and Parmesan macaroni, herb crumb and garlic sourdough. Mac and cheese is my favourite, and this was honestly up there with the best. It was out of this world!

I had to try a side of Truffle Parmesan fries as they sounded delicious. They did not disappoint, crispy and beautiful!

Kevin ordered Battered Top of the North Haddock, which came with hand cut chips, crushed peas and tartare sauce. He loved the batter and the haddock was soft and flakey. The accompanying chips were exactly how they should be, thick and crispy.

After letting our stomachs settle a little, we couldn’t resist ordering some desserts.

I chose The Albyn Sticky Toffee Pudding with Simpson’s of Buckie Vanilla Ice Cream. It was so delicious; the sauce was a dream!

Kevin went for Highland Mess – strawberry and vanilla ice cream, smashed strawberries, crushed meringue, whisky cream and pressed berry coulis. Served in a mason jar, it looked delightful! Kevin said it tasted amazing, one of the best desserts he has had in a long time!

Although we never sampled anything from it, a comprehensive vegan and vegetarian menu is also available.

Overall we had a fantastic meal with great quality food and we will definitely be returning soon!

Alannah x