Saturday 12 December - The Mikado

Kingsland Bridge Mansions - a wonderful brick structure with tile ornamentation

Surprise, surprise.  It is raining again and it rained all day.  The weather during our stay has been atrocious.  At least in an apartment we can choose when we go out.  While I was cursing the weather today the garden railway guys in Ottawa were running trains at a time when there are normally snow and low temperatures.  Mike Hamer wrote an excellent blog with pictures:
http://gardenrailroadottawa.blogspot.ca/2015/12/december-garden-railroading-in-canada.html

The highlight of our day in wet Shrewsbury was a performance of The Mikado by the English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra - a repeat of a live screening of 3 December from the London Coliseum.  The performance was superb and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the singing, dancing, humour and music.
Click here to see the trailer
- A Wand'ring Minstrel I
- Three Little Girls from School are We
- The Lord High Executioner
- I've Got a Little List (with topical references including Scottish Nationalists and the England World Cup Rugby Team.)
- For He's Going to Marry Yum Yum
- The Madrigal
- Let the Punishment Fit the Crime (making criminals ride the buffers of Transport for London trains).
- (bugger) the Flowers that Bloom in the Spring tra-la
- Tit-willow
One unfortunate surprise was that the Overture started over five minutes before the posted time with the result that people were still finding their seats making it difficult to enjoy the music.

Mary has found the way to work the bar of the Theatre Severn.  She had a large white wine in a plastic glass which she could take into the auditorium and drink during the first Act.  This made time for a chocolate ice cream on a stick during the interval.

The streets were actually dry when we walked home.  There was just time for a quick one at the Three Fishes on the way back.