NBT Carmen reviews Carmen Performances Didy Veldman Interview Stefano Giannetti Interview Our NBT Page Halifax plc is the national tour sponsor of NBT.

We were at the Swan in High Wycombe - not quite full, but a healthy enough crowd. What astounded was the entirely different audience compared with those who came to their Dracula at Sadler's Wells. The Wycombe audience were rather older and greyer and there were also some coaches out front - very west end musical.... commercial... successful. As is abundantly obvious, NBT know what people like and deliver it, though like everybody else they know they need to stir the pot, stay fresh and move forward as well. Next season there is to be a triple bill (what!? - yes indeed, you heard!) planned in before Giannetti's arrival and of course Carmen represented something of a change being one of Gable's last artistic decisions. More than a few were gobsmacked that NBT - home of the comfy, pointe-led, 3 acter - should use a barefoot choreographer (Didy Veldman) from a contemporary company to create a piece for them.

I very much enjoyed the premiere, but would it have legs and what of the second cast? Well I enjoyed seeing it again and this time the story seemed to come over much more clearly - to me anyway. But then I'm pretty slow on the uptake at times I have to say. The downside, if downside there be, is that it all goes so quickly and the intervals seem to crop up at times when you want the action to carry on. I think it would be great to see as a two-act piece.

Of course there is scarcely a pointy thing in sight anywhere - but the rolling, twizzling and flat foot approach works for me and looks refreshingly different on NBT - bloody good in fact. But it's not everbody's cup of tea and my companion, as they say in all the best restaurant reviews, was not so impressed by a second helping of bare feet. To Anne it all looked much the same - a view I don't understand myself.

It's the set piece pdd's that continue to impress me the most for their inventiveness - the fun of the typewriter one and the emotional summersaults of the bedroom dance. Fiona Wallis and Luc Jacobs - real life partners I think - danced Carmen and Jose. Jacobs impressed me for his naturalness. I think the last time I saw him in a lead role was as Quasimodo so it was good to see him in something slightly more normal. Wallis acts well but I'm afraid I still remember Charlotte Broom in the role. An unexpected find was Chiaki Nagao as Micaela (Jose's downtrodden fiancee) - she really brought out the pathos, love and forgiveness of the role.

The one area I was little surprised by was the start where Veldman has choreographed some fights that rely on perfect timing if they are not to look arranged. Strangely folks looked a bit hesitant at times - perhaps it was the new boss. Perhaps it's just very, very difficult to get right. But it's a small note and the audience seemed to enjoy it all. I doubt that many of them would have noticed the absence of pointe shoes either. I suppose though that you could argue about whether this is good or bad in itself!

Worth seeing as it wends its way to Canterbury, Edinburgh and Cardiff over the next few weeks. And I'm pleased to hear that it will be in the repertoire again next year.