Getting some kulture

We have several cultural highlights planned for 2007. As I've posted before, we're off to see Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake production this weekend. I'm keen to compare this modern version of Tchaikovsky's ballet classic with the more traditional performance we saw at the Hermitage in St Petersburg last month. Matthew Bourne's production of Swan Lake has become the longest running ballet in London’s West End and on Broadway

Talking about long runs, in early February we're off to see The Mousetrap, the world's longest running play. Written by Agatha Christie, this murder/mystery started life as a short radio play. It opened as a full-length production in London at the Ambassadors Theatre on November 25, 1952 and continues to this day. So far more than 20,000 performances have been held. The cast is changed annually, usually in November. In its earlier days, some of the cast members performed their roles for years on end. I'm not sure I could cope with such a GroundHog Day career!

Finally, I'm off to Milan next week for a quick business trip. I had hoped to linger over a weekend and do some cultured winter shopping in the city's many boutiques. Smart leather shoes and suit pants were on my list. Unfortunately I've been called back to London next Friday for a client meeting in Cambridge.