In celebration of Wicked‘s 11th anniversary, Red Letter Days caught up with the lovely Alice Fearn who stars as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. We found out what sort of things have gone wrong during performance, the kind of feedback she receives from fans and whether she thinks a witch’s broom or a giant bubble would make the best form of transport. “It’s about friendships, how they create who you are today and how you can fight through adversity and come out the other side.”

English wine is one of our favourite things, and when an invite from leading wine producer and winery Chapel Down arrived we could barely contain our excitement. So last week, Simon, Emily, Chloe and Sophie were lucky enough to pay a visit to Chapel Down Winery, a beautiful 22 acre vineyard in Kent, located close to the picturesque market town of Tenterden. Throughout the day, the group of budding wine connoisseurs broadened their knowledge on the many varieties of sparkling and still Chapel Down wines, taking part in a guided tour of the vineyard and winery, before settling in the tasting room to sample some of their finest creations. Once palates were…

The UK is home to a number of different species of birds of prey, coming in all sorts of colours, shapes and sizes. The question is, do you know each one from the next? For those who aren’t as clued up on their British birds of prey as they’d like to be, we’ve put together a handy guide to make your bird spotting that bit easier! Fancy becoming familiar with them in real life? We have a whole range of birds of prey experiences where you can get up close and personal with your favourite feathered friends! Common Buzzard As the most widespread bird of prey in the UK, buzzards…

In its fledgling year, the West Country extravaganza that is the Bristol Balloon Fiesta comprised just 27 balloons. As more companies began to get involved in the unique spectacle, including entries from across the globe, the number rose to 90 in 1985, a postwar record. This year, 2017, more than 130 hot air balloons took to the gleaming August sky. Among them was our very own Red Letter Days vessel, its iconic red and white design standing out against the ether. A hot air balloon experience makes the ultimate present. If you’d like to gift a truly deserving loved one, pick out a ride from our comprehensive Hot Air Ballooning…

Among all the high-kicking musicals and up-tempo comedies drawing crowds to London’s West End, The Woman in Black is something completely different: a ghost story. An adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel, the show is a proper old-fashioned spine-tingler that has been terrifying packed-out auditoriums since 1987. Its combination of simple but effective stage direction, spooky effects and taut-as-string tension ensures an atmosphere as inescapably black as the dress of its titular character. “Bring the lights way down low and everyone gets apprehensive and begins to imagine all sorts of things.” ~ Stuart Fox Mr Kipps (played by Stuart Fox) is a lawyer who has become morbidly preoccupied with a curse he believes…

Wild for big cats? Well, this one’s for you! To mark #InternationalTigerDay appropriately, we put together a fact file full of fascinating nuggets of information about the magnificent felines. As some of the most regal animals to walk the earth, there’s something quite spellbinding about the powerful beasts. They have the strength to take down their prey in a flash, their survival instincts are second to none and of course, they’re absolutely breathtaking to look at. Sadly the wild population of a number of these species is ever dwindling, as the threat of extinction remains an urgent problem. The biggest perils come as a result of the human population – loss of habitat…