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Ellen’s Bucket List

Writer: Ellen Cheshire
Ellen Cheshire
Aug 2
7 min read

Updated: Aug 20


I first drew this up in January 2022, as the world was emerging from the long shadow of lockdowns. I realised how easy it is to take experiences for granted, and I didn’t want to keep putting things off “for another time.”


So, I began a bucket list - part wish list, part reminder - and since then I’ve been adding to it and crossing things off as I go. It’s a mix of theatre, film, concerts, museums, places and the occasional wild card. Some items are big dreams, others are more “mustn’t forget to go.” If something’s ticked ✔ that means I've done it. If there's a hyperlink that means I've written a blog post about it!

Based on the things I’ve listed, if you’ve got any recommendations, I’d love to hear them.

 

THEATRE

BALLET

  • Edward Scissorhands – Matthew Bourne (14 January 2024, Sadler's Wells) ✔

  • Swan Lake – Matthew Bourne (25 January 2025, Sadler's Wells - had seen in 1997, but wanted to see it again as part of this project!) ✔

  • The Midnight Bell – Matthew Bourne (31 July 2025, Brighton Theatre Royal) ✔

  • The Red Shoes – Matthew Bourne (10 March 2026, Southampton Mayflower) ✔

  • Gentleman Jack - Northern Ballet (21 May 2026, Sadler's Wells) ✔

  • Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest - BIG (30 May 2026, London Palladium) ✔

  • The Car Man - Matthew Bourne (Booked September 2026)

  • Cinderella - Matthew Bourne (did see it in 1997, now booked for March 2027)

  • It's a Sin - Rambert (Booked May 2027)

  • Nutcracker! - Matthew Bourne (seen a recorded version, want to see live)

  • Play Without Words - Matthew Bourne

  • Dorian Gray – Matthew Bourne

  • Lord of the Flies – Matthew Bourne

  • Sleeping Beauty – Matthew Bourne (seen a recorded version, want to see live)

  • Romeo & Juliet – Matthew Bourne

  • Wuthering Heights - Northern Ballet (dates & venues in 2027 TBC)

  • Akram Khan Company

  • Ballet Black


CONCERTS

  • Mandy Patinkin (18 November 2023) ✔

  • ABBA Voyage (11 November 2023) ✔

  • Ute Lemper (seen multiple times, most recently 25 April 2024) ✔

  • Pet Shop Boys (26 July 2024) ✔

  • Willie Nelson

  • Rufus Wainwright

  • The Proclaimers

  • The Puppini Sisters

FILM/LITERATURE FESTIVALS/EVENTS – UK

  • Agatha Christie Festival, Torquay

  • Daphne du Maurier Festival, Fowey

  • Film Noir Festival, Weston-super-Mare

  • Widescreen Weekend, Bradford

  • Flatpack Festival, Birmingham

  • GrindFest, Christchurch (19 - 21 September 2025) ✔

  • Wareham Silent Film Weekend

  • Forbidden Worlds, Bristol

  • The London International Mime Festival

  • Cary Comes Home Festival, Bristol (19 - 20 Nov 2022 & 30 Nov - 1 Dec 2024) ✔✔

  • Cinema Rediscovered, Bristol (22 - 24 July 2022) ✔

  • Slapstick Festival, Bristol (28 - 31 January 2022) ✔

  • Seeing a film in 4DX (21 August 2025) ✔

  • Solve Along A Murder She Wrote (5 February 2026) ✔ And I won the raffle!!!

  • Christian Marclay's The Clock (seen some of it, would love to see more)

  • A Murder Mystery event at somewhere special

  • Nigel Smith's Memory Palaces London Walking Tours (3 done, 2 to go) ✔✔✔

UK PLACES

HOTELS (to stay!) - UK

  • Oakley Court Hotel, Berkshire

  • St Pancras Hotel, London

THEATRES & CINEMAS - UK

MUSEUMS – UK

EUROPE

PARIS/FRANCE

  • Umbrellas of Cherbourg film locations ✔(October 2024)

  • Hotel Splendor-Elysees, Paris

  • Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione, Paris

  • Musée Méliès, Paris

  • Cinémathèque Française, Paris

  • Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris

  • Le Grand Rex – art deco cinema palace, Paris

  • Cinéma au Clair de Lune, Paris

  • Le Louxor Palais du Cinéma, Paris

  • Studio 28, Montmartre, Paris

  • Cité du Cinéma (St Denis)

  • La Pagode (when reopened), Paris

  • Cinéma Eden-Théâtre, La Ciotat

  • Institut Lumière, Lyon

  • La Piscine Museum, Roubaix

AUSTRIA

  • Bregenz Opera Festival, Lake Constance

  • Sound of Music locations, Salzburg

  • The Third Man & Before Sunrise locations, Vienna

  • Seeing performances at Vienna Opera House and other key venues, Vienna

GERMANY (RUHR REGION)

  • Starlight Express, Bochum

  • Lichtburg Essen

SLOVAKIA

  • Orava Castle & Village


SWITZERLAND

  • Chaplin’s World, Corsier-sur-Vevey

ITALY

  • Verona – open-air opera in ancient arena

  • Pordenone Silent Film Festival

SPAIN

  • Malaga – to visit friends

  • Barcelona – Gaudi architecture

  • Sitges Film Festival

  • Phenomena Experience, Barcelona

  • Salvador Dali Museum

CZECHIA

  • Noir Film Festival – Šternberk Castle

  • Lucerna Palace Cinema, Prague

  • Barrandov Studios Tour, Prague

  • Karel Zeman Museum, Prague

  • Prague Municipal House

POLAND

  • Hotel Stare Kino Łódź

  • Łódź Film Museum

  • The Łódź Trail of the UNESCO City of Film


HUNGARY

  • Budapest – thermal baths

  • Columbo statue

  • Uránia National Film Theatre, Budapest

  • Budapest Classic Film Marathon

  • Matthias Church Cinema Concerts

NETHERLANDS

  • Museum Speelklok, Utrecht

  • Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam

  • Imagine Film Festival, Amsterdam

  • Tuschinski Theatre, Amsterdam

  • FilmHallen, Amsterdam

  • Electric Ladyland, Amsterdam

  • Various rides at Efteling ✔ (18 - 22 August 2025)

BELGIUM

  • Cinematek, Brussels

  • Horta Museum, Brussels

  • Train World, Brussels

  • Jeanne Dielman Mural, Brussels

  • Audrey Hepburn Gardens & Plaque, Brussels

MALTA

  • Popeye Village

SWEDEN

  • Göteborg Film Festival

  • Bergmancenter, Fårö

AMERICA (USA)

  • New York

  • San Francisco

  • The Ellen Theatre, Bozeman, Montana

  • Somewhere in Time Weekend, Mackinac Island

  • Drive-In Movie Theatres – Route 66, Midwest, or California

  • Twin Peaks locations

  • Nashville

  • Field of Dreams, Iowa

  • Sleepy Hollow Film Fest

  • San Francisco Silent Film Festival

  • Nitrate Film Festival – George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY

  • Borscht Belt Film Festival – Ellenville, NY

  • To Save and Project Film Festival – New York, MoMA

  • Museum of the Moving Image, Queens

  • Coney Island

  • Radio City Music Hall

 

WILD CARDS Alongside the main bucket list, I’ve set myself a mini challenge: to choose four Wild Cards between October 2025 and 2026. These are spontaneous, slightly unexpected experiences - things I wouldn’t normally plan or might even hesitate over - chosen simply to keep life curious and unpredictable.


  1. Something planned for October 2025: Not my usual frequency. A moment to be still, to listen and maybe to tune in to something unexpected. Can you guess what it is? It was a Sound Bath (12 October 2025).

  2. Something planned for May 2026: It’s a chance to drift somewhere unexpected, to let the rhythm of the day set the pace rather than me. A moment to watch, to listen and to notice things I might normally miss. Can you guess what it is? It was a three-night Canal Barge Holiday on the Basingstoke Canal (22 - 25 May 2026).

  3. Something planned for August 2026: A chance to do something entirely outside my usual comfort zone - a space to move, learn and laugh without overthinking it. Something a little bold, a little playful and definitely not part of my everyday rhythm. Can you guess what it is? It was a Burlesque Dance Workshop led by Dawn Gracie (19 August 2026).

  4. ??





Last updated 14 July 2026

Comments

Do get in touch with me if you'd like to discuss any Marketing, Fundraising & Project Management opportunities or Film Writing and Lecturing projects.

Ellen Cheshire  - cheshellen @ gmail.com

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