Ballet Shoes - Peacock Theatre

The titular ballet shoes

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild is one of my favourite children's books, and I was excited to see this adaptation. I felt that this production, which was performed by the London Children's Ballet (ages 9-16), was conceived, produced and directed by people who really cared about the story and were keen to do it justice. While there were changes made to the plot to shorten it, they definitely managed to keep the spirit of the book.

The music wasn't particularly memorable, apart from the 'Girls and boys go out to play' motif, which cropped up a little too frequently.

• The opening scenes showing Great Uncle Matthew dumping the babies Pauline, Petrova and Posy at his house, to the initial consternation of Nana, were funny and moving. I loved the set for the house, with the big window at the back of the stage and cabinet full of fossils. 

• I loved Amy West's characterisation of Sylvia, the children's adoptive mother. Sylvia is modest and self-effacing, with a big heart and little self-confidence. Without any obvious skills, talents or even interests (apart from her family), she's a character one could easily write off, but Amy West captured her essence perfectly. She made Sylvia a sympathetic, gently dignified, poignant character. The portrayal of Sylvia's relationship with Nana (Honor Dixon) was also beautifully brought to life - it was clear how important each was to the other.

• The introduction to Madame Fidolia's Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training was probably my favourite part - it captured the excitement and intensity of drama school life. I loved the 1930s romper suits and all the different classes depicted; tap, ballet, drama, jazz. The scene in which the Fossil sisters have to dance in front of a load of other pupils is one of the most memorable from the book, and the nerve-wrackingness of it (for Petrova, anyway) was conveyed well. I would've liked them to have had to curtsey to 'Madame', though! 

• The characters of Pauline (Stella Chambaud), Petrova (Tilda Marriage Massey) and Posy (Annalise Wainright-Jones) were well-performed - Posy was charismatic and confident; Petrova successfully showed her love of planes and dance awkwardness; and Pauline was suitably determined, big-headed (at the right moments) and into drama. It was interesting to see a character portrayed in a ballet who was supposed to be bad at ballet - but they managed to pull it off.

• They kept the character of Winifred! I love the hapless understudy, Winifred, who was played appropriately plaintively by Lucie Apicella-Howard. The scene in which Pauline's big head threatens to overwhelm the theatrical world when she refuses to fetch her wrap from the stage manager when playing Alice in Alice in Wonderland was, again, faithful to the book, and it was enchanting to see it performed via the medium of dance.

• If I'm being nitpicky, I didn't like Pauline being whisked off by a Hollywood agent on the strength of her performance as a mere fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Peaseblossom is never going to be anyone's make it or break it role.

• Talking of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I really enjoyed the scene they performed from it. I like seeing plays within a play (well, ballet in this case). Beautiful costumes. Titania (Lottie Graham), Oberon (Hugh O'Sullivan) and Puck (Ruben Garcia) were excellent! 

Next: Henry IV Part 1

The Comedy of Errors - Globe Theatre

Bare Globe stage

This was my first visit to see a Shakespeare play at the Globe since the end of Emma Rice's reign of terror.

It was extremely refreshing to enter the hallowed wooden doors after 1.5 hours of queuing and to see...nothing. A basic Globe stage. No added features. No huge lighting rig, no set, as such, no props, not even a build-out! I have nothing against sets, props and build-outs, but after Emma Rice's apparent attempts to completely disguise the Globe or make it into a modern theatre, finding a stripped-back stage was as comforting and restorative as imbibing a strawberry granita on a hot day in Sicily.

The Comedy of Errors is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I know it's probably the least intellectual play - but it's so funny! I love the bits where Antipholus of Syracuse goes home with Adriana, who mistakes him for her husband, and Dromio (of Syracuse) stands guard at the house, preventing Antipholus of Ephesus from entering his own home. Dromio's finger acting in this scene through the hole in the door was amusing. In this production I also particularly enjoyed the scene in which the doctor(?) tries to exorcise the Ephesians. It was a nice touch to have Antipholus of Ephesus proficient at karate/some form of martial art. I always like the scene at the end when the two Dromios speak to one another for the first time. It's usually sweet and moving, and it didn't disappoint this time. The poor Dromios are treated very badly; I'm always taken aback by the (albeit comedic) violence meted out towards them.

Observations:

• The music comprised an odd assortment of (mostly percussive?) instruments. Each cast member played an instrument. There was also a song at the beginning of the second act, which was entertaining.
• The first scene could have been performed in a way that made the convoluted story easier to understand. I always find it funny in TCoE the way the audience tries to find stuff to laugh at in the serious first scene before nothing funny has actually happened.
• I felt Antipholus of Syracuse (Colin Campbell) could have paused for longer before certain lines to achieve greater comedic effect. I liked his relationship with 'his' Dromio, and the fact that they were both Irish.
• I loved Dromio of Syracuse (Beau Holland). Cute and adorable. She reminded me a lot of Imogen Doel as Tranio in The Taming of the Shrew (the last Shakepeare play I saw at the Globe, incidentally).
• I found the character of Luciana (Mogali Masuku) to be less irritating in this production than she usually is. 
• The costumes were a kind of modern take on Jacobean clothing. Since most of the actors played more than one character - and they were all musicians, too - they had a 'basic' outfit, which they layered with their costume proper when in character (if that makes sense). They all wore Doc Martens. I hope the Globe still does SOME plays in authentic Elizabethan/Jacobean clothing, but I won't quibble with the costume choices for this one, since TCoE is pretty fantastical.
• It was interesting that Antipholus of Ephesus (Andrius Gaucas) refused to shake hands or show friendliness towards his twin at the end - does that always happen? I can't remember but I don't think so.

So far I am pleased with what I have seen of Michelle Terry's tenure as Artistic Director at the Globe.

Next: Ballet Shoes