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

Don Quixote - Royal Opera House

Statue of Don Quixote

This was, surprisingly, my first time inside the hallowed walls of the Royal Opera House. I liked it, but not as much as the Coliseum.

Don Quixote the ballet is simple story-wise: the titular Don leaves home with the buffoonish Sancho Panza on a quest to do chivalrous deeds in the manner of medieval knights errant. Most of the ballet focuses on the love story between Kitri, the daughter of an innkeeper, and Basilio, an impecunious barber, residents of the village Don Quixote happens upon. Don Quixote eventually manages to get Kitri's disapproving father to bless their match, and happiness ensues.

Yasmine Naghdi and Marcelino Sambé were excellent as Kitri and Basilio - dancing aside (which I certainly can't fault), they had great chemistry and vibrant smiles, and I liked Kitri's poppy-esque costume. The role of Kitri involved more successive pirouettes(?) than I think I've ever seen performed before. Don Quixote (Gary Avis) was a sympathetic character - kind, well-intentioned, prone to delusions - his visions of Dulcinea (Gina Storm-Jensen), his imaginary Lady, were quite moving.

I enjoyed the variety of scenes and sets, including Don Quixote's bedroom and the sun-baked Spanish village where most of the action took place. My favourite bit was Act II, featuring gypsies, Don Quixote mistaking a windmill for a monster, and a dream interlude in a magic garden, presided over by the Queen of the Dryads (Claire Calvert). The gypsy scenes were atmospheric, especially with the flamenco moves around the fire, and the magic garden set was exquisite, with big flowers hanging over the stage and sparkly different coloured tutus worn by the dryads. My second favourite was the wedding scene, because I loved the dancing. In these ballet village scenes I enjoy observing the interactions of the 'village people' (not those village people) while they watch the dancing. There was a couple on a roof terrace overlooking the village square who added a certain je ne sais quois to the proceedings.

The 'villain' of the piece was a big box of tissues brought by the sickly couple next to me. It was positioned in such a way that a sizeable part of it jutted over the edge of the ledge immediately in front of us. We were seated at a right angle to the stage, and the jutting box obscured part of my view, which was already somewhat obscured. I would've said something at the first interval, but thankfully they re-positioned the box themselves. Oh, the trials of the Royal Opera House!

photo credit: Zygia El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha via photopin (license)

Next: HMS Pinafore

Sleeping Beauty - London Coliseum

Alien Sleeping Beauty - nothing like the ballet

This was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I had high expectations for it but didn't think it would come close to Matthew Bourne's version, which was not only magical and atmospheric but strong on the story-telling front. Bourne's protagonists had definite personalities and relatable, absorbing storylines. The traditional Sleeping Beauty is more a collection of showpiece dances, most of which do nothing to further the plot, and Aurora and the Prince couldn't exactly be mistaken for complex characters.

However, this production reminded me of the amazingness of traditional choreography, and I was blown away by the costumes, sets and atmosphere.

The 'Aurora' for best costume has to go to the Fairy of Benevolence, who wore a cornflower blue tutu with lots of sparkles and a headpiece to which it would be impossible for me to do justice. The only dud costume was that worn by one of the princes in the Rose Adagio, which made him resemble a cross between Oliver Cromwell and a hippy. I liked the fact that the courtiers'/townspeoples' costumes started off as late 17th century and 100 years later they were proper late 18th century Gainsborough-esque outfits. Because this was a fairytale I wasn't sure they would pay such attention to detail. But they did.

Highlights for me:

• The entrance of Carabosse (Fabian Reimair) in a sinister little carriage, accompanied by bald minions
• The Fairies pleading with Carabosse through highly elegant mimes and being rebuffed
• The Garland Waltz, danced by the townspeople
• The Rose Adagio - I'm sure the final part of the music was slower than usual, which made Aurora's (Erina Takahashi's) being on pointe for that length of time even more impressive
• Aurora's 'sleep throes' - so elegant and moving
• The Lilac Fairy (Shiori Kase) casting the spell over the palace that sends its inhabitants to sleep. It was a truly magical moment and the Lilac Fairy's mimes in that scene were exquisite. Exquisite
• The Lilac Fairy entering the forest on board a little SHIP and travelling through the forest on said ship to the accompaniment of smoke
• Basically every scene with the Lilac Fairy, who was my favourite character
• The wedding celebration dances of Aurora and the Prince (Aitor Arrieta) - both solos and pas de deux

It amused me that the Prince hardly had to put any effort into finding and rousing Aurora. Doesn't he at least have to hack away thick and stubborn foliage in the fairytale? In this, the Lilac Fairy does EVERYTHING: takes him through the forest, banishes Carabosse and her minions and even confirms, when the Prince expresses uncertainty, that he needs to kiss Aurora in order to wake her up.

I give this production 4.5 spindle pricks out of  5.

photo credit: the_alien_experience Sleeping Beauty - The Kiss of Life via photopin (license)

Next: The Bacchae

The Red Shoes - Sadler's Wells

Doll that looks a bit like the protagonist

This was a birthday surprise for me and I got to sit in the FRONT ROW!

The Red Shoes is a new Matthew Bourne ballet, based on a fairy tale of the same name by Danish Master of Melancholy Hans Christian Andersen and, more directly, by a 1948 film. I knew nothing about the ballet's storyline and was slightly nervous it would be depressing both because of HCA's having inspired it and after seeing Bourne's Cinderella, which was depressing - set in London during the Blitz, with a thoroughly mis vibe. However, The Red Shoes was Bourne at his best: intensely atmospheric, joyful, poignant, beautiful, humorous and intelligent.

The Red Shoes is a story within a story, about a passionate, talented dancer who joins a ballet company touring Europe, falls in love, and plays the principal role in a ballet called 'The Red Shoes' (basically, a less macabre version of Anderson's story) after the prima ballerina is injured. It's set in the 1930s and the costumes were wonderful - high-waisted trousers, boyleg swimming costumes on both sexes, headbands...The sets were also excellent. Bourne's productions are so good at evoking strong atmospheres; it's one of my favourite things about them. The 'ballet within a ballet' was shown effectively by a smaller stage on the real stage, with curtains, which was revolved to display either 'onstage' or 'backstage', if that makes sense.

I loved the characterisation in this production; even the minor characters came over as having recognisable personalities. All the tradititional theatrical 'types' were represented in the ballet company: the morose, taciturn director; the flamboyant, impossible to satisfy choreographer; the supremely confident, languid prima ballerina; and the equally confident, somewhat camp principal male dancer (ballerino?). Ashley Shaw as Victoria Page, the wearer of the titular shoes, was exuberant, impassioned and beautiful to watch.

My favourite scenes:

• The Monte Carlo beach scene. The backdrop was a simple, minimalist blue sea design, and watching the dancers cavort happily about in their bathing outfits, tossing beach balls and simulating swimming, was a delight. 
• The performance of 'The Red Shoes'. The set was a stark white 1930s geometrical design - like something out of a dystopian film from that era. I loved the ensemble's fantastical black outfits and dances. The rendering of the story of a pair of enchanted shoes that force the wearer to dance to her death was dramatic and exciting.
• The seedy variety show scene, where the audience could see both the backstage action and what was happening 'onstage'. I felt sad for Victoria Page and her musician lover, Julian (Andrew Monaghan), whose glittering careers had deteriorated. I really liked the latter's story trajectory, by the way. The Red Shoes wasn't all about Victoria's love of dance, it was also about Julian's desire to progress his musical career.
• The sumptuous home of the director, which featured a huge pointe shoe sculpture.

I would highly recommend.

photo credit: Rinoninha 33/52 via photopin (license)

Next: Half a Sixpence

The Nutcracker - London Coliseum

Pointe shoe Christmas tree at Coliseum

I've wanted to see a traditional production of The Nutcracker for years, but have never got round to it due to a) the limited amount of time for which such productions normally run and b) the expensive nature of the beast. This being a Christmas present, for the first and possibly last time I got to sit in the middle of the THIRD ROW OF THE STALLS! At the Coliseum! I was so close to the stage I got to see not only the faces of the back row of the orchestra, but every muscle twitch of the skimpy tights-clad bottoms of the male dancers. 

I loved this production. Set in the 1900s, the costumes were exquisite, the sets gorgeous, the dancing divine and the atmosphere enchanting. It did a perfect job of setting the scene at the beginning, in conveying the excited atmosphere of anticipation before a party on Christmas Eve. The skating and sledging scene outside the house - complete with projected falling snow - was beautiful. It was all so elegant; even the fallings over on the ice were elegantly performed. 

My favourite scene was the party scene. There was so much going on! Elaborate set with big Christmas tree blazing impressively and comfortingly away at the back of the stage? Check. Party guests all doing interesting things in the background, showing that they had personalities of their own? Check. Actual children dancing (as opposed to adults pretending to be children)? Check. Eccentric magician guest? Check. Arrival of Father Christmas? Check. I loved seeing the children receive their presents and particularly liked the little old-fashioned hot air balloon present...and the way it made an appearance in Clara's dream as a life-sized balloon. Child Clara's (Sereina Mowlem's) dance with the Nutcracker doll was sweet and slightly poignant.

The Dance of the Snowflakes was enchanting, especially as it included the voices of the children singing in one of the theatre's boxes. 

Drosselmeyer (eccentric magician guest, who, according to Wikipedia, was also a 'local councilman' (!)), played by Daniel Kraus, was my favourite character. I loved his gesturings towards the curtain in the second half, for it to draw back and reveal a new, captivating scene. The Mirliton dance brought back fond memories of my own dancing days - that was the music to which my ballet class danced in a show, many moons ago. The triangular cylindrical (I don't know how else to describe them) costumes of two of the 'Russian' dancers were exceedingly impressive, as were the jumps of the male 'Russian' dancer. The dance of dream Clara (Begoña Cao) as the Sugar Plum Fairy with the Prince (Junor Souza) was another highlight.

I felt the parts featuring the mice went on for a smidge too long, especially the big fight in the first act. And I didn't get why the 'real', human Nutcracker kept being replaced by the Prince only to be replaced by the Nutcracker again. I could understand the Nutcracker turning into a Prince, but why turn back in a Nutcracker?? Wikipedia sheds no light on this. And apparently the Prince is Drosselmeyer's nephew! There's no way you would know this stuff without looking it up.

The final scene, where child Clara and her brother (Seamus McIntosh) stood outside the house and saw the balloon sail past in the distance, brought a tear to my eye. Wonderful!

Next: Legally Blonde