Last night I went to see Matthew
Bourne’s The Red Shoes at Norwich Theatre Royal. I had to brave the theatre
alone last night (#sadface), however I still had a lovely time. This was my
first ever ballet and I think I was treated to something quite special. I haven’t
ever not wanted to go to the ballet, it’s just never really materialised. The
closest I have gotten would most probably be seeing Billy Elliott in the West
End, but I don’t think that really counts if I’m honest. Although I say alone,
I had the lovely Jane Claridge, theatre’s General Manager, come join me for the
performance and it was great to have a chat with her about the show, upcoming
productions, her role in the theatre and the temperature (typical British haha!).
For me the ballet is something completely new, I like talking and especially
singing on stage. So this took a bit of getting used to for me but I have to
say I think I could manage it again. It was strange though watching a whole
production with a few grunts and no actual verbatim language; it’s all about
the dance in the ballet.
The New Adventures (Bourne’s ballet
company) premiered The Red Shoes in London in December 2016 before venturing
out on tour in 2017. It is based on the 1948 film by Michael Powell and Emeric
Pressburger of the same name (itself based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy-tale
of the same name). Now this is all very
new to me but I think the story is about a love triangle between Boris,
Victoria and Julian. The Red shoes feature and when worn the wearer cannot stop
dancing. The story tells us how they meet and develop feelings for each other
and how this transpires during their careers on the stage. If I have got this
wrong I am so sorry, but I liked what I saw either way.
I absolutely loved my ballet experience.
I have to say I preferred the second act compared to the first, it had more
drama and I was able to follow the characters storylines much better. I was always
going to be drawn to the music of The Red Shoes, and Bourne has used the
musical magical work of the late but great Bernard Herrmann. The music is the
storyteller through the whole show and without it I wouldn’t have had a clue to
what was going on. From emotional love, to terror, to anxiety and fright,
Herrmann has the ability to bring out any emotion of the dancer and transferabley
(made up word) of the audience with the art of his compositions. Bourne directs
and choreographs his Red Shoes and oh my god I have to say it is some of the
best choreography I have ever seen. As like Herrmann, Bourne is able to tell a
story through nothing else but dance, love between young lovers, hate between
enemies, anxiety about the future and the build-up of tension was fantastic. Bourne’s
ability to create all this on stage is phenomenal and I cannot wait to see more
of his work. For me the funniest and most entertaining part of the production
was the dancing Egyptians, hilarious and the two dancers had me giggling in my
seat, as with the rest of the audience. The love scene towards the end of Act 2
and the dramatic finale was also wonderful and I could feel my emotions spiralling
as I watched this emerges all over the stage.
Lez Brotherston designs the set and
costume; I have to say I was overwhelmed and in love with his set. I have
mentioned on my blog before I love how a set can create a stage on a stage,
switching from the front to backstage. Well Brotherston design of this has to
be the best I have seen. The curtain seamlessly floats around on the stage; it
creates mystery for the audience and for me feels like its own character on
stage. It forms the central piece of the whole show and without it the production
would not be half as good as it is. Paule Constable, lighting designer, has a
big job on her hands. To add to the emotional presence of each dancer with her
colleagues doing so well on the choreography and composing arenas, however she
does not let us down.
Our leading cast for the evening
consisted of Sam Archer as Boris and Dominic North as Julian; two men who fall
in love with Victoria (played by Ashley Shaw). Both the males were fabulous but
for me, Shaw steals the show (and she gets to wear the red ballet shoes - lucky).
Her ability to convey so much meaning through her dance and ballet is
beautiful. To create the feelings I had solely from her dance without singing
and speech, she completely fulfilled her job and some yesterday. Liam Mower plays Ivan; Mower was one of the
original Billy Elliott’s, later re-joining the show as older Billy. It is
wonderful that Mower has maintained his career in the theatre and ballet; he is
a real treat to watch. At some points, particularly the opening of Act 2, I
could not keep my eyes off him, a fantastic visually pleasing performance with priceless
facial expressions. Michela Meazza plays Irina and again she is a formidable
dancer on that stage and beautiful to watch. The rest of the cast are just as
equally entertaining and skilled in their ballet. I have tried a few times to
stand on my toes however it has caused one broken lamp and a bruised big toe so
I am going to leave it up to this wonderful New Adventures cast to entertain
Norwich and the rest of the country during their tour.
Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes is a
wonderful ballet. I am so pleased this was my first ballet and I hope this is
the start of many; at this rate I am going to have to change the name of my
blog to theatre addict HAHA! I have heard from my fellow audience members who
gave one of the longest applauses I have heard at the Theatre Royal in Norwich
that Bourne’s work never disappoints. If you are a ballet fan you need to get
down to the theatre this week to see it. If you are a novice like me well why
not give it a go if you have some money for a ticket and a spare evening this
week, you may have a great time just like me. If you are somewhere in between I
will leave it up to you to decide. The Red Shoes is at Norwich Theatre Royal until
Saturday however all shows (apart from the 2:30 matinee on Saturday) are sold
out. I would suggest phoning the Box Office to see if any tickets become
available, often they do. Please get in touch on Twitter @AaronBurgess89, I would
love to hear from you. Until next week and Mama Mia (so blooming excited) take
care.
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