May 10, 2011
This production is every bit as spectacular as you would hope. It's definitely ballet, rather than modern dance, but it's not the simple, classic story of a fairytale romance. It's a psychologically complex and witty version, with some sense bashed into it. It also belongs firmly in the post-Potter world.
The setting Bourne has chosen is London, 1940, in the middle of The Blitz. But this is no casual choice, shoe-horning the action into a new and inappropriate backdrop, just for the sake of a few good costumes. It started from the realisation that Prokofiev was composing the music for Cinderella in the war years. Most was written in 1940 and 1944, with a break in the middle while he worked on War and Peace. So for Prokofiev, Cinderella must have been something of a mental escape. Ironic, then, that we should escape into his reality all this time later.
I was entirely convinced by the new setting for the story. Bourne has tied the clock striking midnight into the desperate feeling that time is running out for everyone. Here the Prince is a Pilot, and the fairy godmother a dancing (male) Angel with a heavenly motorcycle. The feeling of desperation - let's dance tonight while we still have our legs - is heartbreaking. So too is the drabness of the world, in which all costumes are army uniform, grey or black and Cinderella's fabulous dress is a mere fantasy. Her real wedding is a little more subdued.
The sets are superb, and include an underground station, London Embankment, Heaven, the Café de Paris, a very bombed street and Paddington Station complete with a train! There is a lovely list of extra parts played by the cast, including Spivs, doctors, prostitutes, servicemen and the Salvation Army. In short, once the setting was decided, Bourne made full use of it.
The dancers were all splendid. Kerry Biggin was a beautiful Cinderella in both dowdy and peacock modes. Christopher Marney was an exuberant and slightly sinister Angel. And Madelaine Brennan danced the sexy, evil stepmother with a delightful glint in her eye.
There weren't as many 8-year old girls in the audience as at many ballets, and I would say this probably isn't the best one to take your young ballerina to. There's nothing harmful in it, and it might be a very good starting point for some WWII history, but I think some of the themes just won't make sense. Then again they'll probably cope better with the huge bangs than I did.
All in all, this is an extremely intelligent adaptation, and an extremely high class production. I would really recommend it, just remember your hankie.
The setting Bourne has chosen is London, 1940, in the middle of The Blitz. But this is no casual choice, shoe-horning the action into a new and inappropriate backdrop, just for the sake of a few good costumes. It started from the realisation that Prokofiev was composing the music for Cinderella in the war years. Most was written in 1940 and 1944, with a break in the middle while he worked on War and Peace. So for Prokofiev, Cinderella must have been something of a mental escape. Ironic, then, that we should escape into his reality all this time later.
I was entirely convinced by the new setting for the story. Bourne has tied the clock striking midnight into the desperate feeling that time is running out for everyone. Here the Prince is a Pilot, and the fairy godmother a dancing (male) Angel with a heavenly motorcycle. The feeling of desperation - let's dance tonight while we still have our legs - is heartbreaking. So too is the drabness of the world, in which all costumes are army uniform, grey or black and Cinderella's fabulous dress is a mere fantasy. Her real wedding is a little more subdued.
The sets are superb, and include an underground station, London Embankment, Heaven, the Café de Paris, a very bombed street and Paddington Station complete with a train! There is a lovely list of extra parts played by the cast, including Spivs, doctors, prostitutes, servicemen and the Salvation Army. In short, once the setting was decided, Bourne made full use of it.
The dancers were all splendid. Kerry Biggin was a beautiful Cinderella in both dowdy and peacock modes. Christopher Marney was an exuberant and slightly sinister Angel. And Madelaine Brennan danced the sexy, evil stepmother with a delightful glint in her eye.
There weren't as many 8-year old girls in the audience as at many ballets, and I would say this probably isn't the best one to take your young ballerina to. There's nothing harmful in it, and it might be a very good starting point for some WWII history, but I think some of the themes just won't make sense. Then again they'll probably cope better with the huge bangs than I did.
All in all, this is an extremely intelligent adaptation, and an extremely high class production. I would really recommend it, just remember your hankie.