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I was just one of several hundred people in the Palais Garnier who were there especially to see Sylvie Guillem. When it became clear that she was injured and was to be replaced by Fanny Gaïda, there was naturally a little disappointment in the air. However I, for one, was determined to try and enjoy my evening and put the disappointment behind me. I did not need to try very hard. As soon the first chords of that beautiful overture (The last sleep of the Virgin)started to play and the curtain rose to reveal a solitary Lescaut encircled by his black cloak, I was already melting away... Half-way through the first pas de deux I was reaching for my hankie to wipe away a tear....

But I think I'll start with the orchestra. Again the Ochestre Colonne (under the baton of David Coleman) was in superb form - the sharpness, intonation, dynamic and sheer musicality of the performance would have made the it worthy of a concert on its own. For the ballet, I will deal first with what I feel was the weakest link. For me, Monsieur G.M. always has been, and always will be, Derek Rencher. I am not saying that Laurent Queval was bad (indeed his dancing was good) but he just seemed to lack that air of affluent lustfulness which is needed. He seemed to go through the motions of lust without actually experiencing them (not that I would recognize the symptoms, of course). But he had clearly rehearsed the technique well and the pas de trois with Lestcaut and Manon in the bedroom (when Des Grieux had gone to post the letter to his dad) looked really smooth and effective (it's one one my favourite items and can look a bit awkward if not done well). Maybe his best moment was when he was outraged with Lescaut and shot him for double-crossing him - he really did look angry!

Seeing Nicolas Le Riche as the Chevalier was also a bonus for me. In his first solo (trying to attract the attention of Manon) I felt he was slightly lacking in confidence in those archetypal MacMillanesque "controlled off-balance" movements. But he got stronger through the evening and in the last act he was chucking her around with suberb confidence - great stuff. In the brothel scene I wondered if he might have lacked a little conviction. There is a glorious passage (undoubtedly my favourite MacMillan pas) when Manon flirts with, and is passed around by, a number of men, while Des Grieux watches helplessly (it starts with those gorgeous little fluty quintuplets of Massenet's nocturne from La Navarraise). There are are couple of occasions when he slips in and Manon finds herself confronted by him. Cope and Hilaire seemed to lurk waiting for the opportunity to dash in and steal her back, but I felt Le Riche seemed almost apologetic, as if it happened by accident. I kept wanting to shout out "They're taking your girl - why don't you DO something!".

Lescaut (Yann Saïz) was excellent, contriving and double-cossing and controlled the important role of linking Manon, Des Grieux and GM superbly. Maybe his druken scene was a little too "polished" - I'm not convinced he was really drunk! (but that is the fault of Irek Mukhamedov who is unmatchable in that dance). Anyway the children in my box had a good laugh! Lescaut's mistress (Marie-Agnès Gillot) was terrific, she looked technically assured and fitted the role perfectly.

Well, I think that is everybody, isn't it? Oh, I nearly forgot, there's Fanny Gaïda, of course. What can I say? She completely stole my heart. I have seen Guillem dance this three times (and Jennifer Penny on video countless times) but Fanny brought me something I had not felt before. Just the way she stole the pen from Des Grieux; the way she stole glances at him by tilting her head back; the sparkle in her eyes reflecting the sparkle of the diamonds proffered by GM... I could go on and on without mentioning the dancing! Her solo in the brothel, in that lovely embroidered black gown had me trembling, whilst in the "passing around the men" dance she looked so triumphant as she was lifted up - you could really see: "Look at me - I am the most beautiful girl in the world and all these men want me". And yet when she found herself confronted with her chevalier as he slipped in, she guiltily avoided his eyes...

The final act was heart-breaking and so beautifully danced. Why, oh why don't they make it a law to have at least five minutes to compose one's self before they switch on the lights ? It is so embarrassing....

I know that some don't like the dangling threads in the swamp scene, but I find it really scary - just try getting stuck in the Everglades at dawn to see how realistic it is..... And I love all the recapitulation bits as they are lying together delirious with fever - Lescaut, the prostitutes, the rat-catcher all revisit... (Oh, the rat-catcher, I have often wondered about him. He appears for a few moments at the start of the first act, then for a few more in the last. Does he have to sit all that time in his dressing room with his trap on the stick?).

There is so much more I could say, but this is getting too long. So it's two visits to POB in a month and I've been bowled over (sorry you 'continentals' - that's an analogy from our cricket game) by two étoiles, first Agnès Letestu and now by Fanny Gaïda. Are there any more? Perhaps someone may like to make a recommendation?

Man of the Match
I don't always award this to the étoile, but often to someone who gives me unexpected pleasure for some reason. Last night Fanny Gaïda was dancing before a packed house knowing only too well that they hadn't come to see her. She must have felt under great pressure. If at the end there was anybody in the audience who felt she had 'let them down', then they shouldn't have been there. I give her my champagne.

I am starting to find myself at home in the Garnier. The post-ballet cognac in the Café de l'Entracte is becoming a bit of a habit too...