BRB 'Swan Lake' reviews 'Swan Lake' reviews Sakuma in reviews Millar in reviews recent BRB reviews

Background
This is a production by Peter Wright (the ex Artistic Director who took Sadler's Wells RB to Birmingham) and often considered something of a doyen for his productions of the classics. His Swan Lake is now nearly 20 years old and has not been seen for some years, so how would it hold up against the Kirov's and the rather criticised RB productions seen in London over the summer?

Plot
Wright would never do massive tinkering with a classic, but he does often take the care to 'explain' plots rather better then you will find elsewhere.

The BRB production unusualy opens with the funeral of the King, Siegfried's father, and this later puts in easy perspective the Queen Mothers sternness over drinking and wish to get Siegfried married off and ensure continuity. As a prologue it lasts all of 30 seconds and yet adds so much. The first act also seems more involving of Siegfried and the use of two Courtesans smacks of more reality then lots of group dances that one normally sees. I also like the way Rothbart is used much more in the second and last acts - his control of the swans is clearly seen and the struggle between good and evil is overtly the more physical.

Sets and Costumes
By Philip Prowse these are heavy and rich. I think them quite handsome and he millenary in the third act is totally inspired and something Mrs Shilling(*) would have been proud of. The Spanish Dance, always camp, is made all the more delicious by long semi-erect feathers in the Boys caps...

The tutus are soft affairs, gently rounded but not too long - delightful - though the designs for the boys are a bit too hot on identikit beards for my taste.

Choreography
What is the Swan Lake choreography? - almost an eternal debate amongst ballet historians and aficionados. The reality is that all productions share a few common elements but much is down to the actual producer. Wright's act 1 is the most different to my eye with far less for the corps and much more reliance on soloists roles and the choreography overall seems in keeping with tradition and flows naturally for me. No grumbles here.

Dancers
Umm... On the opening night the company looked woefully underehearsed and out of sorts. Marion Tait's corps looked OK but it was the soloists roles where the company seemed to struggle and they just looked unhappy in repertoire that should be second nature to them and yet is not - not at the moment anyway. All this extended to the opening night partnership of Leticia Muller and Andrew Murphy, he just looked like he didn't want to really be there (we subsequently heard of some personal problem I think) and in the dance for Siegfried, Benno and the Courtesans they were all over the place.

I also think we were struggling with a stage less full then when the much larger Kirov and RB perform. Unfair of course but natural in a way.

On Saturday I got to see Nao Sakuma and Sergiu Pobereznic dance the lead and I had a much happier time. My eyes were adjusted to the numbers on stage - which now looked filled fine enough - and the dancers all looked a little sharper. It is though a warning to the company that to avoid the classics for too long can leave them struggling and they still have a fair bit of work to do. However Sakuma was just terrific - it was only her second performance but she looked far more assured than that. And, quite rare, she was actually stronger in the more difficult Odette role - abandoned and yet full of guarded longing.

The huge eyed and normally lively Sakuma seemed determined not to over-egg Odile though, but I'm sure she will turn the wick up on this as she gets more under her belt. The last act was very moving and in a fairytale world it would have been nice if she had walked off stage to hear Bintley tell her she was now a Principal. In the real world he'd better make a principal at the end of the year or she will surely go. But I was pleased to see another step along her way.

I also liked Carol-Anne Millar as one of the Courtesans - she joined the company only four years ago and is already a Soloist - her musicality burst through. Less assured was Krzysztof Nowogrodzki as Benno, who seemed very workmanlike and laboured. However Marion Tait's Queen Mother is beyond reproach: at 50 paces she could cause the immediate onset of brittle bone disease with just one icy stare.

Does it work?
A great production and it will settle down as the company tour it more. A shame that their first performance in London struggled but that should not put people off. Great that the best productions in the country are currently toured by BRB and ENB and as such available to all (well nearly all).

(*) Mrs Shilling was something of a national institution for the outrageous hats she would wear to go and see horse racing. Ascot has not been the same since she died in 1999.