© Asya Verzhbinsky Cathy Marston's Diary page 'Facing Viv' reviews ENB 'Paquita' reviews 'Paquita' reviews Clarke in reviews Jourdain in reviews recent ENB reviews

Nobody would accuse the Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe of being large. Six girls in tutus fully cover the width of the stage - but it IS a stage and magic happens when the lights go down. The stalls (no extra tiers here) gently slope up but sight lines seem to be OK. Drinks in the bar are cheap and you don't get your change on a silver salver either - such convenience! A mixed crowd from local dignitaries through to toddlers - a pleasant inclusive feel.

I was up for the premiere of Cathy Marton's new piece (Facing Viv) but the evening was topped and tailed with popular and 'proper' ballet. Dances from Napoli looked delightful in its sunny David Walker designs that complement the gentle and buoyant footwork and tambourine fun. Bournonville's choreography is innocent and natural and seems to spring almost from country dance as much as from ballets formal style. Yet again I took a mental note to go and see the Royal Danish Ballet, custodians of Bournonville work, sometime. Having failed last decade I'll have to try harder then one!

The evening ended with the Grand Pas from Paquita, fun again but formal Petipa choreography and what everybody really thinks ballet ballet is. It looks a million dollars too with its La Scala-inspired backdrop and sparkling costumes. Simone Clarke and Shi-Ning Liu led this out, both at a level one below Principal. Simone particularly has always registered with me for her brio in Soloist roles, and it's nice to see her taking this strongly technical piece in her stride with a ballerina's calm authority. Shi-Ning is all eagerness - a real puppy dog at times!. It's a terrific piece to end on and sends everybody home happy.

Cathy Marston's Facing Viv
Photograph by Asya Verzhbinsky

In the middle of the evening was Facing Viv, Cathy Marston's take on the relationship between TS Elliot (The Waste Land poem) and his first wife Vivienne Haigh-Wood who suffered from mental instability and violent moodswings. Three couples, in various shades of grey, explore what they had by way of misunderstanding, withdrawal, pain, hurt and of course great love. The choreography is episodic rather than a continuous narrative, Marston's work often seeming like mosaics where the pieces are cast before you and you see them combine in different ways that grow topsy turvey and never form a neat rectangle! The movement is utterly compelling, be it on the ground, hunched, entwined or aloft. I draw comparisons to Macmillan pas de deux, emotion laid bare and which can put a massive lump in your throat. Marton's work is based on dancers' innate athleticism and pushed very hard at that. But nothing here is undancerly or even unballetic.

The dancers (Cindy Jourdain, Gary Avis, Simone Clarke, Trevor Schoonraad, Sarah McIlroy and Jesus Pastor) were duly stretched and did Cathy proud. I'd particularly mention Cindy Jourdain who has a magnetic stage presence for somebody still in the corps.

Cindy Jourdain in Cathy Marston's Facing Viv
Photograph by Asya Verzhbinsky

It is a rather different from the ENB we have become used too, but just as Swansong in Swindon all those years ago had moved the audience with the unexpected, so Facing Viv drew prolonged applause for its different take on bodies moving. I just wish that Facing Viv could somehow make it on to the programme for the company's mixed bill at the Royal Opera House in late May.

I can't help but feel gratified that ENB have effectively given full company resources to two (Christopher Hampson is the other) of my favourite choreographers and who are such great hopes for the future of British dance at the highest levels. Sadly Birmingham and the Royal in London appear more confused about developing our native talent. Hard not to be very encouraged by ENB at the moment for such investment in new choreography and for touring to both large and small venues, both of which are surprisingly unique in British ballet at the moment. They should not be alone in this. But enough of the politics - just make sure you see the Facing Viv tour.