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This work has the feel of a chamber ballet and the intimate setting of the WYP is a perfect showcase for it. In the front stalls you are very close to the action and feel really drawn in.

The set is very simple and effective – mostly white with some mirrored doors at the back and side panels that revolve to provide enough entrances and exits to potentially give the feel of a Feydeau farce. There is a chaise longue, sofa and desk. The orchestra, sounding magnificent playing the Vivaldi score, is hidden behind the set. The costumes, designed by the multi-talented David Nixon, are absolutely stunning.

The structure of the ballet, as with the film (and play), is episodic and mostly consists of pdd between the main players. They are well constructed even though they sometimes get a bit samey. There is one particularly attractive duet when Valmont seduces Madame de Tourvel and a very powerful one in Act 2 where he ultimately rejects her. Each of the characters has been given a “style”, for instance the Marquise is all quick stabbing steps and pointing feet. There is one clever and intricate ensemble piece where letters are being passed back and forth with the Marquise as the conduit and a couple of ballroom scenes.

An actress, playing the Marquise as an old woman looking back, begins and ends the performance and is on stage for nearly the whole performance. There is too much spoken word for my taste, but a lot is explained if you are not familiar with the story. Patricia Doyle has been involved in coaching the Northern Ballet dancers for some years and it seems a logical step for her to take on the role of the “Old Marquise”.

We saw the same cast on Friday and Saturday evening with an alternative cast on Saturday afternoon. Natalie Leftwich and Jimmy Orrante (guesting from BalletMet where he created the role) were the Marquise and Valmont respectively. Leftwich danced beautifully and portrayed the Marquise as being coldly manipulative and sly. This was particularly evident when Cecile (played with charming innocence by Georgina (May) Roberts) is distraught about her seduction by Valmont and the Marquise portrays private jubilation and public sympathy.

Simon Kidd acted well and danced neatly as the love-lorne Danceny and the glorious Chiaki Nagao was magnificently moving as the pious, seduced, Madame de Tourvel. I must also comment on Ginnie Ray’s super performance as the silly Madame de Volanges.

The performance notably matured between this cast’s first and second performance.

On Saturday afternoon we saw David Kierce as Valmont with Keiko Amemori as the Marquise. Kierce’s strong points are his acting and his very strong partnering. Where Orrante had been elegant and cool, Kierce was lascivious and cruel. Amemori is a much smaller dancer than Leftwich and the movements looked very different on her. She was a very flirtatious Marquise. Christian Broomhall played Danceney with conviction. Julie Charlet was a charming and demure Cecile and newcomer Nathalie Leger was both fragile and elegant as Tourvel.

With each performance I noticed more and more within the production and I feel that it does stand up to repeated viewing. I am looking forward to seeing how far it has progressed by this coming Saturday.