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The narrative is clear, and the drama is logically unfolded. Bintley's choregraphy is competent overall. Philip Prowse's gilt sets, which recall his designs for Sir Peter Wright's production of "The Sleeping Beauty", are sumptuous. The lighting is however too dark at times. Glenn Buhr's music score serves the ballet extremely well providing a range of rhythm and moods.

The two-act ballet has at its heart three pas de deux for Belle and the Beast. The final pas de deux after his transformation back into the prince is the most moving and expressive of the three.

However Bintley is perhaps too meticulous in recounting the story. Some scenes could have been shortened, especially the pantomime scenes involving Belle's two feisty sisters which recall Ashton's "Cinderella". The episode depicting Belle being hindered by her sisters before returning to the Beast's castle is rather clumsy.
 

The ensemble dances are pretty lively and were vigorously danced. The classical divertissement of the birds (who guide Belle to the castle) at the end of Act 1 led by a male soloist representing a raven is however slightly too long. Some of the raven's steps recall the Blue Bird's in "The Sleeping Beauty".

The first cast (which I saw on the last night of the tour) led by the golden couple of Elisha Willis and Robert Parker, was magnificent. Willis, whom I saw for the first time, was a revelation. She has an easy technique and a natural radiance. She danced Belle exquisitely with a touching innocence. Her solo in the castle's ballroom in Act 2 was impeccably danced. She was moving in her first duet with the Beast in their first encounter. And in the final pas de deux she was simply ecstatic.

Robert Parker, who actually created the role of the Beast, danced powerfully. His virtuosic solos were brilliantly danced. He was at his noblest in the final pas de deux. Pity that his face was hidden by a mask in most of the ballet.

On the night before the ballerina role was danced by Ambra Vallo, who is a more sophisticated dance actress. She lent a more mature shading to the role in an equally compelling interpretation. Vallo danced with a stately grace, and she was most tender in the duets. However Chi Cao was less dramatic than Robert Parker as the Beast.

In the supporting roles, Kosuke Yamamoto was a dazzling raven soloist. Carol-Anne Millar impressed as the wild girl in both evenings. Alain Dubreuil was superb as Belle's father, inbuing every gesture with the requisite weight. And how good to see Marion Tait appearing briefly on Sunday night as the grandmother. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia played wonderfully under the baton of Paul Murphy and Philip Ellis respectively on the two nights that I attended.

I do wish that the Hong Kong Arts Festival could have had the resources to present the Birmingham Royal Ballet in a second programme. I would have liked to see the company in one of their mixed bills last season for instance, comprising Balanchine's "Western Symphony" and Ashton's "The Two Pigeons". It would have given a much better indication of the stylish range of this excellent company.