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Mara is one of the best dance actresses around at the moment, and Giselle requires a dancer who can convincingly portray young innocence and naivete, madness and, finally, a very mature and adult capacity for love and forgiveness. Mara managed to convey all three stages of Giselle's development beautifully. She began as a young girl not quite sure what was happening to her, not sure whether she wanted to stay around with Albrecht or not, but is soon convinced that they love each other, at which point she relaxes and enjoys herself in his company. Of the three "mad scenes" I've seen thus far (Tamara and Alina being the other two), this was definitely the most dramatic and vivid. Mara's wonderful, expressive eyes alone could tell us the story of her descent to utter distraction, but here she put heart, soul and body into every move she made. This looked to me like quite an old-fashioned interpretation (and I mean that as a compliment), like the early Giselles might have played it...none of the subtleties of modern psychological portrayals. The contrast between Giselle as happy young maiden and as a demented, deceived woman could not be more clear than it was here. This was the most moving of the mad scenes because of this contrast, and because her utter desolation sets up Act 2 the way it should be: again, contrast comes in here...the contrast between the distraction of the young maiden's final minutes, and the woman's heartfelt love and forgiveness is very apparent here.

Act 2 was lovely. Deirdre Chapman was a suitably frosty Myrthe, and again the corps were on brilliant form...I cannot praise them enough. Watching Mara in Act 2, I again got the feeling of watching an early Giselle. Unlike other dancers, she kept her legs lower down than is usual these days when she is perfectly capable of throwing them up in the air with abandon; here I was watching a true 'Romantic' interpretation of the choreography. Whether this was done intentionally or because of nerves I do not know, but either way it worked, and I enjoyed seeing this balletic descendant of Carlotta Grisi dancing the way she might have! Towards the end of the ballet, Mara's dramatic side again came to the fore; many of us left with lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes.

Despite a couple of very minor instances of first night nerves, this was a debut that promises much, much more to come as she does more performances and settles into this role, which could one day be hers, as Juliet already is. Bravissima, Mara.
 

A couple of words about the rest of the cast...aside from Thiago Soares, Martin Harvey, who danced the role last night, is my favourite Hilarion. His technique was flawless and I really did feel sorry for the poor chap, who was after all just trying to save Giselle from herself, and promise her his genuine love instead of this fakery being visited upon her. Viacheslav Samodurov made a very competent Albrecht, his jumps attaining the heights that his dramatic ability doesn't quite match. Sarah Lamb and Brian Maloney led the pas de six in Act 1 in spectacular fashion; as always when she is on stage I couldn't take my eyes off her. Steven McRae also made his presence felt in the pas de six; he is another one who commands the stage even if he just standing in the background in a crowd scene.

My only complaint about this run of Giselles is that we won't be seeing Sarah Lamb as Myrthe. I am sure she would bestow a very interesting interpretation onto this cold yet still vulnerable character.

Whilst waiting, however, I will say well done to the current crop of Myrthes, Giselles, and everyone else involved.