The Royal Ballet: The Winter's Tale, Spring 2014

[alison]

I think we take The Winter's Tale far more seriously than the author had intended.   Leontes's jealousy and subsequent contrition are so extreme as to be absurd.    

 

That's an interesting point, too.  I know various people have commented that they felt Watson was overdoing it as Leontes, or words to that effect: is this actually exactly what Wheeldon was aiming for?  (Having said that, I very much liked Gartside and Nunez this afternoon).

[chrischris]

I haven't seen Gartside's interpretation but Watson did make me and a few other people in the auditorium laugh, but that was more the choreography than him.

[bangorballetboy]

it seemed that Bennet Gartside dropped Marianela Nunez during the trail scene.

It was a slip.

[alison]

Yes.  Others who were watching more closely than I was at that point will be able to tell you more.

[standingticket]

I'm with bangorballetboy - it was a slip not a drop, and Nunez recovered very quickly.

 

I didn't have any quibbles with Gartside's partnering - I thought he acted, danced and partnered very well, perhaps all the more impressively given he is covering for Soares (presumably at reasonably short notice).

[Bruce Wall]

It was a slip.

 

Yes, I thought it had been on her dress and she rounded Gartside.  Both gave vivid etchings of their fascinating roles. 

[aileen]

I wasn't referring to the slip/fall in my comment about partnering. My comment referred to his partnering generally.

[Jamesrhblack]

Yes.  Others who were watching more closely than I was at that point will be able to tell you more.

To my party of four it definitely came across in the Stalls as a drop - there was a definite bang as Ms Nunez hit the deck and I was delighted she recovered so quickly. One can but record one's impressions and I did cover myself by using the word "seem" so sm pleased to be corrected. I hope that my more than positive response to the afternoon will have made clear that it did not affect my realise to the work and I should also have reported that Ms Nunez was beaming as she ousted Gartside forward for a solo stage call and that he blew her a kiss and they embraced at their red runner - evidently, no hard feelings there.

[aileen]

I don't think that I heard anyone laugh at Gartside's dancing in any of his performances. He has given a finely nuanced interpretation of the character and the 'choreographic tics' have not been overdone.

[Jamesrhblack]

I don't think that I heard anyone laugh at Gartside's dancing in any of his performances. He has given a finely nuanced interpretation of the character and the 'choreographic tics' have not been overdone.

There was no laughter yesterday and I don't see that irrational jealousy with potentially lethal consequences can ever have been intended as comic whether by Shakespeare or Wheeldon, it's the lack of basis for Leontes' imaginings that makes it frightening and very far from comic.

[aileen]

I have been surprised to see so many children at these performances as the subject matter is quite dark and there is quite a lot of explicit violence towards women, not just Hermione but Perdita, who is pushed to the ground by Polixenes.

[helpop]

I have been surprised to see so many children at these performances as the subject matter is quite dark and there is quite a lot of explicit violence towards women, not just Hermione but Perdita, who is pushed to the ground by Polixenes.

 

I was surprised by that as well, as I wouldn't have said it was an obviously child-friendly production.  In particular, the vividly acted scenes of passion among the statues which Leontes imagines are hardly suitable for the 7 - 8 year olds I saw in the amphi bar.

 

Although I was very impressed by Nunez managing to act those scenes and do so much dancing with a baby bump attached!  

[alison]

Ah, but it's a matinee, therefore it must be suitable for children - right?  (They put them on for Mayerling as well )

 

I know children are a lot more worldly-wise now than my generation was, but I still would prefer not to be trying to explain to a child of that age that a pregnant woman's husband believes that she's having an affair with his best friend - and that he feels it's right to abuse her as a result.

[Petunia]

I seem to be one of the last ones to see the Winter’s Tale… tonight at the cinema!

 

After following your reviews very eagerly at first and reading all the provided links, I decided to just skim them, to keep myself “surprisable” (is this a word?). I am very curious to see a live performance in a movie theatre – in regard to the price of the ticket, I really hope there will be no small children or nachos with cheese or popcorn near me.

 

Does one applaud in a cinema?

[Sim]

Hi Petunia.....oh yes, people definitely applaud in the cinema!  It may seem strange as the performers aren't there to hear it, but very often people just want to show their appreciation anyway! 

 

I hope you enjoy it;  do let us know what you think.

[Ian Macmillan]

Those going to tonight's cinema performance may be interested in the downloadable Cast Sheet and Synopsis here:

 

http://static.roh.org.uk/showings/the-winters-tale-2014/en.pdf

[alison]

I have to say, I was not impressed to get an email from the Odeon the other day telling me that this was on and suggesting that I buy popcorn.  I *think* the audience at my local are probably too well-behaved to do antisocial things like that, but now I come to think of it I don't think I've actually been to a ballet broadcast there this year ...

[mshovelt]

Whilst I agree that popcorn is not to everyone's taste, I think "antisocial" is a bit strong; after all, it is a cinema, not the ROH. The Royal Ballet, it appears, agrees: they tweeted this, the other day:

 

"You've got your ticket+read up, but one issue remains... Salt or sweet popcorn for #ROHTale in cinemas tomorrow!? roh.org.uk/cinemas"

[Terpsichore]

Really peeved that I shall have to miss tonight's transmission.

 

My ISP (Zen) had an all day outage and I have been up all night trying to catch up. I am on an all day CPD course in Manchester right now and I have to be in London by 09:00 tomorrow.   

 

There are times such as this when retirement seems attractive,

[alison]

Whilst I agree that popcorn is not to everyone's taste, I think "antisocial" is a bit strong; after all, it is a cinema, not the ROH.

I think that eating anything which stinks so much that the person next to you is faced with a choice of either moving seats or risking being sick is a bit antisocial, myself. That's why I'm hoping nobody does, because I won't be able to move if they do, as the cinema isn't bit enough.

[Minxette]

Those going to tonight's cinema performance may be interested in the downloadable Cast Sheet and Synopsis here:

 

http://static.roh.org.uk/showings/the-winters-tale-2014/en.pdf

 

I wish ROH would make all cast sheets downloadable for every performance.  BRB do this well:

 

http://www.brb.org.uk/castsheets.html

 

I asked ROH about this on Twitter and got a "non response" saying they don't do it but didn't really say why.

[Petunia]

On the other side: if watching the ballet in the cinema were a bit like sitting in a seat I could never afford, I probably wouldn’t mind the popcorn issue that much.

 

The theatre is one of those big venues for Hollywood-blockbuster-type movies I normally avoid. Seats will be more comfortable than the ROH Amphitheatre, though.

[patsomerset]

I am with Alison on the popcorn discussion.  I hate the smell, but more than that people tend to have a large tub into which they delve at intervals making a rustling noise.  I find that quite antisocial at a ballet  especially if they choose quiet moments

 

Sorry,  I can't reply directly with a quote as I can't make thequote facility work at the moment

[aileen]

There are some cheap tickets for tonight on the website.

[Jacqueline]

I attended Saturday's matinee and have been mulling over it since. Luckily I have been spared the effort of writing about it by Judith Cruickshank, whose review appears in today's links and whose views are so largely in line with mine and written so much more succinctly than my thoughts have been. 

Thank you to Janet McNulty for sourcing the review.

[aileen]

Ms Cruikshank is one of the few critics to have seen and compared the two casts in her fairly lengthy review. I also agree with much of what she says about the production and the second cast.

[Jan McNulty]

I'm afraid I can't take credit for sourcing the review.

 

Aileen told us about the review and Bluebird provided the link.  I merely included the link in the daily links.  But thanks anyway!

[aileen]

Janet, it was another Judith (Judith Flanders) whose review I mentioned on the forum. I think that you have to take the credit for sourcing Judith Cruikshank's review!

[Jan McNulty]

Too many Judiths in the reviewing world!  Thanks Aileen!

[aileen]

Yes, there's also Judith Mackrell.

[Mary]

Just back from seeing cast 1 in the live relay and this is just a quick note while it's fresh- I thought it was just marvellous and so, it seemed, did the audience.

 

The piece repays re-viewing. It is more interesting than I thought at first viewing, and the close-ups allowed more appreciation of detail. I still think it works as an organic whole, the music grows on one and has more structure and texture than you can really appreciate with one hearing.

Act 2 again I thought was pure joy. McRae- what can one say-  he was sensational, and Lamb again dazzled with her beauty, her elegance and sweet smile. They seemed wholly convincing. The pas de deux was super- all the lifts worked which they did not, quite, in cast 2.The audience clearly loved them.

 

I must echo all the praise for the power of Yanowsky's portrayal of Paulina- she had that quality of stillness and held the eye with minimal movements.

 

Watson and Cuthbertson in Act 3 were so in their roles-it was  very moving  to watch and for me the final reconciliation scenes worked well, with poised , beautiful dancing from Cuthbertson: brava.

 

Bussell fumbled through the interviews- oh dear,  please find someone else.

 

Florizel's costume does need re thinking. Those trousers! That waistcoat.

 

 

But I  admit I felt very proud of the RB tonight.

[Regattah]

Completely agree with you Mary! I absolutely loved it, including the music, which I know a lot of people have been negative about. The choreo was right up my street, Edward Watson was amazingly powerful and emotive and Sarah Lamb just lit up the stage.

 

The only negatives: 1. Darcy Bussell - how embarrassing! 2. The sweat enhancing fabric of the dresses.

[alison]

I must admit, I loved seeing it up this close and picking up the sort of things I hadn't spotted from the balcony a week or two previously, although I did find Act I a bit overwhelming.  And I definitely agree with Regattah re 2.

 

It seems to me that now these live broadcast seasons have got themselves established they're an absolute boon to cinemas: of all the people in the small multiplex where I watched it tonight, the very great majority, I think, were in the two screens set aside for the broadcast.  On a usually quiet Monday night, and £15-20 per head, that's a pretty good income, I should think (I'd guess somewhere between 150 and 200 people), and must have helped to offset the satellite equipment costs quite quickly.