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Birmingham Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Summer 2018


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Birmingham Royal Ballet have given 3 performances at Sadler's Wells this week.  I would love to hear what anyone thought of the performances.  

 

We can also use this thread for thoughts on the Birmingham performances in a couple of weeks.

 

Reviews so far, courtesy of Ian on the Today's Links Forum:  

 

Zoë Anderson, Independent

Mark Monahan, Telegraph

Lynette Halewood, DanceTabs

- Gallery: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs

- Gallery: Roy Tan, BWW

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It's such a shame they are only one week at Sadlers as I just cannot fit them in this time especially now down in Cornwall for a funeral which wasn't planned of course until last week!! Even without that I would only have had the choice of Wednesday or Friday so would probably have gone with Romeo and Juliet. Saturday is already taken with ENB so will have to miss them this time round hoping to book Fille in November though!! 

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Yes, really lousing scheduling from my point of view too, especially given the constraints I'm still working under.  There's no way I can make the mixed bill.

 

All I can say, Janet, is that you might want to take a twin pack of "mansize" 3-ply tissues with you for Nao Sakuma's farewell performance :)

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  • John Mallinson changed the title to Birmingham Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Summer 2018
2 hours ago, alison said:

Yes, really lousing scheduling from my point of view too, especially given the constraints I'm still working under.  There's no way I can make the mixed bill.

 

All I can say, Janet, is that you might want to take a twin pack of "mansize" 3-ply tissues with you for Nao Sakuma's farewell performance :)

 

 

I'm taking several twin packs!!  Nao's Juliet has always been heartbreaking and I think the Saturday night will be a lot more so than usual.  I do hope that Chi has recovered from his injury and is able to perform.  

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Having seen what sometimes feels like hundreds of performances of this ballet - from the first night right up to the last revival at the ROH, I was really engaged by the BRB version as I haven't been for ages.  It was splendidly danced and acted by everyone, but Hirata and Morales were outstanding.  After what I had felt to be a particularly lacklustre, unengaging and second rate Sleeping Beauty performance - despite Cojocaru and one or two others - this was a truly wonderful evening.  Such a pity that the first night coincided with the live tx of Swan Lake.  The audience at Sadlers Wells seemed to contain quite a few people who didn't know the ballet - my neighbours were suprised that the balcony scene came straight after the ballroom and before the interval.  However, I think they all enjoyed the evening.

 

Bravo to BRB!

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5 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

I'm taking several twin packs!!  Nao's Juliet has always been heartbreaking and I think the Saturday night will be a lot more so than usual.  I do hope that Chi has recovered from his injury and is able to perform.  

 

So do I, for everyone's sake - although if he isn't her husband, whose name I'm not going to try and spell when I don't have it in front of me, made a very good substitute.

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I'm a bit late commenting on this but I went to see this on Wednesday night and absolutely loved every minute.

 

For some reason over the years I have never seen R&J before so I have nothing to compare it to, but I've got to say that this is a very good looking production and really well staged.  Jenna Roberts was Juliet- she was very convincing throughout, very spirited and light.  She brought Juliet to life so well and she is such a lovely dancer as well obviously.  Tyrone Singleton was Romeo- he's one of my favourite BRB dancers so it was nice to see him.  I thought he was very strong throughout and they both gave passionate performances, had great chemistry and acted really well.  

 

What I really loved about this ballet is how much there is for everyone else to do as well!  Rory Mackay was Tybalt, sword fighting extraordinaire!  There is nothing better than a ballet sword fight surely haha!  He was a very commanding Tybalt and really brought a lot to the role.  Max Maslen was absolutely brilliant as Mercutio and my other favourite of the night was the lady who was playing one of the harlots.  I think it was Yijing Zhang...she was wonderful and so full of life.

 

I really feel like I've missed out by not making more of an effort to see it in the past so grateful that the Royal Ballet are doing it next year!  I already can't wait!

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Where's the bloomin' casting for R and J Birmingham?! Surely they know by now.   If other people are holding back, like me,  until they know, how does this benefit them?   Doesn't it look like they've sold less than they are going to? 

Edited by cavycapers
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It starts a week tomorrow,  doesn't it!   This is mad even for them.... The other thing is,  I am planning to go two or three times,  which will require overnight stays.   If I can't book a hotel and train until a few days before,  the price is astronomical. 

Edited by cavycapers
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6 hours ago, cavycapers said:

It starts a week tomorrow,  doesn't it!   This is mad even for them.... The other thing is,  I am planning to go two or three times,  which will require overnight stays.   If I can't book a hotel and train until a few days before,  the price is astronomical. 

 

They have already announced the Friday and Saturday evenings.

 

The casting for the mixed programme still hasn’t been announced and that starts on Wednesday.

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7 hours ago, cavycapers said:

It starts a week tomorrow,  doesn't it!   This is mad even for them.... The other thing is,  I am planning to go two or three times,  which will require overnight stays.   If I can't book a hotel and train until a few days before,  the price is astronomical. 

 

If you're travelling from London try checking Chiltern Railways from Marylebone  as well as the Euston line as they often have cheaper fares. 

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26 minutes ago, Pulcinella said:

 

If you're travelling from London try checking Chiltern Railways from Marylebone  as well as the Euston line as they often have cheaper fares. 

 

and its a more scenic route too! 🙂

(though takes about the same time as the Midland service from Euston, often less time, though not as fast as the virgin express service of course)

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8 hours ago, cavycapers said:

 If other people are holding back, like me,  until they know, how does this benefit them?   Doesn't it look like they've sold less than they are going to? 

 

As I wrote on another page ... last Wednesday's R&J matinee at Sadler's Wells was - at least in the Second Balcony - as empty as I have ever seen it.   There was a sea of red amongst a few bobbing people.  It was - I thought - a sorry sight.  

 

It urged me to think that BRB will need to change some ways if they are to survive.  

Edited by Bruce Wall
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18 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

 

It urged me to think that BRB will need to change some ways if they are to survive.  

 

 

I really think that is a bit extreme!  Many companies don't post casting in advance!  Northern Ballet, if they post at all, usually only post at the start of the week and sometimes on the day booking opens.

 

I do not know why the week at SW didn't sell as well as it might have done but (and I hate to say this) The BalletCo Forum members are a minority of the audience.  BRB may need to change some ways but maybe a more holistic approach rather than "tickets will sell if you tell us casting" approach would be better!

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45 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

I really think that is a bit extreme!  Many companies don't post casting in advance!  Northern Ballet, if they post at all, usually only post at the start of the week and sometimes on the day booking opens.

 

I do not know why the week at SW didn't sell as well as it might have done but (and I hate to say this) The BalletCo Forum members are a minority of the audience.  BRB may need to change some ways but maybe a more holistic approach rather than "tickets will sell if you tell us casting" approach would be better!

 

Janet, I wholly agree with you.  I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.  I wasn't referring in the second sentence as far as I'm aware to casting.  (In fact I'm not aware that I mentioned casting at all in this posting?) .... It was just the shock of the red that made me think that something - and I'm not sure what - would need to alter if the art form we both love was to advance.  (It may not even have been BRB.  They are - in this instance - merely renters from SW I assume.)  It's not the first time I've felt this.  I remember feeling this same way after the fourth ring became so depleted after Balanchine's death.  That too broke my heart.  Things did change as he said they would.  His ballets did alter in order to survive with time.  It has been a fascinating journey to see.  I will look forward to seeing how BRB progresses certainly.  I won't stop going.  Promise. ;)  

 

Edited by Bruce Wall
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The Sadlers Wells audience seems different from those at the ROH and the Coli: younger, more likely to be in work or full-time study, more tuned-in to various genres of dance, less focused on a particular company etc etc. ENB cleverly takes its more eclectic fare to SW while performing more traditional ballet at the Coli but, even so, there were empty patches for Voices of America.

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1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

 

I don't think having the RB doing Swan Lake, and ENB doing Sleeping Beauty at the Coli, at the same time as BRB's Sadlers Wells visit, would have helped ticket sales...

I agree, Dave.  I would have gone to all three companies more often if they hadn't been jammed into the same two weeks.  Working full time, I just couldn't fit in as much as I would have liked.

 

Don't these companies talk to each other?  I mean, surely it is in their interests to do so?  Not only for performance dates and venues, but also content?  Once again, ENB's winter programme is reflecting what the RB has just been doing, so we have had Manon and Swan Lake, and what are we getting from ENB in the winter?  Nutcracker (also being done by the RB), Manon and Swan Lake.  I mean....couldn't we have had something different?  I know that SL is a money-earner, but Manon isn't for ENB (at least it hasn't been in the past) so something different might have been nice!

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26 minutes ago, Sim said:

I know that SL is a money-earner, but Manon isn't for ENB (at least it hasn't been in the past) so something different might have been nice!

 

Veering wildly off topic here (sorry!), but I find Manon an odd thing for ENB to have in their repertoire, full stop, seeing as it's so closely associated with the RB. I don't want to hijack the thread, but I wonder if there's a story behind what seems to me to be something of an anomaly.

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48 minutes ago, Two Pigeons said:

Some really interesting cast combinations here.  A whole programme without Momoko Hirata.  I bet she is first night Juliet.

 

I assume you mean for the performances you have booked TP as she is dancing in Upper Room at several performances...

 

Which I would be sad about because I'm only arriving on Thursday and she is a glorious Juliet.

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5 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I assume you mean for the performances you have booked TP as she is dancing in Upper Room at several performances...

 

Which I would be sad about because I'm only arriving on Thursday and she is a glorious Juliet.

 

 

I don't dispute she is a very effective Juliet but my point was that it would be nice to see someone else on opening night for a change.

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Thank you Sim for your reply to my thread about the shows in London. As you can see, there has been quite a lot of feed back on the forum and more than usual coverage from the national press. I am very much looking forward to Polarity. I saw the premiere of Kin at the IDF and twice since and was very impressed each time. I was curious about Embrace but it looks as if it will tick the boxes. I am a fanatical fan of Upper Room. As I was in my eighties the last time BRB danced it I didn’t dare hope that I would ever see it again yet here I am two weeks short of my 89th birthday all ready to bounce in my seat with sheer joy !

Thanks to a kind friend offering me a bed for the night I am also going to be able to attend the farewell on 30th. If you run out of tissues Janet just wave your empty box at the front row of the circle. I shall be taking more than enough. They have both given us so many memorable performances that it will be almost unbearable to watch this one. Plus the fact that Nao and Ambra Vallo have always been my two favourite BRBs Juliets . It was so sad when we lost one and now we are losing the other.

One final point, which may be connected to earlier correspondence regarding late casting.....where are all the ballet goers in Birmingham ?

 A shocking,  more than half empty theatre for the Thursday matinee this week and even the farewell night on the 30th has acres of empty seats.So sad.

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