Fonty

I always think that as well. It helps if Juliet does a realistic stagger backwards after stabbing herself, so that she falls elegantly backwards over the death bed.

I don't count, but I do notice if the dancer falls out of time with the music by trying to be clever and attempting to do doubles or triples.

Oh, absolutely, Alison. They really believed in hell in those days, which makes the Nurse's behaviour so staggering! Something else struck me while I was watching the final pas de deux in the crypt, where Romeo is flinging Juliet's supposed corpse around. Given that the choreography gives her lifeless arms, should Juliet have beautifully pointed feet? Always puzzled me a little bit, was it choreographed like that originally? I am pretty certain I have seen at least one dancer with dangling feet. Possibly Guillem, I can't remember. And original pictures of Seymour seem to suggest the same, although it is difficult to tell.

I found a copy of the Shakespeare text on line, and had a quick look. When Romeo kills Tybalt, he dashes off to hide with Friar Laurence. The nurse knows he is there, and finds him. Friar tells Romeo to go back to spend the night with his lawfully wedded wife, and orders the nurse to return first, and inform Juliet that Romeo is on his way. The nurse definitely disturbs them together in Juliet's bedchamber the next morning, as she rushes in to warn them that Juliet's mother is coming to tell her of the proposed swift marriage to Paris. Romeo leaves, Juliet begs for advice from the nurse, and the latter promptly tells her to marry Paris with the immortal lines "Oh, he’s a lovely gentleman. Romeo’s a dishclout to him." Obviously the nurse is one of those practical ladies who thinks a husband in the flesh is worth two in exile. And who cares about a spot of bigamy.

Yes, thanks Floss. Ah, I am glad you said that, Floss. Nobody else replied when I mentioned it, so I was beginning to think I had got muddled up with another production. Incidentally, did Lamb pick up Paris' dagger from the floor in order to stab herself? It looked like it in the cinema broadcast. I thought she took Romeo's dagger. She certainly does in the play. But it has been a long time since I have seen it at the ROH.... That was me. I've not really noticed the hairstyles before, but again at the cinema, the close ups of some of the ladies revealed how unflattering it was. I thought I could see some of the netting used to conceal their own hair, but that could just have been the stage lighting. Talking of hairstyles, I couldn't help noticing that McRae's hair flopped about at the front. I found it quite distracting, especially when he was turning. Which got me wondering how the gents of the time would have worn their hair. I've had a quick look at some of the art works, but all the men seem to be wearing hats of some sort.

Janet, I have booked to see two different casts in Swan Lake - very unusual for me. The first night I have grabbled one of the cheap £12 seats so that I can view from above. Next night, I am in the slightly posher seats with a few friends. Really looking forward to it. BRB are the best (IMO) (Edited to add I am a Londoner, and am talking about Sadlers Wells. Trouble is, I can't remember who I am seeing, but I am sure they will all be great!)

Alison, all my books are in storage at the moment, and I can't get my hands on a copy of R & J, more's the pity. I thought (and I could be wrong) that the nurse knows that Romeo has spent the night in Juliet's bedroom after their marriage. Which makes her active participation in a new marriage to another man a few days later quite extraordinary. Although I fully appreciate the character of the nurse is a vital tool in the tragedy, pushing Juliet into taking desperate action, my practical mind is always annoyed by this! Another little thing from the film yesterday. Which dancer was wearing the green tights in the mandolin dance? He really stood out for me, and not just because he was wearing different coloured leggings to the others. I am sure someone on here will know.

Yes, that came across really well on screen. I always feel so sorry for poor Paris. After all, he does nothing wrong, and he is just another innocent victim in an ongoing feud. Which is why I hate the way in which Romeo dispatches him so swiftly at the end. If anyone has a copy of the Fonteyn and Nureyev film, perhaps they can confirm my vague memory of that scene from a clip of the film I saw several years ago. I may have got it completely wrong, but if so, I do think this needs to be rethought. The current production makes me dislike Romeo for that, which is not how I am supposed to feel. And also, there is the practical aspect that the body of Paris is left lying prominently on the floor (his boots kept coming in to shot in the film.) On stage, does the lighting place him in dark shadow?

Oh dear, I won't press you to name names, capybara!

Just got back from the encore performance at my local cinema. A few thoughts while the performance is fresh in my mind. First of all, like a lot of people, in the past McRae has not been one of my favourites at live performances. Fabulous technique, but there is just something about his characterisation that is not to my taste. Well, on this occasion, I changed my mind. I thought he was excellent, and I had no problems at all with his acting. I am trying to remember if I have seen Lamb in any lead roles before. If I have, it was some while ago. It is not that I have avoided her, just that I have always booked someone else. I really enjoyed her performance. Her dancing was fabulous, and the pas de deux with McRae were amazing. You can't get much closer than a cinema performance, and I thought that both Lamb and McRae came across extremely well on screen. especially in their joint scenes. I thought they really gelled together, which did surprise me given the rather negative comments that some people have made. The dancing was stunning. I have to say, though, that if I had been Juliet, I would have defied my parents and gone off with Campbell's Mercutio. His cheeky chappy personality and dark good looks are much more to my personal taste! Oh, and his dancing was rather special as well. And I agree with everyone else about the Tybalt of Avis. The downsides for me were more to do with the production itself. I didn't realise that the three harlots were on stage so much. Maybe it was the fact that the camera was continually closing in on them, particularly the one with the red hair, rather than panning out a bit to see the whole of the action. And why do the "decent" girls have wigs or headdresses that make them look bald? This was particularly marked with Rosaline, whose hairstyle reminded me a bit of Elizabeth I. I wish the RB would go back to the original staging for the last scene in the Capulet's cypt. If I remember correctly, Romeo meets Paris at the entrance, when they bump into each other, and draw their daggers in self defence. This makes Romeo's killing of Paris a lot less cold hearted. Then he goes through the entrance, into the crypt itself, which contains not only Juliet's body, but that of Tybalt as well. This adds to Juliet's horror when she wakes up and realises where she is. Finally, can someone please explain to me why the nurse, having just witnessed Juliet's official marriage to Romeo, then comes cheerfully in with a wedding dress for her marriage to Paris? Surely she knows Juliet is about to commit bigamy.

As a matter of interest, does anyone know how tall Sarah Lamb actually is?

I wonder if part of the problem is the Coliseum's website. For some reason, I have never, ever managed to book on line. Something always goes wrong when it comes to the payment stage. Once again, I have just spent 15 minutes on the phone waiting for the box office, after getting an error message saying I am using the wrong http code!

Yes, of course. I thought it was BRB, but I wasn't absolutely sure. I still remember the girl who played Lady Capulet, with her braided hair swinging about as she lamented over the dead body of Tybalt. And the young lads who struggled to choreograph and finally put together atheir break dance routine to the Mandolin Dance music. Edited to add I found a clip of Youtube. The Mandolin Dance is about two and half minutes in. But the whole clip is brilliant:

It was David Bintley who presented Dancing in the Blitz, wasn't it? He was excellent, I thought, and the whole programme was really enjoyable. Talking of getting new people interested in ballet, I have been trying to remember a programme that featured young people from troubled backgrounds rehearsing and performing Romeo and Juliet, with the lead roles being taken by professional dancers. It was terrific to see youngsters who had never really been subject to that sort of discipline suddenly having to work extremely hard, and rising to the challenge. I can't remember which company they were working with, and I can't find any reference after a brief search on the web. I know they put on a live performance, and I for one would have been interested to see it, but I think it was only available to friends and family. Pity, they could probably have given several performances, and brought in a whole new audience!

A few rambly thoughts on various points made in this fascinating thread. As a Londoner, I have taken many adult friends to see their first ballet. I usually start them on something gentle and undemanding, such as The Nutcracker. Most people can hum a bit of that (or recognise the sugar plum fairy tune when it comes on) the costumes and sets are normally lovely, and there is plenty of non dancing action to keep their attention. I have never had one person say they did not like it. Having taken that first step, I have then suggested other ballets to them. And after going for a couple of years, they have all said the same thing after viewing several different types of ballet. They vastly prefer those that tell a story, and they do not like "modern" i.e. non classical music, and they want classical, not contemporary dance. They are pretty much prepared to see anything if there is a bit of drama to go with the classical dancing and the orchestra is playing a good tune. Presumably other ballet fans who are not London based do the same thing, to coax first timers to the ballet. And unless I have very unusual friends, I assume that the same thing applies. Based on my experience, people who attend maybe once or twice a year prefer a full length, dramatic ballet. I am not really surprised the Le Corsaire was not successful the first time it was on tour. It has lashings of drama, splendid costumes, and rousing music. But it is not a well known story, and not one usually associated with ballet. The only reason I went was because Tamara was dancing (yes, even I am guilty of being a bit cautions about new productions!). Having said that, I loved it, and will be going to see it again this year. It is always going to be a bit of a gamble, taking a new ballet anywhere. Hopefully, the next time it tours the ticket sales will be a bit more robust in the rest of the country. If it isn't, then it really has to be down to the marketing departments. As far as educating the public via the BBC is concerned, I can't be the only person who thinks that ballet, and opera for that matter, does not come across well on television. In my childhood, we had programmes where excerpts from both ballet and opera were performed. An aria would be sung, introduced with a bit of explanation as to the context and content. This would be followed by a pas de deux, introduced in the same way. They covered quite a broad spectrum in easily digestible, 4 or 5 minute segments. If someone has never seen a ballet before, it can be quite difficult to work out what the heck is going on, and a lot to ask new comers to sit through 45 minutes of arm waving and leg lifting until there is a break. Is it really beyond the BBC to do a 30 minute slot, with a professional presenter talking about it? And I don't mean Darcey Bussell telling us yet again how, as a little girl she dreamed of dancing Swan Lake, or whatever the ballet happens to be, and wasn't she lucky to be able to do so. No disrespect to Darcey, but I don't think presenting is her forte. Surely that would get a few more people interested in it?

Yes, Alison, I did realise I was going off topic a bit in my response to a previous post, but I couldn't think of any way of bringing it back on track! I think I have already moaned before about female teachers at matinees taking all their pupils, male and female, into the Ladies "because boys are not allowed to go to the Gents on their own", thereby making the queues enormous at interval time.

Well, in the hope and expectation that Jacqueline's other post is moved on to here, I will agree with her comment about wigs. While there may be a good reason for using a wig that changes someone's hair length (the last act of Manon, for example), I have never understood why some parts require dancers to wear wigs that are clearly unsuitable. The ghastly toppers give to the Sugar Plum Fairy spring to mind. Yes, there should be a suggestion of sprinkles of sugar, but a bit of fairy dust on the ballerina's own hair would be quite sufficient. I remember watching Yoshida in this role, and could not help gawping at the horrible white wig she was having to wear. As far as Juliet is concerned, I don't mind what colour hair she has, providing she convinces me that she "hath not seen the change of fourteen years"

Yes, it is quite a common hair colour in certain parts of Italy. In fact, Shakespeare never actually describes Juliet at all, does he? Apart from the fact that Romeo thinks she is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, I don't recall any physical description.

If the local councils persist in closing all the public toilets, then this will only become more of a problem. Pubs and restaurants take a very dim view of people coming in to use the facilities without buying anything (quite rightly), yet sometimes this is the only place to go. If you cannot find one open, then what do you do? All very well to expect people to control their bladders and wait for the interval of a performance, but if you are out and about in the city, it could be hours before you find anything appropriate. I was out with a friend recently, and she had to beg a shop keeper to allow her to use the loo in his own private quarters. The fact that she was hugely pregnant made him more sympathetic to her plight.

Yes, that's Villiers Street. It is very busy, especially at weekends, so probably gets a bit "tired" by Sunday.

Yes, I agree with this. Although having said that, being a guest artist doesn't cut down on the amount of performances you are giving for the company, does it? I am not sure how it works, to be honest. Why have the Osipova performances been given to Lamb? Is it because she has already danced with Muntagirov before, and therefore they know each other quite well as partners? Or is it something to do with height? I believe Muntagirov is quite tall, so perhaps pairing him with someone like Marquez would be a difficult adjustment for him at short notice?

Goodness, a friend of mine works in Villiers Street, and I often meet her outside the office. Can't say I have ever seen it like that, although it is a very busy street. Was it at the weekend? I think it is irrelevant to say it is a modern idea for audiences to be expected to sit quietly, and that they used to be extremely noisy in Shakespeare's time or whatever. Yes, the audiences were rowdy and pelted the stage with food if they didn't like what was going on. People also used to throw the contents of chamber pots out into the street in those days, and I hope nobody is suggesting we go back to doing that. Theatres were very different places in those days, and now I expect an audience to listen to what is going on. I have probably said this before, as it is one of my favourite soap box topics, but I think it is a pity that the Disney full length films are no longer shown at the public cinema. Children could learn how to behave at public performances while going to see films that were specifically for the young audience. Watching it at home on a video is not the same at all.

I am sure people will think I am being harsh here, but if Osipova had/has such a serious foot problem, should she been allowed to join as a Principal of the RB in the first place? Especially as the company demands a great deal from its dancers in terms of the variety of styles they are expected to cope with? Should they at least have made sure that whatever the problem is was sorted out first? Or do they just expect dancers to be injured frequently, and assume that the public won't really mind the fact that one of the star names seems to spend more time off the stage than on it?

Oh dear, how unfortunate for her. She seems to have suffered a lot of injuries since she joined the RB. (Edited to add that I didn't realise there was a new thread on this subject - please delete this if you want.)

Thanks, Capybara.