JohnS

Given Laura Morera’s Insight Rehearsal, it would have been rather good to see Annette Buvoli as her Fairy Godmother but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I thought Gina Storm-Jenson an accomplished Winter Fairy on Saturday evening and the quartet of Fairies well balanced so I’ll be very pleased to see her Fairy Godmother.

I see we now have the casting for the three final Cinderellas: https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/cinderella-by-frederick-ashton-dates Natalia Osipova, Reece Clarke, Luca Acri, Gary Avis, Mayara Magri Akane Takada, Nicol Edmonds, Luca Acri, Thomas Whitehead, Itziar Mendizabal Laura Morera, Matthew Ball, James Hay, Calvin Richardson, Gina Storm-Jensen

A shout out for 8th April’s Record Review, always a good listen but this is exceptional: a review of Bernard Haitink’s 100+ CD Amsterdam Concertgebouw collection (heading my Christmas list); Peter Grimes in Building a Library; and Semyon Bychkov’s Mahler 2 Record of the Week. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001kpc0?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

There was much to enjoy in the cinema encore and Marianela Nunez and Vadim Muntagirov danced wonderfully. Fabulous to see Fumi Kaneko’s Fairy Godmother and such a stellar line up of Fairies. Delighted that Taisuke Nakao was the Jester. Unfortunately I think there are a couple of buts. I thought the Step Sisters overplayed their role and would much have preferred Bennet Gartside/Jame Hay or Christina Orestis/Kristen McNally. I’m afraid I was very surprised by Marienela Nunez’s triumphant reaction when she returned to her father’s side after fitting the slippers. I thought all other Cinderellas at this point have shown their anxiety and vulnerability, not fully believing that all will end well and waiting for the Prince to choose them. I found Marienela Nunez’s reaction undid much of the magic of her dancing and is why I much prefer to see dancers who fully inhabit the role and where an odd technical slip is of no consequence albeit it’s great when there aren’t any. I very much enjoyed the interviews/extras during the introduction and intervals. Fabulous to see Laura Morera and Koen Kessels/Kate Shipway and very much looking forward to Laura’s debut.

I wouldn’t claim I made sensible conversation. @jmhopton was at the stage door with me at the evening performance and it’s been very good to meet up with so many Ballet Forum friends. I should have mentioned Tom Whitehead was pleased that I’d liked his Father in Fumi’s cast. And Koen Kessels loves the score!

Journey home to Penrith and chance to catch up on Saturday’s performances after a fabulous weekend with the cinema encore still to come as I didn’t see the live relay. Saturday’s matinee was very much Yasmine Naghdi’s Cinderella, a lovely performance so strong technically and very touching. I enjoyed Matthew Ball’s Prince although just before his solo I couldn’t help but think he’d perhaps been drawing too much on Wellington rather than being smitten by his Cinderella. That’s a touch unfair as I love the Naghdi/Ball partnership but unfortunately I caught perhaps the one preparatory smoothing of the hair when I was looking for a Prince enraptured by his Cinderella. And their pdd and the close of Act 3 were fabulous. I found Tom Whitehead and Luca Acri over the top for my liking as I did Joonhyuk JunJester where his enormous jumps can so easily miss the beat or lead to Koen Kessels having to apply the brakes. I very much enjoyed Mayara Magri’s Fairy Godmother and the Fairies although Autumn might have had more attack. Their ensemble work was excellent. I thought Saturday’s evening performance, Francesca Hayward’s cast’s last performance this run, one of those very special occasions. I’d seen the two earlier performances and very much enjoyed them. For the final performance everything gelled and it was a joy to be there. A fabulous atmosphere in the House and very pleasing to hear the intake of breath when people seeing the production for the first time delight in the magic. I find Francesca Hayward a fabulously engaging dancer who very much inhabits the role. She’s a lovely fit for Cinderella and a natural Ashtonian. Other dancers may be technically stronger and at the end of her solo last night she had to work hard to avoid running out of stage, the one moment of any anxiety. That moment apart, I thought it a gem of a performance. And it also showed the strength of Alexander Campbell’s partnership with Francesca Hayward, the extra care he took to ensure all was well. He made for a fine Prince. I thought the entire cast excelled last night. I’ve liked Christina Arestis and Kristen McNally as the step sisters and they were having a ball last night … and Napoleon’s wig didn’t make an early appearance. Annette Buvoli has really impressed as the Fairy Godmother and all the Fairies were on top form. And for me Taisuke Nakao has been astonishingly good as the Jester. It was very good visiting the stage door after both performances yesterday and chat to Yasmine, Matt, Francesca and Alexander. I’m very pleased I’d assumed that it was the last performance for Christina, Kristen and Annette and was able to see them. People don’t know who’s dancing in the later casts but it won’t be them and no other women are dancing step sisters. Calvin Richardson has been rehearsing and he may be dancing with James Hay. Taisuke said he wasn’t dancing the Jester with the other casts. Hopefully the extra casting will be confirmed and published next week. Matt did say he’s been rehearsing with Laura Morera so I’ll certainly be looking forward to their performance next Saturday and the other new casts.

I very much agree. Sarah Lamb makes the most of every detail. I think she’s the only Cinderella I’ve seen so far this run who emphasises the perfect fit of the slippers by raising her skirt to just above her knees.

A hugely enjoyable Cinderella last night, Fumi Kaneko and Will Bracewell radiant, transcendent at the end with the curtain falling. I was very taken with Cinderella’s family: not just Bennet Gartside’s and James Hay’s step sisters where at the end they both managed to elicit some sympathy for their plight, a mightily impressive achievement for both of them; and also a really telling performance from Thomas Whitehead as the father where he and Cinderella were clearly as one in their loss for his first wife/Cinderella’s mother. Most touching. I wish I were seeing their final performance, not only because last night’s was so enjoyable but I think there were some elements which didn’t quite come off and it would be great to see a wrinkle free performance. I don’t think the shawl splitting worked but I may have missed it. For me in Act 1 the fairies didn’t come across as consistently as some other casts. And I thought there was some uncertainty in the Act 2 pdd before the upside down lift.

To be honest I was trying to find out if it’s last performances for some dancers this weekend. I’ve assumed it is but would be very happy if that proves to be a wrong assumption.

I contacted Customer Services on Tuesday and had a reply from Graham Boland yesterday morning. The Royal Ballet were hoping to update casting ‘as soon as possible’ but nothing as yet.

I’d like to see a Liam Scarlett triple bill - Asphodel Meadows, Sweet Violets and Symphonic Dances. I also thought Cunning Little Vixen performed by the Royal Ballet School together with the Royal Ballet’s Two Pigeons made for a delightful performance. I know we have had tributes to Liam for the Swan Lake run but I think it would be very fitting to see some of his original work. Another fabulous double programme was Dances at a Gathering and The Cellist and I’d very much welcome seeing that again.

Thank you @oncnp and @Benjamin. I can access the performance but only by using my School Friends priority link not via general booking. I’ll look at returns much nearer the time.

I was trying to see if any seats had been held back for public booking for the Royal Ballet School’s summer performance - I have a ticket via Friends of the School but would have liked to see if there were any better tickets. I’m finding the performance seems not to be available for public booking but I am having some broadband problems. Has anyone had any success in booking for the School’s performance this morning?

Is there any information about the Osipova, Takada and Morera casts other than Gary Avis showing he’s dancing the Osipova dates? It would be good to know when dancers’ final performances are. For example are Annette Buvoli, Christina Orestes and Kristen McNally dancing their last Fairy Godmother/Step Sisters this run on Saturday evening? It all seems very late and I think discourteous to dancers and audiences.

I very much enjoyed yesterday evening’s Cinderella. Francesca Hayward makes a fabulous Cinderella, exceptional in the home scenes and I thought more relaxed in the ball/finale scenes, making for more secure lifts. Alex Campbell is an admirable prince and partner. Annette Buvoli was a lovely Fairy Godmother and Act 2 Autumn. I’m afraid Napoleon’s wig ‘joke’ can just about manage the one fall (well done in the matinee) but it had run very thin by the end. Interesting to see Christina Arestes and Kristen McNally as the step sisters after Bennet Gartside and James Hay in the matinee. I’m slightly surprised to find I preferred the matinee although I’m still hoping we’ll see further performances from women sisters in addition to the final Francesca Hayward performance this Saturday evening.

A hugely enjoyable Cinderella matinee with Sarah Lamb wonderfully creamy and Steven McRae a majestic prince, yet believably smitten by Cinderella. I rather enjoyed Bennet Gartside and James Hay as the step sisters. The production grows on me on second viewing with a pillar giving some helpful shelter from the Overture lights. A bit unnerving that a stage hand, fully back lit, had to struggle to free the doors for the entry of the Winter Fairy but overall the magic and Fairy Godmother/Cinderella character swaps worked for me. Well worth an early start this morning and looking forward to the evening performance.

Pleased to be heading for London for double Cinderella and should make the start of the matinee - a real bonus and very much looking forward to seeing Sarah Lamb’s Cinderella and her cast. Avanti didn’t live up to the Fairy Godmother promise - my free ticket discount code was ‘invalid’ with no explanation. I’ll see if the code works when next booking an Avanti return ticket not via Newcastle using other train operators. And a bit of a panic this morning when checking trains and finding my 6:58 Carlisle to Newcastle train had been cancelled so had to rush for the 6:32. It would be good not to have to build in such safety margins.

I too thought the ROH’s Fille Easter greeting too good an opportunity not to ask for Fille for Easter 2024 in the new season’s announcement at the end of the month.

I found the lights intensely distracting when sitting in Stalls E6 - I’m hoping now I know what to expect I’ll be able to ignore the lights and concentrate on the overture.

Many thanks for your review and photos @Dawnstar. I’ll look forward to seeing the cinema relay for this cast and before then if all goes well I should make Monday’s double Cinderella. I even managed to pick up a ‘Friday Rush’ ticket today for the matinee although I think I’ll be pressed to make Act 1.

Many thanks @Kate_N You’ll be pleased to know the footpath repair team have been busy at the top of Greenup Edge and now there’s a slabbed path across the worst of the wet ground where the path was pretty indistinct. I’m not sure which route you took from Greenup but as you visited Codale Tarn I think you’ll have gone over High Raise and then followed the old boundary fence to Codale Head. It’s rough ground from there to Codale Tarn as you say. I think it’s easier to go from High Raise to Sergeant Man, then take the ridge path towards Blea Rigg, descending on good paths to either Codale Tarn or Easdale Tarn. I’m not sure which col took your interest. It may have been the head of Greenup Gill which is a fabulous surprise when reaching Lining Crag, with myriads of drumlins. But that’s before Greenup.

I know you’re not referring to Act 1 Silke H but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to add a link to the Fairy Variations: https://youtu.be/Bu_nys3dGQ0

When on the fells I do take a lot of photos but the real joy is reaching a vantage point and settling to take in the sylvan landscape of the valley below and then the ridge after ridge of fells to the far horizon, the fells known intimately from walks over many years. Photos are great and certainly help in compiling my walks log but for me they can never capture the magnificence of mountain scenery, the quietude of the fells, and the satisfaction of being at one with the natural environment, albeit shaped by mankind and in my opinion largely with care. The stone walls, historic bridges, network of paths, hamlets and villages for me seem an integral part of the environment. I see so many walkers head to the summit, take photographs on the summit, and then head for the next summit. But the best views are often not at the summit but right on the edge of the escarpment: for example Westmorland Cairn for Great Gable, the Eskdale Cairn for Scafell Pike, and Scafell Crag for Scafell, all just a short distance from the summit and all providing a sanctuary from the bustle. They are all significantly more dramatic for photos but it’s the chance for solitude, a tea break, and to appreciate the incomparable view that pulls.

Well my Fairy Godmother may well have arrived, unbelievably in the guise of Avanti. As a result of multiple train journeys I’ve become an Avanti Gold Club member and Avanti have granted me a free return ticket so I may be able to travel to London via Newcastle. And I still have my ticket for the evening performance.

I’m very pleased to see your clarification capybara. I’ve booked a number of performances and when I’ve had enough of the sisters, I’ll focus on Cinderella. On Thursday I kept half an eye on Cinderella, very rewarding seeing Francesca Hayward’s reactions, and I guess by the end of the run it will be Cinderella and the Father who grab my attention, most probably when the sisters are danced by males. I just can’t envisage Cinderella without Act 1 and I very much enjoy the Fairy Godmother and the Seasons. And the Prokofiev score is wonderful.