RB - Romeo and Juliet, Autumn 2015

[Anna C]

Well, if we're into picking apart areas of detail, can I add that something - anything almost - ought to be done to give Escalus, Prince of Verona, a real chance of imposing his will on the opposing Montagues and Capulets in the Act 1 crowd scene?  Ben Gartside did his best, as least as well as anyone else I've seen, in the screened performance, but the choreographed miming really never convinces me that there's a commanding presence at work in that Piazza.

I find Gary Avis' Escalus vastly more authoritative, even with the mime. Gartside looked more saddened at the endless fighting but as you say, not particularly commanding - which interested me, given how powerfully he plays Tybalt.

[MAB]

I find Gary Avis' Escalus vastly more authoritative, even with the mime. Gartside looked more saddened at the endless fighting but as you say, not particularly commanding - which interested me, given how powerfully he plays Tybalt.

 

Perhaps saddened is the more understandable approach, after all they had been fighting for countless years so clearly shows of authority have never stopped them.

[alison]

Well, this is fascinating - and really quite unexpected.  I wasn't feeling particularly well last night, so suspect that may have coloured my judgement, so will wait until I've seen them again to assess more.  I'm afraid that - having already missed my last train-without-a-major-detour because of the ROH's unusual decision to start the performance at 7.30 for once - I did make a fairly quick exit at the end to make sure I didn't miss the next train on a different line as well, and the applause and cheers I heard as I made my way down from the gods seemed extremely vociferous and very long-lasting, so I guess many people must have liked it!

 

Although he has danced with Sarah Lamb on a number of occasions it should be remembered that until quite recently his rehearsals had been with Osipova. A late change of cast must require some adaptation and, although she has been dancing the role with Stephen McCrae, changing to a second partner for her as well needed to be worked on.

 

Congratulatons to Zuchetti who was back on the RB stage after a long period nursing an injury. He is well cast as Mercutio and his fight with Tybalt and death scene were accomplished.with great panache.

 

Yes, I reflected that Mercutio is a role which fits him pretty much like a glove.

 

Do we know that Muntagirov had definitely been rehearsing with Osipova until recently?  I'd assumed that they'd known she was injured fairly early on, and that he'd done virtually all his rehearsing with a different Juliet.  And, looking at Lamb last night, I was very much aware that she'd had one change of scheduled partner, and one takeover of a cast in which she wasn't originally supposed to be dancing, and 3 performances all within 1 week.  It must have made it very difficult to fit in sufficient rehearsal with both, especially since she's also heavily involved in the forthcoming mixed bill, and I would assume that the cast for live broadcast would have been given priority.

 

Lamb isn't one I'd normally have picked to see as Juliet but it took the camera closeups in the cinema relay to make me go from "she's a lovely dancer" to "wow, she's Juliet!", particularly in act 3.

 

I have a feeling that Sarah Lamb is one of those dancers who one 'feels' more if one is close to the stage. I certainly 'got' her more last night than on some occasions in the past.

[...]

I did have a few reservations about the show overall, however, which I can't quite put my finger on - apart from the orchestra which was untypically out of sorts..

 

I certainly got more out of her Juliet when I saw it on the big screen some years ago than I had from the amphi a couple of years prior to that.  Last night I do think I was too far back in the amphi, though.

 

And I thought the strings sounded oddly fuzzy last night.

 

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. 

 

I think if you read the relevant bit of the play her line of thinking becomes clear ...  Or maybe she thinks (in the ballet, at least) the marriage hasn't actually been consummated and could be set aside?

Edited September 28, 2015 by alison
Edited for clarification

[alison]

Also, can anyone with a better memory than mine confirm that Sarah Lamb danced Juliet to Slava Samadorov's Romeo in a live transmission quite a few years back? 

 

Yes.

[zxDaveM]

I'm happy for Dave to express his opinions but not to insult me or to suggest that I will experience mental illness if I keep going to performances at the ROH. If his comment was meant to be a joke (which I doubt ) it wasn't funny and was in poor taste.

 

It wasn't intended as an insult, I just wondered why you put yourself through going to ROH, as you don't seem to enjoy the performances very much, and as a result resent paying the high prices for good seats. I go to a lot of performances as a punter (in the cheap spots), and not just to rehearsals by the way. I have opinions which widely differ from yours and Ms Penelopesimpson, but don't present them as 'facts' is all. I also feel inclined to defend my favourite dancers, especially when, in my opinion, their performance did not merit a bashing, or indeed when I thought they were rather good. Would you not do the same?

[cavycapers]

On a lighter note, were I Juliet, I'd have chosen Gary Avis every time, that's allowed isn't it - cousins? Teehee.

Or the divine Ryoichi Hirano; Juliet's duos with Paris are my favourite parts of the show. I never understand why Paris has to die either, what crime has he committed apart from the wearing of those yellow tights, which lets face it are criminal?

 

Actually, it's best that they all end up dead. Juliet would have got pregnant that first night, as is the way with star-crossed lovers, they would have had to go and live in a grotty apartment in the suburbs of Rome, Juliet would have missed her pretty frocks and her daddy, she would have put on a stone with each baby, Romeo wouldn't have been able to lift her anymore in the pas de deux, would have complained she was spending too much time with nursie, and would have spent his time in the village square dancing with the harlots, and Juliet would have been sat at home thinking, "Why didn't I marry Paris"....

Edited September 28, 2015 by cavycapers

[Balletfanp]

I never understand why Paris has to die either, what crime has he committed apart from the wearing of those yellow tights, which lets face it are criminal?

Hahahaha!

 

And on the basis of that, you'd have to kill off Colas in Fille too, which would dampen the mood of the ballet somewhat....

[aileen]

Dave, saying that I find Lamb generally cool / unconvincing in the role of Juliet does not, IMO, amount to 'a bashing'. I don't think that you would ever find the least fault with your favourite dancers; you find them marvellous in everything that they do. You therefore appear to be unable to tolerate anyone's opinion of your favourite dancers which does not coincide with your own ie fulsome praise. I have favourite dancers too (Muntagirov is one) but I am not so starry eyed that I find all their performances wonderful. Now, of course, I could just keep quiet about any reservations that I have have about my favourite dancers' performances but this is supposed to be a discussion forum and if everyone just sings the praises of their favourite dancers' performances then it might as well become a fan site.

(PS I think that I'll decide what to spend my money on; I don't need advice from you)

[Sim]

To get back to the matter at hand....having written a long piece earlier, I don't want to bore everyone again with loads of words. I thought Saturday night's performance was lovely; Muntagirov to me was a totally convincing Romeo, and his abject despair when he found Juliet in the crypt totally believable and heartbreaking. Combine this with his fabulous dancing and he could be one of the great Romeos. I agree that parts of the performance were more muted than when I saw Lamb/McRae: Thiago Soares as Tybalt made almost no impact at all, which is unusual because in the past I have always loved his portrayal of this character. Maybe having seen the unsurpassable Gary Avis four days previously anyone would have been a bit of a let-down! I also agree with whoever said that Escalus could be a much more forceful presence. I always think that the arm wave, when he tells everyone to move aside, could be much more powerful as per that amazing musical chord crashing down around us. I really liked Zucchetti's Mercutio; as with Campbell he is a great dancer but also has the mix of comedy and pathos required to nail this role. The first time I ever really noticed Nicol Edmonds was in the last run of R&J when he was Paris; this time he brings even more to the role. He partners Sarah very well in both of their pdd, and he also makes me feel very sorry for the poor boy, whose only crime is to like Juliet. He certainly has the look and the bearing of a young noble.

 

Although others have praised Kessels' conducting of this ballet, I have not been at all impressed in either performance that I have seen thus far. I have a few more to go so will reserve judgement until the end of the run, but I am already fed up of dragging strings, over-quick tempi and a brass section that seems to have lost its concentration.

[Sim]

Luke Jennings is in a tiny minority re 'the rest of the cast'. 

I think I'd rather go with Kevin O'Hare and Lesley Collier - and the vast majority - before Luke Jennings.

Jennings also referred to Lord Capulet as Tybalt's father...an elementary error that doesn't really inspire confidence!

[capybara]

Although others have praised Kessels' conducting of this ballet, I have not been at all impressed in either performance that I have seen thus far. I have a few more to go so will reserve judgement until the end of the run, but I am already fed up of dragging strings, over-quick tempi and a brass section that seems to have lost its concentration.

 

Kessels is a ballet maestro of some repute (who must have conducted R & J for BRB, surely) but, from where I was sitting on Saturday, he seemed overly focused on his score and members of the orchestra appeared to be giving each other knowing looks after they hit a dodgy patch. I have never been aware of this before. Perhaps the RB should put in a call to Gavin Sutherland (ENB)?

[bangorballetboy]

Jennings also referred to Lord Capulet as Tybalt's father...an elementary error that doesn't really inspire confidence!

 

Might have been a dodgy sub-editor...

[Fonty]

I think if you read the relevant bit of the play her line of thinking becomes clear ...  Or maybe she thinks (in the ballet, at least) the marriage hasn't actually been consummated and could be set aside?

 

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. 

[alison]

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. 

 

That was my recollection, too (although it's a long time since I read it) - but in the ballet there's no indication that she knows that Romeo sneaked back to spend his wedding night with his bride, is there?

[aileen]

I know that conductors are important but surely players in the orchestra of the ROH, playing a very familiar score, should not be relying too much on the conductor to bring them in, adjust tempi, dynamics etc. 

[capybara]

I know that conductors are important but surely players in the orchestra of the ROH, playing a very familiar score, should not be relying too much on the conductor to bring them in, adjust tempi, dynamics etc. 

 

Actually, there were a lot of 'new' faces in the pit on Saturday and different players in the 'principal' seats.

[RuthE]

I know that conductors are important but surely players in the orchestra of the ROH, playing a very familiar score, should not be relying too much on the conductor to bring them in, adjust tempi, dynamics etc. 

 

You'd think - but given that "the Orchestra of the ROH" only got back from the opera tour in Japan a few days ago, my guess is that at the moment they are still heavily reliant on deps in the pit for R&J.

 

That said, it's been a while since I've been impressed with the trumpet and horn sections of the ROH orchestra, even in shows for which you would expect them to have the usual quorum of core personnel.  I wish this wasn't the case.

[Sim]

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.

 

That was James Hay, an excellent company dancer.

[Jan McNulty]

That was my recollection, too (although it's a long time since I read it) - but in the ballet there's no indication that she knows that Romeo sneaked back to spend his wedding night with his bride, is there?

 

She definitely knows in the Gable/Morricone production - she comes in and finds them together!

[RMM1]

Kessels is a ballet maestro of some repute (who must have conducted R & J for BRB, surely) but, from where I was sitting on Saturday, he seemed overly focused on his score and members of the orchestra appeared to be giving each other knowing looks after they hit a dodgy patch. I have never been aware of this before. Perhaps the RB should put in a call to Gavin Sutherland (ENB)?

 

BRB rarely perform  R & J, last time was 2010. Kessels was appointed by BRB as Music Director that year but he may have missed out on R & J, I can't remember. He didn't do a lot of conducting for BRB at first because he had pre-booked commitments elsewhere.

[Bluebird]

Well, I really enjoyed this performance. It was one of those nights when the whole company gelled so perfectly that it almost seems unfair to single anyone out. So, many congratulations to everyone, whether I mention their names or not.

 

Sarah Lamb is a lovely Juliet. Her training with the Russian Mme. Legat shows itself in her beautiful classicism and perfect lines. She manages to keep this all the way through, even whilst dancing with total abandon in the balcony pdd. Her interpretation is that of what Juliet is: a very young girl overwhelmed by violence; the violence of the feud between the families, the violence from her bullying father and, most important of all, the violence of her feelings towards Romeo. This is a young girl caught by surprise and struggles to know how to cope with it all. She is a tiny girl in a big world about which she knows nothing, and is ill-equipped to stand up to it all. However, inspired by her love for Romeo, she makes the choices that will lead to tragedy. This is no impulsive girl; everything is carefully considered. Sarah's eyes have always been amongst the most expressive I have seen (I will never forget her Sylphide and how much she said without saying anything), and as Juliet we can see behind those eyes the turmoil churning up her soul. Many people would probably have missed that most important of moments, when the nurse whispers to her that Romeo is a Montague. The look of dismay on her face was something to watch; the subtle change from dismay to acceptance was beautifully done. If you are seeing Sarah in this ballet, train the binoculars on her in the scene where Tybalt and Capulet are confronting Romeo at the ball. Some Juliets just shrug it off, but we can really see her considering her options, and realising the potential consequences if she pursues a relationship with this enemy of her family. Likewise when she is sitting on her bed, a small figure in a big situation, the subtle changes on her face reveal so much. Her fear prior to taking the potion, her heart-rending despair at finding Romeo lifeless in the tomb….all of these things lead to a quick and decisive moment at the end: ending her life to be with Romeo. It’s almost as if she had considered everything so much all the way through that the end didn’t need any thought or consideration, it was just the natural consequence of decisions this Juliet had made earlier in the ballet. I would suggest that anyone who is going to sell their tickets to what would have been Osipova/Muntagirov seriously re-consider. I for one am really looking forward to seeing Sarah with Vadim; I can only imagine the depths that will come to the surface from both of them.

 

Steven McRae’s acting has never moved me, but the sheer brilliance of his dancing often makes up for it, and so it was last night. His partnering of Sarah was strong and confident, and their balcony pdd was amongst the best I’ve seen. They both danced with such joy and such abandon that I truly believed they were two young teenagers in the grip of first love and first lust. The speed of Sarah’s turns the first time she runs to Romeo were breathtaking. Of course, Steven’s solos throughout the ballet were executed with technical perfection and were very impressive.

 

What an amazing pairing Gary Avis (Tybalt) and Alexander Campbell (Mercutio) made. Gary is the best actor around, and he really proved this in his beautifully nuanced portrayal of the cat man. I just can’t take my eyes off him, no matter what else is happening onstage. I love how he is horrified when he accidentally stabs Mercutio, then relieved when he thinks Mercutio is just joshing around. The look of horror on his face when he sees Mercutio’s blood on his sword is something to see; it made my hairs stand on end because in that one look we know that what he has done is going to lead to tragedy all round; Tybalt knows this and so do we. Even as a corpse, Gary is brilliant, managing to keep his eyes open without blinking (or not so we notice!) for five minutes. Campbell’s Mercutio is a cheeky chappie, enjoying wine, girls and life in general. He puts so many subtle touches to his portrayal; for example, I loved how, in the ballroom scene, when R and J are on opposite sides of the stage, he casts a sideways glance at her, then at him, then smiles and nods to himself as if to say ‘ha, another of Romeo’s conquests, and what a conquest this one is’. His death scene is full of pathos, and ‘a plague on both your houses’ was so poignantly said with just a point of his finger. His dancing was also superb, so fleet of foot in these difficult steps.

 

Tristan Dyer completed the trio very well, and I must say I have rarely seen the ‘three boys’ dance before the ball performed better. All the way through they were in perfect time with each other and being all about the same height made it look even better. There was no sloppiness anywhere throughout the whole ballet when the three of them danced together; their jetes across the stage were in time and of the same height. Wonderful.

 

The three harlots (Itziar Mendizabal, Olivia Cowley and Helen Crawford) were having a whale of a time and this delight was transmitted, I would think, right up to the top of the ROH. All three of them manage to be crass, crude, sexy, fun and kind….all at the same time. Again, their synchronisation as they jeted across the stage was perfect and matched everything the three boys did. Bravo to all of them.

 

Ryoichi Hirano was a fine Paris; a victim of circumstance and not able to comprehend what was happening and what he had done to so offend Juliet. He was a polite, noble boy who deeply regretted it when he lost it with Juliet; he so wanted her forgiveness. His real sadness at Juliet’s ‘death’ made it seem all the more unfair when Romeo kills him. Lovely partnering from him, too.

 

Elizabeth McGorian still graces any stage she walks onto, and her portrayal of Lady Capulet was heartbreaking. We get the idea of a frustrated woman who understands her daughter’s predicament but, as a powerless woman, can do nothing to help her and therefore go against her husband’s wishes, so she goes with the Capulet flow. Deep down, this Lady understands all about unrequited love and doesn’t wish the same misery on her daughter…but this is something that she has to keep to herself, and share with us.

 

I noticed some subtle changes to the crowd scenes but won’t go into them here; it will be fun for those of you who know this ballet well to see what you can spot!

 

The music was played a bit too quickly in some places for my liking. Not sure what was wrong with the solo trumpet player but there were awful noises from him a few times during the evening, and they were very apparent.

 

I will finish as I started, by saying that this was truly an ensemble piece, made special by wonderful dancers across the board.

 

 

To get back to the matter at hand....having written a long piece earlier, I don't want to bore everyone again with loads of words. I thought Saturday night's performance was lovely; Muntagirov to me was a totally convincing Romeo, and his abject despair when he found Juliet in the crypt totally believable and heartbreaking. Combine this with his fabulous dancing and he could be one of the great Romeos. I agree that parts of the performance were more muted than when I saw Lamb/McRae: Thiago Soares as Tybalt made almost no impact at all, which is unusual because in the past I have always loved his portrayal of this character. Maybe having seen the unsurpassable Gary Avis four days previously anyone would have been a bit of a let-down! I also agree with whoever said that Escalus could be a much more forceful presence. I always think that the arm wave, when he tells everyone to move aside, could be much more powerful as per that amazing musical chord crashing down around us. I really liked Zucchetti's Mercutio; as with Campbell he is a great dancer but also has the mix of comedy and pathos required to nail this role. The first time I ever really noticed Nicol Edmonds was in the last run of R&J when he was Paris; this time he brings even more to the role. He partners Sarah very well in both of their pdd, and he also makes me feel very sorry for the poor boy, whose only crime is to like Juliet. He certainly has the look and the bearing of a young noble.

 

Although others have praised Kessels' conducting of this ballet, I have not been at all impressed in either performance that I have seen thus far. I have a few more to go so will reserve judgement until the end of the run, but I am already fed up of dragging strings, over-quick tempi and a brass section that seems to have lost its concentration.

 

 

Sim, it's an absolute pleasure to read your thoughtful  reviews.  I'm quoting them both in full so that readers can easily see them.  They take me back to the days of the ballet.co.uk era when you and others would write  detailed, perceptive and constructive reviews.  I am aware that, nowadays, social media encourage short, pithy remarks but it's great that you have taken the time to comment in such detail.

[Sim]

Thank you so much, Bluebird. I don't always get time or inspiration to write much, but when I do, I am so pleased it is appreciated....even if people disagree with my views!!

[FLOSS]

Not unsurprisingly both MacMillan and Ashton actually worked to incorporate references to the text in their choreography.Ashton clearly shows Tybalt as "prince of cats" in his choreography while MacMillan incorporates "holy palmer's kisses" in his choreography,or at least it does if Romeo doesn't try to kiss Juliet before they place their palms together and he doesn't cover her hand.with kisses.

 

The play makes it clear that the civic authorities of Verona have no way of dealing with the civil strife, it is after all only the deaths of Romeo and Juliet which brings it to an end. In the ballet as you have no spoken text Escalus has to be weak and ineffectual  to explain all that brawling in the street. My recollection is that Leslie Edwards played him that way and as he had a virtual monopoly of the role for years I have always assumed that is the way MacMillan wanted the role to be played. 

 

As for the harlots and the street scenes with all that interminable padding,well although I recognise the need for them in order to give Romeo a breather, I do find them singularly lacking in interest.And so far in this run I have noticed them far more than I do normally. This tells you how involved I have felt with the performances that I have seen, which for me have felt more like rehearsals and displays of faultless technique than full blooded performances.I would say anaemic,but I can't spell it.

 

In the footage of the rehearsal Saunders said that the fiftieth anniversary revival restored details that have been lost over the years. I am pleased to see that the leper is no longer treated as a long lost friend by members of the corps although they still get too close to him. At least so far  he hasn't tried to dance which I recall happened at the last revival but whatever happened to the butchers with their sides of meat? The business in the tomb doesn't work as well as it used to when Tybalt's body was laid out on a slab and Juliet bumped into it and was able to recoil from it which helped establish the horror of the place.

 

Someone commented on the hairstyles of the female corps, Rosaline and Lady Capulet.The high forehead was incredibly fashionable as can be seen in pictures by painters like Pisanello.As originally conceived the costume designs were intended to be as far removed from ballet design as you could get. Georgiadis' designs have been modified over the years and become more ballet like but the hairstyle has remained unaltered.How a woman wore her hair was symbolic of her marital status.

Strictly as wearing loose hair was a symbol of virginity Juliet shouldn't have her hair up in the ballroom scene or at later in the ballet as her parents are unaware of her marriage.But there are practical problems if you dance with loose hair as everyone can see in Balanchine's Serenade where three women now dance with loose hair at one point rather than only one.As to the coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth I she wears her hair loose, as did her older sister Mary at her coronation, to symbolise her unmarried status. Later portraits show her without her hair loose to symbolise her marriage to her people. 

 

Someone described the sets as cumbersome and implied that they took up too much of the stage. I think that we need judge the set designs by their flexibility.I think that they work extremely well in establishing place and mood and allow for pretty rapid scene changes.The designs were made for a pre-technological age stage and they do the job they were designed to do.The main fixed set ensures that most of the action takes place where it is visible to the vast majority of the audience.One would like to think that somebody notices when Benvolio, Mercutio and Romeo get too close to the procenium arch or are masked by it but if other productions are anything to go by no one notices visibility problems or is concerned by them.

Edited September 28, 2015 by FLOSS

[Sim]

Thanks for that analysis, FLOSS.

 

I have sat slightly to the side on the left for both performances thus far, and much of the action takes place lower stage left, so we miss all the interplay between Romeo and his friends at the ball, and his flirting with Rosaline. We also miss it when he first spots Juliet, and the first time we see any interest from him is when they actually face each other. I so much prefer it when Romeo walks upstage, steps forward, shows us all how dumbstruck he is by Juliet's beauty, then collects himself and scurries back into the anonymous crowd downstage, in time for the face-to-face. Kobborg used to do it, and now McRae does. I wish they all did because it's so important, and many people miss Romeo first setting eyes on Juliet because they are busy watching the pdd with Paris...and unless Romeo moves it often goes undetected, no matter where you are sitting. Many other things happen downstage left that are also missed...but that is the most important one!

 

I notice that this run they are no longer raising the curtain for a final look at the death tableau after it comes down for the first time. Does anyone know why this is? It was very effective raising the curtain for a second look, it really made an impact.

[Fonty]

Yes, thanks Floss. 

 

 

 

 The business in the tomb doesn't work as well as it used to when Tybalt's body was laid out on a slab and Juliet bumped into it and was able to recoil from it which helped establish the horror of the place.

 

 

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....

 

 

 

Someone commented on the hairstyles of the female corps, Rosaline and Lady Capulet.The high forehead was incredibly fashionable as can be seen in pictures by painters like Pisanello.As originally conceived the costume designs were intended to be as far removed from ballet design as you could get. Georgiadis' designs have been modified over the years and become more ballet like but the hairstyle has remained unaltered.How a woman wore her hair was symbolic of her marital status.

 

 

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. 

Edited September 28, 2015 by Fonty

[aileen]

I so agree with you about the ball scene, Sim. I was sitting slightly to the LH side as well and missed most of the interplay between Romeo and his friends and the moment when Romeo first sets eyes on Juliet. I feel that this deprived the scene of quite a lot of its drama (for me).

[Fonty]

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. 

 

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. 

[alison]

This tells you how involved I have felt with the performances that I have seen, which for me have felt more like rehearsals and displays of faultless technique than full blooded performances.I would say anaemic,but I can't spell it.

 

Yes you can!

 

One would like to think that somebody notices when Benvolio, Mercutio and Romeo get too close to the procenium arch or are masked by it but if other productions are anything to go by no one notices visibility problems or is concerned by them.

 

By "somebody", do you Somebody in authority, who can actually make changes to this?  Because those "somebodies" of us who have to sit on the left-hand side most certainly notice when we can't see what the boys are doing.

 

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. 

 

I, too, thought that Tybalt's corpse used to be lying there, but likewise I couldn't be sure I wasn't confusing it with a different production.

 

I think I've worked out over the years that various Juliets just pick up whichever dagger happens to be more convenient (especially if they can't see where Romeo's has landed!).  I used to get very worried when I saw them picking up what I thought was the wrong one, but I guess both are springloaded, so it shouldn't matter too much.

 

I so agree with you about the ball scene, Sim. I was sitting slightly to the LH side as well and missed most of the interplay between Romeo and his friends and the moment when Romeo first sets eyes on Juliet. I feel that this deprived the scene of quite a lot of its drama (for me).

 

I always try to remind myself not to sit on the left for R&J, but rarely remember.  Even so, they *really* shouldn't be so far behind the proscenium arch that they can't be seen from amphi left, because what about all the people sitting in the slips, and the equivalent points in the tiers below?

[Mary]

Sim,  I too very much enjoyed and admired your review.

 

When you say:

Steven McRae’s acting has never moved me, but the sheer brilliance of his dancing often makes up for it, and so it was last night. His partnering of Sarah was strong and confident, and their balcony pdd was amongst the best I’ve seen. They both danced with such joy and such abandon that I truly believed they were two young teenagers in the grip of first love and first lust.

 

..it sounds to me like McRae (a happily married family man I believe) was  acting ! :-)

[John Mallinson]

…it sounds to me like McRae (a happily married family man I believe) was  acting ! :-)

 

Worth following Steven McRae on Twitter just to see the frequent posts of photos of little Audrey, a wide-eyed charmer. A very proud dad.

[Booklover89]

I've just managed to snag a ticket for Cuthbertson/Bonelli on Friday!  SO excited.  My first time seeing the Macmillan R & J.

[FLOSS]

In this context "somebody" means a senior member of the management team who can do something about the invisibility of the stage action not a member of the audience. However, as an audience member,  you could always leave a comment about the lack of visibility of key aspects of the staging by leaving a message on the Covent Garden website where they ask you to say what you thought of the performance. Last year, early on in the season, several people complained about the effect of the atmospheric lighting in the Branstrup piece which had transferred from the Snape Maltings. At the second performance the lighting was significantly improved.

 

As far as the staging of the tomb scene is concerned Juliet's last resting place used to be flanked by two slabs, one on either side of it.The slab on the right was occupied by Tybalt's body and that on the left by another body, This second slab allowed Romeo to linger behind it before stepping from behind it to confront Paris.It used to be much clearer that Paris had drawn his dagger than is the case now, so it didn't look as if Romeo had become a homocidal maniac.

 

As this latest revival is supposed to represent a return to the original choreographic text with the accretions of additional stage business removed it would be fascinating to know how far back they have actually gone and whether some of the changes are the result of Lady M's intervention rather than a return to the choreographic "ur-text". I can't help feeling that it is a pity that no one seems to have involved people like Seymour and Drew in this revival.

 

While they have tightened up the sword fights, and not before time,there are a couple of sections in the text that still need work to be done on them to improve their effectiveness. There are still several occasions where one of the main characters is confronted by three opposing swordsmen and yet is able to turn his back on them without anyone stabbing him in the back.It is so nice to think that, while they ignore Duke Escalus, the youth of Verona brawl according to a set of rules that promote fair play and protect them in such circumstances.

 

.Can anyone account for the high body count at the end of the first brawl? In the act one fight scene you are lucky to see anyone hit during the sword fight let alone mortally wounded.Does anyone know why there are suddenly so many dead bodies? As far as I can see they all die spontaneously perhaps from over exertion.The second bit of action that needs work to sort it out is the sword fight with Romeo after Mercutio's death. During the course of the fight Tybalt runs to the steps and jumps off them for no apparent reason as Romeo is nowhere near him. When I first saw the ballet Romeo used to force Tybalt, generally David Drew, up the a couple of the steps during the course of the fight. Tybalt then escaped Romeo by slipping round the pillar to the left of the steps;before he met his end centre stage.It used to look a bit like the sword fight in the Prisoner of Zenda between Ronald Coleman and Basil Rathbone,which for all I know was MacMillan's source material.Then there is the problem of Tybalt's death throes. I have only seen one Tybalt who managed to make the scene work. After he had received his fatal wound instead of getting up and throwing himself about on the stage as if he was trying to score a try this Tybalt looked up totally bewildered and kept on trying to get to his feet. He kept slithering back on to the stage a bit like an animal that had been pole axed.I can't remember who the dancer was,but I am certain that the performance took place during MacMillan's lifetime. I  thought at the time that instead of merely approving the performance MacMillan must have been overjoyed by it as it was one of the few truly successful accounts of the scene that I have seen.

 

As for the harlots,the roles were created on dancers with real stage presence and strong technique who could make walking across the stage compelling.For years Bergsma and Mason were  the company's regular Lilac Fairies and Myrthes If the scenes involving the harlots lack impact that has to be because of the way the roles are cast as the choreography has not been altered.The harlots should provide a contrast with the townswomen and all the other women that you see in the ballet including Juliet by their confidence in themselves which is expressed in their steely technique,large scale dancing and vibrant stage personalities.They have become exceptionally boring over the years as the roles have increasingly been given to dancers who dance daintily have limited stage presence and are just too ladylike.  

Edited September 28, 2015 by FLOSS

[loveclassics]

 

 

The second bit of action that needs work to sort it out is the sword fight with Romeo after Mercutio's death. During the course of the fight Tybalt runs to the steps and jumps off them for no apparent reason as Romeo is nowhere near him. When I first saw the ballet Romeo used to force Tybalt, generally David Drew, up the a couple of the steps during the course of the fight. Tybalt then escaped Romeo by slipping round the pillar to the left of the steps;before he met his end centre stage.It used to look a bit like the sword fight in the Prisoner of Zenda between Ronald Coleman and Basil Rathbone,which for all I know was MacMillan's source material.

 

Actually it was Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr in the 1937 version but that particular move occurs in many swashbuckling films including Errol Flynn's Robin Hood in which he was fighting Basil Rathbone.

 

Linda

Edited September 28, 2015 by loveclassics