Jan McNulty Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 English National BalletManonNational Tour 17 October 2018 - 20 January 2019www.ballet.org.uk/manon Continuing its commitment to UK touring and presenting world-class ballet to the widest possible audience, Autumn 2018 sees English National Ballet present Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon outside of London for only the second time in 30 years. English National Ballet will present Manon in Manchester (17-20 October), Milton Keynes (24-27 October) and Southampton (31 October–03 November) followed by performances at the London Coliseum (16-20 January 2019). English National Ballet, Manon. Dancers: Alina Cojocaru and Isaac Hernández © Jason Bell. Art Direction and Design Charlotte Wilkinson Studio. Famous for its expressive choreography and dramatic challenge, Manon features some of the most demanding and fulfilling roles in ballet. Manon is accompanied by Jules Massenet’s haunting music performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. The young and naïve Manon is torn between two lives: privilege and opulence with the wealthy Monsieur GM, or innocent love with the penniless student Des Grieux.Aristocrats and beggars, courtesans and harlots fill the stage as audiences are taken from a gambling den in 18th-century Paris to a desolate Louisiana swamp in this, one of British ballet’s most dramatic stories. Alongside Manon, English National Ballet also presents Swan Lake as part of its Autumn Tour. Further details can be found at www.ballet.org.ukNotes to Editors Listings information for Manon ManonManchester Opera HouseWednesday 17 October – Saturday 20 October 2018Box Office: 0844 871 3018 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon ManonMilton Keynes TheatreWednesday 24 October – Saturday 27 October 2018Box Office: 0844 871 7652 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon ManonMayflower Theatre, SouthamptonWednesday 31 October – Saturday 03 November 2018Box Office: 02380 711811 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon ManonLondon ColiseumWednesday 16 January – Sunday 20 January 2019Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 Sadly there are already special offers in Manchester: https://www.manchestertheatres.com/emails/enb-manon.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Any idea when casting will be announced for Manchester, Janet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 ENB usually announce quite early but no I have no idea. Sadly, because of other commitments, I can only go on the Saturday night or i would have been there all week!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I think that we can anticipate that the Manons will be Cojocaru, Rojo, Takahashi, Dronina, Cao and, perhaps, Kase. They will be very different from one another but all will be excellent in their own way. The casting might not issue as soon as we would like as the Lest We Forget Programme at Sadlers Wells precedes the Manon tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdove Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I'd like to see Alison Mcwhinney given an opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 3 hours ago, capybara said: I think that we can anticipate that the Manons will be Cojocaru, Rojo, Takahashi, Dronina, Cao and, perhaps, Kase. They will be very different from one another but all will be excellent in their own way. Well, we know from previous experience that 3 of them are. I did wonder whether Kase might get Lescaut's Mistress, though - after all, there are 4 major roles in this ballet, and I'm not sure how many dancers will be dancing those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHowarth Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 (edited) 13 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: Sadly there are already special offers in Manchester: https://www.manchestertheatres.com/emails/enb-manon.htm Wow! Wish I hadn't booked the day they went on-sale... Edited to add: with the ATG fees, of course, those tickets will be closer to £30 and £35... Edited August 10, 2018 by RHowarth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, RHowarth said: Wow! Wish I hadn't booked the day they went on-sale... Not that I don't like a bargain but it is so sad. When ENB did it last time around I was at the first night in Manchester, which was the ATG half price night, and even then it was less than half full. I think the company are really brave in trying to bring something different to the provinces but for how much longer will they be able to do this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHowarth Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: I think the company are really brave in trying to bring something different to the provinces but for how much longer will they be able to do this. For the La Sylphide/Song of the Earth double bill in the autumn, I had a ticket for the upper circle and was moved to the middle of the sixth row of the dress circle. As you say, great for me - I love a bargain - but not good for the company. To be honest, it's cheaper and almost quick for me to go to London on an advanced fare than it is to get to Manchester (the Transpennine Express being so slow). I see ENB in Manchester to try and make sure they keep going there! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 3 minutes ago, RHowarth said: To be honest, it's cheaper and almost quick for me to go to London on an advanced fare than it is to get to Manchester (the Transpennine Express being so slow). I see ENB in Manchester to try and make sure they keep going there! It's not cheaper for me to go to London, being so much closer to Manchester than you but as you say, I keep going there to see them in the hopes that they keep coming (and also to see you if we coincide!!). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHowarth Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 We will coincide, Janet, as I will be there on the Saturday night (as well as Sat afternoon and Friday night). As you know, I have free bed and board in Manchester - so I'm not being quite as altruistic as I make out in choosing Manchester over London! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 On 09/08/2018 at 18:14, Jan McNulty said: Sadly there are already special offers in Manchester: https://www.manchestertheatres.com/emails/enb-manon.htm I already booked for Saturday afternoon, so would have well displeased if they were now cheaper. Still, disappointing that something of this quality is not selling well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 I saw Manon twice last time in Manchester my original booking was cast with Takahashi who was good but I managed to get Klimentova and Vogel after casting was announced and they just blew me away. This version is so much better than RB thanks to its pared back sets. Hoping for good casting then I'll book Manchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 On 09/08/2018 at 20:31, Jan McNulty said: ENB usually announce quite early but no I have no idea. Sadly, because of other commitments, I can only go on the Saturday night or i would have been there all week!! I only go to Manchester matinees, since last train home, 7:30. I hadnt realised how poorly it has been supported, so as stated, most important for us all to buy tickets. Dont really care who is performing, all are good, still looking forward to casting. Pretty miserably that the last train to Carlisleleaves 7:30 when I can get the Caledonian sleeper from Euston leaving just before midnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 I'm quite surprised, TBH that ENB are touring Manon again. When it toured some years ago it absolutely bombed (goodness only knows why). So much so (it was an Autumn tour in the days when the company used to do Spring & Autumn UK tours) that dates for the following Spring were cancelled before the tickets even went on sale. In my, sad, experience audiences in the North are not hugely adventurous and if it is something that is not one of the Tchaikowsky big 3, Coppelia or Romeo and Juliet or a Russian company then it is not likely to sell well. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 I seem to recall Janet that one matinee performance of Manon in (I think) Manchester was cancelled by ENB the last time - under the previous Director - due to lack of audience. I must confess I was surprised that they were doing Manon as - if memory served - it did not sell that particularly well for them in London as well. Perhaps that will have changed now. I very much hope so as the Company is in such fine fettle. Time - as it always does - will tell. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 On 09/08/2018 at 18:12, Jan McNulty said: English National BalletManonNational Tour 17 October 2018 - 20 January 2019www.ballet.org.uk/manon Continuing its commitment to UK touring and presenting world-class ballet to the widest possible audience, Autumn 2018 sees English National Ballet present Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon outside of London for only the second time in 30 years. English National Ballet will present Manon in Manchester (17-20 October), Milton Keynes (24-27 October) and Southampton (31 October–03 November) followed by performances at the London Coliseum (16-20 January 2019). English National Ballet, Manon. Dancers: Alina Cojocaru and Isaac Hernández © Jason Bell. Art Direction and Design Charlotte Wilkinson Studio. Famous for its expressive choreography and dramatic challenge, Manon features some of the most demanding and fulfilling roles in ballet. Manon is accompanied by Jules Massenet’s haunting music performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. The young and naïve Manon is torn between two lives: privilege and opulence with the wealthy Monsieur GM, or innocent love with the penniless student Des Grieux.Aristocrats and beggars, courtesans and harlots fill the stage as audiences are taken from a gambling den in 18th-century Paris to a desolate Louisiana swamp in this, one of British ballet’s most dramatic stories. Alongside Manon, English National Ballet also presents Swan Lake as part of its Autumn Tour. Further details can be found at www.ballet.org.ukNotes to Editors Listings information for Manon ManonManchester Opera HouseWednesday 17 October – Saturday 20 October 2018Box Office: 0844 871 3018 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon ManonMilton Keynes TheatreWednesday 24 October – Saturday 27 October 2018Box Office: 0844 871 7652 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon ManonMayflower Theatre, SouthamptonWednesday 31 October – Saturday 03 November 2018Box Office: 02380 711811 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon ManonLondon ColiseumWednesday 16 January – Sunday 20 January 2019Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/manon I think they could have chosen better venues. Manchester and Milton Keynes are too far for me and I loathe the Mayflower Southampton but if Cojocaru is there I will probably go. They would, IMHO, have stood a better chance of full houses in Bristol, Bath and Plymouth. Akram Khan's Giselle sold out at Bristol very quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, penelopesimpson said: I think they could have chosen better venues. Manchester and Milton Keynes are too far for me and I loathe the Mayflower Southampton but if Cojocaru is there I will probably go. They would, IMHO, have stood a better chance of full houses in Bristol, Bath and Plymouth. Akram Khan's Giselle sold out at Bristol very quickly. I don't know why they aren't performing Manon in Bristol. However IIRC it was on the tour schedule last time around and did just as badly there as everywhere else. Manon would never fit on the stage at the Theatre Royal in Bath. When Northern Ballet used to perform there they had to put on extra matinees because the auditorium size is such that they could not make money even with their usual sold out houses. The Arts Council has a lot of sway with where companies are allowed to perform. Plymouth is not ENB's beat so if they were to perform there it would be at their and the theatre's own risk. A risk too far??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 You are probably right about Bath. IIRC? I know it is intensely selfish, but I so wish Alina was back with ROH. I get what you say about the Arts Council but its no good taking certain ballets on tour if the audience isn't there. I would have thought Bristol was a natural. The South West is always forgotten which is why the cinema relays are always sold out round my way almost as soon as they are announced. There are masses of retired people in the SW with reasonable disposable incomes but little access to culture. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 If I recollect correctly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Just now, Jan McNulty said: If I recollect correctly Ah, thought it was some new venue! Maybe somebody needs to use imagination regarding venues. I remember when the Kirov went to the Business Design Centre and the atmosphere was electric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Bristol gets ENB's Swan Lake instead at the end of November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavycapers Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 Sadly, this is the first year ever that there is nothing in the ENB repertoire that excites me in the least, and I have been a huge follower of the ENB for many years. Lest We Forget. I haven't. Manon and Swan Lake, done so brilliantly by the Royal Ballet so recently. Nutcracker, with much more exciting productions by the RB and the BRB, and as exciting as last year's panetonne found in the back of the cupboard. Then they're off with Akran Khan's Giselle on an international jolly, and that appears to be it...... Oh dear 🙁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 There is Wheeldon's Cinderella in the round at the RAH next summer as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavycapers Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Oh, now that sounds more exciting 😊 I look forward to that! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted September 11, 2018 Author Share Posted September 11, 2018 Official announcement that the Nutcracker is at the Coliseum this Christmas: English National BalletNutcrackerLondon Coliseum Thursday 13 – Sunday 30 December 2018www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker Continuing its Christmas tradition of presenting a Nutcracker production each year since 1950, English National Ballet’s Nutcracker returns to the London Coliseum this festive season, following sold out performances in 2016 and 2017. On a sparkling Christmas Eve in a frost-dusted Edwardian London, Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker doll discover a magical world, where she battles with the Mouse King and meets a handsome stranger. As the air grows colder, Clara and her valiant Nutcracker take a hot air balloon ride across London to the glistening Land of Snow where her adventure really begins. Over 100 dancers and musicians bring to life the popular Tchaikovsky score featuring the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Waltz of the Flowers, performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. Based on a concept by Toer van Schayk and Wayne Eagling, Nutcracker has choreography by Wayne Eagling and music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with design by Peter Farmer and lighting by David Richardson. To coincide with Nutcracker, English National Ballet will host a range of workshops and events, aimed to provide a gateway into the world of ballet. Activities include on-stage workshops for all ages, Live Drawing, Family Events, and behind-the-scenes talks. The Family Friendly performance of Nutcracker is on Sunday 30 December, 2pm. Children under 5 may attend this performance and up to two children under 16 can go free with each full paying adult. For more details, see www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on Ends For further information about English National Ballet and to book tickets visit www.ballet.org.uk. Please note performance details are subject to change. Notes to Editors Listings: NutcrackerLondon Coliseum Thursday 13 December – Sunday 30 December 2018 Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker About English National Ballet English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has played a major role in the growth and history of ballet in the UK. Today, English National Ballet is renowned for taking world-class ballet to the widest possible audience through its national and international tour programme, offsite performances at festivals including Glastonbury and Latitude, its distinguished orchestra English National Ballet Philharmonic, and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice and delivery, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s. Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo, English National Ballet has gained new acclaim as it introduces innovative new works to the Company’s repertoire while continuing to honour and reinvigorate traditional ballet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Still no Manchester Manon casting available yet I take it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 (edited) Casting has been announced for the ENB Manon tour (not yet for London next year). RUPERT PENNEFATHER - late of the RB - joins the Company as a guest to dance Des Grieux. Who will dance the role of Manon? Casting for our national tour of Manon has been announced We're thrilled to announce Principal casting for the national tour of Manon. Alina Cojocaru, Jurgita Dronina, Emma Hawes and Alison McWhinney debut in the title role with English National Ballet, while Erina Takahashi and Begoña Cao return to the role. Joseph Caley, Jeffrey Cirio, Isaac Hernández, Francesco Gabriele Frola and Aitor Arrieta make their debuts in the role of Des Grieux with English National Ballet. Former Royal Ballet Principal Rupert Pennefather joins as a Guest Artist in the same role – his first performance with the Company. Casting for the London performances is yet to be announced.Exact casting here Here the young Italian new ENB Company Principal - Francesco Gabriele Frola - so wonderful in the lead role of of Neumeier's Nijinsky in Paris last year with NBoC - rehearses the first bedroom PDD with Alison MacWhinney under Gary Harris' tutelage. Edited September 14, 2018 by Bruce Wall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdove Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Delighted to see Alison Mcwhinney given Manon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Omg I can’t believe Rupert Pennefather is going to dance this (or anything) again. No one seems to know where he’s been since he left the RB. I had no idea he was still dancing! Can anyone fill in the gaps of what he’s been doing? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 (edited) Some potentially exciting casting for Manon on tour although I wish that they'd also give the Lescauts and Mistresses. I think that the separate thread (which headlines Pennyfather) is unfortunate as it detracts from the ENB dancers who are, after all, the 'main menu'. I think I saw that Rupert was involved in a gala in Lucerne a while ago along with some French dancers. But, apart from that, his last three years seem shrouded in mystery. Edited September 14, 2018 by capybara 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 I did not see that coming! (I had hopes for another couple of guest artists ). I thought Des Grieux was one of Pennefather's best roles, back at the Royal Ballet, so it'll be interesting to see how he is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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