English National Ballet - Manon - National Tour & London, 2018/9

[Jan McNulty]

ENB are using the Royal Danish Ballet's set and costumes.  The stage in Copenhagen is on the small side.

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

 

The 'puff balls' were the Harlots; the 'longer skirts' were the Courtesans.

There is a similar costume distinction in the RB's version.

 

I hadn't realised there was supposed to be a distinction. They all seemed to be behaving in the same sort of way!

[alison]

20 hours ago, Nogoat said:

 

We’ve been blessed with many of the ‘great’ narrative ballets over the last year; Giselle, Swan Lake, Mayerling, La Bayadere - and now Manon from the ENB.

 

 

And of course from the RB prior to that.

 

One thing I have been very conscious of, in this run, and particularly when I've been sitting in the upper reaches of the house, is that the ballet was designed for the Royal Opera House, with its centre-closing, "Italian" tabs - and the scenes are designed generally to finish with those tabs closing on a more or less central tableau.  When you have a curtain descending in a simple horizontal line, as at the Coliseum, it doesn't have the intended effect, because audiences in different parts of the theatre will have a different experience.  Sitting in the back of the balcony, I found the curtain came down too soon and obscured action I should still have been able to see, but at the same time if the timing had been different audiences in the front stalls would have gone on watching for too long.  It must have been quite difficult for the dancers, knowing when to "finish", I think.

[alison]

On 20/01/2019 at 22:24, Dawnstar said:

ETA Thank you @Irmgard & @alison who encouraged me in the Manon casting thread to go on Friday as well as today and thank you to the incompetant manager who cancelled my temp job at the last minute so I was free to go! I am deeply grateful for having experienced Friday's performance.

 

My pleasure   

[RuthE]

3 hours ago, capybara said:

 

The 'puff balls' were the Harlots; the 'longer skirts' were the Courtesans.

There is a similar costume distinction in the RB's version.

 

When I posted a photo of the cast list on Facebook the other day, a friend asked how one might become promoted from Harlot to Courtesan. I’m sure the right answer is that one finds a protector of suitable means and takes it from there! But I suggested that the distinction was perhaps the other way around: a Courtesan can too easily be relegated to Harlot if she fails to keep it classy...

[Irmgard]

1 hour ago, alison said:

 

My pleasure   

Ditto!

[Scheherezade]

isn't it true to say that courtesans were cultured, intelligent, talented in music and writing, led fashion trends and were valued for their wit and conversation whereas harlots merely sold sex.

[RuthE]

Of course, but they had to get there somehow to begin with. I imagine that the right rich lover to start somebody off in their career would be of great benefit to a woman with the talent to develop the skills you describe.

[Nogoat]

6 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Nogoat was the Coliseum itself part of the issue?

I don't think it has anything like the sort of almost magical  atmosphere that  somehow is instilled within the  ROH auditorium. 

Things at the Coli seem more perfunctory for some reason... as with the dearth of  curtain calls or flowers at the end, which I have mentioned before - you leave feeling a bit flatter than you should (or that the dancers deserve). 

Would where you were sitting  also have something to do with it?

 

Yes, there is certainly something about the ROH that adds to the magic that happens within. It's akin to the feeling you get with any place devoted to and steeped in ritual and history - what goes on inside makes it special, and what makes it special is what goes on inside.

The Coliseum is a pretty venerable old institution, but it doesn't impart that same feeling.

What I do like about it is how close to the stage it seems towards the front of, say, the upper circle (which is where we were) compared to the ROH; and it's certainly in much better decorative condition than, say, the tatty Bristol Hippodrome which is where we saw the ENB's Swan Lake.

I completely agree about the stage calls at the end - I was just getting into my stride clapping when the house lights went up, and I did feel slightly short-changed as a result.

 

5 hours ago, Saodan said:

On the sets: I want to echo others who have said that this production looks better on a smaller stage. At the Mayflower the sets looked minimal, but evocative, whilst at the Coliseum the stage appeared almost barren at times with a lot more space between stage furniture. This did provide more space for the dancing, but I felt was less impactful overall. 

 

Yes, a good point - stages don't get much bigger than the Coliseum!

 

12 hours ago, capybara said:

Back in 2008/9, I felt as you did about ENB's Manon despite some truly wonderful performances from Glurdijze, Klimentova, Cao, Oaks, Edur, Vogel, Oliviera, Gruzdyev etc.and I came to the conclusion that the staging was getting in the way of my ability to live with the characters and fully enjoy the dancing.

This season, being already accustomed to the set and costumes, I had no such problems - 

 

There is so much I like about Manon that I'm more than happy to follow in your footsteps and see the production over and over again until I'm also completely, rather than mostly, won over! 🙂

[penelopesimpson]

I’m going to stick with the comment I made directly after first night concerning the sets which simply didn’t work for me in the massiveColisseum.  I don’t go there often and Manon, fabulous though it was, simply reminded me how much I dislike that auditorium.  The Bristol Hippodrome is even less appealing with its tight seats and cramped foyers and the Mayflower can seem like a barn.  All of which helps explain whyI get so upset when they mess around with ROH which has always been truly a special place indeed.

[Saodan]

58 minutes ago, Nogoat said:

What I do like about it is how close to the stage it seems towards the front of, say, the upper circle (which is where we were) compared to the ROH.

 

My spot is front row upper circle on the sides where the price band is lower. Great compromise between price and view, better than a lot of seats at the ROH in my opinion. Especially good if you can get it at a reduced price. 

 

43 minutes ago, penelopesimpson said:

The Mayflower can seem like a barn.

 

It is so much better since the refurb, like a different theatre. I'd give it another go if you get the chance.