Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Autumn 2021

[Sim]

12 hours ago, alison said:

Talking about not seeing the whole of the stage, that's reminded me that on the first night there was some action at one point - I'm guessing either in the first scene or at the ball - when the "boys" must have been completely invisible to all audience members in the left-hand "arm" of the horseshoe because whatever they were doing was taking place behind the proscenium arch.  That needs some attention - it's a common failing.

This is a real bugbear of mine in this ballet.  Yesterday I was standing very slightly left of stage and during the important ballroom scene couldn't see any of the three boys as they were all standing too far to the left, behind the proscenium.  It is so important for the whole audience to see Romeo still flirting with Rosaline, and then all of a sudden is awestruck by the enrapturing vision of Juliet.  Yesterday, the first time I saw Romeo was when he stepped forward to meet Juliet.  Johan Kobborg used to walk upstage whilst Juliet and Paris were dancing, and then step out from the crowd and stand there staring, until he realised how visible he was and disappeared back into the crowd, to walk downstage and then out to meet J.  This made so much sense;  the audience could see very clearly what was happening.  I agree with Alison that this should be looked at.  It doesn't matter too much for those of us who know the ballet well, but for those who don't, they are missing out an important bit of what moves the story on.

[Sim]

9 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I didn't find this - their different demeanour seemed more to do with the far greater licence afforded to boys and young men. 

I agree, Lizbie.  We can still see to this day that just because you are from an aristocratic family it doesn't mean you are particularly noble in behaviour!!  Romeo is supposed to be a teenage boy, and we all know what they are like, no matter from which stratum of society they hail!

 

I think the contrast works very well.  Paris is also from a noble family, and is presented as much more stiff and proper.  That is not what Juliet wants or needs;  Romeo is warm, passionate and fun and thus pushes all of her adolescent buttons.  

 

I am sure that when the Clarke/Osipova cast comes to perform Romeo will be noble and Juliet laddish!! 

[capybara]

39 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I didn't find this - their different demeanour seemed more to do with the far greater licence afforded to boys and young men. 

 

Good point!

The debate which is now going on on BCF about the ballet and the performances has become part of the experience of seeing R&J this week. Very helpful.

However, the widest variation of opinion is in the press reviews of Corrales's Romeo.

[Sim]

Hi all.  I thought I would post up the link to the Open Barre podcast from back in June, for those who haven't listened to it and might be interested.  Not only is it a fascinating general chat between three friends (and Brandon and Yasmine went to White Lodge together so have memories to share), but ahead of her first performance of R&J with Vadim Muntagirov on Wednesday next, it is well worth listening to her talk at length about playing the role of Juliet, how she approaches it, how she has changed her interpretation over the years, etc.  Click on the link below and then choose which way you want to listen.  I have just listened to it from beginning to end for the third time and enjoyed it just as much as the first time! 

 

 

[Lizbie1]

Was I just not watching carefully enough yesterday or were the harlots more restrained than they have sometimes been? I didn't notice any crotch-flashing.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, if I'm right this is a welcome development.

[capybara]

Just now, Lizbie1 said:

Was I just not watching carefully enough yesterday or were the harlots more restrained than they have sometimes been? I didn't notice any crotch-flashing.

It was there - I could tell you the colour of their pants 😫

[Lizbie1]

3 minutes ago, capybara said:

It was there - I could tell you the colour of their pants 😫

 

Oh no 😪

[Rob S]

5 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Was I just not watching carefully enough yesterday or were the harlots more restrained than they have sometimes been? I didn't notice any crotch-flashing.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, if I'm right this is a welcome development.

 

Various things were flashed to a number of people both male and female

[Lizbie1]

Just now, Rob S said:

 

Various things were flashed to a number of people both male and female

 

This will make me sound a complete prude but I especially dislike it when the boys lift Nurse's skirt. I don't find it roguish or charming. (I did notice that happening yesterday!)

[Dawnstar]

10 hours ago, Sim said:

This is a real bugbear of mine in this ballet.  Yesterday I was standing very slightly left of stage and during the important ballroom scene couldn't see any of the three boys as they were all standing too far to the left, behind the proscenium.  It is so important for the whole audience to see Romeo still flirting with Rosaline, and then all of a sudden is awestruck by the enrapturing vision of Juliet.  Yesterday, the first time I saw Romeo was when he stepped forward to meet Juliet.  Johan Kobborg used to walk upstage whilst Juliet and Paris were dancing, and then step out from the crowd and stand there staring, until he realised how visible he was and disappeared back into the crowd, to walk downstage and then out to meet J.  This made so much sense;  the audience could see very clearly what was happening.  I agree with Alison that this should be looked at.  It doesn't matter too much for those of us who know the ballet well, but for those who don't, they are missing out an important bit of what moves the story on.

 

I had the same problem yesterday. I was trying to remember what Bracewell had done at that part in the film but couldn't really do so. Considering the piece was orginally choreographed for the ROH stage & has been performed regularly on it since you'd think it could have been ensured over the years that all the audience could see all the important moments. I know I was in one of the cheapest seats in the stalls circle (C17) but at £64 it wasn't exactly very cheap!

 

I defintely have Romeo & Juliet badly on the brain at the moment: while cooking dinner I was thinking it'd be fun if the film footage could be combined with the last cinecast footage to have Ball as both Romeo & Tybalt at the same time and then when I was watching the Formula One this evening I found myself thinking which of the drivers would look best as Romeo were they able to dance!

[FionaM]

The bawdy teasing of the nurse is direct from Shakespeare.   A quote and explanation below :

 

Yes, give her the fan so she can hide her face because her fan (fanny) is better looking than her face.

Mercutio is clearly saying that the Nurse's face is actually uglier than her "fanny," which is another word for her buttocks.

Put another way, Mercutio is cleverly calling the Nurse a buttface.

This provides comic relief because the tension between the Montague and Capulets in mounting, and the Nurse has entered forbidden Montague territory. The audience will sense the tension as the Montague boys surround the Nurse. This joke helps to break up that tension,

 

[bangorballetboy]

26 minutes ago, FionaE said:

The bawdy teasing of the nurse is direct from Shakespeare.   A quote and explanation below :

 

Yes, give her the fan so she can hide her face because her fan (fanny) is better looking than her face.

Mercutio is clearly saying that the Nurse's face is actually uglier than her "fanny," which is another word for her buttocks.

Put another way, Mercutio is cleverly calling the Nurse a buttface.

This provides comic relief because the tension between the Montague and Capulets in mounting, and the Nurse has entered forbidden Montague territory. The audience will sense the tension as the Montague boys surround the Nurse. This joke helps to break up that tension,

 

May I suggest you don’t believe everything you read on the internet? In Shakespeare’s England, fanny didn’t mean buttocks (and it doesn’t now, either, though it does in the modern US). As I understand it, the use of fanny as we know it now in English comes from the nineteenth century music halls, a melting pot of vulgarity.
 

What Mercutio says is: “Good Peter, to hide her face; for her fan's the fairer face.” Definitely calling her ugly but not (IMO) a buttface.

 

That said, the nurse in Shakespeare’s play is very much a bawdy and comedy character and I have no issue with the general teasing in act 2 of MacMillan’s ballet, whether it’s the kissing or the partial raising of the outer dress.

[Silke H]

my curtain call photos here on Facebook and Instagram

[Borzoi]

On 09/10/2021 at 16:11, maryrosesatonapin said:

My understanding is that Romeo is of the same class as Juliet, just from a rival family.  But I agree Kaneko came over as much 'classier' as you put it.  And yes, I'd love to see her with Muntagirov.

 

[Borzoi]

I want so much to see Muntagirov's Romeo, but will have to rely on the forum comments to bring it to life for me. I am hoping there will be a video capture of some sort. Have greatly enjoyed reading the comments about the R&J performances so far!

[Richard LH]

Probably my only criticism of the production (and one that seems to be  a bit of an ongoing issue for ballets at the ROH) is that I found  the stage lighting far too dark in some of the scenes. I know we need a bit of moody atmosphere at times, but mostly  we do need to be able to see the dancers clearly!

[zxDaveM]

30 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Probably my only criticism of the production (and one that seems to be  a bit of an ongoing issue for ballets at the ROH) is that I found  the stage lighting far too dark in some of the scenes. I know we need a bit of moody atmosphere at times, but mostly  we do need to be able to see the dancers clearly!

 

Agreed! I don't know if it's my eyes getting older, but I could swear it has been getting darker and darker over the years. As an example (in the finale tomb scene), I always struggled to see Romeo separating himself from the candle carrying monks - now I can barely see the monks at all! Or the scene where Juliet goes to see the vicar for the sleeping draught/poison, can hardly see any of that now, except when they both come right to the front of the stage for a wee prayer.

[Beryl H]

I didn't think R and J third act was too dark in the past, everyone seems to be following this irritating trend!

 

If anyone is interested, I've just sold Wednesday's performance and the ROH should be putting it up online shortly, amphi K66, a good one!

[capybara]

7 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

……I always struggled to see Romeo separating himself from the candle carrying monks - now I can barely see the monks at all!

Monks? What monks?

(Joking aside, I think that, on Saturday, I might have been too wrapped up in the story to notice anything other than R&J.)

[alison]

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

 

Agreed! I don't know if it's my eyes getting older, but I could swear it has been getting darker and darker over the years. As an example (in the finale tomb scene), I always struggled to see Romeo separating himself from the candle carrying monks - now I can barely see the monks at all!

 

Bracewell coped with that very well on Saturday: his robe was open to show his shirt, and he walked far enough downstage for the light to catch it.  Corrales, on the other hand, I almost missed even though I was looking for him.  But I certainly agree about the monks: I can't work out whether it's actually that the lighting's dimmer or that my eyesight's getting worse in low light as I get older - both may be true.

[RobR]

C’mon guys, we’ve all seen this scene so often we’d be certain we’d seen monks even if they’d missed their cue and hadn’t come on stage. 
 

Seriously though, and with the greatest respect to those who perform this particular role, there isn’t really a lot to see whatever the lighting is like. 

Edited October 11, 2021 by RobR

[Sim]

32 minutes ago, RobR said:

C’mon guys, we’ve all seen this scene so often we’d be certain we’d seen monks even if they’d missed their cue and hadn’t come on stage. 
 

Seriously though, and with the greatest respect to those who perform this particular role, there isn’t really a lot to see whatever the lighting is like. 

This is true, but they are a very important frame for Romeo.  It is important for those who don't know the ballet to be able to see clearly that Romeo is at the back of the monks' line and that he stays on in the tomb.  This is virtually unnoticeable now...for most people, the first time they see him there is when he lunges at Paris to kill him.  I remember in the last run someone behind me asked their companion 'how did Romeo get in there? When did he go in?'   As with the scene I mentioned above where Romeo can be almost invisible when he first sets eyes on Juliet, it really should be looked at again so that for the audience it is very clear.  Don't forget, we regulars only make up a relatively small proportion of the audience;  there are many who go who aren't familiar with the ballet, and often not even the finer details of the story/play.  

[JennyTaylor]

2 hours ago, Sim said:

This is true, but they are a very important frame for Romeo.  It is important for those who don't know the ballet to be able to see clearly that Romeo is at the back of the monks' line and that he stays on in the tomb.  This is virtually unnoticeable now...for most people, the first time they see him there is when he lunges at Paris to kill him.  I remember in the last run someone behind me asked their companion 'how did Romeo get in there? When did he go in?'   As with the scene I mentioned above where Romeo can be almost invisible when he first sets eyes on Juliet, it really should be looked at again so that for the audience it is very clear.  Don't forget, we regulars only make up a relatively small proportion of the audience;  there are many who go who aren't familiar with the ballet, and often not even the finer details of the story/play.  

 

[JennyTaylor]

I was looking for Romeo at the back of the monk's line too and I was in Row 6 of the Orch Stalls and on the right side of the auditorium to be directly opposite.  I just managed to see Romeo come in (white shirt) but then he seemed to disappear for a while and then re-emerge. if I hadn't known he was there, I would never have spotted him. 

 

Putting that example aside, I have a huge problem with the RB lighting of ballets.   Appalling is an understatement. I always sit near the front but still have issues. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to everyone in the Amphi - no, actually - the rest of the entire theatre.     

Edited October 11, 2021 by JennyTaylor
typo

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Sim said:

This is true, but they are a very important frame for Romeo.  It is important for those who don't know the ballet to be able to see clearly that Romeo is at the back of the monks' line and that he stays on in the tomb.  This is virtually unnoticeable now...for most people, the first time they see him there is when he lunges at Paris to kill him.  I remember in the last run someone behind me asked their companion 'how did Romeo get in there? When did he go in?'   As with the scene I mentioned above where Romeo can be almost invisible when he first sets eyes on Juliet, it really should be looked at again so that for the audience it is very clear.  Don't forget, we regulars only make up a relatively small proportion of the audience;  there are many who go who aren't familiar with the ballet, and often not even the finer details of the story/play.  

 

As with the first meeting scene, it's was invisible from where I was on the left side of the auditorium. I don't know if Bracewell was or wasn't visible in terms of lighting because he & all the monks on that side of the stage were hidden from view behind the proscenium arch. I was able to spot Corrales on Tuesday but that may have been because I knew to look out for him. However I don't think the lighting levels in R&J are too bad overall compared to the unbelievably dim levels of lighting that are inflicted on many opera & ballet productions nowadays. There are times in the last few years where I've been sat in theatres, peering at stages, wondering if companies can't afford to pay their electricity bills!

Edited October 11, 2021 by Dawnstar

[Sim]

I just wonder why choreographers and directors don’t want the audience to actually see the results of their hard work.  Not to mention the work put in by the artists to transfer their vision to the stage…all to just be lost in the gloom. 

[Dawnstar]

Veering off topic but I just had a funny coincidence. I'm hopping between this thread & Twitter, where Mischief Theatre are livetweeting along with the episode of their show that's currently on on BBC1. After posting on here about the general low light levels in theatre productions, I go over to Twitter & the first tweet I see is this!

 

[Guest oncnp]

Casting for tonight not up yet but Claire Calvert has posted that she is debuting as Lead Harlot

[Rob S]

And Gina Storm Jensen is debuting as a Harlot too

[Guest oncnp]

Tonight's casting

Juliet                            Yasmine Naghdi

Romeo                         Vadim Muntagirov

Mercutio                       Luca Acri

Tybalt                           Thomas Whitehead

Benvolio                       Calvin Richardson

Paris                            David Donnelly

Lord Capulet                 Bennet Gartside

Lady Capulet                Kristen McNally

Escalus, Prince of Verona          Tomas Mock    

Rosaline                       Christina Arestis

Nurse                           Romany Pajdak

Friar Laurence              Philip Mosley

Lord Montague             Philip Mosley

Lady Montague             Olivia Cowley

Juliet’s Friends              Sophie Allnatt, Mica Bradbury, Ashley Dean, Leticia Dias, Isabella Gasparini, Mariko Sasaki

Harlots                         Claire Calvert, Gina Storm-Jensen, Hannah Grennell

Mandolin dancers

                                    Joonhyuk Jun, Leo Dixon, Benjamin Ella, Giacomo Rovero, Joseph Sissens, David Yudes

 

[Jane S]

And Gartside as Lord Capulet - is that new?

[Dawnstar]

@oncnpDid you get that from the ROH's website? https://www.roh.org.uk/about/cast-sheets Because for me at the moment it's still not showing tonight's cast list, only the ones for 5th & 9th. I've been checking regularly since 1pm!

 

@Jane SNo, he did plenty of performances in that role in the last run. I saw him as Lord Capulet 3 times out of the 5 performances I saw.

Edited October 13, 2021 by Dawnstar

[Guest oncnp]

4 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

@oncnpDid you get that from the ROH's website? https://www.roh.org.uk/about/cast-sheets Because for me at the moment it's still not showing tonight's cast list, only the ones for 5th & 9th. I've been checking regularly since 1pm!

 

My bookmarks to the page you noted don't show it either.  It is linked from the "What's On" page

 

Romeo and Juliet (roh.org.uk)

Edited October 13, 2021 by oncnp