Royal Ballet Cinderella March/April 2023

[Linnzi5]

16 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Well, now you mention it - I've thought every time so far "I thought the magic was supposed to transform the local animals into people?"

Oh, yes! I didn't think of that! Of course the animals are turned into humans in the fairy tale.  After you've seen Nutcracker as many times as I have, I just didn't even question the mice 😂

[LinMM]

Linnzi5 😂

I’m no better as can’t remember some of the details in the original story so didn’t question the mice either …just part of the whole fairytale thing! 

[JennyTaylor]

I loved last night. I say there thinking "please don't let it end". It was beautiful, moving, romantic, glorious, sheer joy.  Will and Fumi, as everyone else has mentioned, bring a different dimension to the lead roles. How do they do it - there appears to be such a connection between them and the way they look at each other is so beautiful. 

 

For me, this was the best overall performance I've seen by far and that's not just Will and Fumi but the whole cast. It was three dimensional and suddenly the characters came alive and became believable. The story flowed much better rather than with caricatures, or step sister "episodes". 

 

Bennett Gartside and James Hay were my favourite step sisters by far.  They didn't go over the top in their characterisations whilst still retaining all the jokes and episodes. This made them far more believable. They also worked as a team beautifully. In previous performances, I've thoroughly disliked the tall sister. I didn't last night as Bennett gave a more measured performance and as for James, his acting and dancing were superb. So, I felt much more drawn to them, which helps the flow of the ballet in my head. 

 

Will managed to make the prince into a real person too. So much more detail than any other Prince. The steps were the same but there was chatting to the Jester and the courtiers, multiple facial expressions and a deep connection with his Cinderella. All that draws in the audience and makes the overall experience deeper and more emotional. Fumi was exquisite as Cinderella. I've now run out of superlatives.

 

I enjoyed all the fairies, and yes, the scenery is now moving more smoothly.  What an evening.     

[JohnS]

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.

[Fonty]

8 hours ago, alison said:

 

Well, now you mention it - I've thought every time so far "I thought the magic was supposed to transform the local animals into people?"

 

Been a very long time since I read the story, but aren't there 4 white mice that are transformed into 4 dashing white horses to pull the coach?

[Linnzi5]

Act III was lovely! I still think going to Cinderella’s house straight away was a little abrupt. However, I did enjoy the scenes with the step sisters. I loved the last scene.  I hadn’t realised how beautiful the cloaks Cinderella and her prince wore were. The whole part of this scene was magical. I couldn’t fault it. It was visually so beautiful! Will and Fumi just were so radiant in all their scenes. I really didn’t want it to end. When they walked up the stairs and gold glitter fell from above, the audience around me actually gasped. I just can’t remember reactions from others in the audience like this before. It was so stunning.
 

i can’t say whether the choreography was perfectly executed or not - I don’t know it well enough and am no expert. I didn’t notice any obvious errors though and was impressed with what I saw. Hopefully, somebody here can shed more light on that, just out of interest. However, technical brilliance and perfection is not paramount to me - I want to feel and believe in the story. Last night, I was surprised to feel so much and I totally believed the love story - I am not someone who is overly romantic, so to convince me is some feat! I couldn’t get enough of Fumi and Will dancing together. They really have something special that I personally have not seen in the same way in any recent pairings in anything I have seen performed live. I adored their Romeo and Juliet and all of their other performances together. This one surprised me as I didn’t think I would feel so drawn into the story of their love, yet I was! I was hooked and pulled in straight away and it only got better! 
 

Interestingly, my companion (husband, who is not a huge ballet fan but partners me when nobody else is available) made some interesting comments. He asked if I’d enjoyed it, to which I replied I did - and then gushed, of course. He then said would I like to hear his opinion. Well. Of course, though I was surprised he was interested enough to offer one. He came to the cinema relay with me too. He said to me that he preferred the Kaneko/Bracewell performance because, though the other two principles were very technically perfect, polished and self-assured, that he felt they were not as emotive and that last night’s pairing had a chemistry that was very impressive. I have to say I agree. 
 

Last night was really special and I am so glad I was lucky enough to witness it. 

 

 

 

[MJW]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be rather negative with my review. This is the second time I have seen Cinderella since the general rehearsal.

 

First the positives: Fumi and William were a delight as expected and they are my go-to couple (now that James Hay and Anna-Rose O'Sullivan no longer dance together). Liam Boswell was excellent as the Jester and made a difficult role look effortless. 

 

James Hay and Benett Gartside were great as the sister - though there is far too much of them and they do dominate at times (not a criticism of the dancers, just the roles). 

 

The corps were great and their patterns were very effective from where I was sitting in the front row of the amphi.

 

Acts 2 and 3 work well but as others have said Act 1 is far too long and it one starts to wonder when the "ballet" will begin.

 

I think however for me the negatives outweigh the positives.  However thought it would be a good idea to blind the audience with a light show at the start clearly needs a good talking to. There is a similar light show during Alice but that manages not to do that.

 

For a new staging that made much of using magic and special effects, some of the transformations seem very clunky. I saw a stagehand helping to move the conservatory glass for the arrival of the Winter Fairy and hearing the scenery wheeling away at the end of the first scene in Act 3 rather destroys the magic. The turning of the pumpkin into the carriage is frankly a bit naff and the entrance of the Fairy Godmother later in Act 1 is hardly something special.

 

The Fairies' young attendances are frankly embarrassing and remind me of reluctant children being pushed on stage at an infants nativity play. They add nothing other than a sense of bemusement.

 

To my (very untrained eye) I thought the Season Fairies seemed to struggle and Hannah Grennell as the Winter Fairy made no doubt difficult steps look difficult rather than effortless. 

 

I'm sorry to be so negative and am booked for a standing in the stalls circle for two weeks time so I will see if I feel differently then. 

 

My seat was £112 and whilst the view was fine, I have seen much better productions and in some cases have been overwhelmed by what I have seen for far less (I appreciate that pricing is not based on how good something is!).

 

Finally - my view of the curtaincall  -

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrCG0cfok5-/ 

Edited April 15, 2023 by MJW
addition of word

[Scheherezade]

2 hours ago, JennyTaylor said:

For me, this was the best overall performance I've seen by far and that's not just Will and Fumi but the whole cast. It was three dimensional and suddenly the characters came alive and became believable. The story flowed much better rather than with caricatures, or step sister "episodes". 

Yes, yes, yes! This was the one. It worked on every level. Fumi and Will’s engagement with each other and with the audience was heart-meltingly gorgeous and quite extraordinary given the relatively short time they had on stage together. Just beautiful!

And I so agree, Jenny, with your comments about the stepsisters. Hay and Gartside were pitch-perfect. For the first time, I didn’t feel that we were being given too much of them. They - and it - just worked. Caricatures, yes, but ones that we could empathise with. 
I was also mightily impressed with Liam Boswell’s jester. Again for the first time, I felt some characterisation here. His was a jester with humanity and a sense of purpose beyond pure mischief-making or malevolence. 

A lovely, benevolent Fairy Godmother from Melissa Hamilton and plaudits to the entire cast from me. 
Oh, and I should also mention that I didn’t have that sense of “lovely, but not enough dancing” that came across with other performances. For me, last night the balance felt much stronger. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Scheherezade

[Sophoife]

I rather liked that Roberto Bolle posted a curtain call video tagging Miss Kaneko and Mr Bracewell https://instagram.com/stories/robertobolle/3081328464010297854?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

[Guest oncnp]

3 minutes ago, Sophoife said:

I rather liked that Roberto Bolle posted a curtain call video tagging Miss Kaneko and Mr Bracewell https://instagram.com/stories/robertobolle/3081328464010297854?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

 

After Cinderella, she's off to dance with Bolle & Friends

Edited April 15, 2023 by oncnp

[Mary]

20 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

His was a jester with humanity and a sense of purpose beyond pure mischief-making or malevolence. 

 I agree Liam Boswell is wonderful but, what IS the 'purpose' of the jester? Did you get some sense he was integral to the story and if so in what way?

 

[zxDaveM]

35 minutes ago, MJW said:

 

For a new staging that made much of using magic and special effects, some of the transformations seem very clunky. I saw a stagehand helping to move the conservatory glass for the arrival of the Winter Fairy

 

 

Yes, he 'appeared' a couple of times, and I was beginning to anticipate an Eric & Ernie style black boot (for Shirley Bassey) moment....

[zxDaveM]

6 minutes ago, Mary said:

 I agree Liam Boswell is wonderful but, what IS the 'purpose' of the jester? Did you get some sense he was integral to the story and if so in what way?

 

 

The only thing I can think of is his teasing of the 'shy' sister at the end, so the bold sister steps in to look after her, as a sort of redemption

[Sim]

Well, I can't really add much more to the plaudits about last night.  Absolutely beautiful performance from Fumi and Will.  Their love story was so believable, and I believed in magic from start to finish.  Will made clear that in this version of the story, a kind of spell has been put on him and he knows something is going to happen; he paces around, waiting for it (reminded me of the lyrics to Tonight in West Side Story), and then when Cinderella appears he cannot believe the beauty before him.  The way he looks at Fumi, from start to finish....sigh.  And sigh again.  She is just perfect.  She imbues the character with warmth, and the look on her face when she discovers the slipper is heartbreaking:  she knows the import of having that valuable possession.  She continues her dream of future happiness until she is rudely awakened by her step sister.  Every one of us dreamed with her, and when her prince arrived it brought a lump to the throat.  Technically, her footwork throughout was outstanding and she tackled Ashton's tricky choreography with beauty and zest.

 

I loved the step sisters; they didn't overdo it but were hilarious.  My cup ranneth over...I was veering around wildly with my binocs as I couldn't take my eyes off James Hay (talk about eyes!), nor Bennet, nor Fumi, nor Will....aarrgghhh!  I am still chuckling as I write this remembering the look on Hay's face when the shoe didn't fit; he held that look for ages and it was hilarious!  It must have been a miserable bunch up where Mild Concern was sitting because everyone around me (I was in central SCS), both sitting and standing, was chortling away throughout, and were very vocal with their cheers during the curtain calls.  

 

Liam was a wonderful jester and as others have pointed out had very good chemistry with Will;  I liked their joshing about and 'chatting'.  It seemed like they were friends and the jester was doing what he could to ensure the prince's happiness. 

 

The fairies were fine to varying degrees and I did like Melissa Hamilton's Fairy Godmother (although I really, really didn't like the red wig).  There are a few things I would change about the production/design (including making sure we can't see the stage hand behind the divider when the fairies are dancing in Act 1!) but on the whole I think it's lovely and it works.  It looks as if a few tweaks have already been made.

 

As I said earlier, I really felt that this was a true ensemble performance.  Everybody seemed to gel beautifully together. I can't explain why I felt this more than at other performances.  Maybe it's simply because magic can't be explained...and magic was afoot last night.

[Linnzi5]

18 minutes ago, MJW said:

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be rather negative with my review. This is the second time I have seen Cinderella since the general rehearsal.

 

First the positives: Fumi and William were a delight as expected and they are my go-to couple (now that James Hay and Anna-Rose O'Sullivan no longer dance together). Liam Boswell was excellent as the Jester and made a difficult role look effortless. 

 

James Hay and Benett Gartside were great as the sister - though there is far too much of them and they do dominate at times (not a criticism of the dancers, just the roles). 

 

The corps were great and their patterns were very effective from where I was sitting in the front row of the amphi.

 

Acts 2 and 3 work well but as others have said Act 1 is far too long and it one starts to wonder when the "ballet" will begin.

 

I think however for me the negatives outweigh the positives.  However thought it would be a good idea to blind the audience with a light show at the start clearly needs a good talking to. There is a similar light show during Alice but that manages not to do that.

 

For a new staging that made much of using magic and special effects, some of the transformations seem very clunky. I saw a stagehand helping to move the conservatory glass for the arrival of the Winter Fairy and hearing the scenery wheeling away at the end of the first scene in Act 3 rather destroys the magic. The turning of the pumpkin into the carriage is frankly a bit naff and the entrance of the Fairy Godmother later in Act 1 is hardly something special.

 

The Fairies' young attendances are frankly embarrassing and remind me of reluctant children being pushed on stage at an infants nativity play. They add nothing other than a sense of bemusement.

 

To my (very untrained eye) I thought the Season Fairies seemed to struggle and Hannah Grennell as the Winter Fairy made no doubt difficult steps look difficult rather than effortless. 

 

I'm sorry to be so negative and am booked for a standing in the stalls circle for two weeks time so I will see if I feel differently then. 

 

My seat was £112 and whilst the view was fine, I have seen much better productions and in some cases have been overwhelmed by what I have seen for far less (I appreciate that pricing is not based on how good something is!).

 

Finally - my view of the curtaincall  -

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrCG0cfok5-/ 

This is why I like listening to other ballet fans’ views. I can totally understand your points and you should never apologise for expressing your views -if we all agreed on everything life would be so boring. I agree on the children - some looked a little shell-shocked to me and I didn’t feel they were necessary - it didn’t  affect my enjoyment though . I can also see what you mean about the fairies - I thought they blended together well but I did enjoy Mayara’s winter fairy particularly at the relay - she was my favourite. 

 

I personally liked the transformations and was pleasantly surprised - then again, they looked worse at the cinema relay, so I went with low expectations. I did hear the scenery groan, yes. It didn’t worry me, but it was a bit concerning. I missed the hands though.
 

The lights at the beginning did momentarily blind, but I was forewarned and shielded my eyes once it happened and I remembered reading about them. I do think that shouldn’t have to happen and I did think it was not really audience friendly, then again, I am sensitive to very bright spotlights being shone directly at me, even if it was relatively brief, thank goodness!

 

Tickets were expensive, I agree. I think most of the ones I have purchased this year have been. Do I wish they were cheaper? I do. Do I mind paying for them? No. I see less performances to buy better seats. That may be something I need to review next season.  

[Sim]

15 minutes ago, Mary said:

 I agree Liam Boswell is wonderful but, what IS the 'purpose' of the jester? Did you get some sense he was integral to the story and if so in what way?

 

My perception is that he is there to help the prince attain happiness and therefore ensure that the magic works and everything goes to plan.

[alison]

Oh well, it seems as though I'm not (quite) in a minority of 1 here, then.  I've still to put a finger on exactly what it was, but despite some excellent individual performances something didn't quite work for me last night.  Maybe viewing angle has something to do with it, but there have definitely been other performances in this run which I have appreciated more.

[Linnzi5]

29 minutes ago, Sim said:

Technically, her footwork throughout was outstanding and she tackled Ashton's tricky choreography with beauty and zest.

Thanks for this. I was interested to know about that and though all looked wonderful to me, I am no expert!  

Edited April 15, 2023 by Linnzi5

[Linnzi5]

32 minutes ago, Sim said:

I did like Melissa Hamilton's Fairy Godmother (although I really, really didn't like the red wig). 

I liked her very much, but when she first entered I thought, 'Oh! It's not Melissa!' then realised it was a wig 😂. I have no idea why she needed that wig! I did think it a bit strange as nobody else has had a reddish wig to wear, have they?

[alison]

My thoughts exactly.  What's wrong with blonde hair?

[Linnzi5]

I see there are still a few good tickets left for Wednesday evening. If ROH wanted to send me a 25% discount code again, I would risk the wrath of Mr Linnzi and go! 😂

[LinMM]

I had heard Melissa has dyed her hair that colour but not sure how reliable this info is!! 

[Linnzi5]

3 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I had heard Melissa has dyed her hair that colour but not sure how reliable this info is!! 

Interesting. If that's the case and it was a personal choice, then that makes sense to me.

[JNC]

Agree with many of the positives already noted here about the performance last night. It did feel magical in some way. 
 

Kaneko/Bracewell do have a lovely partnership and definitely brought a sense of emotion and depth to what are generally pretty 2D roles. 
 

I’ve never seen Cinderella before (only the made for TV Fonteyn version which I wasn’t impressed with at all, I felt not enough dancing and too much stepsisters), I was apprehensive about the costumes and light effects and also the music is not that enjoyable for me.

 

So I was happily surprised that I found the production overall really beautiful (dare I say magical?) and overall left feeling very happy by it all

 

thats not to say I didn’t have things about it I didn’t like! 
 

I actually didn’t mind the sparkling effect at the overture but if it’s shining in people’s eyes that’s not ideal. But it did add an extra something (equally if it was removed I wouldn’t necessarily miss it). I agree that act 1 felt light on the dancing. I actually didn’t hate the stepsisters as much as I thought I would and this is credit to Hay and Gartside. I was confused by the pink glasses of the father and he felt a bit of a non character (does he have much purpose other than to have a cry and hug with Cinderella, you could convey her sadness over her mother as effectively - or more if she’s alone! - without him I think). 
 

I didn’t like the projected light effects for the fairies as it felt a bit too Disney/west end for me. Having said that I didn’t hate them either (although I found the bright green lighting for spring unflattering and distracting, I actually liked the bright glow of summer to convey the sun’s heat though). 
 

I do agree that at least one of the fairies didn’t seem technically quite up to the solos, but Choe was fabulous. I really liked the cracking open of the set. The costumes I found too bright, I didn’t mind autumn but the others looked a bit cheap and OTT to me, particularly the fairy godmother. I do agree the bright purple is too similar to the lilac fairy so a blue would have worked better for me. 
 

it felt like finally act 1 was really getting good when the stars/tutus joined the stage and I really liked the frenetic geometric choreography (very scenes de ballet!). Sadly once just once it felt like things were finally getting really good the act finished! I do think more could be made of the coach transformation but I appreciate it must be difficult. Visually I don’t mind the pumpkin flying up and splitting but it doesn’t feel that magical. I also felt the set felt cramped at times (a complaint for all three acts) where I think they should have pushed back the arches of the house completely off the stage to give more room for the dancers. I did like the golden wheat design elements. 
 

Act 2 felt much better, but again half the date was taken up with the set! I don’t mind it’s set in the garden and the dancing was really good last night; just everything felt it worked really well. My gripe would be that as an amphitheatre watcher we can’t see the clock which feels quite annoying and it’s a pet peeve of mine when sets and choreography is designed with only stalls in mind. (If anything my favourite choreography often works better from the amphitheatre to see the patterns). But really only good things to say about act 2 overall, although would agree that the jester provides some good choreography but is a bit of “filler” and we don’t see enough of the Prince. 
 

Act 3, although short, is visually beautiful in the final scene. The veil, the cape, the sparkle, it really is wonderful. (Although again why isn’t the house set fully pushed back and removed and I noticed one of the stars awkwardly dancing around the stool and broom which I thought might have been left for some dramatic purpose but then was removed so apparently a mistake or just unnecessary). 
 

the music grew on me a little bit but I still found it jarring at certain scenes in act 2 and it’ll never have the emotion of sleeping beauty, swan lake, Giselle etc for me. I did think it was well conducted and played though (but I’m no expert). 
 

so a quick run down 

 

positives 

- Kaneko and Bracewell fantastic, as we’re Gartside and Hay 

- star choreography 

- act 2 choreography 

- sets 

- some of the lighting effects for the fairies 

- costumes for Cinderella and the Prince (particularly the last act)

 

some things I don’t like 

- sets need to accommodate more stage space and be pushed back further as it sometimes feels visibly cramped 

- I personally don’t think the projections on the house arches are necessary and it feels gimmicky to me 

- costumes for fairies and godmother feel too bright and OTT

- if there is a way to make the coach transformation a little more dramatic that would be great 

 

But overall I’m happily surprised that I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I didn’t think I would dislike it, but I expected to find the sisters and music intolerable and it actually was ok (maybe because I was expecting it to be worse I enjoyed it more?!) and the sets and most of the costumes are well done. It doesn’t feel too similar to the other works in the rep (eg beauty) which is something I was worried about so I think it’s good it definitely has its own identity not just the choreography (although definitely inspired by Beauty!) but through the sets and costumes. 
 

I could probably say more but will leave it there! 

 

 

[Scheherezade]

1 hour ago, Mary said:

 I agree Liam Boswell is wonderful but, what IS the 'purpose' of the jester? Did you get some sense he was integral to the story and if so in what way?

 

 

50 minutes ago, Sim said:

My perception is that he is there to help the prince attain happiness and therefore ensure that the magic works and everything goes to plan.

Agreed. With Boswell, he also had something of the MC about him: there to make sure that everything runs smoothly from a temporal as well as magical angle. 

[Mary]

Very good replies about the Jester: I haven't picked this up at all from seeing the ballet so perhaps need to pay more attention next time.

 

I am the only person so far to enjoy the pumpkin though.

 

[LinMM]

No I did too and said so in my post….I saw it as a symbolic bursting of the pumpkin then the coach is just magically there!  
A pumpkin can’t literally really turn into a coach in real life unfortunately so not sure how else this could be done…..a pumpkin seen to grow sideways …harder to do the width rather than the height grow though….and then somehow contains a coach….as it is finally pulled apart 🤔 

This is a stage show not a film though so is bound to have some “awkward” edges to it. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by LinMM

[Linnzi5]

24 minutes ago, Mary said:

am the only person so far to enjoy the pumpkin though

I thought it was ok. I loved the coach though - the end of the act, where it pulls away with Cinderella inside was so pretty that I didn't really mind. The actual transformation wasn't of the nature of the sort of effects in some West End shows, no. Could it have been done in a different, more visually appealing way? I'm sure, with the correct amount of money, yes. I have no idea how practical it would be and the sort of money needed to do something more special effects based would not be available for this production, I'd guess. Cinderella has a limited run and West End shows generally run for a long time, so the investment is worth it for them but not for Cinderella? Interestingly, the special effects in Nutcracker always appeal to me (the floating orb, flowers that change colour - simple illusions but usually very well done, IMO).

[Balletbloke]

After my third viewing last night (which I totally loved!), the strange comedic trot the sisters do towards the end kept nagging me. I then realised that it owes a lot to Fred and Adele Astaires' "Oompah trot", which used to cause a sensation on the London stage in the early 20s. As far as I know, the only example available now is a scene at a fairground in "Damsel in Distress", where Fred dances the step with Gracie Allen. It's not improbable that Ashton would have seen it performed, but whether it was a concious "borrowing" or not we'll never know. Anyway it's on Youtube, and I'd be happy for a second opinion!

(About 3:30 into this clip:

 

[Fonty]

Did I see the step sisters doing the Fred step? Or was that my imagination?

[Jane S]

Oompah trot: I think it was a deliberate reference - mentioned in several accounts.

 

 

[Balletbloke]

4 minutes ago, Jane S said:

Oompah trot: I think it was a deliberate reference - mentioned in several accounts.

 

 

Ah - thankyou! It would make sense.

[Nogoat]

There were two things that drove us to the ROH last night (well, three if you count the car...); the chance to see James Hay as a step-sister and the chance to see the set released from the 2D constraints of the cinema screen into its promised 3D glory. We were not disappointed on either count!

 

And as an added bonus we got to meet a few of the forum members. Thanks for organising that @Sim !

 

Our eyes and brains crave the third dimension; the eyes grab the detail and the brain inflates it - the big skies of somewhere like Montana may be impressive, but you find more tourists flocking to 'lake and mountains'. Similarly, the cavernous space of the ROH stage is imposing, but adding layers of scenery to its depth, if done properly, will work wonders.

And those wonders happened last night!

The combination of 'proper', layered scenery and effective lighting (including projections, which added to the effectiveness of the scenery rather than substituted for it) gave a real sense of there being a palace a quarter of a mile or so away. And this is a real effect - mountains never look as impressive in a photograph as they do in real life because in real life the brain 'inflates' the size of things further away. So congrats to the set designers on their wonderful 3D illusions.

(Oh dear, I've just re-read the above and it sounds like a cross between Father Ted and the Open University. Sorry about that, but I think it's an important part of why the staging had the impact it did on me)

This also meant that some of the momentary tableaux adopted by the dancers at various points, and occupying a lot of the depth of the stage, were even more impressive - especially from the Amphi where we were (I always think cinema broadcasts and DVDs tend to under-utilise Balcony or Amphi level views; anything higher than the Grand Tier seems to give them a nosebleed). They enhanced the illusion, and the illusion was enhanced by them.

 

Prior to the performance we noticed how loud and 'buzzing' the audience were - there seemed to be a real sense of anticipation, which made for a great atmosphere. Also, more people seemed to be having trouble finding their seats: was there a greater number of 'first-timers' than usual? If so, what a great introduction to the magic of ballet!

 

I think it's fair to say that Cinderella is not particularly dramatic, but I was really surprised to hear what seemed to be an Amphi-wide, collective gasp go up when Fumi dropped her slipper next to the other one of the pair. It was a lovely moment that suggested most of the audience was 'in the moment'.

 

But, aspects of the staging that disappointed me in the cinema also disappointed at the ROH. I understand there have been issues with some of the 'illusions', so I don't know how they should have appeared and can only report on what I saw - or, in the case of the first transformation (Crone to Fairy Godmother) what I didn't see.

With the possible exception of Tommy Cooper, I don't think any illusionist's career would last very long if their modus operandi relied on asking the audience to shut their eyes at key moments - and that's effectively what we were asked to do last night.

The crone was in full sight, the lights on that side of the stage went out, and the Fairy Godmother rushed on stage to replace her as the lights came back up.

Less like Dynamo and more like 'flat battery'...

 

And I wasn't the only one to notice that the lighting used to create the silhouette of the crone also had the unfortunate effect of showing the silhouette of what was presumably a stage-hand crawling around that part of the rear of the stage. So we ended up not only not seeing what we wanted to see, but also seeing what we didn't want to see!

Similarly, the appearance of the coach was as unimpressive at the ROH as in the cinema. As before, there was no sense of the pumpkin *becoming* the coach, more the pumpkin triggering the appearance of the coach. And perhaps I was hungry, or maybe it was a hangover from Easter, but in my head the pumpkin did manage to turn into something as it ascended - a Terry's Chocolate Orange.

The reappearance of Cinders after the clock struck midnight was better in the ROH than in the cinema - yes, you could see how it was done; but that's the point, being able to see it done well.

 

The last time I heard the music to Cinderella in its entirety would have been in the last run; and given the choice between listening to the scores for Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella, I'd choose R&J - for me it's much more accessible.

But the Cinderella score certainly has some earworms, and I found myself humming (hopefully only in my head) some of these while leaving the ROH, on the tube, and during the long drive home. As mentioned in one of the interviews at the cinema, it does contain some 'banging tunes'.

Unsurprisingly, the orchestra got its usual loud cheer. I'm not always the greatest fan of Kessels' conducting, which can seem a bit flat at times (for example, the best Mayerling I heard the last run was the final performance under the baton of Martin Georgiev, simply because of the sympathetic depth and nuance he managed to get the orchestra to extract from the score and convey to the audience) but the cheering last night was well-deserved.

 

Maybe it's me starting to become familiar with the role, or it's the difference between the cinema and the ROH, but I was really impressed with Liam Boswell's interpretation of the Jester. He brought a bit of depth to the character and, although the dancing might not have had the same degree of energy, the fact it looked fairly effortless was a definite positive - a case of less is more?

It also raised the age-old question (which also applied to other characters last night) of the relationship between acting and technique: it's no doubt worthy of its own multi-page thread, but my own personal opinion is that it's effectively a zero sum game - a gain in one will generally be accompanied by a loss in the other.

 

The same applied to William Bracewell as the Prince. I found his character to be much more '3D' (as that seems to be a theme of this post) and relatable - eg he 'chatted' to various characters on stage - but his dancing had fewer fireworks compared to Vadim. Mind you, the role of the Prince offers little in terms of character development. There is no backstory - he's basically a combination of plot device and animated stage prop - unlike the Princes in Sleeping Beauty and particularly Swan Lake where the lack of fulfilment in their lives helps drive the story forward.

 

It must be difficult to paint Cinderella's character and develop it, as she's basically niceness personified. But it's a role that fits Fumi like a glove, because as far as I can tell that's her natural state. Fumi, of course, played the other 'pure' character, the Fairy Godmother, in the cinema broadcast, and through no fault of her own I did find myself occasionally looking at the transformed Cinderella last night thinking 'why is the Fairy Godmother on stage at the moment?'

We rely on differences and change to flesh out characters and develop the drama. It's an uphill task for Cinderella, for even the moment with most jeopardy - the clock counting down to midnight - has little in the way of real tension.

Other 'princesses' offer greater dramatic scope from the beginning; Giselle's intrinsic sweetness and innocence is threatened by her 'weak heart'; Aurora has to navigate the ordeal presented by her suitors (and by extension us, the audience!) and won't put down the spindle; Anastasia has to cope with the contrast between the idyll of her youth and the internalised horror of her imagination. 
It will be interesting to see how Osipova deals with the lack of dramatic content in Cinderella.

 

It seems strange to say, but the characters offering the most scope for 'drama' are the step-sisters. The absolute level of slapstick/pantomime seemed greatly reduced last night compared to the cinema cast of Avis/Acri, as was the relative difference between the two sisters. In the spirit of less can be more, I found last night preferable. 

James Hay's step-sister appeared much more demonstrative than Acri's, and we all agreed during the interval that his eyes played a major role in conveying his character to the audience. He is one of a small number of dancers for whom acting has minimal impact on technique, and as such is probably a more valuable asset to the ROH than is suggested by the roles he is offered.

Gary Avis usually tops my list of go-to character actors, but last night I found Gartside's more considered, less hysterical performance more satisfying - the 'meanness' of his step-sister was more deliberate than reflexive, but it was no less mean because of that.

 

I am really warming to this production of Cinderella. With repeated viewings it's less embers dying and more phoenix rising.