Manon, Royal Ballet Winter 2024

[Sim]

20 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

Which cast do you watch then? 

Fumi and Vadim.  I can't wait either!

[Silver Capricorn]

21 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

Which cast do you watch then? 

Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov.

[Odyssey]

I have had ear-worm all morning. I understand, when the ballet premiered, there was initial criticism of the score as being weak with one very esteemed critic being bored with Massenet! 

Previous posts have said much that I would want to echo. This was the Royal Ballet showing what it does best.  Every single member of the cast dancing their hearts out of their respective roles.  
To think the Company can field multiple principal casts that have, and can, bring wonderfully, honed, individual interpretations  (including two first soloist) . What riches !

[MildConcern]

I didn't catch the broadcast but looking at various (pirated) clips being shared by the dancers themselves on Instagram, it really struck me how different Osipova's Manon is to her first performances of the role with Acosta in 2014. I remember attending both performances fervently! Both interpretations are striking in different ways.

[Dawnstar]

5 hours ago, Fonty said:

Very difficult not to make him a bit weedy and wet, and I couldn't help thinking that as he towered over the rather diminutive  Lescaut, he should have been able to physically restrain him and protect his woman.

 

I did wonder when I first saw the Des Grieux & Lescaut casting if the height difference would be a bit of an issue! (I'm not seeing the cinecast until Monday to see for myself though.)

[Nogoat]

Last night was a tough visit to the ROH for a couple of reasons. 

 

This may sound a bit silly, but I was worried about the overall delivery of the performance itself, given that it was being broadcast. Normally, to paraphrase, 'what happens in the House stays in the House', but yesterday it was being showcased around the world, and my somewhat irrational concern must have been down to the esteem in which I hold the ROH, the Royal Ballet, Natalia Osipova and (to an increasing degree given his development and their burgeoning professional relationship) Reece Clarke. 

Of course, it turned out fine (though some of the orchestra sounded a bit 'nervous' in places), but it made me wonder just what levels of stress Kevin O'Hare must/might be under on nights like these - and that's not even considering all the other balls he has to juggle, including coping with the great and the good in attendance last night (that's over and above regular forum members, of course!).

 

Then there's the ballet itself; I know it's a story of the corruption of innocence, of physical and sexual degradation, of sadistic levels of suffering, yet I go into the auditorium actively wishing for a performance of a calibre that will magnify those emotionally-demanding, challenging aspects.

And I couldn't really have wished for much more than I got last night - apart from the hope that the powers that be will release it on disc in the near future.

 

We seem drawn to stories that allow us to consider and confront in the realm of the imagination things we wouldn't wish to experience in reality.

The genius of MacMillan is his unequalled ability to weave these dark and disturbing portraits, these 'warnings to the curious',  through the medium of ballet (though the tragically short life and career of Liam Scarlett showed similar promise in works such as Hansel and Gretel, Sweet Violets and Frankenstein). 

I firmly believe that the opera house stage is an important 'safe space' in which the worst of humanity can be, and should be, presented to us; multiple, violent deaths in Frankenstein; sexual violence in The Invitation, Mayerling, Manon, etc, etc. 

Death and sex are pretty important aspects of life, and they are the driving force (at varying levels of abstraction) behind the majority of narrative (and perhaps all?) ballets. 
Part of the reason narrative ballets such as MacMillan's generate controversy, I believe, is the conflation of the medium and the message, with the result that works get labelled as gratuitous, voyeuristic, misogynistic 'entertainment'.

I was 'entertained' last night (in the sense that I was profoundly moved, emotionally drained and would want to see it all over again), but I got no enjoyment whatsoever from most of the 'message' side of Manon - with the passing of the acts it becomes an accelerating vortex of violence, suffering and despair; yes, there are islands of hope in the seemingly unbreakable bond that develops between the two lovers - although, of course, death breaks even that at the finale. 
However, I get the most profound, glorious, and incomparable joy from the 'medium' through which that message is conveyed; the theatre, the staging, the spectacle, the music, the choreography, the costumes and, above all, the mastery and sheer beauty of its rendering by the dancers. 
That is how I square the circle - that is why, for me, a story of depravity can become a profound experience when conveyed through the magical medium that is MacMillan's ballet.

 

And, speaking of dancers, much has and will be said about Osipova. Her fanbase was certainly out in force last night and, like me, many see her as the greatest dance actress of her generation. I've said these things before, but it's appropriate to say them again - briefly!
 
Part of her strength is her openness, her on-stage 'honesty' for want of a better word: rather than play a role, she becomes the medium through which her character is channeled and manifests itself. She inhabits a strange 'superposition' on-stage where she is both unmistakably Osipova and independently Manon (or whoever) - Schrödinger's Dancer, for want of a better analogy. 

 

I've argued that dance is a zero-sum game when it comes to technique versus acting - increasing one is at the expense of the other. That may imply a null effect when it comes to overall outcome, but, having mentioned in my previous post on Manon that Osipova is giving Clarke the space in which to develop his talents, I'm beginning to think it's more symbiotic, where the mix of technique and acting opens things up in an inflationary, expansive way.

And those acting/technique skills were certainly on show last night to great effect. 

For example, a pivotal scene is that before the card-playing scam, where Clarke implores Osipova to come back to him.

I thought Clarke was excellent on Saturday, but a little extra dash of acting yesterday elevated it even more. 

At one point in the scene, Des Grieux approaches Manon, who then folds back as his arms engulf her. Last night Osipova visibly melted backwards even as he approached, seemingly caught in the radiant glow of his feelings for her. 

Later, he flings himself to the floor and lifts his head, in time to the music, in a last, desperate plea to her. When done well, it works brilliantly. Well, last night not only did Clarke seem beat perfect, but he left me with the impression he'd bared his entire soul to her through his posture and the completely open, vulnerable look he gave; that 'honesty' in performance is what she's good at, so to see him act like that bodes well for both his future and their pairing. 

Osipova's Manon left that scene having convinced me of the finely-balanced turmoil that was raging in her between the purity of Des Grieux's love for her and the materially-rich attractions of Monsieur GM; the differences between last night's and Saturday's performances were tiny - how long her hand lingered on the bracelet, how far she extended her arm towards him, the degree to which she shook her head when running off the stage.

She is always a work-in-progress, always evolving, and I think it's wonderful!

She certainly seemed pleased by it all; she gave Clarke a lovely kiss at the curtain calls - on the lips, not the cheek; again, a good omen for the future. 

 

But, Oh! how I wish the principals could have more than a couple of shots at Manon in this run! I would love to see what Osipova/Clarke - and other pairings - would mould the performance into by, say, their fourth outing!

I guess that's the price of having such a fabulous reservoir of talent at the Royal Ballet (though I could argue that any company without Frola is incomplete... 🙂 ).

 

[alison]

Talking of the corruption of innocence reminds me that I'd intended to comment on Silver Capricorn's post earlier - she's right, Des Grieux is the one who is an innocent, not Manon.

 

And perhaps I was sitting too near the screen for comfort yesterday - I wasn't in my usual cinema - but I had some difficulty in finding a clear link between Osipova's Act I Manon and her Act II Manon.

[Linnzi5]

4 hours ago, RobR said:

I’m also very much looking forward to seeing Fumi and Vadim on 23 February. 

 

Interesting to read the various reviews. Having seen a few of the casts, I very much enjoyed Lauren and Matthew.

I really regret that I haven't seen Lauren and Matthew  I am really looking forward to 23rd February! 

[Fonty]

2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I did wonder when I first saw the Des Grieux & Lescaut casting if the height difference would be a bit of an issue! (I'm not seeing the cinecast until Monday to see for myself though.)

 

It wasn't actually an issue, merely my practical mind at work (again).  Campbell played the character in a way that showed he was more than capable of looking after himself in a fight.   Lescaut is used to the seedy world that he wants Manon to join, it is Des Grieux who is the odd one out. 

[Shade]

Thank you to everyone who has posted their thoughts on this run of Manon, particularly on the different casts. What a triumph for the RB this run is. We are very fortunate. 
 

I too was moved to tears at the end of the Saturday matinee 

Edited February 8 by Shade
Typo

[capybara]

6 hours ago, LinMM said:

I do not understand how Darcey Bussell is getting in the way of the younger dancers ….she doesn’t perform any more …or have I

missed something 🤔

 

In my (clearly minority) view, continuing to have Darcey as the face of cinema relays does not help today's audiences to 'move on' to today's stars and appreciate how very wonderful they are. [And as Forum members might have noticed from other threads, I have a 'bit of a thing' about improving public recognition of those stars.]

 

I have left a cinema viewing more than once to the strains of people talking about Darcey as if she had been the lead when they have just been watching performances by some of the best dancers in the world today (whose names they don't appear to know). That is not, of course, her fault as her profile (post Strictly) remains high and that can be beneficial to ballet generally - but maybe not in this particular instance.

 

 

[Angela Essex]

@Nogoat agree with you about Reece Clark being dramatically amazing last night. I really felt his desperation at Manon being passed around and abused  with him feeling powerless to do anything about it yet enraged at the same time. A few people mentioned he came across as not having much depth dramatically, but for me watching the cinema relay that was far from true. I thought he was fantastic. 

[Beryl H]

Outside of the ballet world, the only name that registers at all if I am talking about ballet is Darcey's, people smile and become more interested, did she mention Roberto Bolle often danced with her, I haven't seen the live relay yet.

 

 

[CCL]

Just to add to my brief post from last night: Osipova blew me away. I expected greatness from her and she definitely didn’t disappoint: she lived and breathed Manon. I felt the tragedy almost as soon as she arrived on stage. Clarke was a wonderful, soulful Des Grieux; honourable and ardent. Their first pas de deux brought me to tears for its beauty and the poignancy of the music. Campbell was an utterly superb Lescaut - just mesmerising in his loathsomeness- I couldn’t look away! The whole cast gave it everything- a really wonderful performance- I went home very happy indeed and feeling very fortunate to have been there.

[DVDfan]

For myself, I think that the narrative of Manon as exploited and used is too simple. McMillan portrays a more subtle truth about prostitution, that the relationship between tart and client is mutually exploitive. 

 

Incidentally, although the demi-monde in which Manon moves is certainly debauched, there is a code. A kept woman, which is what Manon is, has a contract with her 'lover'. He provides for her and for any child of the relationship, in accordance with his means. In return, she keeps stumm, she takes no other lovers during the term of their contract and she does not steal from him.  Manon breaks both of the last two rules, and M'sieur GM is entitled to be angry about that. What tells us that he is a rotter is that he shoots Lescaut when he is bound and helpless, and laughs.

[Sharon]

11 hours ago, Fonty said:

I went to the cinema in Portugal, as I am on holiday at the moment.  Mr Fonty said he had never seen Manon before, although I could have sworn he was with me when I saw Morera in the role.  The other two friends had definitely never seen it.  There was a moment when we got there when the cinema said they were not sure if the performance would go ahead.  A problem with the feed, apparently.  Fortunately, it was sorted out in time.   The cinema was comfortably full, which makes a change from the last time I went to my local in London.

 

Really enjoyed the performance, agree with all the comments above.  I am not a die hard Osipova fan, as some are on here, but I thought she was wonderful in this.  Clarke is wonderfully good looking - of course a young girl would fall for him.  I didn't have any problems with his acting, although I have always thought Des Grieux is a difficult character to portray.  Very difficult not to make him a bit weedy and wet, and I couldn't help thinking that as he towered over the rather diminutive  Lescaut, he should have been able to physically restrain him and protect his woman.  I have always like Campbell in everything I have seen him in, and I wasn't disappointed on this occasion.  His drunken pdd with Magri had the audience sniggering out loud. 

 

Several points puzzling me.  At the start of Act 3, why are the women coming off the boat clutching the tops of their heads?  My friend whispered "Do they have lice or something?"  With a lack of cast lists and no story synopsis, I couldn't remember the specific reason for that gesture.  Are they supposed to have had their heads shaved, and are mourning the lack of hair, as well as generally being in a terrible state after an awful journey?

Secondly, when Darcey asked about whether or not the dancers had acting lessons, Kevin O'Hare said the RB employed an intimacy coach. I am sure he said it was to make sure everyone was comfortable with things.  I know the story involves sex and rape, but dancers are used to getting close and personal with their partners, it is the nature of the art.  I wonder what would happen if a dancer said they were not happy with it!  Demand a change of a choreography?

 

Thirdly, I do wish at the end of the performance, we could just savour the moment in the cinema, and watch the curtain calls.  Is it really necessary to cut back to the two commentators standing backstage telling us how wonderful it has been and how good the dancers were?  I would prefer a short voice over saying something along the lines of "hope you enjoyed it and goodnight.."

Thirdly, I do wish at the end of the performance, we could just savour the moment in the cinema, and watch the curtain calls. Is it really necessary to cut back to the two commentators standing backstage telling us how wonderful it has been and how good the dancers were? I would prefer a short voice over saying something along the lines of "hope you enjoyed it and goodnight.."

Totally  agree!

In fact all that chatter really annoyed me! I just wanted to enjoy the curtain calls and the behind the curtain views...

[jmhopton]

I saw this performance at the Odeon,  Preston and there were picture issues which other cinemas don't seem to have had. The ratio was wrong and the screen wasn't complete. You'd have thought the ROH would have sent out a test screen so any issues could be resolved before the performance but it continued into the start of the ballet and we missed all of Lescaults opening solo. Anyway it was sorted after that (they said the ROH sent the wrong ratio and they had to contact them to get the correct one) and we enjoyed an amazing performance. I don't think I've seen Osipova perform Manon before and was really looking forward to it and she didn't disappoint. Can't really add much to what everyone has already said about the passion and commitment she brought to the role.  Everytime I see it I marvel anew that after such a demanding ballet both of the main protagonists have the physical and mental strength to get through the final pas de deux, let alone deliver a performance of such searing intensity and emotional depth. Sometimes I see other companies do Ashton or Macmillan and while the main dancers are excellent the crowd scenes or character roles don't always have the same impact as they do at the ROH where every person onstage (in however small a role) is invested in contributing to the success of the ballet. We're just so lucky to have such a rich repertoire to call upon and great teachers to impart every nuance of every role. Being filmed as well and showcasing this wonderful Company to the world makes it even more special, especially for a ballet like Manon where every movement and expression is so important in revealing plot and character.  It is a bit of a 2 edged sword because you're very aware you can only see what the camera focuses on, whereas in a ballet like Manon there are storylines round every single person on stage. But the camera does enable you to pick up gestures and expressions you may miss in the theatre and does add to your enjoyment and interpretation of plot and emotional depth. I'm going again Sunday and still have 2 live performances of Vadim and Fumi to look forward to as well as Hayward and Sambes matinee. Bliss!

[Tattin]

I was at the cinema screening and most of my feelings about the performance have already been stated  in one post or other so I'll be brief:

Osipova's pointe shoes really worried me; I thought she was going to do herself serious damage by the end of the performance. Just look at them in the photographs!!  Her ability to BECOME Manon reminded me of Macmillan's first great dance actress - those of you whose ballet memories go back a good number of decades will know who I am referring to, the great Lynn Seymour, of course, though I never saw her dance Manon. 

Clarke expressed beautifully the turmoil of feelings he was going through and his arabesques were absolutely to die for!

Magri brought a great range of complex feelings into her dancing as Lescaut's mistress. I was very impressed as this is not an easy role from the acting point of view.

And I noted the lovely dancing of the two main whores, Yuhui Choe and Melissa Hamilton (how I wish I could see her performance as Manon),

And for those of you who have mentioned Darcey Busseli's presentation: she has indeed improved enormously  - I put that down partly to her experience as the president of the judges at the Prix de L last week.

 

[Dawnstar]

I succumbed to temptation & picked up a rush ticket for Cuthbertson/Ball on Wednesday. I entirely blame Forum members' comments, both in writing & in person, for this!

[Scheherezade]

21 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I succumbed to temptation & picked up a rush ticket for Cuthbertson/Ball on Wednesday. I entirely blame Forum members' comments, both in writing & in person, for this!

 

I really enjoyed them at the general rehearsal, Dawnstar. Seems a long time ago now.

[Missfrankiecat]

22 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I succumbed to temptation & picked up a rush ticket for Cuthbertson/Ball on Wednesday. I entirely blame Forum members' comments, both in writing & in person, for this!

Be sure to let us know how you find it, please.  I haven't seen Cuthbertson in a leading role for a long time, so am very curious but there were just too many pairings I wanted to see this time.

[Dawnstar]

4 minutes ago, Missfrankiecat said:

Be sure to let us know how you find it, please.  I haven't seen Cuthbertson in a leading role for a long time, so am very curious but there were just too many pairings I wanted to see this time.

 

The last time I saw her in a lead role was Juliet 2 years ago, unless you count half of Swan Lake Act I a few months later. There are too many pairings I want to see too - and the problem is I'll be trying to get rush tickets for all of them! (Dreading next week's rush as I've realised I'll be trying to get tickets for 2 different performances & that probably won't work.)

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

I succumbed to temptation & picked up a rush ticket for Cuthbertson/Ball on Wednesday. I entirely blame Forum members' comments, both in writing & in person, for this!

You won't regret it.  Hope to see you there. 

 

[Jamesrhblack]

I was hugely impressed by the broadcast, as watched in an almost full Kino in Rye. Many people have already written at length more eloquently than I can of their impressions. I was very taken with idea of Lescaut’s drunken solo being a metaphor for his beginning to lose control of the situation.

 

Accordingly,  I’ll try to be brief and post only a couple of observations.

 

I thought Natalia Osipova and Alexander Campbell brought out more than any other pairing I have seen that Manon and Lescaut are of one blood. She is certainly no innocent: (I would think she is being sent to a convent after having been found once too often in the hayloft) and her subsequent behaviour makes that clear. Their facial exchanges caught exactly the sense of opportunism the siblings share, including an amused disdain at those around them, not forgetting her her peeved embarrassment at being paraded in her underclothes in Act 1 or her laughing observation in Act 2 of his alcoholic breath. 
 

Some have written that Reece Clarke was rather pale dramatically. That was certainly not my impression from the screen. Indeed, the hurt in his eyes was palpable during Act 2 and he also, for me, more importantly brought the character to life through movement. He’s much taller and bigger built than Anthony Dowell but his lines were impeccable, yearningly beautiful in Act 1, and the articulation of his jumps in arabesque was hugely impactful: all des Grieux’s misery was there and the sharp musicality as he threw himself to the ground and then looked back up at Manon in Act 2 brings tears to the eye even in recollection. I had thought Campbell the master here, unforgettable with Francesca Hayward in 2019, but I found Clarke in no way inferior.

 

i agree with the praise for the solo ‘cello although I thought the opening Prelude unexpectedly ragged and thought for one nano second that Manon’s exquisite early moving forwards (to Les cocinelles) was going to stop and restart.

 

It was a pleasure to see Laura Morera so prominently featured in interview. The truth of expression about which she spoke with such eloquence was clear to see in the company’s performance on stage.

 

 

 

 

[Dawnstar]

47 minutes ago, Jamesrhblack said:

He’s much taller and bigger built than Anthony Dowell

 

May I ask how tall Dowell was when he was dancing? I had vaguely assumed that he was fairly tall but it sounds like I'm wrong.

[CCL]

1 hour ago, Jamesrhblack said:

I thought the opening Prelude unexpectedly ragged

Yes, so did I! Not at all what I was expecting but it fairly quickly got much better 

[Silke H]

on tonight's cast sheet:

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Roberto Bolle’s first appearance as a guest artist with The Royal Ballet, when he performed in The Nutcracker with Darcey Bussell.

[Jamesrhblack]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

 

May I ask how tall Dowell was when he was dancing? I had vaguely assumed that he was fairly tall but it sounds like I'm wrong.

I’d think around 5ft 10. Happy to be corrected. Reece Clarke is consideranly over 6ft and very broad too. There’s a video of Dowell coaching Clarke and Melissa Hamilton in Ashton’s Awakening Pas de deux on the Ashton Foundation YouTube site so you can see them together there.

Edited February 9 by Jamesrhblack

[RobR]

I see from tonight’s cast list that Itziar Mendizabal is Lescaut’s mistress tonight.

 

I was very impressed by her performance in the general (tbh I’m always impressed by her) so I’m sure those going tonight will enjoy her dancing and acting.

[Scheherezade]

2 hours ago, RobR said:

I see from tonight’s cast list that Itziar Mendizabal is Lescaut’s mistress tonight.

 

I was very impressed by her performance in the general (tbh I’m always impressed by her) so I’m sure those going tonight will enjoy her dancing and acting.

 

I always enjoy watching ger too, RobR. I am sure she will bring her usual abundance of sass to the role.

[Dawnstar]

4 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

I’d think around 5ft 10. Happy to be corrected. Reece Clarke is consideranly over 6ft and very broad too. There’s a video of Dowell coaching Clarke and Melissa Hamilton in Ashton’s Awakening Pas de deux on the Ashton Foundation YouTube site so you can see them together there.

 

Thanks. That video's already on my need-to-get-round-to-watching list! Though as Dowell is about 80 now I guess he may have shrunk a little from when he was dancing.

[Jamesrhblack]

35 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Thanks. That video's already on my need-to-get-round-to-watching list! Though as Dowell is about 80 now I guess he may have shrunk a little from when he was dancing.

Yes, but even with that in mind you’ll see what I mean. It’s rather wonderful in that he looks very frail at the beginning but as he becomes more and more involved in the process his movement becomes freer.

[Tony Newcombe]

4 hours ago, RobR said:

I see from tonight’s cast list that Itziar Mendizabal is Lescaut’s mistress tonight.

 

I was very impressed by her performance in the general (tbh I’m always impressed by her) so I’m sure those going tonight will enjoy her dancing and acting.

She was on fire tonight. Technically superb and very funny in the drunken scene