Dance / Reviews
Review: Birmingham Royal Ballet – The Sleeping Beauty, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘Surpassed my wildest expectations’
Ballet has always had a reputation for being both elitist and the preserve of the wealthy, or at least it appeared that way to me growing up. A rather niche area of the theatre world. So maybe it’s not surprising then it’s taken me until middle age before finally seeing a ballet.
So, could I, a ballet virgin from a working-class background, understand, enjoy and appreciate this particular type of theatre? The Sleeping Beauty, performed by the Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Bristol Hippodrome, felt like the perfect place to answer that question.
The first thing you notice as you enter the theatre is that a large area of the stalls has taken up with what must have been a 40-piece orchestra. Straight away you feel that this is going to be very different from regular musical theatre.
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As the orchestra began to play Tchaikovsky’s score, the stage came alive with a spectacle that surpassed my wildest expectations. From the moment the curtains rose, I was transported to a realm of sumptuous sets and opulent costumes. Silks, satins, lace, and feathers adorned the performers.
From the glittering sets to the breathtaking costumes, every aspect of the production exuded opulence and grandeur. Gold shimmered from every corner of the stage, transporting the audience to a fairy tale world where dreams take flight.
But it wasn’t just the visual feast that captivated my senses. The music swept me away on waves of lush exuberance. Each note seemed to weave a spell of enchantment, leading me deeper into a world of dreams and fantasy. The orchestra was amazing and the conductor was enthusiastically applauded every time he appeared.
Even if, like me, you know nothing about Ballet, a highly technical dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century, you can’t fail to have your breath taken away by the incredible dancing by the entire company. The dance itself, the heart and soul of this mesmerizing production was at times exquisite.
Every movement was imbued with a sense of magic, from the grandeur of the courtiers’ parades to the delicate solos of the female dancers. The beauty and elegance of many of the dances was completely intoxicating.
I have never felt the need to mention the programme before at the theatre, but here it is a treasure trove of insights into the music, the art of ballet and whole articles on the company, the performers and much else beside. It also includes a wonderful comic-like storyboard to help younger (and first-timers like me) access the story.
Having this guide to the narrative was actually very helpful. Though even having looked at it beforehand, I certainly struggled to follow the events, and delineate who anyone was. Watching The Sleeping Beauty brought to mind how watching a silent movie must have been like. Silent movies would have a live orchestra and dialogue subtitles to help the viewer follow the story.
The ballet was a similar experience only without the subtitles to assist you. There are no songs to help and little acting, yet I found that for most of the show despite having no idea what was happening, the story didn’t really seem to have any relevance. You were so taken by the visual feast before your eyes that it almost didn’t need to have a story at all.
Instead, the show is all about the performances of those on stage and they mesmerised the audience throughout. And it wasn’t just the principal dancers who shone. Every member of the company brought their own unique talents to the stage, creating a tapestry of movement and emotion that left audiences spellbound.
I wasn’t sure what to expect before I went, but the near three-hour show flew by. Having never seen a ballet before I can’t compare this production to its peers but maybe that’s for the best.
This was an absolutely enchanting evening at the theatre which left me buzzing. It’s hard to imagine that there are better, more visually stunning ballet productions out there. This one will stay with me for a long time, and I certainly won’t leave it as long before I see another ballet.
Birmingham Royal Ballet – The Sleeping Beauty is at Bristol Hippodrome on April 18-20 at 7.30pm, with an additional 2pm matinee show on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.atgtickets.com.
All photos: Tristram Kenton
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