I first greeted this show back in September 2018 with rapturous applause, and after last night’s press show to say that applause is now joined by loud cheering, would be an understatement.
This is just so good, clever and as a pastiche, just brilliant. Some ballet purists may scowl and howl for blood but then they are missing out on the joke. There’s no degrading of ballet as an art form here; in fact, I would say the opposite applies. As these guys showcase the stamina, dexterity and physical demands required that their contemporaries endure when performing the ballets straight.
Last night’s three-act programme featured Le Lac des Cygnes (Swan Lake Act II), the Pas de Trois intentional and de Deux, Nightcrawlers, Dying Swan and lastly Valpurgeyeva Noch.
The agility of some of the dancers when performing the mistakes – tripping, falling over, being dropped – added to the comedy gold of the show. The sight gags were also very well-delivered, especially with the height differential between the dancers.
Visually stunning to look at, the emphasis is also on the costumes designed by Philip Martin-Nielson whose use of silks and chiffons added to the effect of the dancers’ movements; floaty and very atmospheric. Elaborate sets were just not required.
This is a pure hoot and of course the show-stopper, the highlight is the send up of the dying swan sequence complete with moulting tutu performed with a comic passion by Olga Supphozova – really Robert Carter – which is simply hysterical.
With an audience genuine to extend that applause and standing ovation, egged on by the performers, this night of ballet is just top-notch entertainment with the amount of finesse being as subtle as it needs to be, or the lack of it just making the whole thing work. Multiple displays of classic ballet stances and positions, and fabulous execution of jeté and pirouettes galore. Great fun.
Photos by Jane Hobson and Alberto Rodrigalvarez
****
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo runs to Saturday 17th September at The Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT. Box office: 020 7863 8000 www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/dance-consortium-les-ballets-trockadero-de-monte-carlo-the-trocks-programme-a/. The Trocks are also on a UK tour www.trockstour.co.uk/#tour
Recommended for you
