My new job-ballet critic to the stars
Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 28 November 2005
My wife loves ballet, in particular she was blown away by the Mathew Bourne Swan Lake production (with male swans). For her birthday I surprised her with a trip to Sadlers Wells this weekend to see Edward Scissorhands by Bourne and his company New Adventures in Motion pictures.
Brilliantly imaginative staging, great atmosphere and a splendid show but my wife and I had a good chat in our seats in the interval about some bits we did not like or thought did not work so well. Chap in the seat behind us seemed to be listening rather attentively to our conversation and I almost made a comment to ask him how he was enjoying the show. Anyway, as the show finished (with a better second half) we realised that a cluster of people had formed around the man, who my wife suddenly recognised as Mathew Bourne himself, presumably tweaking what I believe was only the second or third performance of the run!
Anyway he signed my wife's programme and gave us a nice smile. I hope he picked up some good tips too!
Bruce
Brilliantly imaginative staging, great atmosphere and a splendid show but my wife and I had a good chat in our seats in the interval about some bits we did not like or thought did not work so well. Chap in the seat behind us seemed to be listening rather attentively to our conversation and I almost made a comment to ask him how he was enjoying the show. Anyway, as the show finished (with a better second half) we realised that a cluster of people had formed around the man, who my wife suddenly recognised as Mathew Bourne himself, presumably tweaking what I believe was only the second or third performance of the run!
Anyway he signed my wife's programme and gave us a nice smile. I hope he picked up some good tips too!
Bruce
Good job it wasn't me he heard!
I don't get/haven't got ballet. Anorexics and Popeyes prancing about in a 'look at me! I can do this!' break my foot fashion.
Maybe one day I'll get it along with opera? (over endowed women with a vibrator down mouth singing lots of repeated lines along with portly men with beards.)
Stephen
I don't get/haven't got ballet. Anorexics and Popeyes prancing about in a 'look at me! I can do this!' break my foot fashion.
Maybe one day I'll get it along with opera? (over endowed women with a vibrator down mouth singing lots of repeated lines along with portly men with beards.)
Stephen
I was of very similar mind but this company do challenge many of those pre-conceptions. Modern interpretations of the stories (Swan Lake is about a gay prince and a dysfunctional Royal Family), very physical dance that is almost as much mime/physical theatre as 'ballet'. It is also quite funny, in Scissorhands for instance one dancer wears huge fluffy slippers, has a fag in her mouth, hair in curlers and a baby over her shoulder most of the show-rather a long way from the anorexic ballerina type!
Not for everyone for sure but a piece of entertaining theatre rather than pure ballet. I 'got' Swan Lake' and was riveted by it totally against my expectation.
Opera-hmm, I'm with you.
Bruce
Not for everyone for sure but a piece of entertaining theatre rather than pure ballet. I 'got' Swan Lake' and was riveted by it totally against my expectation.
Opera-hmm, I'm with you.
Bruce
quote:Originally posted by Bruce Woodhouse:
very physical dance that is almost as much mime/physical theatre as 'ballet'.
Bruce
You're not selling it to me Bruce.
You know that quote “Try everything once except incest and folk dancing.” I'd add ballet and opera and say that incest isn't that bad, is it?
Stephen
I sat next to Lol Coxhill at a Hatfield and the North gig once. I said nothing as I was 14 and too shy.
Stephen
Stephen
Well if we're dropping names... 
I was enjoying a pint in the bar of a town pub before going to a weekly concert at the hugely popular local hall.
I heard a racket in the lounge as I was leaving and saw one of the most famous guitarists in the world. (with world-famous group in attendance) He was holding a young autograph hunter up by the lapels in a very threatening manner and shouting at him. They all looked much bigger than me so I left with a nasty taste in my mouth. (and it wasn't the draught Bass) The concert wasn't that brilliant either despite their reputation preceding them and the higher-than-normal ticket price.
I was enjoying a pint in the bar of a town pub before going to a weekly concert at the hugely popular local hall.
I heard a racket in the lounge as I was leaving and saw one of the most famous guitarists in the world. (with world-famous group in attendance) He was holding a young autograph hunter up by the lapels in a very threatening manner and shouting at him. They all looked much bigger than me so I left with a nasty taste in my mouth. (and it wasn't the draught Bass) The concert wasn't that brilliant either despite their reputation preceding them and the higher-than-normal ticket price.