Saturday 5 March 2022

BALLET REVIEW: Don Quixote - The Lowry Theatre, Salford.


Ask most people to think of a ballet and they’ll more than likely say ‘Swan Lake,’ ‘The Nutcracker’ or maybe ‘Romeo and Juliet’ yet ‘Don Quixote’ ballet predates all of them, originally performed in Moscow in 1869. This quintessentially Spanish story was transposed into a ballet by a Frenchman, Marius Petipa, with the score by Ludwig Mincus, an Austrian, and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production continues this cosmopolitan evolution with Han Vercauteren, from Belgium, having re-orchestrated the score for Carlos Acosta, who as a Cuban, has appropriately Hispanic lineage, directing this show with a lively and colourful feel.

This show has everything you might expect from a grand ballet production; a massive cast, grandiose staging, a vibrant orchestra and a dramatic story. ‘Don Quixote’ has all of these and yet is different to most ballets in many ways. For a start, the music is virtually devoid of strings, relying heavily on the brass section to create a vibrant Latin feel throughout. The settings are very varied, from a bustling Spanish town to lonesome plains, to a tavern cellar to an ephemeral dream sequence. The costuming ranges from 16th century knights and an eclectic and colourful array of Spanish villagers to gypsies and traditional white tutus. Also, the dancing, with true Latin spirit, is not confined to the floor, with tables and carts frequently used as additional dance stages.

Perhaps the biggest difference however is that there is no sad, dramatic pathos anywhere in the story. There is frequent humour; to quote director Carlos Acosta, ‘it’s very sunny and people will laugh a lot.’ This feeling is conveyed very much through the music, which for the most part, is vibrant and energetically up-tempo. An original added touch was to have three classical guitarists playing on stage and in character (as gypsies) to the accompaniment of the orchestra in the pit.

A truly remarkable aspect of this production is the staging, making full use of the full depth and height of the huge Lyric Theatre stage. There is little reliance of back curtain with the opening scene looking like it really is a series of huge red-brick arches with houses in the distance. Animation is used to great effect on a giant back-screen for the windmill scene and the dream scene is truly stunning (no spoilers given). Even in the wine-cellar scene, the effect is powerfully convincing, with giant stacks of barrels and a long flight of steps at the back of the set bringing over the effect of this being a huge interior. Realistic lighting of the ‘sky’ for the outside scenes not only make the sets looks real but skilfully changes to denote the passage of the time. The attention to detail is truly quite remarkable.

So much of ‘Don Quixote’ is different to other ballets and this extends even to the show’s title. Yes, it is based loosely on Cervante’s celebrated novel but Don Quixote and his servant Sancho dance hardly a step. The main focus is on the forbidden love of the villagers Kitri, played by Momoko Hirata and Basilio played Mathias Dingman, two dancers respectively from Japan and America, who provide a veritable tour-de-force througholy performing as a kind of impish Puck-type character in the dream sequences.

‘Don Quixote’ is a great antidote to despondency during these troubled times, notwithstanding the fact that orchestra started the evening with a spirited rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem, which was very well received on the review night. This is a show for lovers of ballet and theatre; it’s also the perfect show to take someone who may feel they don’t like ballet; they will almost certainly change their minds after seeing this remarkable production.

Reviewer - John Waterhouse
on - 4.3.22


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