THEAT
PREVIEW.
Birmingham Royal Ballet and two new play s from Scotland plus one new play from South Africa.
LISTINGS: THEATRE 48 CABARET 51 DANCE 52
l low much the move will affect the qttality of the company is a question yet to be answered. 'Wer the next few weeks the company make their lirst visit to Scotland since the move. bringing twc programmes of largely tried and tested pieces. life only new work is by David Blintley who has choreographed and danced for the company since 1970. Having won several dance awards he is recognised as one of Britain‘s leading choreographers.
‘lts called Brahms l landel V'ariations.‘ he esplains. "l‘hat's really all it is. Brahms' variations on a theme by llandel. A \ ery celebratory piece with a baroque feel. Like Beethoven‘s 7th Symphony. it isn't about anything. The piece is just about music. making the music visible.‘ Originally Blintley was all set to use a piece by Dvorak. bttt a few days into rehearsal he realised that it wasn‘t working. ‘lt‘s very romanitic music. and I didn‘t feel comfortable with it. which kind of surprised me as I know the piece very well. I’ve been meaning to choreograph it for years. and then I got in and found I wasn‘t interested in making romantic movement.‘ So instead he choreographed Brahms llandel Variations within five weeks of hearing the orchestrated version.
Like the dancers in the new company. Blintley is almost liltlpcrccnt dedicated to his art. ‘l‘ve
Brummie ' ballet
A re-named Sadlers Wells has changed address and come up with a new work and a Scottish tour. Jo Roe reports.
‘One has this terrible impression of Birmingham. but there is in fact a very fine art gallery. lovely residential areas. tree-lined streets and terraced houses.’ advertises Christopher \lourse. administrative director for the newly-titled Birmingham Royal Ballet. Last August Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet hitched up its skirts and tip-toed to Birmingham, changing its name en route. Nourse has helped with negotiations for the move since its first mention. which caused quite a stir across the boards. ‘We were worried about how people would react but I have been pleasantly suprised by the speed at which people
have adapted.‘ Still. one can‘t help suspecting Chen“ Williamsand s‘ephen Wicksmom nt tmucli time for anything else. everything I do that it is a case of making the best ofan unwanted some fine syncopaiions. is related to my work.‘ he confesses. Betorel move. If the truth were told, most ofthe dancers leave with the impression that these ballet people would saytheir hearts belongedin London. increase the numberofdancers. do more evening “ill hilcrificcanything fur pliesand pointes. Companydirector Peter Wright was seizing an and daring worksand tourmore olic ‘say. li’ itllcy letsmc into a secret. ‘I do lose faith artistic opportunity. Birmingham City Council Nourse. Although they have lost all.» istimes. Like any specialised thing it‘s a small were prepared to build dance facilities to exact cent of the company along the way. net rs \" 3d and sometimcs problems get all out of specifications and provide additional funding if and new opportunities have more than red ‘~'.‘Ll Pt" littrlimt. Sometimes you how to take a step a the sum was matched by the Arts Council of the balance. ‘lf you are a dancer. having luck and say how ridiculous it is. With all the Great Britain. The result is an impressive theatre wonderful facilities and working on new. problems in the world. that I should be worried with the best dance facilities in the country and a challenging projects is what you are interested in. l‘CCZIUSC the costumes aren't right.‘ two million-pound grant. A dancer is a dancer because they want to dance. 771“ “inning/161"! ROW] HUI/WW“ail/N’Wf’lfl (IN/16’ Ofcourse the money isimportant only as an Ultimately home life is not so important.‘ states Plat/101L812 [lit/llibler/I /3-/7.\'Ul'und Theatre enabler. ‘It meant we could raise the profile, r Nourse. Royal. Glasgow /()—24 Nov.
' DRAMA founding directorofNew Stage who had rendered both The Human : togetherC explains Finlay. ‘andthev
Theatre, ‘andlthoughtitwould be Voice and The Sound OfSiIence(Le Bel havetotallvditterentteelstothem. but exciting to do something which people Indifferent) info performable English. Ithought Itwould be a "we Idea to set don't normally see.‘ The ".10 plays weren’t wr' ten to be them In the same "Olaf '00'“ 'n Parts,
comau's plays P'0V8d 80 . in 1948 and 1990. In some respects the
little-known that translations were not stories are similar, although "'8
“ r...‘ WW ‘1 u 4.. ultrx s. it B - t . .n'
Anew Glaswegiantheatre company forthcoming. Upon reading Simon second characterisalotstronger, entering the arena nearthe end of a Callow’s version of The Infernal whereas the first one is a Victim of love: year of artistic saturation could do Machine, Finlay began ‘a big I she can’t handle her loverleavmg her. worse than turn to Jean Cocteau for its investigation to find plays that were in Similar things are happenlngv but "‘8
inaugural splash. The prince of the ; translation, or books that were in European avant garde, whose name is I print.‘ A translation of La Voix Humaine legendary, but whose dramatic works ' (last seen in Scotland at the Traverse in are normally neglected, he offers both 1984, translated and performed by interpretative freedom and a pungently Susannah York) turned up, but proved
women‘s approaches are different. . You‘re notseeingthe same style of |
play. butthere is a common tie.’
(Andrew Burnet)
The Human Voice and The Sound Of
unusual flavour. ‘There's a tendency ‘very pukka and old-fashioned’. ., ;, , .. , ' j Silence are at Glasgow Arts Centre, i for realism and nostalgia at the Finlay's search was finally rewarded ' ~ " 9'" '-’ " »- ‘-' 13-24 November, and at the French I momenff says Leslie Finlay, the when he discovered Anthony wood, Maggie McRitchie in The Human Voice f Institute, Edinburgh, 1 December. J
'l’he List ‘) — 32 November190045