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Ballet Returns To Birmingham
NEWS
‘Edward Clug’s Radio and Juliet is an exciting new addition to Birmingham Royal Ballet’s repertory; photo: SNG Maribor Ballet © Marta Tiberiu.
BALLET RETURNS TO BIRMINGHAM
Birmingham’s very own worldclass ballet company returns to Birmingham Hippodrome stage this October. Director Carlos Acosta, who took on his role just before the pandemic hit in spring 2020, leads his new Company in what is effectively his first real season at the helm! And his programming sets the tone for a new and vibrant offering as part of our city’s acclaimed artistic output.
The season opens with Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s glorious interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, a ballet Acosta himself has starred in many times. This autumn he’ll be behind the scenes, coaching the talented young stars of the Company in what he declares is ‘one of my favourite roles, full of friendship, passion and loss’ and helping them grow their own individual interpretations of what is surely one of the most powerful love stories ever told.
MacMillan created this production especially for the Company in 1991 and it has become central to the Company’s repertory. It’s a full-company piece and the action ranges from bustling market scenes to intimate family moments. The scenery and costumes paint a rich picture of medieval life, with monumental stone columns that cleverly conjure up the action-packed marketplace of Verona, a moonlit garden and the famous balcony, and the magnificent hall in which the fateful Capulet ball takes place, setting in motion this tragic story of love, brotherhood and despair.
Of course one of the outstanding elements of the Company’s performances is the presence of the members of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia in the pit, performing Prokofiev’s rich and heart-stirring score live.
For the second week of the season Carlos has curated a double bill: R&J Reimagined. The second part of the programme will be announced shortly, but the Company is already deep in rehearsal for Radio and Juliet, a one-act ballet by Romanian choreographer Edward Clug that reinterprets Shakespeare’s story and retells it from Juliet’s point of view.
This new introduction to the Company’s repertory has been an international hit since its creation in 2005 for Ballet Maribor in Slovenia. It uses 11 songs by the group Radiohead as its soundtrack to create a striking background against which this familiar story is reshaped – with a dark intensity - through Clug’s unique movement. As Clug himself says, ‘You could call this quite a twisted version... My intention was not to retell the story but offer the audience an experience from a different perspective.’ be performing a specially adapted version of Sir David Bintley’s Royal Albert Hall production of The Nutcracker at Birmingham Hippodrome. This spectacular production brings the orchestra out of the pit and up onto a platform raised above the stage. Projections are used to create many of the magical transformations of the story. (Sir Peter Wright’s original 1990 production will return to the stage in 2022 following a comprehensive refurbishment that will see it ready to delight Birmingham audiences for another 30 years.)
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action as Carlos Acosta takes the helm of one of our city’s flagship arts organisations. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s performances at Birmingham Hippodrome are the perfect night out with family and friends, or to entertain clients and business partners.
