Manon
IT’S salutary that English National Ballet are bringing Kenneth MacMillan’s great ballet creation, Manon, to Manchester this week.
It’s one of the modern classics that the pampered Royal Ballet has kept to itself for years, and it’s thanks to Wayne Eagling and his underfunded but truly national company that we are seeing it at last.
And if the Royal Opera House cares so much about its duty to the world outside London, why hasn’t it sent ballets like this out on tour for so long?
In the event, it’s not got the spectacular Nicholas Georgiadis sets of the Royal Ballet version (which would have needed a fleet of pantechnicons anyway), but MacMillan’s choreography is there, and the production borrowed from the Royal Danish Ballet does have the advantage of focusing on the dance itself against a minimalist backdrop.
Manon is an ensemble piece, and the company is clearly on excellent form. But it’s also an opportunity for real interpretative genius to shine, and here the first night soloists had much to give.
Stylish
Daria Klimentova is a stylish and expressive heroine (as we know from previous appearances): she throws herself into the role of the tragic courtesan, at times literally, with marvellous effect.
There is a deep character study to be done in a relatively short time here, and if I had one cavil it’s that her face in the first two acts alternated simply between delight and grimace – but the desperation of the last act was powerful indeed.
Her Des Grieux was the young Friedemann Vogel, who by this showing is a remarkable performer (he’s new to me, anyway). A sure technique and clarity of expression balance his evident good looks.
Louche
Fabian Reimair caught the louche brother Lescaut excellently, and the comic side of his dancing with the wonderful Sarah McIlroy (superbly artistic despite the fun) was an abiding memory.
And Anthony Dowson, as the rich and nasty Monsieur GM, made a lip-curling, evil oil slick of him.
The MacMillan exuberance of the love scenes is surely, though, the highspot of the ballet, and they were done with breathtaking abandon and virtuosic skill.
Artistic director Wayne Eagling has taken this company to the heights and should be given every encouragement. The orchestra’s playing under Gavin Sutherland was a joy to hear, besides.
English National Ballet performs Manon at the Palace Theatre until Sunday, November 16 (7.30pm nightly, matinées 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday).
Reviewed: Wed, 12 November, 2008
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