Rosie Kay Dance Company - Romeo & Juliet & Birmingham Royal Ballet - Radio & Juliet, Birmingham, October 2021

[Jan McNulty]

I saw both performances of this double bill yesterday.

 

I really enjoyed Rosie Kay's reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet for the modern knife-crime age.  It was full of life and the dance movements incorporated hip hop and contemporary.  The set consisted of what looked like giant tv ariels and satellite dishes.  The lighting was excellent - the stage was dark but you could see all the dancers.  There was a gorgeous duet in the middle of the piece for Juliet and Romeo, full of the tenderness and yearning of youth.  Fabulous!

 

After the interval we finally got to see Birmingham Royal Ballet performing Edward Clug's Radio and Juliet.  The seven dancers (one cast for all 4 performances) were, without exception, absolutely fabulous.  Some of the choreography for the men's ensemble was great.  Again there was a lovely duet for Juliet and one of the Romeos (Yaoqian Shang and Tyrone Singleton).  The music was by Radiohead.  Sadly despite the abundance of talent on stage it felt a bit flat for me compared to the vivacity of the preceding Rosie Kay piece.

 

This was an interesting programme but if I am booking for Birmingham Royal Ballet I am sorry but I would like to see more of them and less of guest companies.  (Rosie Kay - 75 mins vs BRB 55 mins).

 

The last 2 weeks were an intriguing idea of presenting 3 different Romeo and Juliets but I think it was only partially successful.

 

I await with interest to see what is programmed beyond Don Quixote in 2022.

 

 

[maryrosesatonapin]

Thanks for the update, Janet!  I had been tempted but my ballet budget is currently blown   And I agree that we need more BRB and less of any guests, however good they are.  I do hope Acosta is going to have plenty of traditional stuff amongst his exciting new ideas.  Was the auditorium full?

[Jan McNulty]

4 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

 Was the auditorium full?

 

The afternoon was still a socially distanced performance so hard to judge but the evening attendance was abysmal.  I think many theatres are still suffering from people's nervousness about attending packed auditoria.

[maryrosesatonapin]

That is such a shame, and worrying.  I so want BRB to thrive!

 

[alison]

3 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

This was an interesting programme but if I am booking for Birmingham Royal Ballet I am sorry but I would like to see more of them and less of guest companies.

 

Hear, hear.

[Two Pigeons]

For a couple of reasons I have taken the decision to sever my links with BRB.  However, this does not mean that I do not wish that the company shouldn't thrive.  But from my distant standpoint I share Janet's view that the Company should receive top billing in its own programming.  I think the current dash for a new, younger audience may be counterproductive.

[Mary]

It is a great shame. Perhaps not surprising that people are not booking, given nerves, and given an unknown piece- surely this is the time for the well-loved classics- and many people will want to see the company they know and were not able to see, after all, for so long. It doesn't sound that good for the BRB dancers either...

 

 

 

[Two Pigeons]

I think there is a genuine dichotomy here for the Company.  I agree your point that this may well be a time for the real 'tried and tested' approach to the repertoire in order to provide a more familiar product for the audience.  However, from my recent dealings with the Company and the points raised in the most recent issues of Entrechat and Dancing Times the clear emphasis seems to be on a different repertoire aimed at a new, younger and more diverse audience.

 

To say that the timing for such major changes is unfortunate is an understatement.  A new audience cannot be built in a hurry so this may not be the time to reject the more established one.

 

I share your concern for the effect on the dancers, and I would add to that the effect on the orchestra.