Tag Archives: Russia

Swan Lake, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

Posted on by

Attending a performance of the English National Ballet’s Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition for me, so when I had the chance to experience Swan Lake in St Petersburg I was thrilled.

Russia has a wonderful theatre and dance culture and Tchaikovsky is the most beloved of all Russian composers, proudly upholding the country’s musical heritage. Tchaikovsky’s most familiar compositions today are his ballets, the Nutcracker and Swan Lake, which attract huge audiences, especially over the festive season.

For grand musical performances in St Petersburg head to the Mariinsky Theatre, where the talented company produce a plethora of shows every season. There are now several buildings which house the shows in order to keep up with the audience demand, this also allows the company to show ballet and opera simultaneously. The old Mariinsky Theatre is without doubt more prestigious and glorious in its design, but the modern Mariinsky II is also very striking and luxurious.

When I visited Swan Lake was performed on the Mariinsky II stage and was a triumph. The music soared from the orchestra pit filling the auditorium and the dancers moved across the stage with precision and grace. This ballet premiered in Moscow in 1877 and still captures the hearts of viewers, young and old.

This fantasy ballet is split into four scenes and follows the love story of Prince Siegfried and his Odette, who is cursed under the spell of the evil magician Rothbart, so that she is a swan by day, a human by night. The spell will only break with the power of devoted love. The dancers in this production were focused throughout dancing with an effortless charm. It was particularly moving to watch the Song of the Swans dance which was a flutter of white feathers and tutus. The only thing that distracted was the constant (forbidden) photography from the certain members of the audience, this seems to be a bit of a trend with the Russian audiences.

A visit to a Mariinsky show is essential when visiting St Petersburg, seeing this beautiful production of Swan Lake was a highlight of my trip.

More information on Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre here.

The Pride, Trafalgar Studios

Posted on by

After a series of musical theatre trips, it is perhaps unsurprising that I found The Pride to be so hard-hitting. Writer Alexi Kaye Campbell’s first play won a variety of awards in 2008. This Royal Court original graduated to the West End after rave reviews; it is a niche production that is perhaps better suited to the smaller boutique stage… but nonetheless makes a lasting impression at Trafalgar Studios.

On press night Trafalgar Square was buzzing, a petite red carpet flattered the egos of the celebrities in attendance and paparazzi flashed away. PR-wise this play could not arrive at a better time, poignantly outlining the injustices homosexuals have had to overcome, as Russia struggles with similar issues. There was certainly a feeling of protest in the air, cemented when the cast took their final curtain call with ‘To Russia With Love’ placards.

Sitting in the third row of the stalls I found the action on stage startlingly painful at times, and noticed myself audibly gasping… testament to the effective writing and powerful acting. The play alternates between 1958 and 2008, leaping between the two wildly different eras harshly addressing the changes in attitude to homosexuality. We are immediately thrown into the love triangle of ‘happily married’ Sylvia and Philip and their creative friend Oliver. It is intense from the very start, we soon learn that Philip is a deeply closeted gay man while Oliver is more comfortable with his orientation. It is a story of discovery and denial as the characters battle with their situations and complicated feelings.

Soutra Gilmour’s stark set allows the characters to always be the focus of our attention. A vintage glass wall is the only permanent feature, reflecting the ever changing sequences on stage. Hayley Atwell is stunning as Sylvia giving a piercing but nuanced performance, Al Weaver is natural and confident on stage, Harry Hadden-Paton is alarmingly sensitive and convincing and Mathew Horne is utterly hysterical, they make a great team and seem to genuinely enjoy interacting together.

If the topic doesn’t interest you particularly still go and see The Pride for the brilliant acting, wonderful direction and beautiful writing.

Continues until 9 November, book here.

www.thepridewestend.com