Last night I had the pleasure of attending one of Manchester’s most beautiful theatres, the Palace theatre. The architecture is just stunning, and having taken my seats with no pre-conceptions of what I was about to see, I was blown away by the talent shown by the dancers that made up the troupe for this mid-week evening performance; the energy was infectious, and it is clear to see the hard work and dedication that goes into preparing for and delivering each performance.
I wont lie, I’m not sure what I had expected but this felt like a dream you have had when you’ve had too much cheese before bed, the kind of randomness that just sort of works!
In almost equal measure was the cheesiness and fun that the show delivered, with a loose storyline of good triumphing over evil! The show was full of charisma and embodied the famous style of Michael Flatley, cut from the same cloth with light-hearted comedy moments and showcasing the talents of those toes whilst flexing and “blue steel” posing all at once.
Between the main acts of dancers was a solo female singer who although talented, felt like she was drafted in to give the audience a break from the high energy show however, I found a bit out of kilter with the rest of the shows essence. Also, there were two violinists who played beautifully that accompanied the dancers throughout some numbers, maybe they should stick to playing the violin and avoid the awkward dance moves that went with it?
In terms of the difference numbers, my favourite part has to be when a dance off takes place. The slow build of articulate noise that can be created from their tap shoes is amazing, you feel the beat and excitement build in the rhythm as it comes to point.
Overall, the show was great fun and something a little different that everyone should see at some point in their life, full of feel-good vibes and incredible talent!
Lord of the Dance is on at Manchester’s Palace Theatre until Sunday 17th July tickets available here.
Strictly Come Dancing – The Professionals arrived at The Lowry last night for the start of a 36-date UK tour and is as sequined and as sparkly as the glitterball trophy!
The huge success of the BBC TV show has led not just to the live arena tour which features celebrities from the show but also this highly polished and slick dance extravaganza featuring ten of the shows much-loved professionals.
From salsas to sambas SCD – The Professionals has it all, no expense is spared in this glittering celebration of all things dance. There are show-stopping group numbers which fizz with energy, sensual slow routines as well as perfect pairings where the technique and skill of each professional truly shines.
Backed by a six-piece live band of incredible musicians, vocalists Tara McDonald and Patrick Smyth breeze through a whole host of singalong favourites from Beyoncé to Coldplay. Their vocal range is outstanding, with McDonald delivering a pitch perfect Defying Gravity that Idina Menzel would be proud of, while Smyth almost convinces us Michael Hutchence is in the room with his stunning rendition of Never Tear Us Apart.
And now to the dancing…in a word, sensational! The pace is quick and the energy high ensuring momentum never wanes. In between the lavish group dances each of the professionals are given the opportunity to discuss their dance journey, their experience with Strictly and their favourite moments from the show as beautiful childhood pictures appear on a huge screen behind them. The Professionals give the audience exactly what they want, stunning routines that wow and a glimpse into their personal lives summed up beautifully by Gorka Marquez who proudly announces without the show he’d never have met the love of his life.
Vicky Gill’s costumes add a visual richness with changes coming thick and fast, each time as stunning as the last complimenting Jason Gilkison’s incredible choreography which both tugs on the heartstrings and makes you beam with joy. From Dianne Buswell’s Aussie Rock inspired sequence to Karen Hauer’s sizzling Latin American style we’re taken around the world in this dance spectacular.
Personal highlights for me were the 1920’s Speakeasy spin on Beyoncé’s Crazy In Love and the joyful finale celebrating British Pop all the way from the Spice Girls to The Proclaimers!
This glittering night makes for a FAB-U-LOUS fixture on the touring circuit filling the Strictly void until the new series begins in the autumn. Appealing to both young and old alike and judging by the roaring standing ovation on opening night it’ll be 10’s across the board on every stop of the tour!
Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals is on at The Lowry today (Friday 29th) at 2pm and 7:30pm tickets available here.
First seen on stage 30 years ago, Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker returns to theatres this autumn with Bourne’s stunning choreography updated while Anthony Ward’s design has been reimagined.
Act 1 takes place in a bleak Dickensian orphanage on Christmas Eve, a far cry from the traditionally lavish Victorian festivities we usually associate with the classic Tchaikovsky score. The orphans live a miserable life, forced by overbearing bullies Dr and Mrs Dross to dance for their visitors in the hope of receiving meagre gifts, which are then swiped by the Dross children, Fritz and Sugar, who pinch and punch their way to the top.
With monochrome colours aside from a few deflating balloons and homemade paper chains the orphanage feels like a desperately dank and dismal place; that is until the Nutcracker, in this case a ventriloquist dummy gifted to orphan Clara comes magically to life, taking her on an adventure she’ll never forget.
As the dark oppressive atmosphere of the orphanage is left behind a brilliant white frosted lake appears while the orphans, and the Nutcracker come bursting into beautiful life.
This winter-wonderland as a contrast to the dismal orphanage is simply magnificent, the slick choreography almost convinces you that each dancer is performing on ice. The illusion of ice-dancing is a real spectacle, leading you into the interval desperate for more.
Act 2 transports us to the vibrant fantasy world that is Sweetieland. Bold and bright with buckets of cheeky humour we watch as Clara falls deeply in love with the now human, Nutcracker. Spiteful Princess Sugar however soon senses Clara’s happiness and quickly steps in to claim the handsome Nutcracker as her own.
The traditional story has been inventively reworked, keeping you guessing throughout. The storytelling really is sublime, there’s humour, originality and heaps of heart while visually it’s an absolute feast for the eyes. Bourne’s choreography while complex and demanding is delivered with such precision and grace it seems effortless and light. The skill of the company seemingly increasing with every scene, special mention must go to the reworking of the traditional ‘national dances’ each and every one is pure joy.
Cordelia Braithwaite is superb as orphan Clara, she dances with such feeling, drawing you into her journey wholeheartedly. Her commitment to winning the love of the Nutcracker (Harrison Dowzell) is heart-warming; I literally couldn’t stop smiling throughout.
Neil Westmoreland and Stephanie Billers are clearly having great fun as Dr and Mrs Dross who reappear as the magnificent King Sherbert and Queen Candy in Act 2 while Dominic North and Ashley Shaw are deliciously devilish as Fritz and Sugar. Both delight in their roles and are wickedly good at being bad.
Harrison Dowzell is wonderful as the Nutcracker, switching from stiff wooden doll-like movements to fluid ballet choreography with ease. His chemistry with both Braithwaite and Shaw is just perfect.
One thing (amongst many others) that Matthew Bourne does so well is make dance accessible, this joyful production is no exception; the characterisation is incredible while the choreography captivates entirely. This really is a show for all and would be the perfect introduction to dance for any theatregoer.
Matthew Bourne triumphs once again in reimagining the traditional and bringing it bang up to date in the most visually spectacular way. Bright, bold and utterly beautiful.
Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker is on at The Lowry until Saturday 4th December tickets available here.
When Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures premiered The Red Shoes in 2016 it stunned audiences and critics alike, winning two Olivier Awards as well as the LA Critics’ Award for both choreography and set and costume design. Returning for 2019 this breathtakingly beautiful piece of theatre proves to be as timeless a classic as ever.
Based on the 1948 Powell and Pressburger film which drew it’s inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Red Shoes this perfectly paced production is rich in indulgent theatricality, sweeping you up on a joyous, heart-wrenching, mesmerising journey from the moment Benard Herrmann’s stunning score with orchestrations from Terry Davies begins.
The Red Shoes tells the powerful story of young ballerina Victoria Page (Ashley Shaw) who swiftly rises to the position of principal dancer after her recent arrival at an established ballet company. Her success brings her to the attention of both composer Julain Craster (Dominic North) and also that of the dance company’s powerful impresario Boris Lermontov (Adam Cooper). With the first there is a genuine truth and innocence with the second the lure of higher artistic achievement pulls like a magnet, which ignites a battle between ambition and true love.
Ashley Shaw makes a welcome return to the role of Victoria Page a role she originated in 2016; her performance feels entirely authentic as she weaves her way through a whole spectrum of emotions capturing euphoria and bliss just as convincingly as she portrays terror and furious anger. This authentic emotion paired with her exquisite technique and precise delivery is nothing short of magnificent, embodying the young dancer to perfection. Her performance during The Ballet of The Red Shoes is mesmerising as she is firstly enthralled by then ultimately captured by the shoes, she tells the story movingly and with her whole being.
Adam Cooper’s Boris Lermontov is strong and domineering, seductive in both his power and precision, he stalks the stage bringing an ever-present feeling of temptation and danger while Dominic North’s portrayal of struggling composer Julian Craster is a joy to watch, his solo piece in Act One develops a strong characterisation which he maintains superbly throughout
Bourne’s skilful storytelling and his unbeatable attention to detail matched with a company of dancers at the absolute top of their game ensures that this production enthrals entirely. From playful scenes on the French Riviera to intensely passionate duets every element of choreography is slick, masterful and exciting while every single person on stage gives an impressive and fully developed performance. It is such a visual treat almost cinematic at times that one viewing doesn’t feel like enough, every scene could stand alone and happily satisfy any theatre goer.
Lez Brotherston award-winning set design is immediately striking and wonderfully effective. Allowing the audience access to both onstage and off-stage scenes via a grand revolving sumptuously curtained frame which almost feels like it pirouette’s before your eyes, drawing you into the very heart of the drama, lit beautifully by Paule Constable.
The Red Shoes is a unique piece of theatre in which every element has been crafted with such love and care that the end result is an unquestionably perfect piece of theatrical magic. Bourne’s wonderfully clear storytelling ensures that anyone dipping their toe into the dance world would find the show accessible while seasoned fans of his work will revel in the thrill of having another dazzling piece to enjoy, a masterpiece!
The Red Shoes is on at The Lowry until Saturday 30th November, tickets available here.
Music legend Gloria Estefan’s rise to fame certainly didn’t come without its challenges. Her childhood was spent caring for her bed-ridden father and younger sister while her demanding mother laid down strict rules and strong academic expectations. Add to this a natural shyness, a music industry rife with prejudice and a life-changing tour bus crash and you can see why success may have at times felt an impossible dream for the Queen of Latin Pop.
On Your Feet tells the real-life love story of both Gloria and Emilio Estefan, their rise from humble Cuban beginnings to Gloria, with the support of husband Emilio becoming one of the most successful female recording artists of the 20th Century selling over 100 million records globally.
Taking on the role of Gloria, Phillipa Stefani demonstrates the talent and fighting spirit of Miss Estefan with style and class. Her voice is perfection as she delivers each number with warmth and passion. George Ioannides makes for an excellent Emilio, capturing both his drive for success and his devotion to his wife with a believable sincerity, while the two together have a beautiful chemistry. Madalena Alberto convinces as Gloria’s stubborn mother while Karen Mann brings the laughs as witty Grandmother Consuelo.
Effectively a jukebox musical On Your Feet is a fun and feel-good reminder of Estefan’s incredible back-catalogue. Writer Alexander Dinelaris and director Jerry Mitchell largely succeed in delivering an entertaining piece of theatre however the decision to gloss over key events such as the marriage of Gloria and Emilio, the birth of their son and the death of her beloved father and grandmother do feel noticeably absent and would have added the emotional depth that’s missing at times. While the story doesn’t shy away from the challenges the couple faced during their rise to the top the dramatic tension you’d hope for is never quite reached.
David Rockwell’s set design feels a little repetitive and at time it feels like the sliding panels never stop but luckily the talented cast manage to draw you in, you may even get invited to conga around the stalls if you’re lucky!
Despite these quibbles the sensational ensemble pieces really do turn up the heat with the talented cast delivering every inch of Sergio Trujillo’s sizzling choreography with perfect precision while Emilio Sosa’s glittering costumes really do add to the spectacle of the piece. The on-stage ten-strong band brilliantly recreate the Miami Sound Machine’s vibrant sound ensuring that flaws aside the rhythm will without doubt get you.
Featuring songs such as Dr Beat, 1-2-3, Rhythm Is Gonna Get You and of course, Conga: On Your Feet is a celebratory evening with enough charm and musical treats to ensure you conga your way out of the theatre and feel a little warmer for all that Latino spice.
On Your Feet is on at Manchester’s Palace Theatre until Saturday 2nd November tickets available here.
From the moment the curtain rises on Christopher Wheeldon’s production of Cinderella, you are transported into a fairytale world, rich with colour, majestic decadence, and lashings of magic and wonder.
The production opens with the young Cinderella dancing joyfully with her parents, however happiness soon turns to tragedy as Cinderella’s Mother becomes ill and sadly dies. Heartbroken, Cinderella’s tears fall to the ground, thus sprouting a mighty tree, which will have a huge impact on our heroine as the story unfolds.
As time passes by Cinderella’s father remarries a cruel woman: in disgust at her father’s supposed betrayal of her mother, she decides to act as servant rather than join the family. In the meantime, a young Prince called Guillaume, is being pressured into finding a wife by his father, King Albert. In order to facilitate this, a ball is arranged with invitations to be handed out across the Kingdom. However, Guillaume and his friend Benjamin decide to have a little fun and swap roles with each other. A chance meeting between Cinderella and the disguised Prince ignites a passion between the two; however, with a wicked stepmother, an ambitious stepsister, and other factors standing in their way, will they get there happy ever after?
This is a three-pronged assault on the senses that creates something quite special. First, we have the iconic score of Sergei Prokofiev, filled with joy, woe, grandeur and more than a nod to his Soviet roots.
The second is the story telling and choreography of the piece. Cinderella, is one of those stories most of us are hugely familiar with however Wheeldon has spiced things up: gone is the fairy godmother, replaced by four fates who watch over Cinderella from the moment her Mother dies. The ugly sisters aren’t particularly ugly, instead one is truly mean of spirit, whilst the other is a meek timid creature, also put down by her mother. The big change is in Cinderella herself, she is a strong, independent women.
The English National Ballet, has some absolute gems in their ranks, Joseph Caley as Prince Guillaume commands the stage throughout, an excellent leading man, with a performance of power and strength, whilst Erina Takahashi is graceful, light and fluid, yet feisty. They were supported by some fantastic comedic turns from Tamera Rojo, (stepmother Hortensia) Alison McWhinney stepsister Edwina) and Katja Khaniukova (stepsister Clementine), as well as a solid, yet fun performance from Jeffrey Cirico as Benjamin, you get two Prince’s for the price of one!
For me the aesthetic of the production really sets it apart from anything you’ll see anywhere else. From floating chandeliers, dangling chairs, enchanted forest, to beautiful flowing ball gowns, the piece manages to marry fairytale magic and royal splendour seamlessly. Set and costume designer Julian Crouch, deserves a huge amount of credit, as do the rest of the production team, they have created something truly magical.
This a production filled with spectacular set-pieces, which include a mesmerising scene where Cinderella is readied for the ball and an enormously fun scene where Guillaume and Benjamin hold a shoe fitting for every woman in the Kingdom in order to find Cinderella. However, the real jewel in the crown is the spectacular palace ballroom scene, packed full humour and romance, we have shenanigans aplenty including drunken dance floor escapades, failed courting dances, and a spot of dance floor chunder, behaviour which regularly occurs in nightclubs the land!
As part of English National Ballet’s 70th anniversary the company are celebrating and thanking its touring communities by giving away 70 tickets during each run of performances in every city they tour to. In addition to this the ballet company has gifted tickets to staff from local charities and organisations including Talbot House, Mustard Tree, Frost Foundation, Lifeshare and Teenage Cancer Trust/Christie Hospital. English National Ballet will also give a ‘Golden Ticket’ for a special English National Ballet experience or piece of merchandise to one audience member per performance in Manchester.
Accessible, beautiful, light-hearted and magical this is a production that will cast a spell over you, an absolute treat for the whole family!
Cinderella is at the Palace Theatre until the 19th October. Tickets available here.
The UK’s most exciting new dance company Z Bo Jackson Company are heading to Manchester with a star-studded gala hosted by Got to Dance judge and Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt. The gala evening will include performances from guest artists Flawless (Britain’s Got Talent, Street Dance 2) and ITV’s Dance, Dance, Dance winner Chrissy Brooke.
We spoke to Choreographer Bo Jackson about her new dance fusion venture ahead of its gala night launch at Manchester’s Palace Theatre on Tuesday 10th September.
Can you tell us more about Z Bo Jackson and where the idea came from?
“I really became interested by today’s obsession with visual storytelling on Youtube, instagram and in video games. There seemed to be a gap in the market for a theatrical experience that satisfies this appetite both on screen and with live performances so I started to develop the concept for TV and stage. In February we had the opportunity to explain our vision of the live dance fusion theatre company to the Palace Theatre and Opera House in Manchester. They understood and embraced our concept and agreed to support the gala night to launch the brand.”
What makes Z Bo Jackson different from other dance companies out there?
“We are the UK’s first dance fusion theatre company. Each production contains unique and diverse choreography, alongside a narrative structure dramatized by dance and creating a new kinetic language. The Z brand will break down the walls of dance to create a new kind of dance experience, as free runners mix with elite dancers, and ballet cross-pollinates with hip hop. Since the birth of the internet there has been an explosion of dance and we want to showcase the sort of talent and choreographic innovation displayed online. Z Bo Jackson will smash down the walls of the dance conventions and allow these ‘athletes of God’ to inhabit the stage! (‘Dancers are the Athletes of God’ is a quote from Einstein that I feel is very apt!)”
How has your career experience to date influenced the formation and direction of the new company?
“My choreographic career reflects the broad spectrum and eclectic vision of the Z Bo Jackson Company. Moving from the choreographic challenges of circus choreography to the movement restrictions of a comedy musical extended my creative expectations of myself and my performers and also pushed the boundaries of my theatrical taste. Directing was life changing for me as you need to see the bigger picture and have a distinct tone for the work while also problem solving and working towards opening a show!
“We want to become a platform for dancer, dancers and choreographers and hope to fill the gap between the elite dance companies and the commercial musical theatre productions giving dancers the chance to exploit their range and talents within an emotionally resonating piece of narrative theatre. I’m totally happy to be artistic AND commercial without any compromises or apologies.”
What kind of dance will be represented in the company and the gala night?
“We will move beyond the dance genres in some numbers and employ free running, acrobatic and aerial performers alongside the elite dancers. The Z Bo performances in the gala are primarily using jazz ballet, commercial fusion and acrobatic choreography. Our high profile guests are experts in their field with Kimberly and Chrissy trained as professional jazz dancers, alongside the urban hip hop locking talents of Flawless sharing the stage with the aesthetic beauty of ballet’s exceptional principal Brandon Lawrence.”
You are launching in Manchester – was launching in the north important to you and the company?
“It is personal and emotional and something I could never have dreamt of when I came to watch Alvin Ailey and the Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Opera House all those years ago! The Greater Manchester borough of Wigan and Leigh paid for my professional training at a time when the funding system was more generous and the net was spread wider. This feels like coming home (the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham was previously my local MP) and that life has come full circle, back to the most vibrant cultural city in the UK. Manchester gave birth to the Industrial Revolution and this Northern Powerhouse is giving birth to the Z Bo Jackson company. This is the city of the worker bee and if you’ve been through professional dance training then you understand hard work!”
You have some really big names appearing in the launch gala night. Why did you pick these performers to be involved and what will they bring to the Z Bo Jackson experience?
“They are all extremely talented and honed professionals but they also represent the dual aspect of the Z brand. We are going to showcase celebrity performers alongside unknown new talent, to create a viable commercial dance company.
“I had directed Flawless in Peter Pan and admired their work ethic and fabulous choreography and Kimberly is great friends with the boys having worked together in the past. I taught Chrissy at and I met Brandon at the Move It convention. It’s exciting that they all will be sharing the stage at the iconic Palace Theatre.”
What next for the Company?
“We hope that Z will be the go-to brand for dance across all platforms as we will bring in specialised assistants and choreographers in key areas and avoid the limitations of a solo named creative . Continuing script work on the TV series will be the main priority in the weeks following the gala. It’s a big world that needs big ideas to generate new audiences, new revenue streams and potential employment opportunities for the dancers of tomorrow.
“Dance is a universal and international language.”
Book your tickets now for an explosive night of entertainment at the Manchester Palace Theatre on Tuesday 10th September at 7.30pm. Tickets from £13 can be found here.
Here at Opening Night there are a few things we really, really love: 1 of them is Shakespeare another is pop music, especially if said pop music is written by the legend that is Max Martin. Our interest was well and truly peaked when we heard another of our favourites, director Luke Sheppard would be at the helm of a brand new musical which would combine these two mediums and better still it would officially open in Manchester!
Now with less than two weeks until the first hotly anticipated performance of & Juliet we were lucky enough to join the cast during rehearsals to get a feel for this innovative production; hearing a little more about what audiences can expect from key members of the talented cast as they prepare to wow Manchester ahead of an autumn West End run.
Taking on the iconic role of Juliet is award-winning musical theatre superstar Miriam-Teak Lee who gave us some inside information on the starting point for this epic new production.
“We know how the ending is supposed to go but in this production we reimagine the ending and wonder what would happen if Juliet doesn’t kill herself? She looks up to the stars and asks that there must be something else for her destiny, she just knows that this final path isn’t it for her.”
We learn quite early on that Juliet realises there’s more to life than first love (thank goodness) and so the story develops with the use of much-loved Max Martin songs placed throughout the production cleverly moving the narrative along. “It’s really a story of empowerment” said Miriam-Teak “Anne Hathaway who is played by Cassidy Janson is basically taking the quill off Shakespeare and leading us in a new narrative, saying ‘Actually I think this would be a much better ending to that play.’ With all musicals I think songs are used at the point where speaking is no longer enough, you can’t express what you are trying to say so you take it into a different forum, that being music.”
The production is literally teaming with hit after hit from legendary songwriter Max Martin: Britney Spears’ “Oops… I Did It Again”, Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody”, Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do”, and The Weeknd’s “I Can’t Feel My Face to name but a few, Miriam-Teak told us about one of her favourites. “Hit Me Baby One More Time as Juliet’s first song it’s amazing to sing, I think it’s just perfect for Juliet, there are beautiful strings, and it’s been done in such a creative way which makes it sooooo dramatic. Juliet sings the song in the moment she is potentially going to kill herself to join Romeo, she is literally looking to the heavens saying ‘give me a sign’ it’s so clever, these songs that we know so well take on a totally different meaning.”
Recreating an iconic character could be quite a daunting task but Miriam-Teak looks at playing Juliet in this new production as something to embrace. “At first I thought this is really huge how am I going to do this? But then I realised in originating the role within this new piece I don’t have to live up to anything else and I have an opportunity to breathe new life into who she is. Taking what we already know about Juliet onto a brand new journey actually feels amazing so it’s definitely excitement I’m feeling rather than pressure.”
Intrigued by the combination of contemporary Max Martin songs and the works of Shakespeare Miriam-Teak gave us a little insight into what we can expect from the costumes, “Oh wow they are amazing, Paloma Young is doing such an incredible job on them. It’s a world in-between the Renaissance period so we have corsets but then then we have more modern elements too so we’re placed between today and several centuries ago. The colour palette is absolutely beautiful too, audiences will love them. Add in Jennifer Webber’s choreography and it feels like a world in-between a musical and a concert, Jen does such a great job of bringing those two worlds together.”
The overwhelming feeling we get from spending time with the cast in rehearsals are that of real joy and empowerment, Miriam-Teak tells us what she hopes audiences will take away from this new musical. “I think the story really is about self-discovery and finding love within yourself which I think is just so important especially in this day and age with the social media era that we’re in and how many people look to others to find the love they are unable to find within. I think it’s so great that we can bring that message of finding your power within yourself to other people.”
Miriam-Teak summed up perfectly why Manchester audiences should be booking their & Juliet tickets asap, “If you want to see a complete spectacle of excitement and energy featuring songs that you know done in a completely different way you won’t even be ready but you will LOVE it!”
& Juliet opens at Manchester’s Opera House on Tuesday 10th September and runs until Saturday 12th October tickets available here
Z Bo Jackson, in partnership with the Palace Theatre, Manchester, are proud to announce a gala night of dance – hosted by Kimberly Wyatt – to launch The Z Bo Jackson Company – the UK’s new dance fusion theatre company.
From free runners to hip hop, ballet to street dance, the Z Bo Jackson Company will combine a diverse mix of dance styles with compelling storytelling and magnetic physicality.
The mix of dance styles on display, combined with stunning visuals, means the company’s performances will appeal to dance fans and musical theatre-lovers alike, as well as today’s YouTube and Insta-audiences.
The company launches on Tuesday 10th September with a star-studded gala night of dance at the Palace Theatre, Manchester.
Hosted by the amazing Got to Dance judge and Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt, with guest artists Flawless (Britain’s Got Talent and Street Dance 2), ballet star Brandon Lawrence (Principal Dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet) and West End star Chrissy Brooke (winner of ITV’s Dance Dance Dance.)
Singer, dancer and choreographer Kimberly Wyatt will perform alongside Flawless in one number, while BRB’s Brandon Lawrence will perform a solo choreographed by the award-winning George Williamson. Chrissy Brooke will perform with the Z Company ensemble.
Innovative and respected choreographer and director Bo Jackson has created the vision behind the thrilling new company and is excited to launch in Manchester at the Palace Theatre.
Opening Night spoke to Bo who said: “Manchester is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and as such the perfect international city in which to launch a new dawn in dance for the 21st Century. The gala will provide a taste of Z’s future ambitions and celebrate Manchester’s unique placement as a Northern Powerhouse in theatre and dance.”
Host of the gala, Kimberley Wyatt, said: “I’m very excited to be part of this unique evening of dance in Manchester to celebrate the launch of Z Bo Jackson Company. It will be a spectacular night of celebrating all things dance, with street dance superstars Flawless, principal dancer of the Birmingham Royal Ballet Brandon Lawrence and Dance, Dance, Dance Star Chrissy Brooke. Prepare to be amazed!”
Get ready for an explosive night of entertainment at Manchester’s Palace Theatre on Tuesday 10th September at 7.30pm. Tickets from £13 are available here.
It’s a little past 9PM and I’m sat watching a modern-day masterpiece, to many the greatest love story ever told… that’s right Love Island is on ITV 2! I jest of course; I am referring to Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet.
There have been many productions of William Shakespeare’s most famous play, but few will match the innovative, bold and daring narrative choices Bourne has made in creating his latest ballet.
This is very much a Romeo and Juliet for 2019 with the action taking place in the Verona institute: an asylum packed full of young men and women, made to live separately by a team of guards who have no qualms abusing their power or those in their care.
Head guard Tybalt, (Dan Wright) has his sights fixed on young inmate Juliet (Cordelia Braithwaite) however she only has eyes for the Verona Institute’s latest arrival Romeo (Paris Fitzpatrick), a young man sent away by his politically ambitious parents. Romeo and Juliet, as we all know, fall in love but at a fatal cost to them both. This is of course a story most of us are as familiar with as we are our own faces, however this production subverts the narrative keeping it fresh, exciting and engaging.
Braithwaite and Fitzpatrick are outstanding as the titular leads: a mixture of grace, vulnerability and passion, fully exemplified by the pair’s penultimate dance. However all cast, including the six local dancers (local dancers will join the tour at local venues) are outstanding and fully deserve the plaudits that will undoubtedly come their way. What strikes you about any Matthew Bourne production is that every person on that stage is a fully fleshed out character and each character shines through. The masked ball sequence has been transformed into a mash up between a school disco and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and beautifully typifies the production’s narrative.
Bourne’s choreography marries perfectly with Sergei Prokofiev’s emotive and powerful score expertly conducted by Dan Jackson. In addition, the use of all white costumes and the white tiled interior gives the production a virginal and surgical quality, which is further intensified when colour is introduced into the narrative.
Bourne has done it again, taking a traditional story and giving it a contemporary twist with references to current politics and a reliance on institutionalising people rather than treating them. However more than any of that, this is a production celebrating youth: a ballet starring young people, for young people, an absolute must-see!
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet is on at the Lowry till 15th June. Tickets available here.
Shakespeare’s much-loved tale of star cross’d lovers has inspired the creative community for generations. The tragic and passionate story set against the conflict of two divided families has spawned countless plays, musicals, operas and songs. Now it’s the turn of world-renowned, award-winning choreography Matthew Bourne to interpret this timeless classic in an all new contemporary reimagining of the familiar tale.
We spoke to Matthew Bourne who revealed that Romeo and Juliet was actually inspired by who he would work with rather than just the story. He explained: “I avoided doing it for years as I think it was something everyone expected me to do and it had been done in so many different ways in so many different mediums. I thought it would be hard to find a new way into it which is something I always search for.”
“The thing that really made me want to do it was the opportunity to work with young people. It is a story about them and young love. I got even more excited when it was suggested we cast it with young people and work with young creative associates in all the different departments of the show alongside my usual world-class team. It is all about nurturing them and telling the story.”
Romeo and Juliet’s plot also lends itself to choreography because of its themes. Matthew said: “Dance is very good at extreme emotions, and Romeo and Juliet as a story is certainly full of those. It has passion, love against the odds, and several extremes of murder and violence. It is all those big emotions. Shakespeare captured it very well. Young people are very hot headed and react very quickly to things.”
“One thing I have tried to bring out is that when young people first fall in love and feel that passion, they really go overboard in many ways. I often think about how classical ballet handles this and how the young girl gets very excited by a kiss on the cheek. Young people today, if they are into each other, are kissing until their mouths are sore. I have tried to capture that intensity.”
“It is also set a little way into the future, but it is not futuristic. It is a time when society is frowning on young people having an excess of feeling and emotion which sends them off on the wrong tracks as far as society is concerned. I got the idea from Arthur Laurents, the co-creator of West Side Story, who was asked why the young people in it are violent and act the way they do? He said they have too much feeling and they need to find a way to release it. I thought that was an interesting way into the story and very true. It made me go in the direction I went in.”
One of this country’s best-known directors and choreographers, Matthew has been creating dance for over 30 years for musicals, theatres and film as well as his own New Adventures company which boasts a list of hugely successful productions including the iconic Swan Lake, Edward Scissorhands, Red Shoes and Play Without Words.
For Romeo and Juliet, Matthew has once again gathered his trusted creative team around him including associate artistic director Etta Murfitt, set and costume designer Lez Brotherston and lighting designer Paule Constable to add their skill, knowledge and talent to the production to both cushion and push him as he brings his interpretation of the Bard’s work to life. Matthew said: “They know me well enough to question me on what we are doing, whether it works, and they will suggest things too. Sometimes a new creative team are a bit nervous about coming forward with their suggestions when they are working with someone like me who has been in the business for a long time. It is nice to work with a team who don’t have a problem with that.”
Also, part of the team is the composer Terry Davies, another long-term collaborator of Matthew’s who had the job of adapting Prokofiev’s music for this production. He said: “While it is wonderful and big and lush for big opera-house productions and suits that style of production, I wanted something a bit more earthy and a bit more quirky. We nervously went to the Prokofiev Estate and asked them if we could do a new arrangement. It would be very faithful to it and it is only 15 musicians who multi-task and play lots of different instruments. It is quite rare for us to take an orchestra out on tour with us. It is sounding wonderful and I hope the Prokofiev Estate are happy. It is a very recognisable score and that is really the script that we work with.”
But that ability to feature and engage with young people is as key to this production as the Montagues and the Capulets. At each venue, six fast-emerging dancers (three male and three female) have been chosen to perform on stage alongside the professional company. After a series of auditions around the country, this highly-talented half-dozen gets the opportunity to be part of a world premiere tour surrounded by the professional company. “They are an integral part of the show. They are not token appearances. They’re part of the main company,” he said.
In addition, a team of young associates have been appointed to work within each creative arm of the project including lighting, sound, orchestration and costume. It is happening with the choreography too, with Matthew being joined by Arielle Smith. “She is wonderful. Not only is she a great up and coming talent but I get on with her very well. We have a laugh. With such an enormous age difference between us of around 30 years, she is like a mate and she is incredibly mature for her years in terms of the way she has handled the whole process and there is a lot of her and her work in it. She is not standing by my side watching me work. She is taking rehearsals, creating movement for the show and she has been great. I hear from the other creatives that they are enjoying working with their associates as well. We have all been getting together and thriving with this opportunity,” he said.
It is a similar model to the Lord of the Flies tour where Matthew and his team gave the opportunity for young men who were interested in dance to be part of the professional production alongside his New Adventures company of professional performers which has generated its own success stories. Three of the young Lord of the Flies were cast for Romeo and Juliet, while others are part of his Swan Lake 2019 company. “They have gone through several programmes that we have to nurture young British-trained dancers. We are very proud of those young guys and we hope that this time we will bring some women into the fray that we have nurtured so there will be even more people who started in Lord of the Flies or Romeo and Juliet that will hopefully come back into the company,” said Matthew.
And with four major productions this year plus a Special Award at the Olivier’s for services to dance, 2019 is proving to be quite a year for Matthew. He recalled: “It has been amazing. Swan Lake coming back is always a thrill because it does introduce so many more people to dance and to our company. It always has an incredible effect on audiences around the country and our casts are so devoted to it.”
“In the middle of all that, getting the Olivier Special Award right in the middle of creating a new show was rather good because the award can feel a bit like it is the end of your career and people are saying ‘Thank you, Please Stop.’ It felt great to be in the middle of a new creation like Romeo and Juliet. It was about the past and about the future at the same time.”
And he is feeling very positive about his Shakespeare-inspired production. He admitted: “What started out as being quite a scary project involving so much untested talent and young people that I didn’t know very well has ended up being rather an exciting new show.”
For Matthew and all the team connected with it, the passion and excitement are every bit as strong as the passion that binds the two young characters at the heart of these exciting and explosive performances.
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet will be at The Lowry from Tuesday 11 – Saturday 15 June tickets available here.
First performed in Liverpool in 2017 to mark the city’s Sgt. Pepper at 50 Festival, Mark Morris’ unique tribute to the iconic album is a joyful explosion of music and movement painted with the most vibrant of colour pallets.
Referencing several of Sgt. Peppers most memorable songs as well as the exuberant Penny Lane, Pepperland is an uplifting celebration with its airy choreography & clever interpretations.
Ethan Iverson’s bold score reimagines each of the much-loved songs; the rich sounds of the piano are accompanied by the electronica of the theremin which marries beautifully with Morris’ playful choreography.
Elizabeth Kutzman’s swinging sixties inspired costumes offer a rainbow of Carnaby St inspired colour while the 17 dancers navigate their way through joyous jives to dreamy hippy vibes. The mood is playful, fun and free.
While there are some pieces which are fairly abstract it’s those with live vocals from Clinton Curtis which really engage the audience. The wit of Morris’ choreography during When I’m 64 clearly an audience favourite as the dancers interpret the out of kilter music with comedic consequence.
Morris’ decision to have his dancers stand and sing along to A Day in the Life is particularly striking with just the right amount of nostalgia.
At just over an hour long Pepperland is the perfect show to bring Sgt. Pepper to vibrant life for modern dance audiences. The fluidity of the choreography a fine example of the quality of Mark Morris’s innovative work while the precision of his dancers will inspire and enthral.
On at the Lowry until Saturday 30th March tickets available here.
Opening Night 