EDITOR'S CHOICE TOP STORIES CROYDON: Dad attacked while buying ice-cream for daughters Unions threaten holiday rail strike Security error meant T5 passengers weren't checked FEATURES Young negotiators to work with gangs Olympic dreams for judo centre MAYOR NEWS Boris to push for extending Oyster card use BIZARRE LONDON WATFORD: Fine for '50 pence of puff' TRAVEL Security error meant T5 passengers weren't checked COMPETITIONS Win a new spring wardrobe worth £500 from Evans VOTE Do you think Boris Johnson's public transport alcohol ban is a good move? Yes No Not sure GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Oyster extended to FGW services 2 CROYDON: Dad attacked while buying ice-cream for daughters 3 King re-elected as Amersham Mayor 4 New top team at council 5 Peacock meets Olympic legend 6 Mum spots gap in teen underwear market 7 Arsenal Soccer School comes to Finchley 8 Security error meant T5 passengers weren't checked 9 Vicar sees red over 'hot' Gladiator 10 Bucks' care homes rated: full list Today | 7 Days 1 HARROW: Blast area declared crime scene 2 BNP member: 'I'm here to stay' 3 Stab victim was car thief 4 Killer ladybirds in the capital 5 WALTHAMSTOW: "Gas mask" hoodies for children on sale 6 Emergency services accused of brutality on Chessington teen 7 Children must apply for travel photocards 8 Vicar sees red over 'hot' Gladiator 9 Transport booze ban to start in June 10 CCTV not cutting capital's crime, says police chief

Comment

Making her pointe: Principal ballerina Kristina Terentieva comes to Richmond in TheNutcracker

Much as I'm a fan of Matthew Bourne, I was left frustrated by his technicolour take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, revived at Sadlers Wells and New Wimbledon Theatre over Christmas.

Strange for someone who prefers contemporary to classical dance, but there wasn't quite enough ballet in Bourne's show for my liking.

"I know what you mean," says opera and ballet producer Ellen Kent, who brings a rather more traditional Nutcracker to Richmond Theatre next week.

"I don't know what I was expecting from it either, but I was left wanting a bit more body."

Kent is touring Yuri Grigorovich's famous 1966 production for Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre - the only UK producer with the rights to do so.

And while Grigorovich was director of the Bolshoi for more than three decades, his show is not as traditional as you might expect, says Kent.

"Grigorovich was like the Russian Matthew Bourne. Or at least, he has the same kind of reputation as Matthew has here, but on a much bigger level."

"His Nutcracker takes all the best things about the original and spins them into a higher level of colour and drama. It's a complete chocolate box."

And she doesn't mean that in a bad way. The all-Russian team behind the 1966 Bolshoi production were as strong as England's World Cup Squad of the same year.

The scenery was even designed by Simon Virsaladze, best known for his sets for Grigori Kozintsev's two Shakespeare films, Hamlet (1964) and King Lear (1971), which included flying boats, special effects and astonishing wizardry.

A corps de ballet of more than 50 dancers will bring to life Grigorovich's almost pantomimic choreography on the Richmond stage, joined by principal ballerina Kristina Terentieva, winner of the Grand Prix International Dance Competition in Vienna last year.

"Grigorovich starts straight away as he means to go on: with effects," says Kent. "And he does not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead of taking away, he puts more in so that what you get, ultimately, is a Russian fairytale, with palette on palette of colour."

But isn't it Kent who is known for her special effects - live horses in Nabucco, flame and fire-throwing in Aida?

She laughs. "It's not me this time. It's all Grigorovich. But we are very alike, I think. I try to similar things in my operas and when I first toured his shows, he personally invited me out to Istanbul where he was handing over his Swan Lake to Istanbul National Ballet."

This was the Swan Lake that Grigorovich presented at the Bolshoi in 1984 with a revised happy ending that - ironically - enraged the ballet purists. Thinking about it, Grigorovich and Bourne do have some common ground.

But unlike Bourne's work, this is still ballet.

"If you buy a book on the history of ballet and turn to the page on the Bolshoi, you will see Grigorovich's Nutcracker," says Kent.

"It's The Nutcracker that was written by Tchaikovsky, only with touches of Picasso in its brilliance."

The Nutcracker, Richmond Theatre, The Green, Richmond, Wednesday, March 5 to Saturday, March 8, 7.30pm, Thurs/Sat mat 2.30pm, call 0870 060 6651, visit richmondtheatre.net.

12:05pm Monday 3rd March 2008

Print

Email this

Comment

Add your comment

Name:
Email: *
Location:
**
	e.g. 123-123
Comment: Please note: All HTML tags will be ignored. Format Text:
By posting a comment, I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms of use. Comments are not moderated but we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention and we may delete inappropriate postings. Please treat other people with respect. You must not post anything that is abusive, indecent, unlawful or defamatory. Remember, you are personally liable for what you post on this site. If you wish to complain about a comment, contact us here.
* Your email address will not be displayed ** To avoid register now or login