Theatre
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PREVIEW lSAl . l l
SCOTTISH BALLET SPRING SEASON Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Wed 15-Sat 18 Apr; Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 22—Sat 25 Apr
With the news that Scottish Ballet is returning to the Edinburgh International Festival this year, and its new home at Tramway nearing completion, the company has never been in finer fettle. When he first arrived at Scottish Ballet, artistic director Ashley Page was charged with commissioning interesting new works from other choreographers — as well as using his own dynamic ballet to move the company forward. And the company’s spring season certainly ticks both of those boxes.
Page’s Cheating, Lying, Stealing was originally created for the Royal Ballet back in 1998, and was taken on by Scottish Ballet in 2003 during Page's inaugural tour with the company. It worked well, being filled with sexual energy, deceit and a high octane score. Now that Page’s dancers are even more technically assured than before, we can only assume the piece will look stronger still.
Audience anticipation, however, is largely reserved for Richard Alston’s brand new Carmen. Despite having
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immersed himself in contemporary choreography for the past 40 years, Alston has created a thoroughly classical rendition of the Spanish favourite. Equally radical, he has cast three dancers from the lower orders in the lead roles. As a Scottish Ballet Artist, Daniel Davidson is three ranks below Principal - yet Alston chose him to play the dashing corporal, Don Jose.
‘lt's unusual for somebody in the corps de ballet to get such an amazing opportunity,’ says Davidson. ‘And I was a little bit intimidated at first because I’ve never danced the lead before.‘ That all changed as soon as he got into the studio with Alston. Along with Martina Forioso, who plays Carmen and William Smith as Escamillo the toreador (both of whom are Coryphée, two ranks below Principal) Davidson soon understood why Alston cast them all.
‘Richard’s interpretation of Don Jose is that he’s a young soldier who’s quite a lad about town, a cheeky chappy who everyone likes,’ explains Davidson. ‘And he cast us because he sees something in us that he wants for these roles. Richard is such a lovely man, that whatever we bring to the table during rehearsals he’s interested in and appreciates.’ (Kelly Apter)
PREVIEW ClijSlC WAITING FOR GODOT
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Tramway. Glasgow, Thu 16-Sat 18 Apr
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Rather than use a narrative tor the audience to follow. Pauwels and Beriaouisse leave it up to us to respond to their work on a personal level. ‘We hope that our work can he interpreted in riiany w.’ vs] says Pauwels. "And that everyone can find their own connection with the piece We don't tell a story , we want the audience to understand in an emotional. not rationai. .va‘,h' iKellv Apteri
King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Mon 13-Sat 18 Apr
The prospect of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen sharing a stage as the leads in Samuel Beckett's l'/aiting for Godot IS both thrilling and slightly intimidating The two thesps have known each other since the niid “1703 whei: the, were members of the Royal Shakespeare Compang, ensemble. and have hetweer: then. won a huge international following for their roles f'l small and silver screen sci-ti phenomena Star Trek. The Lord of the Rings and X—i‘flen.
To add to the weight of expectation. Beckett's 50—year—old play. about a pair of bowler-hatter} tramps waiting on a cOuntrv road by a tree for an enigmatic stranger who never appears. is perhaps the most discussed in recent theatrical history. with literary critics offering numerOus wildly contrasting theories as to the Significance of the characters and their predicament,
‘It I have one fear' says Stewart. ‘it's that people might be intimidated b; the plays reputation. But there is nothing dittiCult about this play. and it's our responsibility to make Sure that even; moment will have clarity for the audience' Sean Mathias production highlights the plays verbal and phi/sical comedy as well as the moments of tenderness between the two leads. 'All the eVidence in the script is that Vladimir and Estragon are o/d tnends.‘ says McKellen. 'Patrick and l are the ideal age to be playing these parts. We're still active. but, like Vladimir and Estragon, we know about aches and pams!’ lAllan Radcliffe,