Giselle at the Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday 22 October 2016 - Review
Posted on: 2016-10-20
Our rating:
A very special piece of moving and insightful modern ballet capturing the romance and fantasy of the original and making it more accessible to the masses, this is a production not to be missed.
Akram Khan’s eagerly anticipated new Giselle for English National Ballet has arrived at Bristol Hippodrome where it is showing until 22nd October.
**Tickets available for further performances here**
Dating from 1841, Giselle is one of the few surviving Romantic classical ballets and continues to have an enduring popularity amongst ballet aficionados. In this incarnation the classic tale of love, revenge and redemption is given a modern twist and new lease of life; not just through Khan’s imaginative contemporary choreography but also from a newly adapted score and a stunning set designed by Academy Award winner Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) which brings an otherworldly edge to this tale crossing the line between realism and fairytale.
The ballet tells the story of Giselle, a poor peasant girl who dies of a broken heart after discovering her deceitful, blue-blooded lover is betrothed to another. She is summoned from her grave and compelled to join the ranks of the Wilis, a ghostly group of wronged and vindictive brides-to-be who are zealously exacting revenge on the wicked, dishonest men who left them wretched and despondent.
The Wilis harness magical powers to do this deliver retribution, and following his despicable treatment of Giselle they have set their unforgiving sights firmly set on her lover, Albrecht. Their deadly scheme is thwarted when Giselle forgives Albrecht’s crimes against her and recognises her all-encompassing, enduring love for the man.
Khan’s retelling moves the action away from the peasant towns and mystical woods of the original and into an industrial setting. Migrant workers and distant landlords take the place of the peasants and aristocrats, and the ethereal Wilis are the ghosts of desolate workers. Dressed in Yip’s simplistic and timeless costumes, this is a story that could be taking place in any time and in any part of the industrialised world.
As befits the factory environment the staging is stark, an almost bare set with a huge revolving wall as backdrop. Mark Henderson’s lighting design is understated yet powerful, using varying levels of light to great effect especially during the scene when the exquisitely dressed landowners are introduced and when the wraith-like Wilis make their eerie debut, with row after row of them gliding across the stage en pointe.
Khan’s choreography is truly extraordinary throughout. Using the entire company to amazing effect as cogs in one huge machine during the early factory scenes, it genuinely is as if they are all part of one huge whole; awe-inspiring and breath-taking to see. The entire company are impressive and an absolute joy to watch as they give their all to showcase Khan’s technically challenging choreography.
In the role of Giselle, company director Tamara Rojo is incredible. She imbues the character with strength and defiance as well as an innate vulnerability which is to the fore as Giselle succumbs to her broken heart. Her pas de deux with Albrecht (the fantastic James Streeter) in the ghost world is sublime, powerful and heart-breaking, each movement an expression of a very real lost love. Beautifully choreographed and captivatingly sad it perfectly captures how Giselle is caught between worlds, and how she and Albrecht ultimately have no choice but to say goodbye.
This is a thrilling, distinctive and emotionally charged production. The brilliant adaptations to Adolphe Adam’s original score, played with flair and vibrancy by the English National Ballet Philharmonic and the imaginative use of current and traditional dance move merge together perfectly.
A very special piece of moving and insightful modern ballet capturing the romance and fantasy of the original and making it more accessible to the masses, this is a production not to be missed.
5/5
Article by:
Sarah-Jane is an aficionado of film, theatre, culture and the arts. A voracious reader and avid crafter, she can be found volunteering her face painting talents at Bristol Zoo when she's not cementing her reputation as Coalpit Heath’s cake maker extraordinaire. Known to have an opinion on everything she’s never happier than when sharing these with the good folk of Bristol!
