Ballet Bites Back

Hello!

This is a very late review and I can only apologise but I apparently am a busy person. Who would've thought it!? Not me that's for sure.

 

Last year I went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream by Northern Ballet.

I'd never been to the ballet before. Well... Actually I had but I can't remember any of it so I don't think it counts. Anyway, this was essentially the first ballet I had ever been to see and despite not really knowing my Shakespeare as well as maybe I should, I really enjoyed it.

 

So when I saw that Northen were back and that they were doing Dracula, I simply had to get tickets.

Again... I'm no literature buff and despite having a childhood holiday in the flat where Dracula was written (I know, I had the best childhood based on that one fact!) I've never read it nor seen any of the films... But I know the jist and that was good enough for me. (Is it jist or gist? Neither look right to me).

 

After attempting to find a Subway that wasn't chock-a-block we made our way to the theatre and took our seats. Ooo it was exciting. What was it going to be like? Would it be scary? Would I have any idea what was going in?

 

After an unexpected first scene of a naked Dracula getting out of his coffin (don't worry, it was just a bit of bum, nothing too rude for a Saturday afternoon) I quickly decided I was in for a treat.

The sets were beautiful and intricate and clever. Stuff came up through the floor and down from the ceiling and curtains fell and stuff loved on wheels. Very good. Very good.

The costumes were incredible. Mr. Dracula, I like your cape very much and if you ever are thinking of a change of style I will gladly take it off your hands. It was so huge I could probably live in it. The guy who played Count D did amazingly well to dance in that thing.

Of course, all the dancers were amazing. So graceful, so beautuful. They managed to convey the dark nature of the story without turning it into a bloody horror show which suited me just fine.

 

My only problem was not quite knowing what was happening.

 

As I say, I'm no Dracula or ballet buff, so watching a show with no dialogue and no real idea who anyone was meant it was rather tricky to keep up with the intricacies of the plot. I knew what was going on of courses. But I wasn't sure who everyone wad and what their relationships to each other were. Once I had gotten my hands on a programme during the interval I was able to get up to speed.

 

If you get chance, go have a look see. Not necessarily just at Dracula but if you see Northern Ballet putting on something near you, I would say (based on a hit rate of two out of two) to go for it! It fun, it's accessible, it's not just people twirling around in tutus.

What's the worst that can happen? You find out you don't like ballet. Or you find that there's a whole new thing you can enjoy. Or maybe just something in between. But the point is you will have had an experience. And that's what life is all about.

 

Love Charlotte x