Frederick Ashton’s ballet, based on music by Ferdinand Hérold (as adapted by John Lanchbery), is a delightful escape from the modern urban world. It is a frivolous carefree country dance that extols the virtues of true love over an arranged marriage. In plot and substance this is the ballet equivalent of a light operetta, and in its blithe-hearted humorous way can be compared to something one might encounter in a work by Gilbert and Sullivan. The trick to appreciating this ballet is to switch off one’s analytical mind and relax into enjoyment mode.

Many will already be familiar with this ballet’s music, if not the movement. The clog dance in the second act is a favourite on Classic FM, and although Hérold might not be a composer whose name rings many bells, his tunes are very familiar in that “I’ve heard this somewhere before” kind of way. Indeed, this is considered the oldest extant ballet (as a concept, not in its current form), and the Ashton and Lanchbery version has been a favourite of the BRB repertoire since 1962. Some might argue that such a progressive company as BRB should try to move away from standards such as this, but I think revisiting classics is essential in ensuring that new work has heritage. The litmus test is, of course, that they are still performed well. In this case, rest assured, Birmingham Royal Ballet delivered.

The star of the show, in the role of Lise, was Momoko Hirata. I was utterly transfixed by her. Her petite frame was feather-light and exquisitely graceful, and she interpreted her character with an impish mischief and an infectious smile. She furnished the narrative so effectively that her co-stars could inhabit their own roles with confidence that the audience were already in good hands.

I was also impressed by the way Michael O’Hare handled the role of Widow Simone. The pantomime drag character could easily be over-played for laughs, but this would detract from the overall success of the performance. He managed to strike the right note between comedic effect and narrative backbone. There was already enough tomfoolery in any case, with Kit Holder doing a hilarious cameo as the Cockerel, and the unbridled buffoonery of Lise’s hapless suitor Alain, performed by James Barton.

The male lead, Collas, was danced by Mathias Dingman, who stretched the fabric of his bright yellow tights around some pretty impressive thigh muscles. Indeed, his upper body strength was not lacking either, as he demonstrated time and again in some remarkable lifts. Two stood out in particular: a ‘bum lift’ at the end of the second act; and a slow lift where he raised prima ballerina Hirata to a window kiss as effortlessly as if she were but three years old.

The rest of the production was of a standard one would expect from the BRB. The scenery, costumes and lighting were fit for purpose if unremarkable, and the Sinfonia were in good form. One could sense the musicians were enjoying themselves as much as the audience were. Taken together with some excellent dancing from the individual performers and chorus, BRB have shown once again that whether they focus on an innovative or a classic repertoire, it is quality that ultimately counts.

★★★★☆   Robert Gainer   27^th September 2018