Birmingham Royal Ballet is presenting a pair of new performances aimed at entertaining the whole family. It’s an appealing set-up that intends to satisfy established ballet fans and introduce newcomers to the merits of the art form. Ruth Brill’s new take on Prokofiev’s Peter and The Wolf is accompanied by Seasons in Our World, an original piece choreographed by a cadre of the company’s dancers.
The transition of the seasons is a well-worn topic for music and ballet in general. Having said we are on familiar turf thematically, I found Seasons in Our World to be a surprisingly energised and engaging take on the material. Different phases of the year were choreographed by different company members and this creates a heightened contrast in the tone of the seasons. There’s a light narrative aspect used to good effect. It’s nothing complicated but Seasons recognises a purely atmospheric take on the year is a bit passé, whereas seeing a loose community change over the course of the performance invests the movements with consequence (whilst not being cluttered with redundant plot).
I think the main virtue of Seasons in Our World is simply the natural sense of charm and humour it emanates. Animalistic motions of flopping fish and huddled creatures are evocative and fun. The intrepid marching of the humans is confident and a touch delusional. There’s a clear sense that Birmingham Royal Ballet wanted to show why ballet is enjoyable and how it communicates meaning
The poster-child of this double bill is Peter and the Wolf. We find the Russian classic relocated to an inner city environment, where Peter has to content with the Wolf stalking through concrete and scaffolding. This piece speaks more openly to the accessible mission statement of the pairing: Peter and the Wolf is, of course, designed to be digestible and easy to follow. It educates on the different roles the orchestra can fulfil in tandem with the dancers, and has accompanying narration to clarify the action. These virtues are well-known and Birmingham Royal Ballet embrace them.
Ruth Brill’s take does fall into the stereotype of how most prestigious interests attempt to make artsy content ‘relevant’ to the ‘youth’: set something on a council estate with hoodies. Having said that, this is not a crutch for poor direction, performance or choreography. Brill was clearly acting with intent and it shows in the playful urban fairytale version of the story – which beyond setting is very traditional in its scope. Laura Day is spirited and plucky as Peter, a strong dancer to centre the performance around. Her animal companions (and nemesis!) are transfigured somewhat more metaphorically on stage but each gets across the spirit of their bestial form very effectively: Brooke Ray probably deserves the most credit for remaining poised and elegant whilst also conveying the waddling panic of the Duck.
I think in both cases, these pieces will be superb in drawing people towards ballet. They convey simple and effective stories with plenty of emotion. But you need not be a newcomer to be enthralled: ballet aficionados will find Birmingham Royal Ballet living up to their well-earned reputation. ★★★★★ Fenton Coulthurst 11th May 2019
