Chewing the Scenery

When? Tuesday 12th February 2013
Where? Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, stalls
Who? Scott Austin, Robert Carter, Paolo Cervellera, Loic Consalvo, Boysie Dikobe, Roberto Forleo, Paul Ghiselin, Carlos Hopuy, Chase Johnsey, Philip Martin-Nielson, Trystan Merrick, Raffaele Morra, Lawrence Neuhauser, Alberto Pretto, Giovanni Ravelo, Carlos Renedo, Davide Maronglu

In my January preview piece, I designated Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo as a ‘must see’ show at the Alhambra; I am delighted to say that some years since my last Trocks experience, the evening proved every bit as enjoyable I had hoped.

The all-male cast – in-character throughout as a touring Russian Corps de Ballet and given such delightful names as “Nina Immobilashvili” – find the perfect blend of comedy and genuine dance theatre. This ensures that a hearty laugh is never too far away from – albeit sometimes just a flash – of unquestionable dance quality from the talented company.

In my opinion, the secret of Trocks long-lasting success is that one can really take away what they wish from the evening; many admired the athleticism of the ‘ballerinas’, many enjoyed the faux-bona-fide ballet stylings, complete with pre-recorded orchestral support (undoubtedly a necessity for the show to see light of day). Ballet fans will quietly enjoy the somewhat overt nods to classic repertoire such as Swan Lake and Les Sylphides, whereas others with no interest in ballet can simply enjoy the ridiculousness of it all and the amount of fun the players are clearly having on stage. In short, the packed Alhambra audience were having a ball too.

True, the sets and costumes are serviceable at best and no live music is an obvious sacrifice to make; the focus is wisely kept on the seventeen-strong cast and their incredible legs. The decision to include two intervals would appear to be a justified one, with the hard-working cast looking tired towards the end of some vignettes. Despite this, the evening flew by in a sea of visual gags and tutus.

Brava!

- Harry Zing
Chewingthescenery.com