I have grown up with Sir Frederick Ashton’s 1960 La Fille mal gardée. Indeed, we are the same age and yet so many decades on, it is still one of my favourite full-length classics and continues to surprise with every new generation of dancers and debuts. With Osbert Lancaster’s memorable sets and costumes, Ferdinand Hérold's uplifting score and abundant humour, it’s impossible not to leave the theatre filled with joy.
The story of a wayward daughter, who prefers to marry a dashing farmhand than the foolish son of a rich landowner, does not require any studious research of the programme to understand the story as it unfolds.
In The Royal Ballet’s second revival of the season, it was a double dose of Colas debuts on Saturday at the matinee and evening performances. At both shows the ‘new to the role’ was paired with an experienced Lise, a sensible piece of casting. It was Luca Acri’s turn in the afternoon to show us just how much he deserved the opportunity to tackle a leading male role. With Anna Rose O’Sullivan as his Lise, the two of them struck up an amiable, appealing partnership filled with physical banter.
Those who have danced anything by Ashton will know that the lighthearted ease from the waist up, including his trademark épaulement, is complemented by fiendishly complex and intricate footwork, a lot of strenuous jumps and some tricky pirouettes. Add to this a prop or two and there’s lots to be nervous about. O’Sullivan’s radiant disposition, the relaxed way in which she appeared to master all the technical challenges, made her performance both believable and exhilarating.
Acri too, was remarkably unfazed, even in his opening solo complete with stick – he just went for it. He partnered well throughout, managing a very solid one handed presage at the end of the Fanny Elssler pas de deux. And if anyone had ever doubted Acri’s ability to carry a role, Colas seemed tailor made for him. He played him as a cheeky chappie, well-meaning and ultimately sincere.
Other roles taken by dancers not making their debuts but who were new to me included James Hay’s gently comedic Widow Simone. He had a certain softness which was endearing and felt like a different approach. The biggest surprise of the afternoon was Liam Boswell’s Alain, the ‘unsuitable’ suitor. His technical ability allowed him to take risks that resulted in hilarity. I didn’t have him down for this particular role but he proved to be exceedingly funny.
In the evening Patricio Revé took on Ashton for the first time as Colas opposite Natalia Osipova’s Lise. Osipova has previously shone as Lise and if anything her comic timing and completely natural delivery of all the drama was better than ever. We always wait for her natural ballon, I adore her soft landings (no pointe shoe clunks) and in this kind of role she is totally at home. There is a ‘but’ though – the tidiness of her footwork, her lines and her port de bras which is always too high for Ashton, need some attention.
I had incredibly high hopes for Cuban born and trained Revé and he did not disappoint. Absolutely right for the part, he took to it admirably: charming, funny and delightfully persuasive – I can only imagine with glee how he will grow into it. His nonchalant demeanour belied his technical prowess, which was formidable.
A few other notables in this cast. Taisuke Nakao blew me away as Alain. He has previously always presented as a very serious classical dancer. His Alain was so sweet, vulnerable, entirely without any mannered acting and amusing!
I want to give a shout out for Joshua Junker too who was the Cockerel and the Notary’s Clerk at both performances (also an alternative Alain). He has such fine footwork and classical technique, he is a very good actor and a talented choreographer – qualities that should be pushed.
Finally, after an extremely hot day in London, I want to salute Bennet Gartside’s Widow Simone. It was entirely his/her own but it did remind me of Will Tuckett’s unforgettable rendition. The comedy was bliss. The timing was perfect. She might have been a cantankerous old widow but we absolutely fell in love with her. The famous clog dance was impeccable. Ashton would have been proud.
I missed the presence of the live Shetland pony, a fixture in productions around the world but having learnt that one of them experienced an unfortunate episode in the wings, I think The Royal Ballet has taken a brave but correct decision. We will surely learn to appreciate the mechanical replacement in time.
