Pinocchio, the Hong Kong Ballet

By Carla Escoda, 30 August 2015

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“Isberg and his dancers marvelously convey the layered innocence in puppetry.”

Reviewed at Hong Kong Cultural Centre: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong on 28 August 2015

Pinocchio (Pär Isberg)

Hong Kong Ballet

Benjamin Pope, Conductor

Bo-Ruben Hedwall, Set Designer

Jérôme Kaplan, Costume Designer

Hong Kong Sinfonietta

Royal Swedish Ballet's The Nutcracker is a national treasure

Maggie Foyer, 16th December

Based on the 1947 book Petter and Lotta's Christmas by Elsa Beskow, this version of The Nutcracker by Pär Isberg is a complete delight.

****1

A tokenistic Turandot in Hong Kong

Dr. Anton D. Luiten, 10th October

Veronika Dzhioeva presents a menacing Turandot in Opera Hong Kong's latest production which attempts to merge historical accuracy with the complexities of Orientalism.

***11

Visually splendid telling of Puccini's Madama Butterfly in Hong Kong

Dr. Anton D. Luiten, 6th October

This production brought the work into the 21st century, at least visually, with a more modernised and digitally-stylised telling than their recent attempts.

***11

Luminous performances lift heavy-metal Pelléas

Carla Escoda, 15th March

Stellar voices and orcheatra and some inspired staging choices elevate an otherwise heavy-handed production of Pelléas et Mélisande from the WNO at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

****1

Saburo Teshigawara takes on Wagner

Carla Escoda, 10th March

Saburo Teshigawara's condensed reading of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde plays down notions of an adulterous union, a lovers' pact and spiritual journey, instead delivering a powerful image of female resilience.

*****

FLA.CO.MEN wins rapturous reception in HK

Carla Escoda, 5th March

Israel Galván breaks a lot of sacred eggs at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. A few serendipitous moments add to the fierce beauty of this defiant, narrative-free meditation on a life in flamenco.

***11

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Carla Escoda

Born in the Philippines, Carla trained as a ballet and modern dancer with the Alice Reyes Dance Company in Manila. She has lived and worked in Asia and the U.S. and has written about the arts for Bachtrack, KQED (the northern California public media broadcaster), Dance International, dance journal/hk, the Huffington Post, Dance Europe and ballettothepeople.

Hong Kong Ballet unveils a sumptuous and sophisticated Pinocchio