As the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death draw to a close, the Birmingham Royal Ballet present the anticipated new creation from David Bintley, The Tempest. The Tempest has fascinated David Bintley for over 20 years. After two decades of research and exploration, he finally presents his long-held Shakespearean dream after finally finding the right composer in Sally Beamish.
Iain Mackay as Prospero in The Tempest; photo Bill Cooper
The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Shakespeare celebrations continue this week as they conclude their Birmingham season with a Shakespeare Triple Bill, consisting of Jessica Lang’s new Wink, José Limon’s The Moor’s Pavane and David Bintley’s The Shakespeare Suite. Three contrasting dance styles and very different interpretations of Shakespeare’s work combine to emphasise his enduring broad appeal, as well as the versatility of the Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers.
Momoko Hirata and Artists of the Birmingham Royal Ballet in Wink; image Andrew Ross
In a landmark year packed with Shakespearean productions to celebrate the 400th birthday of the Bard, the Birmingham Royal Ballet perform John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew for the very first time.
Elisha Willis and Iain Mackay in The Taming of the Shrew; image Andrew Ross
Devised at breakneck speed in just ten days by a company renowned for anarchic, divisive work, Filter’s Twelfth Night was always destined to be a curious beast. Indeed, from the second the audience steps into the Birmingham Rep, it is clear this is going to be no ordinary Shakespeare. We appear to have arrived at the early stages of a rock gig; the stage is littered with cables, amps, and instruments, the stage manager’s desk lies in plain sight of the audience, and the cast test microphones, check lines and chat casually to their spectators. 
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The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Shakespeare season opened with Frederick Ashton’s The Dream, originally choreographed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of The Bard’s birth, and now restaged to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. The bill is completed by A Month in the Country, an Ashtonian adaptation of Ivan Turgenev’s 1855 play, and widely regarded as one of the choreographer’s masterpieces.
Matthew Lawrence as ‘Oberon’; image Bill Cooper
After a bit of a lull in January, I am looking forward to an incredibly busy month of theatre in February. In fact, some press nights actually clash; if only I could split myself in two (or use a Time Turner a la Hermione)! Nevertheless, I am seeing some really excellent shows that I can’t wait to write about.
The Solid Life of Sugar Water, Birmingham Rep 2-6 February
As 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, we will be treated to a year of exciting and innovative programming inspired by the Bard. Macbeth, directed by Carrie Cracknell and Lucy Guerin, is the first of three Shakespearean productions at The Birmingham Rep this year. Explored using a combination of the original text and dance, this adaptation focuses on Macbeth’s breakdown, the supernatural forces behind it, and the ensuing chaos.
Clemmie Sveaas, Jessie Oshodi and Ana Beatriz Meireles in Macbeth. Photo by Richard Hubert Smith
The timeless drama and storytelling of Shakespeare’s plays have inspired generations of theatregoers across the globe for hundreds of years. In 2016, Birmingham Royal Ballet commemorates 400 years since the death of arguably the world’s most prolific playwright with a rare and exceptional season of seven works including a brand-new one-act ballet from Jessica Lang, a world premiere by David Bintley plus two pieces new to the Company inspired by Shakespeare’s stories, characters and prose.
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Shakespeare Season begins with touch of magic and mayhem as the Company revives Sir Frederick Ashton’s interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dream. In a dramatic leafy forest love gets out of hand for fairies and mortals alike in this classic production which was originally created in 1964 by Ashton to mark Shakespeare’s birthday. The Dream plays alongside A Month in the Country in an Ashton Double Bill (17-20 Feb). For tickets, visit here.
Matthew Lawrence as ‘Oberon’; image Bill Cooper
For younger audiences, Birmingham Royal Ballet also presents First Steps: The Dream (19 Feb). This specially designed hour long interactive presentation introduces children aged three to seven years old to ballet and live performance featuring a full orchestra and cast of dancers. An on-stage storyteller will introduce families to the characters in the production of The Dream as well as all of the theatrical elements that come together to make a performance including the lighting, sound and orchestra. All tickets are priced at just £10. This special presentation will also take place at The Lowry, Salford (4 Mar) and Theatre Royal, Plymouth (15 Apr). For tickets, visit here.
The season continues with Kenneth Macmillan’s widely celebrated classic production of Romeo and Juliet (24-27 Feb). Set to Prokofiev ‘s epic score, the tale of the passionate star-crossed lovers comes to life in this beautiful production featuring a stunning design recreating the grandeur and heat of Verona. The full production will also tour to The Lowry in Salford (2-5 Mar), Sunderland Empire (17-19 Mar), Nottingham Theatre Royal (30 Mar – 2 Apr) and Theatre Royal Plymouth (13-16 Apr). For tickets, visit here.
Jenna Roberts as ‘Juliet’ and Iain Mackay as ‘Romeo’; image Roy Smiljanic
In a riotous and comedic battle of the sexes, John Cranko adapts The Taming of the Shrew (16-18 June). In a first performance by Birmingham Royal Ballet, Cranko breathes new life into this wild and witty comedy telling the tale of the stubborn and tempestuous Kate and how her suitor Petruchio gets rather more than he bargained for when agreeing to their marriage. The Taming of the Shrew will also play at Bristol Hippodrome (29 Jun – 2 July) and tickets will be on sale soon.
Taming of the Shrew; image Richard Battye
Jessica Lang’s brand-new work for the Company, Wink inspired by the poetry of Shakespeare’s sonnets receives its Birmingham premiere as part of the Shakespeare Triple Bill (22-25 June). Birmingham Royal Ballet also performs José Limón’s The Moor’s Pavane for the very first time, based on the tensions, drama and jealousy in Othello. The bill concludes with a celebration of some of Shakespeare’s most famous and infamous characters such as Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III and Bottom and Titania in David Bintley’s The Shakespeare Suite.
Artists of the Birmingham Royal Ballet; photo Bill Cooper
The Moor’s Pavane and Wink will also be seen alongside excerpts from Romeo and Juliet, The Dream and The Taming of the Shrew in the Shakespeare Midscale Tourwhich will tour to the Gala Theatre, Durham (10-11 May), York Theatre Royal (13-14 May) and Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury (17-18 May).
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s 2016 Shakespeare season concludes with the world premiere of Director David Bintley’s new full-length ballet The Tempest (Sep 2016). One of William Shakespeare’s most beloved narratives takes to the stage in a breath-taking production full of theatrical wizardry and stunning designs by War Horse’s Rae Smith set to a brand-new score by acclaimed British composer Sally Beamish. Tickets go on sale soon for Birmingham and additional tour venues.
As part of the Company’s ongoing commitment to involving audiences in the creative process, ahead of selected Friday evening performances (19 & 26 Feb, 17 & 24 Jun) audience members are invited to join a select panel of some of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s most influential creative forces as they discuss life as part of a world-renowned ballet company. The event is free for ticket holders.
On some Saturday mornings (27 Feb, 25 June) members of the public are then invited behind closed doors as the Company of dancers open up their daily class. This is a rare and fascinating opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes to witness the preparation and dedication needed to be part of the UK’s leading touring classical ballet company.
For further details about the entire Shakespeare season, visit http://www.brb.org.uk/shakespeare.
The RSC brings Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary year in Stratford-upon-Avon to a close with a powerful programme, matching two major Shakespeare titles with two irreverent Jacobean comedies and a new play from Anders Lustgarten, which plays out across 400 years between Caravaggio’s Naples and the housing estates of Bootle.
My highlights from the upcoming season include:
Anthony Sher as ‘King Lear’ ; image Paul Stuart
King Lear directed by Gregory Doran, with Antony Sher in the title role, David Troughton as Gloucester and Paapa Essiedu as Edmund. I recently saw Anthony Sher ‘Willy Loman’ in Death of a Salesman and was blown away by the intimacy and honesty of his performance.
The Tempest ; image RSC
The Tempest directed by Gregory Doran, with Simon Russell Beale as Prospero, conjuring Prospero’s magical island in an innovative new staging, in collaboration with Intel and in association with The Imaginarium Studios, as the RSC’s family show for 2016. The RSC will work with Andy Serkis, who created the terrifying Gollum in The Lord of The Rings, to produce the first ever digital avatar on stage, which will be ‘Ariel’.
Stan’s Cafe: Shakespeare Steps: In association with Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, supported by the Stratford Society and Guild Chapel. Visitors to Stratford are invited to step into Shakespeare’s shoes and stage mini scenes from his life and works. People can look for footsteps, handprints and speech bubbles on the pavement as they walk from Shakespeare’s birthplace along the town’s historic spine, via his schoolroom and up to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. This free self-guided tour runs from January onwards.
The further information about the whole season, including the extension of the RSC’s magnificent Cymbeline, visit http://www.rsc.org.uk.
RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, said:
“We will draw this extraordinary jubilee year in Stratford-upon-Avon to a close by staging two of Shakespeare’s greatest plays – King Lear and The Tempest – and by marking the 30th anniversary of our Swan Theatre with two new productions of plays from its very first season and a visceral new play by Anders Lustgarten.
“Inspired by the spectacular masques of Shakespeare’s day, we have set ourselves the challenge of creating the most technologically advanced production we have ever staged in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, working with Intel and The Imaginarium Studios. We will blend ancient theatre skills with innovative digital technology to conjure up Prospero’s island, inhabited by fantastical characters, in Shakespeare’s most magical late play The Tempest.
“I cannot think of a clearer way of showing the ‘infinite variety’ of Shakespeare’s work and the inspiration he has provided over the centuries. Shakespeare is for everyone and we want to share his legacy with the widest possible audience. His inheritance is for the many, not the few.
“Earlier in 2016, all over the UK, people can come and see our landmark production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, tune in on Shakespeare’s birthday to ‘The Shakespeare Show’, celebrating his influence in all the arts and broadcast live on BBC Two, or encourage their children to watch our free Schools’ Broadcasts in the classroom.
“And, of course, the whole town of Stratford-upon-Avon will be buzzing with live theatre, events, workshops, films and exhibitions as we continue to celebrate its greatest son here, across the UK and in cinemas and on tour around the world. If you’ve never been to his home town in Stratford-upon-Avon, or seen his work on stage, this surely must be the time to do so.”
January will be a slightly quieter month of theatre for me, particularly as many of the Birmingham theatre’s will still be showing their Christmas productions for the majority of the month (notably Aladdin at the Birmingham Hippodrome and Hairspray). However here is a list of shows I am really looking forward to seeing this month.
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, Birmingham Rep until 16 January
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe; image Birmingham Rep
The Birmingham Rep’s adaptation of one of my favourite childhood stories has received excellent reviews for its magical and imaginative set, and the innovative use of puppetry to create the lion Aslan.
Tickets from £13, available here.
Macbeth, Birmingham Rep 26-30 January
John Heffernan as Macbeth and Anna Maxwell Martin as Lady Macbeth; image Richard Hubert-Smith
As Macbeth was my first experience of Shakespeare (a wonderful TIE adaptation at primary school, age 10), it’s always been one of my favourite plays. The Birmingham Rep’s production features a highly acclaimed cast, including John Heffernan (The RSC’s Oppenheimer) and Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House and Poppy Shakespeare).
Tickets from £19.50, available here.
Theatre Ad Infinitum: Light, The Old Rep 28 January
Theatre Ad Infinitum’s Light; image Alex Brenner
Theatre Ad Infinitum are a multi-award-winning physical theatre company who have opened the London International Mime Festival for the past two years, and are always quick to sell out at the Edinburgh Fringe. Light is a wordless production about state surveillance lit entirely by the cast members using LED strips and torchlight – I’ve never seen anything like this before and can’t wait to experience it.
Tickets from £8, available here.
Miss Saigon, Prince Edward Theatre, London 30 January
Alistair Brammer as Chris and Eva Noblezada as Kim; image Alistair Muir
I am visiting London for the weekend with the family at the end of January, and being treated to a performance of Miss Saigon before it leaves the West End on 27 February. I have seen Miss Saigon once before, when it was last on tour about 12 years ago, so I can’t wait to see it again. Apparently the helicopter moment is spectacular!
Tickets from £20, available here.
E is for Emma 