Carmen & The Firebird

Carmen & The Firebird
Queensland Ballet and Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Playhouse, QPAC. 25 May – 3 June 2018

Queensland Ballet’s new double bill gives us a ravishing Firebird and an earthy Carmen, two entirely different ballets that are stylistically poles apart.

Liam Scarlett’s thrilling ballet setting of Stravinsky’s The Firebird is a worthy successor to his glorious A Midsummer Night’s Dream, also in the company’s repertoire. First staged at the Royal Norwegian Ballet in 2013, the production is true in intent to Michel Fokine’s1910 Ballet Russes Paris premiere but given a contemporary twist.

The broody orchestral beginning sets the tone when the curtain rises on a magnificent set by Jon Bausor dominated on stage-right by an enormous silver tree with gnarled roots that look like the fingers of a hand. This dark, gothic garden is the perfect setting for the Russian folk-tale of good versus evil.

Jack Lister is a malevolent force as Koschei. Dressed in a skin-tight red and black bodysuit, and with a flowing voluminous cape, he commands the stage with sinewy moves that project menace, helped enormously by James Farncombe’s brilliant lighting which always kept him in a pool of red. The confrontation pas de deux between Koschei and Firebird (Lucy Green) was exceptional and their death-scene finale when she laid his cape over him was breathtakingly emotional.

With a Spartacus plumed headdress, and red costume, Green as the title character was a powerful stage presence displaying bird-like movement and dancing with articulated precision. Lina Kim was an expressive Princess, whilst Camillo Ramos exuded nobleness as Prince Ivan.

When Carlos Acosta’s version of Carmen for the Royal Ballet opened in London in 2015 its critical reception was thunderous in its disdain, yet the work went on to popular success. Inspired by Georges Bizet’s opera, the scenario is basically a one-hour reduction of the score for a ballet created by Roland Petit and his company Les Ballets de Paris in London in 1949.

Acosta, principal dansuer of the Royal Ballet from 2003 to 2016, grew up in the favelas of Cuba and has brought that aesthetic to his version of the love-triangle between Carmen, Don Jose and Escamillo. He mixes classical choreographic styles with contemporary and throws in handfuls of Spanish dance, flamenco, guitars, foot-stamping, hand-claps, and even a bolero singer in his quest for authenticity.

The work opens with a group of men on chairs in a semi-circle watching as Carmen dances. One by one they begin to strip until they’re down to their jocks. It’s sensual and sexy and it sets up the tone of his version. When Carmen is imprisoned it becomes symbolic as she cleverly manipulates her captor and ties him up in knots.

Sophie Zoricic was marvellous in the title role, playing it not as a whore but as a woman who enjoys the pleasures of love-making. Strong-willed when necessary, seductive and manipulative, her dancing was sensuous and skilled. Lean and tall Zhi Fang was a rock-star as the narcissistic Escamillo, and danced superbly especially his erotic pas de deux with Zoricic. Carlos Ramos nicely caught the possessed passion of lover Don Jose, whilst the bare-chested D’Arcy Brazier wearing horns was effective as the Bull/Fate character.

Accompaniment to both ballets was by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Nigel Gaynor’s astute baton. If audience applause is any indication this double-bill succeeded admirably.

Peter Pinne           

Photographer: David Kelly

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