Issuu

Director Carlos Acosta

Autumn 2021

Romeo and Juliet Carlos Curates: R&J Reimagined

with

brb.org.uk

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET ROYAL BALLET SINFONIA Patron Her Majesty the Queen President HRH The Prince of Wales Vice-President The Lady Sarah Chatto

Director Carlos Acosta cbe Chief Executive Officer Caroline Miller obe

Founded by Dame Ninette de Valois om, ch

Prima Ballerina Assoluta Dame Margot Fonteyn

Founder Choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton om, ch, cbe

Director Laureate Sir Peter Wright cbe

Founder Music Director Constant Lambert

Music Director Laureate Barry Wordsworth

Music Director Koen Kessels

WELCOME It is very exciting to be returning to our home theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome and our long-standing partner venue, Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Carlos Acosta. © Johan Persson

CONTENT Kenneth MacMillan’s

Romeo and Juliet 1 – 12 For a castsheet visit brb.org.uk/romeo Carlos Curates: R&J Reimagined Rosie Kay Dance Company Romeo + Juliet 16 – 21 Edward Clug’s

Radio and Juliet 22 – 25 For a castsheet visit brb.org.uk/carlos-curates

I’m thrilled that our ‘homecoming’ season will be celebrated with a favourite ballet of mine – Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s powerfully dramatic Romeo and Juliet. I am really looking forward to seeing all the dancers new to the iconic title roles, accompanied as ever by our magnificent Royal Ballet Sinfonia. The universal themes of Romeo and Juliet are explored in Carlos Curates: R&J Reimagined. I’m delighted that our talented dancers will be sharing the stage with the wonderful, Birminghambased Rosie Kay Dance Company. We also present the Company premiere of Edward Clug’s edgy Radio and Juliet, to music by Radiohead.

Wells in early November with Curated by Carlos, a sublime triple bill of contemporary ballet. The star Italian ballerina, Alessandra Ferri, makes her debut with Birmingham Royal Ballet in a new pas de deux created especially for Alessandra and me by Goyo Montero for his ballet Chacona - I cannot wait! We end the year with performances, in both Birmingham and London, of the Christmas essential, The Nutcracker! As ever, a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of our supporters. A special thank you must go to the Garfield Weston Foundation, Aud Jebsen, the Michael Bishop Foundation and Oak Foundation for their extraordinarily support in 2021. We are also delighted to welcome HSBC UK as Principal Sponsor of Birmingham Royal Ballet across 2021/22. We are extremely grateful for this support. I hope you enjoy the performance

Looking ahead, we have a packed schedule of live performances to look forward to. We return to Sadler’s

Cover image: Céline Gittens and Brandon Lawrence. © Richard Battye

Director

Momoko Hirata as Juliet and César Morales as Romeo. © Bill Cooper.

Romeo and Juliet Music Sergei Prokofiev (by kind permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd) Choreography Kenneth MacMillan Designs Paul Andrews

World premiere of MacMillan’s first production: 9 February 1965, The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden. First performance of this production: 1 June 1992, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Hippodrome, conducted by Barry Wordsworth

Lighting John B. Read Accompanied by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia

For biographies of the creative team visit brb.org.uk/romeo

THE STORY The ballet is set in Verona Act I Scene 1: The market place Romeo, son of Montague, tries unsuccessfully to declare his love for Rosaline and is consoled by his friends Mercutio and Benvolio. As day breaks and the townspeople meet in the market place, a quarrel develops between Tybalt, a nephew of Capulet, and Romeo and his friends. The Capulets and Montagues are sworn enemies and a fight soon begins. The Lords Montague and Capulet join in the fray, which is stopped by the appearance of the Prince of Verona, who commands the families to end their feud. Scene 2: Juliet’s ante-room in the Capulets’ house Juliet, playing with her nurse, is interrupted by her parents, Lord and Lady Capulet. They present her to Paris, a wealthy young nobleman who has asked for her hand in marriage. Scene 3: Outside the Capulets’ house Guests arrive for a ball at the Capulets’ house. Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio, disguised in masks, decide to go in pursuit of Rosaline. Scene 4: The ballroom Romeo and his friends arrive at the height of the festivities. The guests watch Juliet dance. Mercutio, seeing that Romeo is entranced by her, dances to distract attention from him. Tybalt recognises Romeo and orders him to leave, but Capulet intervenes and welcomes him as a guest in his house. Scene 5: Outside the Capulets’ house As the guests leave the ball Capulet restrains Tybalt from pursuing Romeo. Scene 6: Juliet’s balcony Unable to sleep, Juliet comes out on to her balcony and is thinking of Romeo, when suddenly he appears in the garden. They confess their love for each other.

Nao Sakuma as Juliet. © Bill Cooper.

Act II

Act III

Scene 1: The market place

Scene 1: The bedroom

Romeo can think only of Juliet, and, as a wedding procession

At dawn next morning the household is stirring and Romeo

passes, he dreams of the day when he will marry her. In the

must go. He embraces Juliet and leaves as her parents enter

meantime Juliet’s nurse pushes her way through the crowds

with Paris. Juliet refuses to marry Paris and, hurt by her

in search of Romeo to give him a letter from Juliet. He reads

rebuff, he leaves. Juliet’s parents are angry and threaten to

that Juliet has consented to be his wife.

disown her. Juliet rushes to see Friar Laurence.

Scene 2: The chapel

The lovers are secretly married by Friar Laurence, who hopes

Juliet falls at the Friar’s feet and begs for his help. He gives

that their union will end the strife between the Montagues

her a phial of sleeping potion which will make her fall into

and Capulets.

a deathlike sleep. Her parents, believing her to be dead, will bury her in the family tomb. Meanwhile Romeo, warned by

Scene 3: The market place

Friar Laurence, will return under cover of darkness and take

Interrupting the revelry, Tybalt fights with Mercutio and kills

her away from Verona.

him. Romeo avenges the death of his friend and is exiled. Scene 3: The bedroom That evening Juliet agrees to marry Paris; but next morning when her parents arrive with him they find her apparently lifeless on the bed. Scene 4: The Capulet family crypt Romeo, who has not received the Friar’s message, returns to Verona stunned by grief at the news of Juliet’s death. Disguised as a monk he enters the crypt, and finding Paris by Juliet’s body, kills him. Believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo drinks a phial of poison. Juliet awakes and, finding Romeo dead, stabs herself. Kenneth MacMillan

For a castsheet visit brb.org.uk/romeo

Beatrice Parma rehearsing the role of Juliet with Mathias Dingman as Romeo (opposite coached by Marion Tait) . © Lachlan Monaghan.

INSIGHT: BEATRICE PARMA Soloist Beatrice Parma talks about dancing the role of Juliet for the first time

I’m so excited about my debut as Juliet

Emotionally, she has such a complex

I’ve tried to approach every rehearsal

and very grateful to have been given

journey that develops through the

with one thought: ‘how would I truly

the opportunity to dance such an iconic

ballet.

react and feel if that happened in

ballet.

my life?’ Although most things are In the space of three acts she goes from

obviously choreographed I felt it was

It has been my dream role since I was

being a young innocent girl to falling

extremely important in a ballet like

11 years old, after watching Alessandra

in love for the first time, being forced

Romeo and Juliet to be as natural and

Ferri perform the role at Teatro alla

by her family in accepting to marry

credible as possible; the moment a

Scala in Milan. As a young aspiring

someone she doesn’t love, the agony of

reaction, an expression or a gesture

professional ballet dancer I remember

feeling trapped to the point of faking

is too ‘theatrical’ it becomes not

it being a very special and touching

her own death to be with Romeo only to

believable. I love watching different

performance for me. Aside from

then seeing her plan fall apart resulting

casts and seeing each person bring

the importance of having a strong

into the death of the man she loves and

something different to the role with

technical foundation, from that show I

the total desperation that brings her to

their own interpretation.

understood how incredibly important it

take her own life.

was to be an artist, expressing yourself

And what better score to perform

on stage and giving full meaning to

That’s why I’ve always loved this ballet

alongside! The music is just incredible,

each movement. I felt like it really

so much. Not only are there some

it tells the story all the way through. I

changed the way I approached my

technically challenging and incredibly

absolutely love the death scene at the

everyday training and what I was

beautiful pas de deux, but it’s the

very end of the ballet, just the music

striving for.

process of moulding into the story

alone can bring you to tears.

to truly become Juliet and the arc of Artistically, Juliet, it’s an extremely

emotions this ballet brings not only to

exposing ballet and I’ve always wanted

whoever is dancing it but the audience

to challenge myself in a dramatic role.

watching it too.

“I’ve tried to approach every rehearsal with one thought: ‘how would I truly react and feel if that happened in my life?’” For a biography of Beatrice visit brb.org.uk/dancers

THE PRODUCTION Jann Parry looks back to the creation of Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet.

Birmingham Royal Ballet first mounted its own production of Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet in 1992, overseen by the choreographer six months before he died. He made adaptations to accommodate new designs, ensuring a fresh approach to his 20thcentury classic. He had created Romeo and Juliet, his first three-act ballet, for The Royal Ballet early in 1965, soon after Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary. Ninette de Valois, The Royal Ballet’s founder director, had long wanted a big Shakespeare ballet for her company. So far, there had been one-act encapsulations of Shakespeare plays – Frederick Ashton’s The Dream and Robert Helpmann’s Hamlet. She hoped that Leonid Lavrovsky, who had choreographed the Bolshoi’s epic Romeo and Juliet in 1940 and brought it on early Bolshoi tours to London in the 1950s and 60s, would mount it for The Royal Ballet. Her hopes were in vain. Cold War cultural politics meant that the Soviet authorities were not going to let a Western company duplicate one of Russian ballet’s treasures. When tentative negotiations fell through, de Valois agreed with Ashton, her successor as director of The Royal Ballet, that Kenneth MacMillan should be given the chance to prove himself a major choreographer. He had seen Lavrovsky’s Romeo and Juliet performed by the Bolshoi, as well as John Cranko’s version for the Stuttgart Ballet, and was ambitious to do even better. He had already created a ‘balcony’ pas de deux for two young friends, Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, to perform on Canadian television during their summer break in 1964. When he was given the goahead for a full-length ballet, he and they feverishly discussed ideas of how to portray Shakespeare’s starcrossed lovers. MacMillan had been inspired by Franco Zeffirelli’s mould-breaking production of the play for the Old Vic in 1960. His hot-blooded youngsters (Judi Dench and John Stride) were impatient to consummate their passion as soon as possible, defying their elders. The play became a clash between generations as well as 6

Lachlan Monaghan as Mercutio, Yasuo Atsuji as Romeo, Edivaldo Souza da Silva as Benvolio and Marion Tait as the Nurse. © Caroline Holden.

a feud between two powerful clans.

the potion Friar Laurence gives her.

production, he wanted MacMillan’s

MacMillan’s ballet would establish the

Her coma and death are distressingly

version rather than any other

violent, patriarchal society in which

painful rather than pathetic.

choreographer’s. They agreed that

the lovers grew up, before narrowing

it should look distinctively different

the focus on their plight. There would

Although MacMillan devised these

from The Royal Ballet one designed by

be no reconciliation between the

effects with Seymour and Gable as his

Nicholas Georgiadis.

warring families at the end.

Juliet and Romeo, the roles were danced at the premiere on 9 February 1965 by

In 1965, Georgiadis’s brief had been to

Prokofiev’s score dictates to a large

Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.

devise a setting to rival the Bolshoi’s

extent how the drama evolves.

They were the famous pair everyone

monumental decor. He provided a solid

MacMillan’s challenge was to find his

wanted to see and MacMillan was told

construction on two levels, linked by

own ways of developing each scene,

he had no choice over the casting. His

an impressive flight of stairs. Such an

avoiding, if he could, the effects that

new ballet was to tour to the USA and the

architectural structure was unusual

Lavrovsky and Cranko had achieved.

impresario Sol Hurok insisted that the

for ballet at the time, in place of

His lasting triumph has been the pas

opening night cast in London, as in New

painted canvas scenery. Georgiadis’s

de deux for the lovers: the ballroom

York, had to be Fonteyn and Nureyev.

sumptuous costumes were based on

encounter, the blissful balcony scene,

They guaranteed that the production

late-Renaissance paintings. His sets

Romeo’s reluctant departure after

was an immediate success in both

and costumes have altered several

their wedding night together, and

countries, though Seymour and Gable

times, but the general impression of

their final agonies.

were regarded by ballet lovers as the true

16th-century Verona remains the same.

interpreters of MacMillan’s intentions. He chose classical ballet steps and

MacMillan chose a young designer,

naturalistic gestures instead of

Over the 50-plus years since the

Paul Andrews, whose graduation work

mime to express the meaning behind

premiere, his Romeo and Juliet has

he had seen at Wimbledon School of

Shakespeare’s words, combined with

become the best known of many

Art’s exhibition. MacMillan regularly

a potent use of stillness. The lovers

versions of the ballet, performed by

visited London art schools’ end-

simply look at each other when they

companies around the world. When

of-year shows: it was how he found

first meet; Juliet sits on her bed to

Sir Peter Wright, then artistic director

Georgiadis, Yolande Sonnabend and

make her decision what to do next;

of Birmingham Royal Ballet, decided

Andy Klunder (who designed his

she can hardly bring herself to take

that the Company should have its own

Gloria).

Brandon Lawrence as Romeo and Yaoqian Shang as Juliet. © Lachlan Monaghan.

Above and right: Momoko Hirata as Juliet and César Morales as Romeo. © Bill Cooper.

Technical credits

Andrews’s brief was to set the ballet

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s dancers

earlier in the Italian Renaissance,

inhabit their own account of

when the paintings were simple in

Shakespeare’s imaginary Verona,

outline, the colours clear and the

giving their interpretations of

architecture in the classical style. It

MacMillan’s Capulets and Montagues.

Department, Harris Brothers, Cardiff Theatrical

was a big undertaking for a novice

Every Juliet has to make her own

Services, Mike Becket and Hazel Gash, Liz Reed

theatre designer. Andrews went on to

decisions; every Romeo falls in love

Assistance with original set design and model

have a substantial career, designing

differently. The pleasure for audiences

for operas, ballets, musicals and plays

is to understand the lovers’ emotions

before his premature death in 1997.

and dilemmas through movement and

head-dresses, jewellery, wigs: Royal Opera House

Some of his initial set designs proved

music without words, experiencing

and Birmingham Royal Ballet Production

impractical for a touring company. He

the essence of Shakespeare’s romantic

had retained the two-tier colonnade

tragedy in our own times.

that MacMillan’s choreography

Set construction: Royal Opera House Production Department, Harris Brothers Set painting: Royal Opera House Production

making: Alison Nalder Props: Royal Opera House Production Department Costumes, fabric-dyeing and printing, millinery,

departments Revival scene painting: Jon Goodwin Additional costumes: Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Debbie Boyd, Classic Cuts, June Callear,

required, but a frieze of statues

Jann Parry is the author of Different

decorating the top had to go: they

Drummer: the life of Kenneth

couldn’t be seen in full from the upper

MacMillan. She is a dance writer for

levels of theatres. The staircase in the

many publications and for the website

middle proved too steep, so a landing

dancetabs.com

was inserted; downstage columns

Tracy Caulfield, Globe Costumes, Jane Gill, Robert Gordon, Sarah Handley and Sue Long, Ba Higgins, Tricia Hopkins, Sasha Keir, Paul and Christine Manning, Debbie Marchant, Leslie McConkey and Susanne Parkinson, Claire Porter, Phil Reynolds, Sue Pearl and Pauline Lucas, Sue Smith, Caroline Thorpe, Beverley Vas, Wallace and MacMurray, Wear Moi, Nigel West, Charles White, Sharon

needed adjusting, as did some of the

Williams, Susanna Wilson, Ruth Woods

cast’s entrances and exits. The end

Additional dyeing and printing: Jamison Print,

result, however, is ravishing, much lighter than Georgiadis’s imposing

Parker Street, Sarah Andrews, Jane Clive, Mathilde Sandberg, Sheila White Additional millinery: Jenny Adey

vision of Verona. Andrews’s set has

Armour: Robert Allsopp

the advantage of a proper balcony for

Costume research: Joanna Freedman

Juliet’s love-struck musings, and a

Production Manager: Susan Usher

bedroom appropriate for a young girl.

For a biographies of the creative team visit brb.org.uk/romeo

Revival Costume Supervision: Birmingham Royal Ballet Costume Department

INSIGHT: LACHLAN MONAGHAN Soloist Lachlan Monaghan talks about dancing the role of Romeo for the first time

It is a dangerous cliché to say that Romeo became my dream role very early on in my career, but it’s true. Dancers mostly all have roles we aspire to do, and so, by its very nature as ‘the dream role’, Romeo comes with it many personal challenges. As emotional a journey as the story is, so too is the process of preparation for such a role – and how scary to take on surely one of the most romantic and famous stories to exist. Aside from the obvious elation of my surname appearing on the cast sheet and then the Cheshire Cat grin I wore as I clumsily attempted the Balcony pas de deux for that unforgettable first time, there comes with it myriad thoughts, not least, that wanting to perform your dream role to a high personal standard means lots of internal pressure. I discovered very quickly that every step is much more difficult than I thought. Although having watched the ballet many times, I had never tried any of Romeo’s steps or partnering and they prove quite the physical challenge. The difficult thing is that it just doesn’t read to make it look like hard work. While fiendishly difficult, the choreography must appear to have impulsively poured out of your soul with pure emotion guiding every step or gesture. The beautiful thing though, and that which I think makes it unique, is that beyond the steps, a true, honest, authenticity is required or there would be no point performing the steps at all. If I achieved every step to technical perfection (what even is that!?), the performance would be lacking

Lachan Monaghan in rehearsal with Yu Kurihara. © Ty Singleton.

something and equally, if I sobbed

can have this effect too. Opening

the entire way through, never taking

my heart and allowing the audience

my eyes off Juliet but fell out of every

space to see the real me, the Romeo

dance step, I might lose my job – or at

I’ve chosen to be, is surely the most

the least, my pride. It is this balancing

powerful thing I can hope to achieve in

act that makes this ballet so difficult.

this role.

Being coached on this ballet has raised

As human beings, we are always

such interesting ideas for me, such as,

performing, putting ourselves on

that the strength in these characters is

display and showing the world the parts

in their subtle interactions - the tiny

of us we want them to see. There is

moments that the audience barely

power and connection in dropping that

sees unless looking for them. Yes, the

performance veil and letting people see

dancing is gorgeous, but it means

us for who we are.

nothing if not built upon a foundation of thoughts and emotions.

I am a ballet dancer, but I am first and foremost, a human being who has

My personal approach is that I am an

feelings, who has found love, lost it,

actor who is dancing rather than a

hurt, knowingly or unknowingly, and

dancer, acting. It can completely flip

been hurt, and I can only hope that

the way in which certain scenes read if I

when I step on stage to play Romeo,

consider, first and foremost, that

I can draw on these experiences;

I am supposed to be making Juliet,

ironically, strip away the performance

the audience, whoever it may be, feel

veil, and be real, honest and true.

“Opening my heart and allowing the audience space to see the real me, the Romeo I’ve chosen to be, is surely the most powerful thing I can hope to achieve in this role.”

something. My thoughts have suddenly gone to when a performer falls over and can ironically have the entire audience in the palm of their hand because of this. I believe that vulnerable emotion

For biography of Lachlan visit brb.org.uk/dancers

INSIGHT: LLINOS OWEN The Royal Ballet Sinfonia’s Bassoonist tells us why Romeo and Juliet is her favourite

Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is my

I tend to well up in Act I when the

absolute favourite ballet to play –

flutes quietly play one of Juliet’s

it’s an absolute joy to come to work

themes as she innocently dances in

and play this wonderful music. The

her bedroom. As an audience, we know

first time I got to play some of it was

the tragedy that will be unfolding

performing the Balcony Scene at one

when we hear this theme again in

of our Music and Dance concerts at

Act III, reorchestrated and painfully

Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. I always

reharmonised to reflect the pathos.

enjoy the Music and Dance concerts,

In fact, there’s often a box of tissues

since the orchestra perform on stage

making its way around the orchestra

so we actually get to see the dancing

during this ballet, not least at the

for a change (only in our bars’ rest

ending. As Amos Miller our Principal

obviously)! Watching the breathtaking

Trombone so rightly described the

dancing, the beautiful acting combined

final notes – this ballet ends with ‘the

with the exquisite music, immediately

saddest C major chord in history’.

transported me back to being a teenager falling in love for the first time, and having that wonderful feeling of ‘it’s possible that no one has ever been this in love before!’ There’s not a note wasted in this work of genius by Prokofiev, and it’s great to be back to a full-strength orchestra in the pit; I’ve missed the joy and richness of two bassoons and a contrabassoon! As well as being my favourite ballet score, this is also the first ballet that I got a ‘full house’ for, having played the contra part, as well as 1st and 2nd bassoon parts. The contrabassoon part is one of the best in the repertoire – providing depth and colour as well as solos with the tuba and bass clarinet, such as the ‘Poison Theme’. It’s such an emotionally charged score, and so well balanced with moments of lightness and humour.

“There’s not a note wasted in this work of genius by Prokofiev”

When we see beyond borders we see opportunity everywhere. Visit hsbc.co.uk/opportunity

LEAP AMBASSADORS

Applications are open for the 21/22 cohort! The LEAP Ambassadors programme offers a unique

a sharing of the Ambassadors’ achievements and the LEAP

opportunity for young people aged from 16 to 25 to

Ambassadors Celebration on Friday 8 July 2022 in the Patrick

investigate behind-the-scenes, experience practical

Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome.

projects, develop new skills, meet new people and become an integral part to a vibrant arts organisation. Once selected, Ambassadors participate in group training sessions, which offer insight into the various departments and job roles available in a large arts organisation. These include Project Management, Company Management, Brand, Marketing & Communications, Technical Production and much more! Adding further value, Ambassadors receive a personalised training programme tailored to their interests, where they have the chance to shadow a member of staff and gain invaluable ‘hands on’ experience. Following a successful pilot year in 19/20 and a year break due to the pandemic, we’re delighted to be opening the doors to this programme again. This year’s programme will take place from November 2021 to July 2022, and culminate with

TO APPLY Full details, including an application form, can be found at www.brb.org.uk/get-involved/ambassadors The deadline for applications is Friday 22 October 2021. Please note this programme is not suited to people working professionally in the arts.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE? If you have any queries about applications or would like to informally ask for more details about the programme, please contact Hannah MacGregor on 0121 245 3534 or email hannahmacgregor@brb.org.uk

Share the stage with

Carlos Curates: R&J Reimagined Romeo + Juliet Radio and Juliet

Top: Mayowa Ogunnaike and Subhash Viman Gorania in the title roles of Romeo + Juliet. © Joe Bailey. Right: Radio and Juliet. © Marta Tiberiu.

Mayowa Ogunnaike as Juliet and Subhash Viman Gorania as Romeo. © Brian Slater.

Romeo + Juliet Director and Choreographer Rosie Kay

Original cast of dancer-choreographers

Producer James Preston

Mayowa Ogunnaike, Subhash Viman Gorania, David Devyne,

Composer Annie Mahtani after Hector Berlioz

Dan Baines, Deepraj Singh, Patrick Webster, Iona McGuire,

Arranger Robin Wallington

Harry Ondrak-Wright & Ayesha Fazal

Dramaturg Ben Payne Designer Louis Price

Artistic Advisors Dylan Duffus, Azita Zohhadi, Shanelle

Lighting Designer Mike Gunning

Clemenson, Aakash Odedra and Sonia Sabri.

Technical Manager Chris Heigham Costumier Sasha Keir Royal Ballet Sinfonia Guest Conductor Martin Georgiev

THE STORY Act 1 – Prologue in the Park

Act 4 – The Bedroom

The M’s – leader Merc, Ben and Rosa

With Ty gone, Paris takes Juliet hostage

– recruit Romeo as a member. The

and LJ is left conflicted. Angel brings

C’s – leader Ty, Angel (a nurse), Paris

Juliet a drug that will make her appear

and self-serving LJ – move in to protect

dead so that she can escape and go to

their turf. Ty’s sister Juliet arrives

Romeo. Angel persuades Paris to track

flushed with exam success and we see

down Romeo leaving Juliet alone to

that Paris’s crush on her is unrequited.

take the dangerous pill.

LJ has a vision, a portent of death involving Romeo and Juliet. The gangs

Act 5 – The Riot

fight and though the C’s have the

Rumours breed unrest and things get

upper-hand, Merc succeeds in winding

out of hand in the streets. As Juliet is

up Ty. Rosa welcomes Romeo into the

taken to hospital, we see Ty and Merc

M’s but for her it’s platonic. Romeo is

haunting her hallucinations.

left feeling wistful until Merc and Ben initiate him with knife cuts. Meanwhile,

Act 6 – The Morgue

against a backdrop of drug deals, we

A distraught Paris guards the ‘body’

learn that Rosa and Ty have a secret

of Juliet. When Romeo appears, Paris

relationship, that Angel and Paris are

tries to stab him but is accidentally

a dysfunctional couple and that Juliet

killed. Romeo sees Juliet ‘dead’ and is

longs for an exciting future, away from

heartbroken, he stabs himself just as

this city.

the pill wears off and Juliet awakes.

THE CAST The C’s Juliet: Mayowa Ogunnaike Tybalt: David Devyne Paris:

Dan Baines

Angel: Iona McGuire LJ:

Harry Ondrak-Wright

The M’s Romeo: Subhash Viman Gorania Merc:

Deepraj Singh

Ben:

Patrick Ross Webster

Rosa:

Ayesha Fazal

Delirious at first, she sees Romeo and is Act 2 – The Party

heartbroken, she stabs herself and they

Ty hosts a C’s rave, the M’s sneak in

have one brief moment together before

but for one wonderful night there is no

both die.

conflict. As the party gets wilder, Juliet connects with Romeo. Guests leave

Act 7 – Epilogue

worse for wear and LJ passes out.

The grieving survivors return to the park to pay their respects at a makeshift

Act 3 – The Love Duet

shrine. As they remember slain family

Romeo and Juliet fall in love - mind,

and friends, Ben decides to relinquish

heart and body.

the knife and stop the cycle of killing.

The Aftermath LJ witnesses the duet and jumps to the wrong conclusion. He tells Paris who embellishes further, Ty vows to destroy the M’s and the gangs clash. Juliet discovers Ty and Merc both dead, she decides to run away with Romeo but Paris threatens to stab her if she elopes. Romeo is banished and flees the police.

For information about Rosie Kay Dance Company visit www.RosieKay.co.uk

A NEW ROMEO AND JULIET Rosie Kay, choreographer of Romeo + Juliet in conversation with Diane Parkes

Shakespeare’s classic tale of thwarted

Rosie found her inspiration for a new

love Romeo and Juliet is brought up

Romeo and Juliet on the streets of

to date in a new production. Created

Birmingham. ‘I was trying to figure out

by city-based choreographer Rosie

how to make it relevant to today and, a

Kay, the production explores a range

few years ago, when my son Gabriel was

of contemporary issues including

a toddler, I was living in Ladywood and

diversity, race, sexual equality, gang

my nearest play park was in the centre

culture, knife crime and forbidden love.

of Newtown. When you are a mum with a toddler you are a bit invisible and so

But its roots are very much in

I was able to watch the people around

Shakespeare’s famous story.

me.

‘I wanted to tackle one of the big classics in dance and came to Romeo

‘You see how people watch each

and Juliet as it’s both the play and

other and there is tension in the air,

the ballet I love the most,’ says Rosie,

people are checking each other out.

artistic director of Rosie Kay Dance

Young people are flirting so there are

Company. ‘I was lucky enough to have

love affairs but also a dynamic in the

a very good teacher at school and we

atmosphere where you feel that if

studied Romeo and Juliet and I really

they crossed lines it could be really

understood and enjoyed it. This was

problematic.’

about the same time I fell in love for the first time, I was about 15, and you

Rosie wanted a diverse cast for

suddenly wake up to so many new

Romeo and Juliet to reflect the city

emotions.’

and began by exploring South Asian dance, drawing on the experience of

“I want dance to blow people’s minds, for them to fall in love with dance and trust it’s an amazing theatrical experience with a relevance to the here and now.”

Juliet’s Dream: David Devyne, Mayowa Ogunnaike and Deepraj Singh. © Brian Slater.

Merc’s Death. © Brian Slater.

choreographers including Sonia Sabri

different parts of the city and then

expert in these but I know what I want

and Aakash Odedra, who, like Rosie,

joining officers for a week in Ladywood.

and how to get the best out of people.

are associate artists of Birmingham

Here she talked to families whose

This show is about young people,

Hippodrome.

children had been groomed by gangs,

different ethnicities, gang violence,

with some now involved in selling

things that are very modern and city-

As part of her research, Rosie was

drugs and others having suffered gang

based and I didn’t want any of this to

invited to Sparkbrook’s Nelson Mandela

violence and knife crime.

come from the wrong perspective so it’s

School by head teacher Azita Zohhadi

been essential to have the collaborative

where she discussed the play and its

Following the research, Rosie created

approach. This piece has all the themes

issues with nine- and ten-year-old

a storyline and began work on the

you can trace throughout my work like

pupils.

characters but she was also keen for the

love, sex, violence, group dynamics,

dancers to help create their roles.

bullying and pressure but it also has so

‘We were exploring things around gangs

much input from the research and the

and identity, violence and threats of

‘I wanted the dancers to recognise

violence, equality and relationships,

themselves in the role and, in the

consent and balance between the sexes.

audition process, we had long chats

The show is 75 minutes long and set to

At first I wondered if the children were

about their thoughts for the story and

a soundtrack by Birmingham-based

too young for these themes but Azita

the characters. So, right from the very

composer Annie Mahtani which blends

was very clear that if we don’t talk

beginning, I was asking them to fill out

her electroacoustic music with Berlioz’s

about these things at primary school

these characters with their own life

dramatic symphony Roméo et Juliette.

age it’s too late by the time they go to

experience.’

secondary school.’

dancers.’

Never one to shy away from ‘The dancers were very much co-

controversial subjects, Rosie’s past

Rosie also wanted to see how these

choreographers, they really made it

works have included explorations of the

issues impacted on older children and

with me. They had such a range of

physical and psychological effects of

young adults so spent time on the beat

dance skills from South Asian, street,

war, media brainwashing and women’s

with West Midlands Police, first visiting

contemporary, hip hop – I’m not an

sexuality and it was important that

For a biography of Rosie Kay visit www.RosieKay.co.uk/rosie-kay

“The dancers were very much co-choreographers, they really made it with me. They had such a range of dance skills from South Asian, street, contemporary, hip hop’’

Iona McGuire as Angel. © Brian Slater.

this Romeo + Juliet also tackle difficult

about providing the things that really

her because she’s young but she’s also

issues head on.

excite young people like youth clubs,

seen things which keep her grounded.

activities and opportunities for things

She has a lot of hopes, desires and goals

‘I want dance to blow people’s minds,

like dance because without these you

she’s committed to.

for them to fall in love with dance

will get a youth that turns in on itself.’

and trust it’s an amazing theatrical

‘I feel really connected to her character.

experience with a relevance to the here

Mayowa Ogunnaike takes the part of

In the research and development Rosie

and now.

Juliet and the dancer from London was

gave us all kinds of questions like how

keen to create a Juliet for today. ‘My

old our characters are, their families,

‘The research for this show has shown

Juliet is really strong-minded,’ she says.

what interests they have, what they

us that we need to create a society

‘With her and Romeo there’s more of

want in the future, their fears and

where young people feel valued and

equality in terms of power dynamics.

desires and we spent a lot of time

listened to. I think that’s the moral

She’s a dreamer and adventurous, an

talking about who that character was.

of the story - adults need to take

optimist but she also has this bit of an

There’s a lot that the audience won’t

responsibility for young people. It’s

edge about her. There’s a naivety about

even see in the show but it makes the

characters who they are.

‘In doing so, I feel like I’ve got to

‘I hope the audience connect to the

understand some of how Rosie

characters and can relate to them. It’s

choreographs characters which is

a representation of a gang culture in

new for me and she’s getting a better

Birmingham but it’s also a love story

understanding of classical Indian

and a tragedy and people will really feel

movements.

the emotion coming from us.’ ‘Rosie wanted to make sure that Romeo Mayowa has performed with a host of

was completely different to all the

companies including Phoenix Dance

other gang members so it was about

Theatre, Uchenna Dance and ACE

what makes him attractive to Juliet?

Dance and Music but Romeo + Juliet has

We brought Indian classical dance

been a new experience. ‘We all come

to differentiate me from the other

from different backgrounds in dance,

characters so we had a natural way of

mine is more contemporary, and we

making Romeo stand out.’

all have very different ways of moving but it’s been really inspiring. So, for

The Leicester-based dancer and

example there’s a really long duet with

choreographer has worked with many

Romeo and Juliet where marrying our

leading companies and choreographers

styles really works. We move differently

including Birmingham-based Sampad,

but we still move as one.’

Sonia Sabri, Akademi, Chitraleka Dance Academy and Aakash Odedra.

Subhash Viman Gorania, who plays

Currently artistic director of Morph

Romeo, was also attracted by the idea of

Dance Company and dance artist

a different kind of Romeo and Juliet.

in residence at Leicester’s Peepul

‘We grow up with Romeo and Juliet -

Centre, Subhash believes this new

there have been billions of adaptations

Romeo + Juliet will resonate with local

of the story and so many Bollywood

audiences.

movies are based on it but they’re always through the same lens,’ he says.

‘Rosie has managed to pick a team of

‘Rosie really wanted to do something

nine dancers who are so completely

different. She wanted to bring it

different and the diversity is shown in

from the view of young people in

the choreography so I really think it

Birmingham today and, especially with

brings the diversity of Birmingham to

Birmingham being so multicultural and

the stage. There will be characters in

with gang violence, it’s a perfect setting

there who audience members know,

for this story.

have met or have experienced and will connect .’

‘In rehearsals we were given the

Mayowa Ogunnaike as Juliet and Subhash Viman Gorania as Romeo. © Brian Slater.

freedom to explore our own experiences

Diane Parkes is a freelance journalist

and bring them to the characters and I

specialising in the arts. A reporter for

think that has helped shift both Romeo

more than 30 years, she has worked for

and Juliet. As it’s a modern day telling, it’s us, who we are, on stage.’ Working

newspapers, magazines, online and arts organisations locally and nationally.

with a range of styles has also been a learning process. ‘I come from a classical and contemporary South Asian dance background, Bharatanatyam and Khatak, and Rosie comes from a contemporary background so it was about us building a choreographic language together.

For biographies of the dancers visit www.RosieKay.co.uk/r+j

Radio and Juliet Choreography Edward Clug

World premiere: Slovene National Theatre, 2005

Music Radiohead (Presented under licence from Warner

First performance by Birmingham Royal Ballet, 14 October

Chappell Music Limited. Master rights holder, Beggars Group

2021, Birmingham Hippodrome.

Media Limited) Sets Marko Japelj Costume Leo Kulaš Lighting Tomaž Premzl Répétiteurs Matjaž Marin, Tijuana Križman Hudernik

THE MAN WHO MARRIED RADIOHEAD AND SHAKESPEARE Edward Clug, choreographer of Radio and Juliet in conversation with Deborah Weiss

Edward Clug in Radio and Juliet. © Marta Tiberiu.

Romanian born choreographer, Edward

and since then the company has

Clug, is about to become a more

been invited all over the world to

familiar name in the UK, thanks to

perform it (and Clug’s other works)

an invitation from Carlos Acosta and

from Jacob’s Pillow to St Petersburg,

Birmingham Royal Ballet, to stage his

Singapore, Biarritz, Seoul, Milan, Tel

internationally renowned production of

Aviv and Pittsburg, to name just a few.

Radio and Juliet.

It has become a signature work for the company.

For the last 30 years he has lived in, danced with (1991) and was appointed

I’m keen to ask him why and how he

artistic director (2003) of the Maribor

thinks its success came about. ‘More

Ballet in Slovenia. When we meet on

that the complete ballet, I would say it’s

Zoom, it is immediately apparent that

because many great principal dancers

he is passionate about every aspect of

have taken part of it and danced it at

his life there.

galas. Denis Matvienko and his wife, Anastasia started it, dancing in New

Softly spoken and unassuming,

York and London, and I presume Carlos

his Radio and Juliet, to music by

has had a chance to see it. Of course

Radiohead, was conceived and

we were performing it in many dance

performed for the first time in 2005

festivals but I would say that they

in Maribor for the Slovene National

[Matvienkos] made a very concrete

Theatre. It was an instant success

impact.’

For a biography of Edward Clug visit brb.org.uk/carlos-curates

“I had decided to make her the only female in the piece, building everything else around her, to create her own universe from her perspective. ” 23

documents what did and didn’t happen He does, of course, know his own

to her. It relies on the audience’s

dancers very well but I wonder what

perspective - to follow the performance

the challenges have been when setting

through their own experience.

the complete work on a company that is new to him. ‘We’ve already had the

This was my first attempt to delve into

experience of transferring the piece

narrative ballets, having done mostly

to other companies, different dancers

abstract. I was aware of the brilliance

and personalities. The choreographic

of the MacMillan and Cranko versions

structure is very defined, so in that

and didn’t want to offend the purity of

sense, people always aim for that

these. I felt we had to go into the 21st

specifically. Once the dancers get

century and take it a step further using

used to this new vocabulary, from that

Radiohead music - my favourite band.

moment on, we want to focus on the

They continue to reinvent themselves

dancers’ personalities, keeping the

and I would like to think that I do this

existing structure whilst allowing the

too. It was definitely a turning point in

dancers to find their own freedom.

my career and triggered interest in the

It’s always been challenging but I

company internationally.

think the dancers find it attractive, it’s very creative. It’s been the same with

‘It was not easy to make the decision

Birmingham Royal Ballet. I’m sure the

about the music because it was very

dancers are going to shine in it.’

personal to me. I was sharing an intimacy in my work with the public.

Clug made the decision to digress from

Songs that are used in the performance,

the original Shakespeare play and

I can’t listen to in the same way. Ideas

create a scenario where Juliet decides

came from the music and the story. It

not to take her own life. Quite a radical

was purely instinctive. The characters

u-turn. ‘I had decided to make her

are not obviously depicted but for

the only female in the piece, building

example, when Mercutio dies, his solo

everything else around her, to create

is to Bullet Proof… I wish I was. There

her own universe from her perspective.

is an additional element for audiences

The piece is also retrospective, it

because they listen to the lyrics which

“I felt we had to go into the 21st century and take it a step further using Radiohead music - my favourite band. They continue to reinvent themselves and I would like to think that I do this too”

meet perfectly with the story. Once I’d made the decision to marry Radiohead with the play, it felt completely natural. It coincided with their 2003 album, Hail to the Thief, which was very political. It was good for the element of conflict. We don’t have Capulets and Montagues as such, but there is conflict in the atmosphere. It comes from the beat of the music and some very deep poetry in the lyrics.’ Romeo/Radio dies from digesting a lemon. I want to know the significance. ‘It’s the poison, the sourness, the unpleasant acid and unfulfilled love, the taste of frustration, the forbidden fruit.’ Finishing on an anecdote, he tells me, ‘To emphasise the modernity of the piece, last year after the first lockdown, we celebrated 15 years of performances. We opened the season with a revival. There were many people watching who hadn’t seen it before. People came up afterwards saying how ingenious it was that we had incorporated masks into the performance. I said, “Actually - we did that fifteen years ago!’’ Edward Clug - a man way ahead

of his time. Deborah Weiss is a former principal dancer who danced primarily with London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich. Since 1993 she has been a freelance dance writer and critic

Technical credits Scenery built and painted by Visual Scene Ltd. Costume made by Parkinson Gill Costume Supervisor Elaine Garlick Production Manager David Pritchard.

Radiohead track list Fitter Happier

Like Spinning Plates

(Greenwood/Rickman/Yorke)

Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors

O’Brien/Yorke

(Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

The Gloaming

O’Brien/Yorke

Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

How to Disappear Completely

O’Brien/Yorke

(Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was

O’Brien/Yorke)

Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

Sit Down, Stand Up

O’Brien/Yorke

(Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

Motion Picture Soundtrack

O’Brien/Yorke)

Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

We Suck Young Blood

O’Brien/Yorke

(Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

Living In A Glass House

O’Brien/Yorke)

Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/

Idioteque

O’Brien/Yorke

Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway/ O’Brien/Yorke/Lansky

For a castsheet visit brb.org.uk/carlos-curates

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GET CLOSER: BECOME A SUPPORTER Becoming part of our Dancers’ Circle or BRB Friends is a hugely rewarding and engaging way to support the work of Birmingham Royal Ballet. Your support will help us deliver our extraordinary work, on stage and in communities, and will help ensure the future success of the Company.

As a thank you we offer our supporters a programme of benefits that include:

• Priority booking or a concierge-style ticket booking service* • Exclusive online events • Invitations to rehearsals, insight events and pre-show receptions* • Our annual supporters’ magazine • Regular e-newsletters * Dependent on level of support

SUPPORTERS’ EVENTS CALENDAR

Taking every chance to dance Welcome to your Events Calendar

Sarah Crompton catches up with Carlos Acosta and Caroline Miller

You never know what’s around the corner

We have curated a range of free events which you can enjoy from the comfort of your house via Zoom. Events include:

Tea with…

Back to the future

An opportunity to socialise with our fantastic dancers, musicians and production team, and to ask any questions you might have about their careers.

To Book Events To book any of the events, simply visit Birmingham Royal Ballet website brb.org.uk/supporters-events All online events are free, but please book your space and details of how to join the event will be emailed to you.

Dancers’ Circle roundtable Guests from across Birmingham Royal Ballet will give an insight into their careers and experiences within the arts.

Jenny Gilbert talks to Alessandra Ferri

Exclusive Supporters’ talks First Soloist, Jonathan Payn, in conversation with guests.

and more... December 2020 – April 2021

Autumn 2021

Autumn 2020

For more information and to become a Supporter visit brb.org.uk/support-us

WHEREFORE ART THOU?

An exhibition of specially commissioned art inspired by Radio and Juliet on display at venues across Birmingham until 17 October Wherefore ART Thou? is an art and design installation project commissioned by Birmingham Royal Ballet in partnership with Birmingham City University and De Montfort University, Leicester to celebrate the Company premiere of Edward Clug’s Radio and Juliet. The commissioned artists have received creative professional development, including mentorship by multi-awardwinning experiential art duo Davy and Kristin McGuire, and exclusive access to Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Carlos Acosta with the Wherfore ART Thou? artists, mentors, and members of our Learning, Engagement, Access and Participation team. From left: Kasia Kraus, Hannah MacGregor, Isabelle Homer, Davy McGuire, Kristin McGuire, Carlos Acosta, Kallirroi Vratti, Leona McDonough-Smith, Tegan Robinson-Morris, Sarah Harper. © Man Yee Lee.

MEET THE ARTISTS Sarah J. Harper Illustrative Fibre Artist, Birmingham City University Location of artwork: John Lewis shop window (opposite Joe & Juice), First Floor, Grand Central B2 4XJ I have created four individual pieces:

Monochromatic dream state

when combined they represent my

Bittersweet and fragmented

interpretation of the ballet and music in

Angular anger

forms that express movement and raw emotions. The dancers responded to a

The shapes, words and emotions within

survey, which asked them to evaluate

my work are shown in my fibre art,

the emotions felt whilst they danced

incorporating 3D spheres of woven,

Radio and Juliet.

upcycled and freehand embroidered sections using fibres and MDF.

The descriptive words and emotions I worked with were:

Isabella Homer Embroidery Artist, Birmingham City University Location of artwork: Outside studio 5, Birmingham Hippodrome ‘Preservation of a Memory’

manner of historical embroidery – very illustrative and symbolic in its use of

I was most inspired by the storytelling

colour and imagery. I have revisited the

in Radio and Juliet, in its use of Juliet’s

original text to derive more symbolic

flashbacks to deliver the story of Romeo

detail for each memory, and applied

and Juliet, out of order and in less detail

to clothing based around the costume

than the written word. It strikes a chord

worn in the ballet, effectively applying a

in the way that we as people remember

visual memory to the clothing.

events, quite often in less specific memories and more vague emotion.

For each piece, I wanted to trap Juliet’s memory in the clothing, using

In my work I am interested in

embroidery, illustration and colour.

storytelling through textile in the

Tegan Robinson-Morris Interactive Installation Artist, Birmingham City University Location of artwork: City Café foyer (ground floor), Symphony Hall, Broad Street B1 2EA Mine is an interactive piece, with

This piece was also inspired by a trip to

a typical English letterbox at the

Verona, where the walls surrounding

forefront. The public are invited to post

‘Juliet’s Balcony’ are covered in graffiti

their own letters or write messages

and notes left by visitors to their loved

directly onto the installation.

ones.

The box has a transparent element

Ultimately, I would like to empty the

allowing viewers to see the letters fill

letters from the post box and arrange

up. You are invited to use the desk for

for them to be shared (anonymously)

letter writing and the armchair to spend

through social media to continue the

some time in a comfortable reflective

element of community engagement.

space.

Kallirroi Vratti and Leona McDonough-Smith Contemporary Dance Artists, De Montfort University, Leicester Location of artwork: Multi-screen digital wall, Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square B1 2EA

‘Detachment’ Videographer: Devesh Sodha

clinical environment to reflect the alienation and detachment these beings have compared to us as humans.

The intention for our dance for film

Growing up in our generation and

was to investigate how we relate to

being surrounded by technology, we

love and connect with others, what

resonated with the idea that we have

would happen if we were to become

disconnected with those around us.

cyborg-like characters? Especially in today’s world which is heavily driven by technology. Are we conditioned in a similar way machines are programmed? We wanted to create a sterile and

For more information visit brb.org.uk/art

WELCOME: CHARLOTTE POLITI The Royal Ballet Sinfonia’s new Constant Lambert Fellowship Conductor tells us about her passion for music.

Named after the Founding Music Director of the Royal Ballet companies, the Constant Lambert Fellowship is a joint initiative with The Royal Ballet designed for conductors aspiring to gain the particular skills required to conduct for ballet. The mentoring is led by Koen Kessels, Music Director of both companies, and Paul Murphy, our Principal Conductor. This autumn we are delighted to welcome Charlotte Politi.

How did you discover your passion

What are your memories of your first

for conducting?

professional engagement?

As a child I loved playing in orchestras.

My first professional engagement was

Later I became passionate about

in opera. I loved the feeling of being

scores, recordings of orchestral music.

involved in a theatre production that

Conducting came slowly and naturally

includes not only music, but also stage

to me. I can’t think of a specific

direction, costume design, set design,

moment where I decided I wanted to

and so forth. Conducting a show of

become a conductor. Now when I think

over three hours flew by, because of

back, it seems it’s something I always

how everybody was so connected in the

wanted to do, even before I could put in

story telling.

words what it means to be a conductor. What do you hope to get out of the How did that lead to conducting for

scheme?

ballet?

I hope to learn from every musician, to

What attracted me to ballet is the

be inspired by every artist I will get to

wonderful repertoire. Furthermore,

work with. I hope I will be able to give a

I’ve always liked the idea of working in

positive constructive contribution and

collaboration with art forms, other than

at the same time to develop my skills

music. I love the theatre company life,

and grow in my profession.

and the spirit of collaborations between arts.

“Charlotte is a very talented young conductor I am looking forward to mentoring her throughout this unique process and observing her development in the speciality of conducting for dance.’’ Paul Murphy, Principal Conductor. 30

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET Director Carlos Acosta cbe Assistant Director Dominic Antonucci Chief Executive Officer Caroline Miller obe Acting Chief Executive Officer Anna Williams fca, dcha Music Director and Conductor Koen Kessels Birmingham Royal Ballet Board of Directors Sir David Normington gcb Chair Barry Allen Marverine Cole Anthony Coombs Sandra Crossley Michael Elliott Jane Hackett Shireenah Ingram Jeanetta Laurence obe Christine Ondimu Hemma Patel Councillor Carl Rice Deborah Spence

BALLET STAFF Senior Répétiteur Michael O’Hare Répétiteur Carmen Piqueras Rehearsal Director & Coach Marion Tait Benesh Choreologist / Video Archivist Patricia Tierney DANCERS Principals Yasuo Atsuji Tzu-Chao Chou Mathias Dingman Samara Downs Maternity leave Céline Gittens Momoko Hirata Brandon Lawrence César Morales

Alexandra Burman Enrique Bejarno Vidal Anna Ciriano Rosanna Ely Ryan Felix Callum Findlay-White Tori Forsyth-Hecken August Generalli Miles Gilliver Josue Gomez Sarria Tessa Hogge Isabella Howard Regan Hutsell Sofia Liñares Hannah Martin Apprentice Eric Pinto Cata Emma Price Matilde Rodrigues Javier Rojas Hamish Scott

First Soloists

Yuki Sugiura

Kit Holder

Anna Williams fca, dcha Company Secretary

Miki Mizutani

Honorary Secretary

Louis Andreasen

Eilis Small

Yvette Knight

Jacqueline Mistry

Gabriel Anderson

Tyrone Singleton

Ian Squires

Governors of the Royal Ballet Companies and School Dame Sue Owen Chair Leanne Benjamin am obe Vice-Chair Sir Matthew Bourne obe Anne Bulford obe Hilary S. Carty bma ccmi Lady Alison Deighton Stephen Jefferies Jeanetta Laurence obe Iain Mackay Sir David Normington gcb Derek Purnell Luke Ritter cbe Christopher Rodrigues cbe David Ross Lindsay Tomlinson obe

Artists

Rory Mackay Valentin Olovyannikov Jonathan Payn Artistic Enrichment Officer Yaoqian Shang Soloists Laura Day Karla Doorbar Yu Kurihara Max Maslen Lachlan Monaghan Beatrice Parma Yijing Zhang First Artists Reina Fuchigami Haoliang Feng Gus Payne Rachele Pizzillo Alys Shee Daria Stanciulescu

Lennert Steegen Lynsey Sutherland Amelia Thompson Lucy Waine Shuailun Wu Alexander Yap ROYAL BALLET SINFONIA Principal Conductor Paul Murphy Conductor Philip Ellis Guest Conductor Martin Georgiev Constant Lambert Conducting Fellowship Charlotte Politi First Violins Robert Gibbs Leader Vanessa David Amanda Brown Deborah Schlenther Philip Aird Caroline Ferriman

Second Violins Rebecca Jones Mary Martin Fiona Robertson Robert Simmons Violas Errika Horsley Chris Pitsillides Cellos Antonio Novais Jane Rainey Double Basses Vera Pereira Maternity leave

Alan Taylor Flute Sandra Skipper Piccolo Oboe Maxwell Spiers Cor anglais Clarinets Ian Scott Harry Penny Bassoon Llinos Owen Contra bassoon Horns Andrew Littlemore Neil Mitchell Chris Pointon Trumpets Michael Allen Christopher Deacon Trombone Amos Miller Tuba David Gordon Shute Timpani Grahame King Percussion Kevin Earley Paul Parker Company Pianists Matthew Drury Ross Williams Jeanette Wong

Chief Commercial Officer Paul James

Trusts & Foundations Officer Rhianna Swancott

BRAND, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Individual Giving Manager Chris Smith

Head of Marketing Kate Howells Marketing Executive – Campaigns Kesha Beaupierre Marketing Executive – Audience Joe Palfrey PR & Media Executive Lauren Morton Creative Digital Producer Tom Rogers Senior Design Executive

Development Events Manager Hope McGoldrick Individual Giving & Events Officer Ella Cockerton Corporate Partnerships Officer Emma Thompson

Human Resources Director Claire Owen

Lee Armstrong

HUMAN RESOURCES

Design Executives Vicki Costin

Senior Human Resources Administrator Sam Howe

Matt Davis Social Media Executive Tia Cham

Human Resources Administrator Tania Muthuparakunnel

LEARNING, ENGAGEMENT, ACCESS & PARTICIPATION

Receptionist & Administrator Karen Fisher

Director of Learning, Access Engagement & Participation

Business Administration Apprentice Lucy Tranter

Pearl Chesterman

Health, Safety, Facilities & Risk Manager Oliver Drain

Head of Creative Learning Lee Fisher Participation Manager Rebecca Brookes Engagement Manager Kasia Kraus Participation Coordinator Katherine Field Engagement Coordinator Hannah MacGregor

DEVELOPMENT Director of Development Matt Freeman Senior Manager – Trusts & Foundations Anna Hodgkinson

Facilities Co-ordinator Glenn Rudge Caretaker Philip Pearsall COMPANY OFFICE Company Manager Will Mauchline Sabbatical Acting Company Manager Tristan Rusdale Acting Assistant Company Manager Leanne Ward EO / DIRECTOR PA to CEO & Director Jessica Rupert

JERWOOD CENTRE Clinical Director Nick Allen phd msc mcsp srp Company Physiotherapists Esther Collacott mcsp srp Khushnum Pastakia mcsp srp Masseur Jason Boyle Medical Advisors Bellevue Medical Centre

Senior Stage Technicians Paul Amoo Steve Hegan Stage Technicians Paul Fisher-Bazan Tom Reilly Alex Bacciochi Paton Lighting Design Consultant Peter Teigen Head of Lighting Johnny Westall-Eyre Deputy Head of Lighting Andy Wilson

FINANCE & PROJECTS

Senior Lighting Technicians Alastair Phillips Andy Rumble

Executive Producer Abigail Reeve

Lighting Technicians Scott Smith Marcus Trombley Apprentice

Chief Operating Officer Anna Williams fca, dcha

Finance Manager Kamla Korotane Systems & Management Accountant Finance Jocelyn Addlington Finance Officers Deseree GreenawayWilliams Ruth Whelan Finance Assistant Charlotte Rowley ORCHESTRA STAFF Orchestra Director John Beadle Orchestra Manager Andrew Bentley TECHNICAL Technical Director Paul Grace Senior Stage Manager Diana Childs Deputy Stage Manager Eliska Robenn Assistant Stage Manager Gracie Adlington Head of Scenic Presentation Doug Nicholson Head of Stage Ben Leveson Deputy Head of Stage Paul Moore

Head of Costume / Costume Supervisor Elaine Garlick Costume Production Coordinator Vanda Hewston Production Costume Cutter & Maker Rosie Armitage Anna Willetts Production Costume Technician Joanna Shilton Touring Costume Manager Shermaine Goucol Costume Technicians Lucy Cook Rebecca Jones Jennifer Priestly Gabrielle Raven Shoe Supervisor Michael Clifford Head of Wigs Lauren FitzGerald Deputy Head of Wigs Fay Johnson Wigs Assistant Lizzie Mcquire

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s repertory is recorded in Benesh Movement Notation by qualified choreologists trained at the Benesh International, 36 Battersea Square, London SW11 3RA

Director Carlos Acosta

The Nutcracker 20 November – 11 December

birminghamhippodrome.com

THANK YOU

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Principal Sponsor

Special Project Supporters Carol Barrie Jayne Cadbury and Nigel Goodman* Charles Glanville and James Hogan The Kirby Laing Foundation David and Mary Laing Sir Michael and Joan Perry *unrestricted

Dancers’ Circle – Principal Julia and Anthony Glossop Tony Newcombe Dancers’ Circle – Soloist Jill and Andrew Chapman CMP Wealth Management Richard and Jennie Cunis Maureen Kirby Marian Mulady Sally Rowe Gillian Shaw John Weston Dancers’ Circle – Artist Philip Baldwin and Phillip Arnold Jenny Batelen and Rob Brett Roger and Felicity Burman Amanda Carter Dr Jim Clews Guy and Judy Crofts Irving and Olga David Sandra Davison Robyn Durie Susan and Frederick Furniss Tessa Gillespie Prof Caroline Gordon P.S. and C.A. Gravestock Wendy and Gordon Hardy Jill and Malcolm Harris Tom Hotchkiss Dr Sandra Kendall

Tessa and Charles King-Farlow Shirley Leaver Hilary Macaulay Chantelle Mackay Shaaron Morgan Robert and Eleanor Nagle Katie Newbon Linda Nicholls Sir David and Lady Win Normington Rosemary Perl Keith Perry Amanda & Emily Pillinger Chris Relph Ross Roberts Carole Sallnow Barbara Scott Miles Scott and Lucille Roughley Margaret Shand Su and Richard Simkin Carla and Dilys Skinner Nick Makin and Brenda Sumner Brian & Susannah Swindell Ron & Jackie Treverton-Jones and to our many individual supporters who prefer to remain anonymous.

Trusts and Foundations

The Alan Woodfield Charitable Trust The Alison Hillman Charitable Trust Amar-Franses and Foster-Jenkins Trust The Arts Society Birmingham The Aspinwall Educational Trust The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust Baron Davenport’s Charity Bayfield Charitable Trust BHSF Medical Charity and Welfare Trust The Bernard Piggott Charitable Trust The Boshier-Hinton Foundation The Brian Shaw Memorial Trust The Britford Bridge Trust The Calleva Foundation The Cecil King Memorial Foundation The Charles Brotherton Trust The Chatwin Trust Clare King Charitable Trust The Clore Duffield Foundation The John S Cohen Foundation The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dumbreck Charity The Edgar E Lawley Foundation Ensix Charitable Trust Eric W Vincent Trust Fund Eveson Charitable Trust George Fentham Birmingham Charity The George Henry Collins Charity GJW Turner Trust The Goodenough Charitable Trust The Grantham Yorke Trust The Grey Court Trust The Grimmitt Trust The H Steven and P E Wood Charitable Trust The Hawthorne Charitable Trust The Helen Rachael Mackaness Charitable Trust Henry James Sayer Charity The Idlewild Trust IMI Critical Engineering Charitable Appeals Committee The James Frederick and Ethel Anne Measures Charity The John Avins Trust

The John Thaw Foundation Langdale Trust Limoges Charitable Trust London Ballet Circle The Loppylugs and Barbara Morrison Charitable Trust The Lord Austin Trust M K Rose Charitable Trust The Marchus Trust Marsh Charitable Trust The Michael Marsh Charitable Trust Michael Watson Charitable Trust The Oakley Charitable Trust Owen Family Trust The Patricia Routledge Charitable Trust The Peter and Teresa Harris Charitable Trust Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire PRS Foundation Quayle Charitable Trust Richard Cadbury Charitable Trust The Roger and Douglas Turner Charitable Trust The Roughley Charitable Trust The Rowlands Trust RPS Drummond Fund The Rix-Thompson-Rothenberg Foundation/Baily Thomas Charitable Fund The RVW Trust The S and D Lloyd Charity Sabina Sutherland Charitable Trust The Saintbury Trust Scops Arts Trust Souter Charitable Trust St Jude’s Trust St Thomas’ Dole Charity Stanley Picker Trust The Sterry Family Foundation The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust

Corporate Supporters Charles Stanley National Express Nicholls Brimble Bhol Price Pearson Taxwise Forresters

The Thistle Trust The Uncle Bill Trust The Vandervell Foundation W E D Charitable Trust The Wilmcote Charitrust and those trusts and foundations that prefer to remain anonymous.

The John Sumner Trust

For full lists of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s generous supporters visit brb.org.uk/join-and-support

PERFORMANCE CALENDAR Curated by Carlos: Triple Bill City of a Thousand Trades | Imminent | Chacona

Carlos Acosta’s

Don Quixote

Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 November 2021 Sadler’s Wells, London

Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 February 2022

www. sadlerswell.com

Mayflower Theatre Southampton www.mayflower.org.uk

The Beauty of Ballet The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is joined by dancers from

Friday 18 – Saturday 26 February 2022

Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Birmingham Hippodrome

Wednesday 10 November, 7.30pm 2021

www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Royal Albert Hall www.royalalberthall.com

Wednesday 2 – Saturday 5 March 2022 The Lowry, Salford

The Nutcracker

www.thelowry.com

20 November – 11 December 2021 Birmingham Hippodrome

Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 March 2022

www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Sunderland Empire www.atg.com

The Nutcracker 28– 31 December 2021

Wednesday 16 – Saturday 19 March 2022

Royal Albert Hall

Theatre Royal Plymouth

www.royalalberthall.com

www.theatreroyal.com

Our specialists listen to your requirements and always put your needs first. We leave the drama on the stage.

Proud supporter of Birmingham Royal Ballet

PRICE PEARSON C H A RT E R E D AC C O U N TA N T S

01384 456 780 www.pricepearson.com