Ballet Theatre UK presents Pinocchio at Buxton Opera House Review
Pinocchio
Buxton Opera House
5 June 2016
Reviewed by Katy Nettleton
with Charlie (age 6) and Millie (age 6)
What they say…
Join Ballet Theatre UK as they tell the tale of a wooden puppet with only one wish… to become a real boy.
Follow Pinocchio, the cheeky marionette puppet with an unruly nose, on his epic quest as he overcomes obstacles, faces consequences and even ends up in the belly of a whale yet proves to all that dreams really do come true.
Pinocchio, joined with iconic characters such as Geppetto, The Blue Fairy and Jiminy Cricket, will take you on a heartfelt journey of discovery.
Set to a stunning classical score this original production will delight ballet audiences and families alike and promises to carve a new love for Pinocchio through the magic of classical dance
What we say…
We were very kindly invited to review Pinocchio at the Buxton Opera House and as this was our first trip to the ballet (and having just started to learn ballet Charlie and Millie couldn’t wait to see the first position, second position and the plie (to name a few of the) “positions” they have been learning in action) we were not entirely sure on what to expect.
I probably don’t need to tell you about the show (as most people will know the story!) however for those (like my children who didn’t!) Pinocchio is a famous story, it has been re-written and staged numerous times with the most famous being the animated version by Disney. With this production at the Opera House being an interpretation of the 1833 original classic. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated puppet named Pinocchio and his father, a poor woodcarver named Geppetto. Geppetto created his masterpiece “Pinocchio” when his love of his life suddenly died, with his only wish being that Pinocchio would come to life. With the help of the Blue Fairy his wish came true, and the puppet became a cheeky little chappy who is easily lead astray. The cat and fox were a light-hearted addition to the production, and made this potentially “dark” show light hearted and adhering to the audience young and old.
I did think, that I had let my girls down slightly as they did struggle with the story at times and I had to give them a quick “brief” on what was happening. However, this did not change their excitement of seeing real life ballerinas and dazzling costumes. They were able to re-tell the story to their 3 year old brother at bed time, so I don’t think this hindered them in the long run!!
As it was the first ballet we had seen I can’t comment on the technical aspects of the dance but can say, whole heartedly that the professionalism, timing and performance was mesmerizing. The dedication each and every dancer had to the story and expressing it like it was the first and last time the story would be told was clear. I for one, can’t believe how the dancers could move so gracefully when “running away from a fox” and how perfectly timed they were when working together. There was a number of “ballet positions” my girls were pointing out, but to be honest you forgot it was a “ballet” and enjoyed a story being told in a different way.
The Opera House was as usual very accommodating and provided “booster seats” for my little people and made sure that there was no need for grubby feet on the seats! This is something that I find important when visiting “family shows” with my children as they want to be able to see just as much as me (and with 2, 6 year olds on my knee I don’t normally get the chance!)”.
When asking Charlie her favourite parts; “all of it, I couldn’t take my eyes off the ballerina’s – and did you know even boys can do ballet!”, and Mille “I loved the cat and fox, but cheeky Pinocchio made me laugh – you would have told me off for losing all your money!”. Once we got home both girls did a “show” for their Daddy and brother to tell the story of Pinocchio with their newly found skills and enthusiasm for the ballet.
The storytelling through the dance was brilliant and truly brought the story to life! It is a brilliant show for all ages, for those with a love of the ballet or seeing a childhood story being retold (whilst closely following the original script). There was no one stand out section for me, it was all brilliant. I really enjoyed the bringing of Pinocchio to life, and all the dancers were brilliant so it is really hard to break it down to who had an “amazing” show. Personally, the dancers, music production, staging and costumes brought the show together, to provide a professional production worthy of a standing ovation and full auditorium (I was expecting a full house, however it was a great shame that this was not the case as I could only imagine a full audience would only complement an already exciting atmosphere).
Overall I would give this 4.5 out of 5 and recommend it to all; families, individuals, young and old. This is a story that really comes to life with the Ballet Theatre UK.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Ballet Theatre UK production of Pinocchio is currently on tour around the UK until 19 June 2016, for more information and tour dates visit www.ballettheatreuk.com.
For other shows at the Buxton Opera House visit www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk.
Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN | 0845 127 2190
