Northern Ballet: Victoria at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield Review
19-23 March 2019
Reviewed by Nigel Chester
It is always a pleasure to spend an evening at the Sheffield Lyceum. A jewel in the crown of a fabulous city. Transport links are easy and if you park in the Q-park on Charles Street and ask any front of house member of staff you will receive a ticket that is worth an hours free parking.
Northern Ballet’s world premier tour of Victoria is on until Saturday 23 March 2019 at the Lyceum.
Victoria is the story of Queen Victoria 1819-1901 who, from the age of thirteen until her death, kept a diary running to over 43,000 pages in 141 volumes and in 2012 these were made available online. It is these journals that form the spine of the ballet a new creation by Cathy Marston. It is a work she should be truly proud of.
Upon arrival at the Lyceum we purchased the program and at £5, I really recommend that you do the same. The ten minutes reading the synopsis truly helped with the understanding of the ballet. The story is split into two acts with a twenty minute interval between. The timeline meshes between the recent and the distant past of Victoria’s life. We start at her death and with the help of Princess Beatrice (Pippa Moore) and the diaries, we see tableaux of the recent past, danced so exquisitely. We quickly understand that there are two Beatrice’s on stage the reflective narrative Princess. Can you narrate without words? But using her body and dance this Beatrice did. And the Young Beatrice (Miki Akuta).
The first act shows the Queen following the death of her husband Albert and the following relationship with her Scottish Ghillie, John Brown (Mlindi Kulashe) and there are many fabulous breath-taking moments but without doubt the memory of Beatrice meeting and marrying Liko (Sean Bates) is the stand out, amazing, hairs standing up on your arms, dance. There are the two Beatrice’s on stage, the young memory and the narrator, the dance is intimate between two lovers but like gossamer the older Beatrice is there.
There are so many elements to any ballet. Northern Ballets Victoria has them all. This is world class. A co-production with The National Ballet of Canada. The music by Philip Feeney and orchestra is stunning and easily could perform independently of the ballet but as the music underpinned every step and every step was in time with the music why would they. However, if the CD is released, I will be buying it. Costume was delightful, not the pancake tutus, but more in keeping with Victorian sensibilities. Mind you, there were a few ankles and legs on show!
Act two showed Beatrice discovering the reality behind Victoria’s meeting, falling in love and ultimate marriage to the handsome Albert (Joseph Taylor), their arguments over Victoria’s responsibilities to both her family and her duty to the Empire, and Albert’s increasing quest for the greater power, he felt was his due.
It was all too soon over and as we left we became part of a group of strangers brought together by a fantastic evenings entertainment, we discussed the two acts and some people preferred the representation of the older Victoria in Act 1, others Act 2, which showed the young Victoria, both roles danced by Abigail Prudames. This was lighter and brighter and even had a couple of laugh out loud moments.
I wondered, as the time line moved back and forth so much, why they hadn’t put the young Victoria in the first act. However, I am sure that Cathy Marston has her reasons and so, truly, sit back and enjoy the phenomena that is Victoria.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £10 (booking fees may apply).
Northern Ballet’s Victoria is at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield from 19-23 March 2019, for more information or to book tickets visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call the box office on 0114 249 6000.
Lyceum Theatre, Norfolk St, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 1DA | 0114 249 6000
