Raymonda National English Ballet At Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Review

Reviewed by Jane Warwick

The English National Ballet provided a magnificent evening’s entertainment at The Mayflower last night. Raymonda is one of the great classical ballets but is rarely seen in the UK due to its poor story line and unacceptable racial stereotyping. Director and Choreographer, Tamara Rojo, has changed all that by reimagining the story line and providing a believable and touching narrative which provides the perfect vehicle for some wonderful dancing.
The story is now based in the Victorian era at the time of the Crimean war with characters inspired by those who supported the war effort, in particular, the many pioneering women, like Florence Nightingale who sought to improve conditions for soldiers and fought for women’s rights. The lead character, Raymonda, comes from a privileged English background but is driven by a desire to alleviate the suffering of the soldiers on the front line and travels to Sevastopol to help in the field hospitals. Her suitor, John de Bryan, has enlisted in the army and is also in the Crimea where he proposes marriage, but Raymonda is uncertain, especially after she meets the dashing Abdur Rahman, a prince from the Ottoman empire. The story then revolves around the love triangle between the three main characters. It also involves Sister Clemence, a nurse from an order of nuns, and Henriette, a fun-loving tourist at the front. Fortunately, the printed programme for the show contained a very clear synopsis of the plot which made the drama on stage very easy to follow- in fact this was one of the most coherent ballet story lines I have seen.

The initial scene was set by some innovative use of video projection showing newspaper headlines depicting the progress of the war in Crimea. Otherwise, the set and lighting were kept fairly simple but were a perfect foil for a lavish production starring over 65 dancers and actors with elaborate costumes and some stunning tableaux.

The main dancers were superb, and the female leads Raymonda (Emma Hawes), Sister Clemence (Precious Adams) and Henriette (Julia Conway) all danced beautifully. The male leads, John de Bryan (Aitor Arrieta) and Abdur Rahman (Rentaro Nakaaki) displayed an athleticism and grace which was most impressive and would have been lacking in the original productions of the ballet. The score allows for some very entertaining chorus lines including various Turkish and Hungarian folk dances and an ethereal dream sequence. The only minor gripe was that some of the choreography, particularly of the male chorus, lacked some synchronicity.

Any ballet needs good music and the score by Alexander Glazunov is outstanding. In fact, Tchaikovsky said that he would never have tried to write Swan Lake if he had heard Glazunov’s Raymonda! The music was truly brought to life by the orchestra of the English National Ballet Philharmonic under the able direction of Gavin Sutherland who not only had 65 musicians performing in the pit but also four on-stage during the final Act. These included musicians playing unusual instruments like the cimbalom and a hurdy gurdy.

This production of Raymonda only had its world premiere in January 2022 and is the swan song of Tamara Rojo after ten years as Artistic Director of the English National Ballet. We were indeed very fortunate to have the show visit the Mayflower and the ballet is a fitting tribute for her farewell.

The Mayflower is an excellent venue and a deservedly popular theatre. It is the largest theatre on the South coast with over 2300 seats and the circle seat I was in gave an excellent view of the stage. There is a well- stocked bar and the facility to bring your drinks into the auditorium, plus a range of ice-creams and sweets which are often an essential ingredient for a theatre show. There is good parking and a good selection of restaurants within easy reach of the theatre making it the ideal place for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.
In summary, a superb production which deserves great success.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost £12 – 49.50

Ramonda ENB is at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton from 30th November to 3rd December.

For more information or to book tickets visit https://www.mayflower.org.uk/your-visit/booking-information/
or call box office on 02380 711811.

22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE