Scottish Ballet Hot with Desire
Scottish Ballet’s A Streetcar Named Desire to tour to Festival Theatre
By Thom Dibdin
Scottish Ballet’s newly commissioned ballet of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is to arrive at the Festival Theatre for a four day – five performance – run following its world premiere in Glasgow on April 11.
The New Orleans-set ballet will be danced to a newly commissioned, jazz-inspired score from Peter Salem and is sponsored by Adam & Company. In a first for the Scottish Ballet, the company is using both a theatre/film director (Nancy Meckler) and a choreographer (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa) to create the work.
A series of related performances and events include Desire, a performance project at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in March. There will also be a live webcast of a panel discussion between director, choreographer, Scottish Ballet’s artistic director Ashley Page and principal dancer Tama Barry on March 29.
The ballet marks the 65th anniversary year of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, in which fading southern belle, Blanche DuBois, moves into her sister Stella’s apartment in an attempt to leave her troubled past behind her. Tensions are quick to rise in the heat and humidity of New Orleans and when Stella’s brutish husband Stanley realising that his sister-in-law in not all she seems, he sets out to destroy her.
Bringing a theatre director in to help create a new ballet with a choreographer is an attempt to look at the work from a new direction, according to Ashley Page, whose own major works have been as a result of close collaboration with designer Antony McDonald.
Page explains that: “The intention behind this collaborative project was to attempt to approach narrative from an alternative starting point, and to examine how the different energy of a theatre director might trigger a new reaction from the dancers. Having previously seen Nancy’s work with her own company, Shared Experience, it was clear to me that she was very interested in the physical side of drama, and in looking at how you can say things with movement in a way that is sometimes more expressive and more evocative than with words.”
A new and exciting adventure
Besides her own company, Meckler has previously directed for the stage with both the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as on Broadway and in the West End. She has also directed two feature films – Sister My Sister and Alive and Kicking.
Streetcar has been yet another change in style for her, as she says: “Coming into the world of dance from a theatre background is a new and thrilling adventure. I have hugely enjoyed the process of working with Annabelle to explore exciting ways to re-imagine Tennessee Williams’ passionate story through the imagery of dance.”
Award-winning choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s work is equally diverse. With a reputation for a theatrical style, her high profile pieces have included works for both the Dutch National Ballet and The Royal Ballet of Flanders – while she recently created choreography for international fashion designers Viktor & Rolf.
Speaking of Streetcar, she says: “I’m excited to have the opportunity to translate this incredible story about desires into dance movement. From the moment I first read A Streetcar Named Desire I knew I wanted to make it into a ballet. It is a wonderful challenge to reinterpret the intense drama and complex psychology of the characters, and the chemistry of the collaboration is incredible.”
The whole creation of the ballet is a story of collaborations, according to Scottish Ballet’s Chief Executive Cindy Sughrue: “A Streetcar Named Desire is not only a collaboration of creativity but once more sees Scottish Ballet partner with Adam & Company, a respected Scottish financial institution whose continuing commitment to supporting the arts is to be applauded. We look forward to working with them again as we embark on this creative journey.”
Further collaboration comes with Desire, when the company joins forces with National Galleries Scotland for an innovative performance project that explores what participants and audiences desire from dance.
Choreographed and created by students from Telford College and Broughton High School, the performance will be inspired by the themes of the original play and The Sculpture Show – a celebration of sculpture in its many forms currently exhibited at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. The resulting piece will be unveiled at two free performances on Saturday 24 March at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.
This season Scottish Ballet also introduces new evening talks from its HQ at Tramway in Glasgow. The first takes place at 6.45pm on Tuesday 20 March with Nancy Meckler and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa in conversation. Continuing the company’s successful webcast series, it will go live online on Thursday 29 March for a panel discussion with Nancy Meckler, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ashley Page and Principal dancer Tama Barry. They will be exploring the creation of this new work ahead of its world premiere, and will be taking questions from the audience, both in the studio and online. Questions can be asked in advance by emailing heather.crumley@scottishballet.co.uk or tweeting @scottishballet / #SBstreetcar.
LISTINGS
Evening Talk: A Q&A session with A Streetcar Named Desire‘s director Nancy Meckler and choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.
Tuesday 20 March 2012 6.45pm – 7.45pm
Scottish Ballet, Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow
£4 per ticket / £6 per couple
To book, email: classes.educ@scottishballet.co.uk. Places allocated on a first come first served basis.
Desire – a special performance project with the National Galleries Scotland
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
Sat 24 March, 11am and 12 noon
Free: please contact 0131 624 6200 for further booking details
Live Online Webcast
Thursday 29 March 7pm
Tune in online at www.scottishballet.co.uk
An illuminating panel discussion on A Streetcar Named Desire. Director Nancy Meckler, choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Scottish Ballet’s Artistic Director Ashley Page and Principal dancer Tama Barry will be exploring the creation of this bold new work ahead of its world premiere, and will be taking questions from the audience online.
Scottish Ballet presents A Streetcar Named Desire, sponsored by Adam & Company
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Wed 11 – Sat 14 April 2012
Evenings 11-14 April – 7.30pm
Matinee 14 April – 2pm
Tickets £10-£35. Discounts available – contact box office: 0844 871 7647 (bkg fee)
Book online: www.atgtickets.com
Free pre-show talks at 6.30pm Thu 12 April with Artistic Staff and Fri 13 April with Music staff. Call box office to reserve tickets.
Insight (for ages 14+) on Sat 14 April at 11am. Tickets £5.50/concessions £3.50.
Ballet Café Saturday 14 April @ 2pm, tickets £10 to book contact education@scottishballet.co.uk / 0141 331 6285
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Wed 18 – Sat 21 April 2012
Evenings 18-21 April – 7.30pm
Matinee 21 April – 2pm
Tickets £12-£37.50. Discounts available – contact box office: 0131 529 6000 (bkg fee)
Book online: www.fctt.org.uk
Free pre-show talks at 6.30pm: Thurs 19 April with Artistic Staff; Fri 20 April with Music staff. Call box office to reserve tickets.
Insight (for ages 14+): Sat 21 April at 11am. Tickets £5.50/concessions £3.50.
Ballet Café Saturday: 21 April @ 2pm, tickets £10. To book contact education@scottishballet.co.uk / 0141 331 6285
Sadler’s Wells, London
Thu 26 – Sat 28 April 2012 – 7.30pm
Tickets from £12-£40. Discounts available – contact box office: 0844 412 4300 (bkg fee)
Book online: www.sadlerswells.com
Free pre-show talk: 6.30pm Thurs 26 April. Call box office to reserve tickets.
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
Wed 2 – Sat 5 May 2012
Evenings 2-5 May – 7.30pm
Matinee 5 May – 2pm
Tickets £13.50-£29.50. Discounts available – contact box office: 01224 641122 (bkg fee)
Book online: www.boxofficeaberdeen.com
Free pre-show talks at 6.30pm: Thurs 3 May with Artistic Staff; Fri 4 May with Music staff. Call box office to reserve tickets.
Insight (for ages 14+): Sat 5 May at 11am. Tickets £5.50/concessions £3.50.
Ballet Café: Sat 5 May @ 2pm, tickets £10. To book contact education@scottishballet.co.uk / 0141 331 6285
Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
Wed 9 – Sat 12 May 2012
Evenings 9 -12 May – 7.30pm
Matinee 12 May – 2pm
Tickets £17-£26.50. Discounts available – contact box office: 01463 234 234 (bkg fee)
Book online: www.eden-court.co.uk
Free pre-show talks at 6.30pm: Thurs 3 May with Artistic Staff; Fri 4 May with Music staff. Call box office to reserve tickets.
Insight (for ages 14+): Sat 5 May at 11am. Tickets £5.50/concessions £3.50.
Ballet Café Sat 12 May @ 2pm, tickets £10. To book contact education@scottishballet.co.uk / 0141 331 6285
Grand Opera House, Belfast
Wed 16 – Sat 19 May 2012
Evenings 16 – 19 May – 7.30pm
Matinee 19 May – 2pm
Tickets £9.25-£36. Box office: 01463 234 234
Book online: www.goh.co.uk
ENDS
