Thursday matinee 18 February 2016
PLEASE DO NOT VIEW THIS CAST SHEET DURING A PERFORMANCE
Supported (2016) by Charles Glanville & James Hogan, and the Tomlinson Family Trust
The Dream
Music Felix Mendelssohn, arranged by John Lanchbery Choreography Frederick Ashton Designs Peter Farmer Lighting John B. Read
Oberon César Morales Titania Momoko Hirata Changeling Indian Boy Mia Brentnall Puck James Barton Bottom Kit Holder Rustics Miles Gilliver, Mitsuru Ito, Lachlan Monaghan, Luke Schaufuss, Oliver Till Hermia Delia Mathews Lysander Brandon Lawrence Helena Céline Gittens Demetrius Iain Mackay Cobweb Miki Mizutani Peaseblossom Karla Doorbar Moth Laura Purkiss Mustardseed Reina Fuchigami Fairies Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet
The Story
Oberon, King of the Fairies, has quarrelled with his Queen, Titania, because she will not yield to him a changeling boy to be his page. While she sleeps, Oberon plans his revenge by anointing her eyes with a magic herb that will make her fall in love with the first creature she sees. On waking, she falls in love with Bottom, a rustic, who has been transformed by Puck into an ass. Two lovers, Hermia and Lysander, come to the forest followed by Demetrius, to whom Hermia has been promised by her father. Demetrius himself is pursued by Helena, his former love. Oberon sees them and orders Puck to drop the magic herb into Demetrius’s eyes so that he will love Helena, but Puck mistakes the two men and charms Lysander’s eyes instead. Oberon himself anoints Demetrius’s eyes, so both men fall in love with Helena, and Lysander now spurns Hermia’s attentions. Finally Oberon takes pity on the confused lovers and, bringing them all together, releases Lysander from the enchantment, restoring him to Hermia but leaving Helena to Demetrius. He also removes the charm from Titania’s eyes and, in her relief at being reconciled to Oberon, she gives him her changeling boy. Bottom, returned to human form but with dreamlike memories of what has happened to him, goes on his puzzled way.
INTERVAL
A Month in the Country
Music Frederick Chopin, arranged by John Lanchbery Choreography Frederick Ashton Designs Julia Trevelyan Oman Lighting John B. Read Staged by Anthony Dowell Rehearsed by Grant Coyle
Natalia Petrovna Samara Downs Yslaev Rory Mackay Her husband Kolia Tzu-Chao Chou Their son Vera Laura Day Natalia’s ward Rakitin Feargus Campbell Katia Yijing Zhang A maid Matvei Alexander Bird A footman Beliaev Jamie Bond Kolia’s tutor Solo piano Jonathan Higgins
The Story
The arrival of Beliaev, a young tutor, in the country home of a Russian family sends ripples through the household. For Natalia, an unfulfilled but passionate housewife, it stirs up powerful emotions. Natalia cannot help her burgeoning love for Beliaev, despite the knowledge that her ward Vera and the maid Katia are both infatuated with him. Eventually her passion is discovered. Beliaev is sent away, and Natalia is left alone with her shame
Children are members of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Dance Track programme The choristers in The Dream are members of Birmingham Cathedral Choir (girls’ voices); Director of Music: Marcus Huxley The Steinway concert pianos chosen and hired by Birmingham Royal Ballet are supplied and maintained by Steinway & Sons, London
Royal Ballet Sinfonia Conductor Paul Murphy Leader Robert Gibbs
Approximate timings The Dream 54 minutes Interval 30 minutes A Month in the Country 41 minutes The performance will end at approximately 4.10pm