Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
WOW – What a treat!
Not a familiar ballet to most, myself included, ‘The Prince of the Pagodas’ has been reworked by David Bintley, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s director. Originally based upon the traditional fairy tale, Bintley’s variation focuses on the power of family love rather than the typical boy meets girl storyline. Set in Japan, The Emperor of the Chrysanthemum Throne buries his son and unable to cope with his loss slowly breaks down, giving his wife, the Empress Épine, the opportunity to take control of the kingdom.
In Act 1 Princess Sakura is presented with four suitors vying for her hand in marriage. However the Princess has never been able to forget the love she formerly felt for her brother and this gives her the strength to spurn their advances. A fifth suitor, in the form of a salamander then arrives and in her resolve to defy her step mother’s wish to marry her off, Princess Sakura pursues this intriguing yet repellent creature to his kingdom.
Act II follows the Princess’s pursuit of the salamander through the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water until she arrives at Pagoda Land. She is then blindfolded and advised to expect the arrival of the Prince. The Prince recounts the circumstances of his enchantment and eventually the Princess realises the Salamander is in fact her brother, cursed to exist as a lizard-like creature by their wicked stepmother, the Empress.
Act III tracks the continuing decline of the Emperor who now believes he has lost both his children. Princess Sakura returns and challenges the Empress prior to the Salamander appearing. Jointly brother and sister expose the truth of the Prince’s fate to the Emperor. Empress Épine is cast out of the court, the Prince of Pagoda Land Salamander returns to human form and the kingdom is restored amid much rejoicing.
Momoko Hirata’s superb performance as Princess Sakura was simply captivating throughout. She portrayed the role with stunning elegance and enchantment and gave without doubt one of best performances from a Principal dancer that I have witnessed in recent years. She danced with a delicacy and innocence that captured the Princess role perfectly.
Elisha Willis, in the role of Empress Épine conveyed her superiority with elegance and authority. Her display with the deep-sea creatures during the Water element was particularly entrancing. Joseph Caley as the Salamander displayed remarkable ballet and modern dance techniques to create mesmeric lithe reptilian like movements around the stage which were enhanced by his taut leotard.
The four suitors demonstrated masterful characterisations and the Yōkai (supernatural monsters of Japanese folklore) were an attention-grabbing addition. Tzu-Chao Chou as the Court Fool added a mischievous amusing touch.
The fabulous oriental sets and stunningly colourful costume designs are resplendent. War Horse designer Rae Smith influenced by Japanese art and fairytales has created breathtaking scenery and outfits alike and these undoubtedly play a huge part in bringing the ballet to life. This version of The Prince of the Pagodas is sure to become a firm family favourite.
In a word – SUPERB!