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Theatre listings > Artistic Director - Ashley Page. Designer - Antony McDonald. Lighting Designer - Peter Mumford. Composer - Sergei Prokofiev. Choreographer - Ashley Page. Music - Scottish Ballet Orchestra. Guest conductor - Nicholas Kok. Company - Scottish Ballet. Venues and dates - Details Here. Run Time - 2 hours 35 minutes with two intervals. Reviewer - Vivien Devlin. Glitter + humour + dramatic heart = Festive delight. The starting point of this glorious, glamorous and glittering production of Cinderella, is the image of a bejewelled gold and ruby shoe painted on a giant canvas which dominates the stage before the curtain rises. And throughout the ballet, it is the gift of different pairs of shoes - and the loss of a shoe - which underlines Ashley Page's new interpretation of this deliciously romantic, rags to riches, fairy tale. In the Prologue a mother, lying on her deathbed, presents a family heirloom to her daughter - it's a pair of blue silk slippers. The girl's father soon marries again, giving her a step mother and two ghastly stepsisters who tease and taunt her. Treated as the penniless maid, Cinderella, most poignantly, dances alone in her bare feet. But a strange beggar woman arrives to whom the kind girl gives away her silk slippers. In return the beggar gives her a pair of white ballet pumps. The magic now begins. The period setting is 18th century Paris, captured in a witty and brilliant, over the top, camp fashion. The opening drawing room scene is fabulous with its pink papered walls, partly peeling, an open hearth with blazing fire, above which hangs a huge Warholesque portrait of Stepmother looking rather like Marge Simpson. The décor is all very pink - with a huge American-style pink Smeg fridge and on the desk an ornate pink telephone. Designer Antony McDonald must have had a ball creating the lavish costumes appropriate for the aristocratic French court - all tongue in cheek a la Versace 2005. The Sisters wear lime green crinolines with floppy bows, Stepmother boasts a yellow wig and shocking pink dress. Male courtiers strut about in embroidered brocade robes, jackets and tight tights, while the Dancing Master steals the show in a Dolce & Gabbana-look, leopard print frock coat. Then the invitations to the Ball arrive from the Royal equerry and the mood of the household builds up into an hysterical frenzy as they begin to plan what to wear as cobblers, couturiers and wigmakers arrive as gowns and shoes are ordered on the pink telephone. From the first majestic chords of Prokofiev's beautiful ballet score, we are swept away into a dream world. The music itself, shifting from bright and jolly jigs, to the refrain of a sad, slow waltz , seems to relate the emotions of this tragic story. Prokofiev himself stated that "I see Cinderella not only as a fairy-tale character but also as a real person who thinks, moves, suffers and rejoices like one of ourselves". Page's fresh and perceptive choreography is a constant delight - a quiet pas de deux between Cinderella and her father, both feeling lost and distressed in their new home - an energetic duet between the grotesque, ugly stepsisters in pantomimic style - the free spirited Seasons depicting spring flowers and blowing golden leaves - Fairy Godmother flying about the stage like a grey feathered dove while her entourage of fairy Cogs in black and white tutus swirl around in a neat chorus line. And then the colourful extravaganza of the Ball, set in a kind of Palace of Versailles surrounded by landscaped gardens. Amidst the extravagant purple, green, pink and blue ball gowns and costumes of the party goers, the Prince arrives, dressed in an elegant white suit. In a magical Peter Pan moment Cinderella appears ( I won't say how) dressed in virginal silvery white and sparkling tiara to dazzle the crowd - and the Prince. As if they are actually falling in love on first sight, Claire Robertson and Christo Vivancos make a beautiful young couple, touching, holding, smiling at each other as they dance closer and closer together through the night until the clock strikes midnight. This is an effervescent, sparkling gem of a show, tinted with pantomimic humour and fun, but overall it has dramatic heart. With exquisite, imaginative dance sequences, Ashley Page retells the classic love story for a 21st century audience, creating real life characters who portray truth and human emotion. Perfect festive entertainment for all ages. ©Vivien Devlin, 13 December, 2005 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com Dancers : Cinderella - Claire Robertson, Godmother - Soon Ja Lee, Father - Jarkko Lehmus, Stepmother - Eve Mutso, Stepsister - Patricia Hines, Stepsister - Diana Loosmore, Spring - Tomomi Sato, Summer - Sophie Martin, Autumn - Martina Forioso, Winter - Ruth Vaqueriz,o Garcia Equerry - Glauco Di Lieto, Designer/Dancing Master - Paul Liburd, Couturier/Florist - Victoria Willard, Assistant 1 - Kara Mclaughlin, Assistant 2 - Nathalie Dupouy, Jeweller - Luke Ahmet, Wigmaker - Gregory Dean, Cobbler - Asier Edeso. Cogs: 1.Joanne Bungay, 2. Louisa Hassell, 3.Lorena Saez, 4.Luciana Ravizzi, 5.Luisa Rocco, 6.Sophie Laplane, Begger - Limor Ziv, Prince - Cristo Vivancos, Chevaliers: Spring - Aaron Vivancos, Summer - Oliver Rydout, Autumn - Adam Blyde, Winter - Brice Bardot, Princesses: Japanese - Nathalie Dupouy, Mexican - Limor Ziv, Indian - Kara Mclaughlin, Prussian - Victoria Willard, Ambassadors: 1.William Smith, 2.Robert Doherty, 3.Christopher Harrison, 4.Mark Kimmett. Tour Details of Scottish Ballet's Cinderella Tour. Tour begins 13 to 31 December Glasgow Theatre Royal 0141 240 1133. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 Dec at 7.30pm. 17, 24, 29 Dec at 2.30pm. 30 Dec at 1pm. 4 to 14 January 2006 Edinburgh Festival Theatre 0131 529 6000. 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Jan at 7.30pm. 5, 7, 14 Jan at 2.30pm. 12 Jan at 1.30pm. 17 to 21 January 2006 Aberdeen His Majesty's Theatre, 01224 641 122. 17 to 21 Jan at 7.30pm. 19 & 21 Jan at 2.30pm. Then 14 - Sat 18 March at 7.30pm Sat Matinee at 2.30pm London Sadlers Wells 0870 737 7737. Cinderella on 14, 15, 17 & 18 Triple Bill: 16 March. Tour ends.
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