Lyrical, dramatically choreographed and acted out ballet at it's best, I was gripped from beginning to end. The plot is quite convoluted - think King deeply in love with his wife and a loving father, grows increasingly jealous of his wife and childhood friend to destructive and murderous ends. The second half is the restoration of all that was destroyed before.
Dramatic use of lighting, darkness, costume, even the moves themselves turn this ballet into a danced Hitchcock film; the spider-like moves and green lighting suggesting the obsessive and completely unjustified jealousy of King Leontes towards his wife Queen Hermione and his friend King Polixenes. The dancing is achingly used to suggest inner psychology of characters - the part where King Polixenes behaves cruelly and brutally towards his wife, who's very pregnant, in public is almost too hard to watch, the reality of the behaviour and motives, although danced, is deeply distressing. The horror of domestic violence with people watching and not intervening, even witnessed by their own son, is painfully and truthfully realised... in dance. Shadow is cleverly used to suggest King Leonetes fevered imaginings and deep mistrust of his wife and friend, even to the point of accusing them of adultery, suspecting the baby his wife is carrying is not his and nearly murdering his best friend.
There is, perhaps, too much dancing at times and the production could have been tighter, but the choreography drives the story. This is exemplified in the nursery scene - were all the dancing nurse maids or court ladies really needed? They set the scene, but are soon banned from dancing by the 'no fun in my nursery' Nanny, even the Queen is banned from fun, any fun is soon removed from her and she is made to sit down with her son! There is the lesson for Nanny and King - Queens just wanna have fun!
The second half is as bright as the first half was dark and shadowy; Steven McRae and Sara Lamb dance emotively, full of sweet romance as Florizel and Perdita; their equality in love contrasted with the former obsessive, possessive, objectified love of the King. Maybe it's a festival, it's hard to tell - there's a LOT of dancing! King Polixenes turns up in disguise and demands a guitar - not sure what went on there! and stomps off again! His son, Prince Florizel, also adopts disguise because he is in love with Perdita, an abandoned orphan, rescued by the dancing shepherds who are really in to their festivals (or outdoor wedding). Hmm... can you see where there is going?!!!
Bad news, Prince Florizel's father turns up, King Polixenes, and lays down the law, brutally (clearly scarred by his encounter with the throttling King Leontes years before) - 'be a Prince, don't marry her!' There is a chase in ships! and randomly they end up at the court of King Leontes seeking sanctuary. The King is mourning his son more than his wife; the 'no-fun' Nanny is his main support now, and in the end the one to bring him reconciliation and a slow-burning forgiveness...Plus, I never saw that coming ending with the Nanny bringing some fun at long last.
In terms of choreography, acting and sheer scale of drama, I can only think of 1984, The Red Shoes, Nureyev's Romeo and Juliet, or The Little Mermaid being on the same scale. Not for the faint hearted, catch it quickly!
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