At last – a show that’s laugh out loud funny.
Les Ballets are an elaborate theatre joke. Basically they perform the sort of repertoire the many touring Russian companies have been doing forever and which are very often, shall we say, not that good. The Trocks’ parodies are mercilessly accurate, and work because of their strict discipline and the fact that they’re all such very very good dancers themselves. Comedy’s a serious business, and these guys mean it.
But that doesn’t mean you have to be a ballet buff to cotton on. They’re sending it up, and the wonderful thing is that anyone can get the joke.
So we have the giant ballerinas partnered by the tiny men, the older dancers who can’t quite keep up the pace, the terrible mime, the applause milking, the attention seeking, the pratfalls and the ballerina with the hairy chest etc. The comedy Russianness extends even to the names – Yuri Smirnov, Katerina Bychkova, Maya Thickenthaya and so on. It’s all good fun, terribly cruel and absolutely spot on. I’ve seen them all.
My particular favourite was their first piece – a condensed Swan Lake with every single Russian cliché pushed to its absolute limit. Horribly funny. This actually brought cheers from the audience, including me.
Other highlights included a brilliant Balanchine parody in which the precision required during the geometric choreography left them literally tied up in knots. Special mention must go to the historic “Dying Swan” performed by Ida Nevasayneva (Paul Ghiselin) as a ballerina literally on her last legs but who triumphs to dance once more. Incomparable acting. The finale prompted that rare audience event, a standing ovation.
Les Ballets are on all week – catch them while they’re around – they’re off to foreign climes soon on their eternal world tour. You won’t be disappointed.
For tickets les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo phone the box office on 0844 338 5000 or go online at www.birminghamhippodrome.com.
