Beast of a feast

BOSSES at Birmingham Royal Ballet own up to the difficulties of carrying the mantle as Britain's most innovative dance company over the past few years. Financial problems and the temporary closure of its Midlands home caused difficulties for the company that regularly visits Sunderland Empire.

Now the company has announced dual plans aimed at re-establishing its artistic credentials. Both are risky ventures but, if successful, could be bring new audiences to BRB as full-scale works are staged in the region in venues not usually associated with a company of this size.

Sunderland audiences will see the North-East premiere of the company's replacement for its much-loved The Nutcracker - a brand new version of Beauty And The Beast in the New Year. The company will also implement a new touring strategy that will take dancers to York, Middlesbrough and Durham City for the first time.

BRB's award-winning director David Bintley has wanted to find a substitute for the popular, but much-performed The Nutcracker for some time. The problem has been that "it's a big earner and a great production". But, every Christmas, the company devotes eight weeks of its creative life to staging this "sacred cow".

He finds it extraordinary that "this most dodgy period in our history" is seeing the premiere of Beauty And The Beast this Christmas at its Birmingham base.

"We've managed to get this monster piece on and drop The Nutcracker," he says, almost in disbelief. "It's the piece that's going to pull us out of creative bankruptcy."

With a budget in excess of £600,000, Beauty And The Beast is anything but cheap although top ticket prices are pegged at £15.

"It was important everyone was part of the creating of the production. I've worked with every department of the company. I'm being very open about it, I want everyone to be involved," he says.

He's been thinking about the idea for 20 years. The piece has been bubbling away, but never happened because he couldn't find a composer, until settling on Canadian composer Glenn Buhr.

The score has been written over the phone and email. "It's worked brilliantly and we've not felt the need to get on a plane and go halfway round the world to talk about it," says Bintley.

Sets and costumes have been created by Philip Prowse, who designed BRB's productions of Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. He last worked with Bintley in 1995 on his production of Carmina burana.

"It's a big venture, a big risk," he admits. "We are replacing the most popular work we have. I did get an awful lot of mail from people saying, 'you can't do this'. Some really quite horrible letters.

"But I'm told it's outselling The Nutcracker for this time of year. I truly believe this is a piece for all the family, and people will get what they expect - unless they're expecting dancing forks and plates on ice skates.

"I've changed the story to include a lot of animals. I've always been interested in choreographing animals. The story is all there, but there are twists.

"It's in the best tradition of fairy stories but appeals on a variety of levels. At the same time, it's a wonderful happy ever after story, one which children know very well and the production will give them it in a very clear way.

"Kids really respond to quality stuff. It's a scary story and it will be scary, but children like that."

The company is also excited about plans to tour to the North-East and Yorkshire. This has resulted from looking at its mid-scale touring strategy. BRB will tour to theatres around its two regular tour venues in Sunderland and Plymouth.

This will not only be good for dance lovers attending York Theatre Royal, Middlesbrough Theatre and Durham Gala but also for the performers themselves. "Some will get opportunities they wouldn't get with the company in Plymouth or Sunderland," says Bintley.

"We can also do work that might not sell that many tickets in a big theatre. We hope to have full houses for interesting, shorter work, the sort of work the company enjoys doing. In a full-length work, you tend to get two main characters. In a triple bill, casting is more varied with smaller roles, but more interesting ones for dancers. It's a very exciting initiative."

The touring repertoire comprises Allegri Diversi, choreographed by Bintley to Rossini's Variations for clarient and small orchestra; Dante Sonata, with Jean Beddells recreating Frederick Ashton's choreography; and Elite Syncopations, set to the ragtime music of Scott Joplin with choreography by Kenneth MacMillan.

* The North-East premiere of Beauty And The Beast is at Sunderland Empire from February 11-14. Box Office: 0191-514 2517.

Birmingham Royal Ballet tours to York Theatre Royal on April 20 and 21 (01904) 623568; Gala Theatre Durham on April 23 and 24, 0191-332 4041; and Middlesbrough Theatre on April 26 and 27 (01642) 815181.

Published: 18/12/2003