'Manon' at The Royal Ballet

I saw Sleeping Beauty last night and I have to say, it feels strange going from prostitutes and rape to fairies and witches with just a few days space in between. I have to congratulate The Royal Ballet, in particular the corps de ballet, who went from a mixed bill, to Manon, to Sleeping Beauty consecutively one after the other this week. Those who have seen Manon will know that it doesn’t end happily ever after. Quite the opposite in fact. But after Francesca Hayward and Alex Campbell’s performance last week it’s safe to say that I myself can now live happily ever after. What could top that performance? Quick answer - nothing. Hayward and Campbell brought more to the narrative, more to the choreography and more to the characters than I have seen for a while. Hayward has an unbelievable gift in being so real on stage - it’s what makes her one of the great Macmillan dancers of our time. Her Manon is unique and incredibly thought out. Every thought and every feeling is made clear for the audience. Then you have Campbell, passionate and heart wrenching, whose portrayal of the doomed Des Grieux was equally as intelligent. I’m so used to loving him in his cheeky roles, whether it be Colas in La Fille Mal Gardee, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet or Basilio in Don Quixote, that it pained me to see him entwined with tragedy and upset on stage. He can do it though, the tragic roles, and marvellously well too. Was there a dry eye in the house as the curtain fell at the end of the show? I doubt it. Did Kleenex go out of business that night? Likely.

Francesca Hayward as Manon, photo copyright Alice Pennefather

A lot of dancers in recent years have played around with Manon’s intentions - steering well away from her desire to completely sell herself for handbags and gladrags. It’s the older dancers, Lamb, Morera, Cuthbertson, who seem to be keeping this alive. Whether we like it or not, the fact is that this woman is completely overwhelmed by the prospect of a life filled with riches and she quickly understands what she needs to do to get it. From the moment Manon first tries on the expensive coat and the diamond necklace, the rest of her story is changed for good. What’s so clever about Hayward’s portrayal is that it isn’t until she is confronted by Des Grieux at the brothel party (this takes place side stage during all of the mayhem) that she realises how foolish she has been to turn her back on the fleeting love she experienced earlier on with him. Yes I just said brothel party. A lot of the other interpretations of Manon see her continue to flirt with GM after this point or mix with the others at the party but not Hayward. She has quickly realised her mistakes, probably knows deep down that it’s too late and visibly starts to act differently with GM - edging away from him, acting out that she has a headache, noticeably disgusted at the debauchery which surrounds her. This leads beautifully on to my favourite pas de deux in the ballet, just before they try to run away, where Manon still clings on to her diamond bracelet - the symbol of the life that she entered and that she can never truly leave. MacMillan demonstrates some of his most genius choreography here, with Manon desperately yearning to be free but Des Grieux trying his best to envelop her, keep her, own her. We learn here that Manon is a caged bird, she always will be, thus even if the next events didn’t happen (i.e. the whole deportation to America, rape and murder situation) her relationship with Des Grieux is already doomed. Hayward and Campbell understand this perfectly and their passion and chemistry with each other adds such a deeper level to the pas de deux. From their first meeting to their last on stage, they take us through a journey. What I love about Campbell is that he holds his own, making this ballet a partnership and a story of their doomed love for each other. With other dancers, I often feel I’m watching Manon’s story - and there’s nothing wrong with that - it just makes for a different interpretation, but with Campbell in the picture you feel you’re watching and learning more about his character as the ballet goes on and I think this really helps to build a heart wrenching ending. I often find myself really hating on Des Grieux, especially in the final act when he is dancing around the Gaoler trying to woo Manon. Snap out of it, I want to shout. Grab her, take her back, fight the evil guy. It’s a difficult one to get right, because there is a fine line between him coming across loving and desperate to soppy and weak. Campbell is on the right side of the line.

Alexander Campbell and Francesca Hayward in Manon, photo copyright Andrej Uspenski

This performance was made even greater by the supporting cast - most notably Cesar Corrales as Lescaut and Mayara Magri as his Mistress. What cunning and manipulative depictions we had here. Corrales has such an impressive stage presence, I find myself unable to look at anyone else when he’s on stage and his Lescaut was a triumph. His interpretation is so clear, much like Hayward (perhaps why their Romeo and Juliet was astonishing when they danced it together last season). For me, something that will always elevate a performance is how clearly the dancer interprets the story, particularly when dancing MacMillan. Corrales made it so clear to the audience what was going on, what his intentions were, that it made it very easy to understand every part of the story. His Lescaut was like a mafia leader, as he paraded around the stage, interacting with everyone; he is in control, the puppet master orchestrating every event. When he meets his match with GM, rather than pleading before his death, he is proud, fuming that he wasn’t top dog after all. I’ve never seen an interpretation of Lescaut like this before. Similarly, Magri was the perfect mafia wife shall we say. Eye on the prize, completely intelligent and aware of what’s going on around her, and making the best of a pretty sordid situation. Her dancing was of a high calibre and her budding partnership with Corrales is becoming exciting to watch. They were comfortable with each other, a shared understanding of each other’s interpretation which again enhanced how real this ballet seemed to the audience.

Mayara Magri and Cesar Corrales in Manon, photo copyright Alice Pennefather

Normally I feel quite relieved when a run of Manon is over. How many more times do I want to jump on the northern line at 10.30pm following a horrific rape and death scene? I always find myself yearning for Fille during those moments. With this performance, however, I could honestly watch it over and over again, because I know that each time there will be more for me to discover. When dancing is of this level, and portrayals of these characters is this intelligent, you’ve got to laugh at those who think ballet is just tutus and fairies. With that being said, after seeing that magic on stage, maybe all ballet is a beautiful fairy tale.

*Thanks to Sarah Farrell and Hannah Last