My Top 5: 'Mad Scenes' from Giselle

“We all go a little mad sometimes”…. so Norman Bates famously said in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho.’ I think we can all relate to this sentiment right now, and after weeks of lockdown and forbidden outdoor activity, I know many of us are perhaps getting closer to unravelling. One of the most famous scenes of such unravelling takes place in Act One of Giselle, the Romantic drama that epitomises classical ballet. After being deceived by her love, Giselle goes mad, ultimately resulting in her death. Different productions and ballerinas do different things – sometimes Giselle plunges the sword into her body and other times it’s pulled away from her, resulting in death from a broken heart. It’s often left up to interpretation. It’s one of the most famous scenes in all of ballet’s repertoire and requires the ballerina to really test her acting capabilities. Not all master it, but when they do, it sends chills down the spine. I’m not quite at Giselle’s levels yet; the Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge helps with that, but before we all start seeing Wilis in our living rooms or getting paranoid in the shower, let’s take this time to reflect on some of the best performances of this scene. Below are my top five that I’ve been watching this week – there are plenty more I have seen outside of YouTube that are unforgettable – but I hope you enjoy!

Lynn Seymour

I grew up watching this version of Giselle. My Grandma had it on VHS (it was a version filmed especially for TV) and starred Lynn Seymour and Rudolph Nureyev. Monica Mason was also cast as Queen of the Wilis – which always terrified me when I was little. Normally I would imitate the part where Giselle turned into a Wili in my Grandma’s living room, but occasionally I would have a crack at the mad scene. I think it’s better left to the professionals, and what a pro we had in Lynn Seymour. I love how clear the mime is when Bathilde points to her ring finger and then Giselle points to hers, making her realise that it was all a lie. From this and the rest of her mad scene, Seymour really makes you feel as if Giselle has been wronged. She is also one of the few that has unravelled fairly quickly and seems “mad” from the get go, but rather than this seeming out of place it makes perfect sense and is incredibly moving. Not many ballerinas can achieve this which is why Seymour will always be one of the greats.

Alina Cojocaru

I said it in my previous post and I’ll say it again. Alina Cojocaru has always been one of the greatest Giselles I have ever seen, especially when she danced the role alongside Johan Kobborg, who features in this video. This clip is from back in the day when the two were still at The Royal Ballet. Look at how her mad scene develops. She goes from subtle and slightly confused to increasing pangs of madness – there’s a real build up which I think makes it more believable and heartbreaking. Stunning!

Viviana Durante

Now if you want something a bit extra and something that really demonstrates Giselle’s madness then look no further than Viviana Durante. Another wonderful actress of her time, Durante’s Giselle is utterly heartbroken and loses her mind the moment that she realises she has been deceived. Durante was gifted with such wonderful big eyes that will haunt even row Z of the amphitheatre, and during this scene they are filled with so much sadness and madness. She has so much expression on her face and begins to look more crazed as she moves closer towards her death. They don’t call it a mad scene for nothing…

Virginia Johnson

Something slightly different here which I love. This is a clip from Dance Theatre of Harlem’s production which sets the story in Louisiana during the 1840s. The legendary Virginia Johnson takes to the stage as Giselle, and I love the way she builds up this mad scene. The setting is very clever as the divide between the peasant people and the aristocrats is extremely visible so you really feel that all eyes are on Giselle and the humiliation she is feeling. One of my favourite parts in this clip is where Johnson points up to the sky as she starts to see the Wilis. You really get the sense that they are in front of her, coming down from the cloudy skies to take her with them. It’s eerie stuff. She then starts to tremble as she approaches her death, always looking up towards the sky, again suggesting that the Wilis are pulling her towards them. I find it very haunting and would have loved to have seen it live.

Alessandra Ferri

I had to include Alessandra Ferri in this as I love her interpretation of Giselle. There is something so romantic about this production from La Scala – the sets and costumes are so sumptuous and I love her look as Giselle, with her off-the-shoulder peasant dress and pretty flowers in her hair. The whole scene looks like it’s been taken from a painting so it’s beautiful to watch. Ferri has an incredible ability to seem so fragile and child-like – it’s what made her such an amazing Juliet – but this same quality is shown in her Giselle. What I like about her mad scene is that she seems so small in relation to everyone else and you really get a sense of the claustrophobic atmosphere around her. Watch her during the moment she realises what’s happened, clinging to her neck and closing her eyes as reality sinks in. She’s incredibly passionate and earthy which is why I think it works so well.

*I don't own any videos - I have found this selection on YouTube. Copyright to those who have posted these clips.