The Coliseum (St Martin’s Lane) is a spacious, opulent theatre of distinctive Rococo style, home of Sadler’s Wells Opera Company (now English National Opera) since 1968. Here is an institution of classic style; with gravitas and dignity. The auditorium is huge and grand, almost breathtaking on your first visit; the proscenium arch is the widest in London. There are innumerable boxes of varying styles and sizes; some clearly designed to be seen in rather than from which to see. With over 2300 seats, this is a large impressive theatre.
So this is a fitting setting indeed for the latest English National Ballet production of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker which breaks some conventions and challenges the style barriers for this much loved Christmas tradition. With a compelling mix of old and new styles, the first act was a stunning array of humour, style and story portrayed by dance and mime. Traditional German wooden nutcracker dolls usually crack nuts in their mouths; this nutcracker, however, cracks nuts between his legs – there is a very dark joke there somewhere! Grandfather flirts with house guest Miss V. Aggra, to the consternation of Grandmother. When given a phial of medicine by Herr Drosselmeyer, he is transformed from aged Zimmer-frame user to agile and comic star. He tops an initial circus level summersault laden dance with a spectacular second wind (more Viagra!) ending in a frankly dangerous stunt with his Zimmer frame. The army of mice wear gas masks; the toy soldiers include those arriving by parachute; the snow fairies arrive through the opened door of a fridge and Clara and her Prince leave on a paper aeroplane!
The second act was a little disappointing after the standard set in the first: the medley of dances (Spanish, Chinese, Arabian, Russian etc) in a land of sweets had some original touches. Clara and the Prince viewed from a box of chocolates. The Russian dance was performed in a turquoise bear outfit, the Chinese dancers showed again the humour and slick mesmerising sparkle of Act 1. However, for the Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux, and their solo set pieces, choreography reverted back to the traditional Ivanov version. We all love this of course, but have seen it so many times before. At this point, Gerald Scarfe’s set had nothing to add to the atmosphere.
Artist and explorer Sir William Cornwallis Harris led a mission to the Court of Shewa in the Highlands of Ethiopia between 1841 and 1843. Whilst there he recorded in watercolour a unique collection of images for a three volume book about the country (The highlands of Aethiopia - 3 vols., 1844). Some of his illustrations were also used in the Illustrated London News, and were some of the first images the western world saw of that part of Africa, its people and culture. The illustration shown here dates from a earlier hunting expedition into the interior of southern Africa in 1836-7.
A unique insight into the perception of Africa in the 1840’s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cornwallis_Harris
I have been going to drawing workshops at Kettles Yard in cambridge on Saturday mornings (every fortnight during term). One of the tutors/leaders (Barry Phipps) got me going with Cubism . I had not appreciated what this was all about before. Picasso and others saw the emergence of photography and were looking for how art could transcend anything that photography could offer. In cubism you depict your subject from more that one point of view. This drawing is crayon on paper about A3 size. Another lesson: be bold and fill the paper!