A sunny evening with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s La Fille mal gardée

Birmingham Hippodrome
September 25, 2024

On dark, wet September evening, Frederick Ashton’s sunny, cheery La Fille mal gardée brought plenty of good cheer to the Birmingham Hippodrome. While it has its roots in a French story and Jean Dauberval’s original production in Bordeaux of 1789, and music by a French composer in Ferdinand Hérold (albeit arranged by John Lanchberry), it is the one of the most English of English ballets.

It’s a simple tale, its three acts set in the farmyard and farmhouse of Widow Simone, with the middle Act Two a dance celebration in the local fields. Lise, Simone’s daughter, loves Colas. He mother however would rather she wed Alain, simpleton son of a successful local vineyard owner. Altogether more financially beneficial, you understand.

Ashton’s trick is making you will that Widow Simone gives in and allows Lise and Colas to marry, while also making you feel just that little bit sorry for Alain, made fun of by all and who seems to have just his red umbrella for a friend.

And of course, she does do just that. But only after much fun including dancing chickens, lots of jolly neat and accomplished balletic takes on English country dancing, and plenty of humour, including Simone unknowingly locking the lovers in the same bedroom.

Beatrice Parma and Rory Mackay are a fine double act as Lise and her mother. Their interplay, full of telling little looks and face-pulling was a real treat. Indeed, Mackay came pretty close to stealing the show as Widow Simone, playing her just right. Over the top, but not so much as to make here a cartoonish character and nothing else. She does have feelings and he showed that beautifully. And the famous clog dance was well done too.

Star of the evening was Parma, however. Not only did she dance beautifully, effervescent and light, elegant in the pas de deux, but she showed just the right level of mischievousness. And to top it off, a winning smile that would capture anyone’s heart. She was, quite simply, a delight.

Enrique Bejarano Vidal is a good-looking Colas. His dancing was fine, his leaps effortless, although the highlight was undoubtedly one fabulous series of pirouettes in second. He’s a strong partner too. A one-arm lift at the end of a pas de deux with Lise, held for longer than usual, being especially memorable. Missing slightly was the twinkle in the eye, though. Little things like the gentle mocking of Lise’s imagining three children didn’t quite hit the mark.

Fine, bright, happy dancing, great characterisations, Osbert Lancaster’s brilliantly sunny designs. Even a super-cute pony. A real heart-warming evening.

La Fille mal Gardée is at the Birmingham Hippodrome until September 28, 2024, before moving on to Theatre Royal Plymouth (October 10-12) and Sadler’s Wells London (October 25 & 26).