[Art] The Northern Ballet - Cleopatra [Review]

As part of my goals for this month, I decided to do something new in London every weekend. Last night, I saw Cleopatra at the Sadler's Wells Theater. The Sadler's Wells theater happens to be literally across the street from me and it is a shame that I have just taken advantage of that :-/

But enough of the Debbie Downer-ness because Cleopatra, directed by David Nixon OBE, was effing amazing. In fact, I don't even know where to start with my thoughts. Obviously, the dancers were some of the best I have ever seen. But I wouldn't really expect anything less, especially from the lead. And of course, because I am a fashion fiend, the costumes had to go through an extremely skeptical and thorough evaluation. The verdict: the pared-down Monique Lhuillier royal costume with the glorious white chiffon and beaded bodice had me at first glance. And the summer look with the teal shorts made me wishing that it came in a ready-to-wear bikini style. (I freely admit I sound on the brink of idiocy right now, but you know you love it, so shush.)

Onto the music, which was specially composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables) and played live by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia, was a little up and down for me. However, I really enjoyed the heavy, active beats of the scenes with the Roman soldiers as well as the scene with the Senate members and the doomed Julius Caesar. The slower, melancholy pieces seemed to drag out a little, although all in all, the music seemed a perfect fit for the story line, alternating between upbeat tempos of passion and violence, with the slower, introspective breaks.

The set and lighting impressed me to no end. I loved the interplay of shadows and minimalist set pieces. Every moment framed the bodies of the dancers in lit frames and silhouettes. The most stunning was the blindingly white ending scene, which just now reminded me of Black Swan's ending scene. The stark, harsh scene abruptly brought Cleopatra to a close in a beautiful way.

I also have to say that the ballet was a perfect length and didn't drag on, which sometimes happens to me. And the theater is world-famous for a reason with space for mingling, multiple bars on multiple levels, and of course, a plethora of places to chill at after, such as Exmouth Market and our favorite pub, The Harlequin. Ending the week with a pint and cheeseboard after an amazing ballet? Priceless.