SPRING/SUMMER 2005 NATIONAL TOUR

Love, Lies and Lost Boys

25 November 2004

Northern Ballet Theatre launches its Spring/Summer National Tour 2005 on Friday 11 February at the Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, with the UK Première of La Traviata, the romantic dance event of the season. The UK-wide tour, spanning five months and over 11,000 miles, also includes David Nixon’s magical family ballet Peter Pan, the foot-tapping extravaganza I Got Rhythm – celebrating the genius of Gershwin and a small-scale tour of Dangerous Liaisons ending the season with style and seduction.

La Traviata – UK Première 11th February 2005, followed by UK tour.
Northern Ballet Theatre's spectacular new three-act ballet was originally created in 1990 by Veronica Paeper, Artistic Director of Cape Town City Ballet. She will re-stage La Traviata for UK audiences, along with her long-time collaborator production designer, Peter Cazalet, who has been invited to re-create his stunning original sets and costumes that brilliantly portray the decadence of Parisian high life in the mid l800's. The story, first told in Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Lady of the Camellias and immortalised in Verdi’s opera La Traviata, tells the tale of a young and naïve nobleman, Armand, who falls deeply in love with the beautiful courtesan, Marguerite. Their courtship turns into one of the most passionate love stories of all time but is doomed from the start as the consequences of Marguerite’s past life eventually destroy the only real love she will ever know.

Verdi's wonderfully moving music, played by the Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra, completes this passionate portrayal of intimate family tensions and the devastating pain of love.

The UK Première takes place on Friday 11 February and runs until Saturday 19 February at Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House. The production then embarks upon a national tour taking in the cities of Nottingham, Bath, Norwich, Sheffield, Canterbury and Cardiff.

Peter Pan– Continuing national tour
Soon to have its World Première in December, to celebrate the centenary of J.M Barrie’s classic story, Peter Pan will continue its magical journey into the spring. Peter and friends will first visit Edinburgh before flying south to Sadler’s Wells for the London Season, kindly sponsored by Manchester Airports Group. The production ends its season by returning for the first time in four years to the Palace Theatre, Manchester.

Artistic Director and choreographer, David Nixon has brought together an accomplished team to create the enchanting world of Neverland. Patricia Doyle, long-time collaborator returns as co-director and Olivier award-winning set and lighting designer Peter Mumford, brings the Darling family home, Captain Hook’s pirate ship and the magical landscape of Neverland to life. Completing this dazzling creative team is Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love) who has written his first ever ballet score.

David Nixon, Artistic Director explained: “Peter Pan, a story Barrie wrote for children, has made a far-reaching impact on the world - revealing and appealing to the child in all of us. This production will be much more than a traditional ballet, incorporating flying dancers, puppets, mermaids and pirates. Peter Pan is an adventure in every sense of the word and I am truly humbled by the team of experts we have managed to entice along to join us on this exciting journey.”

The production has been made possible by the generosity of individual donor, David Lloyd. This adaptation of J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan, is by kind permission of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

Dangerous Liaisons– small scale tour in June 2005.
After receiving both audience and critical acclaim during its UK Première at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds earlier this year, Dangerous Liaisons returns for a small-scale tour in June.

Northern Ballet Theatre’s Dangerous Liaisons takes the form of a series of compelling duets, performed to the narration of the older Marquise de Merteuil played by actress and regular Northern Ballet Theatre dramaturge Patricia Doyle. Live on stage she recounts the tale of the ‘spoiling’ of the innocent bride-to-be Cecile Volanges by her younger self and accomplice and ex-lover, the Vicomte de Valmont. Together they prey on the innocent and unsuspecting in a dangerous game of wicked manipulation with their letters providing the dark landscape for highly charged performances choreographed by David Nixon.

“Nixon discloses the sexual scheming in multi-focus scenes;
he’s an accomplished storyteller.”
The Observer

Praised for its dramatic and stylish choreography, fluent staging and assured performances by Northern Ballet theatre’s dancers the production also focused attention on the talents of David Nixon as set and costume designer. Nixon’s costumes perfectly capture the elegance and luxury of 18th Century French aristocracy before the revolution. While the simple white set, incorporating revolving mirrored doors, allows the dancers to slip in and out of the action adding to the sexual intrigue.

Music by Vivaldi, performed by the Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra, completes this fascinating portrayal of deception and deceit.

Northern Ballet Theatre brings this tale of seduction to four venues across the UK; Preston, York, Huddersfield and Cheltenham.

“Northern Ballet Theatre’s dancers pour masses of spirit and energy into this ballet… Nixon’s choreography is fluent and stylish.”
The Sunday Times

I Got Rhythm– Milton Keynes Theatre, April 2005
After it’s return to the repertoire in the Autumn/Winter 2004 National Tour, the exuberant
I Got Rhythm looks set to get Milton Keynes in the mood for dancing with some of George and Ira Gershwin’s most enduringly popular songs. Skilfully blending exciting, technically demanding dance with live vocal performances, Northern Ballet Theatre brings universal favourites like Summertime, The Man I Love, An American In Paris and I Got Rhythm vividly to life.

“S’wonderful, s’marvellous – the magic of old Broadway meets sharp new ballet in David Nixon’s Gershwin extravaganza.” The Guardian

- ENDS -

Notes to editors:
For more information/photography or to arrange interviews contact our Media and PR department via email: media@northernballettheatre.co.uk.