BALLET
" Coppelia." At Covent Garden Opera House. " The Vagabonds " and " The Catch " at the Sadler's Wells Theatre.
THE Sadler's Wells first ballet company chose Coppelia with which to open its new season at Covent Garden last week, and Coppelis alternating with a mixed programme will continue to be performed until the production of a new ballet, Les Sirenes, on November 12th. Coppelia is one of the Sadler's Wells company's big successes. It gives great scope to Robert Helpmann's talent for effective miming as the eccentric inventor, Dr. Coppelius, and Mr. Helpmann was in splendid form on the opining night. As Swanilda, Margot Fonteyn was poignant and fascinating as ever and the new scenery and costumes by William Chappell are bright and fanciful, admirably suiting the clever mechanical story. The music, delightful in its melodiousness and piquant rhythms, was particularly well played by the orchestra under Constant Lambert, and the audience was wildly and justly enthusiastic. The only criticism to be made is that occasionally the timing of the corps de ballet does not quite coincide with the music. More precision would make their dancing irre- sistible in the Mazurka and Czardas.
The second Sadler's Wells ballet company which functions at the home theatre of Sadler's Wells presented this week a new ballet, The Vagabonds, by a young choreographer, Anthony Burke, the music selected from John Ireland with costumes and decor by Vivienne Kernot, who is also a newcomer to the company. It is the right policy for Sadler's Wells to encourage young talent, but while the work of Miss Kernot does show promise (her setting has effec- tive depth and colouring) I fear the same cannot be said for Mr. Burke's choreography. The idea is said to have been taken from Thomas Hardy's Tramp's Tragedy, but what we see on the stage is merely two men quarrelling about a woman with threatening gestures and distorted faces against a crowd background of other vagabonds and children. This is hardly worth calling choreo- graphy ; there is no invention of steps, the grouping is without dis- tinction, the drama is obvious, but what is not obvious is just what ought to be clear, the latent symbolism that I presume exists in the choreographer's mind but which quite fails to emerge through lack of inventive power. Symbolism is to be presumed because other- wise the ballet is no more than a common street row transferred to the stage with the help of some existing music by Mr. Ireland which does not gain by having this drab squabble tacked on to it.
The setting and dress of The Catch were exceptionally attractive and this ballet is an example of what can be done with a simple idea if it is handled with taste and humour. Joan Harris as the girl friend gave a performance of point and piquancy and was skilfully supported by Alan Carter and Frank Ward as the two fishermen.
W. J. TURNER.
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