Stream: Peter and the Wolf
The Royal Opera House
In these dramatic and uncertain times, the Royal Opera House has taken the initiative and launched a programme of free online content for the culturally curious at home, Reaching out to locked-in homes around the country and thus justifying their rather large Arts Council Grant.
Their first offering was a delightful performance by the Royal Ballet School of Prokofiev’s children’s story of Peter and the Wolf. Composed in 1936 to introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra, this piece was adapted and choreographed by Mathew Hart in 1995 for the annual production under the tenure of Dame Monica Mason. Involving as many children, mostly the lower school, the stage is filled, Busby Berkley style, by a chorus representing the meadow, the pond and the wall. With gorgeous costumes and a spare set, the shining stars of the school get the chance to play the key characters of the cat, the bird and the duck. The standout star must be the young boy playing Peter. Striding the huge Opera House stage with aplomb and confidence he takes the centre stage with no problem, rather upstaging the less than scary wolf, played by Sergei Polunin, before his acrimonious departure. The whole performance is held together by Will Kemp, actor dancer as the Narrator who does a fine job.
If, like me. you can’t resist a dance school show, then this is a charming production, with perfectly trained dancers and delightfully talented child soloists. However, given the obviously large amount of money thrown at the costumes and production values, plus the opportunity to perform with a live orchestra, one wonders if this piece would hold up in a provincial hall or theatre. Dance schools all over the UK often produce stunning shows with flair and imagination, relying on parents good will and limited resources. The live audience applauded nicely, as their privileged offspring took a bow. I loved it, but I am a pushover for the school show.
The Royal Opera House is offering a free programme of curated online broadcasts as part of their #OurHousetoYourHouse series. Full-length productions, musical masterclasses and glimpses behind the scenes can be seen for free any time, anywhere across the globe. These are available on demand, for free, via their Facebook and YouTube channels.
