PERFORMANCE & COMEDY

Bristol Hippodrome (Tue 14-Sat 18 Feb)

DANCE There's no doubt about about it, the English National Ballet have got a genuine hit on their hands with choreographer Derek Dean's homage to the heyday of Hollywood and Broadway, ‘Strictly Gershwin’. The name says it all: a celebration of the music of the brothers George and Ira. The glamour, the pizzazz, the show-stopping big company extravaganzas, hoofers in the shape of Craig Scott and Paul Robinson, shipped in for the occasion, dazzling with their tapping, and even a busy 'story' number which has one of those incomprehensible dream sequences in the middle. On top of that you've got the fine Maida Vale Singers, the guest pianist Jonathan Scott and the irritating but rapturously received conductor Gareth Valentine, who shakes a wicked hip on his podium as he takes the on-stage orchestra (who frankly don't have that essential swing) through its paces. The costumes are marvellous, and it goes without saying that the unforgettable Gershwin music is a joy. Deane takes the essence and spirit of the 30s/40s and lovingly interprets it for a new generation, while the dancers are their usual superb selves, doing exactly what is asked of them without falling into the trap that ballet companies often do of trying to be too hip or camp. There is some fine dancing – the ensemble pieces which open each act spring to mind, the Overture and ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ respectively – with Shiori Case and Yonah Acosta shining in the former. Among the duets, the tentative quality of ‘The Man I Love’, in which Elena Glurdjidze and Arionel Vargas are joined by singer Sarah Fuller, is particularly noteworthy. Clearly the company are enjoying themselves as they tackle a range of dances and styles which are far trickier than they appear from the outside. Yet there's this sneaky feeling that something isn't quite right. While this is great fun and clearly popular, you can't help but wonder whether this is something that a subsidised company should be doing? Yes, bums on seats are important, but at what cost?

(Lesley Barnes)

Copyright Lesley Barnes 2012