Christmas TV treats

Sunday 29^th December on BBC 4 at 7.00pm to 8.00pm – Essential Royal Ballet. 

Katie Derham visits the Royal Opera House to look back at the company’s past decade of performances – from the classics such as Giselle and Swan Lake to 20^th-century greats from Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan, plus contemporary works by Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor.  But the dancers are the main draw and, as well as seeing stunning solos, pas de deux and corps de ballet numbers, stars including Carlos Acosta, Natalia Osipova and Francesca Hayward introduce their favourite ballets and share stories of their lives on stage.

On Wednesday 1^st January on BBC 2 at 5.30pm to 7.00pm there is a treat for all ballet lovers with the showing of the new ballet film, Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Walls.

This is billed as an audacious first in contemporary film-making, Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words presents Kenneth MacMillan’s original choreography as it has never been seen before, with the iconic original costume designs by Nicholas Georgiadis.

Directed and produced by International Emmy award-winning Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, the film takes MacMillan’s choreography out of the theatre and places it in the streets of Verona, allowing viewers to experience a visionary re-imagining of Shakespeare’s seminal love story. It is set to a unique recording of Sergei Prokofiev’s original score played by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House overseen by Concert Master Vasko Vassilev and conducted by Koen Kessels.

This film features the current generation of stars of The Royal Ballet, internationally celebrated as the strongest actor-dancers in the world, starring William Bracewell as Romeo, Francesca Hayward as Juliet and Matthew Ball as Tybalt in their feature film debuts.

For more information and to see the full cast visit:  https://www.romeoandjulietballetfilm.com/

I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year! – Bridgett