DanceLondonReview

Casanova – Sadler’s Wells, London

Reviewer: Maryam Philpott

Choreographer: Kenneth Tindell

Casanova is remembered only as a serial seducer, a man whose skills as a lover are so legendary, he was able to bedhop from his Venetian home to the Palace of Versailles. But Kenneth Tindell’s 2017 ballet, revived for a UK tour with a four night stop at Sadler’s Wells, returns a broader humanity to Giacomo Casanova, giving him not only a first name but a fuller life experience told through this gorgeously released and elegant production.

When trainee priest Casanova is given a forbidden text by friend who is rapidly arrested and imprisoned by the Inquisition, a new world opens up for the innocent Casanova who is quickly seduced and expelled from the church where he takes up with a musician troupe. But his future lies in Paris and, with a royal patron, Casanova is soon much admired and desired at court. But true love and a quest to be taken seriously as a scholar are all he really yearns for.

Northern Ballet’s Casanova is a wonderful exercise in storytelling. Based on Ian Kelly’s biography, Tindell’s expressive choreography focuses on the body as something to be possessed and oppressed by others. Dance, of course. is a physical experience through the body but that is heightened here, and as well as plenty of lust and desire, as much of it directed at Casanova as emanating from him, there is an undertone of violence, of the human form thrown about and casually discarded, as though the lives of other – lover or enemy – are of little substance.

Tindell uses another form of expression as a storytelling and thematic device, exploring notions of gender performance through the rituals of dressing as undressing. Repeatedly through the ballet, Casanova is dressed by benefactors, each time increasing his social status and starting a new chapter in his life. The skill here is creating a sense of unity, connection and forward movement across the show, avoiding the episodic feel these distinct areas of his life could have.

All of this takes place within Christopher Oram’s stunning set and costume design, and Sadler’s Wells has rarely looked more beautiful as it brings the eighteenth-century to life. Oram’s is a bold, imposing and theatrical vision, tarnished pillars in a mottled metallic finish for Italy and dappled staining of Versailles mirrored halls in Paris, each reflecting the grandiosity of the setting but the ultimate emptiness of those space, encounters enhanced by Alistair West’s moody lighting design that fills the stage with colour contrasts.

Oram’s costumes are equally interesting, managing to be both representative of the elaborate designs of the period while also nodding to contemporary interpretations of the era with cut away waistcoats and hooped miniskirts that allow the dancers to move freely. All of that is supported by Kerry Muzzey’s lush and classical composition, updated for 2022, that swoops and soars, bringing a rich sound that reflects the light-heartedness but also the moments of contemplation, emotional connection and danger in the story.

Joseph Taylor offers a psychologically astute performance in the leading role that captures all of the nuances this expanded version of the legend wants to bring. Taylor’s Casanova is himself an innocent corrupted, a man revelling in his power and perhaps overestimating his political and intellectual position as a result, but as his life unfolds, finding less meaning in his sexual encounters and craving a deeper fulfilment.

Running at just shy of 2 hours and 15 minutes, Act II becomes a tad overblown, losing pace ever so slightly to focus too long on the merry-go-round of seductions and even longer on Casanova’s more intimate relationships with Bellino (Minju Kang) and Henriette (Saeka Shirai). Yet, Casanova’s powerful visual impact and a focus on character formation create evocative and engaging storytelling.

Runs until 14 May 2022

The Reviews Hub Score

Gorgeous and elegant

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The Reviews Hub - London

The Reviews Hub London is under the editorship of Richard Maguire. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

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