Coppelia

This co-production of Coppelia by Queensland Ballet and West Australian Ballet has something for everyone. Based on the gothic stories of ETA Hoffman, there is a macabre fairytale featuring a lifelike doll created by a reclusive doctor; a cheeky love story told with jealous young lovers straight out of Shakespeare central casting; a village of flirtatious young couples with dance-offs to rival Hollywood-style Seven Brides for Seven Brothers energy; and, to top it all off, a boisterous football match! Like all well-woven ballet backdrops, this one affords solos for its two leads and secondary romance characters, and memorable and satisfying supporting character parts. And while the Doctor at the centre of this tale may be a little off-kilter due to a past mired in tragedy, his heart ends up back in the right place thanks to the healing power of love and the warmth of a friendly village that welcomes him in.

To make the piece even more enjoyable, the original German setting has been transported to Hahndorf Village in South Australia – the early 20^th Century costumes by Noelene Hill are a romantic muted rainbow of embroidered Dirndl dresses for the girls, and colonial riding gear for the guys, with a smattering of traditional Lederhosen. And then, the striped jerseys for that football match – with the football (of course!) tumbling into the Orchestra Pit – which even those who think they don’t like ballet will thoroughly enjoy!

The set design by Hugh Colman is fabulous – moving from the village street, to the interior of the Doctor’s sinister automaton factory (with life-size mannequins and hanging limbs with perfect ballet pointes when he fires up his electric generator), to the village church for a joyous finale. The lighting by Jon Buswell creates spectacular outback afternoons and eerie sunsets, adding to the atmosphere.

The principal artists alternate, but for the performance I saw, we were treated to the leads of Swanilda and Franz played by Chiara Gonzalez and Patricio Revé. This couple tell their fanciful Romeo and Juliet romance through exquisite and unbelievably challenging classic pas de deux and solo demonstrations of athletic feats of wonder that had the audience applauding after each piece. There is total discipline underlying the whimsy of Chiara’s clockwork movement as the Doctor’s life-size automaton. What an achievement! And so much fun to watch and enjoy. As Dr Coppelius, Vito Bernasconi plays his cranky character part with warmth and empathy. There is a also an element of Scottish dancing in the ensemble when secondary love interests appear from the crowd in the characters of Mary and Henry, played by Laura Tosar and Alexander Idaszak in full tartan finery. Adding to the fun are Swanilda's feisty girlfriends, played by Isabella Swietlicki, Kaho Kato, Heidi Freeman, Libby-Rose Niederer and Alisa Pukkinen.

Choreography by Greg Horsman (after Arthur Saint-Leon and Marius Pepipa) is humorous and fun, but intensely intricate. Performers make a seeming fresh breeze out of athletic moves requiring considerable discipline and strength. The group dance sequences are boisterous and bubbly, with a mix of dance styles, from the classical, to Scottish folk to German Schuhplattler! It’s a joy to behold, performed by a stage full of stunning supporting dancers from Queensland Ballet Academy and Jette Parker Young Artists, dancing to a stunning score by Leo Delibes arranged by Nigel Gaynor, performed live by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. There is also a lovely animation sequence by PixelFrame, illustrated by SM Olive.

Beth Keehn

Photographer: David Kelly

Check the cast list: www.queenslandballet.com.au/performances/2024/coppelia/coppelia-cast-sheet

Find out more about Coppelia: www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2024/queensland-ballet-coppelia