VICTORIA | STAGE REVIEW
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 21 May
This wonderful show, directed by Cathy Marsten, made me realise that words are not always necessary in theatre. From the moment I set foot into the auditorium and heard the orchestra, I knew that I was in good hands: Phillip Feeney’s score guiding the storyline throughout, beautifully representing the mood of each scene. Without it, I doubt I would have understood a thing.
The casting of such strong female roles was refreshing to see, with Abigail Prudames asserting authority within every dance move as Victoria. The decision to split the narrative between past and present made the show – the relationship and bonding between Victoria and Princess Beatrice (played beautifully by both Pippa Moore and Miki Akuta) was apparent throughout, and moving to watch.
A ballet needs it to be obvious who each of the characters are, even the minor ones. Steffen Aarfing’s costume design highlighted every single character, major or minor: his control over the set was probably my favourite part of the performance. The floor-to-ceiling walls of books upon books were included throughout the whole performance which did justice to Victoria’s life and all that she did. Not only did this come through in the storyline, but through the use of set – not just there to be looked at and to look pretty, but it became part of the whole performance.
The ballet and dancing itself was outstanding and full-blooded: my toes hurt by the end just through watching it. Mesmerising and encapsulating, each flick of an arm or a leg said something about their character; you marvel as to how anyone could look so elegant while performing such moves, but they did it. A breathtakingly beautiful performance.
words MOLLY GOVUS
Running at the New Theatre until Sat 25 May.