Cinderella or Cinderfella? Ballet audiences won’t know until curtain goes up
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Audiences attending Scottish Ballet’s production of Cinderella will not know if the lead will be played by a man or a woman until the curtain goes up after the company gave its version of the classic fairytale a dramatic twist.
Cinders has opened in Glasgow with two versions of the tale performed by the company. In the traditional version, a female Cinderella is swept off her feet by her Prince Charming while in the other, a male Cinders is rescued from a life of drudgery by his princess.
A male dancer took the lead role in two shows at the weekend, which Scottish Ballet said was a world first in a theatrical production of the story.
The production, set in a draper’s store at the turn of the 20th century, features an art-nouveau inspired set with the traditional score by Sergei Prokofiev.
The female dancer wears the ballgown, regardless of whether she is playing Cinders or the princess that falls in love with the male Cinders.
While there is not an LGBTQ+ coupling for Cinders, the Scottish Ballet said there would be a gay love story blossoming in the background for some of the other characters.
A spokesman for Scottish Ballet said early feedback about their new version “has been overwhelmingly positive on all our social channels, and sales are stronger than ever for our festive ballet”.
Christopher Hampson, Scottish Ballet’s artistic director and chief executive, has previously said that he was “delighted” to be bringing a fresh approach to such a well-known fairytale.
“I have always believed Prokofiev essentially composed a love story, yet full of wit and humour, which underpins this new production,” said Mr Hampson.
“I’m enjoying the playfulness of searching for who guides the narrative and who drives the dream. Collaborating with Elin Steele [designer] and the ever-adventurous dancers; we are coming together to deliver a classic Cinders for today.”
Principal dancer Bruno Michiardi said swapping the roles of the Cinderella leads made the ballet feel “different and new”.
“We all know and love the classic story of Cinderella, but this new version means we’re suddenly working in this amazing upside-down realm, where the male part – previously a more traditionally stoic character – is a complex mixture of vulnerability and resilience, and the female role – usually quite timid and downtrodden for most of the original ballet – is empowered and full of charisma. I’m excited at the prospect of exploring this further and sharing that with the audience.”
Guest principal dancer Jessica Fyfe added that she had found working on the production “very exhilarating”.
“To give this new fluidity to the leading roles means exploring ways in which the character Cinders, traditionally the ‘poor’ Cinderella, can be a person of grit, determination and strength, which ultimately leads to them creating their own happy ending.
“I hope the audience enjoys this new twist on a beautiful classic, which now highlights how anyone can have a hand at shaping their own future. It’s not just for fairytales.”
The ballet opened at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow at the weekend and runs until December 31, before touring to Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness in the New Year. The run ends at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal on February 10.
