Giselle at London Coliseum

Coming to the London Coliseum for four days only is Mary Skeaping’s melancholic ballet Giselle. With a mixture of choreography by Skeaping and original elements by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, Giselle is a whimsical love-turned-revenge story with themes of deception, love, greed, and revenge.

Erina Takahashi plays the role of Giselle as an innocent peasant girl beautifully. Her movements start light and modest and gradually become more expressive as she falls in love with Duke Albrecht (Francesco Gabriele Frola) and faster as she learns of his deception. The combination of Skeaping’s choreography with the work of Perrot and Coralli blends the medieval setting with a magical one.

The stunning visuals provided by David Walker’s autumnal set design give audiences a clue that magic is involved in the production, perhaps an early nod to the Wilis in Act One. The luscious forest gets darker after Giselle’s end, a fantastic attempt at pathetic fallacy (only with the lights, not the weather) by David Mohr, who was inspired by the original lighting techniques by Charles Bristowe. The forest comes alive with the shadows of the Wilis and Giselle on a quest to get her own back. It’s lively, shuddering and beautifully executed.

The musical component of the production enhances each solo and dance at every turn. The swell in the music when a big event happens, the increased speed of the music when Giselle dances faster, and the abrupt stop when she dies in Act One is nothing short of fantastic.

The ensemble cast shines alongside Giselle. The way the Wilis eerily move like ghosts in tandem from both sides of the stage and the way they circle around Albrecht is beautifully done and is accompanied with flawless direction by conductor Gavin Sutherland. It’s like watching a creepy game of Ring a Ring o’ Roses directed by scorned women.

The chemistry between Takahashi and Frola is evident. For a romantic ballet, the Duke’s footwork makes him seem like the lovestruck one! Even as he plays as a peasant, the skilled movements as he completes his repeated sautés make him feel like an elated deer galloping into the meadow.

A standout element of the production is the breathtaking costumes. The peasant clothes at first are pretty simple, which is the point. Giselle lives a simple life and she thinks her lover does too. She then goes from her simple blue peasant dress (still gorgeous, by the way) to a white dress symbolising her purity and innocence, and a veil over her face, a symbol of her morality. Meanwhile, the Duke adorns his same costume, in black, a classic mourning symbol. The only questionable costume choice is the wings given to Myrtha, the Wilis Queen (Precious Adams). However, stylistically it blends well with Walker’s fantasy-filled set.

Giselle is an enchanting and satisfying tale of love lost to lies where the heartbreak is expressed through the swells in the music and the enigmatic movement of a broken-hearted peasant girl. Romantic lovers will adore the mixture of Skeaping’s 1971 version of the production combined with more modern fairy-like motifs.

Sophie Humphrey
Photos: Emily Nuttall/Ash

Giselle is at London Coliseum from 15^th until 18^th January 2025. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Giselle at London Coliseum here: