Manon

4.5 stars

Manon, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévost, was reimagined by Kenneth Macmillan in 1974 as a ballet and remains a captivating story to this day. It tells the tale of Manon who, though in love with Des Grieux, agrees to be mistress to Monsieur G.M. as he offers her wealth and luxury. Over three acts, the ballet recounts this story between Manon and Des Grieux which ends in tragedy. I tried not to read too much about the story before I went in, to see how much I could pick up from just the dancing – it was amazing how expressive the dancers were and how the story and characters can come across just from the movements, no words or acting needed. Particularly amusing was Ryoichi Hirano, playing Manon’s brother, in his drunken party scene, simultaneously graceful and deliberately clumsy.

Sarah Lamb does an exquisite job of playing Manon, switching between a greedy, amoral woman, willing to sacrifice happiness for a life of opulence, and an innocent, romantic lover to the poor student Des Grieux, masterfully portrayed by Vadim Muntagirov. The chemistry between the two of them is evident, and all their scenes together with the lifts, tumbles, and entanglements were mesmerising. The bedroom pas de deux in particular was painfully beautiful to watch.

The whole performance was a masterpiece to me. Ensemble scenes with the whole Royal Ballet company coupled with beautiful, intricate set designs by Nicholas Georgiadis, were a feast for the eyes, painting vivid pictures. The contrast between the large scenes with their hustling and bustling and stripped-back intimate love scenes was important in intensifying the emotions in the pas de deux scenes between Manon and Des Grieux.

Ballet is often seen as rather high-brow, but this evening showed me that anyone can appreciate the beauty and flair exuded by the dancers. Ultimately it is an art, and even as someone who knows nothing about dance, I could clearly see the dedication and sheer talent that goes into a performance like this. I was completely in awe. Unfortunately, I’ve had to knock off half a star because whilst I do think that you don’t have to be ‘posh’ to enjoy the ballet as an art form, on the economical front it remains an unnecessary expense for the average student, especially if you want a decent seat with a view of the whole stage. However, this show is a real treat so if you fancy splurging on a nice evening out, I can safely recommend this!