REVIEW: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Wednesday 19 October 2022

The Dance Consortium have brought ‘The Trocks’ back to the UK for the 6th time. The funny all-male ballet troupe are highly entertaining and this means that they perform to packed theatres. Luckily for us, their UK tour includes a couple of nights in Newcastle.

This is about as far away from the stuffy reputation that ballet may have in some quarters. There are people in the audience who are not natural attendees at dance shows, let alone ballet. 

There are laughs from the very beginning as we are informed that Minnie Van Driver (Ugo Crirri) is performing in a Swan Lake Pas De Trois rather than a Pas De Deux. In addition Natasha Notgoodenough is no longer performing as they are rushing across to join the Grande Ballet de Sunderland.

With that Swan Lake Act II begins. The humour works as, by and large the dance is performed correctly. Readers of a certain vintage will remember Les Dawson playing a piano badly - he was funny because he could play the instrument well if he chose to. A similar analogy goes here - the dancers can perform brilliant graceful ballet but it is a lot funnier if someone misses a cue, if someone is stood in the wrong line or if a stray kick knocks someone over. 

The added element of humour thus means that not only do the performers have to be able to dance well - they need immaculate comic timing as well. Like all great comedy - it is all planned within an inch of its life. Even the curtain calls at the end of a piece as designed to illicit a response from the packed theatre crowd.

The show is split into three sections with two intervals. One imagines that the dancers need some recovery time.

The second act finishes with Ilga Supphozova (Robert Carter) as The Dying Swan. By this point even those operating the shows lighting are in on the joke. It feels like the show passes by very quickly thanks to the regular laughs.

The final act is Raymonda’s Wedding and the troupe continue the mix of skilled dancing with highlighting comedy moments too.  At the end they return for a take on New York, New York which pleases the theatre crowd.

The Trocks entertain. If they act as a gateway for some of the audience to give dance productions a go in the future then that has to be an added bonus. The only shame is that they don’t appear for a longer run in Newcastle.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photos: Zoran Jeleni

Tickets:

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 18 – Wednesday 19 October 2022. Tickets are priced from £15.00 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.