Review: RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S DREAM BALLETS: A TRIPLE BILL, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

It might seem like an unexpected item was mistakenly slipped into the bagging area when Drew McOnie's dream ballets triple bill was included in the running order for Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's new season.

But the surprise element is anything but a rogue onion or unwelcome tin of tuna. It's more akin to a deluxe box of chocolates with delectable layers, served up by the new artistic director who's dreamt of presenting the standalone dance pieces since he was 16.

A dream ballet is a sequence in a musical where the action stops and characters' emotions and thoughts are expressed through dance. Boldly, McOnie has commissioned three award-winning musical theatre choreographers to reimagine dream ballets from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, Oklahoma! and Allegro. Plaudits must also go to Tony Award winner Simon Hale for his extremely effective new musical arrangements.

Artistic director of ZooNation Kate Prince (Message in a Bottle) kicks off the evening with her inventive interpretation of Carousel. Prince's herd of bewildered horses – in colourful, ragtag outfits and mismatched socks provided by adept costumer designer Yann Seabra – ­are unwillingly tethered by bungee cords to an illusory carousel. Controlled by a strict fairground showman (mega-talented Tommy Franzen, who's the star of the evening), they jerk robotically until they learn to break free.

Incredibly, Prince manages to pull off a hip-hop beat set to Rodgers and Hammerstein's lilting waltz, with pulsing, syncopated rhythms. Prince's choreography juxtaposes accomplished balletic lifts and lyricism with exciting athletic punch.  

There's great use of the stage throughout with the audience close to the dancers in action – you can even hear the squeak of sneakers on the floor. Grouped at the back is the phenomenal 26-piece Sinfonia Smith Square orchestra, conducted by superb Alex Parker, who rewards us with a feeling of soaring Hollywood glamour.

Julia Cheng's version of the lesser-known Allegro follows with a winsome group of impish dancers gathered round a park bench set against lush strings and vibrant horns. We're in Charlie Chaplin territory in the 1920s, with black-and-white polka-dotted dresses and props purloined from a shopping trolley. Each dancer is captivated by the object they've chosen in a moving sequence.

Cheng offers us slapstick clowning in a very playful piece, but there's also an element of manipulation (a similar overarching theme evident in all three ballets). An old man pushing the trolley wants to be in charge, to the chagrin of the rest. Perhaps a metaphor for our current geopolitics?

Shelley Maxwell's Oklahoma! rounds off this rich production, starting with Christopher Akrill's creepy, Stetson-wearing, Joker-like boss mimicking the conductor (real conductor Parker sportingly goes along with the gag) and directing a competitive game of Musical Chairs with his suited employees. Maxwell's excellent choreography offers us a glimpse of nasty frontier justice and hyped-up patriotism resonant with today's authoritarian leaders such as Trump and Putin.

A tasty unanticipated treat, these potent and entertaining dream ballets are delights to be lovingly unwrapped and enjoyed. This short trial run of exploring iconic music through new dance forms, so we can view both the work and the world in a different way, certainly pays off. And one hopes it will be uppermost on McOnie's next shopping list.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Dream Ballets: A Triple Bill runs at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until June 22

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Need more UK / West End Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...