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Hotel Follies

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Arts Theatre
Great Newport Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 7JB

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Dir: Christopher Marney.
Cast: Cabaret Chorus Company, Rambert Dance Company, Northern Ballet, Doreen Wells, Malgorzata Dzierzon, Les Ballest Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Jason Piper


Description: A 1940s-style dance and musical theatre revue, choreographed by Christopher Marney and featuring performances by Doreen Wells and a new interpretation of Moira Shearer's solo from The Red Shoes.


Trains: Tube: Covent Garden Overground network

Phone: 0845017 5584
Website: www.artstheatrewestend.com

Extra info: Pub

 
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Hotel Folies is the inn place to be

By Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard  27.08.09
 
Hotel Folies

On the hop: Maurizio Montis as the Bellboy

Look here too

Very soon, it will be time for the big‑hitting, discipline-specific works of autumn. For now, though, we can enjoy a little variety, in all senses of the word, courtesy of this intriguing if slightly ramshackly 1940s-style “dance revue” from upcoming director/choreographer Christopher Marney.

A quick glance at the list of characters residing in the eponymous establishment — the Recluse, the Predator and the Artiste, to name but three — makes us think that Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot can be only a footfall away.

There are no bodies in the library here, though, just a lot of performers with a party piece of varying quality to offer, be that dancing, singing, or poetry recital. Marney marshals them all into some sort of dance-prevalent order, using the flimsiest of through-narratives about an uncertain Bride and Groom.

The Bride has every reason to be anxious, as her intended (Marney himself) besports himself with the Barman (Hendrick January) in Dearest Love, a duet of sinuous longing. The pair could make more of this piece of early (1991) choreography from Matthew Bourne and should look to the crispness of some of their steps.

Sixties Royal Ballet legend Doreen Wells is the aptly named Unrivalled; lithe as you like and with legs to die for, she is fawned over by three be‑jacketed hunks in the brief Fantasy.

Unfortunately there’s no one to fawn over the marvellous Roberto Forleo from men-in-tutus troupe the Trocks. His delightfully humorous solo turn as, ho ho, Tamara Rioja in Balanchine’s Baby Ballerina, a quick take-off of Serenade, sees him remarkably adroit on pointes.

With more like this and the playful pas de six from a radically updated Bayadère that ends in a glorious writhing of intermingled limbs, Marney would make this a place really worth checking into.
Until 30 August (0845 017 5584, www.hotelfollies.com).

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Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 
 


 
 
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