BRB, La Fille Mal Gardée, Sadler's Wells

London dance audiences can look forward to the summer celebrations continuing well into the autumn season as Birmingham Royal Ballet’s forthcoming visit to Sadler’s Wells includes performances of Sir Frederick Ashton’s sunniest and funniest classic, La Fille Mal Gardée.

Birmingham Royal Ballet - La Fille mal gardée from Sadler's Wells on Vimeo.

This joyous country tale sees farm girl Lise and her mother clash in a foot-stomping, cabbage-throwing battle of wills.

Lise loves a handsome but penniless farmhand named Colas and wants to marry him. However, Lise’s shrewd mother, the Widow Simone, has ambitious matchmaking plans for her beloved daughter and prefers Alain, the dim-witted, umbrella-obsessed son of a wealthy local vineyard owner.

As one of the most colourful and entertaining ballets in Ashton’s canon, La Fille Mal Gardée (The Wayward Daughter) blends beautiful classical ballet with engaging storytelling and affectionate humour, not least in the character of Widow Simone, famously performed en travesti by a male character dancer.

Devoid of princes, princesses, fairies and magical transformations, Ashton’s light and fluffy 1960 ballet is a charming danced narrative about jolly peasants living in rural bliss.

Although theoretically set in eighteenth century France, La Fille Mal Gardée’s spirit and wit are entirely English. Charming features include: convincing country characters performing lively traditional folk dances; a clog-dancing dame; dancers dressed as cavorting chickens; whirling, ribbon-weaving maypole dancers; and an adorable (real!) Shetland pony.

Birmingham Royal Ballet's La Fille Mal Gardée will be danced to live music played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and promises to be great fun for audience members of all ages.