Up until last night, I had two favourite ballets – The Nutcracker and La Fille mal Gardee.
Last nights Hobson Choice has changed that – in one word, it was ‘magnificent’.
Everything from the well thought out and cleverly designed scenery (Peel Park was my favourite), the immaculate dancing (Samara Downs amazing ability to enter the pointe technique as if it took no effort at all), Royal Ballet Sinfonia and their amazing orchestra, the comedy value of the performance and the part where many of the audience sang along to ‘Lily of Laguna’ which gave me goosebumps and the biggest smile on my face. It was quite simply, perfect.
For those, like me (prior to going), who do not know the story of Hobson’s Choice, it is about Henry Hobson (Jonathan Payn), a father of three daughters who owns the local very successful boot shop. So successful he has plenty of money to spend on alcohol, which can get him into a pickle sometimes. His two youngest daughters are being courted. Alice (Delia Mathews) with Albert (Rory Mackay) a young lawyer and Vickey (Laura Purkiss) by Fred Beenstock (Mathias Dingman) the son of a local corn merchant. They want to marry but Henry won’t allow it. For him, they are his cheap labour in his shop and he doesn’t want to lose them.
Maggie (Samara Downs) is Henry’s eldest daughter. She is 30, still single but dreams of being married. Much to her fathers amusement.
One day wealthy Mrs Hepworth (Marion Tait) visits the shop and inquires about some shoes that she purchased. Will Mossop (Lachlan Monaghan) admits to the workmanship as Hobson’s boot hand and Mrs Hepworth declares he will be the only person to make her shoes from there on.
Maggie, quite liking Will (and his amazing horse tap dancing), proposes to him but Will protests as she is the Masters daughter and he is ‘only’ a boot hand. Maggie doesn’t take no for and answer and soon they are courting.
Alice and Vickey, the gossiping sisters (I lived the miming for this) see Maggie and Will out walking together on a Sunday afternoon. They are not happy and decide to tell their dad what is going on…
Henry tries to beat the love out of Will. But will it work? And what does the future hold for everyone?
The story continues filled with humour, elegance, a wedding, the salvation army band, coachmen, creditors, cricketers, nurses, park-keepers and Henry Hobson’s drinking companions.
I do not want to spoil the whole story as it is fantastic to experience it first hand.
It is on at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 22nd June 2019 and tickets start from £16.
All of the dancers gave graceful, fluid and energetic performances but a special mention goes to Samara Downs for her fantastic flawless performance as Maggie Hobson, Lachlan Monaghan for his superb performance as Will Mossop which had me and my best friend Leanne laughing out loud and Mathias Dingman who performed the role of Fred Beenstock. Outstanding performances from everyone involved.
David Bintley, you’re a very talented man.
Disclaimer: We were invited along to the performance by Birmingham Royal Ballet. All views are entirely our own. Photographs courtesy of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
It wasn’t just the ‘elderly people’ singing along. There was an invitation to join in with the words printed on the cast sheet.
Hi Roger, thank you for that. I have removed that sentence to just say ‘the audience’. Part of what I loved is that on the rows seated around me, the generations before me were the ones who were singing. It was hearing that, that gave me the goosebumps.
Thank you for your feedback.
Kelly