He thundered to fanfare: the ballet "Wuthering Heights" was shown at the Bolshoi Theater

For the first time in the history of the hero city, the performance of the Sevastopol State Opera and Ballet Theater was among the finalists of the Russian National Theater Award "Golden Mask". The production was presented by the president of the award, Vladimir Mashkov. The main role is played by the artistic director of the ballet troupe of the theater, Ksenia Ryzhkova. The choreographer is John Paul Cook. Izvestia visited the performance and assessed the chances of an award.

The Golden Mask and the new rules

From March to June, the Golden Mask competition program is shown in Moscow and other cities. 41 out of 68 performances have already been shown. "Wuthering Heights" became the 42nd in the competition. The artists presented it on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Wuthering Heights is one of the most notable new productions in the Contemporary Ballet category.

— This year, new nominations have appeared in the Golden Mask, — said Vladimir Mashkov, President of the National Award, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. — There are six performances in the Modern Ballet category. According to the new rules, from one to five nominees can receive the award.

The results of the award will be announced on June 20 in Omsk. The winning performances will be filmed and shown in cinemas across the country. In the meantime, the metropolitan audience appreciated the work of the troupe from Sevastopol.

The ballet "Wuthering Heights" is based on the novel of the same name by Emily Bronte. He attracts not only with the plot, but also with expressive choreographic and plastic solutions. The production was performed by the British choreographer John Paul Cook, who also performed one of the main roles — Edgar Linton.

Swan on the shoulder: acrobatic version of the famous ballet presented at the Bolshoi Theater

Artists from China showed their unusual view of Tchaikovsky

Irish colloquial

The two-act play tells the story of the fatal love of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. The production combines minimalistic set design, mobile sets and a musical score combining works by Philip Glass, Tatiana Shatkovskaya and Hildur Gudnadouttir.

— When I was choosing the music for the play, it was important for me to use Irish songs, — said John Paul Cook. — The character for whom Grigory Solovyov sings is rather symbolic.

The score includes fragments of traditional Irish music, and the performance contains elements of Celtic folklore, from dancing to songs. Soloist of the Moscow Helikon Opera Theater, bass Grigory Solovyov appears as the owner of Mr. Earnshaw's estate. The singer is fluent in English, and has even translated several books for the publisher.

With his appearance, the action begins.: The hero descends the spiral staircase of the dark castle and sings with an Irish accent. He returns from Liverpool with the orphan Heathcliff, whom he decides to adopt and introduce to his children— Katie and Hindley. They dislike a new family member. Over time, a complicated feeling develops between Cathy and Heathcliff. However, the girl marries Edgar Linton, trying to forget her lover. Heathcliff, driven by revenge, begins his game by using Isabella, Edgar's sister. This leads to Catherine's mental breakdown.

The main roles were performed by the invited prima ballerina MAMT Ksenia Ryzhkova (Catherine) and the winner of international competitions Dmitry Sobolevsky (Heathcliff). The role of Edgar Linton was played by John Paul Cook, the image of Isabella was embodied by Marina Arsenyeva. The musical director and conductor of the performance is Artyom Abashev, and the composer was Hildur Gudnadouttir.

Yura was there: Cosmonautics Day was celebrated in the Kremlin with the stars

The concert was opened by 96-year-old Alexandra Pakhmutova, composer and friend of Yuri Gagarin.

The coffin in the window

John Paul Cook graduated from the Royal Ballet School in London. He was the premiere of the Bavarian Ballet in Munich, and since 2022 he has joined the troupe of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Musical Theater.

The MAMT team participated in the implementation of the project: Andrey Kostyuchenkov created the light score. Dmitry Sobolevsky, a former soloist of this theater, is now the premier of the Sevastopol Troupe.

Production designer Lilia Khismatullina has created mobile sets. The central element is a spiral staircase, around which massive doors move, denoting either Wuthering Heights or the Linton Estate. The space is complemented by a window with stormy weather and a niche with a high opening resembling a glass coffin.

The performance attracted the attention of not only theatergoers, but also fans of the novel's film adaptations. A version of Emirald Fennel with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi was released in January. The film caused polar ratings, while the ballet version is closer to the original idea.

In the production, despite the reduction of minor characters, the main line of the novel is preserved. Nine scenes and a prologue keep the audience in suspense until the finale.

Waiting at home

The choreography in the play is complex and inventive. Not only the leading artists, but also the children — students of the Academy of Choreography in Sevastopol — Miron Baron, Arina Golovaneva and Arseny Mukhonin confidently cope with it. Their work was supervised by the rector, People's Artist of Russia Maria Alexandrova.

"Wuthering Heights" has become the largest-scale work of the young theater, which is currently performing at various venues while waiting for its own building.

— Now we are based in Moscow, — said Ksenia Ryzhkova. — Due to the difficult logistics, we cannot afford guest artists. The absence of your own stage does not interfere with full-fledged work: class in the morning, then rehearsals.

The troupe continues to be replenished with artists from different regions. According to John Paul Cook, the play is still on tour: it has already been shown in Krasnoyarsk and Moscow. The future of the production depends on new invitations and the opening of its own theater building at Cape Khrustalny, designed by Wolf Pricks. This could happen as early as summer.