★★★★★

“pushes the boundaries of what is possible”

It is a story that we grew up reading and watching. We think we know it well. Therefore, we have no reason to be uncomfortable for what we are about to witness. But we soon slip out of this sense of security, as we realise we are in completely unchartered territory.

Snow White: The Sacrifice is a ballet twist on the classic fairy tale, but not the sort that you would tell your children before bedtime. It is a story of raw, unthinkable evil driven by bitterness and lust. In our story, the villain is the Queen, Snow White’s own mother. When Snow White reaches adulthood, the Queen feels she is ready to meet a new lover. But when this new King arrives at the palace, he only has eyes for the young princess. The Queen is enraged, which is where we see ‘the sacrifice.’ The Queen, played by Caroline Reece, is willing to sacrifice anything to convince herself she retains the loosest of connections to her youth. Reece brings so much depth to the role with a remarkable flexibility as she moves throughout her performance.

Like any good fairy tale, there is the damsel in distress. Virginia Scudeletti plays the titular character in a spellbinding performance. She powerfully maintains the tension despite being on stage for most of the show. Her all-white outfit evokes powerful imagery and reminds of her innocence in the face of such cruelty. The costume design (Nasir Mazhar and Libby El-Alfy) is a strength of the entire production. Masks allow characters to play characters. Ribbons add elegance but also signify the Queen’s desire to tighten control.

Perhaps, the most impressive ‘character’ is the centrepiece staircase that sits in the middle of the stage. The stairs allow the action to take place on multiple levels adding another dimension to the masterpiece. The case also hides many of the props and even characters that join scenes. This allows seamless transitions, accompanied by exceptional dance. Because of this, an astonishing fluidity is achieved, which could not have been done if so many performers had been waiting in the wings. This also means that the show makes exceptionally efficient use of such a large space, which could be hard to cover. Of course, credit must go to Liv Lorent (also artistic director for the show’s company, balletLORENT) for her outstanding direction and such creative choreography.

The voice that guides us through the experience is our narrator, Sarah Parish. Despite the grandeur of the performances on stage, we would be lost without the voice of the production. The retelling is descriptive but not excessively so, in a way that might distract. It is a fine balance between insufficient and overbearing that is achieved. It supports the dancers on stage whilst allowing the show to breathe its own life. Additional credit should go to Carol Ann Duffy (Scenario Writer) for this.

In fact, this balance could be said of the entire production. It pushes the boundaries of what is possible from such a retelling. It gives a lot to the audience, without asking too much of them. In an orchestra of possibilities, it always finds the right note.

SKATEPARK

SADLER’S WELLS EAST

★★★★

“a dizzying meld of music and movement”

The spacious new Sadler’s Wells theatre in Stratford’s Olympic Park was established in part to capture the raw urban energy of East London, a bottom-up approach to curation giving platforms to non-traditional and ethnic performers.

In the foyer, free dance classes, with participants looking out on the Aquatic Centre and London Stadium. Elsewhere, break dancing, hip hop, kathak and waacking, reflecting the diversity and curated sub-cultures of those who live nearby.

Skatepark, from Danish dancer and choreographer Mette Ingvartsen is a case in point. Straight from the half-pipes of some grimy streetscape to the gilded stage of Sadler’s Wells.

To underscore those credentials, Ingvartsen gives over the vast stage – ramps, grind rails, ledges – to local skate groups for a pre-performance, with some of the riders having been hand-picked from earlier workshops to join the core company.

The whole thing is raw energy, with a rap battle vibe, tinged with noir and playing to a younger-skewing audience. If the event had nothing else to evidence its visit than community impact it would have done its job.

Fortunately, there is plenty here. Twelve performers as a hypnotic, throbbing whirligig.

At first the free-form chaos of the pre-performance spills into the production proper and there’s an anarchy of skaters playing, showing off, riding their luck.

But, gradually, something more organised takes shape, the individuals coalesce, and patterns emerge.

Human nature insists we impose a story. Perhaps the skatepark is a Petri dish, an evolution of sorts, with individuals merging, co-operating, learning how to communicate and ultimately forming a cohesive hive mind. Something out of nothing.

The look and feel are essential. There are the typical hard-edged urban trappings – steel barriers, neon graffiti, a sense of outsiders playing their thrashing sounds too loud. The cast comes out of Snow Crash or Mad Max, some punk dystopia. They occasionally wear disturbing masks or lose themselves in voluminous hoodies.

Not just skateboards either, but roller skates, and Parkour, human agency matching wheeled efficiency. There’s an electric guitar and urgent street timpani. Most effectively, the skaters can become singers and dancers too, throwing shapes or exhibiting the fever and madness of the mosh pit.

And forever there is a heartbeat bass pumping, like life itself, sometimes with Eurotrash vocals shouted in our faces, other times – hauntingly – delivered as monk-like chants accompanied by sweeping, balletic movement in the semi-dark.

This all builds, slowly, organically, with imperfections and tumbles and missteps. The subtle progression suggests an inevitable self-organising drive, like an ant march on wheels.

This leads to a truly rousing climax, a dizzying meld of music and movement. The audience is swelling too, co-opted into this ragged community of souls.

SNOW WHITE: THE SACRIFICE

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★★

“pushes the boundaries of what is possible”

SNOW WHITE: THE SACRIFICE

Sadler’s Wells East

Reviewed on 18th April 2025

by Luke Goscomb

Photography by Luke Waddington

Recently reviewed at other Sadler’s Wells venues:

SNOW WHITE: THE SACRIFICE

SNOW WHITE: THE SACRIFICE

SNOW WHITE: THE SACRIFICE

SKATEPARK

SADLER’S WELLS EAST

★★★★

“a dizzying meld of music and movement”

SKATEPARK

SADLER’S WELLS EAST

Reviewed on 10th April 2025

by Giles Broadbent

Photography by Pierre Gondard

Previously reviewed at Sadler’s Wells venues:

Skatepark

Skatepark

Skatepark