Macbeth

FRI May 21 7:00 pm

Kirill Molčanov – William Shakespeare – Robert Balogh
MACBETH
Moravian Theatre Olomouc / CZ

choreography and director Robert Balogh
conductor Petr Šumník / Tomáš Hanák
stage design Jan Dušek
costumes Klára Vágnerová
assistants of choreography Dana Krajevská, Jiří Sekanina
premiere November 13, 2009

characters and cast
Macbeth Ivo Jambor / Jan Seitl
Lady Macbeth Lena Iliina / Renáta Mrózková
Banquo, Macbeth's friend Michal Klapetek / Dmitrij Savakov
Duncan, King of Scotland Andrej Šarajev / Radek Vojtěch
First Witch Andrea Hrbková / Sylva Soldatenkova
Second Witch Petra Glacová / Aya Shinoda
Third Witch Irina Laptěva / Kateřina Iranová
Sven, King of Norway Mikina Kawamura / Michal Priessnitz
Lady Macbeth's caretaker Jana Hanáková

also performing: members of the Moravian Theatre ballet company and extras
Lucie Horáková
Lenka Kuzněcovová
Zuzana Novoborská
Lucie Roháčková
Lucie Rojková
Nikol Zodiová
Tomáš Derka
Marek Kocák
Ján Kočík
Oldřich Linhart
Vladislav Nikolenko
Vadim Tsepelev
Pavel Brázda
Jaroslav Cenkl

Macbeth without Words
(...) Balogh transfers the dramatic text into the language of dance with full credibility in harmony with bodily expressions that endorse the emotionality of characters. Balogh creates imaginative, richly moulded duets characteristic of partner concord. The story is brought out in all its exigency. Dance actions are dramatic, full of suspense and balefully intensive emotions.
(...) Renata Mrózková's performance as Lady Macbeth is astonishing. Her expression sees its climax in a solo scene of losing her child where she exposes her sorrow and failure with rough honesty – here, Balogh decides to leave the dancer barefooted: as if she once again fell a step lower in her morality and lost her royal dignity that she had to dig out so strenuously. Jan Seitl gives a reminiscent image of Macbeth''s unrestrained lust for power which keeps growing obsessively. Both protagonists are sure about the technical side of dancing, a fact enabling them to enact minute expressive details through gestures and feelings dressed in fine hues of bodily and expressive tension.

Action and Nonconformity: Macbeth as Ballet
(...) Balogh's Macbeth is a fairly arresting and grippingly non-traditional ballet piece. It won't definitely affront anyone, be it passionate Shakespearean scholars, undemanding spectators or young audience. In this production, a classic piece meets modern treatment and the past comes close to the present, smoothly and naturally.

Robert Balogh (b. 1960) studied choreography and ballet staging at the Academy of Musical Arts (VŠMU) in Bratislava; his first job was in Olomouc (1985–1988) where he worked as a soloist and choreographer (The House of Bernarda Alba, among others).
In the late 1980s and early 90s, he cooperated chiefly with the National Theatre in Bratislava (e.g. the dance night Lux et Requiem) and with the National Theatre in Prague (Orff-esque production Catulli Carmina or Ecstasy of the Spirit). In the mid 90s, he led the ballet ensemble of J. K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen (e.g. choreographies of Casanova, Carmen, Pushkin or Romeo and Juliet). Since 1998, he has been a free-lancer and apart from frequently working as a director and choreographer at Czech and foreign theatres, he also led his own dance company and made several productions with the Children's Ballet Studio at the Moravian Theatre in Olomouc. Since January 2010, Balogh is artistic deputy director of Moravian Theatre and starting from the next season, he will be in charge of the theatre's ballet company.
The Flora Theatre Festival has hosted, for instance, his productions of Bizet's Carmen or a dance fantasy inspired by the eponymous symphony by Antonín Dvořák, From the New World.