The Cellist
Inspired by the extraordinary life-force and musicianship of Jacqueline du Pre.
Premiere: 17th Feb 2020 for The Royal Ballet (Main Stage, Royal Opera House, London)
The performance was relayed to over 1000 cinemas worldwide and will be later produced on a DVD.
Choreography: Cathy Marston
Scenario: Cathy Marston and Edward Kemp
Music: Philip Feeney incorporating Elgar, Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn, Faure, Schubert and others
Set Design: Hildegard Bechtler
Costume Design: Bregje van Balen
Light Design: Jon Clark
Choreographic Collaborator: Jenny Tattersall
Length: 58 mins approx
Cast: 25-30 dancers (3 principal roles originally created by Lauren Cuthbertson, Marcelino Sambe, Matthew Ball)
"Magical, supremely romantic (Romantic, even) and stirring right from the start, The Cellist is a supreme case in point. A many-sided love story and love letter…Marston never les accuracy get in the way of truth…the stage pulsates with life, and the hour-long piece mostly zips by with tremendous speed, almost like an incredibly details, emotionally overpowering dream."
The Telegraph
"A richly metaphorical love story between a musician and her instrument."
The Stage
"It is a considerable piece, full of feeling and imagination lingering in the mind long after the curtain has come down."
The Observer
"The premiere was greeted as a triumph"
Sunday Times
An excerpt of the cinema broadcast
Insight Evening on The Cellist (interviews and rehearsal)
Interviews with the cast and creative
ITV News coverage of The Cellist by Julie Etchingham
BBC News at Ten coverage of The Cellist by Will Gompertz
