A Dance Venue of National Importance
For many years Southampton’s major theatre has been a very important cornerstone of the UK’s commitment to dance. The Mayflower Theatre (and previously when it was the Gaumont) has worked with both major and smaller dance companies establishing a significant base for all types of dance not only for the South but as part of a national strategy. At one point, the theatre held the UK record for the highest attendance per performance for ballet.
When live performances returned to the stage in the 1950s after an almost 20 year gap the theatre regularly hosted Sadlers Wells Ballet (which became Birmingham Royal Ballet) and later London Festival Ballet (now known as English National Ballet). In the sixties visits by The Royal Ballet were not unusual, before they were forbidden to step foot outside the Royal Opera House. In the seventies the programming became a little more adventurous with companies such as the Dance Theatre Of Alwin Nikolais, Senegal Dance Company and productions like Ipi-Tombi performing. At the same time a greater diversity of more traditional dance companies such as Ballet Rambert (Rambert Dance Company), London Contemporary Dance Theatre, London City Ballet and Northern Ballet began to make more regular visits
At the time of the closure of the Gaumont, the theatre had firmly established itself as a venue of national importance for dance. So much so, that once the future of the theatre had been secured and the funding was in place for a major revamp, the technical team from London Festival Ballet advised and participated in the update of the stage and backstage facilities, sound and lighting. In fact, they proclaimed that the new Mayflower Theatre would become the regional base for the company.
And so, in 1987 a new era for dance began with the Mayflower Theatre attracting back all of the companies that had prospered so well previously and along with them the audiences returned, ensuring that that one aspect of the theatre’s rebirth was successful. Remember the theatre now had to fill its stage for 50 weeks a year something that had not been done for 55 years – and that required a diversity of programming which would need to build different types of audiences from scratch. This made dance even more important and having the reputation of being a great dance theatre encouraged the interest of an increasing number of international companies. Visits by the likes of Moscow Classical Ballet, The Academy Of The Bolshoi Ballet, Georgian State Dance Company and then The Bolshoi Ballet reinforced the national importance of the Mayflower Theatre.
Now, some 37 years after its rebirth the importance of dance to the Mayflower Theatre cannot be underestimated. Here, in 2024 the theatre is about to begin its spring programme of dance and this year it promises to be another exciting mixture of classical, international and modern. It starts on 8th February when Birmingham Royal Ballet bring their world-acclaimed production of The Sleeping Beauty with Carlos Acosta reviving Sir Peter Wright’s production.
Next, the Mayflower Theatre in partnership with Dance Consortium bring to the UK for the first time the Sao Paolo Dance Company opening on 13 February. Making their UK debut, this ‘sleek, sexy and highly technical’ (The New Yorker) company of talented dancers are set to impress. Goyo Montero explores the idea of collective identities in Anthem, an epic and emotionally charged ensemble piece for 14 dancers, beautifully visualised with dramatic lighting. Gnawa, by Nacho Duato, draws on the Mediterranean colours and flavours of Valencia, powered by the hypnotic, ritualistic music of North Africa. For the finale, Brazilian choreographer Cassi Abranches’ colourful and flirtatious Agora sculpts the movement of each dancer’s body with the percussive beats and bass grooves of Afro-Brazilian fusion.
Rambert return on the 6th March with their production of Death Trap which continues Rambert’s focus on storytelling and characters, and features awe inspiring performances by Rambert’s diverse company of dancers, with live music by an on-stage band. It is infused with Ben Duke’s irresistible, stylish and accessible sense of dance theatre, is darkly funny, and packed with originality. Which leads us to the 16th March when Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands returns – a thrilling and dramatic retelling of the film through dance, a production that left the audiences spellbound when it first visited in 2006. It features the hauntingly beautiful music of Danny Elfman and Terry Davies, adding to the bittersweet story of an incomplete boy left alone in a strange new world.
Modern dance comes to the fore on 7th April when Johannes Radebe takes over the stage and a new story begins. Welcome to the House Of JoJo, with a host of eclectic characters in this brand-new theatrical celebration jam-packed with roof-raising music, dazzling costumes and of course, world class dance. I think you will agree that this is a quite a dance programme, what variety and all in a little more than two months, something for everyone and as always, this is just the beginning for 2024 and another step forward on cementing the footprint of the Mayflower Theatre Southampton on the world of dance.
