In the two-hour show, Hamlet never leaves the stage, making it a very demanding role, said Wu, the principal dancer. "There are a great number of solo dances for Hamlet to exhibit his monologue and hesitation. It is a great challenge for me to precisely deliver the emotions through my movements," he said. He read Hamlet before, but said that since the rehearsal started, he began to see the character in a new light.
"Wu is a great dancer. He is intense, quiet and so involved with the music, emotions and the character," Deane said, "He doesn't speak much, but he thinks and listens, which is very good."
The production features classic ballet choreography, but also uses neo-classic and contemporary ballet to express different emotions.
Lez Brotherston, the stage and costume designer, has created a "real" environment for the prince.
Known for his work in Matthew Bourne's innovative "Sleeping Beauty," "Swan Lake" and "Cinderella," Brotherston has a feel for setting stages for emotional conflicts.
A six-meter-high, two-story castle featuring black, grey and white as primary colors serves the major stage for the ballet. Most of the flashy court scene will happen on the second floor, while Hamlet is often in the dark wide room on the first floor, isolated.
"We found a way to avoid fairy tale presentation, and creating a space that reflects Hamlet's mental space," Brotherston said. "It is a big, lonely and empty place which the court can observe from above."
The costume for each character is carefully designed to reflect their inner world. For example, Hamlet will wear a black suit jacket as he mourns for his father, but paired with jeans, which makes the prince a modern young man who breaks away from restrictions. "Designing for ballet is not window-dressing. It is not just about making it beautiful, but a catalysts which motivates the actions, and brings audiences into the story," Brotherston said.
All the music in the ballet was selected and adapted by Michael England from Tchaikovsky's works such as "Hamlet Fantasy Overture" and "Incidental Music for Hamlet." Each main character is given a particular theme melody.
"We worked out an emotional map which sets particular emotions for each scene and character, while England helped us find all the music that fits into the slots," Deane said. "Of course, there were repeated modification, but it was a fun process."
The British musician will conduct Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra live for the ballet premiere in Shanghai.
Date: April 15-16, 7:15pm
Venue: Shanghai Grand Theater
Address: 300 People's Ave
Tickets: 80-680 yuan
Tel: 400-106-8686
