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| Thursday, 4 December 2003 |
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Robert Helpmann's Hamlet by Gwen Herat
Helpmann dared what others feared: As we all know Shakespeare's plays are almost impossible to relate to ballet because their strength lies in the brilliant dialogue for which Shakespeare holds the reigns even today. Hamlet in particular is a truly complexed tragedy, full of pathos and bitterness among its characters. It may have posed the question I keep asking myself; 'Why did Shakespeare opt Hamlet to be the Prince of Denmark and not the Prince of Wales when Shakespeare was a right royal Englishman of his time?' Perhaps, based on this non-committed notion, Helpmann mounted Hamlet in his own inimitable way. Sir Robert Helpmann was born on April 9, 1909 at Mount Gambier and died in Sydney on September 28, 1986. An outstanding artist in Australia, he was dancer, choreographer ballet-director and actor. He studied with the Pavlova Company when it toured Australia and later came to London in 1933 and joined the then Vic Wells Ballet, which is the present Royal Ballet. He became its leading male dancer and partnered Margot Fonteyn. In 1942, Helpmann mounted his major production that identified his spectacular approach to classical ballet in Hamlet. He also danced this pivotal role opposite Margot Fonetyn's Ophelia in this Sadler's Wells production. Unlike other full length ballets, Hamlet was treated in a special manner where this Shakespeare tragedy was danced surrounding the last thoughts of the dying Hamlet who relieved some of the dramatic events of his life. Robert Helpmann was the first to dance the role of Hamlet and selected the haunting musical scores of Tchaikvosky for inspiration. Ballets based on famous stories seldom appeal to the audiences because their 'plots' can never be conveyed in dance or mime because of their limitations. Helpmann's version, instead of trying to dance the play, gave a few glimpses of what might have gone through his mind. For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come... Hamlet was revived for the Royal Ballet in 1964 and 1981 and danced by Rudolf Nureyev and Lynn Seymour. Other versions of this ballet included in 1934 with Nijinska (sister of Nijinsky dancing the male role of Hamlet) in Paris to the score of Franze Liszt. In 1944, T. Govisky mounted Hamlet to the music of Blacher in Munich. Surgyev's version was to the music of Nicolai Chervinsky in Leningrad in 1970. Still many versions of this ballet in I or II Acts were performed while the American Ballet Theatre mounted its own version in 1976 without much success.
The scenes of many Shakespeare tragedies are remote in time, place and society from the England of his time and he was not the historian of his time and did not attempt to portrait contemporary manners which may have attracted Helpmann to consider giving Hamlet a new twist in ballet. Had Hamlet been an Elizabethan Englishman, he would have been expected to confirm exactly to certain prejudices entertained by the audiences. Displaying him a way out from improbability, Shakespeare desisted the foreign origin in most of his plays including HAMLET. He did not censure too gravely on the strange events that took place in Denmark. But Helpmann may have resented and not tolerated the shambles if HAMLET and his companions played their parts in tall hats and tails. Helpmann did look at HAMLET differently before he mounted the ballet. While this constrain did give him a beautiful shape in this tragedy, Helpmann was also aware of Shakespeare's ample freedom that made HAMLET look somewhat vague and diffuse. We have learnt that Shakespeare was not frigidly faithful to one method. On the contrary he proved himself capable of classical concentration. He also displayed by the loose knittings and varieties of his scenes a fine understanding of romance which later became the essence of his tragedies. In HAMLET, he illustrated more clearly the essential contrasts of romance and revenge on the part of HAMLET which Helpmann highlighted by movements as equally as eloquent language that Shakespeare used. For example HAMLET chides Ophelia in Act III Scene I. Hamlet - Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness; this was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives proof. I did love you once. Ophelia - Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so. Hamlet - You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot so inoculate out old stock but we shall relish of it. I love you not. Ophelia - I was the more deceived. Hamlet - Get thee to a nunnery; why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest; but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me; I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious with more offences at my back than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape or time to act then in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us. Go thy way to a nunnery.Where's your father. Many of us think that this famous passage can only be conveyed through dramatic delivery of dialogue but Helpmann went one better. All the disappointed and sensitive feelings between HAMLET and Ophelia were conveyed in greater pathos in movement. The frustration, disappointment and even the feigning of madness by HAMLET reached the audience better. Helpmann set the precedence because he danced the role but the later version by Nureyev and Fonteyn was a climax in emotion. Helpmann also seized the death scene of Ophelia into ballet when she drowned herself in a shallow pond singing, Act IV Scene V. Ophelia - There's fennel for you and columbines; there's rue for you; and here's same for me. We may call it herb-grace of Sundays; O' you must wear rue with a difference. There's a daisy; I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my farther died. They say he makes a good end.' ########## Festival of Christmas Music today Festival of Christmas Music by the Colombo Philharmonic Choir will be held today (4) at 7.30 p.m. at the Church of St. Michael's and All Angles, Kollupitiya. The Colombo Philharmonic Choir from its inception 50 years ago has regularly conducted a programme of Christmas music during Advent. These performances have been conducted by former conductors such as Dr. Gerald Cooray, Raymond Adlam, Lylie Godridge and Maryanne David. Soloists at these performances have been reputed sopranos such as Joan Cooray, Lorraine Abeysekera, contraltoes such as Ranee Chinnappah, Sylria Van Ens, Tenors such as Bede de Silva, Basses such as Douglas de Neise. Most of the Baritone solos were sung by the late Lylie Godridge. In keeping with tradition this year too the Colombo Philharmonic Choir will be featured in the above performance conducted by the well-known Manilal Weerakone. The choir will be accompanied by the versatile organist/pianist Denham Pereira. At this performance the choir will sing with the congregation well-known carols such as O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy to the World, Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angles Sing. Apart from these carols the choir will render some well-known carols such as In Dulci Jubilo, A Crown of Roses, The Shepherds' Farewell. Their programme will also include Handle's 'Unto us a Child is Born', Bach's 'O Little One Sweet', Rutter's 'Chandlelight Carol' and Herbert Howell 'Here is a little Door' and 'A Spotless Rose'. The programme includes two quartets one which is part of Walmisley's 'Magnificat' and the other is to be found 'In Spotless Rose'. Asita Tennakone the young and up coming tenor will sing the solo in 'A Spotless Rose'. No admission charge is to be made but there will be an offertory instead which will be donated to the church. - Herby Jayasuriya ######## 'Widows' for Sinhala theatre The Sinhala version of Chilean dramatist Ariel Dorfman's 'Widows' translated by Cyril C. Perera as 'Ayeth Enne Ne' will be performed on December 11 at 6.45 p.m. and 12th at 3.30 p.m. and 6.45 p.m. at the Elphinstone Theatre.
######### Salute to the Master This is a tribute to the late Padmashree Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai on the 12th death anniversary - on the 2nd of December 1991 On Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai's twelfth death anniversary, he will be remembered with affection and gratitude, by many of his students, all over the world and by a large circle of his admirers.
Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai was a unique teacher. He trained his students with dedication and instilled into them the need to give of their best to Bharatha Natyam. Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai was born into a Isai Vellalar family, the traditional breeding ground of dancers and musicians, Ramiah Pillai was a dance master cast in the traditional mould. He was born in the village Vazhuvoor, a few miles from Mayapuram. The temple at Vazhuvoor village is dedicated to Lord Siva, under the name of Gannasabeshan, and to this day, the students of Vazhuvoor school, pay obeisance to the deity Gannasabeshan in the form of Thodayamangalam at the beginning of each dance recital. Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai trained numerous dance teachers, and numerous outstanding dancers of today. He also composed a number of kuravanjies, and was the first one to use snake dance, which was very much popularised by Kamala Lakshmanan. He used mainly Tamil compositions, and varnams by Papanasasivam, and Swathi Thirunal. He himself composed many sabthams keerthanams, padams, and thillanas. "The nirtha aspect of Bharatha Natyam shone in vibrant vitality throughout Ramiah Pillai's teaching career. He gave equal importance to Abinaya; but his style demanded a certain lilt which was at once dynamic graceful. He was the first one to introduce sticking poses in Bharatha Natyam. This sculpturesque quality became his hallmark and to this he added facile movements to make this dancers look like elegant ballerinas," - Lakshmi Visvanathan. It is this unique portrayal that lends charm to the Bharatha Natyam presented by Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai's school and makes Vazhuvoor tradition a unique one. Generally there is a popular belief that there are four different styles in Bharatha Natyam, among them Vazhuvoor style gained the worldwide recognition which was to Vazhuvoor's lasting contribution to this great art. He became an outstanding choreographer and dance director. He founded Vazhuvoorar Classical Bharatha Natya Art Centre at Mylapore, and organised Vazhuvoorar Art Festival in Chennai during the December season. In the closing years of his life he wrote a book 'Theiveka Aadal Kalai' on dance. - Subashini Pathmanathan (a Gurugula student of late Padmashree Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai) ######### Japanese wood block print exhibition The Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation is organizing an exhibition of Japanese Wood Block Prints displaying a total of 75 such masterpieces for the second time in Sri Lanka. This exhibition has been organized to introduce contemporary prints of Japan to Sri Lanka with a view to further promoting cultural exchanges between Sri Lanka and Japan. The 75 works of art by 46 renowned Japanese artists are all from the Japan Foundation collection.
The exhibition is divided roughly into five categories, viz., 1) the older artists who have concentrated on prints over a long career; 2) the leading Japanese artists who are not professional printers but who made original artist's prints; 3) the Etchers who have revived the technique of mezzotint, a technique originally invented in Europe and brought to Japan in the eighteenth century; 4) the internationally active contemporary artists who experiment with art forms beyond the conventional boundaries of prints and painting, and 5) finally the younger artists who have expanded the applications of print media including photography and this group includes relief printing, graphic designs and installation artists. The prints displayed at this exhibition demonstrate the changes in Japanese art between the 1950s and the 1980s in many different ways, reflecting the experience of the individual artist. The exhibition will take place in Colombo in collaboration with the Public Library of Colombo from December 9 to 13 and will be held at the Main Auditorium of the Public Library of Colombo. The same exhibition will also be held in Kandy in collaboration with the Kandy Municipal Public Library at the Children's Library Hall, Kandy from December 16 to 18. ######## A tribute to Alfreda The English Writers' Co-operative of Sri Lanka in conjunction with the English Association of Sri Lanka has arranged a poetry reading and music/song recital in memory of Alfreda de Silva on Tuesday, December 9 at 6.00 p.m. at the British Council Auditorium. Apart from being a well-known writer of short stories, novels and poetry, Alfreda was also a teacher, radio broadcaster and journalist. The readers at this event are all established names in the world of theatre, television and newspapers. The reading will be interspersed with music provided by Ramya de Livera Perera on the piano and Sureka Amerasinghe on the flute and Alfreda's granddaughter Anushka Abhayaratna will sing a solo as the final item on the programme. Entrance is free and seats will be available on a first come first served basis. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Jerome de Silva, one of the foremost directors in the English Theatre
scene in Sri Lanka and winner of the inaugural Synergy In Theatrum Award
2003 is directing the play. He also handles the choreography, set and
costume designs. Nihal Fernando, Deepani Silva, Kusum Renu, Roshan
Pilapitiya, Srinath Maddumage, Nilmini Buvaneka, Sampath Jayaweera, Anusha
Dissanayaka, Rohini Wickramaarachchi, Deepa Villaraarachchi, Wathsala
Ranasinghe, Nipuni Peduruarachchi, Dilini Peduruarachchi, Ashan Fonseka,
Jeevani Nirupa Kumari, Neelani Peramunaarachchi, Chaminda Prasad, L. B. K.
Balasooriya, Aruna Disanayaka, Anjana Nuwan, Shantha Udaya Kumara,
Jeewantha Chameera Perera act in this production. Makeup will be by
Bandula Priyantha. Thushan Dias will handle the digital lighting and
Ravindra Ariyaratne is the stage manager assisted by W. D. Janaka,
produced by Jude Srimal and Thushan Dias, Jerome is assisted by Srinath
Maddumage.
