Jane McGowan talks to Daniel de Andrade, the director and choreographer of the Northern Ballet’s production of The Boy in the Striped in Pyjamas
Lisa Stonehouse
Over the past decade, The Northern Ballet has embarked on a dance revolution. Alongside the traditional classical fare, it has created a succession of spectacular ballets which take their narratives from novels (1984, Dracula, A Tale of Two Cities), plays (Hamlet) and operas (La Traviata, Madame Butterfly).
The latest story in its impressive repertoire is John Boyne’s heart-wrenching Holocaust novel The Boy in the Striped in Pyjamas, which makes its London debut in Richmond this month. Choreographed and directed by former principle dancer Daniel de Andrade, the ballet tells the story of two nine-year-old friends: Shmuel, a Jewish boy in Auschwitz and Bruno, the son of the camp’s commandant.
“The company had offered me the chance to stage my first full-length ballet and David Nixon [artistic director] suggested I read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,” de Andrade explains. “I read it and the connection was just instantaneous and I was compelled to bring the story to our dance audiences.”
It’s challenging stuff, and de Andrade knew the casting of the two boys would be critical in replicating their unique bond, portrayed so movingly in the book.
“Interestingly, the male leads often are the taller men in the company,” remarks Daniel. “But this has provided the opportunity for the shorter guys who are all so talented to really lead a ballet – Bruno for example is in every scene, while Shmuel’s character is so exhausting. He is stripped down to the bear minimum of what a human being can be in terms of purity and because of the horrendous suffering he is enduring.”
The team has worked very hard to do justice not only to Boyne’s story, but to the subject matter, spending weeks watching documentaries, original footage taken from the liberated camps and reading all they could in relation to the Holocaust, before de Andrade even thought of the choreography.
“The dancers came to me 100% prepared and their commitment has been amazing,” he adds.
The music too, as with any other ballet, has played an important role, and the director says he knew immediately who he wanted to compose the score – Oscar-nominated composer Gary Yershon.
“Gary had a specific idea of how music should be for the ballet, he didn’t want to over-romanticise it but just wanted to be true to the delivery of the story. There are sweet sections that reflect the purity of the two boys and then a cacophony of sounds that capture the darkness of the characters and events. He has made it work so well.”
Although for some, the theme may not be something they would expect when thinking about going to the ballet, de Andrade is keen to point out that: “Theatre doesn’t have to be happy ever after. Yes there is horror, yes there is evil, but it’s also a lovely way to highlight the importance of love and the human spirit. Their connection offers an oasis of magic in the horrific events that have marked humanity ever since.”
- Richmond Theatre Jun 6–7; northernballet.com
Check out Theatre/Arts Section for more great local thespian news, reviews and interviews
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on our latest articles
Sign up to our Weekly Newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and stories
Looking to advertise your business in Surrey or SW London? Check out our 11 different lifestyle magazines with a combined monthly distribution of over 210,000
