As the cast takes its final bow at the end of the show, one elderly gentleman stands up in ovation while another five or so people stand up… to take photos. It’s a pretty accurate summary of tonight’s performance of The Red Dress.
Performed by the China Ningbo Performance & Arts Group, an award-winning troupe from East China, The Red Dress explores the wedding traditions of a Southern Chinese province through song and dance by following two young lovers (Yue’er and A’yong) as they meet, play and fall in love.
It’s opening night and the ballet has drawn a predictable crowd of middle-aged to elderly Chinese men and women and their overpriced cameras. Not a single usher taps anyone on the shoulder to rebuke them for their use during the performance, so I’m betting they’ve anticipated the crowd’s behaviour and given them the green light on the practice.
Throughout the performance, you can hear their shutters go off or see budding photographers stand up to take a ‘quickie’ before sitting down. At one point, one man picks up his phone, and gets a good couple of sentences in before he is shushed to hang up. It’s that kind of evening.
The performance itself is mediocre. The choreography is good but not precise, and the mood chops and changes from playful and farcical to melodramatic and romantic too often and too quickly.
While all consideration has been made in the costume department, with bright and colourful pieces gracing the stage, the stage itself is cheaply dressed with a wide canvas screen that takes in static images without adding much value. TV screens riddled with commentary are placed at the base of the stage to aid those who can’t follow the story (or speak Chinese). It’s helpful to some extent, but again, doesn’t add much value.
Ultimately, it’s the protagonists who attempt to save this one with some beautifully fluid lines amidst breathtaking sequences as they flirt and fall in love. You can tell the audience agrees, too, because the sound of shutters clicking just picked up.
1/5 stars
