QUEEN AT THE BALLET

DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER: Sean Bovim

CAST: Members of Bovim Ballet Beyond Ballet, with Cito, Daniel Fisher and Goitsemang Lehobye

VENUE: Oude Libertas Amphitheatre

UNTIL: February 11

RATING: ****

This al fresco production of Sean Bovim’s balletic tribute to Freddie Mercury proves the adage that “less is more”: with minimal assistance from props and technology, the work is beautifully showcased in the natural setting of Oude Libertas Amphitheatre and arguably seen to better advantage than on the stage at Artscape.

A new dimension is added with the participation of singer Cito, whose poignant rendition of Mercury classics has all the intensity of the original – a fitting accompaniment to the dance and visual impact of the show.

Colour is used to convey the range of mood throughout, from austere monochromatic white in the opening sequence (Death on Two Legs) to the vivid hues of Seaside Rendezvous.

Red, the colour of passion, makes frequent appearances, as do touches of humour as in the announcement of interval, when a stop sign advertising a famous soft drink brings everything to an abrupt halt.

Sharing centre stage with Queen’s iconic lead is an incarnation of his conscience, the relentless timekeeper of his short and hectic life, simply characterised as Master Time. This character, danced with wit and brio by Steven van Wyk, is a show-stealer who holds his own with the well-cast Henk Opperman (Freddie) and the other recurrent persona, Jim Hutton, Freddie’s lover, interpreted by Devon Marshbank.

The latter offers an understated reading of the role, a suitable counterfoil to the power of Opperman’s muscular performance. Among the female leads Faye Dubinski (Barbara) is noteworthy in Killer Queen, while Nicola Van der Merwe (Rosemary) is all grace and elegance in partnership with Opperman as they execute romantic pas de deux like Take My Breath Away.

After all the heat and bustle of numbers such as Another One Bites the Dust, Radio Ga Ga, and We Will Rock You, Opperman makes his exit with Bohemian Rhapsody and the singers have the final word with a lustrous rendering of Barcelona, in which Goitsemang Lehobye manages to outshine even Cito.

Proficient dancing, elegant costumes by leading couturiers, and a programme capturing the many moods of mercurial Freddy, conduce to an evening of pleasure under the stars for lovers of ballet as well as those simply in quest of rewarding entertainment.

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