“The Secret Theatre” film by Scottish Ballet Review

“The Secret Theatre” film by Scottish Ballet is a charming and perfect Christmas present to arrive at the end of what has been a very difficult year for Scottish Ballet, Theatres, performing artists and pretty much every one of us.

The very concept of a young boy entering an abandoned theatre and finding the building and stage comes alive as if by magic with wonderful characters full of enchantment and wonder is not only a good place to start this story, but very symbolic about how many of us feel about live performance and theatres.  Usually this time of the year is a special one for me as Scottish Ballet bring their Christmas shows to the theatres and show us all just what magic can be performed on stage with the right creatives behind the scenes and on the stage itself, and watching this film I am reminded of just how much I am missing Scottish Ballet performing live on stage this year.

For anyone out there about to watch this wonderful film, it is important to note that Scottish Ballet have not taken the easy way out and simply filmed one of their productions, but for “The Secret Theatre” brought in film professionals to work with their creatives and those of Scottish Ballet to create a product designed for film, and that is perhaps why “The Secret Theatre” works so well on your screen.

In this story, our young boy not only enters “The Secret Theatre”, but gets taken to a magical wonderland that creates a new story out of existing stage productions “The Nutcracker” and “The Snow Queen”, and CEO/Artistic Director and Choreographer Christopher Hampson, Scottish Ballet’s in-house filmmaker Eve McConnachie and Directors for Screen Jess and Morgs have created something of real artistic vision here which lets us enjoy performances from all of our favourite Scottish Ballet performing artists (including Constance Devernay, and Sophie Martin and many others) from the safety of our own homes this year.

As important as the film, there is also information on how you can make a much needed financial “Christmas Gift” to Scottish Ballet this year.
 
 
The Secret TheatreThe Young Boy:Leo Tetteh The Young Boy understudy:SamuelLetsosaLexi:Alice KawalekThe Snow Queen:ConstanceDevernayRingmaster:BrunoMicchiardiAcrobats:Rishan Benjamin & Melissa ParsonsSpanish divertissement: Javier Andreu & Rimbaud PatronFrenchdivertissement:Grace PaulleyClowns:Jamiel Laurence, Constant Vigier & Jamie ReidStrongman:Nicholas ShoesmithBallerina:Kayla-MareeTarantoloEnglish divertissement:Thomas EdwardsMazelda:Grace HorlerZac:Christopher HarrisonSugar Plum Fairy:Sophie MartinNutcrackerPrince:Jerome AnthonyBarnes
 
Ahead of the film, watch this exclusive 10 minute documentary by Scottish Ballet’s in-house filmmaker Eve McConnachie. It includes interviews with CEO / Artistic Director and Choreographer Christopher Hampson, Directors for Screen Jess and Morgs, and the cast of dancers about the making of The Secret Theatre.

Review (c) Tom King  2020