BALLET SHOES - Olivier Theatre, National Theatre (19/02/25)

Most of us will have big dreams for our future during childhood, and whilst only a small handful of us will fully realise these, they are what give life its unique fervour and colour; and they will take a variety of forms, whether you dream of being a performer, painter or palaeontologist, your heart will always know what it wants. It’s this sentiment that proves the driving force behind Kendall Feaver’s stunning new staging of Noel Streatfeild’s children's novel “Ballet Shoes”, as we follow three separately adopted sisters in their respective journeys of self discovery amid doubt and trepidation from the adults around them.

The play is a gorgeous, cohesive dichotomy between the showy and the sincere, with some absolutely remarkable choreography by Ellen Kane, dipping into a wide range of genres, from traditional ballet to swing and Charleston dancing, all performed with terrific fluidity and grace by the entire company. Whilst the larger ensemble numbers were plenty to get the heart racing and smiles spreading on our faces, the most achingly beautiful pieces of dance we see are the astounding ballet solos we see, both from Xolisweh Ana Richards as the young Katerina Federovsky, and Daisy Sequerra as the youngest of the three Fossil sisters.

Daisy Sequerra, Yanexi Enriquez and Grace Saif (credit: Manuel Harlan)

Sequerra in particular gives a wonderfully graded, and enormously sophisticated dance performance, alongside her delightful, charming acting as Posy Fossil, her character arc is by far the most intriguing and engaging, and she takes us on an enchanting journey discovering her love of ballet. Her two co stars, Yanexi Enriquez and Grace Saif, as sisters Petrova and Pauline, complete an endlessly charming trio, building strong affinities for engineering and acting respectively, the three of them proving the beating heart of this play.

Pearl Mackie as Sylvia is the more calming, down to earth influence, herself an aspiring artist, however weighed down by the often overwhelming prospect of being a guardian for three young girls, the first being thrust upon her by palaeontologist great uncle Matthew (GUM) at the age of 12, and the others following soon after. She is initially a cynical realist, however the other adult figures around her, mostly lodgers in her uncle’s huge old house, each also act as mentors to the three girls and help nurture their respective aspirations, and ultimately soften Sylvia's resolve, and open her heart to the overwhelming desire of her three girls to follow their dreams.

The company of Ballet Shoes (credit: Manuel Harlan)

The relationships built are all hugely contrasting, but equally endearing, especially that between Posy and her dance teacher Madame Fidolia, the latter being a hardened, stoic Russian former dancer, whose stony exterior gradually breaks down, and we end up with a massively sweet student-teacher relationship. Fidolia, portrayed masterfully by Justin Salinger, has perhaps the most tragic character arc, as we end up feeling strongly for her, in spite of a choppy first impression.

At its core, “Ballet Shoes” is a strikingly sweet, captivating story of ambition, love and loss, accentuated by Frankie Bradshaw’s delightfully quirky set design, especially of GUM’s house littered with fossils and artwork, and knocking our socks off with its choreography, score by Asaf Zohar, and the overall warm, fuzzy feeling with which it leaves you. This adorable play will warm your heart, break it, and then have you coming back for more.

★★★★★

"Ballet Shoes" ran at the National Theatre from the 26th of November 2024 to the 22nd of February 2025, and will return to the Olivier in Autumn 2025, with booking opening soon.