Gentleman Jack is at Leeds Grand Theatre from 10 to 14 March.
Famously described as the ‘first modern lesbian’, Miss Anne Lister has been a Halifax legend for many years. With her diaries and documents detailing her romantic relationships with women, Lister’s life was criticised by those in her society, with many calling her a freak of nature.
But Lister’s legacy has lived on to inspire the queer community to live authentically and influenced the creation of books, shows and even a ballet!
The Northern Ballet’s, ‘Gentleman Jack’ had its first world premiere performance at Leeds Grand Theatre on the 6 March – and was a wonderful ode to the life of Lister herself. With the ideas and creativity of artistic director, Federico Bonelli, the preparation and hard work of the entire company had all been leading to this performance. And it paid off perfectly!
Choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, wonderfully represented the masculine personality and demeanor of Anne Lister. Through the consistent motif of her fixing her hat and stamping her cane on the ground, each movement was carefully planned and organised to suit Lister in every scene and reveal her every emotion.
Of course, credit must be awarded to the excellent talents of the ballerinas themselves. Without their efforts and long days of work, this ballet would never be possible. Gemma Coutts‘ performance as Miss Lister was a sight not to be missed. Her facial expressions, posture and tension in more strained scenes perfectly represented Lister’s personal experiences as an ambitious businesswoman in the male dominated era ofthe 1800’s. To be able to display a character of such confidence and unique personality through the art of dance is a skill only few possess, and Coutts is definitely one of the few.
Saeka Shirai and Rachel Gillespie’s performances as Marianna and Ann Walker were unbelievably beautiful. The femininity and grace of their movements was wonderfully representative of the ladylike nature of their characters. Their chemistry with Coutts as Lister was extremely tangible; the romantic and sexual tension between the women on-stage could be felt through the entire audience. The balance between their facial expressions and expressive movements was wonderfully skillful, their hard work inpractising their roles was not missed, and their presence on stage was a delightful, welcome sight. I hope to see these two amazing performers in more productions in the future.
It is my understanding that Northern Ballet had used the intellect of Sally Wainwright as a creative consultant on the project. Wainwright’s intelligent influence on the show was clear, using her prior knowledge and research on Anne Lister to help ensure the performance was true to her real life. Using the understanding of someone who has so closely researched a person and their life to keep the ballet close to the truth was an exceedingly smart decision.
The costume department for this ballet was incredibly talented. Louise Flanagan’s ideas for the performer’s costumes were wonderfully intelligent. Being able to represent a person’s entire personality and demeanor through clothing and details is an amazing skill. However, my attention was drawn to the structural design of the pieces and how easy it was for the dancers to remove and re-dress each part of their costume when needed. Lister’s black, vest top was fitted with a zip that allowed her to quickly remove it in certain scenes – details that helped the dancers perform at their best and removed the worry of a costume malfunction. Bravo, Flanagan!
The flexibility and strength of every ballerina was breathtaking. Their ability to display the narrative of each scene through their dance skills was inspiring. They made their art form look easy, a clear sign that they worked extremely hard to make this production perfect.
Northern Ballet’s ‘Gentleman Jack’ is a feast for the eyes and should not be missed!
Book your tickets here.
