Would you like to see Cinderella performed by a male dancer?

Well the story of Cinderella has been done to death. A change might be nice. It’s not like there weren’t princesses back then. I’d quite like to see the alternative version, but only if it’s televised.

Retread

I recently saw a production of Macbeth at the Globe Theatre. Macbeth was a woman and the witches were men. It just didn't work!

My friend is playing the porter in Macbeth in Stratford on Avon, a role usually played by a man.

What a shame, performances at the Globe, even set to a different time period, have to me been so 'Shakespearian' I don't think I'd like that switch either. Given how uncomfortable the seating is, even with a hired cushion, I want to enjoy the performance.
As an aside I do sometimes get annoyed when film directors take a book, mess around with the story, make a totally different ending but bill it as 'the book' If you think you can do so much better then write a whole new story!

I recently saw a production of Macbeth at the Globe Theatre. Macbeth was a woman and the witches were men. It just didn't work!

Yes, it is deceitful.

It’s the deceit I object to. Say which performance you want to book for and there’s an end to the problem.
Would you be happy to have booked to see Victoria Wood and got Les Dawson? I’ve been to see both, but I knew what I was paying for.

Doodledog

Ballet is not Panto though. I don't understand the correlation.

No it certainly isn't and generally that doesn't happen. However when I saw Cinderella some years ago at The Royal Opera House, the two ugly sisters were danced by men as would be in a panto. They were brilliant, it really isn't easy to dance ballet steps in a wibbly wobbly out of step way. Cinderella and Prince Charming were danced by the conventional female and male dancers.

AGAA4

Out of the mouths of babes comes common sense very often.

I do think parents need to know what they should be expecting at any one performance.

Out of the mouths of babes comes common sense very often.

I can imagine some very indignant small children, taken to see the Cinderella ballet, getting very indignant if it's a day when Cinders is a boy.

"That's not right! Cinderella is a girl not a boy. And why is the Prince a Princess?"!!

Ballet is not Panto though. I don't understand the correlation.

While there will not be an LGBTQ+ coupling for Cinders, Scottish Ballet said there would be a gay love story blossoming in the background for some of the other characters

Buttons and Dandini? So no principal boy to be played by a female perhaps?

It's becoming very confusing.

Dinahmo

Have you all forgotten that there used to be principal boys in pantos?

There still are.

But they have changed the whole ethos and spirit of the Cinderella story by reversing the two rôles.

I would prefer to know what I was paying for before going - tickets to the ballet are not cheap, and I don't like the idea of a 'surprise'.

Having said that, I don't object to the idea in principle. If I've understood correctly it is just a different take on the story, with a man as the oppressed stepchild instead of a woman? With a Princess looking for a mate and evil stepbrothers, I can't see the harm - it could be interesting.

I think it would be wonderful. A surprise. Traditional or novel. I'd love to see how the choreography uses the extra male strength.

Seems there will be no gay Cinders!

‘ Audiences attending the production of Cinders will not know until the curtain goes up whether the main character will be a man or a woman.
One version will be traditional - with a female Cinderella being swept off her feet by her Prince Charming.
But in the other, a male Cinders will be rescued from a life of drudgery by his princess.

The female will wear the ballgown, regardless of whether she is playing Cinders or the princess that falls in love with the male Cinders.
The ballet company claims the break in tradition is a world first.
The ballet, set in a draper's store at the turn of the 20th Century, will feature an art-nouveau inspired set with the traditional score by Sergei Prokofiev.
While there will not be an LGBTQ+ coupling for Cinders, Scottish Ballet said there would be a gay love story blossoming in the background for some of the other characters.

Have you all forgotten that there used to be principal boys in pantos?

I suspect that if one to see Scottish Ballet's performance of Cinderella with a male lead one would suspend disbelief fairly quickly.

Some years ago we saw Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo in London. The programme started with the Dance of the Cygnets which was very funny. As the programme continued the dancing became more serious and by the final piece we'd forgotten that we were watching men.

Not only do they have to learn to dance in point shoes, they have to learn to dance like women.

Whenever they next come to he UK I'd recommend them. They do it very well.

Jackiest

Stereotypes always need challenging and it is about time the male female roles in life were given a kick so I would go and hope to see the male Cinderella.

I don’t think I’d call Cinderella a stereotype, just a female character. I’m not sure what Scottish Ballet are proposing ( or indeed why). Will Cinders and the prince be a same sex couple, or will both roles be reversed?

noooooooo!

Ailidh

I definitely would.
I remember seeing Matthew Bourne's all male Swan Lake many years ago, and it was amazing.

Yes, absolutely stunning 😍
It was the most fabulous show.

Will we see all the traditional female roles taken over by men?
Snow White, Sleeping Beauty perhaps.

Sparklefizz

Is there anything left for women with men taking over everything of ours?

👏 👏 👏

Ashcombe

If they believe in their concept, then they should have the courage of their convictions and allow potential patrons to be told what to expect. We love ballet but would not book to see a male Cinderella.

This innovation is sans point rather than en pointe….

I agree. If they advertised each performance as being performed by the male or the female Cinderella, then bookings would demonstrate the popularity of each concept.

I note from Caravansera's link that the dancers will be the female dressed as a female and the male dressed as a male, regardless of which role they are playing. The female dancer will either be dressed in rags or riches and the male likewise.

Glorianny you always raise Shakespeare but in Shakespeare's time they only used adolescent boys to dress and play the part of females (women being almost banned from acting) never bearded 6 foot strapping men. They were trying to create the illusion that it was indeed a female inside the costume. Shakespeare did create strong female characters but he didn't want them looking like obvious men. Orthello would have been played by a white man with makeup to portray the darker skinned Moor, would you endorse that these days?

nanna8

It is a traditional story and if I wanted to see it I would want to see the old,old story done the traditional way. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Rewrite another similar story if necessary but don’t call it Cinderella.

I am inclined to agree.

I can’t find any evidence that boys were called Ella or were used to clean ovens and hearths, in the time when Cinderella was originally set
Little boys were sent up chimneys as chimney sweeps.
Oh, he'd only be a little boy though, so no self-respecting Princess is going to take more than a passing glance at a sooty boy.

Back to the drawing board.