Mayerling review: A rich revival of MacMillan’s ballet of doomed obsession

Natalia Osipova and Francesca Hayward are among the standouts in a show that allows the Royal Ballet to flaunt its gift for storytelling

Zoe Anderson
Thursday 06 October 2022 14:47 BST
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<p>Francesca Hayward and Ryoichi Hirano in ‘Mayerling'</p>

Francesca Hayward and Ryoichi Hirano in ‘Mayerling'

Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling is a ballet of doomed obsession. The hero is a prince, but this historical drama couldn’t be further from fairytale: it follows Rudolf, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, from his disastrous marriage to his death in a suicide pact with his teenage mistress, Mary Vetsera. MacMillan creates a whole world of needy, driven people, trapped in a stifling web of court politics, repression, and destructive emotion.

This Royal Ballet revival marks 30 years since MacMillan’s death and pays powerful tribute to one of its defining choreographers. From impassioned duets to tiny gestures, it also allows this company to flaunt its gift for storytelling.

Ryoichi Hirano shows Rudolf’s decline as he lurches deeper into tragedy. At first, his dancing has a lyrical stretch, a clarity of line that twists up over the course of the ballet. In the grand court scenes, you’re always aware of where his attention rests: yearning for some comfort from his mother, or distracting himself from his duties without care for scandal.

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