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Giselle

Editorial Review

Adolphe Adams' haunting ballet from 1841 evokes a world of heartbroken lovers and bewitching ghostly maidens.

Event Details

Event Type:

Ballet

Editorial Review

8 - 12 July, 2008
Lyric Theatre, QPAC
Cnr Grey St and Melbourne St, South Brisbane

Giselle made its debut in Paris in 1841, and has since grown in audiences' hearts as a firm ballet favourite.

It follows the tragic story of Giselle, a frail village girl who is the object of affection for two different men. One is Hilarion, a gamekeeper desperately in love with the young beauty, who worships her from afar. The other is Albrecht, a prince stuck in a loveless engagement to a noblewoman. His heart re-awakens when he sees Giselle, inspiring him to don the disguise of a peasant in order to get close to her.

Jealousy and heartbreak arise as the story descends into tragedy and takes a haunting turn with the introduction of the Wilis. Young maidens of European folklore, they are ghostly creatures who have been spurned by love in their former lives, dying before their wedding day. They dance across the mortal world at night, deemed to ensnare others to a similar fate.

For the Australian Ballet the role of Giselle is divided throughout the season between three amazing talents: Madeleine Eastoe (Constant Variants 2007), Kirsty Martin (Swan Lake 2007) and Rachel Rawlins (The Nutcracker, 2007). Eastoe and Martin have performed as the tragic heroine before in a 2006 production of Giselle with the Australian Ballet.

Kilian David