... Royal Ballet 'Swan Lake' VERGIE DERMAN is the latest among the Royal Ballet dancers to be given the dual role in Swan Lake, and her Boxing Day debut at Covent Garden showed achievement as well as further promise. Her qualities as a classical dancer have been evident for some time, and her experience as one of the two leading swans in the lakeside scene of Swan Lake serves her well in her ...

... 'A Month in the Country' ANY ballet as lovingly tailored for the style and ability of its original dancers as Ash ton's A Month in the Country is liable to suffer when replacements are necessary, and there was an inevitable lessening of impact in the Royal Ballet perform ance at Covent Garden on December 2. when Anthony Dowell and Wayne Sleep were exchanged for Michael Coleman and Graham ...

... Festival Ballet 'The Nutcracker' FROM almost every angle, London Festival Ballet's new presentation of The Nutcracker can be regarded a success. Peter Docherty's designs evoke the heaviness of the Victorian era without being sombre, contrasting with the bright colours of the costumes in the Land of Sweets, and Ronald Hynd has choreographed his own version of the story in a manner likely ...

... Royal Ballet 'The Nutcracker' OF the several Nutcracker Claras at Covent Garden, Lesley Collier is undeniably the most naturally youthful, in dancing which embodies the young girl's characteristics without a trace of forcing. At the December 22 performance her Nutcracker doll broke off at the pelvis and she used this unexpected acci dent to good effect by pouting like any annoyed child, ...

... Charles Trentham on the PUPPET WORLD THE BRITISH Puppet and Model Theatre Guild is to hold a Puppet Festival and Exhibition at Temple Lodge, Hammersmith, from June 16 to 26. Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth are running One-Day Courses on Shad ow Puppets (January 15 fully booked 16). on glove and rod puppets (February 19) and on mar ionettes (March 19). Production technique and dramatic presenta ...

... Current Production IN TOWN PLAYING lunchtime performances at the King's Head, Islington until January 15 are two new plays by John Horder, Cakes and Carrots, which are being presented by Route. Martin Burrows, Sandra Freeman and Peter Tilbury are in the cast. Anthony Matheson and John Horder are directing. THE MOLE Stage Company at the Green Man, Euston Road, N.W.1 is presenting a double ...

... Northern Dance Theatre FOR their all-too-short Christmas season in the Royal Northen College of Music, the Northern Dance Theatre mounted a programme admirably varied and calculated to please all tastes. For good measure it included two works new to the company, the first of which was also a British premiere. This was Andre Prokovsky's Baga telles opus 26, to the music of the delightful ...

... Festival Ballet A SECOND LOOK at London Festival Ballet's The Nutcracker--plus a television transmission earlier in the week-- confirms one's first impression that this production by Ronald Hynd is an outstanding success. Admittedly the cramped space on the Royal Festival Hall stage is a handicap, but these dancers are used to overcoming it and Peter Docher- ty's designs, particularly for ...

... Scottish Ballet 'The Nutcracker' THE MOST BECOMING experience at Christmas time in Scotland is a visit to The Scottish Ballet's production of The Nutcracker, As a seasonal entertainment, it is wonderful for child and adult alike with its dancing, music and simple, dreamlike story. Scottish Ballet captures all the essential qualities of the piece: its charm above all, its spectacle and ...

... RAD Awards IT WAS an all-girl entry this year for the Royal Academy of Dancing Adeline Genée Gold Medal Awards at Sadler's Wells on January 7. Eleven took part (one of the original dozen was off sick) and an unusual feature this time was to hold the preliminary Award Class on stage in the presence of the audience. This was conducted by Valerie Taylor, a Major Examiner of the RAD. who took them ...

... Current Production IN TOWN COMMON STOCK Theatre Company is presenting its new production No Sheep on the Bush at the Half Moon from January 25 to 29. Written by Alan Passes in collaboration with the company, it is directed by Chattir Salaman. designed by Andrew McAlpine with assistance from Anna Mackenzie and has music composed by Robin Samson. In the company are Denise Armon. Matthew ...

... Sonny Hayes Magic Fantasy There is nothing like a dame Not. even at this time of year, like a pantomime one, but rather Sally Windross who is the subsidiary part of Sonny Hayes Magic Fantasy and by far the best thing about this over-long self-indulgent addition to the Cockpit's mime and visual theatre season. It is a northern-based group with in theory a very bright starting point to guy the ...