This spring, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo will make return to Ireland and the UK for a 14-venue tour presented by Dance Consortium. The Trocks, fresh from celebrating their 50th anniversary, are still delighting audiences around the world with their hilarious parodies of classical ballet – performed with impeccable technique and fabulous comic timing.
The Trocks’ love of Classical and Romantic ballet is at the heart of what they do. Their perfectly judged blend of satire, subversion and slapstick is rooted in deep knowledge and respect for the original repertoire. In the UK and Ireland, they are presenting two different programmes – one on tour and one in London – spanning both ballet and contemporary dance.
On tour, the repertoire is Swan Lake; Pas de Deux or modern work or solo to be announced; Pas d’Action from La Bayadere (UK Premiere) or Metal Garden (UK Premiere); Dying Swan; Walpurgisnacht. At the Peacock Theatre, London the repertoire is Swan Lake; Pas de Deux or modern work or solo to be announced; Metal Garden (UK premiere); Dying Swan; Paquita.
14 of the company’s extraordinary dancers, hailing from Spain, Japan, Mexico, Cuba, Italy and the US, will be taking on a kaleidoscope of roles performed by their male danseur and female ballerina alter egos.
The dancers are: Olga Supphozova and Yuri Smirnov (Robert Carter); Varvara Laptopova and Boris Dumbkopf (Takaomi Yoshino); Grunya Protazova & Marat Legupski (Salvador Sasot Sellart); Holly Dey-Abroad and Bruno Backpfeifengesicht (Felix Molinero del Paso); Colette Adae and Timur Legupski (Jake Speakman); Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya and Mikhail Mudkin (Raydel Caceres); Gerd Törd and Pavel Törd (Matias Dominguez Escrig); Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya and Araf Legupski (Andrea Fabbri); Moussia Shebarkarova and Vyacheslau Legupski (Vincent Brewer); Minnie Van Driver and William Vanilla (Liam Hutt); Maya Thickenthighya and Roland Deaulin (Peter Gwiazda); Marina Plezegetovstageskaya and Jacques d’Aniels (Antonio Lopez); Vera Vidludik and Nicholas Khachafallenjar (A.J. David); Heidi Kleine and Polykarp Legupski (Harrison Broadbent).
Founded in 1974 in the wake of the Stonewall Riots, The Trocks started life as a late-night act on the makeshift New York stage of an early LGBTQ+ organisation. They have always been trailblazers and inclusivity, gender fluidity and body positivity, once subversive now part of the mainstream, are a given for them.
Tory Dobrin, who joined the company as a dancer in 1980 and became artistic director in 1992, said: “Our tours to the UK are one of the highlights of our calendar. The enthusiasm and expertise of the audiences in Ireland and the UK is unmatched! We are very much looking forward to performing, especially these new works.”
Tour Dates
Thursday 30 April & Friday 1 May at 7.30pm
Bord Gais Energy Theatre, DUBLIN
Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2 D02 PA03
Tickets: +353 (0) 1 677 7999 / www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie
Tuesday 5 May to Friday 8 May at 7.30pm and Saturday 9 May at 2.30pm & 7.30pm
The Peacock Theatre, LONDON
Portugal St, London WC2A 2HT
Tickets: 020 7863 8222 / www.sadlerswells.com/
Tuesday 12 & Wednesday 13 May at 7.30pm
Wales Millennium Centre, CARDIFF
Bute Place, Cardiff CF10 5AL
Tickets: 029 2063 6464 / https://www.wmc.org.uk/
Friday 15 & Saturday 16 May at 7.30pm
WOLVERHAMPTON Grand Theatre
Lichfield St, Wolverhampton WV1 1DE
Tickets: 01902 42 92 12 / https://www.grandtheatre.co.uk
Tuesday 19 & Wednesday 20 May at 7.30pm
Mayflower Theatre SOUTHAMPTON
22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE
Tickets: https://www.mayflower.org.uk
Tuesday 26 & Wednesday 27 May at 7.30pm
NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal
100 Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR
Tickets: 0191 232 7010 / www.theatreroyal.co.uk
Friday 29 & Saturday 30 May at 7.30pm
Alhambra Theatre BRADFORD
Morley St, Bradford BD7 1AJ
Tickets: 01274 432000 / www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Tuesday 2 & Wednesday 3 June at 7.30pm
MILTON KEYNES Theatre
500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ
Tickets: 0333 009 6690 / https://www.atgtickets.com
Friday 5 & Saturday 6 June at 7.30pm
NORWICH Theatre Royal
Theatre St, Norwich NR2 1RL
Tickets: 01603 630000 / www.norwichtheatre.org
Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10 June at 7.30pm
The Marlowe Theatre CANTERBURY
The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS
Tickets: 01227 787787 / www.marlowetheatre.com
Friday 12 June at 7.30pm
Grand Theatre BLACKPOOL
33 Church St, Blackpool FY1 1HT
Tickets: 01253 290190 / www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/
Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 June at 7.30pm
EDINBURGH Festival Theatre
13-29 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9FT
Tickets: 0131 529 6000 / www.capitaltheatres.com
Friday 19 & Saturday 20 June at 7.30pm
His Majesty’s Theatre ABERDEEN
Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1GL
Tickets: 01224 641122 / www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/his-majestys-theatre/
Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 June at 7.30pm
BUXTON Opera House
Water St, Buxton SK17 6XN
Tickets: 01298 72190 / www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk