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1960
Sound Barrier
13th November 1960, Sunday Ballet Club Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London
A ballet about communications, social misfits and an eventual break-through -for the wrong reason.
Composer: Peter Rugolo
Designer: Barry Kay
Casting: Chesterina Sim Zecha, George Minami
A Wish for Jamie (Pantomime)
9th December 1960, Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow
Devised and directed by: Freddie Carpenter
Book, additional music and lyrics: John Law
Designer: Berkeley Sutcliffe
Musical numbers arranged by: Peter Darrell
Casting: Clement Ashby, Mary Benning, Rikki Fulton, Russell Hunter, Fay Lenore, Doris McClure, Kenneth McKellar, Paul & Peta Page, Ethel Scott, Reg Varney, The George Mitchell Singers, The Geraldo Orchestra and dancers of Western Theatre Ballet
1961
Ode
15th May 1961, Western Theatre Ballet Civic Theatre, Rotherham
Based on the idea of contrasting ways of life and the inner conflict involved in a choice between them.
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Designer: Pauline Whitehouse
Casting: David Hepburn, Brenda Last, Max Natiez, Oliver Symons, Sylvia Wellman
Five-past-Eight of 1961 (Revue)
17th May 1961, Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow
Devised and produced by: Dick Hurran
Decor: Tod Kingman
Costumes: Floc
Musical numbers arranged by: Peter Darrell
Casting: John Adams, Eve Boswell, Roy Boutcher, Irene Claire, Brian Jones, Jimmy Logan, Una McLean, John Mulvaney, Helen Norman, Jack Radcliffe, The Bluebell Girls, The Four Fellers and The George Mitchell Singers and the Geraldo Orchestra under the direction of Michael Steyn
Salade
4th September 1961, Western Theatre Ballet Empire Theatre, Edinburgh
Part of a Triple Bill (together with Le Renard and Seven Deadly Sins) commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival.
Composer: Darius Milhaud
Designer: Barry Kay
Text: Albert Flament, translated by Rollo H. Meyer
Casting: Peter Cazalet, Gail Donaldson, Dennis Griffith, Yvonne Joseph, Brenda Last, Victor Maynard, Hazel Merry, Laverne Meyer, Gilda Proudley, Erling Sunde, Oliver Symons, Sylvia Wellman.
Aladdin (Pantomime)
December 1961, Empire Theatre, Glasgow
For this production Peter Darrell devised and produced the Vision of the Highlands Ballet.
Music and lyrics: Cole Porter
Designer: Loudon Sainthill
Choreography: Robert Helpmann
Book by: John Law
Director: Eleanor Fazan
Casting: Johnny Beattie, Jessie Carron, William Dickie, Gerald Fallon, Jimmy Fletcher, Claire Francis, David Henderson-Tate, Soo-Bee Lee, Duncan Macrae, Eric V Marsh, Brian Moorehead, Mark Wynter
Dancers: Anne Heaton with Gail Donaldson, Dennis Griffith, Yvonne Joseph, Brenda Last, Victor Maynard, Laverne Meyer, Max Natiez, Gilda Proudley, Clover Roope, Erling Sunde, Sylvia Wellman, Brian Willis
1962
A Wedding Present
19th April 1962, Western Theatre Ballet Empire Theatre, Sunderland
A dramatic work about a girl whose marriage is shattered when she finds out her husband is in love with a young man.
Composer: Béla Bartók (Piano Concerto No 3)
Designer: Judith Wood
Casting: Brenda Last, Victor Maynard, Laverne Meyer, Sylvia Wellman and dancers of Western Theatre Ballet
The Great Gala
3rd May 1962, Royal Albert Hall, London
A Gala Divertimento of music, song and dance and brilliant decor.
Artistic director: Franco Zeffirelli, assisted by Peter Darrell
Casting: World famous artists including Victoria de los Angeles, Yehudi Menuhin and Giuseppe di Stefano
The Desert Song (Operetta)
24th September 1962, Empire Theatre, Glasgow
Composer: Sigmund Romberg
Book and lyrics: Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II and Frank Mandel
Decor: Tod Kingman
Costumes: Alec Shanks
Musical numbers and choreography: Peter Darrell
Casting: Tearlach Bruce, Jill Donohue, David Fallon, Dorothy Fraser, Charles Harris, Ernest Hare, Kenneth Lacey, Helen Lambert, Olga Lowe, Brian Matheson, Lise Moscrop, Howard Nuttall, Felicity Page, Robert Parvin, Desmond Walter-Ellis and company;
Dancers: Ann Delyse, Lillabea Gifford, Gillian Gregory, Tony Lane, Patricia Lovette, Jack Macfarlan, Wendy Morris, Fred Reford, Robin Sheringham, Ruth Till, Janet Varley
1963
Jeux
7th March 1963, Western Theatre Ballet. Citizen's Theatre, Glasgow; 1968 Nederlands Dans T.heater; 1977 Queensland Ballet (Games out of Court): 12th October 2000, The Curve Foundation
Three people have been playing tennis but the game continues after the match is over.
Composer: Claude Debussy
Designer: Jean Muir; Harry Waistnage (Western Theatre Ballet); Peter Cazalet (Queensland Ballet)
Casting: Simon Mottram, Clover Roope, Sylvia Wellman
Mayerling
8th November 1963, Royal Winnipeg Ballet Playhouse Theatre, Winnipeg
Based on the life of Crown Prince Rudolf and the Royal Hapsburg Family of Austria.
Composer: Gabriel Fauré, orchestrated by Claude Kenneson
Decor: Roy Izen
Costumes: Grant Marshall
Casting: Donna-Day Washington, Richard Rutherford with Beverley Barkley, Richard Browne, Jim Clouser, Patrick Crommett, Stephanie Finch, Richard Foose, Donna Frances, Leo Guerard, Sharon Herr, Hiller Huhn, Gina Hiscock, Bill Martin-Viscount, Sheila MacKinnon, Helen McKergow, Yemaiel Oved, Frederic Strobel, Sonia Taverner
Elegy
18th December 1963, Western Theatre Ballet Prince Charles Theatre, London
Composer: Gabriel Fauré
Designer: Alix Stone
Casting: Gail Donaldson, Simon Mottram
Mods and Rockers '63
18th December 1963, Western Theatre Ballet Prince Charles Theatre, London; 1996 Sarasota Ballet, Florida; March 2001 Louisville Ballet.
Britain's first 'beat' ballet, the score is based on a wide variety of The Beatles' titles. Leather-clad Rockers meet Mods at a dance hall and Mod girl falls for Rocker boy.
Composers: The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison)
Designer: Desmonde Downing; Robin Hirtenstein (1968)
Casting: Mods - Sylvia Wellman with Bronwen Curry, Suzanne Hywel, Gale Law, Oliver Symons; Rockers - Simon Mottram with Gail Donaldson, Robin Haig, Victor Maynard, Graham Smith
1964
Houseparty
7th June 1964
Commissioned work for BBC Television.
A virtually stepless drama of manners and motives, it brought the idea of Nijinska's ballet right up to the moment concerning, as it did, behaviour and morals typical of the early 60's. Time: late afternoon Sunday until dawn Monday.
Composer: Francis Poulenc (Les Biches)
Scenario: John Hopkins and Peter Darrell
Designer: Marilyn Taylor and Jarvis
Casting: Peter Cazalet, Bronwen Curry, Gail Donaldson, Robin Haig, Suzanne Hywel, Gale Law, Elaine McDonald, Victor Maynard, Hazel Merry, Laverne Meyer, Simon Mottram, Oliver Symons, Robert Verbrugge, Sylvia Wellman
Lysistrata
9th June 1964, Western Theatre Ballet Theatre Royal, Bath. A Bath Festival Production
The story of Women's Lib through the ages from the Greeks to the Crusades, the Puritans, the Suffragettes, today and even beyond.
Composer: John Dankworth (commissioned score)
Scenario and lyrics: Benny Green
Designer: André François
Guest artist: Cleo Laine
Casting: Sean Bartley, Peter Butler, Peter Cazalet, Bronwen Curry, Robin Haig, Suzanne Hywel, Gale Law, Angela Leigh, Elaine McDonald, Simon Mottram, Deirdre O'Donohoe, Graham Smith, Robert Verbrugge
1965
Home
3rd February 1965, Western Theatre Ballet Empire Theatre, Sunderland
Part of North Eastern Festival of the Arts, Home was specially created for Nadia Nerina.
Composer: Béla Bartók (String Quartet No. 5)
Designer: Peter Cazalet
Commissioned scenario: John Mortimer
Guest artist: Nadia Nerina
Casting: Sean Bartley, Peter Cazalet, Bronwen Curry, Peter Butler, Leo Guerard, Suzanne Hywel, Nikolai Lusignan, Elaine McDonald, Simon Mottram, Deirdre O'Donohoe, Donna-Day Washington, Barrie Wilkinson
A Man Like Orpheus
24th May 1965
Commissioned work for BBC Television.
Said to be as up to date as news reporting, and as subjective as poetry.
Composer: Raymond Leppard (commissioned score)
Scenario: John Hopkins and Peter Darrell
Designer: Tony Abbott
Casting: Scan Bartley, Peter Cazalet, Suzanne Hywel and dancers of Western Theatre Ballet
Orfeo (Opera)
6th July 1965, Arts Theatre, Cambridge
Western Theatre Ballet's first joint production with Sadler's Wells New Opera Company.
Composer: Claudio Monteverdi, realised by Raymond Leppard
Libretto: Alessandro Striggio
Designer: Yolanda Sonnabend
Conductor: Raymond Leppard
Director: Frank Hauser
Lighting: Charles Bristow
Casting: James Conrad, Stafford Dean, Mary Gilmore, Patricia Kern, John Wakefield and dancers of Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet
Pigesco (Girl's Shoes)
24th September 1965
Commissioned work for Danish Television.
Scenario: Finn Metheling
Director: Annet Wolf
1966
Lessons in Love
26th February 1966, Zurich Ballet State Opera House, Zurich
Composer: Aaron Copland (Music for the Theatre and Danzon Cubano)
Designer: Max Rothlisberger
Casting: Colette Cerf, Verena Fluhrer, Bernd Ganter, Sybille Kaess, Ryta Keller, Susan Kiefer, Barry McGrath, Alun Rhys, Ben de Rochemont, Stefan Schuller, Carlos Serrano, Mirja Tervamaa and dancers of Zurich Ballet
Sun into Darkness
13th April 1966, Western Theatre Ballet Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
The action takes place in a Cornish village in autumn on the eve of its yearly carnival. Violent in places, sombre, orgiastic, strident, pulsating, powerful and towards the end claustrophobic. This was the first British three-act ballet on a contemporary theme since the war, and Peter Darrell's first three-act ballet.
Composer: Malcolm Williamson (commissioned score)
Commissioned scenario: David Rudkin
Designer: Harry Waistnage
Consultant director: Colin Graham
Lighting: Charles Bristow
Casting: Peter Cazalet, Elaine McDonald, Laverne Meyer, Gary Sherwood, Donna-Day Washington with Brian Burn, Alan Cunliffe, Robin Haig, Harry Haythorne, Suzanne Hywel, David Jones, Robert Verbrugge and dancers of Western Theatre Ballet and Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet
Gloriana (Opera)
21st October 1966, Sadler's Wells Opera Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Composer: Benjamin Britten
Libretto: William Plomer
Decor: Colin Graham
Costumes: Alix Stone
Conductor: Mario Bernardi
Director: Colin Graham
Lighting: Charles Bristow
Casting: Wendy Baldwin, David Bowman, John Cameron, Shirley Chapman, Charles Draper, Ailene Fischer, Sylvia Fisher, Don Garrard, Neville Griffiths, Donald Mclntyre, David Morton-Gray, Eric Stannard, Jennifer Vyvyan, John Wakefield.
Dancers: Terry John Bates, Caroline Douglas, Norman Milne and dancers of Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet
Cinderella (Pantomime)
December 1966, Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow
Devised and directed by: Freddie Carpenter
Designer: Berkeley Sutcliffe
Musical numbers arranged by: Peter Darrell
Lighting: Michael Northern
Casting: Stanley Baxter, Ronnie Corbett, Lonnie Donegan, Kahnan Glass, Paula Hendrix, Lynn Kennington, O'Keefe Brothers, William Redmond, Jackie Sands, Graham Squire, Louisa Vaughan
Dancers: Arlette van Boven, Tony Hulbert with Christina Avery, Elisabeth Carn, Ann Calver, Anne Denne, Helen Garton, Geraldina McCarthy, Janis Macintosh, Elizabeth Milligan, April Nicholson, Ann Nugent, Ann Oakman, Margaret O'Rorke, Diana Page, Lucy Pearson, Gillian Reed, Frances Scott
Samson and Delilah (Opera)
1966, Sadler's Wells Opera Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns
Designer: Ralph Koltai
Conductor: John Matheson
Casting: Robert Bickerstaff, Ronald Dowd, Anne Howard and dancers of Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet
1967
Francesca
2nd February 1967, Western Theatre Ballet Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Composer: Albert Roussel (Petite Suite for Orchestra)
Designer: Peter Cazalet
Casting: Robin Haig, Suzanne Hywel, Simon Mottram and dancers of Western Theatre Ballet
Orpheus and Eurydice (Opera)
4th October 1967, Sadler's Wells Theatre, London Joint production of Western Theatre Ballet and Sadler's Wells Opera
Composer: Christoph Willibald von Gluck
Designer: Jocelyn Herbert
Conductor: Bryan Balkwill
Director: Glen Byam-Shaw
Lighting: Charles Bristow
Casting: Margaret Curphey, Patricia Kern, Margaret Neville, Alexander Young and dancers of Western Theatre Ballet and Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet
1968
Ephemeron
12th February 1968, Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet St Alban's Ballet Club. 28th April 1968, Western Theatre Ballet. Akademie der Kunste, Berlin
A man's rememberance of things past as he moves through a landscape of frozen figures.
Composer: Darius Milhaud
Designer: Peter Darrell (Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet); Peter Docherty (Western Theatre Ballet)
Casting: Terry John Bates, Donald McLennan, Juliet Tooby and dancers of Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet, Peter Cazalet, Elaine McDonald, Kenn Wells and dancers of Western Theatre Ballet
Carmina Burana / Catulli Carmina (Opera)
21st May 1968, Deutsch Oper, Berlin
Composer: Carl Orff
Designer: Teo Otto
Director: Gustav Rudolf Sellner
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
1968, Hammer Horror Film
1969
Beauty and the Beast
19th November 1969, Scottish Theatre Ballet Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Peter Darrell chose to use the old French version of this fairy tale, but the search for truth has as much urgency today as when it was written by Madame de Villeneuve.
Composer: Thea Musgrave (commissioned score)
Scenario and production: Colin Graham
Designer: Peter Minshall
Casting: Donna-Day Washington, Tatsuo Sakai with Brian Bum, Susan Carlton, Sean Cunningham, Bronwen Curry, Caroline Douglas, Robin Haig, Harry Haythorne, Terence James, Ashley Killar, Harold King, Elaine McDonald, Deirdre O'Donohoe, Gernot Petzold, Domy Reiter, Patricia Rianne, Marian St Claire, James Supervia, Juliet Tooby, Kenn Wells
