QPAC Lyric Theatre, Brisbane
September 2, 2016

Ballet Preljocaj’s Snow White has made its Australian premiere as part of the QPAC International Series 2016. Based heavily on the original Grimm Brothers tale, it is a distinctly adult production and is not recommended for children.

Queensland Symphony Orchestra performed Gustav Mahler’s symphonies – chosen by Artistic Director and choreographer Angelin Preljocaj because they were written in the same era as the Grimm Brothers’ stories – beautifully and other sounds from 79D interspersed with the music to create depth, including bells, voices and white noise. Sets designed by Thierry Leproust provided a rich extra layer to the production, particularly the Queen’s mirror and the dwarf mines. Lighting design by Patrick Riou complemented each scene and created an enthralling atmosphere.

The ballet was performed as a single act, without an interval, over two hours in the Lyric Theatre. In spite of there being several obvious places where an interval could have been inserted without reducing the effect of the ballet, it did remain engrossing for the entire two hours.

One of the most-discussed aspects of this ballet in the lead up to its Australian premiere...