The real Rolling Stones were nowhere to be seen last night (29 August 2007, preview 28 August) at the Apollo Theatre, where Danish choreographer Peter Schaufuss’ new “dancical” set to their greatest hits Satisfaction opened for a limited UK premiere season to 8 September (See News, 4 Jun 2007).
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For 1st Night Photos, our Whatsonstage.com photographer Dan Wooller was on hand for the curtain call and post-show party at the Apollo Theatre with members of the company. Other first night guests included Angela Rippon, former Royal Ballet principal Alexander Grant, Strictly Come Dancing’s Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova and Zara Deakin, Schaufuss’ dancer-wife who played the title role in his Diana The Princess.
Satisfaction is choreographed and directed by Schaufuss, who has also designed the lighting, costumes and set, which is enhanced by a backdrop of Gerald Scarfe caricatures of the Rolling Stones. The show’s 23-strong company of dancers features Caroline Petter, Joseph Vesely, Zara Deakin and Martin Dutton.
A former director of the London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet), Peter Schaufuss returned to Holstebro in his native Denmark to found the Peter Schaufuss Ballet, the country’s first independent, international touring ballet company. He made headlines in the UK two years ago with his dance piece based on the life of the Princess of Wales (See The Goss, 10 Mar 2005). Diana The Princess, which Schaufuss described as “not so much a ballet as a ‘musical without words’”, had its UK premiere at The Lowry in Manchester but the planned West End transfer never materialised. In addition to more conventional dance pieces, the Schaufuss repertoire also includes a ballet set to the music of Michael Jackson entitled I’m Bad.
– by Terri Paddock