KVN Dance Company, Coppelia review ★★★★★

Here’s the bit you simply can’t ignore: the Cockpit Theatre urgently needs a new sound system. In its small, intimate performance space, Rickard Berg’s remix of Léo Delibes’s delightful score descends on you like a tonne of bricks, muffled and far too loud, often less delight than aural aggression.

That said, there’s much to enjoy in company director and choreographer Kevin Allen’s punk-ish remake of Coppelia.

Allen closely follows the original story set in a jolly village: the mysterious inventor Dr Coppelius creates a doll so realistic that Franz, the boy with a roving eye, falls for her, and is only saved from Coppelius’s clutches by his resourceful and remarkably forgiving fiancée, here renamed Swanilder (it’s Swanilda in the original ballet).

The exuberant finale brings us Franz and Swanilder’s wedding, complete with tiered cake and much celebratory dancing by all the villagers.

Allen’s choreography is a seamless combination of dancing styles: pure classical ballet blends with commercial dancing, a touch of hip hop and, of course, lots of robotic dancing for Coppelius’s dolls in an extended scene set in his workshop. Surprisingly, it works very well.

KVN’s 13-strong company come from a variety of training backgrounds, and if their technical level varies, what you can’t fault is their commitment and contagious enthusiasm, something we’re surely prepared to pay money to see.

As Swanilder, classically trained Marina Fraser has the most balletic of the work's roles and she handles it well: light and elegant, with great extensions and soft arms, she is sweet and relatable.


KNV Dance Company, Marina Fraser as Swanilder. Photo: Roger Robinson
However, the choreographer failed to give this Swanilder the sass and spunk that make the original Swanilda such a powerful and engaging character. Married to Swanilda, Franz won’t dare stray ever again; whereas Swanilder will probably sweetly forgive him again and again…

Her Franz is Danny Fogerty, recently seen in the Netflix hit Bridgerton. A hard-working and proficient dancer, he is convincing as a slightly gormless young villager, who may or may not have learnt his lesson.

And as the doll Coppelia, who actually gets to dance in this remake, Rosie Southall is superb in her slightly perverse robotic responses to Coppelius’s commands.

Most disappointing was Allen's characterisation – or lack of it – of Dr Coppelius.


KVN Dance Company, Micheal Downing as Dr Coppelius. Photo: Roger Robinson
Pre-premiere publicity promised a deep look into his psyche, an enticing prospect; but no such thing is offered in the actual work. If you read the programme, it’ll tell you that he created Coppelia to relieve his loneliness following the death of his wife. In the ballet, though, he is the usual, crotchety, slightly sinister old man we’ve become used to, convincingly brought to life by Micheal Downing. His final acceptance by the village is the one significant difference.

Add to the mix luscious costumes by Wendy Olver, and you have an eye-filling, well rounded, entertaining show. Now, if only they could do something about the sound...