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Usually when you set off on tour you have a couple of weeks' preparation - without shows - before you leave. Phoebe, my Mum and I headed for the airport (and the start of our six week tour of Australia) less than 24 hours after I'd performed Tryst at the Opera House. I met Ainsley Harriott at the airport and he was also flying out to Australia. Ainsley, who now presents Ready, Steady Cook (a BBC Television Programme) was the chef I worked with when I made an appearance on the programme back in 1999. He may have been relieved, however, to be on a different flight; Phoebe was teething and I can't say she enjoyed the journey!
The first night of the tour came three days after our arrival in Australia. My Mum and I must have resembled walking Zombies for the first five days, as it took Phoebe that long to change time zones. (The night before our first show I ended up in a room on my own so I could have a good night's sleep.) Meanwhile, the company had other problems to overcome besides jet-lag as they couldn't get onto the stage until the day of the first show. As I performed the first night in each city, I had very little time to familiarize myself with the new stages. You need to know where the lights are and get your bearings, since the stages vary in size. (In comparison to the others, Brisbane's stage was quite small.) I also had the problem of not knowing who my partner was going to be 24 hours before the first night of Swan Lake. I was scheduled to dance with Johnny (Cope) but unfortunately he was struck down with a virus so, despite the company having managed to get me some very valuable time on stage that night, I didn't have a partner to dance with. Gael Lambiotte stepped into the breach, kindly offering to partner me, but there was the additional problem that he was scheduled to dance the following night. As there was no way that Johnny could recover in time, Gael and I opened the tour, with Robert Tewsley taking Gael's place the next night.
Thankfully, Johnny, although still a little weak, had recovered enough to perform the first night of Swan Lake in Sydney the following week in front of John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, and his wife, Janette. Although the Prime Minister is not as big a fan of dance as his wife, he seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly and was charming when I met him after the show. Johnny and I also performed the first night of Giselle since Sylvie, who was supposed to open with Johnny, was ill. Fortunately, Johnny and I had been performing Giselle in London so we didn't need too much extra rehearsal time; if I'd had to prepare the role with anyone else it would have been a struggle. We were, of course, pleased that Sylvie was well enough to perform her Giselle in Melbourne, but that meant extra rehearsals for Johnny, since he hadn't danced Giselle with Sylvie for a while - and I had to start rehearsing all over again with Gael, with whom I was originally scheduled to dance it. Then the floors in the studios were very hard and with all the problems of extra rehearsals, illness and lack of studio space (the company started rehearsing Onegin while we were out there), it soon became apparent that it would be nearly impossible for Johnny and me to rehearse Don Quixote. So, unfortunately, I had to pull out of my performances! I would love to have made it work, but with the schedule I had it was an impossibility. I'm not sure if I'm jinxed when it comes to dancing the role of Kitri, but sometimes it feels that way. I'd still like to perform the part one day, though.
Phoebe got to see a lot of both the Bussell and Forbes families while she was on tour and seemed to enjoy the whole experience. She was quite shy with strangers before she left, but has now become a lot more social, having had the whole company around her. Angus joined us for a week in Sydney and Melbourne where we got to meet up with all his family. Visiting Australia was really a wonderful experience for all of us.
The tour has been an incredible strain on the company and there have been quite a few injuries. For most of the season we share the Opera House stage with the Opera Company, so the corps aren't used to being on stage every night - which is really punishing for the body; most people are glad to have made it back in one piece. Now, however, they have to deal with a three week summer season of continuous shows. Having pulled out of
Don Q, I didn't have so much to do and my last performance of the season was at the Gala in honour of Her Majesty the Queen, in which I performed three pieces. The Gala opened with the entrée and pas de deux from Birthday Offering, which was originally choreographed in 1956 by Sir Frederick Ashton, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the company's official first full evening of ballet. Johnny and I danced this, a bit concerned at first whether we would fit under the curtain which seemed to jam as we made our entrance. Johnny also partnered me in the Tryst pas de deux (no glitches there) and I danced the Balcony Scene from Romeo and Juliet with Roberto Bolle. The Gala was being shown on three giant screens, two inside the house and one outside in the Piazza. After the show we were introduced to the Queen in the Piazza (she said she had enjoyed the show) and we also took a curtain call .
Time and tiredness has meant that we haven't been able to update the FAQ page but that should be completed for the start of next season. Contrary to any rumours you might have heard - I'm NOT planning on retiring just yet - but I am looking forward to my holiday. If you have any ideas on what you would like to see on the site then send me an e-mail.
I would like to thank everyone who has sent cards, letters and gifts to me at the Opera House; I really appreciate your support. Sorry for the delay in replying to some of them - I am slowly working my way through the pile, so if you haven't heard from me yet, you will soon. Thanks also for the comments regarding this site.
I hope you enjoyed the newsletter. Please come back again to see what I have been up to.
Enjoy your dance.
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