Any Noel Streatfeild fans here?

SPOILERS - National theatre ballet shoes production

Ok I saw Ballet Shoes at the National. I know the reviews are good and I wanted to love it, but I just didn’t.

There was no need at all to change Madam to a man in drag other than maybe because they were trying to copy Hairspray or something - must have man in drag.

They made Sylvia/Garnie a modern working woman in dungarees good with a screwdriver. But to me her ineptitude as the lady of the house is key to the story as is their grand poverty - eg buy material in Harrods to make dresses they can’t afford to buy ready to wear

I loved the old Mr and Mrs Simpson who they changed entirely and got rid of Mrs Simpson and make him a love interest for Sylvia

Nana just becomes a lazy fat old stereotype. Winifred becomes pretty. There’s none of the lovely details of the girls needing to be old enough to work or all the lovely details about the dresses they need.

And in the book I loved the Drs and their quiet but obvious gayness but in the play they make one dead and one alive and make a massive fuss of the gayness and it just doesn’t work for me.

And Theo is American in the play and a failed showgirl type. Why? Absolutely no need.

And Pauline - they make her naughty and unlikeable and the sisters don’t really like each other.

I hate to scream about how they made it politically correct, but fuck me they made it politically correct.

I love the book though and know it intimately. Maybe if you don’t then it works as a standalone production. Most of the theatre loved it. The reviewers love it.

The renaming even ruined that lovely moment in You've Got Mail where Kathleen's recommending Ballet Shoes through her tears - I just get so cross when she starts wanging on about Skating Shoes and Theatre Shoes!

Oh don't get me started. Party Frock becomes Party Shoes, although there are satin slippers to go with the Frock. Apple Bough becomes Travelling Shoes! The only shoes in that one are the ones that people wear on their feet.

Yes, I loved them. I might reread now as a treat 😊

Yes, we’ve been discussing it upthread. The one with the bloke as (no longer Madame) Fidolia.

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ballet-shoes/

@JFDIYOLO Ballwt Shoes is on stage at the National Theatre in London. (It was my top favourite on).

I loved the Gemma books. I read them so many times.

Don't think I've read that one, I'll keep an eye out. Thank you.

Wintle's Wonders did get re-named Dancing Shoes.

Was always my fav as a child.
It's the one with Rachel and Hillary and spoiled Dulcie Pulcie.

Mrs Wintle's Little Wonders, Pursey, Uncle Tom etc.

*Spolier-plain un-promising Rachel takes a part form Dulcie to star in a film!

Is that the one about the dancers? I think it got renamed Dancing Shoes as one of the stupid name changes.

Oooh, what's it about?

I must see that. I loved Dame Eileen Atkins as Fidolia in the emma watson one though!

I checked the cast and it's 2 males playing gum and fidola (no Madame so now a male character)

Maybe just done to lack of cast available in the company? So people have to do dual roles and there are already many women in the cast already who would be on stage as same time as fidola. We shall see how it works in practice.

I too have tickets.

But right at the very back as I am cheap! So I bay not spot that a bloke is playing gum and Madame f.
Though won't it be more likely someone off stage /in shadow being Madame f than a man on stage playing a woman? Or they'd make them mr f if they were lacking in cast members and people had to double up (though then just stick a beard on a lady actor to be gum)

I recognise the description, so must have read it long long ago. I remember being a bit taken aback by the dose of reality, but seeing it for what it was.

I've read By Special Request.

I don't think it was meant to be so much cruel as not giving children a false idea that they could fall in love with ballet at 15, and immediately be recognised as a major talent despite never having done it before and being the star performer at the end of the first term. Which was a fairly typical story of the era.
She was trying to get across that it takes a lot of hard work, dedication etc.

Harking back to Streatfeild's realism, does anyone else know the anthology she edited, By Special Request? I read it in the school library when I was a child, and the bit that really stuck was the introduction, where she lamented the lack of realistic writing about stage and ballet. She wrote a couple of send-ups for it - The Pride of St Polyanthus was aimed at the school stories where the star of the Sixth leaves for a dazzling career in writing or theatre. Her Claudia appears at the OG reunion thin and shabby, and barely recognisable after a year of the realities of stage life. The Little Pavlova describes Janey Flig, victim of a substandard ballet teacher and deluded parents, and that has a really unkind feel to it. It seemed vicious even when I read it at school.

That has also completely put me off.

I was thinking that it would be a lovely outing for DD and me but I am not buying tickets to see a man replace a vital female character!!!!
Very foolish decision imho

I’ve just been looking. A bearded bloke is playing ‘GUM / Fidolia’, which makes me wonder whether they’re turning her into a male character or sticking a dress on him & expecting people not to notice.

oh no. I have tickets too, and was really looking forward to a good adaptation. Madame Fidolia is such an important and strong character, and being a woman is so much a part of what she does - running a school like that, being a woman able to make a career in her older years, etc.

Oh, fucking hell. But that does seem increasingly typical of the National. I definitely won’t be going then.

This has really put me off seeing it. I know it sounds a bit silly but I might sell the tickets or gift it. What a shame. The whole point of the book is that it's focused on women!

The 1970s one is on YouTube as well

Oops, sorry didn't spot the above post!

Have just ordered the 1970's dvd.

Very excited!