Domy Reiter-Soffer

OSCAR

Irish National Ballet

“There is a moment in the new and stunning ballet ‘Oscar” when light, sound, set and dancers fuse to become a London street scene; there is then no division of cast and audience, the two coalesce and become observers of the passing parade, it is a moment of true theatre.
Domy Reiter-soffer once said that in on order to create, one has to dare, and this choreographer's vision and courage in bringing the life of Oscar Wilde to the stage in Dance form, was rapturously acclaimed by the opera house audience last night.
This was Oscar's world premiere, and, it is, indeed a worthy of future performances on the stages of the world. Dublin, Cork and Belfast audiences have the privilege of seeing it first, thanks to the Irish National Ballet Company.
Reiter- Soffer breaks some traditional, balletic moulds and uses the narrative to sketch the broad and colourful canvas of Wilde's life and work.
Oscar is a three Act ballet and dance is integral in this tracing of the life-style and work of the brilliant playwright who became the plaything of society to be dropped when scandal shambled that life and the lives of those closest to him.
Cornel Crabtree is absolutely superb as Oscar. This New York City Ballet dancer is on stage for almost the entire time. As Wilde moves through his oxford days, the foppery of his London times and eventual prison and disgrace for a crime that even the Judge of the case…dare not speak its name, its Wilde's homosexual relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, or Bosie, danced with incredible fluidity by Pietr Paul-Blook, which separates Wilde from his wife Constance, danced and portrayed with exquisite feeling and precision by Frances Guardia. I.N.B director Pat Murray's set and Bryan Love's lighting designs, the beautiful music of Arnold Bax, Played but the RTE Concert Orchestra, under the baton of Gareth Hudson continually transformed the large opera house stage and captured the mood changes of the confident, then distraught Wilde. It is the sense of compassion permeating the entire performance, which raises this production to classic level. There is a great flamboyance, as in the opening Salome scene of Act three, but it is the understatement of the movement and expression by the principal dancers, which underscores the whole credibility of Oscar. There was the finely wrought dancing of Daire Odunlaing, Oscar's other self, Michele Szymanski as Oscar's Mother, Hartmut Reichel as Sir William Wilde, Denise Roberts as Ada Leverson, Armondo Luna as Robbie Ross and Peter Shovlin as Bosie's Father, that brought the whole this world premiere into a stunning unforgettable evening of dance theatre that will live the hearts and minds of many who witnessed it”.
(Declan Hassett- The Irish Times).

“Oscar” choreographed by Domy Reiter-Soffer makes an impact and deserves all the praises. The ballet itself deals with the life of Oscar Wilde beginning with his childhood in Dublin and ending with his disgrace.
The impact is immediate and dramatically it swoons the audience into a life of a giant that permeates with strong sensual overtones and compelling decadence, which is the tour de force of the evening. The duets between Wilde (Cornel Crabtree) and Bosie (pieter Paul-Block) are extraordinarily danced by the characters, moving through endless bounds and intricate lifts that are in itself quite unique and magnificently executed. The end is somber as well as moving, as Wilde is taken away to Reading Jail. There is a lot to write and admire about this production. One remembers Salome's dance, the series of most effective scenes for Oscar and the haunting picture of his wife Constance admirably danced by Frances Guardia. It was masterly stroke to select the music of Arnold Bax for this absorbing work as it matches the taut drama and leads to a heartbreaking finale. Visually, Patrick Murray's designs ensure that the flamboyance-and decadence-of the era are reflected, and the voice of John Kavanagh serious in tones and most effective throughout in character with the choreographer's intentions.
“Oscar” is a piece of theatre that tends to leave abiding memories and unforgettable scenes, none more telling than Wild's downfall”.
(Gus Smith-Sunday Independent).

“ The Irish National Ballet's “Oscar” which began this week at the grand opera house last night is both courageous in its choice of subject and innovative in its translation into movement. Within three acts choreographer Domy Reiter-Soffer has devised ballet, which combines dance with the spoken word, and the choice of music by Arnold Bax was an excellent one. It was played with telling effect by the RTE concert Orchestra under the baton of Gareth Hudson . Act one took us through Wilde's childhood in Dublin followed by Oxford days and even bringing in his association with celebrated actress Lily Langtry. Act two brought us to London introduced us to Oscar's other self and that other essential element in the Wilde's saga Lord Douglas (Bosie). The harrowing third act began to topple with its court scene, jail and eventual abandonment by all save a few friends the story reached its ominous conclusion, expressed in balletic terms of often startling effect and always with underlying urgency that gripped the viewer. For this ballet company the performance was a triumph, embodying very effective choreography. One can have nothing but praise for Cornel Crabtree's superb Oscar and his duets with his wife (Frances Guardia) and his children were most effective and moving. It was with the appearance of Bosie that we reached the high watermark of both the treatment and the realization of the ballet's most startling and even controversial aspect. Crabtree explored every facet of the possibilities given to him. His superb dance with the excellent Denise Roberts as Sphinx. Pieter Paul-Block'S Bosie was admirable foil and yet complemented Oscar with a first-rate portrayal of the petulant, self centred youngster, and the several pas de deux, unusual in the field of ballet were astoundingly beautiful, and Oscar's other self was wonderfully danced by Daire O' Dunlaing. The whole evening was unforgettable and the Irish National Ballet deserves all the success that it had”.
(Rathcol- The Telegraph).

“The applause from the packed opera house which greeted Patrick Murray's gilt Art Nouveau traceries when “Oscar” opened on Saturday, Growing for his Café Royal set, to crescendo at the retractable canopy over Salome's dance, Matched the development of the ballet itself. The Dublin childhood holds by its intelligent storyline, dominated by Michele Szymanski's Speranza, and the first of three brilliant theatrical tricks, characteristic of choreographer Domy Reiter-Soffer. The move to London flow into an exciting dance and movement flow. Drama and dance unite movingly in act two, however as Cornel Crabtree's splendid Oscar is torn between his wife and beloved sons danced with grace dignity by Frances Guardia. In Café Royal joined by Denise Roberts as lovely Sphinx who at the end, in a beautiful pas de troi becomes with Robbie Ross (Armando Luna), Oscar's only friends, make a wonderful choreographical statement; inevitably it is the men who star. With Ross and his other self Daire O'Dunlainge, tempting him towards rough trade and above all with Pieter Paul-Block's superbly pampered petulant Bosie, Oscar has a series of marvelous duets, inventive and sensitive with lifts that never seem unnatural, and act two and three each have their surprise coup de theatre which it would be unforgivable to reveal. The bonus of Arnold Bax's music played by the RTE concert Orchestra conducted by Gareth Hudson, together with John Kavanagh providing a verbal match to Crabtree's visual performance and astounding dramatic dancing. This is indeed a wonderful and exciting tribute to Ireland 's brilliant 19 th century playwright”.
(Carolyn Swift- The Irish Times).

“The Irish National Ballet danced into a triumph in its new production of “Oscar” which opened in the grand opera house. It has achieved a fluid and graceful exciting choreography. It is molded and under laid by a symphonic configuration which is pure harmony of dance: the music of Arnold Bax and the stunning voice of John Kavanagh reading of Wilde's prose and poetry. The plot has the stink of corruption about it, with a potent with hell to come in the second act.
The grace of the corps, the intricate pas de deux of act one, Wilde's love affair with his wife, and the gaiety of London and Dublin society- which always seem as though they are going to come to a climax but move beautifully into a transfiguration and become something else- still have lightness and exciting grace.
It is a shock when one encounters the great coup de theatre at the end of all the three acts but is a shock muted and enhanced by the remorseless onward feeling of a progress from genius to doom. The final act with its superb duet between Oscar and Bosie still has moments as yet unrivalled elsewhere in the world of dance or theatre. Surely this work should be seen by everyone that loves dance and theatre or becomes part of a major companies repertoire, we'd be able to trace in time to come. Let us say that the audience is being given a rare artistic treat and one that deserves to be absorbed and enjoyed to the full.
(Jane Whitten-News Letter).

“The Irish National Finest Hour is the ballet “Oscar” in a full length ballet based on Oscar Wilde presented at the Gaiety theatre Dublin . Whichever doubts one might have in advance about balletic Oscar, that portly figure, were quickly dispelled last night in the stunning opening scene to music by Arnold Bax and the near naked Salome circling the writer. The choreographer Domy Reiter-Soffer, has devised a brilliant evening in which the story, from instant fame to tragic fall, is told in compelling dance drama. The spirit of the 189o's is caught in a succession of vivid and colourful scenes, in beautiful setting, in black and silver, a triumph of Beardsley-inspired design by Patrick Murray. Central to the action is the relationship between Wilde and his lover Lord Alfred Douglas “Bosie” and which presented by the choreographer and dancers with imaginative skill with elegance in movement and expression.
The American Dancer Cornel Crabtree, who is on stage practically throughout, gives a persuasive portrait of the dramatist in a splendid dance movements. Blond Pieter-Block makes a perfect match as Bosie, graceful and accomplished, with Frances Guardia doubling as Wilde's wife. Daire O'Dunlaing as oscar other self, Armando Luna as Robert Ross, Denise Roberts as Sphinx and Peter Shovlin as Marquess of Queensberry were a strong support to this great Irish National Ballet achievement and the finest hour for Domy Reiter-Soffer”.
(John Finegan-Evening Herald).