Diaghilev Festival

The Arts Desk“Saddled with ludicrous, camp new choreography...” The Blue God on the first programme might have been the nadir of any ballet production I’ve ever seen - the fleshy, posturing Nikolai Tsiskaridze a parody of his young self, not to mention a positive caricature of the young Nijinsky...

The Stage“The Firebird is first rate...” Seemingly overwhelmed by the set and costumes, Eagling has not quite found his way through the thicket of IndoRussian imagery though Natalia Balakhnicheva as the Young Girl has a darting, quicksilver style that is tremendously attractive...

Guardian“A lot of sifting is required to find the real Diaghilev here...” The colour palette of sets and costumes veers towards a cheap, acidic gaudiness. Trashier still is the Snake God, who rears up in the background, flashing green laser beams like an escapee from Doctor Who...

Financial Times“Diaghilev everywhere betrayed rather than celebrated...” An interminable Bollywood romp devised by Wayne Eagling to keep the costumes on the move, roaring chunks of Skryabin (parts of The Divine Poem and the whole of the Poem of Ecstasy – altogether too many fake orgasms for one evening)...

The Independent“Inauthentic...” "The Firebird" is a more solid production, though the Kremlin Ballet performance lacks style. Maryinsky guest star Ilya Kuznetsov makes a hammy Prince Ivan. As the Firebird, the high-jumping Alexandra Timofeyeva dances with attack...