Hérold: La Fille mal gardée (Royal Opera House, London 2025, Director: MacGibbon)

Frederick Ashton’s “La Fille mal gardée” is a ballet for the whole family about a headstrong girl who wants to marry her lover. Filled with humor and choreographic ingenuity, it is the perfect piece for the entire family. Lise is the only daughter of Widow Simone, the owner of a prosperous farm. She is in love with the young farmer Colas, but her mother has quite different ambitions and wants to marry her off to Alain, the son of the wealthy landowner Thomas. Since Lise is determined to marry Colas, she devises a plan to thwart her mother's intentions. When “La Fille mal gardée” premiered at Covent Garden on January 28, 1960, it instantly captured everyone's hearts. Inspired by Jean Dauberval's French ballet, Ashton's version combines exuberant humor with a loving depiction of village life. Ashton, the founding choreographer of the Royal Ballet, wanted to capture the green idyll of Suffolk – a goal supported by Osbert Lancaster's colorful set designs.

The music by French composer Ferdinand Hérold was arranged by John Lanchbery and is performed here by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in London. The lead roles are danced by James Hay, Francesca Hayward, Marcelino Sambé, Christopher Saunders, and Joshua Junker.