''The Invitation'' is a one-act ballet with choreography and libretto by
Kenneth MacMillan
Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. Ea ...
, created in 1960 for the
Royal Ballet
The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
. The music, composed for the work, is by
Mátyás Seiber
Mátyás György Seiber (; 4 May 190524 September 1960) was a Hungarian-born British composer who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1935 onwards. His work linked many diverse musical influences, from the Hungarian tradition of Bartó ...
.
Featuring
Lynn Seymour
Lynn Seymour CBE (born 8 March 1939) is a Canadian-born retired ballerina, choreographer, and director.
Early career
She was born in Wainwright, Alberta, as Berta Lynn Springbett in a Canadian family of Scottish descent, and studied ballet in ...
as The Girl and
Desmond Doyle
Desmond Doyle (1924–1986) was an Irish painter and professional pianist, whose children (Evelyn, Maurice, Noel, John, Kevin, and Dermot) were taken into the custody of the Ireland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).
Back ...
as The Husband, seduction and rape are at the heart of this piece which generated controversy at the time; particularly the scene of the rape.
Lynn Seymour
Lynn Seymour CBE (born 8 March 1939) is a Canadian-born retired ballerina, choreographer, and director.
Early career
She was born in Wainwright, Alberta, as Berta Lynn Springbett in a Canadian family of Scottish descent, and studied ballet in ...
contributed greatly to the success of the performance. "If the ''Invitation'' is MacMillan's ballet, it is also Miss Seymour's" was written in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
''.
The first performance was on 10 November 1960 by the Royal Ballet Touring Company at the
New Theatre Oxford
New Theatre Oxford (formerly the Apollo Theatre Oxford and The Apollo, from 1977–2003) is the main commercial theatre in Oxford, England. It has a capacity of 1,785 people; is on George Street, in the centre of the city; and puts on a wide v ...
. It was first given at the
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...
on 30 December 1960.
"The Invitation (1960)"
Royal Opera House Collections Online, retrieved 8 October 2014
Original cast
New Theatre, Oxford, 10 November 1960:
* Lynn Seymour
Lynn Seymour CBE (born 8 March 1939) is a Canadian-born retired ballerina, choreographer, and director.
Early career
She was born in Wainwright, Alberta, as Berta Lynn Springbett in a Canadian family of Scottish descent, and studied ballet in ...
* Christopher Gable
Christopher Michael Gable, CBE (13 March 194023 October 1998) was an English ballet dancer, choreographer and actor.
Life and career
Dance career
Born in London, Gable studied at the Royal Ballet School, joining the Sadler's Wells Royal Ba ...
* Shirley Bishop
* Barbara Remington
Barbara Remington (23 June 1929 – 23 January 2020) was an American artist and illustrator. Born in Minnesota, she was probably best known for her cover-art for Ballantine Books' first paperback editions of J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbi ...
* Sheila Humphrey
* Anne Heaton
* Desmond Doyle
Desmond Doyle (1924–1986) was an Irish painter and professional pianist, whose children (Evelyn, Maurice, Noel, John, Kevin, and Dermot) were taken into the custody of the Ireland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).
Back ...
Notes
Ballets by Kenneth MacMillan
1960 ballet premieres
{{ballet-stub