A magnificently flamboyant and daring woman is recreated by a kindred spirit
Ida Rubinstein – dancer, actor, commissioner, passionate lover and beloved of both sexes, including composer Maurice Ravel (Rubinstein commissioned his Bolero, so Torvill and Dean have much to thank her for) – led “a life crowded with incident” as Oscar Wilde would say. Now her story is brought to the stage, thanks to kindred spirit and fellow dancer, actor and impresario Naomi Sorkin, who embodies her heroine in writer/director/choreographer Christian Holder’s play.
There is no doubt Sorkin shares Rubinstein’s talent both for performance and as an entrepreneur, but she resembles her too. There is much to enjoy and admire in this stage biography, starting with Matthew Ferguson’s striking and rather beautiful opening video projection. A larger-than-life Rubinstein, entombed in a huge see-through sarcophagus, morphs magically through various incarnations thanks to a succession of extraordinary swirling costumes created by production designer David Roger with stunning textiles by Charles and Patricia Lester.
Brilliant sunshine (lighting Declan Randall) reveals a spacious chamber, the epitome of bohemian luxury, complete with daybed guarded by an art deco ‘Egyptian’ statuette and glorious views over the blue expanse of the French Mediterranean. The narrative has a relatively reclusive older Rubinstein granting an interview to eager young journalist Edward Clement (Max Wilson), who has tracked her down to the villa in Vence (to which she retired in 1935). She clearly revels in the attention as he laps up every word and scribbles down every anecdote.
Stellar personalities from the worlds of dance, music and theatre, whose lives impacted on hers, both professionally and personally, materialise as they are evoked. Enter Darren Berry’s Ravel, perfectly cast as he’s a fine pianist and clearly relishes playing the composer developing the distinctive Bolero rhythm. Marco Gambino’s Italian descent makes him a shoe-in for Gabriele D’Annunzio, Italian writer and politician (and notorious womaniser, though Rubinstein was a lifelong friend rather than lover).
As for other luminaries in the dancer’s life, wealthy American painter Romaine Brooks, with whom she has a passionate affair is played with panache by Kathryn Worth – in satisfying contrast to her portrayal of Soretto, Rubinstein’s discreet housekeeper. Other personalities are conjured by voiceovers, including Sergei Diaghilev, the great impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, for whom Rubinstein created the role of Cleopatra to open his Paris season in 1909.
Before she details the trajectory of her glamorous career, the dancer outlines her girlhood to Clement, from her birth in 1885 in St Petersburg into a well-to-do Ukrainian Jewish family. She reveals how her blossoming career is almost cut short when the family, now based in Paris, have her confined in a lunatic asylum for daring to appear almost nude as Salome in a ballet choreographed by her teacher Michel Fokine. She escapes and, as well as creating starring roles, goes on to found her own company.
Although the narrative device is in danger of proving clunky, it is rescued by Wilson’s bright-eyed delight and the revelation of a personal connection between interviewee and interviewer adds a touching note. Sorkin’s unashamedly flamboyant portrayal is clearly true to her subject.
By Judi Herman
Photos by Gareth McLeod
Ida Rubinstein: The Final Act runs until Saturday 16 October. 7.30pm, 3pm (9 Oct only). £10-£22. The Playground Theatre, W10 6RQ. theplaygroundtheatre.london
Listen to our interview with Naomi Sorkin on JR OutLoud.