How has 10 years changed A Streetcar Named Desire for Scottish Ballet dancer?
When Scottish Ballet take the stage on Friday and Saturday at Eden Court to bring us the steamy, dramatic Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, it will be dancer Evan Loudon playing the volatile Stanley.
Evan Loudon was born in Sydney, Australia, where he received early classical training under Tanya Pearson at her Classical Training Academy in Sydney, before entering the MacDonalds Ballet Scholarship at the Sydney Opera House. There he won the Boys Scholarship.
He joined Scottish Ballet in 2013 and was promoted to principal in December 2019.
There are lots of things that will have changed since those early days – about Evan himself, Scottish Ballet itself and, of course, this production, which earned rave reviews when it was first added to the range of the company's signature presentations.
For those who don't know the story, it's important to get a handle on it to understand the subtle and not-so subtle dynamics that embed us in 1940s New Orleans.
There we find the fading Southern belle Blanche DuBois arriving and hoping to move in with her sister Stella in the small apartment she shares with her brutish husband Stanley. He and Stella have a passionate relationship which is about to be disrupted by the presence of Blanche who Stanley decides is not what she appears to be, and sets out to destroy her...
Scottish Ballet's production breathes new life into the classic tale, using dance to add a new dimension to the story. So the Inverness audience will see graceful waltzes at the DuBois family home, "electrifying lindy jive" in a Louisiana nightclub, and intense duets in the caged heat of Stella and Stanley’s apartment.
The show was created with choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and directed by Nancy Meckler. The set and costume designs are by Niki Turner, and the score is by Peter Salem (The Crucible) and will be performed live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.
Evan talked about returning to a show he remembers from 2015 and how it – and he – may have altered since then!
Q How has the show changed for you Evan?
A There have been a few changes to the production since the last time in 2015. The choreography and staging are basically the same, but some dancers have moved on from the company and we have some new dancers too.
There’s a lot of the dancers are learning new roles and this changes the rehearsal process, but keeps it interesting and fresh. It has been so useful to have seen and been in the production before as I saw what was needed for the character of Stanley and therefore what I needed to prepare for taking on this role.
Q Tell us about your experience working with intimacy coaches for A Streetcar Named Desire, where Blanche and your character Stanley have quite a volatile, physically challenging relationship at the core of the storyline?
A The intimacy coaching has been a vital part of the rehearsal process. Since there are intimate and physically challenging scenes between Blanche and Stanley the coaches have worked with dancers who are cast in these roles on how to approach different scenes in a safe and accepting space, whilst also getting to the core of what these characters are trying to portray through their movement with each other.
They have also coached us on how to mentally leave the characters and actions behind in the studio, and identifying where the line is between our personal and professional lives.
Q You joined Scottish Ballet in 2013 – 10 years ago. How have you changed personally and professionally, and also do you feel changes within the company itself in that decade? Can you share some of your favourite moments in those years that you will treasure forever?
A I have changed immensely both personally and professionally.
Within my 10 years at Scottish Ballet I have been lucky enough to be given so many different roles to take on and perform, and with that comes experience as you learn how to deal with nerves, pressure, and your own mental capacity.
Obviously 10 years is a long time, personally I’ve grown up from the teenager I was when I joined to where I am now – and that is with life experience. The company also has changed so much since I’ve joined.
There are many new dancers and how the company has developed and grown locally and internationally has been an amazing change.
Scottish Ballet A Streetcar Named Desire is at Eden Court on Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22.
