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Façade (1931)

A ballet in one act freely adapted to music originally written as a setting to poems by Edith Sitwell*

M William Walton (1922)
SC John Armstrong

D Scotch Rhapsody: Prudence Hyman, Maude Lloyd, Antony Tudor; Jodelling Song: Milkmaid: Lydia Lopokova; Mountaineers: Frederick Ashton, William Chappell, Walter Gore; Polka: Alicia Markova; Valse: Pearl Argyle, Diana Gould, Maude Lloyd, Prudence Hyman; Popular Song: William Chappell, Walter Gore; Tango Pasodoble: Lydia Lopokova, Frederick Ashton; Finale - Tarantella Sevillana: Lydia Lopokova, Frederick Ashton, and ensemble
FP Camargo Society, Cambridge Theatre, London, 26 April 1931

ST Ballet Club, London; D as above except Milkmaid: Andrée Howard; Tango and Finale: Alicia Markova
FP 4 May 1931

NP Vic-Wells Ballet; *subtitles added at this time, choreography and costumes both revised
D Scotch Rhapsody: Mary Honer, Elizabeth Miller, Robert Helpmann; Swiss Yodelling Song: The Milkmaid: Gwyneth Mathews; Mountaineers: Harold Turner, Frederick Ashton, William Chappell; Polka: Margot Fonteyn; Waltz: Pamela May, June Brae, Beatrice Appleyard, Peggy Melliss; Popular Song: Harold Turner, William Chappell; Country Dance (new item): A Maiden: Pearl Argyle; A Yokel: Richard Ellis; The Squire: Robert Helpmann; Tango Pasodoble: A Debutante: Molly Brown; A Dago: Frederick Ashton; Tarantella Finale: Pearl Argyle, Frederick Ashton, and ensemble
FP Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 8 October 1935

NP Vic-Wells Ballet; choreography further revised; new SC John Armstrong
D Scotch Rhapsody (later called Ecossaise): Guinevere Parry, Molly Brown, Claude Newman; Noche Espagnola (Nocturne péruvienne) (new item): Frederick Ashton; Yodelling Song (Tyrolienne): The Milkmaid: Julia Farron; Mountaineers: John Hart, Michael Somes, Richard Ellis; Polka: Margot Fonteyn; Foxtrot (new item): June Brae, Pamela May, Robert Helpmann, Frederick Ashton; Waltz (Valse): Ann Spicer, Julia Farron, Palma Nye, Moyra Fraser; Popular Song: Richard Ellis, John Hart; Country Dance: A Maiden: Mary Honer; A Yokel: Michael Somes; The Squire: Robert Helpmann; Tango Pasodoble: A Debutante: Margot Fonteyn; A Dago: Frederick Ashton; Tarantella Finale: Margot Fonteyn, Frederick Ashton, and ensemble
FP Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 23 July 1940

NP Sadler's Wells Opera (later Theatre) Ballet; new items omitted; SC as 1940
D Polka: Anne Heaton; Popular Song: Donald Britton, Alexander Grant; Tango Pasodoble: June Brae, Frederick Ashton
FP Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 29 April 1946

(On 2 June 1949 the scenery and costumes were destroyed by fire at the Theatre Royal, Hanley; for a brief period following this the ballet was performed in the original decor, borrowed from Ballet Rambert, but with new costumes made from the 1940 designs)

NP Sadler's Wells Ballet; new items omitted; SC as 1940
D Polka: Moira Shearer; Popular Song: Michael Boulton, Donald Britton; Tango Pasodoble: Moira Shearer, Frederick Ashton
FP Royal Opera House, London, 1 August 1949

Foxtrot and Country Dance added 20 June 1950, with new C for these numbers and minor revisions in the finale

Country Dance dropped again as from 7 April 1951

At two performances on 5/7 May 1956 the Nocturne péruvienne was restored, and again during the company's tour of Australia, 1958-1959: D Robert Helpmann

NP Royal Ballet New Group; music performed in its original form, with narration by Peter Pears; original choreographic version plus Foxtrot, with abbreviated Finale; SC as 1940
D Polka: Carole Hill; Popular Song: Nicholas Johnson, David Morse; Tango Pasodoble: Margaret Barbieri, Hendrik Davel
FP The Maltings, Snape, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, 28 July 1972; Sadler's Wells Theatre, 9 October 1972
At later performances the music was again performed in the orchestral version

ST Ballet for All, in Birth of the Royal Ballet; Yodelling Song only
FP Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe, 13 October 1972

NP Birmingham Royal Ballet: original version plus Foxtrot; SC as 1940
D Polka: Sandra Madgwick; Popular Song: Samuel Armstrong, James Bailey; Tango Pasodoble: David Morse, Chenca Williams
FP Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 2 February 1993

ST Royal Ballet Lower School: Foxtrot and Popular Song only
FP Dance East, Chandos Lodge, Eye, Suffolk, 1 July 2007

By other companies:

NP Borovansky Ballet; R Laurel Martyn; SC William Constable (after John Armstrong, 1931 version)
FP Australia, c. 1946

NP Repertory Ballet Theatre of New Zealand; excerpts only; R Yvonne Cartier and Jill Beachen, after Laurel Martyn's Borovansky version
FP Auckland, New Zealand, July 1946

NP Illinois Ballet; R Richard Ellis; SC Dom Orejudos
FP St Alphonsus Theater, Chicago IL, 25 September 1959

NP New Zealand Ballet; R Walter Trevor; SC Raymond Boyce (?)
FP South Island, New Zealand, 1960

ST Ballet of the Norske Opera; R Harold Turner
FP Opera House, Oslo, 4 October 1960

ST PACT Ballet Company; R Alexander Bennett
Johannesburg, 1965

ST NAPAC Ballet Company; R Joan Blakeney
FP Durban, 17 May 1966

ST Joffrey Ballet; R John Hart and Richard Ellis
FP Auditorium Theatre, Chicago IL, 28 January 1969

ST Répétition générale for the Greatest Show on Earth; Popular Song only
D Doreen Wells, John Gilpin
Coliseum, London, 22 June I971

NP Minnesota Dance Theatre; R Brian Shaw; S Jack Barkla C Judy Cooper and Peter Hauschild
FP Jacob's Pillow, Lee MA, 25 July 1972

ST The Australian Ballet; R Peggy van Praagh; SC John Armstrong (1940)
D Nocturne Péruvienne: Robert Helpmann; Polka: Lucette Aldous; A Debutante: Carolyn Rappel; A Dago: Robert Helpmann
FP Princess Theatre, Melbourne, 8 September 1972

ST Chicago Ballet; R Richard Ellis and Christine Du Boulay; SC Dom Orejudos
FP Ruth Page Foundation Theatre, Chicago IL, 2 October 1975

ST Ballet van Vlaanderen; R Joy Newton
FP Royal Opera House, Antwerp, 10 January 1976

ST Houston Ballet; R Richard Ellis; S (1931) C (1940) John Armstrong
D Tango: Gwen Verdon, Ben Stevenson
FP Jones Hall, Houston TX, 2 March 1978

ST Washington Ballet; R Brian Shaw
D Polka: Denise Jackson; Popular Song: Gary Chryst, Jay Jolley; Tango Pasodoble: Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell
FP Palm Beach Festival, West Palm Beach Auditorium, Palm Beach FL, 22 March 1983

ST Banff Center; R Alexander Grant and Robin Ryman
FP Banff Center, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 1984

ST Royal Winnipeg Ballet; R Alexander Grant and Robin Ryman
FP Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall, Manitoba, 26 December 1984 (taken over from Banff Center, see above)

ST Colorado Ballet; R Brian Shaw (restaged 1993 by Alexander Grant)
FP Auditorium Theater, Denver CO, 22 March 1991

ST Ballet of the Teatro Regio; R Alexander Grant and Faith Worth
FP Teatro Regio, Torino, 18 January 1992

ST Oregon Ballet Theatre; R Alexander Grant and Margaret Barbieri
FP Newmark Theatre, Portland OR, 7 May 2004

ST Images of Dance (London Studio Centre Company); R Alexander Grant and Margaret Barbieri
FP Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, 4 June 2OO4

ST Scottish Ballet; R Margaret Barbieri and Alexander Grant
D Polka: Tomomi Sato; Popular Song: Glauco Di Lieto; Tango Pasodoble: CIaire Robertson, Cristo Vivancos
FP Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 13 April 2005

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