The Two Pigeons (Les Deux Pigeons) (1961)

An Allegory in two acts and three scenes, based on the fable by La Fontaine

MUSIC

André Messager, arranged and partly orchestrated by John Lanchbery (ballet, 1886, with one number from Véronique, opéra-comique, 1898)

SCENERY & COSTUMES

Jacques Dupont

DANCERS

The Young Man: Christopher Gable; The Young Girl: Lynn Seymour; His Mother (renamed A Neighbour: 1974): Shirley Bishop; A Gypsy Girl: Elizabeth Anderton; Her Lover: Robert Mead; A Gypsy Boy: Johaar Mosaval; Two Old Gypsy Crones: Lorna Mossford, Valerie Deakin; Friends of the Young Girl, Gypsies, Sightseers: corps de ballet

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Ballet touring section, Royal Opera House, London, 14 February 1961

New Stagings / Productions

Royal Ballet, 1962

STAGING

Royal Ballet

DANCERS

The Young Man: Alexander Grant; The Young Girl: Lynn Seymour; A Gypsy Girl: Georgina Parkinson; Her Lover: Robert Mead; A Gypsy Boy: Laurence Ruffell

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, London, 16 October 1962

Royal Ballet School, 1965

STAGING

Royal Ballet School

DANCERS

The Young Man: Graham Powell; The Young Girl: Lesley Collier; A Gypsy Girl: Margaret Barbieri; Her Lover: Nicholas Johnson; A Gypsy Boy: Wayne Sleep

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, London, 17 July 1965

Ballet for All, 1975

STAGING

Ballet for All; Act II pas de deux only

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, 18 January 1975

Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2000

STAGING

Birmingham Royal Ballet

DANCERS

The Young Girl: Dorcas Walters; The Young Man: Robert Parker; A Gypsy Girl: Asya Verzhbinsky; Her Lover: Joseph Cipolla

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham, 5 April 2000

By Other Companies

CAPAB Ballet Company, 1968

NEW PRODUCTION

CAPAB Ballet Company

REPRODUCED BY

Faith Worth

SCENERY & COSTUMES

Peter Rice

DANCERS

The Boy: Gary Burne; The Girl: Phyllis Spira; Gypsy Girl: Janice Worth; Her Lover: John Simons

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Civic Theatre, Belleville, South Africa, 19 October 1968

The Australian Ballet, 1973

STAGING

The Australian Ballet

REPRODUCED BY

Robert Mead

DANCERS

The Boy: Kelvin Coe; The Girl: Lucette Aldous; Gypsy Girl: Marilyn Rowe; Her Lover: Jonathan Kelly; Gypsy Boy: Paul Saliba

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Opera House, Sydney, 30 April 1973

National Ballet of Canada, 1979

STAGING

National Ballet of Canada

REPRODUCED BY

Lynn Wallis

FIRST PERFORMANCE

O’Keefe Center, Toronto, 28 February 1979

CAPAB Ballet Company, 1980

NEW PRODUCTION

CAPAB Ballet Company

REPRODUCED BY

Lynn Wallis and David Poole

SCENERY & COSTUMES

Peter Cazelet

DANCERS

The Young Man: Edward Greyling; The Young Girl: Phyllis Spira; A Gypsy Girl: Elizabeth Triegaardt; Her Lover: John Simons

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Nico Malan Opera House, Cape Town, 28 March 1980

Houston Ballet, 1983

STAGING

Houston Ballet

REPRODUCED BY

Robert Mead (restaged 1992 by Lynn Seymour)

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Jones Hall, Houston TX, 12 May 1983

Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, 1987

STAGING

Les Ballets de Monte Carlo; as Les deux pigeons

REPRODUCED BY

Robert Mead

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Opéra de Monte Carlo, Monaco, 18 April 1987

Ballet of the Teatro Regio, 1992

STAGING

Ballet of the Teatro Regio

REPRODUCED BY

Faith Worth

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Teatro Regio, Torino, 18 January 1992

Noriko Kobayashi Ballet Theatre, 1992

STAGING

Noriko Kobayashi Ballet Theatre

REPRODUCED BY

Denis Bonner

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Tokyo, 17 October 1992

Ballet de Nice, 1995

NEW PRODUCTION

Ballet de Nice; as Les deux pigeons

REPRODUCED BY

Faith Worth

SCENERY & COSTUMES

Carlo Diappi

DANCERS

La jeune fille: Elena Kniazkova; Le peintre: Wilfried Romoli; La gitane: Sylvie Sangiorgio; Le chef des gitans: Filippo Verdirosi; Le jeune gitan: Nicolas Blanc

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Opéra de Nice, 8 December 1995

Hong Kong Ballet, 1996

STAGING

Hong Kong Ballet

REPRODUCED BY

Faith Worth

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong, 9 May 1996

Scottish Ballet, 2002

STAGING

Scottish Ballet

REPRODUCED BY

Denis Bonner and Lesley Collier

DANCERS

Young Girl: Sarah Wildor; Young Man: Ivan Dinev; Gypsy Girl: Lorna Scott; Her Lover: Luca Martini

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 16 April 2002

National Ballet of Georgia, 2006

STAGING

National Ballet of Georgia

REPRODUCED BY

Denis Bonner, Margaret Barbieri

SCENERY & COSTUMES

Alexandre Vassiliev and David Monavardisashvili

DANCERS

Young Girl: Nino Gogua; Young Man: Irakli Bakhtadze; Gypsy Girl: Lali Kandelaki; Her Lover: David Khozashvili

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Tbili Z Palisashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre, Tbilisi, Georgia, 26 October 2006