New Adventures : Play Without Words

FOR ADVENTURES IN MOTION PICTURES
Nutcracker! - Marshmallow
Swan Lake (Original Cast) - Italian Princess
Highland Fling
Cinderella (Original Cast) - Cinderella
The Car Man (Original Cast) - Lana

FOR NEW ADVENTURES
Nutcracker! - Sugar
Play Without Words (Original Cast) - Glenda
Swan Lake - The Queen

Saranne retired from full time dancing in 2007. Matthew Bourne wrote the following tribute for the Friends Magazine

Farewell Queen Saranne!

In the same week that Royal Ballet ballerina, Darcy Bussell retired amid much fanfare, major newspaper articles and a live television broadcast on BBC2, another sad farewell was taking place, far away from London in the legendary Moscow Arts Theatre.
Saranne Curtin, one of the finest actor/dancers ever to grace my productions, was giving her final performances in one of her definitive roles; The Queen in Swan Lake.
It was a particular ambition of Sara’s to perform in Moscow, and she and the company gave their all, winning admiration from not only the many Bolshoi dancers who attended (one of whom was 94!) but also the famed acting company from Chekhovs famous theatre.
This makes complete sense to me, because as well as being a fine dancer, Sara, was always an astonishing actress. Just look at the range of her roles with my Company (Many of which she created). Who can forget her sensuous and ultimately tragic Lana in “The Car Man”, her cool, sophisticated beauty in “Play Without Words”, her vulnerable and touching “Cinderella”, and then there was her hilarious and bitchy Sugar in “Nutcracker”, her sexy and charismatic Italian Princess in the original “Swan Lake” and , of course, in the same show, her seemingly cold but ultimately heartbreaking Queen.
I’m not sure that even Ms Bussell, has tackled such an incredible range of roles with such success. It also struck me, while I was watching all the coverage for Darcy’s endless farewell, that while she is, of course, much loved at the Royal Opera House, and an extraordinary talent, our Sara has been touring the country, and the world, delighting audiences for the last 14 years, and has probably played to many more live performances than Darcy has in her 1 or 2 shows a week over 18 years at the ROH!
I am honoured and grateful to say that Sara has spent almost her entire performing career dancing in my work and a whole generation of company dancers have been inspired by her special talents. Sara is modest and quietly hard working off stage, but once that curtain goes up another creature appears – Incredibly beautiful and glamorous, riveting in everything she does!
Of course, Sara, will always be part of the New Adventures family….. and I will do my best to bully her into returning from time to time….but, for now, I know that you all join me in wishing her much happiness with Rauri and her growing family.
She has played such an important role in my career and I find it hard to accept that I may not see her onstage again…but I have so many great moments to treasure forever…… Thank you Sara.

Saranne Curtin

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