Adam Gatehouse and Nicoline Nystrom

Nicoline Nystrom was one of the first pupils to enter Rambert’s full time educational school in the late 1950s. After school and time spent travelling, she joined the Company as a dancer in 1967. Adam Gatehouse was appointed Music Director of the Company in 1974. The couple met and married whilst at Rambert.

In this interview, they share their Rambert memories and stories, providing a unique insight into some of the major figures from Rambert’s history: Marie Rambert, Norman Morrice, Glen Tetley, John Chesworth, and Christopher Bruce, amongst others. Adam talks about his role as Music Director, working with Carlos Miranda and Tony Hymas and some of the collaborations he worked on with composers such as Harrison Birtwistle and choreographers such as Jaap Flier. Adam and Nicoline talk about Norman Morrice, with whom they had a long and close friendship until his death in 2008, and discuss why his contribution to British contemporary dance is not more widely recognised. [Correction: Adam would like it known that he conducted on average 150 performances per year rather than the 600 he states in the interview.]

00:02:33 Role of Music Director
00:06:49 Rambert School
00:12:16 Marie Rambert
00:21:07 Glen Tetley
00:26:03 ‘That is the Show’ (Morrice, 1971)
00:31:21 ‘Pierrot Lunaire’ (Tetley, 1962/1967)
00:37:31 Harrison Birtwistle
00:40:40 Princess Margaret
00:47:40 Norman Morrice
00:53:53 ‘Cruel Garden’ (Bruce/Kemp, 1977)
01:03:00 ‘Dark Elegies’ (Tudor, 1937)

Interview recorded on 14 July 2017 at Rambert, London.
Interviewer: Claire Izzard; Filmmaker: Paul Izzard

The Rambert Voices oral history project is part of Rambert at 90, a project marking the company’s 90th anniversary, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.