Performance Database

Choreographer: Frederick Ashton
Composer: William Walton
Set designer: John Armstrong
Costume designer: John Armstrong
Rambert premiere: 4 May 1931, Ballet Club, Mercury Theatre, London
World premiere: 26 Apr 1931, Camargo Society, Cambridge Theatre, London, United Kingdom
Work note: Taken into the repertoire shortly after its world premiere, 'Façade' was often later billed as 'the original version' because it did not contain Ashton's later additions.
Scene/role note: Seven sections: Scotch Rhapsody, Jodelling Song, Polka, Valse, Popular Song, Tango Pasodoble, Finale - Tarantella Sevillana.
Music title: Façade, Suite 1 (1926) and Suite 2 (1938)
Music details: Live music: early performances were accompanied by one or two pianos; later performances used: 2 flutes (doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, 2 violins,
Source: Programme and reference file in the Rambert Archive; Vaughan, D. 'Frederick Ashton and His Ballets' (Alfred A. Knopf, 1977)
Archive catalogue: WORK/0046

Performances

Date ⇃⇂ Programme ↿⇂ Venue ↿⇂
4 May 1931
Evening 		La Péri | Le Boxing | Capriol Suite | L'Après-midi d'un faune | A Florentine Picture | Façade* Mercury Theatre, London
20 Mar 1932
Evening 		Aurora's Wedding | Lysistrata or The Strike of Wives* | Mars and Venus | Façade Mercury Theatre, London
4 Feb 1935
Evening 		Mephisto Waltz | Façade | Valentine's Eve* | The Planets | L'Après-midi d'un faune | Foyer de Danse Duke of York's Theatre, London
8 Nov 1936
Evening 		Passionate Pavane | The Planets | La Muse s'Amuse* | Façade Mercury Theatre, London
5 May 1947
Evening 		Swan Lake (Act 2) | Plaisance* | Les Masques | Façade (the original version) Theatre Royal, Bristol
13 Mar 1948
Evening 		The Planets | Jardin aux Lilas | Casse-Noisette* | Façade Tivoli Theatre, Sydney, Australia
31 Aug 1950
Evening 		Les Sylphides | Kaleidoscope | The Eve of St. Agnes* | Façade Theatre Royal, Bath
30 Jul 1951
Evening 		Giselle Act I | Canterbury Prologue* | House of Cards (Scherzi della Sorte) | Façade (The Original Version) Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
8 Jul 1952
Evening 		Nutcracker Suite | Bar aux Folies-Bergère | Winter Night | Façade (The Original Version) Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
17 May 1954
Evening 		Les Sylphides | Love Knots* | Winter Night | Façade (The Original Version) Oxford Playhouse
10 Jul 1956
Evening 		Winter Night | The Dying Swan | Façade | L'Après-midi d'un faune | Les Sylphides Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
25 Jul 1961
Evening 		Laiderette | A Place in the Desert* | Night and Silence | Façade Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
23 Jul 1962
Evening 		Night Shadow | Façade (The Original Version) | Conflicts* | Winter Night Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
13 Jul 1964
Evening 		Laiderette | Cul de Sac* | Façade Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
15 Apr 1965
Evening 		Giselle* | Façade Theatre Royal, Nottingham
16 May 1968
Evening 		Pierrot Lunaire | Judgment of Paris | 1 - 2 - 3* | Façade Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
20 Feb 1969
Evening 		George Frideric* | Tic-Tack | Pierrot Lunaire | Façade Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
11 Jun 1986
Evening 		Mercure* | Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan | The Mannequin Dance | 'Unsquare Dance' from 'It's a Raggy Waltz' | 'Popular Song' from 'Façade' | 'Duet' from 'Concertino' | Soirée Musicale | Judgment of Paris | Java Sadler's Wells Theatre, London